Simple Question

 Simple question.  Is the Suzuki DR-200SE, or other similarly-priced
dual-sport bikes, worth THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE than this bike?
($4,199 vs. $1,199).

Granted, the Suzuki and other name-brand manufacturers are better
machines but the only question here is are they worth 3 1/2 times as
much?

Therefore, would this not be a good choice for the CASUAL, INFREQUENT
rider who is not interested in rough off-road use or riding in a lot
of busy city traffic?

Stan

http://www.bestpriceatvs.com/product.php?productid 217&cat%0&page=1

 
Why, yes. Yes, it is worth 3 large more.

DDave

 NO, a Suzuki DR200 is NOT worth 3X more then a Lifan. But it's not the
bike you are paying more for. Nor are you paying more for the name
Suzuki. What you are paying for is a bunch of stuffed suit Engineers
sitting in the Research & Development Department making $100K a year.
The Lifan Company doesn't have a R&D Dept. Everything they produce is
copied (stolen) from other companies that spent years, and millions of
dollars designing motorcycles. A DR200 probably costs $700 or so to
make. That includes labor, machining and materials. What makes it cost
$4000 is overhead. Is the Suzuki a better, higher quality motorcycle
then that Lifan? I'm sure it is. But you ask a very good question. Is it
3X better? I say no.

Besides motorcycles, my hobby is firearms. I used to shoot conventional
and standard pistol before I shattered my right collar bone in a
motorcycle race. I now can no longer hold up a pistol for any length of
time, but I can still twist a throttle. Anyhow, there is a Chinese
company that makes clones of the Colt M1911A1. The quality of the early
made China clone M1911's was every bit as good as Colt's. The Chinese
clone pistol cost less then $400 new. The Colt cost $1000. Is the Colt
worth twice that of the early Chinese pistols? No, it sure isn't. But
the same things applies. You're paying for all of the R&D of the Colt.
Not just the M1911A1, but all of Colt's engineering dept. The China
company doesn't have R&D, they copied a Colt.

Back in the mid to late '60's when the Japanise bikes hit the US market,
they got bad mouthed just like the Chinese bikes are right now. The
first wave of Jap bikes were junk, just like the first wave of China
bikes were. But the China quality is improving, just like the Jap
quality did in the early '70's. Give those China companies a few more
years, and they will be right up there with the Jap bikes.

Remember, it was Japan that bombed Pearl Harbor, not China. But by
buying bikes from China, you could be supporting the next country that
bombs the USA. Six of one, half dozen of the other. Support someone that
already bombed the US, or support someone that may. It's up to the
individual I guess.

 On Feb 28, 5:17 pm, AWR7MM...@webtv.net (Mike Corey) wrote:

THEN WHY SHOULD WE SUPPORT THEIR 100K A YEAR HABIT?

The Lifan Company doesn't have a R&D Dept. Everything they produce is

AND THAT WAS THE ONLY QUESTION.  OF COURSE, I AGREE TOTALLY THAT THE
SUZUKI IS A BETTER MOTORCYCLE BUT THAT IS SIMPLY NOT THE POINT OF THE
QUESTION.  I HAVE OWNED SUZUKIS, I LIKED THEM, BUT NOT EVERYONE NEEDS
TO HAVE THE BEST BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE USES A PRODUCT THAT DEMANDS IT
TO BE THE BEST.  LOGICAL.


I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT NAME BRAND FIREARMS.  I HAVE OWNED AND
FREQUENTLY FIRED TAURUS AND ROSSI HANDGUNS AND STEVENS RIFLES.  THOSE
TAURUS AND ROSSI SHOT JUST AS ACCURATELY AND WERE JUST AS DURABLE AS
ANY SMITH, COLT, ETC. AND THE STEVENS OUT OF THE BOX WAS MORE
ACCUIRATE THAN ANY WINCHESTER OR REMINGTON I'VE SHOT.

HOWEVER, SOME FOLKS ARE REALLY HUNG UP ON THE WHOLE "NAME BRAND THING"
AND DON'T REALIZE THAN JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING COSTS MORE HAS NOTHING
TO DO WITH ITS INCREASE IN QUALITY SINCE, AS STATED ABOVE, MUCH OF
THAT EXTRA COSTS GOES TO THINGS OTHER THAN THE PRODUCTION OF THE
PRODUCT.


COULD BE TRUE.  ONCE AGAIN, I AM NOT PROMOTING CHINESE BIKES, SIMPLY
EXPLORING ALTERNATIVES IN CONSUMERISM.

SB

   Stan try to find a replacement part for the bike lets say a radiator
shroud.  Guys have posted on here about those bikes before and the
difficulty, actually the impossibility of finding a replacement part.  This
was after the low quality machine broke with in the first few rides.
Remember you get what you pay for.

   If you find a vendor for replacement parts I would like you to post it
here as many have looked.  A dirtbike will require replacement parts.

                     Rex McKinney