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There are many choices and when it come to dollars the Italian bikes during the annual incentives come pretty close to the same cost as the Chinese bikes during the first few years of ownership. I went from a Lance/Znen 150 that got me 50 to 60 mpg to an Italian 250 with efi that gives me 70 to 80 mpg. The Italian bike did cost $2,999 at a local dealer however that was only a few hundred more than a Chinese 250 cost at a local dealer. The cost of the Italian bike was less than 20% more than the Chinese bikes available locally which ranged from $2,599 to $2,799 and it came with a full parts and labor warranty with a local dealer to back it up and a parent company with a support and training center in the US to back-up the dealer and arbitrate for you if the dealer messed up.
The difference sitting on the bike is like night and day compared to my old Znen. Some get emotional about these things however for me it is all in the math. Only a few hundred more invested and thousand less in overall time and maintenance. More time on the road and less in the garage so that I ride about 360 days a year with only occasionaly trips to the dealer for a few hours every now and then for things like specials on tires mounted and balances or free services. 14,000 miles so far of no-problems and no-worries.
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