How Bad are Chinese Motorcycles Really? 7 Biggest Breakdowns (3 months, 9 630 Miles Through Africa)
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- We all know Chinese motorcycles are not the same quality as Japanese or German bikes. But how bad are they really? We tried to find out by riding two Chinese 200cc delivery bikes from Cape Town to Cairo. It took us 90 days and 9 630 miles to get there. Here are our 7 biggest breakdowns on the trip. #ChineseBikes #AdventureBike #DualSport
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After watching this video I think I have a new appreciation for inexpensive Chinese motorcycles, it is easy for us here in the UK and other countries in the west to simply dismiss these bikes as cheap junk because we have better bikes available from reputable western and Japanese brands, but the truth is these Chinese bikes do work most of the time and if something breaks it’s cheap and easy to fix and without these Chinese bikes personal transportation would likely be unavailable to many poor people in the developing world especially in Africa that’s why I’m glad these bikes exist.
You hit the nail on the head. I realise now how different the different parts of the world are. I can imagine that it is worthless in the US and UK where parts are not available.. but in 3rd-world countries where they are everywhere (and cheap), it really made personal transportation more accessible. If we could afford to buy two Honda's back then, we would have... but it would have made the trip impossible to afford.
Couldn't have said that better.
Makes no sense. That’s like saying Russian military equipment is good enough. When you could
Have Western weapons. I wouldn’t buy Chinese motorcycles. Even though there copies of Japanese bikes. Which, by the way is illegal! China copies everyone’s stuff. It’s like they have no idea how to develop their own products…
They are cheap junk, but if you don't ride the kak out of them or strain motor they keep farting along for ages.
As long as your checking bolts, valves, changing oil, cleaning ail filter... these chinese bikes will run and run and run
That true. I still can't believe I sold mine for next to nothing after bonding with it for 90 days.
@@GreaseAndGravel I was about to pull the trigger on a GPX moto but I got the KLX300 instead simply because of resale. I had the lifan xpect200 as my first real bike and it lost value when I sold it
You can't go wrong with the Kawasaki, good choice! And yes, these Chinese bikes are worth nothing in the second-hand market. I basically gave away both our bikes (something I dearly regret now 😅)
@@dustincookson5479 thinking about a GPX currently.
Pretty impressive the jump Chinese bikes have made in quality.
@@GreaseAndGravel But pricewise here in the U.S.A. you can generally buy almost 3 brand new Chinese bikes for the price of one equivalent Japanese machine new.
I think the Chinese bikes can be a good base IF you take the time to sort out the shoddy assembly which means basically disassemble and lube the areas which should be lubed that come with no lube such as the swing arm pivot bolt, axles and the steering stem bearings where there should be lube and use plenty of blue loctite!
Also change to a quality fork oil and engine lube again before ever riding the bike.
And last but not least polish and wax everything to protect from rust and really buy better quality tires and tubes as well.
Also throw the factory chain in the trash and buy a good aftermarket drive chain while the bike is brand new so your sprockets will wear in with the quality chain.
A few hundred dollars spent up front will save you a lot of headaches later and generally will make the Chinese bikes into a pretty reliable machine for the money spent.
Not going to be Honda quality but not going to be at a Honda price point either.
Also the Chinese electrical parts are so cheap you can afford to keep spares laying at home on the shelf, go price a new oem Honda CDI which some of those alone are over $500 U.S. dollars these days!
Many tour "adventurers" think they need a big cycle to overcome obstacles. In most of the world, you will rarely get over 40 mph. Dirt roads, rocky roads, potholed roads, crazy traffic and animals all conspire to keep you just put-putting along. A small, light cycle with 15 hp will get you out of more trouble than a 500kg cycle with 80 hp. You will never apply all that power.
Thanks for the story! Riding at night is just foolish. Huge risk for little gain.
100% We quickly found that even 80kph is more than fast enough in most countries. Only in SA and Nam do people go fast everywhere. And I TOTALLY agree on driving at night! Not worth the risk and we should have just camped before dark. But it was not as easy as it sounds
The biggest problem with the Chinese bikes I've bought is they keep getting stolen! I've bought three dual sport bikes (a 200cc and two 250s) and I only have one of the 250s left. I've never had any mechanical issues with any of them.
That sucks, Mark! I am sorry to hear that.
I have had a Chinese 125cc for 14 years untill it was stolen 09/10/2021. No problem's.
Greater Manchester UK.
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that. Wow, it lasted well then. Are you getting another bike?
@@GreaseAndGravel Hopefully money permitting. Young lads take them for riding in the fields then set fire to them in these parts.
@@g4joe Wow, that is insane! I thought it is wild here in SA.
Did you overload it with gear and ride it through sand and mud?
I'm from Africa and I have used my Chinese bike for ten years now. I carry about 200 litters of milk dairy and it still looks a few months old. It rarely even needs maintenance if you don't misuse it. It does over sixty kilometers per day. The brand name is Dayun Romeo 150cc. Trust me I think its among the best Chinese bikes.
Yes!! The ones we rode had Motomia stickers on them, but they were also Dayun. I was told by the importer that they are the best in China. Thanks for watching!
I'm from Mexico and there are many Chinese bikes mostly 125cc-250cc here. They look great when brand new but they just don't last. Everything on them is very cheap and breakable. I think that the metals used are of inferior quality, the engines wear badly after about 5 years. Any used Chinese bike has very poor resale value--with good reason.
