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Post by drf8 on Apr 24, 2007 22:26:26 GMT -5
Color me shocked last week when I spotted a big ol' showroom for everyone's favorite, SunL, on IH-35E in Farmer's Branch (just north of Dallas, TX).
Lots of items on the floor from small ATVs and mini-bikes with sidehacker sidecars to 250cc scoots to full-size ATVs and dune buggies.
Gotta love the signs everywhere that scream "DO NOT SIT ON THE VEHICLES!!" and inform you of the 30 day very, very, very limited warranty on their products.
No sales help on the floor despite many people wandering around with the gall to actually want to sit on a damn scoot before plunking down $1,000 plus TT&L for one.
Least now you have a place to chuck rocks through the plate glass windows when your SunL ride dies.
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Post by Admin on Apr 24, 2007 23:13:29 GMT -5
I've never seen a company that gets this much negative publicity. I'm starting to feel sorry for them.  |
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Post by fulltimerart on Apr 25, 2007 15:05:51 GMT -5
 "Dont sit on it before you buy it"  You gotta be kidding- I had to test drive several models before I decided. The dealership I got mine at had several demos you could take out and then get a new one ready to go. Art
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Post by earlwb on Apr 25, 2007 21:19:50 GMT -5
I have ridden and driven by that store a number of times. I haven't tried to even visit the store yet. It doesn't appear they want customers very much. A 30 day warranty deosn't bode well either.
Most unfortunate.
Are there any "official" business names for this store. It might be interesting to run it through the local BBB and see if they have been getting complaints or not.
You know, down on South Beltline in Irving is a small scooter store on the west side of Beltline. Has anyone visited their store yet? It is in a Asian section of town in that area. I was wondering what they had there.
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Post by bigtex on Apr 30, 2007 13:21:50 GMT -5
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Post by earlwb on Apr 30, 2007 13:52:53 GMT -5
Makes one wonder, and those are only the complainants who bothered to report them to the BBB. No telling how many others there are. Those are all local to the area.
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Post by dishe on May 3, 2007 0:38:30 GMT -5
I can't speak for their showrooms/warehouses, but I'm currently driving an SunL Adventurer, had it as a second vehicle for over 6 months, and its been everything I expected of a GY6 bike.
Its had minor issues (battery won't hold a charge well, and one of my left turn blinkers has a loose wire connection), but I didn't expect it to be perfect. It's held up well, and gets me to work and back almost every day (bad weather, I'll take the car).
Then again, I bought it from a local dealer who is very helpful. I'd say I had a good experience so far with their product, but its possibly because I'm not dealing directly with the company.
If you find a local dealer who's reliable, I'm fairly certain that SunL is a decent economy scoot... in the same class as Tank and Longbo.
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Post by earlwb on May 3, 2007 6:10:37 GMT -5
I had the time to drop in a visit the SUNL dealer just off I35 in Carrolton Texas. They do have a sign posted "Do not sit on the bikes". The warranty statement says they have a one year warranty on the engine and frame only. They did have a very tempting sale on a couple of bikes that was very hard to resist. When I asked they did let me sit on the bikes. They had a couple of 125cc sport bikes that looked pretty good, if not uncomforatble to ride, real racer setup and look. The 200cc single cylinder sport bike was interesting too. But it had the rocker shifter which is very odd as the foot peg is setback so you can only use the rear lever on the rocker shifter. I would have thought that they'd have a regular shift lever on it.
The mini-pocket bikes with sidecar rigs was pretty cool looking.
it is just SUNL has had so many horror stories so far, and such, that one just doesn't want to take a chance with them yet.
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Post by bigtex on May 8, 2007 19:59:12 GMT -5
I had the time to drop in a visit the SUNL dealer just off I35 in Carrolton Texas. They do have a sign posted "Do not sit on the bikes". The warranty statement says they have a one year warranty on the engine and frame only. Well Earlwb....here is the scoop on SUNL. Some of their products are ok, and some of their products are total junk. Regardless of which SUNL product you buy, you can be sure of one thing, NO POST SALE SUPPORT. The warranty is totally useless and replacement parts are almost impossible to get. If you buy a SUNL, better understand these facts. The only SUNL product worth buying in my opinion is the SUNL Adventure scooter. In reality it's a Longbo LB150T-12. www.longboamerica.com/p_motor_detail.asp?id=56Decent scooter, and definitely worth buying, but you'll have to get parts from LongboAmerica cause SUNL again is totally useless after they get your money. |
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Post by bigal on May 27, 2007 15:25:28 GMT -5
Hum.......as I feared just liked the look of the bikes but thats what were here for to learn and share, thanks people for the info.
