Ten's Chinese Experiment - Just About Done!

[TenEightyOne]

I want to do a DAS later this year for a full bike licence, in the meantime I've done my CBT (I'm now proficient in cone-flattening in many directions) and I've bought a Chinese motorcycle. This is due to certain economies enforced by Mrs. Ten's love of Marks and Spencer and the fact that if I ditch it I won't have paid much. For just under £1000 I've got a new bike, gear and the certification appropriate to my pre-2001 car licence.

The reviews of such things seem to be split between insta-rust and last-forever. I don't know yet which I've bought, it's brand-new and has 500 metres on the clock. Forums for bike-people (ooh, they're not like car people, are they?) have been a useful source of fault lists, a few were present on mine (untightened bolts, dicky connectors etc) but I think I've got them all covered. The bike itself is a Hniaonaooaniaa-something-125, effectively a clone of the venerable CG-125, although I couldn't say what one looks like... but Bike People seem to know.

Now I just need to get a reg plate on the bike and go and live the dream. I'll keep the thread updated on whether buying bikes from China is great economic sense or tremendously foolhardy

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> I've never even heard of the brand!

 

[TenEightyOne]

-> I've never even heard of the brand!

Me neither but they've been sold here for several years and there are some good reviews (as long as you keep your eye on them). Huoniao, Lexmoto and Sinnis are the three most usually seen Chinese brands here... but yes, the Chinese have got some way to go to pass the Japanese in popularity. And, I daresay, quality.

 

[Carlos]

Please put a Honda sticker on in the most obvious way, just to piss all the 'purists' off

Good luck with the bike, never seen it (and the original) in real life. Maybe watch the fork a bit, keep it clean, look for leaks. Also watch out for cars, they tend to not see you or just don't care about your safety. Anticipate muchos!! No idea what your riding gear is, but please try to wear gloves at all times, I hate it when people take these things lightly.

Have fun with it

 

[Sanji Himura]

If you are really that concerned about wire connections, I would take the approach that my dad did when he restored his Galaxie and just solder everything up to really secure the connector to the wire. I'm going to be taking that approach when I am fixing my electrical system on my bike, so that I can be assured of a good connection.

 

[TenEightyOne]

So far so good, I've run just over 1000 miles on the bike since the beginning of December and it's been very well behaved. That's been in pretty much all weathers except snow - despite getting a few drenchings the electrics seem (so far) to have held up okay.

It felt like a different bike after the first oil change, the gears and clutch seem far smoother and now, downhill with a tailwind, I can get almost 60mph out of it

The horrid original stickers are off, I just need to cut/polish the tank and panel paint and get some decent decals on it. The Chinese Experiment is turning out quite well so far, especially as so far I'm getting about 150 miles from every tank of fuel... that's about £6!

 

[TenEightyOne]

Spent yesterday getting oily and changed the original 15/40 sprockets for 17/38 as it seems to be a popular conversion. It's like a different bike now, no more immediate 1st-2nd-3rd off the lights and it cruises at about 5500 revs instead of having to be wound up to 8000. Definitely a more soothing vibration between the legs, as it were!

 

[Grippy]

They should start selling em on amazon, just so I can read the reviews. They would most likely work to an extent. Probably bare bones.

 

[TenEightyOne]

They should start selling em on amazon, just so I can read the reviews. They would most likely work to an extent. Probably bare bones.

Still working so far... touch wood, average over life is about 70-75 mpg, so far it's cost less to buy, equip, insure, tax and run than our family MPV has just to tax, insure and fuel in the same period

 

[Grippy]

Still working so far... touch wood, average over life is about 70-75 mpg, so far it's cost less to buy, equip, insure, tax and run than our family MPV has just to tax, insure and fuel in the same period

I'm gald just make sure to keep an eye on it for stuff coming undone and try not to crash it.. I don't think it will do well in safety so wear your helmet/relevant safety equipment(possibly a flame suit)

 

[TenEightyOne]

I'm gald just make sure to keep an eye on it for stuff coming undone and try not to crash it.

Doing both of those things

I don't think it will do well in safety so wear your helmet/relevant safety equipment(possibly a flame suit)

Not sure what you mean... the brakes are pretty solid (better in feel/power than the equivalent CM125) and the same for the tyres... keeping an eye on the fuel system for anything coming loose but most forums suggest that happens more with Yamaha than anything else, I'll keep an eye on it though

 

[Grippy]

*Glad lol

Doing both of those things



Not sure what you mean... the brakes are pretty solid (better in feel/power than the equivalent CM125) and the same for the tyres... keeping an eye on the fuel system for anything coming loose but most forums suggest that happens more with Yamaha than anything else, I'll keep an eye on it though

I just like giving out safety advice, the statistics for road deaths are too severe for me not to.

 

[W3H5]

Huoniao, Lexmoto and Sinnis are the three most usually seen Chinese brands here... but yes, the Chinese have got some way to go to pass the Japanese in popularity. And, I daresay, quality.

Sinnis and Lexmoto are British brandings on Chinese bikes. The other one probably is as well but I've never heard of that. Could well be that bikes from all those brands come from the same factory or that different bikes from the same brand come from different factories.

They're quite a way behind Japan in terms of technology and industry experts (like my dad) say that in 20 years they'll be on par but I disagree due to the way the Chinese do business, they aren't as easy to deal with as the Japanese and their idea of marketing is decades behind.

Having had many years of experience with many different Chinese bikes I can confirm that they are hit and miss when it comes to quality and the factory they come from largely plays a role in that.

Still, happy to hear you're motoring well on your Chinese bike. If you need any advice at all I'll be happy to help, what with having been involved in the industry for many years.

 

[TenEightyOne]

So it's just about time to move on from the 125 and onto a bigger better fun-er bike.

I'll likely be selling it soon to appease Mrs. Ten and what she (rightly) sees as a potential obsession to own 5 million motorbikes... at the end of the Chinese Experiment I'd say it's provided great experience, great value and has proved as economically-viable against its Japanese rivals that I hoped it would. Even with sprocket upgrades and a bigger (i.e. better) jet it stands me at £825 fully on-the-road - obviously the riding gear I bought is transferrable to the new bike. It still does a zillion miles to the gallon and remains nippy enough to get through the York traffic with suitable expedition.

None of the horror stories I heard about came true in my case and a colleague's Yamaha CG125 has had three serious returns to the dealer during the same time of ownership. If anyone else is wondering whether to bite the modern Chinese copy of the Japanese bullet I'd say go for it!