|
|
Post by millsc on Sept 2, 2013 10:36:38 GMT -5
I buy mine with debit cards all paid for no interest
|
|
Freshman Rider
Currently Offline
2008 Roketa MC-74-150 /2009 Kymco People 150
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Joined: Jul 19, 2013 11:08:46 GMT -5
|
Post by sanmar on Sept 2, 2013 10:56:21 GMT -5
Same here. Saved up for it, then used debit card.
|
|
|
|
Post by RapidJim on Sept 2, 2013 10:58:32 GMT -5
20-30%? He must be putting his scooter purchases on that new "Godfather Visa" I've been hearing about. (how else can you buy an $8000 dollar Roketa?)  BTW, Gates Powerlink belt, Yuasa battery, NGK sparkling plug all standard. Must be, or the Bank of Do We, Cheat Em and How. BTW, you ruined my fun I was waiting on him to start about the cheap batteries and the "torch" brand chines plug!  He also must have not read my signature block where it says I am a Roketa Dealer, hmmm wonder if I know of what I speak? I don't sell as many Roketas now that I sell Ice Bear and Jonway but, still work on them. |
|
|
|
Post by JR on Sept 2, 2013 11:14:58 GMT -5
Misinformation? Since when is $1650.00 Plus 2 or 3 hundred (the price difference according to you) equal to 3 or 4 THOUSAND? If you wish to engage in feel-good thinking about not having bought your scoot from "local ripoff artists" as a way of convincing yourself the oft repeated "deal" you got was better than it was, so be it. But do not try and delude others that the difference between say, a Roketa 250 www.superiorpowersports.com/250cc_Gas_Scooter_p/rk250sc-54b.htm (probably the most common 250 purchase) and an Aprilia is "ONLY" a couple of C notes. Reality will prove otherwise every time. I guess you have a problem comprehending that I have not spoken of other than local prices which I just verified this morning. I have taken great care to be explicit about my prices being "Real World Prices" from "Local Brick and Mortor Shops" selling Chinese Clones Bikes in the "Tampa Bay Florida" market. 50cc Chinese Clones sell locally for $1,199 to $1,399 while 150cc Chinese Clones sell locally for $1,499 to $1,799 and 250cc Chinese Clones sell locally for $2,599 to $2,799 and again that is from "Local" brick and mortor stores in Tampa Bay verified as of about 20 minutes ago. You are not comparing apples to apples if you compare a drop shipped bike to a name brand bike from a local dealer as that would be an unfair comparison. I am comparing pricing from a half dozen or so Local Chinese Clone Dealers to Local Name Brand Dealers and I have left out the pricing from the local Ripp-Off Chinese Clone Dealers to make it fair, of which fact I have also clearly disclosed. Lets be really clear and explicit now that I have been talking above about "Local" prices from "Local Dealers". To me there is no value in buying a bike on-line with a credit card at 20% to 30% even at the $1,889.  that the Roketa 54B real price comes out to be with just a 30 days parts only warranty. If you match the warranty on the time frame bumping it to 1 year parts only the Roketa bike then becomes $1,988. and you still need to pay sales tax on registration along with fully service the bike changing the antifreeze, engine oil, gear lube and brake fluid adding another $50 to $100 for the fluids only if you do it yourself more if you pay someone. If you want fuel injection or a even only a reliable belt then that will cost you extra also. Most too will be making the minimum payment on the credit card which can drag the total cost up to potential $6,000 to $8,000 dollars when for little to no money down with 3 or 4 year dealer financing the total cost of the $2,999 Aprilia will be around $4,000 or potentially half the cost of buying the self service bargain on-line with a credit card. In the final analysis you end up with much less bike for a lot more money with the bike being past its usefull service life well before it has been paid for when you buy a bargain on-line with a credit card. Indeed a Chinese Clone bike can be great fun but just like a fake Rolex it is what it is and not the really great value many make them out to be. They are a roll of the dice and something I couldn't afford to gamble on a second time. Pesonally I did not have to cash to pay out on the basically, now lets be honest, $2,000 internet special 54B and would have had to finance it one way or another. When amortizing out all the various finance options on a 54B or Vog 260 (credit card, second mortgage) it became very clear that the Aprilia with local dealer financing along with a full service 12 month warranty (for a few hundred more I bumped it to a full 4 years), free factory technical services and actual free recall services if required was the cost and value leader by a landslide. Rocky I don't for one minute doubt your prices in "your" area so let's compare prices at a Chinese B&M store in my area. Here is a little company that has two locations and both are less than one hour from me where I live in the sticks. ;D www.hometownatvandmore.com/locationsThe one in Conway I have been to many times, in fact know the mechanic pretty well and yes they have a full