Beware Chinese Motorbikes.

[pappajohn]

My young nephew recently bought a Chinese Moped.... His first mode of transport.
It's a MASH 50.....a marvel of engineering, electric start, fuel injection, electronic ignition etc.
2018 and low milage.
He was heading home the other night up a steep hill so probably screwing the nuts off it in 2nd gear..... BANG!!!
Engine stopped dead.
Suspected snapped cam chain so got recovered home.
His dad began stripping it only to find the cam chain still intect.
Further stripping found two bent valves..... And no teeth on the crankshaft for the cam chain.
Completely stripped of all metal.
Needs to have the flywheel removed before proceeding but it's going to need a new crankshaft, new chain and two new valves at least.
It's not going to break the bank at least... £56 for a new crank shaft and probably a far bit less for the other bits.
So, beware, this could happen to any of them... No wonder they are relatively cheap.

 

[John Barrett]

My young nephew recently bought a Chinese Moped.... His first mode of transport.
Snip
Needs to have the flywheel removed before proceeding but it's going to need a new crankshaft, new chain and two new valves at least.
It's not going to break the bank at least... £56 for a new crank shaft and probably a far bit less for the other bits.
So, beware, this could happen to any of them... No wonder they are relatively cheap.

Compressed rice paper and dried bamboo shoots do not a moped make...

 

[The Wino]

Our son had one it was great for what it cost. We did though pay a bit more to buy it from a dealer so it was set up properly ( not that it would have made any difference in your case).

 

[jockaneezer]

The lad over the road bought a brand new 4stroke Chinese lowrider 125 that started making a "funny noise" 2 or 3 days into owning it. The garage came and picked it up, when they stripped it down, there was a Torx bolt rattling about in the cylinder !

 

[Vic]

They are getting better and I fear they will dominate the market like the Japanese has/did.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[dunnah01]

The lad over the road bought a brand new 4stroke Chinese lowrider 125 that started making a "funny noise" 2 or 3 days into owning it. The garage came and picked it up, when they stripped it down, there was a Torx bolt rattling about in the cylinder !

Torx! - a decent British bike would have had a Whitworth in there

 

[Crazylegs]

I think all this criticism is a bit harsh, the guy who looks after my bikes tells me that he has never failed a Chinese bike at it’s first MOT.





They don’t usually last that long.

 

[androidGB]

I think all this criticism is a bit harsh, the guy who looks after my bikes tells me that he has never failed a Chinese bike at it’s first MOT.





They don’t usually last that long.

Perhaps most of them don't last that long.

My experience with my grandsons Chinese buggy supports the OP

 

[pappajohn]

It appears they aren't Chinese.... They are a French company and the bikes are assembled in China.
Somehow I don't think the French are going to go to the expense of manufacturing the parts in France, exporting to China to assemble then import back to sell.

 

[2657]

In 1965 I had a James Captain with a 197 cc AMC 2 stroke engine.
It started up backwards regularly and eventually a gudgeon pin slid out and did more than a little damage.
I loved that bike

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[VXman]

I have a Lexmoto Impuse (Electric Moped essentially.) Bar limited range I'm really pleased with it.

 

[Podney]

Neighbours lad bought a nice new Chinese motorbike 4 years ago. It was cheap. The reason it was cheap was because it was complete and utter rubbish,utter crap,badly made,inferior materials,inferior engineering,garbage.

I think they have a long way to go before they catch up with the Japanese. In the meantime I won’t be buying anything made in the Covid Dictatorship that is dependent on good quality engineering.

 

[GJH]

They are a French company

Perhaps that explains it. The Citroen Berlingo we had started makong a strange noise at about 7 years old and around 38,000 miles. When the engine was turned on again to diagnose the fault it went bang. Turned out the cam shaft had sheared and that took the timing belt and valves with it.

 

[jongood]

Torx! - a decent British bike would have had a Whitworth in there

You can buy a new AJS today, British company but made in China. Ive seen them but not ridden one but certainly won't be getting one.

