Longbo Scooters

[tjinpgh]

Does anybody own or know anything about these?

I know they are produced by a company called Chuanl. Chinese, I'm guessing.

Can't find a lot of info about them other than that.

I checked out their website. They make a pretty wide range of scoots and have been around a while.

Chuanl seems to make the SUNL Adventure 150 scoot. Which, while SUNL doesn't have the best rep, some people actually seem to like the Adventure 150.

I've seen them listed pretty cheap on Ebay. Naturally, I'd prefer to find an actual dealer somewhere that carries them.

Given that their price point is pretty low, are they worth considering?

[hillbilly]

From what I have read they seem to be about average for a Chinese scooter. I'm not sure it would be worth seeking dealers that sell Longbo specifically. A better bet would be to see what brands are carried in your area and then ask here about the choices that are locally available.

[scooterollie]

Longbo "brand" is produced by Taizhou Chuanl. I had two Roketa scoots made by Chuanl, a 50cc and a 150cc. Both had decent quality construction. Only had the 50cc for two months before turning it back in for the 150 scoot. Both are still on the road with a ton of miles on the 50 and about 800 on the 150. I have seen products from other Chinese manufacturers that I deemed far inferior to my Chuanl scoots. I would rate them good scoots in the lower tier of Chinese scoots. Don't know if all Sunl scoots are assembled by Chuanl. Many of the made up brands here come from different manufacturers, depending on who has the best price at the time or can fill the order when needed. I believe Longbo is consistently made by Chuanl, only. Just like from any manufacturer, there could be different levels of quality. Can't say what they have been like for the past year or so.

[earlwb]

I always say, if you can work on them yourself, troubleshoot and repair, and can handle the basic tools, getting your hands dirty, and you don't mind getting parts from other sources than your dealer (like ebay for example) the Chinese scooters aren't bad.
Quality is hard to quantify, as usually the engines themselves are OK, but other parts may or may not be assembled well or be of questionable quality.
Once you get some things taken care of on the scooters they all seem to work reasonably well.
But if you have to use a dealer to do all your repairs, you are going to be in trouble, and it is going to be expensive.
Warranty or Guarantees is very questionable too. I didn't bother trying for warranty repairs, i just order and buy the parts and fix it myself.
Many of the different brands of scooters (not all mind you) don't have any parts to buy anyway.

[tankcommander]

I agree with Earl, if you are comfortable twisting a wrench, you may end up with a reliable machine. I own a much maligned brand purchased from a B/M dealer but have taken care of all service myself and in 15 months and almost 8000 on the odo I have only replaced the belt and the battery.

[tjinpgh]

As a general rule, I don't have a problem working on my own vehicles. I say that with the qualifier that the only thing I've ever owned were cars. I owned a small dirt bike when I was a kid but it was more or less reliable and other than fluid changes I never had to do much to it before I outgrew it.

I consider myself fairly mechanically inclined. I do most of the non-major work on my cars. Meaning, I've not done any real engine or transmission work, but have done things like fluid changes, spark plugs, cv joints, fuel pumps, suspension work, brakes, etc.

In general, if I have a service manual I can follow, I can usually work my way through most things.

So, no, I don't have a problem doing my own work. BUT, I don't want to be doing it all the time, either.

If it's a matter of spending a couple of days going over the scoot, fixing/upgrading a couple of things from the factory and being on my way, then no problem. But, if I need to replace parts to the point that it costs more than the upper tier scoots and I'm replacing them every other week... then, no, I'd rather not go that route.

The big problem I've found THUS FAR is that there aren't a lot of options in the Pittsburgh area. Other than the major motorcycle branded scoots (Honda, Yahama, Vespa, etc) there don't seem to be a LOT of choices.

There's one dealer that sells Qlink, Daelim and Wildfire. One that advertises in craigslist frequently and doesn't mention what brand it is..



for what that's worth...

a couple of Wildfire dealers across the Ohio and WV state lines. That's about it other than Pep Boys!

[hillbilly]

Yeah earl describes the way I look at it too.

Buying on the net is a good option for some people. I've got a big toolbox and a desire to use it so I never let shops spoil my fun with any vehicle. I like my cheap Roketa just fine and feel I could keep a Sunl or any other cheap scoot going too so I may as well just have whatever I can get a deal on.

A lot of the time I think people are not aware of the maintenance required of even the best scooters though. Without a dealer available it can turn into a bad experience. A person does not need to be a mechanic to buy a scooter online but they should go in with their eyes open and a willingness to learn. If you don't have all the tools you need then you have to be willing to buy them.

I think a lot of how good any of the inexpensive scoots are really comes down to who did the initial prep of the scooter and how thorough they were. That seems to vary quite a bit at the dealerships also. There are big differences in after the sale support and parts availability of different cheap scoots but the parts are generic enough that you can get it somewhere else.

[chromedome]

I've had my Longbo 150 over 18 months now, just passed the 4500 mile mark and haven't had any problems. Replaced the front brake pads - they started squealing like krazy- but other than that.....Na-Da! I've changed my oil regularly, cruise around town 40-45 mph all the time, and have gone on a few long day trips; keeping it between 50 and 55. I ride almost every day to/from work, errands, shopping. I'd buy another in a heart beat if this one every gets stolen or wrecked.

[tjinpgh]

chromedome,
where did you get yours? was it pre-assembled or did you need to do things to it when you first got it?

Your daily usage seems to fit in very well with how I'd probably be using one. My daily commute is about 10 miles each way. Not a single foot of it has a speed limit over 45 mph.

While there are a LOT of hills in the Pittsburgh region, my commute is essentially level so I figure a 150 would be sufficient for most of my needs.

Theft is also a concern around here and another reason why I'm reluctant to spend a lot of money on something. I've lived here about 2 years, have had one bike (pedal type) stolen while chained to a steel post. My car broken into (nothing stolen since I rarely keep anything in it, thankfully), and a few other miscellaneous incidents not worth mentioning.

I have a place I can keep a motorcycle or scooter that's undercover from the rain and such, but it's not enclosed to the point that people can't get into it. I can chain it when it's not in use, but that's hardly fool proof.

I have enough space in the storage area under my front porch that I can keep it there in the winter under lock and key, but it's not convenient enough to use as a daily garage during the warm months.

Simply put, if something is going to get stolen, I'd rather it be something that cost $1k than $3k.

Incidentally, which model did you get? They seem to make quite a few 150s.

[rerun2]

Just 2 cents of comments; just recently getting my first two wheel motor vehicle in over 30 years, I did a lot of looking, at different scooters, and forums and learned a lot before buying my ride... my concerns were pretty much the same as yours and probably most everyones! Take it for what it man be worth. What I learned:

1) Have your scooter fully assembled and TESTED by a dealer. You can get good deals on-line from reputable dealers, and the better dealers either insist or strongly encourage that the buyer have them set up the scooter. It costs about $100 - $200 to have your ride arrive at you house 'ready to ride' and from hundreds of posts concerning problems, about 95% of them seem to be ones that would never have come about with a good dealer set up.
2) Anticipate that minor things might not be perfect, but understand that there is nothing really complicated or beyond the ability of anyone of average intelligence to deal with. Seriously, the only time I have ever needed help was from a small child to reach into an area and grab a wire, that saved me the time and effort of pulling a panel! Not a big deal!
3) Buy your scooter from a dealer with a KNOWN track record... there are several that are well known and respected here on the DawgPound... your dealer in the long run is truly going to be a factor in your practical enjoyment of your ride.)
4) Parts concerns; seen a lot of talk of it, but for the most part I think it is an absolute NON-ISSUE. The parts needed are pretty much universal, and as long as you get a bike that uses these, who cares if a 'dealer' has them in stock? These can be found at parts dealers, and quite often at a better price.

Just sharing some thoughts: I got my scooter from Scootertronics.com; I have had no issues that I even consider a problem, the two things that cropped up were of my doing and quickly resolved with a phone call to get an understanding of what i mad fouled up!

You have great advice already given, you should by now either feel comfortable with getting a scooter or not at all, hope you enjoy the ride!!

Oh, and to address the concern about theft; not a lot can be done, I use a chain lock to lock up the rear wheel to the body of the bike if I can't find something I can chain it to.The thing is over 200 lbs. and cannot be rolled away. Picking it up takes a couple of people to do, and to take that way, the theives were going to get it anyway one way or another. Insurance is not at all expensive for me... check it out.

