Cheap Motorcycles and Scooters – Are they Cheap?
Buyer Beware, Quality and Price are Linked
May 9, 2009
With the cost of gasoline getting high, and a world wide recession making things harder still, commuters have been buying inexpensive motorcycles and scooters from a number of suppliers. Most of the machines have been made in China.
One Third of the Price
While these machines are available at almost a third of the price of their Japanese, or European, equivalent, the quality of manufacture, the materials used and the spares back-up leaves some customers wishing they had spent more money and purchased a well known, and proven brand.
Compounding these problems, and seizing the opportunity to make a quick buck, a number of inexperienced dealers have taken to supplying these machines, primarily via internet sales. Although buying a machine from an on-line store may well save money over a local dealer, the customer must be aware that they will need some basic mechanical knowledge and ability.
Pre Delivery Inspection
A dealer of Japanese or European manufactured motorcycles will employ trained technicians to complete a thorough PDI (pre delivery inspection). These inspections are the final check of the manufacturing process, and a competent dealer will occasionally find incorrectly assembled or damaged parts during the PDI. The machines were, after all, built mainly by humans and error can, and do, occur.
With a machine purchased from an on-line company, the PDI will be the responsibility of the new owner. The machine will be delivered in a crate directly to the purchaser, who must then assemble the machine and undertake the PDI.
Assembly of the Motorcycle or Scooter
Self-assembly of cheap imports will typically consist of the following steps:
- Removing the machine from a packing crate
- Fitting the front wheel into the telescopic fork assembly
- Fitting the handlebars
- Assembling and fitting the handlebar switch assemblies
- Fitting the side or center stands – sometimes both
- Attaching the seat
- Fitting foot rests
- Fitting the battery – often times requiring the customer to add diluted sulfuric acid, then charging with a low rate charger (typically two amps per hour)
- Changing the engine and/or gearbox oils
- Bleeding the brakes
- Setting the tire pressures
- Fitting number plates
- Assembling and fitting the headlight and instruments
In addition to the assembly, the owner must complete a full wrench check; that is, every nut and bolt that can be accessed by a wrench, must be checked for tightness. In some cases, a torque wrench will be needed to ensure the correct tightness – over or under tightened nuts and bolts can be equally dangerous.
Four Hours to Build and PDI
For someone with basic mechanical knowledge and a reasonably well equipped tool box, the assembly process (and PDI) can be performed in about four hours. However, if the new owner has any doubts about his or her ability to perform the required tasks, they must enlist the help of a trained professional; the safety of the owner and other road users can be at risk if the mechanical work is not done correctly.
Motorcycling is still one of the great transportation pleasures, and can be an economical form of transport too. But safety is of the up most importance; the highway is not the place to discover that the front wheel has not been fitted properly, for instance!
Readers are strongly advised to research both the brand and the supplier (particularly on-line distributers) before making a purchase, if it sounds too good to be true . . .
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