So the choices that are decent seem to be......

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by dh

The Qlink was my first chinabike and the quality really impressed me. The SSR has the same quality as the Qlink plus a little extra power. 20,000 miles and much of that has been rides from the Mojave Desert into LA, that's an hour and a half of mountains, traffic, and extended stretches of WOT @ 70mph plus with luggage and it does this "out of the box" or dealership. I use it frequently as a courier in Downtown LA as well and it handles the abuse very well. It's no adventure bike, but if you want to occasionally carry a passenger, luggage, or do some highway miles I would recommend the SSR.

I couldn't agree more, dh. The Qingqi product (Qlink, Konker, SSR) are excellent bikes. I truly hope they get their marketing and support s__t together someday. If you see what an archaic bike like the Suzuki DR200 costs, these are a smokin' deal. Someone needs to step up to the plate like CSC did with Zongshen.

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

If you see what an archaic bike like the Suzuki DR200 costs, these are a smokin' deal. Someone needs to step up to the plate like CSC did with Zongshen.

What you said is something i been preaching lately.. That DR200 has a msrp of almost 4600 dollars yet they are still using drum brake for the rear
In my eyes, the only small displacement on/off japanese brand motorcycle that's worth the price is the KLX250 2019. EFI, disc brakes in both wheels.

[wheel spinner]

Ok... Not sure why the Hawk is always a first choice for purchase... But I own a 2006 Roketa 200cc DB-07 Dual Sport which is street legal.. I have a title... I really never had a problem with it other than fixing problems the the previous owner didn't fix or broke on it... Parts are available easily .. except the throttle cable but found one in china... for 5 bucks... runs great... came from the factory with 46 rear and 17 front sprockets... she will do 65mph without problems... Of course I weigh in at 140lbs. ... I really enjoy mine and it only took me a week to decide what I wanted... paid 650 for bike and helmet... I ride mine on my 20 acre property... the wife won't let me tag it... I always keep it stored in my new shed... stays clean... so search around for Roketas... I believe that Weld had one... check them out on you tube...



https://www.amazon.com/Roketa-Dirt-B.../dp/B015QID5XO

[Merlin]

If Iam not mistaken Roketa is another name for Bashan.

[wheel spinner]

Originally Posted by Merlin

If I am not mistaken Roketa is another name for Bashan.

Not sure... but if it is this will give me another source for parts when I need them.... lol at least compare prices....

[culcune]

Originally Posted by Merlin

If Iam not mistaken Roketa is another name for Bashan.

Roketa used to be considered a mfg. until the owner was arrested and served time in prison for falsifying VIN #s several years ago. They regrouped and buy motorsports from all over. They show them on their site as 'Roketa...' but the bikes/quads/etc. are from any number of mfgs and will be reflected as such in the paperwork. Bashan is but one brand. The Amazon link above is indeed a Bashan Storm, for example.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by DugHawk

Please tell me more Merlin. I'm old too and I don't want a headache for 500 bucks difference, especially if that 500 comes with upgrades.

I live in Colorado as well. The DMV lady told me, "I cant find that exact manufacturer but I see similar bikes and it should be fine."

Umm, no. I just want to walk in, pay $100 for a plate and be on my way. No hassles.

The problem is that Chinese manufacturers have long, drawn out names. Bashan is our shortened name, but their real name might be Bashan Astronautic Motorcycle etc etc. (not sure of name). However, they are 49 state EPA/DOT certified, and their real, complete name will be on the Mfg. Certificate of Origin. A few Bashans are on the streets of Colorado as evidenced by Merlin and member Azhule, so the proper Bashan name is in the system already for any more Bashans needing to be registered there.

[wheel spinner]

Like I said .. I do own the 2006 Roketa dual sport and on my title it does say Roketa 06... I never registered it but the previous owners did... so I guess the VIN's are not a problem on mine... I never had to add any updates on my bike.... only the bulbs to have brighter bulbs... but never had to do any upgrades.... so while others are paying for upgrades... I am out riding my bike... lol... having a good time...