@@billyzee261 Yes, resale value is non-existent and the bikes definitely don't last as long as Japanese bikes. They won't become classics, that is for sure. But as an entry-level bike to get the job done (with regular maintenance from the owner), it does make biking accessible to more riders.
@@GreaseAndGravel I purchased a used 2008 Honda GL 125 in 2010. It is used daily. Everything is stronger and larger on it than on any 125-200cc Chinese bike, e.g.: forks, coils, frame, hubs, etc. This bike has been in use daily since I purchased it. I've had to replace the hubs, shocks, brakes (of course) but the motor is untouched (except for a few valve adjustments. One other point is that my 125cc is noticeably faster than any Chinese 150cc. If you want a good cheap bike, save a little more for a Japanese bike. Hondas are known here for reliability matched secondly to the Yamahas that have a slightly more complex vacume carburetor (unlike the Honda). Perhaps the Yamaha is more environmentally friendly, but when you are talking about 45 kilometers per liter and zero smoke all these years later, that is probably not an issue with the Honda either. The Yamaha small economy bikes are very good and they do look better than the Honda no doubt. The Honda GL is a reliable workhorse. No mechanics and incredibly faithful, but not handsome for sure. It's a reliable and healthy work horse, period. By the way, I have a Honda CBR 600 for enjoyment along with a Kawasaki Vulcan 750.
You are not for hard use. The bike is for transportation.
Chinese bikes are all over central america and they have the crap rode out of them with little maintenance. They hold up surprisingly well. I myself own an SSR-XF250 and so far the only problem I had was a broken speedometer cable. The engine seems very good so far!
I have a Hawk 150cc dirt bike. It's not built as well and the Japanese bikes, but it's also about 1/4 to 1/5 the cost. The bottom line is, it's a trail/woods bike, not a race bike. If you treat it decent it will take care of you. Yes, you may also be more likely to get one with problems, but most problems are small things if you do proper maintenance before running it and while you own it.
I have a Chinese Superbyke Rmr 125 and using it almost every day. It leaves outside in the rain with small cover on, so the rain doesn't get saturated into the seat, petrol tank cap and the gauges. Living in South London, no one ever attempted to still mine with 57000 km in it. It is a little bit of a shabby state but starts easier than most of fuel injected big bike I work on. Ducatis, KTMs Moto Guzzis are my main line of work as a bike mechanic.
I did have a couple brake down, I have changed 3 carburetors, one starter clutch, 2 petrol tank they have rusted inside.
Now, I keep the tank full as much I can, use the bike often 6-7 miles each way to work.
I have a Honda VFR800 and a Suzuki DRZ 440 bigbore, but the Chinese bike running around locally bits them hand down!
Thanks for your video!
I like it, going to subscribe now.
Wow, that is amazing! 57000km! I can imagine in the city the small bike is so much easier. Part may be lower quality but they are so cheap. Thanks for the comment!
Congratulations Sir, you have found an awesome wife! It takes a lot of courage to travel that continent like that AND on bikes you weren’t completely sure of at the start.
Kudos to you both!
I bought a Hawk 250 about a year ago and have been tinkering with it ever since. Upgrading it, improving parts etc.
Haven’t had a bad problem so far.
One of the main reasons I chose it over a KLX (which is all my local shop could get in stock) was because the Chinese bike was simple to work on.
All the new dual sports were fuel injected, which to me means a problem would require a mechanic or investment in a computer to scan codes.
The only dual that shop had that was carbed was a Suzuki 650 that was like $9k out the door.
This was less than $2k and I got to familiarize myself with it during assembly.
Thank you Bill, I am indeed blessed to have such an awesome wife :) I agree 100% with you. I much prefer a carb to EFI for the same reason. And the more you work on your bike yourself, the less you stress when you're far from help. Plus, in most third world countries you don't need to go faster than 50mph. I like the idea of assembling your own bike. That must have been fun. I appreciate the comment. Cheers.
I don't know about their motorcycles, but I have a Chinese electric bicycle and it's really good quality, I love it.
I think the quality is getting better in a lot of factories.
There ebike wheel kits and batteries are fantastic value also .
@@GreaseAndGravel Back in the 1950s, early 60s, Japan, still recovering from WWII, was making cheap low- end products that people made fun of : bolo bouncers ; yo- yos ; hoola hoops, cheap radios and such. Japan gradually moved up the quality ladder, making among the best products in the world. Japan is known as a global leader in cars, , motorcycles, electronics, cameras, many things. Now China has been moving up, their stuff is getting better and more sophisticated.
You wouldn't believe probably I rode my Thai made Kawasaki Klx 150 35.000km without a puncture through 25 countries. And like you say these 'chinese' or small engines can be fixed anywhere if something goes wrong.
Totally! Wow, that must have been an amazing trip!!!
Bad gas, flat tires, spraying wd on the brake calipers. Sprocket wear after all that heaving riding. Sounds like the electrics were the only abnormal bike issues.
Exactly! And even the electrics was just bulbs blowing from shaking most probably. Not bad bikes at all.
That seems to the be the exact same reliability of Japanese bikes from the 1980's. Clearly the 1970's Japanese bikes were worse. With plenty of real failures.
Yeah, I expected worse from these Chinese bikes
To be honest now having watched till the end this is the best add any Chinese bike will ever get don't forget when
Borman the biker and his mate the actor did what they did they had a full blown service team with them and by god did they need them been told most of the repairs were edited out ?? So this says it all for less than 2K you can go anywhere or for 17K and a full team you can also go anywhere !!
