Nine Reasons Why You Should Ride A Chinese Motorcycle

Sometimes we’ll do a blog just to get folks fired up, you know, like the mainstream media does.  And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that there’s no better format for lighting a fire than a listicle.  Listicles get lots of hits, they’re fun to write, and they offend the easily offended.  If the topic is controversial, all three reasons are amplified.  With that as an introduction and in these times of human rights violations, a new cold war, and a town called Wuhan, what could be more controversial than a list of reasons why you should ride a Chinese motorcycle?

Reason 1:  Cost

Hey, what can I say?  Buy a Beemer or a Ducati or a KTM, and you’ll pay twice what those bikes should cost.  Buy a Harley….well, I don’t need to finish the sentence.  Triumphs and the Big 4 Japanese bikes cost about what I think they ought to, but a Chinese bike will be way lower than any of these.  And when you buy a Chinese motorcycle, you probably won’t do so through a conventional motorcycle dealer, so you won’t get bent over a barrel on freight and setup fees.

Nearly $1600 on freight and setup on a $6600 motorcycle!

Chinese motorcycles simply cost less.  And if you want to come back at me by claiming Chinese bikes have no resale value…well, read on, Grasshopper.

Reason 2:  Resale Value

This one may surprise you.  The argument you hear from online motorcycle wizards (when they’re not being online military strategists, political scientists, or infectious disease experts) is that Chinese motorcycles have no resale value. I’m sure glad the guys who bought the two Chinese motorcycles I bought new and rode for several years didn’t know that.  When I advertised my RX3 and TT 250, one sold the same day for 60% of what it cost new; the other sold the next day for 70% of what it cost new. And that was after I’d owned those bikes for 5 years.

My TT 250 on Route 66.  Freight and setup on the motorcycle in the photo above would have nearly paid for this bike!

I suppose I could have taken that money and bought a used Sportster, but I went another route:  I bought an Indian motorcycle.  Not Indian as in Scout or Chief, but Indian as in chicken masala or curry.  I wasn’t getting into enough catfights riding a Chinese motorcycle, I guess.

Reason 3:  Reliability

This is another advantage that will put those who know so much that just isn’t so in low earth orbit.   I never had a breakdown on any of my Chinese bikes, and that includes big trips in the US, a ride around China (yep, China), a circumnavigation of the Andes Mountains in Colombia, and lots of Baja.  I led tours in the Southwest and up and down Baja for CSC Motorcycles, with 8 to 15 bikes on each of those thousand-mile-plus trips, with only one bike ever needing to be trailered home.

You can tell me about your buddy who knows a guy whose cousin bought a Chinese bike and had problems with it, but I know you know not of what you speak.  I’ve been there.  I know different.  I know a little bit about reliability engineering, too.   The Chinese bikes I’ve been around are supremely reliable.

Reason 4:  Performance

Will a Chinese bike smoke a Hayabusa?  You know the answer to that.  Or at least, you know the answer today.   Look at what’s coming down the road from China and your answer may not ring true for much longer.  China has at least a couple of liter bikes on the horizon.  They won’t be slow.

What’s coming down the pike from Chongqing…

Within their displacement classes, the Chinese bikes perform as good as, or maybe even better than the small displacement bikes from Germany or Japan.

Deutschland? Nein! Das ist ein Mumbai maschinen!
Japanese? Nope. This puppy will help you Thai one on.

Hell, those other bikes aren’t even made where you think they’re made.  Ask me how I know.  Want some Pad Thai with your KLR or Triumph Bonneville?

Reason 5:  Self-Reliance

“But there’s no dealers!” or so goes the anti-China whine.  (Actually, China has some good wines, but I digress.)   With regard to the lugubrious (look it up)  “there’s no dealer” wails, I have two responses.

I used to be able to say that I’ve seen the same number of BMW, Harley, KTM, and other big name dealers in Baja as I saw for Chinese manufacturers (that number was zero).  But I can’t say that anymore.  Italika (a Mexican company, the Romanesque name notwithstanding) now imports Zongshens to Mexico, so you’ll actually have better dealer coverage in Mexico with a Chinese bike than you would with a BMW, a Harley, a Triumph, a Ducati, or any other other macho man motorcycle.  It’s even more pronounced if your travels take you to South America; Chinese bikes are all over down there.

