Chinese motocross bikes

[suzuki43]

But Rossco you need to support Australian made old mate,especially when the main supplier is paying my wages

[Curly3]

If you wait long enough, everything old will be new again.

[Marc.com]

Same could be said of the Japs. But one exception leaps to (my) mind. Yagi! The chap who designed the antenna that bears his name. Marc, anything to add? [/quote]

I have a good one, Fuji Masuoka, invented the flash memory chip, which is arguably the biggest step forward since the silicon chip..... so Masuoka san worked for Toshiba, they had a big inter department rivalry and they sold his invention to to the USA for 2 million.

Masuoka san got a bonus from Toshiba of 2 grand now teaches at Cal Tech for somewhat more than that.

Traditionally Japan pays their R&D people next to nothing, plus has a culture of not giving individuals credit for their inventions, so while they are innovative you never hear about it.  But yes their strength is to develop ideas, they never accept failure and nothing is left un finished.

[TooFastTim]

Thanks Marc. I didn't realise that flash was a Japanese idea. It's a huge innovation. We are presently watching HDDs die (and about time too).

Your point about their culture has got me thinking. Japanese are great conformists and this will deter innovation. Where western culture thrives on individuality and the promotion of ideas, Japanese culture does not.

Now if I could get reneumerated for some of my ideas (one of which has gone on to make somebody very rich indeed)....

[Nathan S]

If you wait long enough, everything old will be new again.

At the swap meet yesterday, the bike that seemed to be gathering the most interested on-lookers was a fairly clean, very original Gemini 175 road bike. The comments were invariably either "I thought these were a POS when they first came out, but I wouldn't mind one now" or "These things were actually alright, despite their reputation".

It was very easy to imagine the same sorts of discussions being had about a 2010 model Chinese bike, in another 30-odd years from now.

[EML]

So , if I go to Europe and pick-up the latest WSP or EML chassis and a Maico 700 smoker engine, pop into China on the way home and say copy me 20 of these please, I should be right to take control at the sidecar nationals-sounds fair to me-where do I sign

[TooFastTim]

Yeah, but the kickstart will probably bend/break first kick 

[270YAM]

So , if I go to Europe and pick-up the latest WSP or EML chassis and a Maico 700 smoker engine, pop into China on the way home and say copy me 20 of these please, I should be right to take control at the sidecar nationals-sounds fair to me-where do I sign

You would probly need 20 of them to get you through a days racing with the amount of bad luck u have with outfits!

[Mike52]

At the swap meet yesterday, the bike that seemed to be gathering the most interested on-lookers was a fairly clean, very original Gemini 175 road bike.

The agents, for a short time, in Queensland for the Gemini dirt bikes was Sunbeam/Victa.
Believe it or not.
Mike

[Bioflex]

I regularly wonder how one of the better quality Chinese 250Fs would compare to an XR or TTR250 for a similar price. The few tests the bike mags have done on the Chinese bikes have (deliberately?) gone nowhere near the question.

The local bike shop has sold a few better quality pit bikes (brand forgotten). There's a CRF based one with 17/14" wheels there ATM and it presents as a sensible/realistic bike.
In contrast, there's an old pit bike there for repair, and the difference is glaring.

It is very refreshing to see people with a positive attitude towards the Chinese bikes. The time has definitely arrived with the product coming in absolute leaps and bounds over the last few years.
I purchased my first Chinese ?mini" about 6 months back, paid less than $800 delivered to Tas and that was after a middleman in Melbourne was involved.
After hearing about quality issue in the past I wasn't expecting a lot here, however 90% of the bike is seriously impressive. The motor is fantastic, however I was smart enough to re grease swing arm bearings, head stock, put proper oil in the motor and take care of some minor things still forgotten about by them.

Nathan, I highlighted your post as someone on the miniriders forum has done what you proposed here. Buying a cheap air cooled Chinese 250, made a few minor improvements then ended up with a bike which goes as well - or better than an XR/TT 250 for less than $2,000.