time mechanic and offer warranty on the things they sell which is scooters, go karts, atvs, etc. They sell only Chinese. Now on their site they do not list prices and there is a reason. Cash will get you a cheaper price and they do offer financing also. They offer sometimes during holidays to 180 days to pay same as cash too. Now I can appreciate folks that need to fund something like you said but it's hard to believe that most people can't afford 3 to 6 payments same as cash on even a $3k scooter, if you can't then yes as you said you'll add extra costs in interest charges. Also as I said shopping is important even on a credit card. If I bought one today and I have before I have a card that if I pay it off in 30 days no finance charge and no interest and since I have excellent credit the card that I have now for over 30 years is at 7.5% interest instead of the crazy 19% or above that some have. Also if you have good credit Pay Pal is offering 180 days same as cash right now especially if you already have an account and a good history like I do. I can pay for your $4k scooter in 180 days and most people if they are disciplined can too and not pay a penny of interest so again there are other options that you haven't listed or considered when buying and both can be done on Chinese and name brand. So even the what you call small $200 to $300 difference can be done without extra costs and $300 is a considerable amount to me. Why? I'm retired and have all the time I want to make sure my cheaper investment is up to par and I'll use the $300 saved to go fishing or buy my wife a nice gift. I also don't have to say again that my scooters have performed and are still performing to my standards so the money I saved means a lot to me. Now lets go back to the local price thing. I couldn't verify today's prices on their scooters, I tried and called but they are closed for labor day but I can relate to prices from last December when I purchased a new go kart for my grand kids.  This was last Christmas day and they couldn't even ride it because at the end of the day we had 26" of snow on the ground. Now here is the go kart I bought from Killer: www.killermotorsports.com/TrailMaster_200cc_XRX_Off_Road_Go_Cart_Dune_Buggy_p/tm-mid-xrx.htmI bought it from Killer for $1499 delivered, had to put wheels, steering wheel, cage and battery on. The grandkids are riding it right now as I type. The company I listed above while they do not have this go kart on their website presently had the same exact go kart, even the same color for $1699 and it was assembled and ready to ride. That's without sales tax another reason I bought online with no sale tax it saved me and additional $152.91 Here is the 250A which is a carbon copy and sister to the 250B and last December it was $1899 and ready to ride, prepped and with 6 months parts warranty. Here is one of the 3 models of 50cc scooters they had and I remember they were all under $1k and are Jonways, not a bad brand. Again I do not know a price as of today. I haven't been to their shop since last December. They also stock a very good supply of parts and are reasonable. Like I said shopping makes a difference and with the prices you listed in your area I would get a pitcher of ice tea and wait for a truck to deliver a scooter to me in a crate and I would shop on that too, I wouldn't pay those prices no way no how. BTW here is the current 250 listed at Killer and I can assure you if it gets to your house and has a scratch on it they'll take care of you. Do take note of their payment options listed which includes some of the options I mentioned. One can take $62.54 off just by paying with a money order or cashiers check. Also you are wrong about sales tax, online purchases at least in my state = zero. If you buy from Killer in Texas you will pay Texas state tax. Title and registration for me is $25 tags are $5.50 a year and I insure four scooters for less than $200 a year. They price below is delivered. www.killermotorsports.com/250cc_Cruiser_Gas_Scooter_w_Trunk_Alarm_p/r-mc-54-250.htmI also wouldn't throw my savings away on paying interest or finance charges on any purchase of $4k or less even on a name brand scooter. JR |
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Sept 2, 2013 11:31:45 GMT -5
Even if Rocky's figures are a little off, there is no doubt that it is a fine machine, after all the Italians (and Japanese) are world renowned for high quality motor vehicles, does that mean that folks who have Chinese scoots love them any less? or enjoy them any less? Of course not, and that is one of the wonders of life, that different people can enjoy different things equally. (and you didn't even need "political correctness" to do it.)  |
|
|
|
Post by JR on Sept 2, 2013 11:50:55 GMT -5
I don't think Rocky's figures are off, the man knows what they sell up the street. I just said you can shop and there are options to pay without getting stuck with unnecessary money paid to interest and finance charges. Heck I even bought the go kart on Pay Pals buy now and bill me later, paid for it in the time frame allowed with not a extra nickel in charges.
