Anyone have any experience with Longbo motorcycles?

[mmj4all]

More specifically i am looking into the Longbo LB200-2;

Detailed Product Description
Specifications:
1) Engine: LB163FML, single cylinder, 4-stroke, air-cooled
2) Displacement: 197cc
3) Max. speed: 80km/h
4) Max. loading capacity: 150kg
5) Dimensions (L x W x H): 2090 x 770 x 1130mm
6) Rated power: 12.5kW/8500rpm
7) Dry gross weight: 140kg
Bore x stroke: 63.5 x 62.2mm
9) Min fuel consumption: 354g/kW.h
10) Wheelbase: 1340mm
11) Min. clearance: 145mm
12) Compress ratio: 9.0:1
13) Ignition: CDI
14) Clutch type: wet multi-plate
15) Starting mode: electrical / kick
16) Lubricating type: force splashing
17) Transmission system: stepped gearshift
18) Transmission type: chain
19) Front brake: disc brake
20) Rear brake: drum
21) Fuel capacity: 11L
22) Rim type: aluminum
23) Headlight: 12V, 35 / 35W
24) Battery: 12V 7Ah
25) Front wheel: 100/80-16
26) Rear wheel: 130/80-15
Model No.: LB200-2
Product Origin: China
Brand Name: LONGBO

Company Profile
Company Name: Chuanl Motorcycle Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Country/Territory: China (Mainland)
Registered Address: 168 Zhonghua Road, Yuanqiao Town, Huangyan District, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China (Mainland) Zip: 318025

Products/Services We Offer: Motorcycles and scooters
Business Type: Manufacturer
OEM Service: No
Buyer or Supplier: Supplier
Geographic Markets: Worldwide
Factory Size (Sq.meters): 20,000
No. of Employees: 101 - 500 People
Estimated Annual Sales (USD): US$10 Million - US$50 Million
Export Percentage: 90%
Year Established: 2000

Legal Representative/CEO: Zishou Chen

Contact Information
Company Name: Chuanl Motorcycle Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Contact Person: Mr.Wang Gang
Address: 168 Zhonghua Rd., Yuanqiao, Huangyan Dist., Taizhou, Zhejiang 318025, China
Zip: 318025
Telephone: 86-576-4876678
Fax: 86-576-4871580
Website: http://www.chuanl.com.cn
http://longbo.en.tradeatchina.com
http://www.vbikeusa.com/multidata/200706141808503774700.jpg

[culcune]

Most of us are from the US/Canada and this bike does not look "locally" available here (can't really speak for Canadians, but at least in the US), and you are the first one to inquire about them. Where are you from, and why this bike? Do you have one already?

[ejcycles]

Longbo??... just another name if you ask me.

NST=New Star and I would stay away from New Star. They are not very reputable for parts, yes another one that thinks all we need is the product.

[mmj4all]

Thanks for all the replies and advice.
This bike is currently available in the US to my knowledge and i have not made a purchase yet but the features and the price of this bike are getting my attention. I am also interested in the parts interchangeability of these clone bikes.

I have posted this question on a few different forums and in a bit will post updates of info i have gotten from elswhere for any other interested persons.

[mmj4all]

i did some research on NST and they ave stated the bike is discontinued so that might explain the parts issues with them. Longbo America doesn't seem to concerned about replying to email though so that is not a good sign.

[culcune]

I think that the similarily looking Lifan sportsbike would be a very good alternative, although I think that one has been replaced by a more Japanese-looking sports bike (full-fairing model).

Don't be lured soley by price with the sports bikes. They are less interchangeable than the enduros between brands, and as Bruce mentioned, they are difficult to get hold of parts for. I think they are less reliable than the enduros, from the few owners threads here on Chinariders.

[olds_cool]

That bike is EXACTLY the same as my Tank 250 2i except for the engine and tire/rims. All plastic and the speedo/tach/gas meter and gas tank are identical.

[mrhyak]

http://www.menintools.com/images/tkvision2502id.JPG

http://www.vbikeusa.com/multidata/200706141808506022839.jpg


When you compare, they do look like the same bike with some minor differences and different branding. Same thing we see with every type of China bike.

