Chinese Bikes: What to Buy
WE GO TO THE EAST
In recent months, we can see with our own eyes that Russian bikers have had to deal with the post-sanction increase in the cost of motorcycle products and the disappearance of familiar brands. Yes, in the foreseeable future, there will definitely not be fresh models of bikes from BMW and Harley-Davidson in Russia.
This is, of course, sad, but as long as the personal bike is in good condition and rides briskly, then the problems with the ban on deliveries are not too touching.
Who really should tear their hair out of their heads is those who planned to buy a brand new imported motorcycle in the summer-autumn of 2023 and saved up some money for it, but he took it and soared in price. Yes, so that no savings are enough.
In this case, we can advise you to take a closer look at what Chinese motorcycle manufacturers offer. They do not break prices, they do not refuse to work with Russia yet. Perhaps now it is worth investing in the “Chinese”, because it is not clear what will happen in a year in the motorcycle market, as well as with your business or work. Those. whether you can pull the purchase if you postpone it for a long time.
The review will consider the best, in my opinion, Chinese bikes in different segments.
CHINESE CHOPPERS
THE FASTEST
Made in the image and likeness of the Yamaha Virago XV 400, the Stels 400 Cruiser embodies the qualities inherent in the original – speed and acceleration. If we compare Stealth with other Chinese equipped with a 400 cubic centimeter engine, then competitors will definitely not surpass Stealth in accelerating from standstill to 100 km. per hour, since it will take him about 6 seconds.
But that is not all. With its weight of 160 kg. Stels 400 Cruiser manages to accelerate to 140 km. at one o’clock. And this is only according to the factory documentation. It is not known to what extent the bikers put the arrow on Stealth’s speedometer, since it is not equipped with an automatic speed limiter.
The real pain of a motorcycle is the brakes. It is especially terrible that the high-spirited bike is equipped with a drum brake system on the rear wheel, since it is ineffective with such engine power.
Another impressive plus of the bike is that the torque on it is transmitted from the engine to the rear wheel using a cardan drive. Cardan, of course, weighs more than a chain, but requires less dancing with a tambourine during maintenance, it does not need to be lubricated and tightened often.
A few words about economy. The motorcycle consumes 100 km. way no more than 4 liters of 92nd gasoline. Even in the case of aggressive driving, consumption increases slightly, up to 5 liters. So Stealth will not cause a serious blow to your budget.
And last but not least. The shortened wheelbase inherited from the 400 Viraga, along with narrow factory tires, makes it difficult to keep a straight course when riding on a flat track, the bike will wobble a little. Fortunately, this “disease” does not affect the ability to maneuver and enter turns.
CHINESE HARLEY DAVIDSON
The Chinese wouldn’t be Chinese if they didn’t try to make at least one Harley-Davidson replica. And they have one very successful Harley Davidson SPORTSTER Light in their collection .
He turned out not to be a heavyweight, only 142 kg. Therefore, it reacts to the turns of the throttle stick very cheerfully and dynamically, demonstrating a good acceleration time. The braking system is the same as the “Chinese” of the same price category – no hydraulics, just good old discs and drums.
With dopas that come with the motorcycle, it is sparse: only protective arcs and a backrest for the rear passenger.
But other disadvantages are offset by the true Harley appearance. After all, Harley-Davidsons are bought precisely for their symbolism, for the embodiment of the quintessence of the biker spirit in them, right?
LIFAN LF250 CRUISER – RELIABILITY FOR LITTLE MONEY
A bike from Lifan is perhaps one of the best options for the city. It is not as massive as many of its counterparts, so you can easily maneuver in heavy traffic on it.
Lifan LF250 Cruiser – agile, economical and unpretentious Chinese bike
Add to that the durability and reliability that the bike got from its Japanese progenitor, the Yamaha Virago XV 250, and the cool 80s retro design. of the last century, we get a good option that should be considered as a potential purchase.
But that’s not all. It is impossible not to mention the amazing frugality of the bike in terms of fuel consumption, only 2.4 liters per hundred square meters, and with aggressive driving – no more than 3.5 liters.
I found only two serious minuses: the lack of an oil filter, the role of which is played by the mesh (there are many problems with it during maintenance) and bad rear drum brakes.
TOURING BIKES MADE IN CHINA
The CFMOTO 800 MT Touring is a true masterpiece of the Chinese motorcycle industry among touring motorcycles, which may be of interest to fans of long and long journeys.
The motorcycle is almost perfect in everything, namely:
Engineers made him a ferocious appearance, resembling in profile either a kite or a hawk. The place at the front of the bike, reminiscent of a beak, is beautifully emphasized by the included LEDs.
It is equipped with various options aimed at creating and maintaining comfort during the trip: a color display instead of the instrument panel, sensors that monitor tire pressure, heated seats and steering wheel, hand guards on the steering wheel, quickshifters that allow you to forget about depressing the clutch during shifting gears.
In terms of technical equipment, the bike is also good. What is only liquid cooling of the motor, hydraulics on the brakes from the top manufacturer J. Juan , reinforced with Continental ABS . The 800 cc engine is capable of accelerating the motorcycle to a decent 195 km. at one o’clock.
