Chinese adventure bike - Shineray XY400GY

In S.E Asia, where I live; when a Chinese bike breaks we fit a Honda genuine (usually) spare part to it's cloned Chinese engine.

They can be quite good bikes, these Shinerays.

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Something I found from dealernews.com

BMW Taps KYMCO
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BMW's forthcoming G 450 X enduro is powered by an engine sourced from Taiwan's Kwang Yang Motor Co. Ltd. (KYMCO).

Although developed by BMW, the 449cc single-cylinder DOHC four-stroke engine powering the model is manufactured by KYMCO in Kaoshiung, Taiwan, then shipped to BMW's motorcycle production facility in Berlin.

"We and our partners developed a dedicated production line for this product that will deliver all of the processes and strict quality controls that have come to be expected from BMW," explains Peter M

The list is far larger than Mr Honda, lots of national pride in Japan. China is all about $$ as evident in their willingness to compromise quality to make a buck. No, there's very little to compare with the Japanese. I've yet to see a uniquely designed (100%) MC made by them. It's not for lack of talent, there's lots of very smart engineers coming out of China.

You'd think they've used enough of everyone else's castings that they'd have come up with a few models that are 100% Chinese. I guess it's not a priority for them. If you guys know of any, shoot me a link, I'd be really interested in seeing them.

Where can I buy the G450X BMW now?
Hasn't BMW stopped production after a short one or two year production run?

LONCIN produces the 650cc engine (BMW) in the Chongqing plant and thats in deepest Mainland China as far as i know......
Furthermore LONCIN sells a 650cc thumper bike with the same engine only in Mainland China due to restrictions by BMW on export.

Hence KTM still using carbs on their Dakar/Baja bikes.

Fixing plugged injectors in the field is a race loser.

What? The early Datsuns and Toyotas were reliable as ugly little bricks could be.
They didnt fall apart like these Chinese clankers.

Shineray makes 250cc MX knockoffs too. While these bikes look cool, I wouldn't feel comfortable jumping on a brand new one and taking a 100 mile solo trip.

The new KTM Dakar bikes are injected.

I was thinking of a Chinese bike then I found the MyChinaMoto site and decide not to. The MCM forum members aren't all that enthusiastic about their Chinese bikes.

They are all probably frustrated and discussing mysterious issues they are having with the china bikes. As I stated before, I had one and it was a POS. Buy right or buy twice. I have to check out that site.

china is very capable of making whatever quality of product they desire. They have access to any manufacturing process and raw material they need (heck, they buy all our steel up). For some reason, when left to their own devices ( as apposed to building to the standards imposed upon them by a client) , they chose to produce sub-par machines. Yeah, maybe not 100% of the time and maybe not in every market; but, here quite a bit. Its not based on any particular prejudice. That's just my personal, over time evaluation. However, they still sell goobs of the stuff, and I'm sure it is quite profitable for them, throw away or not. Probably more so than if they were of higher quality, no doubt, because no one else is really in the bargain-basement, sold out of the back of a truck, buy a whole conex box full market. All their bikes that I have seen are fifty-footers at best. They look good in a pic or from a distance, but upon closer inspection, they just look cheap. I'm sure there is someone that will say there's has been fabulous, or whatever.....

Sorry foot dragger I was perhaps not to clear in my post, it was the body work on them that let them down, over here we use lots and lots of salt over the winter and they would fall apart right in front of you, mechanicaly they where fine.

Warning: The following post may SOUND racist but I don't think it is. I do admit to being frustrated while at the same time genuinely caring about all races!

My biggest frustration on these issues is Americans and how they foolishly spend their money. Possibly other first world countries as well but I'm not qualified to comment on that. The Chinese are committed to producing low quality products that will ensure that the jobs to produce them continue to be needed and American as a whole is a slave to their own marketing and what they perceive to be a "good deal."

I'm a white American with a Japanese wife and lots of Japanese family. I've lived in Malaysia for the past 12 years or so which has 25% ethnic Chinese by population who own 90% of the business and 95% of the manufacturing.

First off there is no comparison between the Japanese and the Chinese. Similar to Dutch and Germans, the Japanese have a high commitment to excellence in their work and product as seen in groups such as the samurai. If Americans didn't like the aesthetics or the size of the first Japanese cars that's not the same as saying they were junk quality.

