imported post
imported post
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course. What a boring place the world would be if we all were the same, and thought the same. I respect everyone's opinion so now I want to share mine.
Chinese bikes are garbage. Stay away from them, if people would stop buying low grade products such as these the market would dry up and disappear. Perfect. The quality of mechandise for the average consumer over the past 30 years has seriously degraded. I believe a major reason for this is consumers that are price driven. Look at the quality of almost anything at the Real Canadian Superstore, or Walmart. Ever bought a made in china, real cheap hair dryer? Pressure washer? Toaster? Drill? It always breaks in a short period and you just toss it out. You accept the fact that it was cheap, so you toss it. $49 DVD players at Walmart...$30 sleeping bags at the Superstore...The list goes on and on. People keep buying this low quality mechandise, so manufacturers keep making more and more of it. It fills up our landfills and in the end is a bad investment for your money.
I wanted an affordable pressure washer to clean my dirt bike after muddy rides. I bought a McCullah from Walmart. Big mistake. I returned it after a week, thought I had a bad one, exchanged it for a new one. It lasted about a month and it started acting up. I returned it, got my money back and have decided to go without until I can save enough for a Honda gas pressure washer. People, enough is enough. Stop buying low grade stuff from China. China is a communist country where slave labourers work long days and nights for next to nothing for pay.
Just for comparison sake lets look at this example. I recently bought my son a 2006 CRF70. Price was $2000 plus tax. He is enjoying it no doubt, he's 7 and will easily get 3 to 4 years out of this bike. I am pretty confident in the Honda product and am sure that any parts to be bought over the next 3 to 4 years will be minimal. Yesterday I saw a 2005 model for sale at the same dealership. Price was $1799. So the first year, lets assume I loose $200 in resale value. Right now today in the Vancouver buy & sell a 2002 XR70 is listed for $1700. Lets assume it will sell for $1600. The new price on that bike in 2002 was probably about $1850 or so. I have $250 to loose in 4 years! Lets be generous and say I loose $400. That's $100 a year! That's great value as it still has many years or life left in it for many more kids to ride and pass along. It won't end up in the land fill in a few years as they are in high demand, parts are easily availalble and they are very reliable.
Now lets compare the made in China dirt bike at Canadian Tire. The small kids one, not sure if it is 50cc or 100cc either way it's pretty cheap. Not 100% sure but I'd guess they are around $600. Within the first few rides something is bound to break. Parts and pieces are of very low quality. Tubes are thin and easily pop. Steel is of very low quality (recycled rusty container ships?), nuts and bolts won't stay tight, threads strip, I could go on and on. So you have the aggrevation of trying to order parts from the kid at Canadian Tire. He gives you attitude cause he knows it all. You know the type. If you can get parts, it's a regular trip back to get more that keep breaking. 4 years later there is a good chance that it would have sat in the garage broken quite a bit and had limited use.
Kids are kids, when they are learning to ride they are going to fall, stuff breaks. When they get better they start to jump. Poor suspension and cheap steel bends and breaks. 4 years later try selling that Chinese made bike. You'll probably have sent it to the dump by then. You're out $600 you paid, the money you spent in replacement parts, trips to Canadian Tire, the crying kids, not to mention the price they charged you at the dump to leave it there.
To each his own. If you want a bike made in China try one. People are saying that the Japanese bikes of today were junk 30 years ago. That's not true. I just sold a 1976 Honda Z50a for $700 a month ago. It was all original, ran perfect, been though many kids, and will go on for many more years to come. Back in 1976 that bike was probably priced at $500 or less brand new. Can you really see that happening with the made in China bikes of today? Maybe in 30 years from now the Chinese bikes will be a lot better. I am suggesting you wait until that time to buy one.
That's my monthly rant.
Keith :tup:
