Are the Chinese going to take over the bike market ?

[wessie]

I am unaware of anything comparing with Multistrada v4 or R1300gs?

I don't think that is their plan, for now

they are taking sales from bikes like the BMW F series, Vstrom, Tenere 700 and Tuareg.

You might note the substantial price reductions from Suzuki recently and that Triumph are making bikes in Thailand to compete

 

[Mzokk]

Yet many of these Chinese bikes come with Brembo brakes , Showa suspension, Bosch electronics

They are already made in China and all the parent company does is R&D and rack up profits by marketing "premium" brands in the west. For Showa, Brembo, Bosch KYB and many other "Premium" brands only specialist racing products are likely to be manufactured by the parent company. The F Series BMW's are a Loncin/Voge product with a £4-5,000 mark up for the brand name and BMW dealer network. If anyone wants to pay that premium for the badge and service I can understand that. But if they think that they are somehow slowing the economic might of the Chinese, they are very much deluding themselves.

 

[Arsey]

A whole showroom full

 

[oldenoughtoknowbetter]

The o/p has raised an interesting question. For the past few decades (!) I've run a small workshop repairing my own and other folks' bikes of all makes and origins. Probably around 15 years or so ago I started to turn away what many would call classic Japanese bikes, due to poor quality of metals used in their construction. Back in the 70s this was referred to "monkey metal" but expressions like that are no longer PC. I'm not arguing that early Jap bikes didn't run smoothly and efficiently but when they did go wrong, the quality of the materials used could be a problem. Chewed-up heads on fasteners and snapped cylinder head studs were commonplace and could give rise to some real problems. Obviously, the more recent Japanese stuff has upped its game but shit sticks. My present bikes are 4 BMWs, a KTM 1290GT and a Ducati 916SP, so as you can see I stay well clear of oriental stuff, due to my personal past experiences. Other folks will have different experiences and of course different preferences.
I have a mate who runs a commercial motorcycle workshop and for some time, he refused work on Chinese made bikes, for pretty much the same reasons I had, several years earlier. Life goes on and that now might have changed, I'm not sure.
Quite recently, it was in the news that some BYD, Jaecoe and MG cars were experiencing some quite severe early corrosion of structural components of cars only 2 or 3 years old. Others of the same makes and age had not. A couple of years or so ago a mate and I were looking at a new Chinese bike at the NEC and noticed that one of the welds on the subframe had missed its mark by around 2mm, leaving what appeared to be an unsupported joint.
So the point is that maybe the Chinese will up their game, as the Japs did but there might well be some pain in the meantime. Like anything I suppose you can be lucky or unlucky. People have had several issues with KTM 1290s but the one I have has probably been the best bike I've ever had. It's now 10 years old, well used but nil signs of corrosion. The only problem was a sticky exhaust flap, which has since been removed.
So it's all down to experience. If enough riders buy Chinese bikes (or cars) which are reliable and long-lasting then they'll buy more and if so, the future motorcycle industry leaders might well be the Chinese. But if many have bad experiences then they won't prevail. I see it as simple as that.
I think that the jury's still out on this one.

 

[Engineer]

Are the Chinese going to take over the bike market?

Answer: Only if you keep buying their bikes.

 

[Arsey]

Are the Chinese going to take over the bike market?

Answer: Only if you keep buying their bikes.

That’ll be a yes then !

Take the 450GS versus the QJ Motor SRT 450 RX.

The GS starts at about £6500 but comes with absolutely nothing as standard -it’s a BMW.

The QJ comes with heated seat, heated grips , spot lights , quick shifter , bigger tank, full three piece ally luggage, center stand , ally bash plate and a load more stuff I can’t remember .
Quality components such as fully adjustable Marzocchi suspension, Brembo brakes etc .

Yet it’s £5499 all in . Try and and spec the GS up to similar ( but you can’t ) and it would be well into five figures.
They make very similar power and the QJ is a few kilos heavier, but then it’s much better equipped and physically bigger .

The importers are selling all they can get hold of .

It obviously won’t appeal to many on here , as, let’s face it , the British biking public are the last to embrace change , and the GS buyers probably the very last .

 

[Guru Gora]

2k difference and most would probably think, not worth it, I’ll stick with the name.

When that difference is about 5k it takes a very ‘determined’ buyer to stay ‘loyal’ to a ‘proper’ brand.

5 years ago I wouldn’t buy one, now, I wouldn’t hesitate.

As the reviews now generally say, ‘it’s a good bike’ , not, ‘it’s a good Chinese bike’

 

[Hairnet600]

currently looking at 450 mt

but also the nk version

only thing stopping me is the tiny pillion pad - dont wanna put luggage on it never put a human there

looked at the moto 800 mt but ran away quickly because 835mm and 240kg

they do get good reviews mostly but until they discover aluminium and titanium im out

 

[Engineer]

That’ll be a yes then !

Take the 450GS versus the QJ Motor SRT 450 RX.

The GS starts at about £6500 but comes with absolutely nothing as standard -it’s a BMW.

The QJ comes with heated seat, heated grips , spot lights , quick shifter , bigger tank, full three piece ally luggage, center stand , ally bash plate and a load more stuff I can’t remember .
Quality components such as fully adjustable Marzocchi suspension, Brembo brakes etc .