On the other hand, I've often pointed out to my Chinese friends in influential levels of manufacturing that if they just chose to use 24 gauge wire instead of 30 gauge wire in product "X" it would only cost ½ cent more and last 10X longer. There answer is usually always the same: "That's ½ cent more!! And 90% of jobs flushed down the drain!"
Along with that is poverty. I've lived in 14 countries, speak 5 languages fluently and have found in my travels that most people do not mind taking good care of a few "luxury items" in their life. For example, you live in a poor country where many don't have shoes and watches. If you happen to have them you probably won't mind going to great length to take care of them; taking your shoes off every evening, removing the inserts, cleaning and polishing the shells. You take your watch off before showing, look it over, wind it up and carefully place it on soft fabric in a safe but prominent area. But as wealth increases, and you get more and more "luxury items" you can't give all of them so much of your valuable attention. You start to need products that don't need to be babied - shoes that can get wet and a watch than can sleep and shower with you.
China is producing products for first world countries that to them are luxury items but to the recipients should be dependable without having to be coddled causing more misunderstandings.

For those living in first world countries, it's hard to fathom how deeply Chinese cheapness permeates the fabric of society down to the smallest detail. About 6 months ago I was trying to make the neighbor kids and my own kids a tree house in the park out front. I was snapping in two 9/16" lag bolts with my 18 volt cordless Makita drill! The problem there was I was using a Japanese made drill brought from America. If I used a local cordless I wouldn't have snapped them but of course they wouldn't have gone in the tree either. 20d nails bend like butter, glue doesn't hold, ladder is made for 80 lb guys (and still break) - you can't count on, trust ANYTHING.

By default the Japanese are programmed to want to produce the highest quality products and the Chinese the cheapest. Because of that, if the Chinese release an Adventure Bike and it is reviewed on this forum and everyone is giving their feedback of what they would like to see in this $3,500 450cc Adventurer, EVEN IF 9 out of 10 were asking for them to make it more reliable, but 1 out of 10 was saying they didn't have that kind of money but if they could get the $3,500 bike down to the $3,400 THAT is what the Chinese would hear. And out would come all the 26 gauge wire to be replaced with 30 gauge wire and they'd sell it for $3,399.

And that is why I am frustrated with the Americans. No countries citizen's spends their money more foolishly. They'll have 3 high maintenance vehicles in the garage already, complain they can't fork out $3,500 for another one but would do it if it was $3,400.
And the Chinese will produce it.
And the Americans will buy it.
And yes, I do believe there is a good chance that the Chinese will take over the world in manufacturing and other areas BUT it won't be because they produced a superior product. It will be because all the superior products and honest, non-patent stealing companies have gone out of business!

Rick you are a filthy beast , I was expecting some nasty racist nonsense that would set the house on fire, instead what we get is another logical common sense posting, on a personnel level I don't mind the Chinese taking over the world as at least the food will be better.

What i can't seem to undestand is why some people kid themself thinking that someting can be better AND cheaper,, it can't .period.

A bike made in china can be the same quality as one made in germany, but it will cost almost the same, maybe 10-15% tops but that's it.

A KTM 690 is better than a KLR , better brakes , better suspension more power but almost cost twice. if it were made in japan it would cost at most 5% less in china with same quality mayby 10% less

Now if you take a genuien "gucchi" bag or some other nonsens luxury item that is different as most of the value is in the "Name", but a bike is a machine and good engenerring is expensive

More is always better, no matter what. This is because being thrifty is not perceived as an American value, but greed and vanity sure are. Your neighbors won't envy you if you drive a cheap stick shift car and keep a 10 grand balance in your checking account, but they will if you spend everything you make on some 8 passenger leathered out SUV.

Can't be better and cheaper? How about a good metric cruiser vs. a Harley.

What's a metric cruiser?

I agree with almost everything you posted Ricky. But I think there is a bit more to it than cheapness. I think they know for the low priced goods, we will buy it regardless whether it is 24ga or 30ga and regardless whether it lasts a month or a decade. Much of the Chinese goods here are impulse buys, or simply "look the part" of something we wanted but don't really need. So when it fails 2 months later, we don't care because we viewed it as disposable in the first place or we simply don't care about it anymore after the initial purchase.

But the higher priced Chinese goods (computers, higher end electronics, vehicles) are held to a higher standard because we have an expectation they should last and we will actually use them for some time. I think that's why many Chinese made electronics are good quality because it is mandated by the purchasing company and the market demands it (i.e. Apple products, cell phones, etc). Part of the reason Chinese vehicles haven't taken hold here is because there is no Company to mandate higher quality (say Toyota having the Chinese produce a car). So the only Chinese "vehicles" you really see are novelty bikes sold at Pep Boys or a warehouse store where somebody gets enamored with the thought of something that "looks the part" of a dirtbike but only costs $800. But even those sales are few and far between.

But overall I agree with your assessment both about Chinese manufacturing and the US market. The US market doesn't mind buying crap as long as it costs less than $x, and the Chinese are more than happy to make it. Quite logical, not immoral, but certainly nothing to boast about. But like many businesses in the US too, putting profit first proves quite successful at least in the short and intermediate term.

Not everything I own is high maint. I do drive a Toyota

I blame it all on Wallmart and I'm half serious about that.