Cavcraft 2021: More Italian slow shite.

[bezzabsa]

parts aren't a huge problem..most of these are of a generic design, and made by loads of different factories..

also a website that has 99.9% of spares needed (chinabikespares IIRC) 

if you keep on top of them they are actually very reliable..just don't expect the qulaity of a jap bike, and you''l be fine....I reckon anyone raised on Brit stuff would love em....bit of tinkering on a weekend  and don't store it outside..sorted!!

 

[tom13]

2 minutes ago, bezzabsa said:

parts aren't a huge problem..most of these are of a generic design, and made by loads of different factories..

also a website that has 99.9% of spares needed (chinabikespares IIRC) 

if you keep on top of them they are actually very reliable..just don't expect the qulaity of a jap bike, and you''l be fine....I reckon anyone raised on Brit stuff would love em....bit of tinkering on a weekend  and don't store it outside..sorted!!

 

With the spares parts situation. I had seen people buying spares that were listed as the same part number but were arriving as newer updated parts, or older versions as they changed them so much. While they wanted the aftersales they were not bothered about a few unhappy customers that may receive a part that isn't right for there bike.

The two scenarios of this were people I know buying a carb and a head. If you buy a Mikuni with xxx part number you know you will get that exact part. I get that there are exceptions to the rule though and some sites/manufactures may be a bit easier to deal with.

[Mally]

31 minutes ago, tom13 said:

Hell no I don't want it! I toyed with the idea of a Chinese bike a few years back, as a friend was using some sort of Hyosung for long distance trials and to put on the back of his camper so he could pop down the shops. He liked it short term but the thing was appalling. After about 2 years it was only good for scrap.

All I ever hear is the horror stories of not being able to buy parts for them as they keep changing items and how bad the quality of everything on them is. I'm not surprised though to be honest.

I was just intrigued. Maybe Cav knows what ones are the ones worth buying, or just likes the challenge?  I don't know anyone who willingly buys so many of these, especially after they have owned one. I imagine there is a couple of hundred pound to be made per time at least if you flip them.

 

I was just holding the fort, ready to shout "shop". for Billy.  

I'd like to ride the mouldy one after I'd scraped a bit of moss off.

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, tom13 said:

Hell no I don't want it! I toyed with the idea of a Chinese bike a few years back, as a friend was using some sort of Hyosung for long distance trials and to put on the back of his camper so he could pop down the shops. He liked it short term but the thing was appalling. After about 2 years it was only good for scrap.

That surprises me.  Hyosung are Korean and are generally pretty decent bikes.

[Cavcraft]

2 hours ago, tom13 said:

Apologies if I have overlooked this but do you buy them to sell on, or are you using them?

Both, though the modern stuff doesn't interest me so I move them on.

[Cavcraft]

1 hour ago, bezzabsa said:

parts aren't a huge problem..most of these are of a generic design, and made by loads of different factories..

also a website that has 99.9% of spares needed (chinabikespares IIRC) 

if you keep on top of them they are actually very reliable..just don't expect the qulaity of a jap bike, and you''l be fine....I reckon anyone raised on Brit stuff would love em....bit of tinkering on a weekend  and don't store it outside..sorted!!

 

Definitely the 'don't store them outside' bit! I've seen 2008-ish onwards Yamahas and Hondas rusting quite badly when left out, but Chinese bikes really do accelerate the process. The nuts, blots and screws are usually the first to go (rusty) quickly followed by the chain then oxidisation hits the monkey metal around foot peg hangers, etc.

Reliability wise they do seem to be moving forwards and like anything else, maintenance (especially preventative) is the key.

[tom13]

22 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Both, though the modern stuff doesn't interest me so I move them on.

That black cruiser. What would you do with that? 

If I saw that, unless it was free I wouldn't even consider it as the frame looks rotten underneath and the neglect just looks like it would need a whole host of bits. Do you break them in this scenario. 

[strangeangel]

4 hours ago, Wgl2019 said:

Genuine question - do any of these generic Chinese 'cheap as chips' bikes ever pass an MOT or are they binned off after 3 years?

 

My experience is that most of these off-brand Chinese shitters have already become IKEA cutlery by their third birthday.