Thanks for watching until the end. Yes, that is exactly what we hoped to prove with this trip... that is is more accessible than you think. We met Charlie Boorman on this trip and he was amazing. But very different trips indeed.
6.900 miles and your wife went
You, you're a blessed man. Sounds like repairs were very
Inexpensive, and people were
Very cool.I just put a Chinese 250 quad engine in my 1997
Honda CR80R, had to order an
Ignition for it but it runs great,
I know this is off subject, but from my experience Chinese
Bikes, and quads mostly in the
Dirt the bike themselves aren't that strong, but the engines are
Fairly strong, thay are a copy of
The Honda cg 125 just different
Sizes very good push rod engines!!!!!!!!
BUT OF COURSE U KNOW THAT
XR'S RULE!!!!!
THANK'S from NOR-CAL!!!!!!
Strong, b
Hey Chris, I through I've already replied to this comment.. oops! :) Yeah, I am a very fortunately man. And yes, people in Africa are awesome. Those CG125 copies are great engines... and in the third world, most parts can cheaply be replaced on the rest of the bike. Ps. I love your XR's RULE comment at the end each time!! LOL... part of the reason I am keeping mine ;)
- loose screws due to taking street bike off road
- bad fuel it happens no biggy
- mud and off road
- punctures happen even on road
- u had tubed tires within aluminum wheels not best combination (correct me if wrong)
- as for the sprockets consider the weight across muddy, rocky 9600 miles
good job with changing oil every 2000km that saved u there in my opinion (chinese motors have some cheap aluminum alloy that wears way faster than other brands)
thanks for sharing your great videos
best regards
Thanks for the comment.
You are 100% right, none of the 'breakdowns' we experienced really counts. I was super impressed with the little bike. Those oil changed, along with adjusting and lubing the chain every day, really helped. Spoke wheels would have been better, you are correct.
At the start of the trip I was convinced something will break catastrophically... and they just kept going.
Cheers
I’m totally impressed! I hear such bad things, but that’s a heck of an adventure it endured! ❤️
@@ScooterNewbie Thanks :) There are countries you'd want to avoid, but the route we took we had no trouble at all :)
@@GreaseAndGravel idk the lighting is the one brand specific thing....that ought not have happend....bad grounds? {ppr voltage regulation? Hard to believe all the bulbs were bad quality
@@dougiequick1
Depending on the quality of the bulbs...very believable!
The only way to test is to have several bulbs from different manufacturers....
rather than one "job loi" from one manufacturer.
Dirty fuel is not a motorcycle mechanical fault, it is a petrol company or petrol station fault. Fuel supplied must be free of faults and fuel filters kept clean. A mechanic damaging a carburettor when repairing, most likely on the side of the road with limited tools, no spares and no repair manual, is not a manufacturer made fault. All faults, including the globe failures could be related to riding on badly made and un maintained unsealed roads. Brakes jammed with mud, puncture, bad roads. Maybe grit would cause excessive wear on the chain and sprocket. Nonetheless, it is interesting the problems you are experiencing.
Yeah, the problems weren't the bikes' fault and also weren't serious. I was very surprised. The dirty fuel came from old cooking oil cans in the middle of nowhere. Commonplace in Africa :)
i have a 2008 haotian arrow (little 125) and this video is just a testament to looking after your stuff. regular maintaining goes a hell of a long way to longevity. great video, would have loved to have done it myself.
Thanks for watching! I agree, maintenance makes all the difference on any machine
Bro once try indian made adventure bikes like royalenfield himalya,are hero pulse,or bajaja, or jawa
The Hero Pulse looks like a great bike... I am going to try and get hold of one to test
In all fairness all the misshaps you had were not realy the fault of the bikes. All bikes get flat tyres, blow bulbs and wreak chains and sprockets when rideing on graval tracks and in water and mud A bike that cost 10 times the price of a cheap chinese bike would not have faired any better. I have had 2 chinese bikes and both of them toasted their engines within a thousand miles .and that was just rideing normaly on English country roads .
I agree, we would not have had an easier trip on our older Japanese and German 650s. I’d do it on a cheap Chinese bike again. That said, I don’t think all Chinese bikes are equal. Sorry about the toatsed engines. I heard that the first oil change is the most important (at 20km!!) to flush the metal particles from manufacturing out
Hi I'm looking to get into biking,I can't afford the big brands and names ,so I've been looking at the motomia spritzer and bigboy velocity 200 are these any good? I would really appreciate your opinion and advice
And do u have any suggestions
?
Are you looking to buy new or second-hand? If new, Motomia does not exist anymore. Unfortunately, I don't have 1st-hand experience with BigBoy. At around R20k the only competitors are 2nd-hand Honda XR125, Honda CB125F, or Yamaha YBR125s. The Chinese brands are definitely not as well built as the Japanese bikes, but parts are much cheaper. Sorry I can't be of more help.
If I had to spend R20k on a small bike and had to decide between a Honda/Yamaha 125 and a Chinese 200... mmm... it is a tricky one.
If you have ZERO experience with bikes, a new bike is probably safer.. since you get a warranty and you can take it back if something goes wrong.
On a second-hand Japanese bike, the quality is better and you won't lose any value if you want to upgrade a year or two later.... but then you need to make sure you get one in good condition.
Good luck with your choice!
Ps. Have you ridden before?
Thanks for the info,yes I have a ridden a friends scooter that's Abt it,can the bikes u mentioned keep up with highway speeds and such ?
