Cheap? trail bike help needed.

[Learnatic]

Hi,my oldest son(15,79kgs,175 cms tall) has been pestering me for ever to get him a trail bike.I dont have the $ to get him a yamaha etc but I am considering a yamoto detonator(no shit thats really what they call it!)140cc or similar brand 250,both lifan motors,asking around $1400.
Do any of you have any experience with these chinese bikes or any advice please?

[renegade]

dont do it. honestly, as with anything you get what you pay for and i have heard too many stories of people getting the cheap chinese knock-offs and the brakes failing or the front forks snapping.
getting hurt is a normal part of dirtbike riding, but going for the cheap chinese option could be the difference between some cuts and bruises, or broken bones and hospitalization.

[Booster]

Get an older DT,KDX,XR,TS they would all be better after a year than a chinese cheapie and start at the same price.
Hard to get the kids to look at anything more than a yr old though..

[StuNVA]

One of my mates had the dealership for them in town and ended up refusing to sell them, he didnt want to be involved with someone getting seriously hurt when something went wrong. The clincher was when he got one for his kid out on the farm and he rode it down to the dam where the back brake actually snapped off. Have you ever heard the saying "as dodgey as a chinese motorbike" well it appears pretty acurate.

[renegade]

quote:Originally posted by StuNVA

One of my mates had the dealership for them in town and ended up refusing to sell them, he didnt want to be involved with someone getting seriously hurt when something went wrong. The clincher was when he got one for his kid out on the farm and he rode it down to the dam where the back brake actually snapped off. Have you ever heard the saying "as dodgey as a chinese motorbike" well it appears pretty acurate.


yeah i was just talking to my little brother about it (www.kenroche.com) and he was telling my that when he was on a motocross coaching camp this kid had a "new" chinese bike and by the end of the first day they were having engine troubles. turned out that the air-hose was so thin that the suction of the air was causing it to collapse and choke the bike. on the second day my brother was looking over the bike and noticed the the tripleclamp had a crack nearly all the way down it, and had started to seperate down the bottom.
i agree with booster. better to get an older, better quality bike. you are going to save yourself a lot of hassles, pain and money in the long run. feel free to contact my little bro via that website too if you want any more advice on dirtbikes. he lives and breathes motocross, and is always happy to talk to people about it. im sure there would be plenty of other people on here that would be able to help you out anyway.

[Lucas]

And how available are parts on these cheapies too. Parts may be hard and expensive to come by. Atleast with an older jap parts are as common as flies in summer and as cheap as a kings cross hooker (not that i've been there[:p])

[BANDITROD]

ok i have had a fair bit to do with chinese bikes and i can honestly say dont believe everything that you hear , i have got one of the cheap 125cc and for the punishment it gets it has been an awsome bike i have had it for 12 months and its only now starting to show real signs of wear and tear ,i have never had a brake problem at all,but in saying all that it was not one of those real cheap fuckers like you see on ebay it would be more at the top end of imports , i have ridden and dealt with all breeds of pit bike and these are the best on the market for your dollar http://pimpit.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=30
now for anyone interested in one of these little rockets you can pm me for full details

now having said all of that i can relate to the other guys comments cos for the same money you could pick up a good second hand honda XR250 which are almost unbreakable but it all comes down what you want cos i love riding my pit bike cos it fucking hauls arse considering i am 6 foot 4" and 120kgs it still pulls 100kph and thats all that i need for where i live so its up to you mate ,lately i get people dropping off real cheap bikes that just shouldnt be allowed on the market and i hear all the same things this fell off and that fell off but if you read the bikes manual it says quite clearly you should go over all nuts and bolts it evens says it on the box they come in(which you shouldnt have to do) but then thats what you get for under $700 worth of pit bike .Now go and look at a real pit bike like a motovert or a pimpit which vary from $1200 - $3000 and check the quality on them they both use the same engines and a motovert you can actually get regoed in vic and they are of the highest quality on the market today IMO

take note i am not trying to sell you a bike i am just giving you my experience with them , i have had alot to do with them over the last few years and i dont sell anything to anyone that would kill them due to being faulty and thats the diference between me and the pricks:( on ebay who make it hard for myself and alot of other blokes that sell good quality mini bikes ...the end:D

p.s. as far as parts go that isnt a problem at all

[DaveK5]

One of the blokes at JR's in Townsville rides a Motovert to work and has done for at least 12 months...It feckin goes I know that much.

[BANDITROD]

well motoverts even run genuine Marzzochi forks fully adjustable but thats not the only quality part on them they are packed with all the good gear

[Learnatic]

Thanks very much for your help,you all made some very valid points.I agree the $600 ones I have seen on ebay look like a disaster waiting to happen,I will check out some older japanese bikes too.The chinese ones all seem to use the same motors but the frames,brakes and suspension vary alot.Those pimpit ones look promising,I have looked at the yamotos here in Nerang and they seem ok too.I will have to do alot more research,I definetely wont be making a decision overnight.Once again thanks for your advice and keep it coming please.Cheers,Mark.

[scotty mac]

quote:Originally posted by BANDITROD

well motoverts even run genuine Marzzochi forks fully adjustable but thats not the only quality part on them they are packed with all the good gear
a young lad up here has 1 too, said he over took a car on the highway @130k's(not sure how true) but you could image the look on the peoples face as he went by...lol...:D

[BANDITROD]

that would be about right mate as thats there limit

[Rumbo]

This baby is just beggin for it.



http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/90507622396959.jpg

[Rumbo]

Once its regoed then.....



http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/90507622368745.jpg

[Fight_fan]

quote:Originally posted by Rumbo

This baby is just beggin for it.



http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/90507622396959.jpg



FAARK! How much do these little puppies go 4? They look like awesome fun 4 the work commute![^]

[Rumbo]

http://motovert.com/bikes/rx.pdf

$3000 is the only price I could find.
I saw 1 down the beach the other day.
They look better than a scooter.

[Fight_fan]

Shit! Thats pretty good hey! Hmmm...