Any Mid-Range Bikes That are not Chinese Product?

[Steve_R]

Hey everyone, for some time I've been working on and waiting to become fully legal and am nearly there! However, due to money being tight I'm going to hold off on a purchase of a new motorcycle until after Spring Festival.

I'm looking for a mid-range bike, in the 400-600cc range and would preferably not want to buy Chinese product, such as the Jialings or the CFMOTO. I've heard mixed reports of these bikes, but as a general rule I want to avoid buying Chinese bikes. No offense to those who like those bikes, but I don't want to take the risk.

However, it seems that the more reliable and high-quality Japanese product is hard to come by in this midrange, and it looks like the Yamaha YBR250 and the new Suzuki 250 coming up may be among the choices I'm looking at.

This may be wishful thinking, but has anyone heard of whether the Suzuki GS500 or the Kawasaki 400 are available on the mainland? Any other Japanese midrange bikes that I might have a shot at?

[Fred]

Hey Steve,

If your goal is to be 100% legal, there's no current option for 400 or 500cc non-chinese bikes I'm aware of...
Honda CB400, 500, Suzuki GS500 are "easy" to find around the Tianma Circuit I guess, but not legally.

I think it will come, as the "leisure riding", as opposed to the "utilitarian motorbike", is growing in big cities like BJ & SH. In the coming 5 years I guess those mid-ranges bikes will become legally available (Honda CBF 600, Kawa ER-6, etc.), but it does not solve your problem...

[bikerdoc]

Hey Steve_R
At this time there are very few legally imported and therefore legally plated mid-capacity motorcycles available in mainland China, irrespective of origin. The same can be said for mid-sized Chinese manufactured motorcycles.
A couple of options would be BMW G650GS or F650GS or perhaps even a HD 883 Sporty, although the 883 will leave little change out of cny110K and the Beemer G650GS (single cylinder) is cny113K without ABS or cny130K with ABS. The F650GS is the detuned 800cc engine (same engine as the F800GS), but F650GS starting price is cny160K without ABS.

Finding any of the above that are all legal used, will command prices not far off new prices...

[td_ref]

owing a stupidly fast and impractical bike would be fun besides a fully legal one. CB400 would be my choice.

[ZMC888]

It's a case of 'mega kudos' or none. This means Yamaha offer the R1, YBR250, YBR125 and a bunch of scooters. Apparently a mid-range 400-600 twin to four cylinder bike which would suit the Chinese roads perfectly is about as popular as a cold beer in a Chinese restaurant in October.

[euphonius]

Hey, ZMC888, hate to let you down but Tsingtao, the pride of Shandong, is swill at any temperature!