The main negatives were the forks, so a set of second hand WR forks were purchased for $350 or so, the rest of the front end benefited too. The carby was swapped and a minor mod done on the rear muffler, the rear shock tweaked and he ended up with what appears to be a very reliable, yet very fun and capable machine.

Things may get tricky when China start entering the higher performance market as the tolerances and need for higher quality parts on the highly tuned race 4 strokes (CRF, YZF etc) is obvious. At this stage though I think they have no problem churning out nice and reliable, lowly stressed machines though, which are probably a hell of a lot more fun in the end anyway.

[EML]

Which in reality is what is reqd. How many of us really want a highly stessed hard to maintain traily when we all wish for something we can ride and wash ( or not) and park in the shed 'til next time we get the chance to ride again.
We are, my good fellows, exactly where we were in the early 70's when the japs began to release reliable, user freindly trail bikes that we all fell in love with. Just before they took a leaf out of Toyotas book and started to make a vehicle for everybody in 12 colours.
At one time when I worked at Suzuki we could order for import one of 165 different models in different colours for the masses, a long way from Triumph that had maybe 6 models across the range in whatever colour you wanted as long as it matched what they produced!! 
As I said before, we are going to be racing a completely different breed by CD20

[cyclegod]

Here's a new one Looks like an "old" DR-Z

http://perth.gumtree.com.au/c-ViewAdLargeImage?AdId=255398837&ImageIndex=1

[mx250]

Here's a new one Looks like an "old" DR-Z

http://perth.gumtree.com.au/c-ViewAdLargeImage?AdId=255398837&ImageIndex=1

DOMINATOR MOTORCYCLES MALAGA
92489369
 
*BRAND NEW CPI SX250CC ROAD  TRAIL  24HP *
 
     *JUST LAUNCHED*

    * 4 STROKE
    * 6 SPEED GEARBOX
    * 24 HP DOUBLE OVERHEAD CAM
    * LIQUID COOLED
    * DIGITAL SPEEDO
    * LED INDICATORS
    * ALUMINIUM HANDLEBARS AND SWING ARM
    * 21 AND 18 INCH RIMS

$4450 RIDE AWAY OR $31 PW   *FINANCE AVAILABLE*

[colmoody]

The build quality (of something or other)argument often comes up in the drivers room most mornings. I have always maintained that in the past the majority of Chinese were not that well off and everything was built to a price for that reason. Clearly the mobility (financial situation) of a fair percentage of the population has changed in the last ten years or so and with an awakening of just how big the export market is if they get whatever it is they are manufacturing right the sky is the limit.

As an aside another driver mentioned to me the other day that he saw or heard a doco recently on just this subject and it was quoted that if you use Toyota as a Typical middle of the road Japanese car manufacturer and Hyundai as a Typical middle of the road Korean manufacturer it took Hyundai twenty years to reach the same level as Toyota. The same doco mentioned that it will take the Chinese ten years to get to Toyota and Hyundai.

I was lucky enough to be a guest of the Yamaha Motor Co in Japan about thirty years ago to celebrate there 50 years of producing motorcycles and I happened to mention to one of the head honcho's that there was maybe a perception in the Western World that the Japanese maybe copied what was already being built at the time. His reply was that you have misread us completly Colin, we are IMPROVERS of that that  is already being made. I have had a couple of days since to reflect on that statement.

[VMX247]

If you wait long enough, everything old will be new again.

It was very easy to imagine the same sorts of discussions being had about a 2010 model Chinese bike, in another 30-odd years from now.

RE: show us you minibike thread !!
Quote:Minibikes first came to Aust in the mid 60's when Honda imported a foldup 50cc machine which became known as the monkey bike.
Hondas impact was not great due to price and mainly aimed at adults..
Then Tas introduced a cheaper mini with single speed gearbox.Like Honda it was imported from Japan.
In 1969 Taiwan firms ,which had been exporting large numbers of bikes to US turned there eyes to Aust. 
Sales estimates are close total to 50,000 with annual 12,000 new units..perhap not unlike today ? !! with a choice of 20 different brands 

Interesting to know what parents thought of imports back in the day ...??
It all still comes down to having the same old fun,same old dirt,same old bikes 
cheers A