okay...I gotta have one...

[makenzie71]

I don't know what my fascination with chinese bikes is lately but I've been really wanting to pick up a one of the cheap-o dual sports and slap some good wheels and rubber on it, beef up the brakes a bit, put a couple extra teeth on the rear sprocket, and hooligan the hell out of it until it breaks.  Then I found...

http://www.qlinkmotor.com/product.php?id=46

shaZam! all I'd have to do is hooligan it.

[cafeboy]

I could rock that 

[GI_JO_NATHAN]

I just don't understand how you could put usd forks on the front, and a drum brake in the rear?!?!

[makenzie71]

I know...for a chinese bike it looks slick and it actually has realistic wheels and suspension.  I don't think it's worth 3k, but shaZam! used ones are under $1000 when they can be found

Nathan...the drum brake may be a bit out of place but when you consider the speeds involved and the abuse intended it's actually a pretty wise decision.  Drum brakes are more reliable and require less maintanance...they just don't offer the higher speed performance and fade-free braking a modern disc does.  When all you're going to do is ride 30mph around the neighborhood...maybe a 60mph jaunt down the highway...and do wheels and shaZam! it's not that important.

[yamahonkawazuki]

when you ride teh Buddha Loves You until it breaks, that may be 30 miles, 30 yards 30 ft or 30 inches lol. ive made more money repairing the old hyosungs, ( 2 of those)  and LOTS of the dirtbikes

[ohgood]

when you ride teh Buddha Loves You until it breaks, that may be 30 miles, 30 yards 30 ft or 30 inches lol. ive made more money repairing the old hyosungs, ( 2 of those)  and LOTS of the dirtbikes

I'll bet on 30 miles being the lifetime of some critical piece, weld, bearing, or etc that turns it into no fun quick.

I"m not knocking the bike, but the stuff that comes from China runs a wide, wide range of quality from excellent precision pieces to complete crap made out of rusted rebar.

[makenzie71]

For the most part I would agree...I've a bit of experience with the china bikes...but their reliability as a whole can't be knocked.  They're far better made than most of us hard core Japan fans are willing to admit.  Biggest issues have been with Lifan's poor welds and their non-counterbalanced engines (which have been replaced...but their welding is still shoddy).

Qlink has some pretty good quality...and it's reflected in the price.  This bike for example may bel half the price of Yamaha's 250 motard but it's a lot more than most of the china flock.  The XF200 is also made with a Suzuki motor and running gear and the shocks are KYB.  While I haven't seen any in person I'm told their welding is far superior to what comes from Lifan but it's far from "pretty".

Qlink also gives a 2-yr warranty with the bike that they genuinely honor...something you don't get on some of the Japanese bikes.

[yamahonkawazuki]

true mak, if seen the lifan welds, and have replaced a few parts with parts off of a jap dirtbike. i blew up a dualsport  ( well spun a bearing, but close enough) had to tear that Buddha Loves You apart. and find parts that were almost non existant. or for warranty take/send it to california  ( IM IN TN), i welded and repaired and sent them a bill. 4 months later i got re-imbursed. ( ive got the certs to do warranty work.

[frankieG]

i remember in the late 70's when Honda was making its break into  America followed by Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki.  before they came along it was HD, Can-Am, BMW etc the same things were said with similar growing pains.  before long these bikes will be a less expensive alternative.  i suggest the same will happen this time around

[makenzie71]

Yeah these things will pick up.  Quality now for chinese motors goods is stellar compared to a decade ago and it's only been getting better...especially with Japan actually taking a vested interest in some of the companies.  Of course I hate supporting China...I don't like supporting Japan...but no one HERE will make anything like this and I don't understand why.  It's not like manufacturers HERE don't know there's a market HERE.  shaZam! if Harley or Buell or Roehr would make a 100~500cc thumper dirt/trail bike line up I'd be all over it as opposed to my current fetishes.

[makenzie71]

Ya know what I hate?  You all know I obviously hate a lot of things...I'm always telling you guys "what I hate" and such...but again, I'll be specific.  Already even mentioned it here.  The common manufacturers all suck.  Right now the big three here in the states are begging Washington to bail THEM out!  So retarded.  It should be illegal to give a company government aid when the CEO's of that company are bringing home more than $30,000 a year.  The big four in Japan are no better.  The companies are just piss poor run and it's screwing everyone.  The higher ups are letting the lower downs call the shots.  Unions are whining for more money.  The big shots aren't going to take a hit on THEIR paycheck to get the little guy another $.25/hr.  Hell no.  That wouldn't be very capitalistic, would it?  Let's f%$k the customer instead.

How are they f%$king us?  Let me explain.  Say I want a supermotard.  First, I look at the United States manufacturers.  I take a moment to browse the imaginary inventories at my local imaginary supermotard dealers.  I take an imaginary test ride.  I already know it's the best of the lot because it's imaginary, and it obviously has the best price...because it's imaginary.  Not wanting to cheat myself by picking the first imaginary bike I look at I go to big four Japanese imports.    Not as nice as the imaginary lineup but the bikes are, overall, much more realistic...all three of them.  Yeah I know there's more but Japan isn't really pushing but one...the DRZ400SM...and Yamaha and Kawasaki can't hardly manage to tell so many less people about their 250's.  The WR250X is nice.

Then it comes to numbers...

Out the door...including tags and title shaZam!...I've spent $2319 for the cute little QLink.

Out the door...including tags and title shaZam!...I've spent $6,642 for the cute little WR250X.

That's how we're getting f%&ked.  The XF has a 2 year warranty that they actually honor...something new from China.

Something that really irks me about all this is someone just told me that spending the extra money on the Yamaha will pay it's self off in ten years in reliability and such.  So? Keeping a bike for ten years and not buying anything is bad for the economy.  We need to buy shaZam!.  Buying foreign I don't give a rat's ass but if America would produce an XF200 clone for $2500 out the door I'd buy one every two or three years...however long the warranty lasts.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Indeed man, welcome to the clusterfuck'orama