@@mintybrothers1653you need a bigger Bike for Highway Speeds. Something around 300cc will get you there, but make sure before you Buy one that they will. Some 300cc Bikes won’t. If you go for a 350cc you will probably be ok. I think though that some of the Chinese 250cc Bikes are supposed to be able to do Highway Speeds. Look up the Specs of whatever you’re interested in, they should show the estimated Top Speed.
IN china we call this kind easy fixable advangtage as：滥大街！（IT mease:a thing is just so common that you can see it everywhere! ）😀
I’m amazed that you survived this trip. 😂 sounds to me like the bikes are fine.
The bikes really surprised us! :)
125ccm to 250ccm single piston is a sweet spot region most western riders miss out on as they are used to more HP and ccm. For slow long distance travel, these smaller bikes have a far better fuel mileage at similar load capacity.
Same goes for Chinese bikes - the are dated knockoffs but the bits are well know and easy to source - the base is either a Honda CB or Suzuki GN style engine usually. Where they are common, every local mechanic will be plenty familiar.
You said it best! We got 80mph fully loaded and wide open throttle ALL day long. These were GN250 knock-offs and super simple
@@Sideshowbobx Honda CG style engines from China seem really good.
Very interesting, and I especially agree with your summing up in the final minute regarding cheaper repairs and less problems from police who otherwise might think you're rich. I rode a Chinese "enduro" around South America, bought it new in 2011, finished in 2020, totalled over 86,000 kms. I did have some major breakdowns, but they were solved quite cheaply until I fitted a Japanese engine as a replacement about halfway through the trip. It never broke down, but it caused other problems, because it had more torque and started breaking things like the flimsy chain and sprocket. I think as time progresses, Chinese bikes will rapidly improve, just like Japanese bikes, and later cars, did, after they were first came to prominence back in the 1960s.
Wow, that is amazing! I forgot to mention in my video that we fitted Japanese chains before we left. You are right, we heard from a lot of other riders that the police are corrupt and fined them for no reason etc... we NEVER had that happen. They were all super friendly and didn't even ask for papers at road blocks. Sometimes they made us tea.
I just saw on Facebook that is was an 8 year trip! Wow, that must have been an awesome experience. I can't even imagine being on the road that long. Saw the video too. So cool that you stayed on the same bike for that whole period.
@@GreaseAndGravel Ive only been to South Africa once, in the late 1980s, in a rented car, but I get the feeling from watching videos that its a much more challenging place to ride a motorbike than South America. Like you said, some guy got shot in the face just two weeks before you were there! Plus, I wasn't riding my bike every day for 8 years. If I got to a place I liked, I would stay for a few weeks, or even months. Also got shanghaied a few times by the local señoritas, that's one reason why I ended up staying 9 months in Buenos Aires. When I started the trip I only planned to do a south-north traversal allowing myself 10 months. A huge underestimation!
@@GringoLoco Wow, what an experience! Shanghaied by the local señoritas 🤣
South Africa is very developed, but not as much fun to travel on a bike due to crime etc. But the rest of Africa must be very similar to S.America. Friendly people and mostly safe (apart from road accidents). The guy that got shot was an area close to Somalia where we had to ride as well just as Kenya declared war on Al Shabab. So it is not representative of the continent.
We'd love to do S.America one day. I am going to watch your videos one by one. Would love to see that book one day.
Howzit boet, ja I rode south America on a 150 gillera Chinese fake Harley look alike. 7 months 22000kms and left it on the pavement, had to fly home, on death of my step dad. One broken chain, two punctures, and lots of bolts falling out. Worse rds than Africa. Did jhb to Israel 1986 on a Dr 600 Suzi. Some people I know met U Sudan or South Egypt you camped together. Planning Pakistan to Mongolia next.
Wow, sounds like you are living the dream. We'd love to do South America one day. Mongolia also on the bucket list. What's your friends' names who we met? We met some amazing people on that trip. Cheers mate.
Thanks for the video. Good to know how popular the bikes are across Africa. Do you have a video of your adventures?
Hi Martin. Unfortunately, not. I didn't film back then and only had a GoPro2. Would not have been able to store all the data. If I did it today, it would have made for great vids.
Chinese motorcycles aren't a bad option at all if you are mechanically oriented, bascically they all use the same Honda CG knock off engine, you can find parts for those almost in every country around the world or even better you can get a new complete engine and swap it if the old one gets destroyed, i own a honda but had at least 3 chinese ones before nor mayor problems, loctite is your friend appy it to every bolt
Totally! The fact that you can get parts for cheap anywhere is a major advantage and make travel much less stressful.
Your story is amazing, I love hearing it! I've been working on getting my wife comfortable with riding too. My goal is to ride through as much of Asia as possible, but I want her riding her own bike, not just on the back of mine, haha. So far, the longest I’ve gotten her to ride without complaints is about 2 hours!
It's awesome that you want her to also ride. I think it is much more fun than sitting on the back. My wife also pillioned initially, but enjoyed riding much more. Gaining experience for safety is probably the most important thing. May you have thousands of fun miles together!
Living in the Philippines for almost 4 years now.
Have a Kawasaki Ninja 650 that I bought shortly after I arrived.
Roads here are paved mostly but not too many places to ride at any real speed.
Ride my Chinese Rusi 250 classic (which is considered big here) most of the time.
Is comfortable, reliable and actually nice looking
Anything larger is a waste here, and it cost me $1,700 new...
Not a fan of China at all, but love the Rusi...
