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KentuckyDonkey · 08-26-2011, 01:51 AM

I have a Chinese water-cooled Taotao ATV- with a Loncin motor. 2&1/2 years....never a bit of trouble with the motor- it's the bodies/frame/electrical systems and suspensions that tend to be problematic on Chinese ATVs.

In my opinion, CHEAP Chinese ATV- like under $1300 are a deal, IF they're not going to be used hard.

Paying thousands of dollars for a Chinese 4x4 ATV, though? NO FREAKING WAY! The engine will likely last for the next 10 years with no problem...but the other things, and especially the 4x4 components will be a never-ending nightmare, and if you use the ATV for what a 4x4 ATV is supposed to be used for, it will be trashed in less than a year! Waste of money for that kind of money. Cheap ATVs for kids and street vehicles are getting better and better- and can be a bargain for those who don't mind tinkering (The carefulness with which one assembles the vehicle makes a huge impact on the overall result)......but the trade off with Chinese vehicles is mediocre quality and self-tinkering in exchange for a cheap price. Take "cheap price" out of the equation, and you're looking at shoddy junk that depreciates faster than a box of popsicles in a hot car, and generally drives one nuts. Yeah..they may seem cheap compared to the real brands....but when you're talking thousands of dollars, being relatively cheap is not good enough. Chinese stuff is getting better in recent years....but not to the point where complex 4x4 ATvs that cost big money are yet a feasible option.

You don't mind mediocre quality on something you pay $700 for. You don't want mediocre quality and no resale value on something that costs 4 or 5 grand! For that money, you can get a used Traxter or something like that, which will blow the Chinese stuff away and still be worth nearly what you paid for it 5 years from now.

I paid almost $2K for my Chinese ATV. It's been reliable....but otherwise, it's pretty rickety- just O-K for me, because I use it very gently just for transportation around my 28 acres and to visit the neighbor. I wouldn't buy it again...but i will be buying a <$700 Chinese scooter.

08-26-2011, 01:51 AM	#8
KentuckyDonkey Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 331	I have a Chinese water-cooled Taotao ATV- with a Loncin motor. 2&1/2 years....never a bit of trouble with the motor- it's the bodies/frame/electrical systems and suspensions that tend to be problematic on Chinese ATVs. In my opinion, CHEAP Chinese ATV- like under $1300 are a deal, IF they're not going to be used hard. Paying thousands of dollars for a Chinese 4x4 ATV, though? NO FREAKING WAY! The engine will likely last for the next 10 years with no problem...but the other things, and especially the 4x4 components will be a never-ending nightmare, and if you use the ATV for what a 4x4 ATV is supposed to be used for, it will be trashed in less than a year! Waste of money for that kind of money. Cheap ATVs for kids and street vehicles are getting better and better- and can be a bargain for those who don't mind tinkering (The carefulness with which one assembles the vehicle makes a huge impact on the overall result)......but the trade off with Chinese vehicles is mediocre quality and self-tinkering in exchange for a cheap price. Take "cheap price" out of the equation, and you're looking at shoddy junk that depreciates faster than a box of popsicles in a hot car, and generally drives one nuts. Yeah..they may seem cheap compared to the real brands....but when you're talking thousands of dollars, being relatively cheap is not good enough. Chinese stuff is getting better in recent years....but not to the point where complex 4x4 ATvs that cost big money are yet a feasible option. You don't mind mediocre quality on something you pay $700 for. You don't want mediocre quality and no resale value on something that costs 4 or 5 grand! For that money, you can get a used Traxter or something like that, which will blow the Chinese stuff away and still be worth nearly what you paid for it 5 years from now. I paid almost $2K for my Chinese ATV. It's been reliable....but otherwise, it's pretty rickety- just O-K for me, because I use it very gently just for transportation around my 28 acres and to visit the neighbor. I wouldn't buy it again...but i will be buying a <$700 Chinese scooter.
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