AJS Motorcycles Ltd. (UK) | Motorcycle Manufacturer

Looking for 50cc or 125cc Learner Legal Motorbikes or Scooters? AJS Motorcycles Ltd. (UK) have an exciting range of affordable geared 50cc mopeds, 125cc scooters, 50cc scooters and 125cc motorcycles for sale to riders with a provisional licence and CBT, AM, A1, A2 and A category motorcycle licences.

www.ajsmotorcycles.co.uk

 

[pappajohn]

MASH also make a 650cc single cylinder road bike.... Imagine if this had happened to one of those at 70/80mph.

I think the company has a photocopier/enlarger from which they get the tech drawings for the engines.... Just enlarging the 50cc up to whatever size they want.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[The Wino]

As a teenager in the 1970's I remember most of these comments being said about Japanese bikes and cars despite our own products allegedly never really needing an oil change just constantly topping up to replace the leaks. I think the next big change is going to be the replacement of a lot of vehicles (bikes,scooters,cars) with chinese ones.
By the way I do still like some British cars despite listing my mini for sale today

 

[Gaston aires]

Ask yourself this. Would you want to fly in a Chinese made aeroplane?
Phil

 

[Podney]

No,I’d rather walk.

 

[The Wino]

Ask yourself this. Would you want to fly in a Chinese made aeroplane?
Phil

Are there many Japanese built aeroplanes? Doesn't stop their cars consistently being rated amongst the most reliable and seeing off our car producers

 

[pappajohn]

Are there many Japanese built aeroplanes? Doesn't stop their cars consistently being rated amongst the most reliable and seeing off our car producers

Actually, a Google says yes.
Short lived though. 1957 to 1983

Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Actually, a Google says yes.
Short lived though. 1957 to 1983

Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation

The Japanese built quite a few military aircraft. The Mitsubishi F2 is one, which is loosely based on the F16. They have also developed a regional jet similar to the bombardier offerings, this has been halted due to the pandemic

 

[The Wino]

The Japanese built quite a few military aircraft. The Mitsubishi F2 is one, which is loosely based on the F16. They have also developed a regional jet similar to the bombardier offerings, this has been halted due to the pandemic

But they're hardly on the scale of Boeing or Airbus

 

[Puddleduck]

My young nephew recently bought a Chinese Moped.... His first mode of transport.
It's a MASH 50.....a marvel of engineering, electric start, fuel injection, electronic ignition etc.
2018 and low milage.
He was heading home the other night up a steep hill so probably screwing the nuts off it in 2nd gear..... BANG!!!
Engine stopped dead.
Suspected snapped cam chain so got recovered home.
His dad began stripping it only to find the cam chain still intect.
Further stripping found two bent valves..... And no teeth on the crankshaft for the cam chain.
Completely stripped of all metal.
Needs to have the flywheel removed before proceeding but it's going to need a new crankshaft, new chain and two new valves at least.
It's not going to break the bank at least... £56 for a new crank shaft and probably a far bit less for the other bits.
So, beware, this could happen to any of them... No wonder they are relatively cheap.

Perhaps most of them don't last that long.

My experience with my grandsons Chinese buggy supports the OP

My daughter's experience as well (but not that brand).

 

[DuxDeluxe]

But they're hardly on the scale of Boeing or Airbus

Well of course not. That is rather obvious, but a lot of Boeing 777 and 787 parts (up to 25%) including structural parts are fabricated in Japan as well, so maybe it is…..

 

[pappajohn]

Well of course not. That is rather obvious, but a lot of Boeing 777 and 787 parts (up to 25%) including structural parts are fabricated in Japan as well, so maybe it is…..

Could be a lot worse..... Made in ROC

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Peppadog]

Neighbours lad bought a nice new Chinese motorbike 4 years ago. It was cheap. The reason it was cheap was because it was complete and utter rubbish,utter crap,badly made,inferior materials,inferior engineering,garbage.

I think they have a long way to go before they catch up with the Japanese. In the meantime I won’t be buying anything made in the Covid Dictatorship that is dependent on good quality engineering.

You might struggle to achieve that nowadays.
You can get any quality level you are prepared to pay for from China. From your iphone down to cheap as chips. Sadly, the west exported the knowledge many years ago. They will will soon know how to make good bikes and scooters too.

 

[Podney]

You might struggle to achieve that nowadays.
You can get any quality level you are prepared to pay for from China. From your iphone down to cheap as chips. Sadly, the west exported the knowledge many years ago. They will will soon know how to make good bikes and scooters too.