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Post by quikrik on Jun 8, 2007 22:49:45 GMT -5
Hello all. I`ve been riding a Sunl Adventure 150 for about a year with few problems. Had some electrical problems when I bought the scoot off of Ebay that were caused by the previous owner but found the regulator, bulbs and sockets I needed quite easily. It doesnt have many miles on it yet but so far so good and I would buy another Sunl if I decided to move up to a 250 for example. Yeah the warranty sucks for sure but in time I would guess that problem may resolve itself.Time will tell.
Just wanted to throw in my two cents worth. I`m really enjoying the forum.
Regards,
Rick
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Post by HPS MotorSports LLC on Jun 10, 2007 22:21:50 GMT -5
Why do people on this forum ALWAYS SAY...."YEAH I BOUGHT BRAND A....IT SUCKS..>WARRANY SUCKS...IVE HAD THIS OR THAT HAPPEN BUT OH WELL I"LL DEAL WITH IT"...
HELLLLOOOO MCFLYYY.... Would you buy a Kia and NOT expect it to run.... move.. start.. a warranty worth something? Why would you spend your hard earned money on crap ...bitch about it, then say OH WELL....save your money and buy something thats worth it....Kymco, Daelim, Q-Link. GOD I wanna shake some people on here!!! Stop making excuses for a bad mistake in judgement.. Just because you didnt have the extra $1000 to buy a better scoot...SAVE YOUR MONEY!!! I promise you ..you will spend more after thatr in phone calls, shops like mine that believe me... I have had every sob story come into the shop and want thier scoot fixed because of these horrors.
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Post by pressman1966 on Jun 11, 2007 11:27:12 GMT -5
hyprocooters, I have to agree with you, those that buy off of e-bay and on-line. They get what they pay for. Thru a dealer that has a shop you can see, talk with and get service at. Is the biggest part of saving troubles in the long run. So far I have had 2 come back for repair bacuse both where involved in accidents. I go thru and check, test and prep each one prior to them going on our little show room. So it is always ending as Buyer Beware.
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Post by earlwb on Jun 13, 2007 21:55:58 GMT -5
Hey, as I was driving to work on Monday (not on the scooter unfortunately, other things got in the way), I passed by the SUNL store, they have a big "for lease" sign out in front of the store. Of course I don't know if they are moving or going out of business though. it is too much trouble to get over to the store at that location. So I wonder how that affects one's customers walking in off the street? I mean would you want to buy a bike from someone with a "building for lease" sign outside?
I'd have to agree with you hyposcooters. Unfortunately everyone is hoping to get the "good deal" except it doesn't always happen.
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Post by bigtex on Jun 15, 2007 14:52:01 GMT -5
I drive by the SUNL retail store at least 3 times a week. Occasionally I'll stop in and see if they have any parts that I need (they never do). The parking lot is always empty. Every other SUNL dealer in the Dallas area has gone out of business, maybe they are too.
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Post by MLN on Jun 15, 2007 15:28:58 GMT -5
Do they offer to order the parts you need?
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Post by quikrik on Jun 15, 2007 19:33:56 GMT -5
Wow, I guess I dont quite understand all the bitchin and moanin about Sunl. If you guys and gals dont realize it yet Sunl is the cheapest scoot out there you can buy. You can right now at this very moment buy a 2007 Sunl 150st for a paltry $588 plus $288 shipping on the net and probably even less if you shop around some. So what do you expect? A 100,000 mile 6 year warranty? Come on people lets face the facts, if you buy A Sunl at $588 plus $288 shipping and get any warranty at all, even if its just 30 days on the engine, you cant complain! If you buy one of these for $588 and expect a dealer to set it up, test drive it and deliver it to your home you must be livin the good life. I dont care what name they hang on the scoot, at $588 you will not get many frills and you certainly cant expect any. Lets stop whippin a dead horse, if you by it cheap live with it and dont complain. The other option is to go to any one of the many "dealers" out there sellin Chinese scooters, pay three times as much, and buy from them. Then you "MAY" get someone to listen to you when it leaves you sittin on the side of the road, but dont count on it! If any of this offends you then maybe you should opt for a Jap or East Indian bike and leave the chinese scoots to those of us who dont mind doing their own repairs. If your a dealer and this offends you, too bad. This is still America and we still have choices as far as I know!
Thanks for letting me vent.
