250cc scooters
- Thread starter Jarlaxle
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Linhai/Yamaha
The superlong alpha-numeric designation leads me to believe the one you are looking at is a Roketa or BMS. Not an actual Linhai.
The 260 Yamaha design is basically good. It has Delphi (or a PRoC copy) Fuel injection, well designed suspension and frame...etc...
If you are willing to tinker a bit with it, and get one that is not fundamentally flawed from the start, you could get a good service life from one. But it's a Chinese scooter. It's a gamble.
The superlong alpha-numeric designation leads me to believe the one you are looking at is a Roketa or BMS. Not an actual Linhai.
The 260 Yamaha design is basically good. It has Delphi (or a PRoC copy) Fuel injection, well designed suspension and frame...etc...
If you are willing to tinker a bit with it, and get one that is not fundamentally flawed from the start, you could get a good service life from one. But it's a Chinese scooter. It's a gamble.
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A used Honda or Yamaha is better than a new Chinese piece of junk. So used Chinese junk? Barely worth their weight in scrap metak.
I don't know if I'd trust it for a machine that could leave you stranded far from home. It may be a copied design but it likely uses lots of cheapened materials ans esp cheap bearings. At least that has been my experience with knock off quads and dirt bikes.
Well, I did say that Chinese scooters are a gamble.
You could get one manufactured in a modern facility with Yamaha (or Honda) QC checks in place or it could be machined and assembled in some tin shed dirt floor "factory"
At least with the GY6 150cc scooters, parts are readily availiable and even with substantial markups, they are still super cheap. Can't say that as much about the 260 Linhai/Yamaha.
I would probably lean more towards a Honda Elite250/Helix engine knockoff just because of the parts availiablity. You can get cheap Chinese parts for those, not nearly as easily as GY6 parts, but you can get them and if not, Honda parts interchange
You could get one manufactured in a modern facility with Yamaha (or Honda) QC checks in place or it could be machined and assembled in some tin shed dirt floor "factory"
At least with the GY6 150cc scooters, parts are readily availiable and even with substantial markups, they are still super cheap. Can't say that as much about the 260 Linhai/Yamaha.
I would probably lean more towards a Honda Elite250/Helix engine knockoff just because of the parts availiablity. You can get cheap Chinese parts for those, not nearly as easily as GY6 parts, but you can get them and if not, Honda parts interchange
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Your learned and detailed rebuttal is truly informative!
Wait, no, it was a one-liner devoid of thought.
Note: new Hondas & Yamahas are built in China
They are also held to strict Honda specifications. They aren't sold new claiming warranty by fly by night dealer. I have seen a dozen such dealers come and go in the past 5-6 years offering $1000 Chinese scooters. The shops don't seem to even stay a year's total time so there's no way to even claim warranty work.
A used Honda or Yamaha is better than a new Chinese no name or unknown brand piece of junk
Want me to go more in depth? Alright then.
They barely last a few thousand miles. They tend to leave important fasteners off, don't assemble things correctly in the engine and at times have very poor quality bearings. It is not uncommon that people who do buy the cheap junk bikes have to do a complete tear down and rebuild of the engine to fix the problems.
As if that isn't enough, many that hit fly by night stores that sell them, are selling them as street legal and registrable in the US when they aren't due to VIN problems.
http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/article/penndot-stops-deliveries-chinese-bikes
I recall some years ago that other states did the same. It had to do with the NHTSA.
If you don't want Honda or Yamaha for some crazy reason, consider a Kymco. I have heard they are very good quality. They are Taiwan made and tend to be sold by well established dealers. The local Kymco dealer shop here is a 50+ year old marine and powersports dealer. They sell Kawasaki vehicles, Genuine scooters, etc.
Your learned and detailed rebuttal is truly informative!
Wait, no, it was a one-liner devoid of thought.
Note: new Hondas & Yamahas are built in China
They are also held to strict Honda specifications. They aren't sold new claiming warranty by fly by night dealer. I have seen a dozen such dealers come and go in the past 5-6 years offering $1000 Chinese scooters. The shops don't seem to even stay a year's total time so there's no way to even claim warranty work.
A used Honda or Yamaha is better than a new Chinese no name or unknown brand piece of junk
Want me to go more in depth? Alright then.
