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  1. #61 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    Adicto A Las Motocicletas Caferacer's Avatar
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    Hi,

    Looks like its the same bike, here in South Africa is sold as BIG BOY SMR 450 the motard and MXR 450 the off road version

    Cheers

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  2. #62 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Yebo, I have bought my 250 from them. My MX450 will arrive this week - it is basically the same bike as above but in Motocross trim and setup.
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  3. #63 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    Adicto A Las Motocicletas Caferacer's Avatar
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    Hi There!

    Good to see you liked so much the 250 that you bought a 2nd one.. Bigger,

    What About the parts and support from Big Boy, Warranty? they seem to have 12 month road assistance !?

    how do you think will hold as a commuter ? the price for the 450 is on the edge I think..too close to a 2nd hand Jap, isn't ?


    I'll be waiting your review
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  4. #64 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Parts are not even an issue, you phone up the dealer and within 5 work days you have it, sometimes even quicker. My 450 has only arrived here on wednesday (blame customs) and is sitting in my garage for the weekend. I can't give a review yet as it has to be run in for the next 300km's and I am not allowed to over rev etc etc etc etc - all warranty related. Yes the warranty is 12months on ALL models - amazing! For a brand new bike with warranty against a second hand Jap bike here - no way. A used Japanese or European bike here is either scary expensive or it was hammered and misused, a buddy of mine bought a used YZ250 for about $2500-00 it looked to be in good shape and started up nicely, but after three days it seized and the shocks all started leaking - repair cost $1700. Do the math. :)
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  5. #65 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Powerball View Post
    My 450 has only arrived here on wednesday (blame customs) and is sitting in my garage for the weekend.
    Hey, Powerball, where in fact is "here" in your case? Given that this is a global website, the geographical/national context of your comments is crucial. (I'm writing from southwest China.)

    How about updating your profile to include your location? Click "my profile" up in the top righthand corner.

    In fact, would hope all members of MCM would do the same!

    thanks/cheers!
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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  6. #66 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    Adicto A Las Motocicletas Caferacer's Avatar
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    Hi ,
    Let me be devil's advocate...

    You mentioned

    "...parts are not an issue ..."

    And I've read the same about Big-Boy here in South Africa

    "...you phone up the dealer and within 5 work days you have it, sometimes even quicker..."

    Googling Big Boy in SA will show you a few contradictory stories about that particular point

    "...the warranty is 12months on ALL models..."

    South African warranties ...Not the most bullet proof around the globe, type of warranty that might work for a light bulb but not an engine rebuild...

    Again, I have no proof but comments and posts on the internet. Not that you can really find a lot of comments about their bikes, and most probably , the commentators are always the ones with the problems and NOT the happy owners...

    " .... against a second hand Jap bike here - no way. A used Japanese or European bike here is either scary expensive or it was hammered and misused, a buddy of mine bought a used YZ250 for about $2500-00 it looked to be in good shape and started up nicely, but after three days it seized and the shocks all started leaking - repair cost $1700. Do the math. ..."

    Point Taken If :
    If The Warranty Works
    If the one you bought is Not the Lemon
    If The dealer you bought it from is the "good guy"
    If you have lots of patience and you understand you actually
    SAVED money buying the CHinese bike for only 45% of the price of a Brand new Jap's

    Of course all that can happen to you when buying a brand new Ducati for x3 times the Money and you will be feeling x100 times more depress as well

    But the last sentence logic has a fault ...the Big Boy 450 is R39000 (Rands) 5400 u$s (+/-) and a Second Hand Jap with same specs but smaller engine (WR250,XRF250,YF250,etc ) or even the 450s will go for R 25000 - R45000 , 2001/2008
    Depending the condition and blah! blah! blah! ... and sometimes cheaper

    I did actually owned 2nd Hand Japs and I know you can have a lemon but they are usually hard to Kill.

    I know as well (against this last idea) that parts for the big 4 are usually very expensive.. and if the China counterparts have "decent" quality parts at reasonable/cheaper price parts then the equation might be leaning to China's again...

