Chineese made scooters

DrDiff · Post by **DrDiff** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:56 am

I went scooter shopping today with my dad. He wants a scooter more than I do. He rode a 2003 Vino 50 and was not impressed. He had to be on the throttle 100% wide open 100% of the time. The local Buddy Dealer is out of 125's and 150's and the prices have jumped 3 times since my dad started looking at them.

We wanted to look at a Yamaha Vino 125, but they only had a cube and it sold while we were looking at it. We asked when he would get more scooters in stock and he said that he had a 50 cc comming. Then the guy at the yamaha dealership told us about a used car lot that has started selling Chineese scooters.

We went and checked them out. They had 150 cc 4 stroke scooters and the dealer kept the plastic film on the headlights, speedo, seat etc. We asked for a brocheure, "I don't know if we have any." Do they come in any other colors? I don't know." Do they have a warranty? "Yes but through the manufacturer, not me. When are you going to get any more in? "I don't know." The scooter fealt cheap, Not solid like the Buddy 125 and International 150. I had sat on the Yamaha Vino 125 and it fealt SOLID. I did like some of the colors he had a burgandy/silver, Orange metal flake/black. I liked the prices, $2000 for a 150 scooter.

I was joking with my dad on the way home. Do you want to buy this scooter today? "I don't know." Do you think you will come back later? "I don't know."

Another thing we talked about was that the Yamaha scooters had financing through the manufacturer. Not avalable on the Buddy or the Chineese scooter we saw today. We also liked that both the Yamaha dealer and the Buddy dealer had service departments

addictionriot · Post by **addictionriot** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:53 am

We were at pepboys the other day and they sell scooters :p I tried hard not to laugh...

onemind · Post by **onemind** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:55 am

Scooter City out here on Long Island sells Chinese Scooters, but offers expertise and handles their on warranty work.

Orange Guy · Post by **Orange Guy** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:31 am

One of our local Yamaha dealers has about 3 Chinese scoots that they have not been able to sell for about three years. They no longer even keep them indoors ... the elements have not been kind to them.

EP_scoot · Post by **EP_scoot** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:19 pm

- so, do you know when the first service is due:
- I don't know

- what abour reliability, are they reliable?
- I don't know

- OK, would at least last 300 miles?
- I don't know

- no, seriously, what is your name?
- I don't know

- why are you jumpy like that, do you need to go potty?
- I don't know

charltons · Post by **charltons** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:33 pm

when we first strting looking, we went to one of those used car lots that decided to cash in on the scooter craze... he tried to sell us two (50 and a 150) tanks for 1900.00. The whole place sent giannt red flags up in our heads. A liitle more internet searching and asking dealers came up with names like Genuine, Kymco, etc. The rest is history.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:24 pm

Jim at scooter source inc tried to sell me a ton of chinese bikes back before I bought a buddy, he sells vintage vespas he restores. He tried telling me how great they were and how high quality they were. He tried telling me they were made in japan but assembled in china. VIN shows it's 100 percent chinese....

I agree on how cheap chinese bikes look, I could see the areas where the factory workers didnt even trim the plastic on the body panels, you could probably cut yourself if you tried. He was selling them around 1300 out the door. The fact the price for a new bike is that cheap, it means bad news out on the road.

Alot of people have asked me and shown me bikes online, all chinese bikes I've seen, all with the same cloned motor, different body. Then they ask why the buddy is twice as expensive. All I say is, a bike of such high quality, and such a low price tag, you cant beat it. A chinese bike will die quickly, but was the 999 price tag worth it?