quikrik
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Post by bigtex on Jun 15, 2007 22:05:36 GMT -5
Wow, I guess I dont quite understand all the bitchin and moanin about Sunl. If you guys and gals dont realize it yet Sunl is the cheapest scoot out there you can buy. You can right now at this very moment buy a 2007 Sunl 150st for a paltry $588 plus $288 shipping on the net and probably even less if you shop around some. So what do you expect? A 100,000 mile 6 year warranty? Come on people lets face the facts, if you buy A Sunl at $588 plus $288 shipping and get any warranty at all, even if its just 30 days on the engine, you cant complain! FACT: I've seen people buy these and have nothing but trouble directly out of the crate. Here is the problem.....SUNL and it's dealers need to quit exaggerating and lying to sell this trash. They need to stop telling customers there is a warranty and that they have parts and support when in fact they don't and simply do not care once they get your money. If I went to a SunL dealer of course they are going to tell me that they are the best things since "sliced Scooter" and..."we don't have any idea why the major brands charge so much, they are the same thing"....yea whatever. SUNL is quite simply the slimiest, sleaziest low quality JUNK dealer in the powersports industry. I cannot and will not recommend ANYONE buy these pieces of junk. SUNL is not worth it even if someone were to give it to you for FREE....NO PARTS, NO SERVICE, COMPLETELY useless warranty, constantly broken down, constantly waiting on parts and constantly being repaired....that is if you do it yourself, cause NO ONE will work on them. There are other Chinese manufacturers with better products and track records. Generally you do get what you pay for! With SUNL, you don't even get that.....all you get is non-servicable extremely low quality JUNK! Buying a SUNL is just not worth it at any price. You cannot get a decent reliable scooter that you can depend on for $588. That's my opinion! |
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Post by HPS MotorSports LLC on Jun 16, 2007 18:25:59 GMT -5
<----CLAPPING FOR BIGTEX
As for quikrik.... PLEASE DUDE!!!... your NOT gunna stand there and tell me that Kymco, Daelim, SYM are just as bad as SunL or Roketa. Get your facts straight. These are high quality scooters that are way above SunL and Roketa! Look at an OEM warranty. Honda... 1 stinkin year!! at least with these you get 2-3 years of warranty (parts AND labor)
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Post by quikrik on Jun 16, 2007 19:38:51 GMT -5
DUDE?
Well Mike here is a fact, No one will buy any one of the three scoots you mentioned for the price of a Sunl or Rocketa or a dozen others like them with many different badges. If what you got out of my post was that Sunl is superior to the three you mentioned you should go back and reread the text. I never said that and I never mentioned any names other than Sunl! We all know that if you pay more for any product from an established dealer you do expect to get a warranty and at least some type of after sale service or why would anyone bother to seek out a dealer in the first place?! So you hate Sunl. Fine. But Sunl and all the other cheap rides out there have a place in the market weather you want to admit it or not. If nothing else it gives you guys something to shoot at.
Yup, as you know I do own a Sunl, an Adventure, and so far I havent had any trouble with the bike other than a problem caused by the previous owner. I dont know if it will stay that way, but if it doesnt and I have problems I`m not going to complain and whine about what a crappy company the manufacture is. Remember, $588 plus shipping!
Happy scootering,
Rick
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Post by HPS MotorSports LLC on Jun 19, 2007 20:39:15 GMT -5
Rick...all Im saying is this... THis and MANY MANY other forums are full of what?...PEOPLE COMPLAINING THEIR SCOOT IS BROKE!!... and lets see who most of thos culprits are?... Hmmm..SunL... Roketa... and all the cheap scoots you talk about.. sure there is a place for them. but in my mind... cheap aint always better... we alll have spending limits and what we can afford...ALL IM SAYING is save for alittle longer...get a better scoot and you wont have to look for answers on everything wrong on your $588 scoot
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Post by quikrik on Jun 19, 2007 22:02:09 GMT -5
Yes Mike you are correct and if you were to go back to my very first post on this subject you would see that is basically what I said. If you buy one of the "$588" scoots out there dont expect much. That means"DONT EXPECT MUCH" If you cant or dont want to work on the bike yourself then dont buy one of these! If you want a trouble free ride that you never have to put a wrench to dont buy one of these.If you want a scoot with a great warranty and a B&M dealer down on the corner (like yourself) to take care of your problems then dont buy one of these. I would assume that common sense would tell any perspective scoot buyer that he is not going to get the same bike that costs $3K at a dealer for $600 on Ebay! And not everyone who has purchased one of these low buck scoots complains about them. In fact if you were to ask on this forum you would probably find a bunch of riders who have purchased inexpensive rides and are satisfied with them because they knew what they were getting into.
So I think we pretty much hammered this one to death dont you Mike?