I could do the same on a Kymco or any other scooter because at present I have a $8k credit limit. Even some of the scooter dealers do special offers same as cash.
Soon mowing season will be over and I'm watching a deal at home depot when they mark the big mowers off 20 to 25% plus will offer a 10% discount by signing up for their credit card and 180 days to pay same as cash. The mower I'm looking at is a huge 56 deck and one of the steering wheel less type and is presently listed at $4999.
So 30% off = $1500 and 6 payments of $584 appx and this doesn't include tax but it's still under $600 a month. I have 5 acres to mow and next year plan on hitting it with two mowers. (8)
JR
|
|
|
|
Post by prodigit on Sept 2, 2013 12:17:31 GMT -5
I'd rather buy a cheap china made scoot. its a hobby to take them apart, if i bought something that didn't need maintenance all my fun would be gone. I bought three china scoots this summer pulled the motors out under 5 miles. China scoots become quality after you replace the parts with quality stuff, even after replacing the motor, cvt componets, lines and screws they are still cheaper than a honda, zuma or vespa. I'd rather have a cheap china scoot that has quality parts installed by me, than a used name brand bike that would still cost me more than the new china bike. The good thing is that they ride pretty fine on stock parts too. You could save yourself some money, by replacing the stock parts with quality once they've ran their miles and are in need to be replaced. So far haven't yet experienced a catastrophic failure, but most parts take time to wear out, and wear out at different times. |
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Sept 2, 2013 12:36:47 GMT -5
I don't think Rocky's figures are off, the man knows what they sell up the street. I just said you can shop and there are options to pay without getting stuck with unnecessary money paid to interest and finance charges. Heck I even bought the go kart on Pay Pals buy now and bill me later, paid for it in the time frame allowed with not a extra nickel in charges. I could do the same on a Kymco or any other scooter because at present I have a $8k credit limit. Even some of the scooter dealers do special offers same as cash. Soon mowing season will be over and I'm watching a deal at home depot when they mark the big mowers off 20 to 25% plus will offer a 10% discount by signing up for their credit card and 180 days to pay same as cash. The mower I'm looking at is a huge 56 deck and one of the steering wheel less type and is presently listed at $4999. So 30% off = $1500 and 6 payments of $584 appx and this doesn't include tax but it's still under $600 a month. I have 5 acres to mow and next year plan on hitting it with two mowers.  JR "off"as in being limited to just your local area, (When you and I both know that in the age of the internet "up the street" can be just about anywhere in this world,) and is not a realistic representation of what is available to the savvy consumer. BTW, I used to mow 5 acres when I lived back east. However after 12 years my love affair with it ended when I weed whacked over a an underground yellow jacket nest and was stung about 16 times in the chest. (and the little monsters followed me right into the house and kept it up.)  |
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 226
Likes: 7
Joined: Feb 24, 2013 8:11:58 GMT -5
|
Post by danno on Sept 2, 2013 16:17:32 GMT -5
