Chinese bike price sensitivity? $2,000 $4,000 $6,000 ?

[Thumper]

The elephant in the room is price point. You want specs, OH, and they ARE out there!!!! These options offer amazing price/performance. But you can't expect...

Service? Well,
CSC might have brick and mortar showroom depending on where you are, and people are finding surprising sources for low end bikes.
GPX is responsive if you are near the shop, and
Lifan works through shipping and advice. From my experience, so does PSM.

But nearly all of these options leave most of us on our own for wrenching.

So what do you want? Service guarantee is not there. We accept these conditions for the exceptional low prices we pay. For the knowledgeable wrencher, this is nothing short of GOLD. For the novice, it is a crap shoot, and long term mistake. This is the unfortunate reality, or fortunate if you have tools and experience

[Discoveror]

Originally Posted by Thumper

So what do you want?

Information ! ... e.g. forum experience(s).

For example, I saw just about nothing on forums, regarding CSC or TrailMaster.

[Thumper]

That's what this site is for.

I'm just saying that the low prices are great, but there's no dealer network, and mechanics can't guarantee their work because they are not backed up by a parts warrantee from the manufacturer. There isn't a manual, and it's hard to find part numbers or replacement parts!! Buyers just have to take on the responsibility and live with it. I've learned a whole lot in the process

[Discoveror]

Originally Posted by Thumper

... low prices are great, but there's no dealer network, and mechanics can't guarantee their work because they are not backed up by a parts warrantee from the manufacturer. There isn't a manual, and it's hard to find part numbers or replacement parts!! Buyers just have to take on the responsibility and live with it. ...

Exactly !

I've been wrenching on (usually high performance) cars for >50 years; but, do I want to spend my (little left riding) time chasing all over the Internet, looking for 'equivalent' parts, diagnoses and torque specifications ... for a machine that could ruin (or take) my life in an instant? ... or leave me stranded somewhere without chances of finding/acquiring needed parts for weeks?

In addition to 'how to' information, forums alert us to potential (future) problems, we didn't even realize were a threat, so we can take care of them before they become problems.




Absent such information & guidance, we're left to rely upon previous experience - not always specifically existent (I certainly don't 'know it all') to, effectively, reinvent every upcoming wheel.

Do I want to spend my limited riding time left doing that? ... not if I can identify alternatives!