Cool scooter alternative from Honda:GROM!  By  jwalz1 (Read 8,219 times)

Ok I get it, the perfect bike to drive around cafe mannequins.

I would just hope Honda's powersports division isn't going the same direction as their (USDM) automotive division... downhill in a hurry! I thought that a few years ago Honda shifted production operations for scooters (particularly 50cc IIRC) to China. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it sounds like a cost-cutting thing, which generally leads to a quality-cutting thing... Honda may have been king at one time, but nothing ever stays the same for long.

Pretty neat little bike I guess

Let's get right to the point. Some people prefer cheap Chinese and think it's a better deal (I personally don't), and that's just fine. But cheap Chinese is not as good as Honda period, quit saying it is!

Just because Honda outsourced to China for cheap labor, it's still real Honda quality period.
Better materials and metals, better design, better assembly, just better. It's OK to not want to pay for it, and I guess it is personal preference to think it's not worth the extra money.

But it's just plain ignorant to say it is just as good!

This applies to most Taiwanese and Korean motorcycles and scooters too.

I've owned cheap Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese, I've seen it for myself. It doesn't matter that some Chinese are "better". They cost more ($995 cheapo special vs $1300-$1600 for a "better"150cc). One could use the same argument and say the "better" is not worth more money than the "cheapo". The "better" still isn't as good as Japanese/Taiwanese, period.

It's funny that almost every single person that says cheap Chinese is just as good, and Japanese or Taiwanese are a waste of money, have only owned a cheap Chinese.

I am aware that some people have put 10,000 miles on a Chinese scooters with only a few problems. They were lucky and it isn't the "norm", and I'm willing to bet they still got stranded at some point. I drive my Japanese and Taiwanese machines very hard. They are small displacement and sometimes go over 300 miles a day often running WOT. They have never let me down ever, and I never worry about it. I would break a Chinese scooter in short order riding it that hard, and that's if I trusted taking it more than an hour from home.

Have we seen any Chinese scooters compete in the Scooter Cannonball Run?

Kemy Joseph rides a Buddy (Taiwanese) scooter in the Genuine Kindness Tour around
the entire USA.

A young couple rode a Yamaha C3 two-up across Canada.

Someone rode a Symba (Taiwanese) to the Arctic Circle and back.

A couple rode a pair of Symbas around the world.

Someone rode a Genuine Rattler 110 (Taiwanese) to Alaska and back.

A Chinese guy rode a Honda Ruckus across America.

Three guys rode TGB Delivery 150 scooters (Taiwanese) from New York to Los Angeles.

Two guys down under rode Honda CT 110's across Australia.

There are more trips for sure. And while one could find a trip or two on a Chinese scooter, almost all of them are not on Chinese machines, and there is a good reason for that!

I never have had a Honda scooter but have had a bunch of Honda motorcycles. I have had to repair a lot of those, i have no reason to think they would be inherently lower quality than the scooters. The repairs were just things like the transmission, valves, had to bore one out because it had worn out the rings and the cylinder was to worn for the standard piston. They all break eventually.

While % the performance would be OK, giving up 1/4 of the handling ability of a two wheel vehicle doesn't sound so good. If the engine life could actually last 33% (doubtful), why isn't the price $1000 (compared to $3000 for Honda Grom) instead of $1200 - $1550? How good of a deal is that?

gitsum: It's a rough estimation. Pretty hard to paste numbers on that.
I can give chinese bikes to 10 different people, who would rate them 10 different ratings.
For one there's absolutely no difference between chinese and Japanese scoot, because of the way he uses it, and/or his perception of the bike.
Of course a chinese bike will handle just the same as a jap bike, but there are some subtle differences, noticeable on the tracks, eg: frame torquing while cornering, lower acceleration, lower grip on tires, lower braking power, less capable of maintaining high speeds, etc...
For most people that would be no problem, as they would never take out the bike to it's extremes. For them both bikes may actually operate identical.
For someone on the tracks, or going to the extreme's of the bike, there may be obvious differences.

Also, $1500 would be delivered at your door.
for the grom you'd pay $3k + $500 dealer fee + all kinds of other Sht they're trying to add to you so called 'mandatory warranties' etc...