So you're assuming the guy is lying. You don't believe his claims. No I'm saying he could have easily shown us his claims on the video, how hard is it to video a bearing with one inch of slack? No? So you don't think he's lying? On one side of your mouth you're saying you don't know...on the other side you're saying he's acting as if he's lying.....because he doesn't shoe support what he said...as if he's on trial. He could have chosen to do a whole lot of things on the video, but he didn't. Based on the the information he gave us, one can either believe he's telling the truth or he's lying...What is your opinion? Remember two sides of the coin. Again we know nothing of the rider, his mechanical skills, how he has treated the scooter, even if he has done any PM? Most people change the oils at least at the 500 mile mark, which even in the bad Chinese manuals is recommended, so would not any responsible owner have seen that the rear axle had trouble or possibly no oil? Let's say he/she had little mechanical skills. Perhaps could change the engine oil and filter...nothing too technical. This bike had only 600 miles in it. (That is unless you think he's lying)Why would any reasonable person think the bike lost all its transmission oil after just 600 miles? I don't get that? That's not reasonable. Common sense says he didn't keep riding it, he/she brought the bike to a trained mechanic to fix . Not supported by anything? If the guy has been in business for years he has his reputation that supports him. His name is all over the video. Why would he risk making this whole thing up and perhaps ruin his reputation? The guy comes across sincere to me. He's trying to warn people who are new to the market. Perhaps if he were making a video on how to fix the transmission.....he would have been that detailed. But, he wasn't doing that. His audience wasn't mechanics trying to learn how to fix the transmission.....it was NEW consumers to scooters.People with little knowledge of what going on. You're acting like you DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE HIM. Then coming up with excuses why you don't. There's no doubt he wants people to buy from him and not the guy who sold this owner this lemon of a bike. That's just good business...you act as if its a crime! I see a guy who concerned with the shotty craftmanship of some Chinese bikes and he wants to educate the public. Heck if he had bad character, he's take these bikes in all day long....they probably make him lots of money on the repairs work. . Made by the same company? After 600 miles one should not expect to discover there's no transmission oil, among the other issues. Your answer is "no" to the question...BUT, everything else you said tells me you think he's lying... Since there is no support for what he said...he must have purposely left it out to hide the truth. That's your line of reasoning. That's absurd.  |
|
|
|
Post by prodigit on Sept 2, 2013 17:49:12 GMT -5
Alright, we can still thank the Chinese for giving us a cheap way of transportation, that for the majority of us don't break down (if it's kept stock).
I've seen vids of a vespa dealer trying to show how crappy chinese vespa clones where, by videofilming how the belt broke while accelerating.
He doesn't say if the performance variator wasn't putting extra pressure on the belt, or the engine had a BBK, and the extra torque was over the specs of the belt's specs...
Anyway... A lot of chinese bikes break because of incorrect modding. Making them faster, and expecting them to live just as long is not... correct...