 

[strangeangel]

2 hours ago, Mally said:

I'd like to ride the mouldy one after I'd scraped a bit of moss off.

 

 

I'd rather have crabs than than that Chinese cruiser.

 

[Cavcraft]

So the roffle is off then lads? 🤣

[strangeangel]

Just now, Cavcraft said:

So the roffle is off then lads? 🤣

 

Three randoms please 🤣

 

[UltraWomble]

Ive said it before, but if you have the space to store it out of the weather - the early Chinese 125 bikes will be like money in the bank in a few years.

They will largely be extinct yet there will be a legion of people panging for the nostalgia of their first bike and for whom RXS100's and CG125's wont hold the same attraction.

[Jazoli]

12 minutes ago, UltraWomble said:

Ive said it before, but if you have the space to store it out of the weather - the early Chinese 125 bikes will be like money in the bank in a few years.

They will largely be extinct yet there will be a legion of people panging for the nostalgia of their first bike and for whom RXS100's and CG125's wont hold the same attraction.

Not sure if serious!

They are all universally shit, people will not be getting nostalgic about Lifans or whatever they are called this week, have you been taking drugs?

[Cookiesouwest]

2 minutes ago, Jazoli said:

Not sure if serious!

They are all universally shit, people will not be getting nostalgic about Lifans or whatever they are called this week, have you been taking drugs?

Ultrawomble may be right. No matter how bad something was, people do get nostalgic for their first motor.

[Jerzy Woking]

Who would have guessed that Wartburgs would become desirable (to a few)?

[UltraWomble]

16 minutes ago, Jazoli said:

Not sure if serious!

They are all universally shit, people will not be getting nostalgic about Lifans or whatever they are called this week, have you been taking drugs?

No, really - Ive not been sniffing the Ajax - fast forward 20 years and you will see Im right.

13 minutes ago, Cookiesouwest said:

Ultrawomble may be right. No matter how bad something was, people do get nostalgic for their first motor.

This.

How many of us have been stranded at the side of the road by some heap of shit BL / Ford / Skoda / Lambretta and so on - and now get  misty eyed about that first heap of shit?

 

[Dave_Q]

3 hours ago, strangeangel said:

 

My experience is that most of these off-brand Chinese shitters have already become IKEA cutlery by their third birthday.

 

Kinda related, I work for an automotive company and inevitably, we source a decent amount of parts from China.

I have lost count of the number of times these suppliers have just gone off done something other than what is specified on the drawing, choosing a different material, dimensions not quite right, coatings missing or added etc. That is when they have us trying to keep an eye on them, specifying things properly and moaning at them to do it right.

If they have control of the drawings as well as the parts, it is not going to end well.

[Wack]

1 hour ago, Cookiesouwest said:

Ultrawomble may be right. No matter how bad something was, people do get nostalgic for their first motor.

I'd love another RD400e but I want it for what I sold mine for in 1987 

I say sold , nobody wanted it because like Mk1 Escorts they were out of fashion so

I swapped it for a fitted house burglar alarm FFS 

 

[New POD]

2 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

Kinda related, I work for an automotive company and inevitably, we source a decent amount of parts from China.

I have lost count of the number of times these suppliers have just gone off done something other than what is specified on the drawing, choosing a different material, dimensions not quite right, coatings missing or added etc. That is when they have us trying to keep an eye on them, specifying things properly and moaning at them to do it right.

If they have control of the drawings as well as the parts, it is not going to end well.

We had the first batch of parts, with critical dimensions showing a cpk of 3.  Then critical dimensions showing a cpk of 2. Then 1.4.  Now that's a 4 sigma process? . So we shouldn't see too many failures our end., but suddenly, once we've assembled the parts into our assembly, and tested it we were getting a failure rate of 40%.  Turned out that the previous UK supplier had a CPL of 2, and a CPU of 5, and we actually needed a tolerance which was half what was on the drawing and because the UK parts were so good, we didn't know. And had been using them for 5 years without knowing.  I almost had a mental breakdown.  It stopped us hitting on time delivery targets for weeks.  Our Design department didnt understand, purchasing, and quality, didnt understand, I was made to feel.it was my fault, because I owned the assembly and test people and machines. Oh and if I asked quality to help they measured 5, and told me, they were all in spec. I found a box of the old supplier and a suspect by box of the new supplier, and asked them to tell.me the difference. They are all in spec. There's 2000 in each box. You've measured 5 of each. What was the reading ? Oh we don't write it down. UNLESS they are out. FFS. 