[culcune]

And to prove our point, Tank has horrible parts availability for their bike, huh olds?

[olds_cool]

Now, now culcune...you know the word's "Tank" and "parts availability" should never be used in the same sentence! The 2 parts that I got from them (1 part took months, the other too 10 months or so to get) had to be raided from another bike!

[mrhyak]

What parts would someone be so desperate to find that they couldn't
find anywhere else? I own a Tank and I sure don't need any parts
that only the TANK company can provide.

Who on this forum has a Tank that needs parts that they can only
get from the Tank dealer and can't get? Anyone?

[ejcycles]

What parts would someone be so desperate to find that they couldn't find anywhere else? I own a Tank and I sure don't need any parts that only the TANK company can provide.

Who on this forum has a Tank that needs parts that they can only
get from the Tank dealer and can't get? Anyone?

I'll chime in on that one... With Facts:, Since I'm a Redcat ATV Dealer, that also makes me a Yank Dealer... $uc%$ to be me ha? Yep! :lol:
Olds_cool needed a Mirror mount that holds the upper fairing in place, he also needed a petcock that fell apart.
Fact: All of the other makes of 200cc Sportbikes do not use the parts that olds_cools 250 Sportbike does. {I know Lifan does not, I looked.} The man tried for months e~mailing almost every Yank & Redcat Dealer out there trying to get parts. He even posted on a forum Kind of dedicated to Yank & Redcat. He sent & posted pictures of the parts he needed with no luck in finding them. He finally after complaining enough and tons of phone calls to Yank found a guy there that found him some parts. One part came out of Mexico {mirror mount} and the other most likely came off of a bike that they robbed parts from {Finally} to take care of his requests.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A guy on this forum needed a rear shock for his Yank 200D/S, guess what... They didn't have it in stock at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A guy e~mailed me for an inner rear fender for his 200cc D/S, luckily I found him one from another make of bike after looking to match it up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I myself, as A Dealer just waited Three months for parts for a Redcat MPX-70, DPX-250 & TTX-110. The MPX-70 that I had to do a Warranty Repair on, I had rob parts from one of The MPX-90's I have in stock to repair. The DPX-250 I still haven't received all of the Warranty parts for and was told I never will and with that same Warranty order a rear fender for a TTX-110.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are a lot of Dealers that are still waiting for Parts for Warranty, that have had to go elsewhere for parts or have not ever received any and have had to give peoples money back for vehicles because of this and will not ever receive parts for those products. Yank has one of The Worst Names in the industry right now.
Fact: This is from a meeting at the Dealer Expo 2008 that Yank held. We will only support current models for parts, all older/discontinued models will Not be Supported at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, I hope that people can find parts for what they have purchased. But, not all of Yank's products interchange with other manufacturers products and parts will be difficult to find.

[culcune]

On top of it all, I think the sportsbikes in particular are not interchangeable between brands--Tank, Lifan, etc. The enduros are much more able to exchange parts (Viva for some reason had "oddball" parts that did not exchange)

[olds_cool]

Hey, Bruce....don't forget I had to MAKE my own mirror mount and I had to PIECE TOGETHER a fuel valve (I have the world's longest fuel valve now...yay!)! Did all that because it was taking FOREVER to get parts! All time totaled to get the parts: 11 MONTHS! Stripped from another bike, of course. Actually, I also needed a brake light switch for the front lever, which was stripped from an old bike, also.

Oh, yeah...and I finally bought MATCHING tires since my FRONT RIM had a REAR, ENDURO type tire that (S)Tank REFUSED to replace.

[panamarandy]

I think I can jump in here too. I have a 2007 Tank Vision R-3 that hasnt run in 3 months, has an electrical problem with less than 2000 miles, I talked with the local Honda dealer since everyone says the vision is a copycat of the honda rebel. The Mech told me they are only similar in that the frame is built from an older honda version, and nothing else is even close.
I have been trying to get parts for it from Tank, and they are not a help at all,
its to the point that if i could partial trade it towards another brand, i would. The Tanks look sharp, but are a pain to get parts......Randy