Should my dad buy a Chinese scooter?

Life Cars & Motorcycles
1

I’ve been trying to sell my dad on getting a scooter rather than another small motorbike. He rode BSAs, etc. in the 60s and 70s but he doesn’t want to get a big bike now – the seats are too high, they’re too expensive, and he doesn’t like too much power anyway.

He had a Yamaha 125 motorbike for a while but sold it earlier this year. He’s thinking of getting a 250 but there are few new models available in the UK and they’re a bit pricey. I suggested he get a big scooter as they’re more practical and weatherproof, as well as cheaper.

Anyway, there are lots of cheap Chinese scooters available in the UK now. He’s tempted by the price: “you can get a 50cc scooter for £650, a reasonably chunky 125 for £900 and a 200cc bike for £1100.”
But as he says:
“Maybe they’re crap, maybe it’ll be hard to get spares in a few years.”
One of the local dealers is this one:
llexeter.com/

Any (informed) opinions? Dad’s a trained motor mechanic but he won’t want to be spending all his time fixing the thing. If I were him I’d get a European scooter, or maybe a Taiwanese one. But maybe Chinese scooters have got better in recent years.

Thanks for any information.

2

Kymco, I am admittedly biased as I own one and am reasonably satisfied with it, or a Piaggio/Vespa would be my reco if a 'scooter is what he wants.
Both have good dealer/service networks in the UK.
The Kymcos sold there are even higher quality than the ones sold here on the island.

Paggio/Vespa in the UK

3

Thanks for the link, TC. I agree that Kymco is a good choice, and I believe that some higher quality components may be used in export models, for various reasons. I don’t think there’s a Kymco dealer near my dad, though. I think he wants to buy from a local dealer.

Bridge Motorcycles in Exeter has some Piaggios and Vespas. Dad likes the look of those, though they’re still a bit pricey.

So this is why he’s interested in the Chinese scooters. There are lots available in the UK now. There was an article in a recent issue of Twist & Go magazine in which various owners of these machines gave their experiences. Generally, opinions were positive though usually couched in terms such as “good for the price”, and “better than I expected!” A few people experienced problems with poor quality bodywork, but nobody mentioned engine or transmission problems as far as I remember. However, it should be borne in mind that Chinese scooter dealerships are some of the major advertisers in that magazine. That might have had something to do with the tone of the article.

4

I think that scooters are more convenient for city living. There is a space at your feet for carrying things, and they are easier to park since they are not as long as motorcycles. One drawback of a scooter is on poorly maintained roads, where a motorcycle will glide over the the bumps.

The scooter mechanics have given me some advice. They said that 50 and 100 cc scooters are cheaply built and are susceptible to mechanical failure. They said 125 cc bikes are much more trustworthy. They also suggested that you should buy a scooter model that has been in production for a few years, because in the first couple of years of manufacture the company will find and correct the most obvious defects.

5

Thanks, twocs. I think I’ve managed to convince my dad about the advantages of scooters, at least for his purposes. And he’s not after a 50 or a 100 (not sure whether I agree with your mechanics on the reliability point but never mind).

The question is really whether a Chinese-made scooter would be a bargain or a false economy. The influx of Chinese machines into the UK market has only happened over the last couple of years. So your point about “new models” could well apply, as well as other concerns over manufacturing quality.

6

Joesax, did your Dad get a bike yet?

Speaking of “new model syndrome”:
In July of 2002, I bought one of the first Kymco Dink 150s and had quite a bit of trouble with it. The power mirror switch was the first thing to go at just over a year of owning it. Speedo cable broke at 29,000. Belt broke at 30,000 (normal, I guess), but the rear end gears followed at about 33,000. I had always changed the rear-end gear oil at about 900km instead of the recommended 2000, but each time it looked like mercury coming out because it was so full of metal. I got new rear brake pads and watched as the guy carefully took the caliper off and let it hang. Careful as he was, that was enough to break the steel shielding around the hose and cause it to pop the line when I used it. I would have had to get a whole new caliper assembly instead of just the hose because he told me that Kymco said “that part never fails”. Finally he found just a hose for me somehow. It started burning oil at 50-something; quit idling at lights, too. Near 70k the rear end gears went out AGAIN. The middle gear shaft had worn a slot in the housing that has the serial number on it. Too expensive to fix, it would take a month to get a new housing with the serial number on it, and it wasn’t worth it so I buried it. (By that time a simple trip Tainan-Kaohsiung-Tainan would require adding oil once.)

Now, for “my scooter” I have an SYM Fighter 150. I bought it for in-town transport, so I got what I wanted. I’m disppointed that it is so much lighter than a Dink, but won’t go fast. I’ve reached 110 with a tail wind. You’d think that having a 4V head would give it at least a little better power/weight ratio than Dink. Even with the spinnaker-sized front panel, the Dink could cruise at 110 to 115 if I was in a hurry.