Regards,
Rick
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Post by surfbum96818 on Jun 20, 2007 2:08:23 GMT -5
okay I have to pitch in my two cents ! I bought a SunL 150 Adventure from a DEALER Brick & mortor. I had it less then 90 days ( my warrenty ) and the engine was blowing oil into the air cleaner consistently. Finaly one day it blew so much out the engine shut down and when The dealer looked at it he said I will get you a new engine ( six months later ) new engine arrives ( it was the wrong one ) (two months after that) I got a call "your scooter is fixed that will be 300.00 labor if you don't pick it up this week we will start charging you storage fee of 10.00 a day ! The credit card company rejected my dispute I picked it up ! It broke down again two weeks later and the shop I got it at had gone out of business!!! NOW for the good news ! If it weren't for this horrible ordeal I would have NEVER found ScootDawg.com would probably been to scared to turn a wrench on my own scoot, and would still be driving around in a CAGE!!! the 1500.00 introductory course I took in SCOOTERNOMICS has taught me a few things! ASK LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of questions and keep trying !!! KNOW that if you want to go fast it will cost you BUT OH WELL I will only live once and I LOVE to go fast! at the time I bought my scoot I wasn't researching all the brands I was looking for cheap transportation ! I found it ( 8 months down the road ) !!! now I LOVE MY SUN L would I buy another HELL NO !!!! would I save up and pay extra for some that SCOOTDAWG said was worth it OH YES !!!! and EVERY time someone says where did you buy your scoot " I AM THINKING OF GETTING ONE" I always always always say GOT TO SCOOTDAWG.COM ASK the dog pound !!! OH and thanks who ever posted this link www.longboamerica.com/p_motor_detail.asp?id=56I looked and you can download a microsoft excel document of thier parts manuel WooooHoooo No more calling SunL ( yeah okay I know CHUN L / SunL probably the same but hey heres hoping ) OH and if anyone has a LONGBOW 150 does it have a built in TACH ? the manuel shows an instrument panel like mine but it looks like it has a tach! |
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Post by joneboyy on Nov 3, 2007 16:43:18 GMT -5
What do you guys think of KMD in So. Cal?
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Post by vodavi6346 on Nov 4, 2007 13:39:52 GMT -5
picasaweb.google.com/sunlbrad/SunLProductsHere are actual pics from inside .. if you have not owned one of these products than don't be so critical to what other people have said .. There product is that to any other scooter,atv,dirtbike,etc comming out of china ..
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Post by rerun2 on Nov 4, 2007 15:08:12 GMT -5
Vodavi-etc. Don't get so upset, the regulars here know you work with the SUNL stuff, and if you pay attention just a wee bit, several here OWN and LIKE the things... you aren't going to change opinions that have been established and entrenched by being offended... If the products are worthy of good comments, they will get a fair hearing on this forum. If they are garbage bags, that will be mentioned as well... As with a lot of concerns stated on this site, DEALER problems with Lies and Hype concerting quality, and parts, and support, are far more prevalent than any particular 'brand'... just review some of the stuff posted about Roketa, you would think that no one would ever have one, yet every day it seems there is a new owner of one of these maligned products posting here. So, just a suggestion, but if you get your head 'out of the box' just a smidgen, it might change your view to the better! Have a great day, and do enjoy the ride! ;D
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Post by vodavi6346 on Nov 4, 2007 17:47:35 GMT -5
I'm so upset ... lol .. No guys yes I do work with this stuff and sale it and my head is out of the box , I've owner yamaha bws/zuma and honda elite dio bikes for last 11 years . and If it was upto me I would be on a 2-stroke no matter what but this 4-stroke thing is in kick do to epa/carb so its getting on me .. I think any of these chinese bikes are on the same level .. I am currently on a tank 150cc and doing a 44-46mile round trip daily and beat on it at that ... I wanna see these things break and what breaks .. But hey thanks rerun you give me your wise commets .. I just got these showroom pics few days ago thought I would throw em to you guys
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Post by earlwb on Nov 4, 2007 21:56:24 GMT -5
Cool, they let you take pics of the showroom, when I visited they seemed like nice people at the time. I thought the pocket bikes with sidecars were just so cool looking. Fun too.
The problem with SUNL in the past has been that you cannot get parts for anything. On the few occassions one could get parts it took months or longer.
One of these days that might improve.
The warranty is basically the engine only, nothing else. They are slow replacing the engine if it goes bad on you.
But like some people found, you still have to pay for the labor on warranty work.
Now if you can do your own work, and forget about the warranty, and buy your parts from other sources, a SUNL might be a OK scooter. Not great but adequate.
I seriously considered their 200cc cruiser or sport bike, but parts availability was the issue that caused me to pass on the deal. I do not want to have the thing sit around for months waiting for something like a gasket set or seals, or clutch or something.
Now if I discover third party sources I might revisit my thoughts on the issue.
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Post by kelvincasper on Nov 12, 2007 15:42:51 GMT -5
Hi
I have owned a 150 2005 sunl adventure. So far got over 5600 miles on it . Only had to change the belt. Replace the mirrors and headlamps. Hey it was cheap and it as save me a lot of $$$$. So all you sunl haters out there go buy something else.
Kelvin
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Post by guyruss on Nov 13, 2007 0:52:32 GMT -5
Does anyone now who manufactures these bikes from china? How many parts from these various styles are compatible with other brands? If some one is a descent mechanic and not afraid to tackle some problems that come along, I bet thay can be a good cheap alternative for transportation.
Scoota-Rollin-Friends,
Russ
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"Dont sit on it before you buy it"