    And then Again how lucky are you with the dealer and if they have decided to keep importing the parts and not discontinuing it ... or Just simply if they don't go broke

    I still have my doubts... I haven't come the definitive answer.

    But my feeling is ...

    if you are lucky
    and have some tools
    If You enjoy working on the bike...
    ready to do some "Must Be Done" Mods
    Ready to make friends (or foes) with the Dealer
    Ready to learn some Google-Chinese
    and you enjoy endless hours of "research!"

    And when you bought a China's you'd set your mind like if you are buying a rare and Exotic "2nd Hand" Bike ....

    Then you will be Happy with your buy

    I haven't made my mind yet !
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  7. #67 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Ok here we go, I am from Namibia - we have three dealers in our small country for big boy. The only thing that broke on my 250 was my clutch/brake levers and my throttle cable - so far. I phoned up the local dealer and they had the throttle cable here within two days. A buddy of mine had a big crash with his, a radiator, shroud and water pipe got damaged - the local dealer had the parts here in 3 working days, we also get discount from the dealers on stuff like chains/tyres/tubes etc. Another guys with a 450 motard had an electrical problem - the dealer had his techs drive 90km to assist him and the bike was running within 30min - all warranty - no charge! So slap me silly for thinking our dealer here great - to say the least.
    I owned a few of the big four, the part prices are horrific and you wait ages for the dealer. I agree a new Jap bike is quite hard to kill, I had owned a Suz RM250 (two stroke) for 5 years with only chain and tyre problems - but man when those power valves flew to pieces it destroyed the whole engine and the repair costs were just too high - so I sold it as scrap.
    But hey everyone has his own idea of what they want - I like the more affordable Chinese bikes, and I will support them because every year these bike will become better and better - last year we did not have an aluminum framed dirt bike - this year.....
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  8. #68 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Powerball,

    Wow! Wish we could get service like that on our Chinese bikes right here in China!!! You are very fortunate!

    Thanks for the introduction. Fantastic that our MCM family includes multiple members in Africa. How cool is that!

    cheers
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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  9. #69 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    Adicto A Las Motocicletas Caferacer's Avatar
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    I have to agree with the Jap's parts prices...and not only Japs , a colleague at work had a Triumph Daytona, priced around 40.000/50.000 Rand (1 Yuan = 1 Rand = 7.20 u$s ) had an engine failure (Can't remember what.. ) and the repair quotation from the Dealer was R 50.000 and a indy quote was about R 40.000, guess what... sold the bike R 15000 to the mechanic and bought a 2nd Yamaha R1 for R40 000

    Not to mention the aftermarket parts ... the are impossible.

    I Hope Chinese bikes keep improving they way they are doing it now, and become and alternative to the Big names (what I think its already happening)
    and the people bringing bikes to whatever country you are , pay more attention to the customers, just like your experience with the Namibia dealer. (You should mention Him, I think he deserves it)

    I would like to say that issues and customer frustrations its not exclusive to Chinese Bikes, its global, The most horror tales I've heard are coming from Harley Davidson, Ducati , Aprilia ...and I strongly believe the Dealers are to blame for ..most of the times.

    CHeers! Every one
    powerball: please keep posting about your experience with the 450
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  10. #70 Re: New 450 (yes, 450!!) bike from Asiawing 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    We have a ring of three dealers here Powerbikes and Northern Bikes and Quad. we also have Bike and Quad clinic that we get awesome service. Our biggest frustration is the couriers - man they always mess up with parts delivery. Bigboy has more dealerships than any other make in SA/Namibia and botswana - someone will have the part you are looking for - trust me. I am taking out the 450 this afternoon again - whatever people say about Asiawing 450, I know for a fact that thing can jump! I sneaked it out to the MX track yesterday and a hit a few jumps - no bottoming out - on the straights (and in the right gear) this thing is a bullet. There were some guys with Jap bike and they all said that that is a nice looking Honda - where did I buys the decal kit. I started laughing like a mad man..... When I told them it was a Chinese bike they were quite disgusted until I passed a few on the track - and mine has got electric start!!! LOL!
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