With all that said, I attribute those problems to the fact that the Dink was a brand new model. I still love Kymco. I bought a Venox 4 months before the Dink’s death. Apart from costing so much money for parts, compared to the Fighter the Dink is superb. I miss it. :frowning: Fighter is great for in town, but as an all-around bike to take to the mountains or on long trips it’s too light, wheels too small, cornering is scary, fuel tank too small, mirrors give a very clear view of my jacket sleeves, etc. Under the seat there is a pretty big hump that seriously limits carrying capacity. It came with a half-helmet, because a bigger one wouldn’t fit.

Fighter is a new model, too. We’ll see how that turns out.

(One other thing: I bought a “CR” pipe for the Fighter. It sounds cool, but it didn’t improve the performance at all. Therefore, I deemed it “too noisy” and put the original back on. I guess I’m too old to enjoy this. :slight_smile: Anybody want to buy a CR pipe for a Fighter or similar bike?)

7

The Chinese bikes and scooters are famous for substandard materials and sloppy tolerances. Expect them to run okay for 6 months or so and then basically fall apart. No amount of repairing is going to put it right when the parts themselves are shoddy. Tell your dad to pay the extra and get a Kymco or PGO.

8

[quote=“coolingtower”]Joesax, did your Dad get a bike yet?[/quote]He got a new bicycle. He’s not in a hurry to get another motorbike/scooter, which I think is a good thing. If some of these Chinese machines do turn out to be reliable enough over a year or two, he could think again about buying one. And as you point out, initial problems do tend to get ironed out later in production.

I was surprised to hear about those problems with the Dink. But I guess that as you say it was new model syndrome. Kymcos are generally pretty reliable I think.

Still, having the Fighter for town and the Venox for mountain cruising sounds like the best of both worlds.

9

[quote=“redwagon”]The Chinese bikes and scooters are famous for substandard materials and sloppy tolerances. Expect them to run okay for 6 months or so and then basically fall apart. No amount of repairing is going to put it right when the parts themselves are shoddy. Tell your dad to pay the extra and get a Kymco or PGO.[/quote]Thanks. That’s that then. I’d already told him to be cautious about the Chinese bikes, but now I’ll just tell him to steer clear altogether.

If I were in Britain and had the money I’d want to get a European scooter. There are some really nice-looking machines, though not cheap. But I guess the Taiwanese ones are the best compromise between value and quality.

10

Yamaha has been making big bikes for a long time, so scooter-wise I would trust the 250 Majesty or T-Max 500 if I had the money. My feeling is that it’s still too early to buy an SYM RV 250 or Kymco Xciting 250 or 500. If I didn’t have the Venox, I would have tried to save some money and find a 250 Dink that wasn’t too old. However, as Joesax said I have the best of both worlds with what I’ve got.

Even though I had a bad “Dinksperience”, I still highly regard this model. Maybe Joesax could find a second-hand one (or similar) for sale in the UK online. Save some money and get something good for Dad, too. If he’s still interested, that is.

SIDE NOTE:
The Dink that I complained about earlier was just that: a “Dink.” It wasn’t yet “Grand Dink”, so keep that in mind if you ever need to distinguish the good ones from the earlier ones. My guess is that roughly the time they added the “Grand” was about the time they ironed out the problems. Oh, and also the tachometer went wonky as well. Turning on the key would register 4000rpm before starting the engine. Starting it would peg the needle into the speedometer area, but that was already broken anyway. The fuel level indicator never failed!

11

[quote=“coolingtower”]Yamaha has been making big bikes for a long time, so scooter-wise I would trust the 250 Majesty or T-Max 500 if I had the money.[/quote]I think the current 250 Majesty is at least to some extent a “Yamaha Taiwan” product. The T-Max is a proper import.

I’d love to have a T-Max. That would be just about my ideal vehicle.

12

My point was: The Yamaha 250 has been around for about 3 years and the RV and Xciting bikes haven’t. I was just trying to stay on the topic. :slight_smile:

13

My point was: The Yamaha 250 has been around for about 3 years and the RV and Xciting bikes haven’t. I was just trying to stay on the topic. :slight_smile:[/quote]Cheers, coolingtower. I see what you mean. I think it also depends to some extent on how much the new models are reworkings of older models, with perhaps basically the same insides and just fancy new bodywork. I think the RV scooter might be a case of this, though the Xciting 500 is obviously a totally new model.

Anyway, I don’t think my dad would go for any of these as he thinks that style of scooter looks like a cake on wheels. I wouldn’t be keen on the feet forward style either. Less control I think, and not great for the back.