Cheaper motorbike imports worry U.S. experts

[PeteSC]

Cheaper motorbike imports worry U.S. experts
Unwitting American bike consumers could find themselves taken for a ride
 Scooters and small motorcycles are now the hottest things on two wheels. But cheap imports from China are burning some would-be bikers, experts say.
Redux Pictures  

By Roland Jones
Business editor
MSNBC
Updated: 1:18 p.m. ET Oct. 7, 2005
 
 
With gasoline prices surging, motor scooters and small motorcycles are now the hottest things on two wheels. But with a flood of cheap bikes entering the U.S. market, experts warn that unwitting American consumers could soon find themselves taken for a ride.

Sales of scooters and other small motorbikes have been rising steadily over the past eight years, and they have accelerated over the last year or so as urban and suburbanite Americans have sought out cheaper ways to make quick trips and save on gasoline.

National statistics on recent scooter sales are not available, but an estimated 96,000 were sold in 2004, up from 25,000 in 1999 according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, a trade association. Motorcycle sales have been rising, too: An estimated 629,000 were sold in 2004, up from 354,000 in 1999 the association said.

These zippy rides certainly have their advantages. They are agile in city traffic, range in price from $1,000 to $6,000 and offer more cargo space than your average motorcycle. They also offer excellent gas mileage — sometimes as much as 100 miles per gallon.

But tempting as these rides may be, their growing popularity is leading some would-be bike riders astray, according to experts. Surging demand has led many manufacturers to import bikes as quickly and inexpensively as possible, and some U.S. businesses have imported vehicles that do not pass federal muster or meet emissions standards, they note.

These bikes cost far less than their law-abiding counterparts in the competitive U.S. market, and many of them are sold online, or through private importers, and they are so cheap they attract a novice consumer who is unlikely to know about scooters standards. Many U.S. consumers are left with non-roadworthy bikes and useless warranties.


 
“We’ve seen scooters for sale online that cost as little as $499, whereas an entry model from Yamaha or Honda will cost $1,700 or $1,800 and you know you’ll get authorized trained personnel available five or six days a week to help you with your bike,” said Tim Buche, president of the Motorcycle Industry Council. “So we understand the consumer is searching for a low price, but they’re not buying value.”

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned that strong interest among U.S. consumers for small motorcycles, marketed as scooters and dirt bikes, was leading some U.S. businesses have imported vehicles that do not meet basic emissions standards. The agency said it was working with border protection agents to tackle the illegal import problem at the door, investigating imports and distributors of scooter-type bikes.
Adair, attorney in the EPA’s Enforcement Office, said the agency noticed an influx of bikes from China in 2004 and began to investigate. The group found that many motorcycles were being described improperly as off-road vehicles, when the engine and safety equipment, such as head tail and brake lights, indicated they may be used on a highway even though under EPA rules those motorcycles sizes are not allowed on a highway.

“A lot of importers appear to be looking for ways to avoid compliance with our regulations, so we are enforcing tightened rules,” she said. “And new regulations in January 2006 will mean motorcycles have to comply with emission standards regardless of engine size.”

And the agency’s enforcement actions are having an impact, Adair adds. “The importers are coming forward and they are starting to comply with our regulations, but we are still acting to stop other importers.”



While some bikes importers from China are not playing by the rules, it’s important not to taint all Asian bike imports with the same brush, cautions Donald Brown, motorcycle analyst at DJB Associates in Irvine, Calif.

“Some of these bikes have not met federal Standards for use in the U.S., and that’s really not fair because the standards should be met by all importers and they are necessary to ensure the safety of motorcycle rides, and if they don’t meet those standards customers cannot be sure that they are relatively safe on the road,” Brown said.

“But Japanese brands like Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki are well established here in the United States and they have met federal standards and above for a long time,” he added.

Indeed, many scooters made in China, Korea and Taiwan are perfectly sound, notes Tim Buche of the Motorcycle Industry Council. “It’s just inappropriate behavior by some manufacturers, and we know the government is taking great strides to deal with them,” he said. “If you’re doing business in the United States, you need to comply with the rules.”

Buche also notes that there are important steps consumers can take to make sure the motorbikes they buy are in compliance with U.S. regulations. They should look for three labels on a vehicle — an emission control label, a noise emission control label and a vehicle identification label with a 17-character vehicle identification number, he said.

“This is usually stamped into head of the frame, near the triple clamp area, but we are seeing it’s lacking on some of the imports,” he said. “Some manufacturers etch them in and some make them up, but looking for them is a crucial component of anyone’s buying decision.”

[tacoman]

These no name bikes are popping up all over.  I look at these things and wonder how safe they are.  The components (brakes mainly) look real flimsy.  There's a local guy selling them and says they're remade Honda XR 250s.  He claims Honda's patent expired and now duplicates are being made.  He claims spare parts are readily available thru Parts Ultd.  There's no warranty though.  Is suppose its buyer beware, I'll stick with buying from the big 4.

[PeteSC]

Yeah, I'm not sure about the 'patent' stuff, but china has a real poor record of enforcing patent and royalty rights.
  I think the bikes are just copied, cloned, and cranked out....without much quality control, or effort to actually make the parts out of the correct material.    
  I guess the first time your 'Sonic Pigeon 50' scooter needs a simple part, that you can't get....the $699 price ain't worth it.
  There's probably some good stuff coming out of China, but it's gonna be hard to narrow it down.

[Red01]

It was a little bit of a hassle to get a new ECU for my Chinese Honda 50, as you may recall, but after a few days, I did find the part though, and it was ~75% cheaper than buying the part from Honda, which was the same except for the shape of the electrical connector.

There were a couple of other little quality control problems with it, too... like a factory installed cross-threaded spark plug and a misrouted throttle cable that made it rev up when you reached near full left lock.

[PeteSC]

Yeah, I guess the biggest factor is, Paul, would you want to ride a bike with the same level of construction and quality control on the street, assuming it were suitably sized, and legal.
  I think a couple of Chinese manufacturers will surface out of this flood of junque, and be here to stay, though.  They'll be like the Korean cars of 15 years ago, cheap, not very good, but eventually catch up to the Japanese quality.

[Red01]

Or the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers of the 1960's?

I remember when the first Suzukis I saw were sold in a Hardware & Sporting Goods store. The main difference was the Japanese wave of bikes were mostly unique (though some were close copies of British and German bikes in larger displacements)... the Chinese are mostly making copies of old Japanese stuff, not designing their own stuff. I suspect it won't be long until they're up to speed with clean sheet designs and world-class quality - just like Hyundai.

[PeteSC]

Hyundai, who'd a thunk it?
  I thought they'd be permanently stuck in the ranks of 'joke' cars, like the LeCar, Yugo, Edsel, Gremlin, Pacer.........

[Red01]

I thought so too from their poor start, but they've made some decent strides to raise themselves from the company of the likes of Yugo...

[Desolation Angel]

I hate to see us doing business with a communist dictatorship at all.

I would have much preferred to help them maintain Third World status, rather than assisting in their advancement.

[tacoman]

For short local trips on the street I suppose Chinese bikes will suffice, with AAA and a cell phone break downs aren't a big deal .  I don't think I'd be too quick to take the off road models.  Nothing worse than bike failure way out in the boonies, especially when its getting late and you're wet.