Friday, January 18, 2008

Why buy Chinese?

Economics,
If you want a dual-purpose motorcycle, you can pay from $3500 to about $6000 for a small enduro motorcycle from the big four (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawaski) or about $1000 to $1600 for a Chinese bike.

In my state I have to pay 8.5% sales tax to license a new bike. That adds over $200 to the total price difference of the Japaneses and Chinese bikes.

Buying an inexpensive bike means not needing full coverage insurance on it. Insurance saving, lower personal property taxes, and lack of larger depreciation on a pricier bike means the saving in one year will be enough to pay for a Chinese bike compared to buying a Japanese bike.

Are they as well built as a Japanese bike? NO, but how many people really wear out a motorcycle. These are great starter bikes or just for basic transportation.

I will be using mine for basic transportation and even though my S-10 pickup get 25-29mpg, the fuel saving alone will help offset the purchase price.