Anyone here have any experience with Lifan ?

[scottfla]

In particular the Lifan dual sport bikes? Seem to be pretty darn good and for $1200 or so shipped to your door....

[Aaron]

Yeah I had a GY200 powered Dual Sport. Good machines. Lifan is the best of the cheap Dual Sports. Not to send you away but the best forum for Chinese Dual Sports and Motorcycles is www.chinariders.net click on the forum link. Great guys, friendly, and know Chinese motorcycles in and out. This was mine the day I got it:



Aaron

[Andi]

I had a Lifan LF200GY-5, which is a very nice looking bike similar size and features as a Japanese Dual Sport with a 200cc air cooled Honda push rod engine copy (clone )

I sold it a month ago with 2000 km on it, mainly because I have a scooter now and so does my wife.



Here is a review:

• The suspension on this bike is too soft front and rear even with the rear adjustment at the firmest setting and I'm about 165 lbs.
  
• It took me some time to get the carb tuned properly it was running to lean and therefore way too hot, I changed the main jet in the 30 mm carb form a 98 to a 110 - some come with a 28 mm carb as well.
  
• Drilled a 3/4" hole into the rear of the exhaust back plate (just above the original outlet) for more flow.
  
• It had a constant vibration at speed, never really found the problem, but it broke apart the skid plate protecting the engine.
  
• The 428 drive chain is too small in my opinion, besides it being a cheap chain I think for the size engine and potential off road use it should have been a 520 size. I had to tighten the chain after every ride it stretched that much and flew off on me already.
  
• The sprocket setup (front 17 - rear 46) it came with was great for street riding I got up to 75 chino miles, but wouldn't be enough for off roading.
  
• The gear box after 1200 miles (2000 km) was still very stiff and hard to shift, neutral was difficult to find and a couple of times I had a problem with it jumping out of second gear.

As with any of the Chinese makes, quality of assembly is poor. On the Lifan as well as the two scooters I changed many bolts and re-tapped many screw holes, because screws were missing or too short or cross threaded. I added locktite, locknuts, washers and rubber backups to protect the plastic paneling to fasten many things properly.

I wouldn't recommend a Chinese bike to anyone unless you are capable and willing to do repairs and extensive troubleshooting yourself. All three required a lot of TLC and attention to get running properly. Its too early for me too tell how they are going to hold out after some serious miles on them, but it seems to be a constant something to get there. Unfortunately however the Bandit and the Race were less then on Kymco People even including the ride gear.

I put a hard fought 1200 miles on the Lifan, but the new owner is very happy so far. Maybe I'm too picky, but I figured what ever I can rectify now will present less of a problem later and I will be intimately familiar with the bike. Is it all worth it in the end? I don't know, but I'm beginning to have my doubts. I never had any of these problems with any of my bikes before. Twenty (20) years ago, I rode an almost new Honda XL 100 from Nasville TN to the west coast of Mexico and didn't have any problems in over 3000 miles without any service. I burned a hole in the piston once on US soil again after 3 months, but that was because it needed a tune up especially now running on quality fuel again, back then I was very green in mechanics. In comparison looking at the Lifan and all the problems, I would never have made it.

I did enjoy riding the Lifan, I also really liked the look of it, but it ain't a Honda or Yamaha etc, you get my drift. In general they do seem to get good reviews as far as Chinese Dual Sport's go, which is why I purchased it. I've read more bad things about the Rocketa Dual Sports which also looks very nice.

The worst part to me was the suspension, it already sags down a lot front and rear with me sitting on it and I'm only 5' 9" and 165 lbs, I wouldn't have dared a jump, it would have bottomed out for sure. I took my wife on the back, she is just under 140 lbs so we totaled about 300 lbs and that maxed out the rear spring never mind riding the bike with her. The front is easier to firm up then the rear, on some old dirt bikes I had with worn on the fork springs, I cut a piece of heavy wall pipe and pushed it down on the fork spring to stiffen it, you could also use a deep socket etc. The rear you would have to change if you found it to soft, I had tightened it to the firmest setting already.

The following link is of a guy riding a 200cc Chinese Dual Sport through China, he lists all his experiences with the bike, good story take a read if you get the time:

www.advrider.com/forums/search.php?searchid=4340163

Hope this helps, all the best.

Andi

[countryscoots]

I have an LF 250 Cruiser and couldn't be happier. No troubles so far and it rides and runs great.

[leo]

johannesmell said:

I wouldn't recommend a Chinese bike to anyone unless you are capable and willing to do repairs and extensive troubleshooting yourself.

i strongly disagree.
i've had my 50cc chinese scoot for about 2 months.
the only thing i've put on/in it was my 185 lb. butt, gas, and miles.
i heartily recommend them.

Maybe I'm too picky, . . .

you must be.

[scooterollie]

Leo;
Andi is correct in his recommendation. It is what all of us here on the forum recommend to prospective buyers. Some folks get lucky and don't have problems but the buyer of a Chinese motorized scoot must go into the purchase informed and with their eyes wide open. They can be great fun and a good deal for the price or a total headache.

[Dennis D]

leo said:

johannesmell said:

I wouldn't recommend a Chinese bike to anyone unless you are capable and willing to do repairs and extensive troubleshooting yourself.

i strongly disagree.
i've had my 50cc chinese scoot for about 2 months.

Andi is absolute dead on in his assessment. There are many lucky owners such as yourself(if you still feel the same way by the end of next summer). However there are even more that have to correct some things the factory or typical chinese scoot dealer should have done, and quite a few unfortunate owners who have had multiple problems on account of inconsistent quality control and inferior materials.

My wife and I currently own our third chinese scooter, we have owned each one for a year or more, and none were without problems. Consider yourself lucky, and knock on wood that you will continue to be. If not, I hope you were savvy enough to realize you might need some mechanical skills when you bought your chinese scooter. Unless you bought from a local dealer who continues to care about you after the sale, it can be very hard to get anyone else to work on them.

[leo]

mia culpa!
i very well may have been lucky.
my apologies!

[Andi]

Thanks scooterollie and Dennis D, I think all has been said. Have a Karma on me.

Andi