StL_Stadtroller · Post by **StL_Stadtroller** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:42 pm

EP_scoot wrote:- so, do you know when the first service is due:
- I don't know

- what abour reliability, are they reliable?
- I don't know

- OK, would at least last 300 miles?
- I don't know

- no, seriously, what is your name?
- I don't know

- why are you jumpy like that, do you need to go potty?
- I don't know

Why red is red!

xtetra · Post by **xtetra** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:03 pm

I met someone last summer who bought the equivalent of a TNG Lowboy on the Internet. Shortly after she started riding it it started stalling and hesitating. The culprit was a fuel line made of cheap material that was breaking down and contaminating the fuel. After she changed the line, filter, and spark plug she was OK for awhile UNTIL she started having problems with her front breaks. Seem to remember the turn signals were kind of fussy too.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:32 pm

DrDiff wrote:We wanted to look at a Yamaha Vino 125, but they only had a cube and it sold while we were looking at it.

Check the Yamaha site. They are coming out with a new 125 scooter, the Zuma 125, that has a different/stronger/but-still-4-stroke-motor than the Vino 125. The Zuma's looks are either your thing or they're not, but I thought you would want to know that your Yamaha dealer will have another scooter option come September.

djelliott · Post by **djelliott** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:19 pm

Read this warning on the Chinese scooters.

http://www.clevelandscooters.com/id60.html

The folks at POC Scooters in Cleveland are very knowledgeable on the subject. The owner (Phil) actually took the time to explain in detail the down falls of such bikes. I went for the Buddy 125 and the grin is still on my face from the first time I got on it.

DJE

Christy · Post by **Christy** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:21 pm

why red is red

no but seriously. I used to have a chinese scoot. Lots of reasons why I went that route for my first scoot and it was the right decision for me.

I don't recommend them, but I did have a good experience with mine. A few things that you need to remember though: Dealers will not work on them...even the one you buy from probably will not work on them. Their manufacture is inconsistent. Their parts quality is inconsistent. I was lucky and had one that only had one problem. However, after owning it for only 3 months the intake manifold cracked. I had to take it apart, find the problem, order the part, install the part and put it back together by myself. It ran great for another 9 months until I sold it. I'm assuming it's still running, but I have no way of knowing. I didn't ride it much and only had 1000miles on it in one year of riding. They are not built with the same standards as the Genuine, Kymco, SYM, and all the bigger brands of scooters. They will require a lot more maintenance than the good brands. They typically have squishy brakes and loose throttles. bolts frequently come loose as do the heat shields.

all that said, it is your decision and if it is the right one for you, then don't put up with crap from other people. only you can know if its the right one for you.

it was right for me at the time and I started saving for my scoot that I have now.

EP_scoot · Post by **EP_scoot** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:09 pm

StL_Stadtroller wrote:

EP_scoot wrote:
- so, do you know when the first service is due:
- I don't know

- what abour reliability, are they reliable?
- I don't know

- OK, would at least last 300 miles?
- I don't know

- no, seriously, what is your name?
- I don't know

- why are you jumpy like that, do you need to go potty?
- I don't know

Why red is red!

I DON"T KNOW!

DrDiff · Post by **DrDiff** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:09 pm

My decision is to pass on these low cost, no service, problems waiting to happen, scooters.

I can not speak for my dad. His wants are often bigger than his logic. And he says that he can not justify paying $3,000+ for a Buddy when for less than half he can have a 250cc problem bike with "ABS".

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:15 pm

ABS on a chinese scooter isnt real ABS, It's a device to keep you from grasping the breaks as hard as you can, basically, when you need to stop and fast (without locking the brakes) the fake ABS wont let you.

voodoosix · Post by **voodoosix** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:33 pm

it is a real ABS- Anti Braking System

KCScooterDude · Post by **KCScooterDude** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:34 pm

DrDiff wrote:I went scooter shopping today with my dad. He wants a scooter more than I do. He rode a 2003 Vino 50 and was not impressed. He had to be on the throttle 100% wide open 100% of the time. The local Buddy Dealer is out of 125's and 150's and the prices have jumped 3 times since my dad started looking at them.