|
|
|
|
Post by JR on Sept 2, 2013 18:20:41 GMT -5
No what is absurd is you believing his claims based upon a video that "says" these things are wrong? So what are the facts that make you think he's telling the truth? He said this was what was wrong isn't proof. He said one inch of slack in the steering bearing? He said no oil. So if you're going to tell me something is dangerous show me why. Anyone can sit on a street and claim anything. Also I'm not putting anything on trial, just simply saying that I don't believe all his claims. Didn't say he was lying, said he didn't support his claims. Now you can try to twist your reasoning any way you want and again if you want to believe him that's your choice but don't try to put words in my mouth because I think other wise. I told you what I think. Made by the same company? Made by the Chinese all my scooters are Chinese. All cheaper online crate models. From day one they have never been dangerous. BTW what do you ride? After 600 miles one should not expect to discover there's no transmission oil, among the other issues.Again why was he riding it with no oil? Did he check it at 500 miles like recommended? Oh that's right the video didn't mention that it just said no oil and dangerous. How we would know what happened? Did the guy take the time to explain when, how and what happened here? So his just pushing the front handle bar down is proof enough of bad steering bearings? Also not mentioned was this a online do it yourself PDI scooter that the owner just hopped on a started riding? Was it a B&M scooter? Surely if we are to believe that this is a dangerous scooter some back ground "facts" would be nice to support these claims? Yet you believe him on just what he said alone in this video? Now who's being absurd? His audience wasn't mechanics trying to learn how to fix the transmission.....it was NEW consumers to scooters.People with little knowledge of what going on. You left one thing out here, NEW consumers. Correctly said meant NEW customers. So even you recognize the true meaning of this video. What better way to get you to the Kymco dealership! JR |
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Sept 2, 2013 18:35:21 GMT -5
The unsaid message in those "Public Safety Announcements" (Since when did a scooter dealer become a branch of the DOT?) is "Chinese scooters are unsafe junk, come in and buy a safe (and high priced) scooter from us"
|
|
|
|
Post by JR on Sept 2, 2013 18:50:20 GMT -5
I just discovered by looking at the videos all posted on You tube and found that they were all done in 2009. Over four years ago and I searched long and hard and haven't found another Public Safety Warning as they called it since?
Seems like a dealer here on this thread mentioned something about the Chinese coming a long way in the last few years? I also remember the market being flooded in 08 and 09 with Chinese scooters due to the $4 a gallon gas hike. Seems POC has went silent since then?
JR
|
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Sept 2, 2013 19:00:02 GMT -5
Also 2008 tends to be regarded as a less than vintage year for Chinese build quality. (everybody and their brother in China were probably just slapping them together to take advantage of the rush.)
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 226
Likes: 7
Joined: Feb 24, 2013 8:11:58 GMT -5
|
Post by danno on Sept 3, 2013 4:15:22 GMT -5
Also I'm not putting anything on trial, just simply saying that I don't believe all his claims. Didn't say he was lying, said he didn't support his claims. Ya see....if you don't believe him, that means he's LYING. You're speaking from two sides of your mouth JR. One side says "I don't believe all his claims" the others side says..."didn't say he was lying" If you don't believe his claims, that would mean he's not telling us the truth. What he was stating were facts. There are 600 miles on the bike.....That's either true or it isn't. You can't say you don't believe him....then add, I didn't say he was lying.If there weren't 600 miles on it, he'd know it...and when he purposely told us there was 600.,....that would be a lie....there is no other option. You have no proof he is lying, your assuming he is because it's what you want to believe. Me? I see a guy trying to run an honest business trying to prevent people from buying junk. I don't think he's trying to hoodwink the public....Not a good way to stay in business very long. That's not what I asked you. I asked you if it were the same company? Iow, did the same manufacturer off the same assembly line produced both bikes? I ride a Burgman. Do they have a history of issues like the Chinese bikes do? You have to assume he was riding it with no oil. My assumption is the bike was not riding right so he took it to a mechanic. So you don't have an issue with a new bike owner finding out he/she has no oil in the bike after 600 miles? Did that front end look normal to you? I believe him because if what he said weren't true this video would be a hoax...That's not how someone stays in business....If you're a fraud, you will be found out...eventually. I believe the guy took the time to ,make the video to educate the unknowing public about certain scooters. Your objection was why wasn't he more detailed? This wasn't a transmission training video. Now you're telling me you agree with me on that. It was a video designed to get NEW CONSUMER....the undereducated consumer....more educated about certain types of scooters. Iow..it was a buyer beware video. There was no need to be so detailed. Your experience with Chinese bikes can't relate to what this guy is saying, so you don't believe him. Remember your own words...there are two side to every coin.....his experiences are not your experiences. His different experiences with these bikes doesn't make him a liar, which you're assuming he is. |
|
that the Roketa 54B real price comes out to be with just a 30 days parts only warranty. If you match the warranty on the time frame bumping it to 1 year parts only the Roketa bike then becomes $1,988.