[strangeangel]

11 hours ago, Jazoli said:

...people will not be getting nostalgic about Lifans or whatever they are called this week...

 

 

People are asking up to two grand for a Suzuki A100 these days, an absolute dog turd of a bike. I should know, I had two of them. If that's possible then anything is. The simple fact is that every bike that manages to live to a decent age magically achieves classic status even if it's complete and utter wank and, yes, that will eventually include some Chinese rubbish.

 

Look at the Iron Curtain stuff now - bikes of last resort back in the day, yet the 650 flat twins, Ural/Dnepr (with or without sidecars) are making the same sort of money as British bikes. Even some of the horrible 2-strokes (e.g. the Jupiter) are making good money, and those are pretty much unrideable.

 

 

[bezzabsa]

just remember Jap bikes and cars when they were first delivered here, folk laughed at them and stated they wouldn't last a year..early jap cars rotted as you looked at them..

now look at jap stuff.... and what happened to the British car & bike industry.....

[Jerzy Woking]

I think that there are very few bad bikes being made now, but those bad ones are Chinese. And usually because they are building to a price, not to a specification. 

You pays your money....

 

[Jerzy Woking]

8 hours ago, strangeangel said:

Look at the Iron Curtain stuff now - bikes of last resort back in the day, yet the 650 flat twins, Ural/Dnepr (with or without sidecars) are making the same sort of money as British bikes. 

Having owned some glorious British bikes (BSA B25 Starfire, Norton Navigator and a Triumph T10 Tina) I'd rather have had the Ural. All utter, utter crap, and I cannot think of one redeeming feature of any of them, although the humped seat on the Starfire was nice to look at. It was a plank to sit on.

[Cavcraft]

9 hours ago, strangeangel said:

 

People are asking up to two grand for a Suzuki A100 these days

{rubs hands together}

 

Nostalgia is a funny thing though, have said it before but stuff like CB360/CB250/KC100/YB100 (especially the YB, I think because they can be made into FS1E replicas quite easily) etc were shit when new and didn't age well, but are quite expensive now.

In other news...the 125 'custom' thing went today, in fairness could have sold it several times.  

[Cavcraft]

Hey,  advertised the 'custom' 125 the other night, sold in minutes. The lad had it collected the next day, and within 24 hours he sent me this...

 

 

He got it going by using some spray, cleaned the contacts up for the battery then tore the bike down and stripped/painted all the rusty metal work and cleaned the rust off. Hats off to him, very impressed.

[Cavcraft]

Couldn't quite stretch to that well tasty Yamaha TDR125 that appeared on eBay, so idly browsed social media to see what was happening. Listed a few hours before, not a million miles away and at a price that was fair (very fair, taking into consideration what he said he'd spent on it) and looked GR8. A few messages later, a word with my new local courier and job jobbed.

 

 

A few boxes of bits (more than shown in above photographs) came with it, too. It's a (Vespa) PK50 with a Polini kit, I think he said 65cc. Should be a good (slow) laugh when it's done! 

[crapcarcollector]

All Chinese bikes are rubbish? What about Italian Chinese? That’s got to be some sort of recipe for disaster yes?



Owned since summer last year, two up everywhere.

Awesome thing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[strangeangel]

11 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

He got it going by using some spray, cleaned the contacts up for the battery then tore the bike down and stripped/painted all the rusty metal work and cleaned the rust off. Hats off to him, very impressed.

 

 

Bloody lunatic. If he isn't on here he damn well should be 😂

 

[Cavcraft]

The Arrow has cleaned up pretty well 

 

Meanwhile...

 

..it's only a 4 pot (manual) so not the fastest thing in the world, but actually looks quite sharp. One drive to work/back says it won't be a keeper though, had forgotten how much I can't get on with lowered cars. I think it's on coil overs, and to help release all those horses it's got some boy racer exhaust and a K&N. It was good fun on a mini-roundabout in the early hours though.

[Split_Pin]

That E46 looks smart! Decent wheels as well.