[ChipToothy]

Originally Posted by culcune

Roketa used to be considered a mfg. until the owner was arrested and served time in prison for falsifying VIN #s several years ago. They regrouped and buy motorsports from all over. They show them on their site as 'Roketa...' but the bikes/quads/etc. are from any number of mfgs and will be reflected as such in the paperwork. Bashan is but one brand. The Amazon link above is indeed a Bashan Storm, for example.

Yep my Bashan Storm came from that exact Amazon link. The Hawk, Apollo and other various smaller cc China bikes are on there too.


Wish more sellers would get on the Amazon bandwagon. Amazon has a customer financing service, credit card and the best shipping in the world. The seller gets paid in full the day of the transaction and the customer just pays Amazon by the month. Too easy! 1 day service is the new we’ll call you in 10 business days.

[DualSport]

Originally Posted by ChipToothy

For $600 more than the lxr250 you could get the 2019 BMW GS X 310.

Or basically any low-mile with maintenance records jap dual-sport, and be able to sale it later.. My original Magician I stopped just short on investment on what I paid for my XR 650L that was two years old and garage kept at the time, and I spent a fraction on parts of what most people here have..

I'm pretty sure there are people on these forums who have spent a 2019 701 Supermoto on Shenzhen dual-sports... lol

[dh]

Originally Posted by DualSport

Or basically any low-mile with maintenance records jap dual-sport, and be able to sale it later.. My original Magician I stopped just short on investment on what I paid for my XR 650L that was two years old and garage kept at the time, and I spent a fraction on parts of what most people here have..

I'm pretty sure there are people on these forums who have spent a 2019 701 Supermoto on Shenzhen dual-sports... lol

Congrats on finding a 2 year old XR 650L for the price of a Magician ($1,400) but this means the XR 650L lost 80% of its value in two years? Yikes. I wish I could find one of these low-mile maintenance record unicorn Jap bikes in my area but in California there is high demand for dual sports. Out here, Magician money might get you a nice 1980's XL600 but the parts will not be cheap.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by dh

Congrats on finding a 2 year old XR 650L for the price of a Magician ($1,400) but this means the XR 650L lost 80% of its value in two years? Yikes. I wish I could find one of these low-mile maintenance record unicorn Jap bikes in my area but in California there is high demand for dual sports. Out here, Magician money might get you a nice 1980's XL600 but the parts will not be cheap.

I couldn't agree more. I searched CL and local papers for almost a year before I finally pulled the trigger on a pair of Hensim's. Everything I found (that didn't immediately vanish) was 10 year old, sun-baked junk for a ton of $$$.

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

I couldn't agree more. I searched CL and local papers for almost a year before I finally pulled the trigger on a pair of Hensim's. Everything I found (that didn't immediately vanish) was 10 year old, sun-baked junk for a ton of $$$.

Indeed, if i could get a mint 2016 XR 650L for 1400, i would get a few of them... But some people seems to be lucky and get unreal deals on expensive vehicles.

[Azhule]

Or...





Just kidding, I'm also one of those unlucky folk who check the "For Sale Ads" all the damn time... I was lucky to get my old 1999 KLR 650 for the price you got a "new" XR650 for

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Wild Dog

Indeed, if i could get a mint 2016 XR 650L for 1400, i would get a few of them... But some people seems to be lucky and get unreal deals on expensive vehicles.

That's because the exception to the rule becomes the rule when the person in question has a heavy bias against the thing he is comparing it to.

Case in point, the $600 price difference on the bike I mentioned vs. the ones being compared to. Oversimplified bench racing rubbish taken out of context on a post I made 18 months ago. Back then you could pick up an LXR250F for $3900 quite easily, thus making the price difference more than $1000.

Then we can ignore everything that the LXR 250F comes with, because it's convenient when having a negative bias. We will just act like it is a typical cheap clone like the Hawks/Bashans/etc. We can ignore the many hardware upgrades it comes with.

I am not saying you couldn't go get a decent used comparable bike like a Honda CRF250 (and then add a headlight/tail light/gauges/stator/reg-rec/ switches, and turn signals to make it have everything the lxr came with to make it road "legal") but as has already been pointed out, most of them have been run hard and put up wet. Almost every used Japanese dual sport in my area comes at a premium price and requires a lot of repairs and maintenance to get it up to spec. I look quite often to try and catch a good deal, but they are few and far between, so I stick to the status quo - aka reality.