asian scooters(not japanese)

[donny]

these guys have run with what works! if it is reliable?

[Dan Durston]

I haven't heard from anyone that has ridden this scooter but I think it's probably an exact copy, not just a similar body on top of a standard engine. The specifications (i.e. weight, wheelbase, compression ratio etc) are all the same so it's gotta be either the same parts just reassembled by someone else or a really good copy.

One of the problem with scooters like this is that they are often assembled very poorly. Most chinese scooters are copied of old Japanese engines etc but they are slapped together very quickly. People who are handy with a wrench could probably buy one and just repair things as they fall apart but once you've fixed all those issues it might be okay.

[kz1000st]

First of all, this is coming from the States so things here are a little different. If you want a good Idea on the state of Chinese scooters go to www.scootdawg.com then click on forum. Ever topic under the sun is discussed there. It was described once as "The First Church of the Chinese Scooter". You'll discover that most CCS (cheap chinese scooters) aren't that bad. Two members of the forum have over 10,000 miles on their 250s and recently one member revealed that he had 19,600 miles on a 2008 Lance Milan 150. The biggest problem earlier on with most CCS was the use of cheap wiring and vacuum and gas lines. These were cost cutting measures by greedy importers who were watching the bottom line and didn't care about the finished product. Things are different now as most people know who the "Bad Guys" are and stopped buying from them. I can't generalize but when my scooter came most of the components were of acceptable quality and the scooter started and ran as stated by the online seller. While it "only" has 1,000 miles so far it hasn't done anything unusual other than requiring the occasional bolt tightening and one fluky problem I had to fix. I recommended the same online seller to someone much more knowledgeable than me and he rated the scooter he got from them a 9 out of 10.
If you buy one from a shop it can be an acceptable compromise to more expensive models. If you buy online and know how to wrench, it will service your needs. And, yes, they do get better all the time.

[Dan Durston]

Thanks for the informative post and welcome to the site! It's true that scooters companies do improve their game constantly. One example is Kymco....only a few years ago they were copying Honda's engines (okay they still do..ie. the Super 9 uses the Dio motor) but now they make some engine's of their own. Also, their styling has improved from boring cookie cutter scooters to some actually nicely styled products. I see the Chinese are on a similar path.

So what Chinese companies would you say are the top ones?

[kz1000st]

The best manufacturer in China right now is Znen. They produce scooters for TNG, Lance and Flyscooter. My scooter is made by Bashan, an assembler. I bought it from GSmotorworks.com and they have stood behind the scooter since I got it. Even to the point of sending me a new exhaust system under warranty. Xinyue is another scooter that has a good reputation. But at the moment Znen is making the top scoots out of China.

[Dan Durston]

Hmm...I checked out their site (ZnenUSA.com). There isn't much info on the scooters though. Is their another site with better photo's and more info?

[kz1000st]

The answer to that question isn't that simple. As discussed on Scootdawg it's pretty multifaceted.
Read this and see if you get what I mean.

http://scootdawg.proboards.com/index.cg ... read=22039

If you go to 2strokebuzz.com you'll see the name Znen in a couple of places in the VIN number list. People order from them and sell here. The scoots coming from Znen have been of higher quality than most. That's why the question of buying a no-name Znen is coming up on Scootdawg.

[Dan Durston]

Hmm....I had a look at that site and now I understand that lots of different parties are importing them. I do find this quote a little scary:

Every company who orders them gets to decide if their scooter is $600 in quality or $1,200 in quality.

It seems like a lot of Znen importers would opt for the cheaper ones since most buyers won't really be able to tell the difference...especially if you are a fly by night importer who just imports one container load and then closes up the business. That's why i'd rather by from an established brand....even if it's just an established Znen importer like Lance.

[kz1000st]

Yes, but notice that USFMarine's Brother in law bought a no-name Znen and USF said that the quality was, in many ways, better than his Flyscooter which is an acknowledged good quality scooter. As I noted in that thread someone in Utah bought a no-name Znen for $999 and found the fit and finish to be fairly decent. It was the second Chinese scooter in the family and he had something to compare it to. Not to mention the fact that his other bike is a Kawasaki 1400. Plus as I said earlier, the quality issue has always been present. The difference now is that people are getting wise to "bargains". An importer who skimps won't be around long and a Chinese factory that's a party to it will have trouble selling to quality importers. I can't speak for a factory but I don't think Znen plays the "Skimpy Scooter" game.

[donny]

good to know there are decent scooters made in china, but the market is still nervous about them?

[kz1000st]

I can't speak for the "market". Obviously someone who can afford it is going to buy a Vespa, Piaggio or a Japanese scooter. Those who know about Kymco and SYM will go that way, since they have excellent bang for the buck. But the Chinese are starting to have a growing presence in dealerships, much as they do on the web. So someone who wants a cheap ride may take a chance on an inexpensive Chinese scooter. They're not complicated and just about any shop should be able to service them. So if the market is nervous it will only be until they see that the scoots are generally serviceable, parts are available and come with a warranty.

[Dan Durston]

Regarding parts availability, if you buy a Znen, do you get parts from Znen directly? or the guy who sold it to you? or some other guy with a Znen parts website?

[kz1000st]

Most of the parts are Universal. So you can do all of the above. www.partsforscooters.com is where everybody goes if they want buy engine related and other items. I can get a lot of the parts I need from the people I bought my scooter from. I won't tell you how I know how good they are because then you'd know about the problem I'm having right now. Suffice it to say they're standing behind their warranty in my time of need. I'm sure the same can be said if I bought a scooter from a shop-at least a good shop. They would probably stock parts for sale since they have to work on them too. I know it vexes you Dan, but keep in mind that at the moment most Chinese scooters are using generic motors and electrics. As long as you know what you have, you can find it somewhere. It's what's inside and the care in putting them together and the inspection processes that separate a high quality Chinese scooter from an inexpensive model.

[Dan Durston]

That makes sense.....I can see how one of these would be a good choice for someone who is mechanically inclined or who has a good shop to take it too.

[kz1000st]

If you read Scootdawg you will see there are women who own Chinese scooters there. They take them to shops for servicing when they need it. Of course it doesn't begin to compare with the herd of women on modernvespa.com, but it's growing.