[rverr]

8-)I have a LONGBO 150 that I bought in april that now has 400+ miles on it with no problems. I bought it because it was light enough to haul on the motor home, it has 13in wheels and better handling than my 125 GEELEY with 10 in wheels but top speed is about the same 55 with a tail-wind. Haven't ridden it mutch since I got the ROADSTER 250 but will be when I am back to traveling again. KEEP ON SCOOTIN !!!

[swampsniper]

rverr said:

8-)I have a LONGBO 150 that I bought in april that now has 400+ miles on it with no problems. I bought it because it was light enough to haul on the motor home, it has 13in wheels and better handling than my 125 GEELEY with 10 in wheels but top speed is about the same 55 with a tail-wind. Haven't ridden it mutch since I got the ROADSTER 250 but will be when I am back to traveling again. KEEP ON SCOOTIN !!!

Cool, but 400 miles is easy. ;D

[tjinpgh]

Thanks for all of the advice, guys.

Part of why I was asking about which specific models you guys have is because Longbo makes about 32 different models of scoot, 15 of which are 150s.

I'm not sure if they're all the same underneath or not. For example, they make one that looks almost identical to the CPI GTR...

The Longbo LB150T-10 can be found here. I couldn't get the image to come up for some reason.
www.longboamerica.com/p_motor_detail.asp?id=109

CTI GTR 150 Sport Bike


Which either suggests that Chuanl makes the bike for CPI or it's a clone. It's an awesome looking scoot and CBXMan has a lot of upgrades for it, but the CPI carries a $3k price tag. I'd like to see if the Longbo version is any cheaper.

Longbo has a number of nice looking 150s, though. Many that look a lot like some of the higher end scoots. If they're all the same underneath, I wonder if the upgrades for the CPI would work on them.

[chromedome]

tjinpgh
My Longbo is a 150-12T Adventure. I'd checked out many dealer websites and did lots of comparison shopping, finally called Sunflower Scooters and talked with the gent for awhile about getting one. He commended me on my looking around and had my scoot shipped to me in about a week. At the time it was $900 plus $200 for trucking to my door. Anything else I'd looked at was 1200 -1500 plus shipping.
Opened the crate, put on the front wheel and handlebars, attached the battery, added the gas. Took about 30 seconds for the engine to catch and start. Rode to the station to fill up and had 2 people want to buy it from me then and there. Of course this was when gas first spiked close to 3.00. Did the break-in period religiously and changed the oil out soon too.
Now I have seen good posts and bad ones for SunshineScooters.... they were nice to me then and were nice to me when I ordered a trunk and had questions on how to mount the *** thing.
Last time I checked their website... scoots like mine are now even more affordable. I was gonna say cheaper... but that's a negative comment.

[tjinpgh]

Yeah, I've seen the 150T-12. Nice looking scoot. That's the Adventure model, isn't it?

I took a good look at the 250cc model that the dealer has listed in the craigslist ad. It looks identical to the Longbo 250T-2. I couldn't get a clear look at the 150 he had in the ad but he's asking $1250 for them. Thought it might be worth the hour drive to go check them out.

There's a JMStar 150T-2 that's the same as the 250T-2 except with the 150cc engine (of course) that has a local pickup station here in Pittsburgh, so I could avoid paying the shipping costs if I went that route.

$1200 buy it now includes a radio/cd player, trunk, windshield (though I think that model has it normally) and a free helmet. Still $150 for local pickup, though. Another $150 gets it assembled and pre-tested. Although, that's $1500. For another $300 I could buy the 250T-2 from the local dealer and it would already be assembled.

1 year parts warrenty and a 2 year engine warrenty is better than you get with most low end scoots, I'd think.

[Steven]

I have a 2006 LB150T that I just purchased and am looking for an owners manual and maintenance manual for it if there is one. Can anyone help? I bought it and it only had 400 miles on it and is just like new. Has 900 on it now and still running gret but I really need the manual to work on it to keep it in great shape. I want to change the gear oil and the copy of a manual I have is not readable.

[tortoise]

hermitsclub said:

maintenance manual

Link

The forum search feature (top blue bar) is a great resource . . increase default parameters.