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Post by spandi on Jan 10, 2017 15:14:47 GMT -5
All very interesting but here are the facts. The scooter market right now is selling 65% of their product in the 50cc size range. The Chinese are pretty much controlling that market. The people who buy those scooters don't care that it says Aprilia, Piaggio, Honda, Vespa or Yamaha on the flanks. What they care about is that they can walk into a small shop and pick one up for a Grand as opposed to two grand or more. As we have seen, most new scooter owners aren't enthusiasts. They're frustrated giant SUV owners who are trying to escape big gas bills at the pump. Name means little to most. The sales of MIC members in the scooter division has been in a nose dive since 2008. Vespa shops close daily, Piaggio sized scooters peak at the BV 350, which is a 330cc, and the Japanese come and go with larger sized scooters. Honda builds the Metropolitan in China so it can keep the price around Two Grand. Yamaha has entered into an agreement to co-manufacture scooters with Honda. There hasn't been a new model introduced in years among any of the big names. I won't say much more than this. In the 1960s the Japanese came here and created a huge motorcycle market. Since 1946 the scooter market here has been small with smoky, cranky scooters from Europe holding sway for decades and remember that Piaggio abandoned the market from 1980 to 2000 altogether. The Chinese are taking the small scooter market by a storm and putting people on scooter saddles. Calling them junk or cheap Chinese crap is going to have the same effect as Harley owners calling our bikes "Rice Burners". None. Bang for the buck always holds importance for the American buyer and if those 50cc scooters only last three years that will satisfy millions of buyers. Most will probably sell them before the first tire change anyway. This reminds one of the German/Russian philosophical design differences during the second world war. The Germans built their tanks with Swiss watch like precision. The Russians on the other hand, (having made a Study that found a active combat vehicle had a life expectancy of about three weeks) turned them out crudely finished but serviceable, and in overwhelming numbers. Since as you say most will be sold before the tires need replacing, superb quality in a scoot is unnecessary. |
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Post by spandi on Jan 7, 2017 15:36:49 GMT -5
In my opinion is the same as you rocky,, and also my belief of probably  % or more of the problems associated with pre2010 Chinese scooters,,, poor machining and also very low quality metals,, bolts like butter , bad castings ,, ect ,, I even saw that crap on a new Harley sportster I built,, geez what a drag Yep, I've been warning folks for years to stay clear of anything pre-2010. Gas prices were very high at the time and manufacturers were turning them out like cookies. Let's see what happens with Chinese makers now that many urban areas have banned motorcycles and scooters (and put a dent in domestic sales) while the better made Indian product is Challenging the Chinese worldwide. |
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Post by spandi on Jan 6, 2017 13:51:45 GMT -5
Great! I'm glad everything worked out so well.
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Post by spandi on Jan 6, 2017 7:39:49 GMT -5
I'd let the dealer at least look it over, it seems everyone is figuring the belt, but what if it's something more serious than that?
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Post by spandi on Jan 6, 2017 7:31:26 GMT -5
I guess this is why the domestic Chinese market is turning more and more to E-scooters....And the price of wanting to catch up to the rest of the industrialized world "overnight"
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Post by spandi on Jan 6, 2017 7:24:43 GMT -5
Unfortunately as they say, "The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long" And NO remakes will change how great the originals were, in music or the golden age of Hollywood film. (Time to put on an old Clark Gable picture)
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Post by spandi on Dec 27, 2016 8:37:18 GMT -5
Well its a done deal I was right the court ruled in my favor I fought this battle for all Indiana scooter riders didn't get any help from speedway scooters on 16st I did call and talk to Mike , So everything was dismissed I will in about a week sometime in January of next month will file a $80,000 lawsuit to make me whole again. See you soon officer Casper  Good for you. As one who has gone up against the police four times in court (and won a clean sweep) I can appreciate your victory. |
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Post by spandi on Dec 27, 2016 8:25:17 GMT -5
Hollywood squares and Bewitched? Gotta go with Paul.
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Post by spandi on Dec 27, 2016 8:19:13 GMT -5
Unfortunately I think that sooner or later the day of the (relatively) cheap Chinese scooter will come to a close. You might end up with lots of low quality scoots still being offered, but I think the more established "major" Chinese manufacturers will eventually up both the quality and price. But yes you're right, the scoots (with upgrades and some wrenching) have been a good value for the money and sure beat some of the more over-the-top prices being ask by other name brands
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Post by spandi on Dec 25, 2016 0:34:19 GMT -5
Like BMW in China before them, KYMCO will just train the workforce to turn out a higher quality product than the Run-of-the-mill Chinese scoots. That is what Piaggio did however they were committed to quality and kept they own engineers on-site to verify that their standards were being consistently met. They found that spot checking did not work and that they had to be a fully committed on-site partner not just a distant customer or only on-site after a problem had been detected. I saw the quality of the bikes the Chinese partners made under their house brand literally leap ahead in quality after their first years association with Piaggio. Oh I agree. But I'm wondering when sooner or later the Chinese "get it" (by being around major Western manufacturers and following their example if nothing else) and evolving like Hyundai did. |
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Post by spandi on Dec 25, 2016 0:28:54 GMT -5
What I'm going to find interesting is when Benelli bikes are penetrating the market. The Chinese will be using the designs of Italian engineers, modifying the designs to meet available metallurgy and production capabilities and sending the product off to the world. It will be even more interesting to see if the bikes are perceived as Italian or Chinese by the masses. Hmm, more like "Chitalian" perhaps? |
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Post by spandi on Dec 23, 2016 23:25:12 GMT -5
Like BMW in China before them, KYMCO will just train the workforce to turn out a higher quality product than the Run-of-the-mill Chinese scoots. |
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Post by spandi on Dec 23, 2016 23:08:32 GMT -5
Yep, this is our new "spot" from the old Scootdawg site... so welcome! Some neat machines you have there. I first saw the
Velux on an old episode of Top Gear (they had that and the BMW enclosed model It looks like you've already did some lengthened suspension mods on the back. Hope to see more pictures in the future. Good luck.
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Post by spandi on Nov 24, 2016 9:21:14 GMT -5
I can only tell you I'm on an SSR 250 scooter, but their reputation has always been better than the run-of-the-mill importers. If memory serves they are even sponsoring SSR racing teams.(BTW, I concur with Leo, thanks for sharing their latest product lineup.) BTW, keep in mind that another reason Chinese manufacturers are upping their game is competition (and up to now better quality) from India. |
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Post by spandi on Nov 24, 2016 9:10:22 GMT -5
No real surprise about this, I've been watching China's slow climb up the ladder for some time. They are simply following the already well trod path first cut by the Japanese. And I think the eventual outcome will be the same, with China dominatining the market and doing to Japan what Japan did to the US, British, and European motorcycle markets... namely eating their lunch.
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% or more of the problems associated with pre2010 Chinese scooters,,, poor machining and also very low quality metals,, bolts like butter , bad castings ,, ect ,, I even saw that crap on a new Harley sportster I built,, geez what a drag