So that’s one response; the other is:  You say “there are no dealers” like it’s a bad thing.  Maybe my life experiences are unique, but I don’t think so.  Whenever I’ve had work done by dealers, most of the time it was so poorly executed I had to do it over myself. I’d rather save the time and cut the cost associated with letting some kid learn motorcycle maintenance on my bike (while the dealer charges me $125 per hour as Junior learns). Nope, not having dealers is a good thing.

It’s from India and it runs as well as a Chinese motorcycle, which is to say, it’s good.  I do all the routine maintenance on the Enfield myself.

I know this approach is not for everybody.  Some guys like working on their bikes, some guys like Starbucks, some guys like clutches that rattle, and some guys like tattoos and chrome.  Whatever floats your boat.

Reason 6:  Fuel Economy

Both my Chinese 250s sipped fuel like The New York Times ingesting truth serum.  My carbureted TT 250 got about 60 miles per gallon; my fuel injected RX3 always did better than 70 miles per gallon.

Fuel economy as good as a car!

My last Harley was a 40-miles-per-gallon bike when new, and when I put an S&S stroker motor in it, it joined the  33-miles-per-gallon club and I received a personal thank you note from the Emir.  Yamaha’s old V-Max got 27 mpg.  Yeah, I know, there’s a huge difference in displacement between a Harley and a China bike.  But if you don’t like spending $5 bucks a gallon for Biden gas, a Chinese motorcycle can lessen the pain.

Reason 7:  Style

You know, all those years I rode an RX3, the keyboard commandos criticized the bike for copying BMW’s styling.

Gobi Gresh, on a Chinese motorcycle, riding in the Gobi desert. 6000 miles in the ancient kingdom with nine other riders on China bikes, and nobody missed a beat.

Hell, I can’t see much of a difference in any of the ADV bikes’ styling for the last 15 or 20 years.  They all look like the illegitmate offspring of a wasp mating with an armored personnel carrier.  It’s the ADV style.  I think it looks good.  And unlike the Teutonic Tower bikes (you know, the Special K and GoSlow machines), I could get my leg over the RX3’s saddle.

Reason 8:   Individuality

At one of the Love Rides (do they still even do those anymore?) Jay Leno was the grand marshall, and when he got up on stage, he asked if anybody had seen his buddy.  “You know, the gray-haired guy with the black Harley T-shirt and pot belly…”  It got a good laugh, but a lot of rugged individualist podiatrists, dentists, lawyers, and other pseudo-bad-asses were looking around nervously.   You know what I mean. The folks at the River Runs could be made by a cookie cutter.  Their moms all dress them the same.  BMW riders?  Stop in at any Starbuck’s and check out the Power Rangers inside. It’s the same deal.

One of the Hollister events, where all the individualists converge.  They’re all trying to be Marlon Brando.

Ride a Chinese motorcycle, though, and you’ll stand apart.  Trust me on this…you won’t bump into too many people riding a Zongshen or a Loncin at the Rock Store.  Other riders may make snarky comments about your bike in ignorance, without knowing where many of the parts on their bikes are made (that’s because their manufacturers try to keep it a secret, as explained below).

Reason 9:  You May Already Be On A Chinese Motorcycle…

…but you just don’t know it.  Some bikes that you think are made in Japan are actually completely manufactured in China.  Others have significant Chinese content.  I’m not just talking bits and pieces…I’m referring to castings, electronics, and in some cases, the complete engine (it’s no accident you sometimes hear Chinese factory technicians humming the Horst Wessel song).  You ubermensch riders on a first-name basis with your barristas know who you are, but did you know you’re already riding a China bike?  I know…we live in a free country.  If you feel comfortable spending $5 for a cup of coffee when you should be buying 技术支持隆鑫 decals (it means Powered by Loncin) for your $1800 panniers, more power to you.

So there you have it.  I could make excuses and blame this entire blog on Gresh (the topic was his idea), but that’s not me.  And for all you guys who look at the Chinese motorcycles I’ve owned and tell me “You Coulda Bought A Used Sportster” (sung to the tune of I’m A Yankee Doodle Dandy), well, all I can say is “heh heh heh.”

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47 thoughts on “Nine Reasons Why You Should Ride A Chinese Motorcycle”

  1. Being competent on all aspects of your motorcycle is a good thing. Dealer-Droppers are missing a huge part of “Motorcyclist” .