Thanks for the comment. I can totally understand that. We experienced the same. My KLR650 wouldn't have made the trip easier. I share your sentiments about China and their bikes too.
you should have brought a honda 125 5 gear transmission from pakistan and forgot about any issues at all
I remember this way back in 2010...your trip was the main reason I bought the Moto mia 200cc. It was a great bike during my student years and never had any big problems. 11 years later I am working in Bejing and I own a JS 700, XiangShuai Cruizer motorcycle. Also no problems and I still love my Chinese bike. If you look after the bike the bike will look after you. Thank you for this video, finally found your channel. Subbed
Chinese bikes are a curse.
Whilst I hate what China represents when will folk understand their bikes are not bad bikes for the price they are great bikes if you do not believe what I say go and try a Benelli T.R.K. 502 just as good as any G.S. B.M.W. but with less power but who gives a flying toss when you save thousands of pounds ??and in my humble opinion the G.S. range having owned a few are over rated over priced trash !!
I agree on China, not happy with their strategy, especially here in Africa. But the machines are not that bad. I own a R1200GSA and would feel safer on a new $1000 Chinese bike in Africa.
They are still more reliable than BMW motorcycles.
yes, I'd trust these Chinese bikes way more than a BMW through Africa
Simple, cheap basic transport for poor. Fantastic. Who needs KTM rubbish, expensive, very complex that are a nightmare.
I’d rather buy cheap and have money to use it, than the other way around
welp... it's a case-to-case basis. just like there in africa. even if you buy a japanese bike there, after travelling thousands of kilometers with questionable gas and on dusty/muddy gravel, your branded bike is as good as chinese after all the break-ups and replacements. anyways, put a little filter on your fuel hose cuz you never know if some gas sellers might have some tricks . in my country, I've bought a gas from some small retail store in a secluded area and I noticed a strong burnt smell from my exhaust. and always check your air filter ride safe
Thanks for the comment.. Yes, we also bought fuel from old cooking oil cans in some areas and I think that's what clogged the carb. These would not have lasted if I didn't look after them. But my wife's BMW F650 also would not have (it struggled to start shortly after this trip when we got back due to valves that weren't adjusted). A very easy job on the Chinese bikes, not on the BMW (shims!).
Cool man I love your story. I take my hat off for you.
I am also following itchy boots.
Greetings from Namibia country and city Windhoek 🇳🇦Dirk
Thank you Dirk, I appreciate it. We LOVE Namibia! Yes, it is sad what happened to Noraly, but she took it like a champ.
Your "breakdowns" were either caused by really adverse conditions or ' bad repair skills' from the looks of it (messing up the carb, etc.) . So I don't think "How reliable are chinese bikes" is really the right title to the vid.
Yes, it is impressive that the bikes survived the African roads and their riders/mechanics
Chinese MC's are through away bikes!!! It's not how they're made but how cheap they can produce the same imitation motorcycles that have equal performance !!!
Yes. That is part of why we bought them. In case we weren't able to ship them back from Egypt, we could just leave them there and not lose sleep over it. It also made the Carnet de Passage deposit very cheap (which you lose if you leave them there). In the end, I ended up commuting with mine for another year or two (40 miles a day) without problems. I was surprised.
My understanding is helmets are a bit of a luxury item in poorer nations, so it's not irresponsibility if anyone was wondering.
had a sinnis outlaw running all over scottish highlands.
ignition coil failure
fuel pump failure
the "oil filter" magnet superglued to the drain bolt mysteriously disappearing
now this funny clicking sound around the throttle body and my bike leanign out is keeping me from selling it at a fraction of the value I bought it for a year ago.
Mechanics are all refusing to take it bc it's chinese.
DON'T BUY A CHINESE BIKE!
That sucks! Thanks for sharing. Yeah, I wouldn't buy any modern Chinese bike. The old Japanese-copies are simple enough though.
Amazing trip, it's really good to hear the mistakes you made...
Thanks for waching, Ralf!
WRONG I OWNED 3 CHINESE BIKES IN GUATEMALA AND THE CRAP OUT OF THEM. NEVER HAD ISSUES.u are just accident prone so watchout.
You didn’t watch the video, did you Dave? 😉 These bikes were amazing and the problems we had were easily fixed. Will do it on Chinese bikes again
Bad fuel is not a break down, putting lube on brake pads is not a break down, your fixes are causing more problems than they are solving. Sounds like the bikes are pretty good!
Yeah, the amazing thing is not that the bikes made it all the way to Egypt, but that the riders did... noobs! :)
The Chinese bike was a smart move considering the availability of parts. The breakdown you experienced can happen on an expensive bike. Good review. Thanks.
Thanks Marty. Yes, that wasn't the main reason we chose them.. but ended up being the best reason to choose them :)
just came back from China this morning. most Chinese use their bikes as their daily transportation and even to carry goods in a commercial setting. these bikes are exposed to hard conditions and seem reliable with high mileage on the meter. It's laughable to hear Harley riders speaking negatively about those work horses.
The rider plays a bigger role in the longevity of the bike. I would not want to ride a Harley from Cape Town to Cairo. Wait, I would.. but I’d worry far more than on a Chinese bike
In 2007 my farther bought a Chinese super cub to my mother. After few months when she driving her motorcycle it's handle separated from the bike and she fall down to a farm field. Luckily nothings happen for her life. The reason is the bolts and nuts that used to fit the frame and the handle are broken. Stay away from Chinese products.
I remember some Boeing engineers forgetting to add the bolts to a airplane plug door . Stay away from american planes ?
