If you’re looking to learn about motorcycle mechanics and you want to start off with a rather simple machine in terms of mechanicals and electrical, then buying a new or used Chinese motorbike might just be the best thing you can do.
For years, Chinese branded bikes have been laughed at by many sections of the motorcycle community. They were smeared with the stench of ‘Cheap Crap’, unreliable and useless. Poor imitations of Japanese and would rust within months and likely breakdown within weeks.
There may have been some truth to that and yes there are still economical parts utilised on new bikes too, however much of the problems of the older Chinese bikes were also due to poor maintenance and usage from rider owners too.
They were seen as starter learner bikes, so many were used in all conditions by young riders who know little about preventative maintenance or even how to fix simple issues. However as the quality of production has improved, so has the ability to be able to get replacement parts for these bikes too.
In fact the parts are so plentiful either used or new that they are a dream to source…and they are really inexpensive too.
The engineering is usually not overly complicated and the beauty of these bikes is that the retail outlets selling the parts also have online diagrams and instructions on how to replace and fix parts too…let alone the likes of YouTube which is always a good place to start too for gathering information and how to videos.
These bikes may require fixing or maintaining on a regular basis so they are perfect to learn about the basics of fixing them too. And the beauty of this process is that the cost to do so and learn on the job will not break the bank either.
Teenage friends together or parent and child can easily tackle these mechanical and electrical tasks and learn from those who have already identified weak links and have found solutions too. Whichever way you look at this, it is a great way to build up knowledge about how these bikes work, when they might go wrong and how to get them fixed up for future rides too.
I could not recommend them more highly. Even though they have the detractors and many will scoff at them, the fact is they are so much cheaper to buy, run and fix…that it makes them the number one choice for young riders and those on limited size wallets…just adjust your reasoning and expectations and you might just be surprised at what a great learning experience these can be and how much fun you’ll have too.
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