We wanted to look at a Yamaha Vino 125, but they only had a cube and it sold while we were looking at it. We asked when he would get more scooters in stock and he said that he had a 50 cc comming. Then the guy at the yamaha dealership told us about a used car lot that has started selling Chineese scooters.

We went and checked them out. They had 150 cc 4 stroke scooters and the dealer kept the plastic film on the headlights, speedo, seat etc. We asked for a brocheure, "I don't know if we have any." Do they come in any other colors? I don't know." Do they have a warranty? "Yes but through the manufacturer, not me. When are you going to get any more in? "I don't know." The scooter fealt cheap, Not solid like the Buddy 125 and International 150. I had sat on the Yamaha Vino 125 and it fealt SOLID. I did like some of the colors he had a burgandy/silver, Orange metal flake/black. I liked the prices, $2000 for a 150 scooter.

I was joking with my dad on the way home. Do you want to buy this scooter today? "I don't know." Do you think you will come back later? "I don't know."

Another thing we talked about was that the Yamaha scooters had financing through the manufacturer. Not avalable on the Buddy or the Chineese scooter we saw today. We also liked that both the Yamaha dealer and the Buddy dealer had service departments

Wait for the Buddy or the Yamaha.

My first scooter was a chinascoot. It was a second-hand Tank 150 touring. I had no problems with it and put about 1,000km on it. If you absolutely need a scooter, then go ahead, but don't pay more than $1,500 new for a 150cc. It's a good bike to learn on, though others here would disagree. The problem is, you'll want to upgrade quality pretty quickly.

A $1,500 chinascoot is worth every penny, but remember you are getting what you pay for. It's not going to be around at 8,000km, at least not without many problems. These scoots are made to drive into the ground for a season, maybe two. The engines are pretty good, but down on power. They are basically knock-off Honda engines from the 1970s.

This is one man's opinion. One who has actually owned a Chinascoot. You'll quickly see that a tread will develop here that bags on Chinascoots, though, and mostly from people who have never owned one.

Let the flames begin!!!

sargelee71 · Post by **sargelee71** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:35 am

addictionriot wrote:We were at pepboys the other day and they sell scooters :p I tried hard not to laugh...

I was JUST going to post the same reply!!! I was at Pepboys to get my headlights and turn signal bulbs, and they had scooters on the lot for sale. I found no info on them at all.

I love my Buddy!

EP_scoot · Post by **EP_scoot** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:01 pm

I would try to talk your dad out of a Chinascoot, unless you buy it from a dealer that would actually service them.

It is a lotery. There are MB members that have had them with good results.

Read the small print regarding the warranty. It your dad is not mechanically inclined, don't get it.

Also check to see if your DMV would register it.

Ultimately, if your dad has them money burning a hole in his pocket and he can afford to loose it, well, go ahead and maybe you are one of the lucky ones.

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:27 am

jrsjr wrote:[
Check the Yamaha site. They are coming out with a new 125 scooter, the Zuma 125, that has a different/stronger/but-still-4-stroke-motor than the Vino 125. The Zuma's looks are either your thing or they're not, but I thought you would want to know that your Yamaha dealer will have another scooter option come September.

That is *beautiful*. Not knocking my own Buddy 125 purchase, but I would have snapped up a Zuma 125 in a heartbeat if it were within my price range.

Goddamn time too. Yamaha has been coasting in the 125cc scooter range in North America with the Vino for too long.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:26 am

Sparky wrote: That is *beautiful*. Not knocking my own Buddy 125 purchase, but I would have snapped up a Zuma 125 in a heartbeat if it were within my price range.

Goddamn time too. Yamaha has been coasting in the 125cc scooter range in North America with the Vino for too long.

I agree that the new Big Zuma is certainly worth a look if that style appeals. I expect it will sell well. But, hey, whats this about Yamaha snoozing. It is really Honda that hasn't taken the North American scooter market seriously for years. If they ever wake up, it could get interesting.

Modern Buddy

Chineese made scooters

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