Don't blame the machine.
Yamaha Xmax 250 new model; one of buyer having issues absorber snapped and broken into 2 for no reason. My Chinese Zongshen RT3 250 never had such prob. Stay away from japanese brand also????
If the bike was CKD ex China (for packaging and freight savings) and assembled "in country" by a gorilla without a torque wrench...maybe the bolts were overtightened and stressed?
All vehicles have flats they do not count as a breakdown!!! And most of the others were related to the driver not knowing what he's doing!!! I have put over a hundred thousand kilometers on it with no breakdowns except for the normal wear and tear replacements parts !
Totally... if these riders (us) were more experienced, the bikes would have done even better. But they did great despite our carelessness.
So basically the bike did not breakdown.... it was just a silly driver. Great bike.
100% ;)
There bicycles are the only things that seem reliable.
Great review. Thank you 🎉
Thank you for watching
None of these 'breakdowns' have anything to do with these being chinese bikes.. could have happened with any bike
Exactly the message I wanted to convey. They did as well as I could have expected from any small Japanese bike. I was surprised.
This motocycles are the same quality as Hondas but 30 years ago. In the future they will better for sure.
I think so too
I fiks my honda xr with parts from aliexpress and it always works fine,started because original nowhere to find eny more
Exactly! I also couldn't find OEM parts for my XR650L locally, despite them still being sold new in the US.
Doesn’t matter we shouldn’t be giving them Americans money!!
We do every time be buy iphones and almost anything else anyways
Ive owned several chines bike over the years some good, some horrible.
I've heard the quality varies A LOT between manufacturers.
I had a Chonquing Shineray GY200 bike, I bought it on a pallet in 2006 for £555, I built it up and registered it for road use in the UK, I sold it in 2023 for £600! The only parts I replaced were the battery (twice) a perished fuel pipe and a seized brake lever/reservoir, I kept it garaged and didn't ride it in the rain it was totally rust free.
It didn't have a quality finish to it but it looked pretty nice.
Carry in line fuel filter's and replace them often always,... their cheap.
Yep, I don't start a bike without one these days
so you had a chinese bike with problems anyone could have got, ( although i doubt if anyone proper rider would spray their brakes with oil) sorry but i don't see why you say chinese bikes are bad??
Did I really say they are bad? As far as I can remember, I just asked the question and answered it by showing they aren't. About the WD40 on the brakes: funnily enough that is not the stupidest thing I've ever done! It is amazing that I am still alive.
I am impressed with the Chinese bike. I am sure if it was a Japanese Motorcycle, you will be having less breakdown or not at all !
I agree, but I wonder about parts availability compared to Chinese bikes.
Sorry to ask but all the issues seemed to be on your bike or have I miss understood Was your partners bike ok if so its the rider not the bike L.O.L.....
My bike's drivetrain worked a bit harder being much heavier than my wife. But both had their small issues. The bikes did great, the mechanic (me), not so much :)
Hey Man, very impressive. Question: did you need a carnet the passage for the bikes or nothing at all at border crossings because if the SA registration?
Hey! Yes, we used the Carnet. Made life SO much easier. It was possible without it, but then you need to buy temp import permits and try to get your refund when you leave. Carnets were just so easy. It also helped to have super cheap bikes, as the deposit on the Carnet was 200% (for Egypt). I've heard that you can't use the Carnet in Ethiopia since last year. very annoying! Are you planning a trip?
@@GreaseAndGravel Hey, thanks for the reply. I've been planning for a long time but work and life keeps getting in the way. I will definitely do it. One day.... In the mean time I shall watch your videos to keep the inspiration going.
@@jacekwojt1 Thanks for watching! You have to do it! The most difficult part is picking a time and committing. The trip itself is the easy part. But yes, adulting has a way of getting in the way.
@@jacekwojt1you should also check out Itchy Boots. Noraly has Travel through almost every Country on the Planet on her little Honda CRF 300. Incredible Filming of all her Travels, and she does it all by herself.
chinese bikes are designed with neglect in mind. i compare them to ktm lc4's but a lot slower, same shakes and implosions
These did great even with the abuse from the careless owners (us)
My Chinese bike is approaching 50000 kms
Wow, that's amazing! Which one do you have?
@@GreaseAndGravel I own an Haojin Hawk 200 - GY. It has taken me all over Kenya.
All in all, if one were to go on foot, it will be more than fine as there are spent tires everywhere there and people know how ti make (easy to fix) sandals from them.
I'm coming from a former comunist country where they used to make, basically, the same car for more than 30 years. Yes they were easy to fix and spare parte were available. Still, I do believe that there must be a balance between time spent travelling and time spent fixing the contraption. Just "throwing spare parts on them" is a waste of resources, repairing time being the most significant.
When I was in the market to buy mu first motorcycle (second hand), I had to choose between buying a Russian and a Japanese brand. The Russian brand looked almost like classic chopper and was more cheaper so appealing for me. One of my friend at the time told me to consider carefully if I want to "ride or spend time repairing my bike". I end up buying a Japanese bike and I do not regret a bit.
I totally hear you. The thing is, back then these Chinese bikes were a 1/3 of the price of a Japanese bike. And during 15000km any bike would need spare parts, so having them available all over was nice. That said, I truly thought we'd have more breakdowns than we did. I was very surprised. I even commuted on mine for another 5000km before a bearing in the gearbox started playing up.
