Are there any reliable china-scoots yet?

[thumper650]

Originally Posted by kz1000st

I can't get an answer where this is built. Either China or Vietnam according to some.
.

I rented one in 08, I think, the label said made in China, and there was a sticker inside the trunk that said "NO PETS"

It was a great scoot. Seemed very well made, don't really know because I only had it for a day.

[kz1000st]

I know the 2008 Piaggio Fly 150 was built by Zongshen, after that it's a mystery. The engine is built in Taiwan to Vespa specs and sent to the factory that's building the rest. I assumed that it was still being built in China but Dave Harrington seems to feel they may have moved it to Vietnam. I'll presume it's Chinese built until some article contradicts me. I sent an inquiry to Piaggio USA but they refused to reply.

[jdikov]

I have been speaking to a few of my dealers recently and have heard that there are quite a few of our 50cc ZNEN built Motorino scooters out there that have over 20,000 miles on them and are still going strong. No major work had to be done on any of them, they just had proper regular maintenance. And as far as parts we always have all the replacement parts for these scooters. The other nice thing about the ZNENs is that there are a number of distributors in the US so if one of us does go out of business you will still have parts available.

Would love to hear from more ZNEN owners who have high miles on their scoots. For the money they are about the best China built scoot out there.

[kz1000st]

I didn't keep it long but I owned a Lance Charming by Znen. I was surprised by the difference between it and my 150cc Bashan. The body panels were more solid, the valves were easier to adjust and the controls were even better material. It rolled along at 35 mph with ease and climbed hills without blinking. My garage was too full at the time or I would have kept it. High mileage 50cc stories have been around for years and their engines seem to be their strong point.

[rachhoyt]

It seemed to me in reading through this thread that information about the Lance scooters is not entirely accurate. None of the new SYM made Lance scooters are made in China. Only the Lance models made in 2009 and prior were made in China (and not by SYM). The current models are a big step up in quality and it is much harder to find parts for a Chinese made Lance vs. a SYM Lance scooter.

I recommend staying away from Chinese made models (other than possibly the Kymko Like or Agility). If you are going to buy a Chinese made bike, make sure you know who is willing to service it first and where you will buy parts from. Kymko parts generally take a minimum of three weeks to acquire. Parts for the Chinese made Lances can be hard to come by as well and often you cannot use the parts from the new SYM made Lance scooters in a Chinese made Lance. And, there are many shops out there who won't work on any Chinese made bikes because they're afraid other items will break while they are working on the bike (due to weak metal, etc.) and that they'll be responsible for fixing it at no cost.

[kz1000st]

Sorry, but you're wrong. Lance scooters by SYM are made in China with enough Taiwanese parts to be titled with "R" VIN numbers. No discussion, it's fact. I've spoken with a dealer who confirmed it.

Pre-SYM Lances by Znen were a mixed bag but they had dealer backing and many attained long life and big miles. The dealer backed Znen scoots today rival many more expensive scooters for quality. Parts are plentiful and reasonably priced. Low quality is arguable and if you look down you'll see I have enough miles to know what I'm talking about.

[kz1000st]

I just had this subject cleared up for me by way of the Piaggio Fly 150

You're right. The ZAP (World Manufacturer Identifier) part is Italy, and the position numeral 4 is the plant location, and in this case it is China. 5 is Italy.

Here is a link to a letter from Piaggio to the NHTSA. Not the easiest to read (quality). The italian is easy enough to figure out. It gives the answers to many VIN questions (especially as they relate to Piaggio/Vespa).

ftp://safercar.gov/MfrMail/ORG2211.pdf

http://modernvespa.com/forum/topic134940

As you see a manufacturer's home location is the important thing in VIN numbers not local content. Chinese built SYMs, Lance, Tomos and all the other Taiwanese designated SYMs are only Taiwanese in name only. They're built in China the same as Tao Tao, Bashan and Znen. Yes, the specs are more precise but the metal is the same.