[2LZ]

Yep, another Hondoid....and a good deal. Looks like my old X-moto....but with a drum rear brake. The only way to tell who's the main manu on it is by the VIN....if you're lucky and also, you never really know how old these bikes may be until you purchase and they have to record the paperwork. I bought my "new" X-moto, almost four years old. They have a tendency to float from warehouse to warehouse by wholesalers before being sold.

The way it was explained to me by my CB guy here in Sac (and culcune may be able to straighten me out on this) is that the Chinese don't have "companies", like Honda, Kawasaki, Harley Davidson, etc...who produce their own individual and distinct motorcycles. The motorcycle factories are owned by the provinces there (think states here) and the provinces and the bosses (think Governors here) compete with each other to produce basically many of the same motorcycles, Hondoids for instance. He said that you can see the difference in quality more in the welding and detail work, from province to province, than you can anything else. Some build their own Hondoid motors while other factories procure their motors from other engine plants like Zong, Lifan, Loncin, etc.... Both Zongshen and Quingki(sp? - Q Link, SSR) seem to be the more stand-alone, sole source manufacturers in China....and also produce the highest quality, but more expensive products.

So, the age old China Bike question of "who builds this bike?"...may never have a solid answer, especially when dealing with a Hondoid. You may give up some quality on fit and finish, but the bikes are inexpensive, the motors are bullet proof, and parts can be bought anywhere online for pocket change.

Keep in mind, as bikes like Hawk, TMEC, CSC and other companies come into play, who are bringing a much higher standard of quality to fit and finish on these Hondoids, expect the prices to climb as well.