Yet it’s £5499 all in . Try and and spec the GS up to similar ( but you can’t ) and it would be well into five figures.
They make very similar power and the QJ is a few kilos heavier, but then it’s much better equipped and physically bigger .

The importers are selling all they can get hold of .

It obviously won’t appeal to many on here , as, let’s face it , the British biking public are the last to embrace change , and the GS buyers probably the very last .

Yes, people are always chasing cheap and never consider the long term effects - then they complain and blame everyone other than themselves.

 

[Arsey]

Yes, people are always chasing cheap and never consider the long term effects - then they complain and blame everyone other than themselves.

Others are happy to blindly buy a cheap bike with an expensive price tag , as though it’s somehow better

 

[oldenoughtoknowbetter]

That’ll be a yes then !

Take the 450GS versus the QJ Motor SRT 450 RX.

The GS starts at about £6500 but comes with absolutely nothing as standard -it’s a BMW.

The QJ comes with heated seat, heated grips , spot lights , quick shifter , bigger tank, full three piece ally luggage, center stand , ally bash plate and a load more stuff I can’t remember .
Quality components such as fully adjustable Marzocchi suspension, Brembo brakes etc .

Yet it’s £5499 all in . Try and and spec the GS up to similar ( but you can’t ) and it would be well into five figures.
They make very similar power and the QJ is a few kilos heavier, but then it’s much better equipped and physically bigger .

The importers are selling all they can get hold of .

It obviously won’t appeal to many on here , as, let’s face it , the British biking public are the last to embrace change , and the GS buyers probably the very last .

Ah! What goes around comes around!
Reminds me of the mid-1970s when my girlfriend at the time was looking for a small cheap car. Choice was between a standard Mini and a Datsun Cherry 100A. The Datsun won because it came with every conceivable extra of the time (including a vinyl roof!) - and it was cheaper; the Mini came with nothing.
Two years later and the Datsun was rotting . Badly. After three years it was worthless scrap.
Possibly the Mini's still out there somewhere.

 

[Doc]

I like the look of the Benda.
Shame about the name.

 

[Arsey]

Ah! What goes around comes around!
Reminds me of the mid-1970s when my girlfriend at the time was looking for a small cheap car. Choice was between a standard Mini and a Datsun Cherry 100A. The Datsun won because it came with every conceivable extra of the time (including a vinyl roof!) - and it was cheaper; the Mini came with nothing.
Two years later and the Datsun was rotting . Badly. After three years it was worthless scrap.
Possibly the Mini's still out there somewhere.

That’s a very valid reason to avoid all Japanese products for life !

 

[Arsey]

I like the look of the Benda.
Shame about the name.

Perfect fit , I would have thought! You’d even get a discount as wouldn’t need the free waistcoat

 

[MILLE_RIDER]

Ah! What goes around comes around!
Reminds me of the mid-1970s when my girlfriend at the time was looking for a small cheap car. Choice was between a standard Mini and a Datsun Cherry 100A. The Datsun won because it came with every conceivable extra of the time (including a vinyl roof!) - and it was cheaper; the Mini came with nothing.
Two years later and the Datsun was rotting . Badly. After three years it was worthless scrap.
Possibly the Mini's still out there somewhere.

All cars from the 70's were rust buckets. A Toyota Corolla from that era would be a better car than the Leyland/Ford/Vauxhall equivalent IMO

 

[oldenoughtoknowbetter]

That’s a very valid reason to avoid all Japanese products for life !

Indeed. G/F wasted her money on that one and I very much doubt that she ever bought another.

 

[Arsey]

Indeed. G/F wasted her money on that one and I very much doubt that she ever bought another.

At least she’s now old enough to know better

 

[leadfarmer]

Yes, Japanese cars of that era were rust buckets, but so where everything else

New wings, new sills, new front panels. Subframes on minis etc. All were regularly changed after less than 10 years

People hired arc welders and did their own panel changes then took their cars in for self prep resprays or “blow overs”

Datsun changed their name to Nissan and upped their game like everyone else, Nissan are still going, the mainstream British manufacturers are gone

 

[Thejoybringer]

Yes, Japanese cars of that era were rust buckets, but so where everything else

New wings, new sills, new front panels. Subframes on minis etc. All were regularly changed after less than 10 years

People hired arc welders and did their own panel changes then took their cars in for self prep resprays or “blow overs”

Datsun changed their name to Nissan and upped their game like everyone else, Nissan are still going, the mainstream British manufacturers are gone

Fair comment, I have replaced quite a few hydrostatic and dry Mini rear subframes and in some cases the back panel the subframe attaches to from corrosion.

 

[wessie]

Yes, Japanese cars of that era were rust buckets, but so where everything else

New wings, new sills, new front panels. Subframes on minis etc. All were regularly changed after less than 10 years

People hired arc welders and did their own panel changes then took their cars in for self prep resprays or “blow overs”

Datsun changed their name to Nissan and upped their game like everyone else, Nissan are still going, the mainstream British manufacturers are gone

my 1977 Datsun 120Y was much better at 10 years old than the Ford Capri and mk1 Escort that preceded it.