Chinese scooter, good? or no?

I am trying to buy a 250cc and up scooter. I found a scooter seller have a pretty good price in http://www.t-motorsports.com/26tomosc.html

Does anyone have experience on these chinese made scooters?

Have you even read the posts on this forum? If you have you already know the majority of Chinese scooters are junk. t-motorsports is not a dealer, they are a distributor. They do not service or repair what they sell. Need parts? Again, better read the posts and see how many people have problems getting parts from these on-line distributors. You buy a Chinese scooter off the internet, you deserve what you get. Find a local bonafide certified authorized Dealer and buy a scooter from them!!!!!

As always unless there is a mechanic shop that can help with any problems you need to be careful. Or you need to be very handy with small engines. I shy away from any scooter that is not sold with a 1 year warranty and has a service department near my home. Anything can happen in shipping and unless you know how to fix it you may never get to ride it.
Although the prices are low the risk is you get one that has a mechanical problem you cannot fix.

Thanks for letting me know.

Wildmud, go with a Honda or a Suzuki scooter. They are a lot more expensive, true, but they are worth it. My chinese P.O.S. Roketa just caught fire and is a total loss. I'm hoping to get some type of compensation, and then I'll buy a nice Suzuki instead. Say No to Chinese!

Good advice. I have a Yamaha scooter and it is a fine quality good running scooter. I have over 3000 miles on it now and never a problem. Plus the warranty was much better and Yamaha has dealers all over the U.S. If you want a good quality scooter you have to pay extra $$ for it. But in the long run you will get more riding time, a lot less down time and hassle, which in time will offset the extra cost. Honda, Yamaha, Kymco, all make excellent quality motor scooters.

Wildmud, unlike the others commenting here, I have actual hands-on experience with 2 Chinese scooters, which I have owned for 2 years. My wife and I bought them in November of 2006.

The general comment that most Chinese scooters are junk is way out of date. While it was true a couple of years ago, it's much easier these days, although like most consumer products you still need to do some pre-buy research to protect yourself.

The biggest challenge with Chinese scooters is that it's hard to find mechanics willing to work on them, so you may have to do your own maintenance. Fortunately, they are easy to work on, parts are readily available, and there is lots of online help available.

Of course, if you aren't very handy or prefer to just ride and pay someone else to maintain it, you are probably better off with a "name" brand scooter.

If you want good unbiased information about Chinese scooters, go to the Scootdawg forum (http://scootdawg.proboards59.com/ ). There are people there who have 10,000 and 20,000 miles on Chinese scooters and can give you excellent advice on who to buy from, what to buy, and what to expect when you get your scooter. They have a section on scooter dealers where you can see if others have had good or bad experiences with the dealer you are thinking of using.

Jon

scootdawg is a Chinese scooter forum. If you say anything bad about them, it's doom time. There are a couple better quality Chinese scooters available. Motofino is one and they do have some authorized dealers in the U.S. Oh yeah, the crap about parts being readily available is just that. They may be available, but try to get someone to order them.
BEWARE OF CHINESE SCOOTERS SOLD OFF THE INTERNET!!
I bought one in 07. Just remember the old saying. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice same on me. I was a fool once but not a second time.

I agree, if you try to get the dealer who sold you the scooter to send you parts, you will be disappointed. However, there are several independent websites that have an excellent reputation for shipping parts quickly and reliably.

One of the best is http://www.oregonvintage.com , run by Stan Jessup, who has been fixing motorcycles and scooters longer than most of us have been alive. He finally got frustrated with the parts situation you describe. He found that parts WERE readily available from distributors but the dealers weren't making the effort to get them. He stocks lots of parts (including internal engine and transmission parts) and most people report getting parts from him within a couple of days of ordering.

There are a few other sites that have a good reputation (one I know of is http://www.partsforscooters.com/ ) but I don't have personal experience with them.

As for buying scooters off the Internet, I know of many people (myself included) who have done so and had excellent experiences. I also know of some whose experience was considerably less than excellent. Most of these people didn't do their homework in advance. To be fair, it's easier to do that homework now because enough scooters have been sold that many dealers have a track record you can check online. I also know of a few people who bought scooters from a local dealer and had an awful experience.

Yes, Motofino has a good reputation. But I would give the award for the best reputation among Chinese scooters right now, both for quality of product and good support, to Linhai -- their scooters are getting great reviews and the importer (Sunright) has been very responsive and helpful to owners.

Jon

I will also try to avoid Chinese scotter...
Some of them, to be honest, are copycat to the major big brands....
If you really take a closer look and compare, you should find lots similarity between Chinese scooters and famous Japanse brands like Honda or Yahama.
And the quality is still lots of room for judegement and spare parts availability can also be an issue.

----------http://www.teamworld .com.tw

Just got an E-mail from Scooter Dynasty 2 hrs after i sent them. I was asking about the hi beam indicator. The book (term loosely) says it will be on when the light is on. Vince @ SD says no- it must be a bad bulb. Take a pic & he will send me what he thinks it is. I dont have a clue w/ thisone cause both lites work. He may know different? I sent the pic. I must say- So far these people have been the most up front/ helpful people ever in getting 1 of these things!! They are not the best made bikes in the world , but this one runs great, & starts 1st click!! All the BS I have heard w/ other dist's aint happennin here. So far these guys have been better than great. I thought the lite was as the pigeon english said- it says when the lite is on?? It didnt make sense to me but I was willing to go along w/ it? I guess according to Vince- its not
supposed to be that way! Will see what he says?

Would be nice to have that blue lite go out!! On my Triumph - it means HI beams!

