Generic Chinese 48cc bike

When I arrived in Guangxi last August I needed a new motorcycle to help me travel. Not having a drivers license I needed to find a bike that was cheap and legal to ride. I found out that I could pic up a new 48cc step through machine for about $250 USD.

The quality of the materials was low, but the bike did only cost me $250 and was only meant as a stopgap until I found something I liked better and I was a100% legal rider. The bike did it's job well and lasted over 10,000km until I finally broke down and bought a bike that would be a little more comfortable for the wife and I to travel on.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...gnet/bike7.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...gnet/bike1.jpg

This is a cool bike ;)

Dude, these bikes are awesome! They do a lot of work around Asia but it's hard to compete with the modern "step-through" style bikes that rule SE Asia and now becoming a little more popular in China.

CC

The practicality of the thing for the price couldn't be beat and I think it still can't. Here in China it also falls under the bicycle laws and not the motorcycle laws so it saved me a ot of hassel. She's on the chopping block now. I hope she goes to a good home.

I'd take it off your hands, too bad you don't have it in Canada :P

Sold it today for a cool 60 bucks. Still running and working fine. Not a bad deal for both of us.:clap:

I wonder how much it would cost to ship something like that to Canada, I would've given you more then that ;), but I bet there would be importing hassles and registration issues.

I really like the "toy" factor of scooters (yes, I am old enough to know they can be dangerous :blink:) and how one can buzz around a city, find parking, and remain very frugal. I would like to find a steady, cheap supplier of these, and sell them in Yuma...the locals are fairly low income and could use cheap transpo, and then when fall and winter hit, and the population explodes with retirees/snowbirds, they are in vacation mode, and would probably be good customers, too. I am pretty sure that Yuma allows under 50cc scooters on side streets w/o registration, although I should push our state's legislature to have unlimited useage of scooters statewide under 50cc like some US states already allow. What are the Canadian scooter laws by state/territory?

In the USA:

http://www.rcmoto.com/model-m.htm

http://bigassmotors.com/v-web/gallery/08moped

Moped version w/ pedals.

HTH,
PJ

I wonder what the cost would be.

This is actually a lower cost/ quality model than the bike I was riding and can be had at an even cheaper retail price in China. I'd say that if they're trying to sell these bikes for anymore than 500 bucks in the states that people should stay far away from them.

One of my coworkers here in the PRC bought one of these bikes and has had nothing but trpouble with it. The bike did save him a few bucks in the begining but has caused more hassel than what it is worth.

Also the chrome fenders and chrome parts on this bike rust quickly and it would be better to get a bike that is painted.

There is also another version of this bike that is not a step through but is still a 48cc bike. I'll take some pics of my coworkers bikes when the rain stops so you can see what else is out there.

Mike

I thought it looked cheaper... I saw one that looked a lot like yours on the Lifan website, what brand was your bike?

My bike is a Guagun. Just a small bike builder her in China. The quaity of my bike was good for $300 and mechanically the bike is a champ but the rusting chrome is kind of a downer.

A bit like my incredibly well-specified for the money, Zongshen ZS125-43, bought as a general run-about for employees within my company to run errands.

This worthy succesor to the Honda CUB step-throughs includes in a miserly price of less than 900 euros, items such as double piston disc brakes both ends, USD forks and gas remote reservoir shocks, a sewing-machine smooth 125 engine, a fairing, total chain enclosure, electric and kickstart, two carriers, one with trunk, side and main stands, a semi-automatic 4-speed gearbox, gear position indicator, a catalysed exhaust, fuel gauge and even a device that tells you if you are receiving a mobile phone call...

The importer called me recently to offer me two for 600 euros each...($935), and the reason these eminently practical and economical bikes are not selling?
The trendy, brand obsessed Spaniards think they are ugly...sometimes I think that the economic recession that we are just entering is well-deserved...

http://www.telecable.es/personales/a...enzs125-43.JPG

Would like to hear more about this bike. You had any major problems with them? Riding, quality, fit/finish? How about the fuel economy?

CC

When Honda abandoned the famous Cubs (after making 60 million of them) they replaced them with the ANF125 Innova. This even has fuel injection!:

http://static1.mundoanuncio.com/img/...1591833291.jpg

They have managed to make an air cooled bike meet and exceed all the Euro3 emissions requirements with flying colours, as well as obtaining amazing quietness and good fuel comsuption.

Virtually all major Chinese factories make a similar bike, but using an old fashioned Cub type engine and no fuel injection.

Our Zongshen is quite well built and so far no reliability or other problems have surfaced. It was also far cheaper than the Honda.

Both the Honda and other Chinese step-trough type bikes with semi-automatic transmission have failed in the Spanish market. People can't get their head around this type of auto-clutch with a normal 4 speed box and prefer scooters with CVT transmissions.

Well for newbies, this scooters looks funny. But it has good engine & as compared to other bikes & scooter, it has low maintenance. You also carry weights on this scooter.
I have this scooter, so i can only sat that I love this & it should be with everyone.