Are there any reliable china-scoots yet?

[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.