Chinese 125s…dirt cheap, but are they any good?

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  • #14740
    Radar
    Moderator

    I have often wondered just how good or bad these seriously cheap 125s that are constantly advertised on ebay are? Surely they can’t be that bad if they can take the kind of abuse that we see meeted out to them on the telly when news reports come from China. Even the sodding Taliban use them!

    I got close to buying a cheapie just out of curiosity, but I just cannot justify blowing several hundred quid on a whim

    So about a year ago I wrote to BIKE magazine suggesting that they buy a cheap self assembly 125 from ebay and run it. Tpo my surprise this is exactly what they have done! I doubt it is in response to my email but I will follow the story with great interest.

    They one they chose was a £695 Yamasaki (not a misprint) which looks to be a Honda CG125 copy with cast wheels, a disc brake and rev counter to jazz things up a bit!

    HPIM1412.jpg
    The Yamasaki 125

    Should you be tempted there is a built up ex Demo on ebay!

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EX-DEMO-YAMASAKI-YM125-3-Commuter-motorcycle-Chinese-copy-CG125-/370639967037?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item564bdd133d

    #64083
    ses310
    Moderator

    Be interesting to see how it goes

    #64084
    imperialdata
    Keymaster

    Lol, Yamasaki. If I had seen it on the road I’d have taken a picture of the badge!  Looks OK but time will tell eh?

    Anyway, I’m off to register the name “Honduki” before anyone gets in first….

    #64085
    Gix
    Participant

    just bought a brand new lexmoto valencia 125 for my sister, has good reviews and comes with 3 year warranty, is lexmoto chinese? was cheap but in the flesh looks quite “substantial”

    #64086
    Radar
    Moderator

    Lexmoto are Chinese.

    I would be interesting in hearing how she gets on with it. Our daughter (Zippy) will most probably going to a 125 next year

    #64087
    slim
    Participant

    We get these damn things in the shop all the time, the bain of my life  :(

    Build quality is very poor on the best of them, have a look at a year old one next time you see one at the side of the road & you will see what i mean, electrics are a real issue on them all & a mare to sort out as they seem to use whatever lying around, chrome falls off, engines go pop if used with any vigour.

    lexmoto are the best of a bad bunch but even then they are only any good if you treat them as disposable, just like a razor use & throw away.

    #64088
    Gix
    Participant

    got 3 yr unlimited warranty…..picking it up tomorrow.

    Its gotta be better than the Yiben that she has, its 4 years old, looks mint but she only did 500ish miles on it, elecs are shite out of the factory and it had a starting problem, saying that, it was a cheap and easy fix once we sorted out what the problem was, and the parts were cheap and easy to source new and second hand. Now starts and runs lovely but its only a 50cc, being passed on to her daughter when she turns 16 in april, its got a few years life left in it yet!

    #64089
    Radar
    Moderator

    How did you get on? Is it any good?

    #64090
    Gix
    Participant

    done a topic on it Radar :-)

    #64091
    Scouser
    Participant

    There a Pulse adreneline for sale in the classifieds

    #64092
    Radar
    Moderator

    The Yamasaki at BIKE has now covered 112 miles and they seem to like it. Some initial niggles though, a drain screw from the carb went astray imobolising the bike.

    Motor Cycle Monthly (Oct 2012 edition) have tested 3 more Chinese 125s and gave reasonably positive reviews of all three.

    Zonte Panther £1499+OTR: http://www.zontes.co.uk
    Mota Roma SK125 £1499 http://www.barrus.co.uk
    SYM Wolf SB125N £2399 http://www.symuk.co.uk

    They seemed to favour the Zonte

    #64093
    Radar
    Moderator

    Well the Yamaski has featured in BIKEagain this month. Up at 360 miles and they are using to compete in Bike Gymkanas now!

    #64094
    HippoDrones
    Participant

    one of the chaps in our 125hundred race series has got a Chinese bike for his stead, he has practically had to do a nut and bolt rebuild on it even tho it only has 1000ish miles…. that was mainly to stop more bits falling off and lube up other bits that were dry, he seems happy with it tho as a commuter so far. Will have to see how it stands up to our abuse when the 125hundred race season kicks off next spring :D

    #64095
    Radar
    Moderator

    Yeah it will, be good to follow the series in general

    #64096
    Radar
    Moderator

    Well there was another brief update on the Yanasaki in BIKE this month and it is still holding together ok.

    When at the bike show recently with Ses and Champs we checked out the WK650i GT and while it loked pretty good from 15ft actually up close a lot of the detail finish still had a way to go.

    However I have just read about the new Suzuki 250 in BIKE aimed at commuter, and the ‘Japanese’ bike is actually built in China.

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