  2. Just say no!
    I live in Ct and not going to a dealer in Baja, Mexico.
    Ugly bikes .
    Now the RE are nice looking machines.
    I lost interest in them when I found out dealer done valve adjustments cost $500 . Makes that used $2500 hydraulic lifter Sportster a pretty good deal !
    But of course you do your own maintenance! Pretty labor intensive job. Good luck!

      1. FB prison for much of last couple of months. Free speech is an endangered commodity on American social media . Getting to be like China!
        But that’s why I like exhaust notes and many if your old in print stuff.
        You speak your mind.
        Fortunately you trend toward FB approved opinions. At least more than I certainly do.
        God bless !

  4. China has:
    . More really smart people
    . Sophisticated production
    . Really rich people
    . Motivated youth
    . In tact families
    . Discipline ( forced but effective)
    . Motorcycle s
    . People in the middle class

    Than we do. I don’t want them to get too mad at us!!!

    1. Agreed, Carl, nor we at them. The Chinese are good people. The Americans are good people.

      Thanks for commenting.

    1. They are surprisingly good motorcycles. I’ve owned maybe 40 motorcycles in my life and I’d put the Zongshen/CSC motorcycles as good as or better than any of my bikes.

  6. Joe, Great list. Just out of curiosity what is the total mileage you’ve accumulated while riding on Zongshen bikes during your adventures here and abroad?

    2. Especially forced labor and concentration camps full of ulghars and the destruction of Tibetan society .
      Strange how some people our on record for hating a certain former potus for being mean , but promote Chinese manufacturers that enriches the communist Chinese regime and pollutes the earth.
      Not to mention spread its faucci financed biological weapons research around the world .
      Chinese people like people everywhere are basically good folks.
      That’s not even an issue. The leadership in that country are murder long thugs.
      Imagine the outcry if trump proclaimed himself president for life?
      It’s not the motorcycle or the people . It’s the bigotry involved .

      The black bike pictured in the article. That bike looks good. what is it?

        1. I have to say that visually , in black , and from that distance, it looks good. The caption didn’t actually say much more than the model name. So I wasn’t sure.
          I don’t care for all the multi colored crap graphics. That goes for a lot of bikes of various brands . And c of origin .

  8. Good column. The Chinese are repeating history. The Japanese started with junk. It’s only a matter of time before the Chinese become dominant motorcycle manufacturers.

    2. On thing though, China does not have a bike culture where India has a deep one. I’m thinking India may remain the top producer or certainly a large alternative of quality bikes (yes yaminoob who actively use Royal Enfield as a fall guy prop like firearm folk use Hi Point)

      1. Ah, Mark, there actually is quite a bike culture in China. Ask me how I know…

        Thanks for commenting.

        1. Not really , joe. A friend of mine has a shop and belongs to a Chinese chapter of MadDogs MC . That’s a club started in the Philippines tgst us now east Asia wide. There are restrictions in China they don’t have in India..
          I was once offered the ilokos Norte , Phillipine dealership of RE , and still belong to RoadRats MC Philippines. So I do have some insight to this.

        2. True I would need to quantify that, by the numbers yes they have a large QTY of riding enthusiasts dedicated to two wheels & many bought into the west culture (in their own fashion). I well respect your Marco Polo style journeys and business attachments… That said, entire cities have banned motorcycles & motorway and the nuevo rich look upon MC’s vs Cars as degenerates… Treating China as a monolith is of course absurd and I did so by implication… Still say this though, India has a huge riding population by % and its well integrated into their traffic (chaotic as the eastern way)… China jumped from bicycle to car in a very short span and the MC adaptation reflects that…

    3. I remember growing up we made jokes about Japanese products, that ended quite sometime ago! Face it, while the bulk of our kids are doing nothing, Japanese and Chinese kids are learning!

      1. Typical of the cycle on fledging industrial economies… The wealthy buyers flock in and dictate the price they are willing to pay… The new industry goes about making product the price point by marginalizing the cost for materials and labor and receiving the reputation of crap quality. As their own industrial base and expertise builds they begin to build product of their own…. And viola crap to world class….

  9. I’m a staunch brand/country loyalist! Yeah, I ride a Harley. A Pan America that doesn’t look like any other bike on the planet.

    I also have a Royal Enfield 650 that I converted to a high pipe scrambler.

