JH600 ready for the USA?

By Susan Carpenter
November 28, 2007 '
KASHGAR, CHINA -- Riding 1,700 miles in eight days isn't anything I'd normally brag about. But I was riding a Chinese motorcycle. In China. Over pavement and gravel. Across the Tianshan mountains and the Taklamakan desert. From elevations of 13,400 feet to sea level. In temperatures from freezing to 100-plus degrees. So forgive me if I seem a little self-congratulatory for trekking the Chinese wilds on a Jialing JH600 dual sport.

Considering my stateside experience riding a few Chinese death traps and China's recent mishaps with poisoned pet food, lead-tainted toys and bad tires, my expectations when I saddled the bike were so low as to be underground. I really didn't think the JH600 would survive the trip with anything more than the handlebars intact. I wasn't sure I was even going to survive, but I was curious.

I'd signed up for a motorcycle tour of the Silk Road and noticed that the tour group -- Edelweiss Bike Travel -- was offering a Chinese bike in addition to the usual BMWs. If one of the world's largest motorcycle tour companies was using the bike on one of its most challenging trips, it couldn't be that bad. Could it?

Like most people in the U.S., I'd never heard of Jialing. It turns out Jialing is one of the oldest and largest motorcycle manufacturers in its home country. China Jialing Industrial Co. makes 20% of China's motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, or 2 million vehicles a year.

Like most Chinese motorcycles, Jialings are made in the Southeastern city of Chongqing, an area best known for its panda bears and hot-pot cooking. Jialing is the name of the river that runs through the city. What the JH stands for in JH600, that's not clear, but it could be Jialing Honda. Since 1981, Jialing has been working with Honda Motor Co. on its technology, and it shows on the JH600. The 600 cc single has four valves and is liquid-cooled. It gets about 60 mpg and meets Europe's E3 emissions standards.

Because Europe's standards are tougher than the Environmental Protection Agency's or even California's, the JH600 could, in theory, be certified for sale in the U.S., but Jialing hasn't tried that -- yet. According to the company's U.S.-based rep, Jialing hasn't figured out whether the cost of meeting U.S. government requirements will pay off in sales. Jialing bikes are relatively small, and Americans, who are significantly larger than people elsewhere in the world, continue to want large-displacement bikes.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedi...ck=1&cset=true

This widely linked motorcycle ride review has to be one of the stupidest I've read in forty years. Her bottom line was if the JH600 only cost $2000 and could keep up with a BMW GS1200, it might make it in the US market. :blink:

PJ

I agree completely with you, but it is an interesting read if not about the bike then the reporter's point of view and mindset.