You are right of course.
And what we didn’t export to China,they stole by ignoring Patents and copying western designs. Theft,simple as that.

 

[Spriddler]

I have a collection of 40's, and 50's British AJS and Matchless bikes and have toured more than 260,000 miles on them camping throughout the U.K. and Europe during more than 40 years.

Here's my 1947 AJS 500c.c.

Whilst recuperating following a (no fault) crash 5 years ago (foreign lorry driver on wrong side of the road in a narrow country lane) I bought a new Chinese made Herald Classic 250 as a temp measure (£2,600 OTR) to get on two wheels again purely because it was easier to ride one-armed (light weight, has leccy start and indicators) which is now obligatory for me but it's nowhere near as satisfying as riding my heavy old plonkers.
I've covered 9,000 miles on it now without any faults (except rusting bracketry, zorst and chainguard) including a 3 month camping tour down to Spain, across to Italy and back via Denmark, crossing the Pyrenees and Alps several times. I did replace the poor quality tyres, chain and sprockets and brake pads with European ones as these are known to be weaknesses with the Chinese bikes. I've rebadged it the 'Mutchless'.

When I took it for its first MOT I asked the tester who I've known for 30 years how Chinese bikes fare at testing time. He said he didn't see many as the youngsters thrash their new ones into the ground for a year or two un-maintained then abandon them for a bigger bike as soon as they've passed their test, or else they buy a car.

 

[jongood]

I have a collection of 40's, and 50's British AJS and Matchless bikes and have toured more than 260,000 miles on them camping throughout the U.K. and Europe during more than 40 years.

Here's my 1947 AJS 500c.c.
View attachment 513025
Whilst recuperating following a (no fault) crash 5 years ago (foreign lorry driver on wrong side of the road in a narrow country lane) I bought a new Chinese made Herald Classic 250 as a temp measure (£2,600 OTR) to get on two wheels again purely because it was easier to ride one-armed (light weight, has leccy start and indicators) which is now obligatory for me but it's nowhere near as satisfying as riding my heavy old plonkers.
I've covered 9,000 miles on it now without any faults (except rusting bracketry, zorst and chainguard) including a 3 month camping tour down to Spain, across to Italy and back via Denmark, crossing the Pyrenees and Alps several times. I did replace the poor quality tyres, chain and sprockets and brake pads with European ones as these are known to be weaknesses with the Chinese bikes. I've rebadged it the 'Mutchless'.
View attachment 513053

When I took it for its first MOT I asked the tester who I've known for 30 years how Chinese bikes fare at testing time. He said he didn't see many as the youngsters thrash their new ones into the ground for a year or two un-maintained then abandon them for a bigger bike as soon as they've passed their test, or else they buy a car.

Would it be fair to suggest that as the average age of your motorcycle collection is older than many of the forum contributors, you're probably a little more considerate to your mount and probably more grateful to actually arrive at a destination of your own choosing than the rest of us?

 

[Spriddler]

Yes jongood you have a point. I've been maintaining and restoring classic vehicles with a degree of mechanical sympathy since my late teens so I can tell if they're feeling unwell, I don't run them uncared for til they seize or thrash the guts out of them: If I want to be somewhere sooner I leave earlier.
I'm not a 'biker'. I have always toured on my old bikes, mostly camping, for the challenge of the adventure but on a modern bike it's just a case of sitting on it getting bored counting the miles and about as exciting and challenging as travelling in an MX5 with the roof down in the rain. When friends ask me where I'm going and how long a trip will take my reply is always: "First I'm going roughly South and then back again just to see how far it is and the longer it takes the better I'll enjoy it". Ashen faced they enquire: "And suppose you break down?" to which I present the scenario: "Most things on old bikes can be fixed by carrying a few spares, plus a bit of wire coat hanger and a few cable ties. Failing that I'd just have to wait for a week for spares to arrive and pass the time chatting to locals, strolling the village streets and restos or lazing at my tent in the sun beside a limpid river with perhaps a baguette for lunch and dinner of a tin of cassoulet and a bottle of St Emilion".
At 76 yrs old I'm long past stressing, rushing around or having schedules. Bliss.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}