Honda grom 125/MSX 125

The popularity is primarily Asian and it’s likely rooted in their real needs for affordable daily transportation. They also have Kei cars and trucks.
Suzuki made the RV in the 1970-80 and then reintroduced it again in 2003.
Then there were the ST Honda that came to the US and Canada as a CT.
They were all street legal motorcycles, real popular with campers most often seen strapped to the back of a bumper on an RV.
Real sales numbers are considered proprietary, however all motorcycles are annually registered in each state and the MIC compiles numbers each year, and they call it the motorcycle population.
MIC is a Not-For-Profit that sells that report each year, stands for the Motorcycle Industry Council. The results of that should be the bible for stating sales statistics however we rarely see real detailed numbers out of that report. What we get is marketing manipulation and lots of subjective comments as Grom sales could be causing the loss of scooter sales in the USA? My guess would be that the MCI cannot identify Chinese scooter sales in its data, or nobody is willing to report on the sales?

Anyway there are copies of the original Honda minis sold in the USA and all made in China.
http://www.pitsterpro.com/bikes/list/cat/6
A company called SSR will be offering a model made by a company called Yingang.
http://www.ssrmotorsports.com/news/w...-1-768x885.jpg
This company is planning on selling five versions of minis, one of which is electric.
http://motracmotorcycles.com/
The list of manufacturers in China making minis is a long list.

MX 125 with 150cc engines.
Wonjan
Dayang

KSR 110
Yingang
Kayak

there are more...

The TSR 150 grom clone is being sold in Taiwan with an upgraded 250cc engine.
Pretty interesting.... about 2000usd but only for offroad : / not sure it's license-able here...
http://goods.ruten.com.tw/item/show?21523673244773

TSR is an aftermarket supplier, for some reason your link does not work for me?
It’s the same scenario swapping out engines, they get registered with the stock engine and swapping is at your own discretion…you can buy engines that shares the same mounting points for either horizontal or vertical engines.
By the way the 250 are really 223cc and offer about 17hp. It’s the engine in the CRF230 Honda.

If I was going to get a Chinese made mini bike with 12 inch wheels I think I would go for the Lifan KPmini.
I have heard that Lifan quality is pretty good, and long lasting. Can anyone else confirm Lifan bikes durability?
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=...r.1.0.0.yhpZA8