Motorcycle Forums

Mark my words.....

A chinese bike will win an isle of Mann class race within the next 12 years.

Even the mcn write up says it all its still no good and we don't even know the long term quality on this bike which im pretty sure as the tide turns will be bad. The japanese copy and better a product the chinese can only copy and unfortunately those copies are of questionable quality with no real consistency. Lets look at this in another light, its a motorcycle and we all know one serious fault and thats your life. Not like most cars where you are surrounded by alot more protection. Im sure they will up their game but when that will be is another question all together. I personally like quality over quantity and a nice second hand bike will do me just fine.

oldmana - you should consider learning about how to inspect a second hand bike, rather than "trust" that a new one will somehow be better. It's quite easy, and with experience you can become confident that you're buying a peach, not a lemon. Also, that Kawasaki is gonna be worth a helluva lot more second hand than the WK, so when you want to move up, it isn't gonna cost the price of another new bike. You'll also find it easier to sell than the WK because very few people will want a used WK, for the very same reasons you justified buying new. Seriously, would you buy a used WK ? So how can you expect to sell it ? You know it won't last a long time cos it was cheap, and you know that in a year or two you'll want something faster. I suspect you're being seduced by the "new" and not seeing things two years from now, when the paint has faded, the fasteners have rotted, the stanchions are pitted and the suspension has lost its damping. Besides anything else, it's always good to buy the mark II, not the mark I. You don't wanna be the first to discover the bike needs a re-design

From the pre-review article

It's a CFMOTO 650i branded as WK.  That's significant because who's going to be honouring the warranty on it?  CFMOTO don't have any UK presence and good luck getting a tiny outfit like WK to eat any costs.

Even if you can get someone to do warranty work on this CFMOTO/WK, where are they going to get parts from?  Hyosungs, for example, have been importing bikes for years (via E.P. Barrus) but parts supply remains pitiful - you'll be directed to salvage sites for any non consumable bits.

Good luck trying Kwak parts to see if they fit or can be fettled, it could be an expensive experiment.

Insurance is also going to be a pickle.  If it's not on the main lists, then you won't be able to get comparison site quotes, and will end up paying more or spending more time searching for someone who will touch it.

All of this could be forgiven if it were A) significantly better than the competition (and it's not) or B) significantly cheaper.

But since you can get a Hyosung GT650 for the same £4200 price tag, why wouldn't you?

Nope, I'll be steering well clear until a lot of other mugs have wasted their money on these bikes.  They might make an OK used buy (if they hold up to British winters, which I very much doubt) but that means they'll make a lousy new buy.

Never mind the sticker price, the cost of owning one is going to be higher than any Japanese or Korean branded commuter.  You'd have to be certifiable to buy one new, and that's coming from someone who's taken perverse pleasure in buying Chinese branded bikes and the worst bike that Kawasaki every made (GPz 305).  Even I have limits though, and £4200 is far too much to waste.

Depends how long it takes to fall apart

There are plenty of 20+ year old Japanese bikes still in active use.  This bike?  Well, let's see.

Owners forums need owners, and a £4200 Big Boy Bike isn't going to be bought in the same numbers (if at all) as a sub £1K Learner Legal.  There are already plenty of Chinese branded bikes which are essentially unsupported either by the importer or owners.  This isn't ignorant generalisation, I've owned 2 Chinese branded bikes, one well supported 125, and one abandonware 250.  The difference in supply and support is significant.

OK, 2 decades of scrupulous wash-downs and bathing in ACF-50 might see you right.  Bet you don't stick to it though.

Chinese bikes are cheaper to insure?  Really?  That's the exact opposite of my experience, when comparing like-for-like: HN125-8 vs Honda CM, LF250-B vs Virago 250.  That's if you can find an insurer who'll touch them.  My HN125-8 was a no-cost insurance swap for a GPZ 500.

You can see yourself buying a bike like this, but I bet you and every other awkward bugger who talks it up won't actually do so.  As HkUK says, you can get a lot more quality for the same money.