They barely last a few thousand miles. They tend to leave important fasteners off, don't assemble things correctly in the engine and at times have very poor quality bearings. It is not uncommon that people who do buy the cheap junk bikes have to do a complete tear down and rebuild of the engine to fix the problems.
As if that isn't enough, many that hit fly by night stores that sell them, are selling them as street legal and registrable in the US when they aren't due to VIN problems.
http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/article/penndot-stops-deliveries-chinese-bikes
I recall some years ago that other states did the same. It had to do with the NHTSA.
If you don't want Honda or Yamaha for some crazy reason, consider a Kymco. I have heard they are very good quality. They are Taiwan made and tend to be sold by well established dealers. The local Kymco dealer shop here is a 50+ year old marine and powersports dealer. They sell Kawasaki vehicles, Genuine scooters, etc.
Even if the Chinese scooter is well made, the big question is whether the distributor will stock spare parts, and if they'll be around years into the future. If not, consider the scooter disposable.
A local shop will work on the scooters only for regular customers. They charge the customer to disassemble the scooter and diagnose the problem. They then give the customer back a box of pieces and tell them to return if they ever find the repair parts.
A local shop will work on the scooters only for regular customers. They charge the customer to disassemble the scooter and diagnose the problem. They then give the customer back a box of pieces and tell them to return if they ever find the repair parts.
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Even if the Chinese scooter is well made, the big question is whether the distributor will stock spare parts, and if they'll be around years into the future. If not, consider the scooter disposable...
That's just one of the drawbacks of the Linhai/Yamaha 260
If it's a GY6 150 scooter, you can get powertrain parts. Stock pistons are $10-$20. Bare cylinder head is $50-$75. Whole engine/CVT replacements are $300-$500. You can get big-bore kits, carburetors, exhausts, rectifiers, ignitions, variators....everything that makes that scooter go from many different companies. People race scooters in other countries (and territories like Puerto Rico) There are tons of parts for the Honda GY6 design.
I don't recall seeing nearly as much for the Linhai/Yamaha. Quick search found this:
Martin Racing Yamaha/Linhai 260
Looks like mostly variator parts.
Even if the Chinese scooter is well made, the big question is whether the distributor will stock spare parts, and if they'll be around years into the future. If not, consider the scooter disposable...
That's just one of the drawbacks of the Linhai/Yamaha 260
If it's a GY6 150 scooter, you can get powertrain parts. Stock pistons are $10-$20. Bare cylinder head is $50-$75. Whole engine/CVT replacements are $300-$500. You can get big-bore kits, carburetors, exhausts, rectifiers, ignitions, variators....everything that makes that scooter go from many different companies. People race scooters in other countries (and territories like Puerto Rico) There are tons of parts for the Honda GY6 design.
I don't recall seeing nearly as much for the Linhai/Yamaha. Quick search found this:
Martin Racing Yamaha/Linhai 260
Looks like mostly variator parts.
I had an 86 Helix with a trike kit and loved it. Now wish I had kept it and gotten a 6ft wide trailer to pull it behind my motorhome. I didn't want to have to pull a trailer but ended up with one anyway. I have a 2007 Vino 125 and I like it okay. Not as well as the 250 trike but it serves me well. I feel more comfortable on it on 2 wheels than I did the Helix due to it's size and weight.
I may trike my Vino 125 some day too since I just really like having a trike.
I may trike my Vino 125 some day too since I just really like having a trike.
Originally Posted By: bigdreama
Well I have been on two wheels for most of my life and you ask a very timely question. I bought a 2001 Honda Helix just yesterday!
This is my first scooter and I would not consider a Chinese model.
Cool, a recumbent scooter :^) Those are nice. My uncle rode motorcycles all his life, and has a scooter now because he can't get on a regular bike any more, where he can step into the scooter. I can see one of those in my future. Some of them will really go.
Well I have been on two wheels for most of my life and you ask a very timely question. I bought a 2001 Honda Helix just yesterday!
This is my first scooter and I would not consider a Chinese model.
Cool, a recumbent scooter :^) Those are nice. My uncle rode motorcycles all his life, and has a scooter now because he can't get on a regular bike any more, where he can step into the scooter. I can see one of those in my future. Some of them will really go.
Due to the unknown quality of the cloned parts and replacement parts issues, Id avoid any 2 wheeled chinese bike. You do not want to get stuck with an orphan bike you cant get stuff for later on.
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