@@GreaseAndGravel yes, expectations vs price is a valid argument. Regarding the price thing, several years, a team of West EU did an expedition, during winter to Oymyakon ("coldest place"). To do that they heavily upgraded one or two 4x4 (I don not remember the brand, "Westerner" nevertheless). I vaguely remember that the vehiculated price was around 100k. Well, they complained that the accompanying Russian (soviet style era or even age) vehicles were breaking more than they expected without mentioning the fact that those where a mere fraction from the cost of theirs. So, where a "soviet" vehicle was
A nail in a tire! What a rubbish Chinese motorcycles! 😂😂😂
😂exactly! They did great
I used to have a GN250 when I was younger and it was absolutely bulletproof. I never had issues with it despite being a 18 year old who thought he was riding a GP bike. Disappointing that China haven't quite built it as well.
They got close in some aspects, but the finish and quality on some parts aren't the same. Great bikes though
@GreaseAndGravel definitely not bad for the price. I wonder how it compares to the Suzuki TU250X.
In Kenya we know that Chinese bikes are robust, cheap survivers
Yes! We saw them everywhere in Kenya and bought spares
question, did you break in the motor? (in spanish we say "asentamiento") which these motorbikes tend to need up to 5000 km
We changed the oil after only 20km (very dirty from the manufacturing process)... and again at 250km. Then we hit the open road and gunned it most of the way to Egypt (15000km). I changed the oil every 2000km. No issues.
That's a really decent severe test and shows how robust these Chinese copies can be..
Thanks for the positive comment, Bill. I appreciate it.
All the Breakdowns are your fault. Not the bike.
100% we were noobs back then
Don’t buy a bike to make money on . Buy to ride and enjoy. 😊
Totally!
It's the dodgy mechanics and dealers you need to worry about.
Luckily these bikes are simply enough to maintain yourself
Exactly the same in Asia & Mongolia Chinese bikes and parts everywhere. Good report and video thanks 🤗
In Mongolia its cheaper other than that its garbage
Instead you should use Indian bike once ,Those are very reliable
Yes! Back then, these were the cheapest. If I had to go again now, I'd probably get an Indian bike.
Why the hell would you do this ? The whole thing sounds like a nightmare .
😂 sitting behind a computer in an office all day sounds like a nightmare (and kind of is)… 🤷🏻♂️
sorry to say but you had really miner issues but you were not able to fix them .
Yeah, all minor issues and a rider with zero experience. Yet, we managed to fix all the issues. In Tanzania, it was the first time ever I tried to open the carb... made a mistake but learned from the local mechanic... then opened and cleaned it myself in Sudan. I took the brakes apart in Sudan to fix my previous error of lubing the disc (stupid!) in Tanzania without thinking. Had to fix a few tires myself too, one in the middle of the Chalbi desert.
Man, you got some serious balls! Trip across Africa, with your wife, AND on a chinese POS machine?
Mad respect! 🍺
Thanks, Marko😅 It sounds more hardcore than it is. The people are friendly and stuff works in most countries. Thinking back, the biggest risk is an accident on the road. Cheers 🍺
Never saw the brand logo in China, you must bought a bike made by a very small workshop
These Dayuns are everywhere in Africa. In SA they were branded as Motomia
@@GreaseAndGravel I don't know Motomia, but Dayun, I'm familiar with, it could rank middle level of chinese producers. The model you bought is a cheap model for them, many Chinese producers make Suzuki Gz150, thats why so many people in Africa know how to repair it and the spares parts of this model are everywhere
@@godfromhell938 Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, they don't sell the Dayuns in SA anymore
Some chinese brands have good engines. But bad electronics and bad fuel economy.
Luckily with carbs you can just clean ot service them
@@GreaseAndGravel yeah they do need fuel injection instead of carburators. Instead of 25km/l a 250cc could reach 40km/l , just by changing the tech. Even Indian bikes offer that. But true chinese bikes are easy to work on by the user or any service Center.
Amazing journey, well done!
A couple of years ago a friend of mine turned up at my place with 2 Chinese Motomia Enzo 150’s on a trailer, they looked like cloned Honda CG125 delivery bikes that I got my bike driving licence on in the late 70’s.
The bikes had been abandoned and left out in the open in a garden Cape Town for more than 2 years. They looked in a terrible condition, both with over 10,000kms on the clock. He said to me, fix one of them up for me and you can have the other one, got all the legal paperwork for them. I was pretty doubtful of these Chinese bikes and of ever getting them going again owning a KLR650 and XR650L myself.
I installed new Batteries, changed the oil, bled the front brake lines, cleaned the carbs, fixed the front disk calipers and replaced the sprockets and chains (which were dirt cheap). Got a tube of Autosol and polished all the rust off the chromed bits. A bit of a clean and polish and they look good again.
Got them both going, I used one as my daily commute to work in Cape Town for 18 months, never had a days trouble with it, when the other one I fixed for my friend got stolen, I gave him my one, he rode it for almost a year before selling it.
I have a friend (USA) who bought one. It lasted 4 months. Now he can't get the part to fix it. I'll stick with the Japanese bikes.
That sucks. The bikes we used went bankrupt here in SA which is a pity. I would have bought one again.
@@GreaseAndGravel Thanks for the reply. I admire the adventurous spirit. Stay safe and strong.
@@corujariousa Thank you! Same to you!