There have only been a single hand full of folks banned from Scootdawg forum since it started 33 months ago and that was because they only wanted to rant and rave and spew their venom about Chinese scooters. We now have more than 6,000 members!! I don't think banning 4 or 5 folks out of 6+K members is even worth talking about. While the majority of our members do own Chinese scooters, not all do. Anyone is welcome. We are there to help each other, not provide a "forum" for folks who just plain hate Chinese scooters - for whatever reason. As for the quality of Chinese scooters, it is improving rapidly. I have owned 4 of them of different sizes and displacements in the past 3 years and all 4 are still on the road performing exactly as they were designed to do. I have owned a Linhai 300 for 1+ years and can say it is truly a phenomenal ride and a real bargain. Is the quality the same as a Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha? No but it is REAL CLOSE, has great power and acceleration and will do 75 - 80 mph.
ScooterOllie
Member of Scootdawg since day 1 and moderator on the forum

I have been trying to get on that forum umteen times!! I AM a comp idiot, but I have tried EVERYTHING> It keeps saying something is wrong! Would like to join you guys! I love my new NST & am learning a lot about them & would love to share some of my 30+ yrs & new knowledge as well as make some new friends! Got my Triumph Bonnevile as well & have been on that forum for 4 yrs.I am really gettin to love the NST since it sits on my porch on the river (salt air)& I ride it all the time vs my truck. I keep the Bonne in a garage aways from here for preservation purposes! The NST is all plastic & aluminum so it poses no problem keeping it here. I couldnt be happier w/ this scoot!! It does everything I wanted it to do! Would like to join you guys! if someone can hold my hand & get me on there!!
ANY help would greatly appreciated!! Thanks Capt Don

Even though Chinese scooters are cheap, you better be aware of the quality issues out there regarding all things coming from China! It could be poisonous milk powder or parts the explode, who knows. Sure, you get what you pay for, but you also sometimes get much less than what you pay for OR even get something unwanted when you pay. Be very careful.

I did hear that a Chinese company called "Lifan" is a little better, however, as they reverse-engineered and stole technology from Yamaha.

My suggestion, however, is to get a Taiwanese scooter such as "Kymco" which actually EXCEEDS the quality of Japanese scooters. No joke! Kymco has a dealership network in both Canada and the U.S., so it's no problem to get parts, advice and customer service.

Actually, one of the problems with Chinese scooters is not the initial quality, but the after-sales service.(This is also what caused Hyundai to initially fail in North America.)

-Shawn @ soscooter.com

About Chinese scooters and service, if you belong to Scootdawg and take the time to read through our posts on potential Chinese scooter ownership, you will be prepared. They may not be for everyone but they can be a great deal. Numerous shops are changing their tune about servicing them as the economy worsens. Nothing like a drop in business to get the owners thinking. Parts are not really difficult to get when you know the sources and are often easier, and a LOT cheaper, to get than parts for the big name brand bikes. Since no Chinese manufacturer has an official presence here in the U.S., you are at the mercy of the dealer (B&M or drop ship) and importer. One major importer, Sunright International, who handles Linhai as well as other good Chinese scoots, really stands behind the products they import and sell - no matter whether they were bought from a B&M dealer or a drop ship dealer.

Its all in the dealer you buy from, scootertronics has been selling , shipping , repairing and supplying parts and high performance parts for chinese scooters for five years in the MD VA PA and surrounding areas with a full time shop and internet site with several top brands from china and just think the very same engines used in Taiwainese scooters are used in chinese scooters so it makes it easier to supply parts. If you have a scooter drop shipped from a warehouse than thats on you when you do not have to do this to get a good deal on a scooter, scootertronics will hand deliver a scooter within 200 miles of their shop and ship a ready to ride scooter anywhere and thats been our secert, take th escooter out of the crate do a PDI then deliver not just ship from some warehouse like most interent dealers who know nothing of their product nor ever touch it. And yes Linhai is tops with us as well as TGB/Peirspeed, its all in the dealer you buy from but remember no one can please everyone.

The same engines used in Kymco are used in Chinese scoots and you to can have one delivered ready to ride from scootertronics who carries parts and high performance parts for these engines plus have a full time shop and full service internet site. Give us a try we will help all who contact us.

Nothin wrong from buyin from a dealer w/ the scoot ready to go!! Get it "Drop Shipped" & there is a shit load of prep & other things that need to be done!! Some people dont realize this. They think- open the box, add gas & go! NFW!!! Its a full day job & then some.If you are VERY1622 handy w/ a wrench & know cycles- then you can save a few bucks. If not- then you can have a world of headaches, or worse! It bothers me to see some "dealers" selling these scoots for 2x the drop ship price, & still not really prepping them properly!I found concrete chunks in my crankcase in the delivery oil from leftover casting.I did 3 oil changes in 150 mi to get all rite. If you are uneasy about it- let a dealer or SOMEONE do it!!!!
They all pretty much use the same engines & are a hell lotta fun. Do it rite & ENJOY! Or suffer the consequences.My 1st & I LOVE IT!!

Check out flyscooters. It is also a Chinese-built brand, however I love my scooter. If you have money to burn go ahead and buy a Vespa or Honda. You'll be paying 3x the cost and you'll likely have the same little issues that every motor vehicle has with time. I was comfortable with a Chinese scooter because I wanted to learn how to perform my own maintenance too. It's a rewarding learning experience. The notion that parts are hard to find is a myth perpetuated by Vespa/Honda snobs. There are numerous websites where you can order any part. Buy a quality Chinese brand from a local dealer, then you have the best of both worlds. Much cheaper cost and dealer-backed support. Just my $.02, take it or leave it.

Hey Marshall A guy in town has as Fly 250. Really comfortable, nice scoot!! Enuff storage for a full size suitcase!!