    And a Royal Alloy 150 scooter that is dressed in Lambretta logos just to mess with the snobs. Honestly this has been way more reliable than my Vespa GTS250 ever was! I spent more on Vespa repairs than I did to buy the RA.

    I’m the old, fat, gray bearded biker in my Donald Duck souvenir Disneyland shirt.

    “Real” bikers don’t care what anyone else thinks about their choices.

    1. You have some nice toys, Dan!

      You and I are perhaps the only real bikers left in America. Maybe Gresh, too. Maybe…

      Thanks for commenting.

    2. Ok. So that means I don’t care about the stuff you so strongly made a point of letting us know you ride. Lol.
      A fake Lambreta.
      Yeah, real bikers don’t care what they ride . Lmfao!

      Just to clarify . I don’t care what anyone rides. I care what I ride .
      Maybe I need a Chinese communist party sanctioned ride thru that country to change my mind. A motorcycle re-education camp ride perhaps?

  10. One thing for sure, the Chinese will never build bikes for USA. They can never tell when the next crazy pres will be elected and slap more sanctions on them again, and you can be sure that Chinese Motorcycles in USA would be a prime target.. Hell, they even forced HD out of the country.

    1. Ah, Bugzy…so what have I been riding all over the US? Bikes that claimed to be Chinese but really weren’t?

      Hey, thanks for commenting!

  11. A tenth reason., Bragging rights not included.

    There’s no lifestyle to live up to. I used to hang out with Harley guys, and every ride they were showing off the new chrome they bought or were going to buy. It seemed the more expensive the part was, the better it set with the group. I took a tour of the Aerostitch plant in Duluth, Minnesota a couple of years ago. This is where the BMW riders get their riding outfits. Everything is hand -stitched, so there’s pressure to not just get an outfit there, but to get a custom outfit there. One of the stitchers told me that each alteration is $100, regardless of what the alteration is. It’s common for their clientele to ask for alterations. She said a guy came in one time, and the suit he wanted fit him perfectly. She insisted no alterations were necessary. He insisted that alterations were necessary. Three alterations and $300 later, he left as a happy customer. She didn’t understand it.

    I’m happy to say that no one has ever told me all of the things that I need to buy for my RX3. As I get older, I find myself more appreciative of a simple and low stress lifestyle. I get that with the RX3. It’s simply riding for the joy of riding.

    I enjoyed the article, but I must say that I’m quite disappointed in it. Well written as always, but I understood the objective was to spin people up. That was a fail. Perhaps people are too depressed with their empty wallets at the end of summer.

    1. Yeah, well, I hear ya, John. We gotta get down there sometime soon. I’ve had all my shots and I’m ready to ride. I need to talk Gresh into a ride. Dan wants to go, too. Save a taco or two for us.

  12. Well I now have 3 Japanese cruiser bikes and my RX3 which I have had 1 year and 5,000 miles later I can say my favorite bike to daily ride as my commute bike and all weather bike is my RX3. I have to see how I do on a longer trip with 250cc but if I upgrade to a bigger bike I would not be afraid to buy a larger cc Chinese bike again. It’s been great

    1. A lot of the crazies live on Facebook these days, Joe. I garnered some zingers there. But yeah, it seems that the tide has turned. Inevitable, I think, once folks have seen and ridden the bikes.

      Maybe we should do a listicle on the 9 reasons you should buy a used Sportster?

  14. My CSC TT250 arrived at my house about two weeks ago. I have just ridden it around the neighborhood while waiting for my appointment with the DMV to roll around but it sure seems like a nice little bike. Great fit and finish, starts right up, everything seems to work properly. I have had a lot of motorcycles in my 60 years on this rock and this one seems to be the right tool for the current job. I don’t want or need a $12K dirt bike that will scream across the desert at 90 mph. I was looking for an inexpensive and reliable motorcycle that will haul me around the seemingly endless number of trails and unpaved roads in Southern Nevada. I think I found it!

    1. You do know you could have bought a used Sportster, right?

      Thanks for commenting, Neal. Enjoy your new motorcycle; I sure had fun with my TT 250. Check out the maintenance tutorials on the CSC site, too. I hear they are well written.

  15. China, the country that gave us the Kung Flu, spotted lantern flies, stink bugs, tree of heaven and kudzu. Now their motorcycles will infest us. So, maybe a good thing at last?

  16. Joe Berk is a silver tongued devil……. I’ll take an RX4 with aluminum luggage please!

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