You 2 r incredible made bikes trip through Africa. My last bucket list haha. Now u learn what to pack for spare parts and great African people who helped . Great adventure
You can say 'great African people' again! We just loved it. It was a humbling experience and I'd do it on a cheap bike again before I go in a fancy 4x4 or on an expensive bike.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👌🏻💪🏻
This is going to sound bad, Western arrogant. But in Mexico there are currently a bunch of 250-300 cc bikes that are Italika which is now a Mexican brand or 3,4 other Chinese brands and Bahja which is Indian. You can buy these bikes anywhere in Mexico at variety stores like Coppel, Sears or Walmart. The price is below $1900 US dollars.. most are carburetor and disc in front drum in rear. Regular and dual sport. Many people buy them and go south.. often just Baja peninsula or someplace south. Bikes have all these characteristics, stuff breaks or falls off. In Mexico, Central and South America there is a ton of expertise with these bikes and normal repairs are not that expensive.. the issue of why is a limited rental market and @1900 for a month or more often works for people. Bikes don't have much warranty
There is a Chinese brand called Apsonic. I use that. I specifically use the GY-9 bike. It is very reliable transportation from work to home. Never gave me a single issue. ❤
You can’t tell the difference between Suzuki and Honda, and said they are Chinese motorcycles, and the Real Chinese motorcycles brand are called Hao Jue,Long Xing, CF etc.
Good description of issues telling the story 😁👍
Thank you Edward🙏🏼
We have decades of japaneese bikes winning safari competitions but people "stupid youtube influencers" (not you) are promoting cheap chineese bikes that did not/is not/will not win ANY bike competitions, so... why buy them? because its cheaper? People are really really cheap nowadays and dumb, hypnotised by a clueless UA-cam video.
I've had 2 - a Ruckus clone and a Big Ruckus clone. In every respect they are absolute rubbish. The wire gauges are too small for the current they carry. The plastics are brittle. There is no QC (I had a screw penetrating the wiring harness.) The locks (5 on the Big Ruckus) all failed. The lighting was non standard and the turn signals broke off when you touched them. The suspension was absent. The tires were far smaller than the rim size would suggest. Half of the gauges never worked (tach, charge, fuel). I never miss an opportunity to disparage this country's sorry attempts to make transportation without the supervision of overlords from Japan or Taiwan.
Hero.
This is exactly why Chinese bikes are great!
Yeah, I'd buy one again!
Chinese brands motorcycle quality are on par with Japanese, even Japanese motorcycle nowadays also have more problems or breakdown. Different is, Chinese motorcycle is cheaper and less resell value. Now I'm no longer going for japanese motorcycle, I'll go for Chinese brand
Oh man they are fucking bad & parts are expensive! I spend in the first year almost 40% of the bike's price to keep it running. Never again, if you have money to through away well then buy SYM it's spending your money.
nice adventure. Could you add the type of bike in your text, pls. as this is not mentioned.
Hi Jacques, thanks! It is a Dayun from China. In SA they were branded as Motomia. But the company doesn't import them anymore. Cost R10 000 new in 2011.
I bought a Chinese 250cc bike in Peru some years back - a Honda clone sold under different badges there, so parts and mechanics easy to find. The worst thing I found was the paintwork - I lived near the coast so had to have it repainted every couple of years or so. I had to replace the chain and rear sprocket, and put Brazilian Honda parts, which gave no more problems. I ended up doing over 20k kms, including a couple of trips up and even over the Andes, and thoroughly recommend them. My biggest problem was I left my bike with a friend while I was out of the country and his son took it (denied it, of course, but it was clear from the mileage and damaged parts that it had been abused) and raced it, cooking the engine! I had it rebuilt, and still toured on it, but it was never quite right afterwards - I found later the mechanic I used had not replaced the broken counterbalance! Since new it cost me around £1000, being a common Chinese bike no-one would steal it, and the Police were always amazed to find a Gringo touring solo in a bike - I would certainly do it again!
I get the impression some mechanical classes should have been taken before the trip.
Some of the accessorie parts are very cheaply made on those bike, ie; chains and sprockets.
Bits like that are vender parts and are of the lowest cost and low quality.
A simple fuel filter would have saved you loads of trouble.
You could have installed some aftermarket LED lights that would greatly improved your safety factor and less likely to brake due to vibration.
Blue thread lock is your friend.
IDK. Seems like there's lots of things you could have done in preparation to save you a lot of frustration and improve safety.
Nevertheless. Good story.
Thanks, Frank. I agree, we should have prepared better. But my wife got impatient, so we just picked a date and committed. I hope we get to do it again some day with the knowledge I've gained since.
@@GreaseAndGravel
Girls 🤦
😆
@@franktaylor7617 I know! And I am grateful for her ignorance. Otherwise I'd still be planning te trip. 🤣
@@GreaseAndGravel
Actually a pretty good attitude.
Sometimes you don't know what you can do until you get into the danger zone.
Next time you'll have a bank of knowledge to draw from. 👍
You did have an epic trip. You can't put a price on that.
I would still spend a lot of time investing things of interest. Any curiosity that may pop into your head has been recorded and posted on UA-cam. Want to know how carburetors work, it's on UA-cam. Interested in the vacuum operated fuel petcock, it's on UA-cam.
None of this was available when I started tinkering with motorcycles. I learned the way you did. Trial by fire.
Anyway. Good luck on your next adventure and best wishes. ✌️
South African accent is tough to understand.
I think mine is quite bad😅
Japanese are the best in bikes & automobiles !!
I totally agree! All my cars are Japanese
i had two chines 200cc bikes and i never had any problems, i took one from London to Stockholm, and it just went on and on. and they cost £900.oo