Importing different models

[b3n]

Hello,
Newbie here, hopefully this is the right place to ask.
I've noticed that while there is a wide selection of Chinese bike makes and models available in the US, some models seem to be completely absent from the market here.


Specifically, these 2 types:

• Honda CG125 clones

• Honda Wave or modern Cub clones

Whenever I go look at almost any Chinese manufacturer's website, these 2 kinds of bikes are pretty much always available but they seem to be completely overlooked by importers.
I'm really interested in finding out why this is, because I would love to buy these 2 types of bikes.
They are the most popular types of bikes pretty much all over the world.

My gut feeling tells me it has to do with DOT/EPA compliance of these, but I see so many other bikes that are available, mad dogs, trikes, all sorts of oddballs, it surely can't be impossible.


I've spent many hours looking for these on US dealer sites, so if you know someone who imports these, please send me a message.

[TominMO]

The manufacturers have crunched the numbers and decided which models are worth bringing into compliance, and which are not, in terms of sales/profits.

[b3n]

So it's not the importers who decide that, but the manufacturers?
I thought the chinese manufacturers will pretty much make whatever you ask of them, as long as you are willing to pay for it.

Seems odd that they won't import 2 of the top 2 best sellers in the world, but invest in federalizing other low-volume niche models like trikes.

[franque]

Having owned (and ridden) both types overseas, I think I can answer this. For the Wave clones, they're too slow and the frames are weak. For the CG, they're not as slow, but still too slow, plus almost nobody rides standards anymore, much less one with the ergonomics of one at 7/8 scale.

These issues aren't as critical in the third world, in part because people prefer motorized transportation that are cheap/durable. People ride the Wave clones because they're cheap.

Where I live, despite them being on the market for a long time, you never see one more than 2-3 years old because the frames are too fragile for the roads, thus most people step up to a CG or a Star 125, or else the Boxer 125 (the latter two both Indian), with the Boxers having a relatively fragile motor that is almost always replaced with a Chinese motor after 2-3 years.

The oddball things imported into the US are because the importers believe those things will sell, thus it's usually them importing/federalizing whatever random junk makes it in, like the Ruckus ice bear clones for example.

[b3n]

Thanks, that's good to know about the weaker frames.
I think the CG and other smaller standard bikes would work in the US.
There is some demand out there for standard bikes, although probably still a niche corner of the market.


I frequently see CG clones pop up on FB Marketplace in my area.

They are mostly brought in from the Dominican Republic under the names of Super Gato and Tauro. I also see Suzuki AX100, AX4 standard bikes.
I asked a few sellers and the common story seemed to be the bikes are disassembled in the source country and reassembled in the US.
Some of them are even plated, registered and titled.

[PintSize]

Had to sign up to give my 2 cents. What I was told by manufacturers is that you can get anything you want shipped to USA... For a price. I have been looking for x22's (the ones with the 16" tires) for well over a decade. I found a few manufacturers that would most certainly ship them to me for a minimum $300K Order! (Out of my budget since I only want about 10 of them!) They have to get EPA certification and they don't do it for all bikes just a few, but if you order hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of a particular model throu get the certification for you. and I can't figure out why they can't use the same engine etc on the other bikes. We'll never know. A Grom clone engine would certainly work on the x22 frame I just prefer the full fairing.

[McQueen216]

Some of these seem to wax and wane - I had a faux CG125 with my SYM Wolf Classic 150. That thing was a balllllllller. Why does t SYM import those into the IS anymore? No idea.