SSR Motorsports XF200/XP250

[Doug]

Guys,

I am a Sacramento CA dealer, and can tell you that SSR sets a mandatory fixed price. We are not aloud to advertise/sell the bikes at any other price. See the prices on our web site. http://atvwholesaleoutlet.com/html/on-road.html

We have carried the Qlink bikes in the past. Not bad bikes, but the SSR is better. Qlink offers drum back brakes and a 200cc motor only. SSR is disk front and rear, and has a 250cc motor. They also have adjustable front inverted forks. They also have a nice rear carrying rack.... Qlink does not.

I have sold both brands for years.... and we just don't have problems with them. I have 4 local motorcycle driving schools that all have fleets of our bikes, and never have problems either..... just needing levers from students dropping them all day.

Hint: Do not buy from online dealers no matter what the discount. Good luck with assembly, missing parts, no start problems, and warranty issues. Then good luck at DMV getting it registered. Go to a reputable licensed dealership with knowledgeable staff, parts and service depts to avoid regretting your purchase. Would you buy a Harley, Ferrari or wife mail order....? No I take that back..... some of you would to save a buck..... hahahahaha

[Doug]

Chinese Dual Sports are Not all = Equal.

I see allot of guys saying over $1500 or over $2000 I will not buy a bike. Let me help with this decision. I am not trying to be a sales person either, I have owned ridden and built them all..... in 10 years of owning a Chinese Only Dealership.

10 years ago I started with a 200GY from Lifan, and a 200GY from Shineray. Both made in the Chongqing central region of China. I have been to China Countless Times in the last 10 years, and Imported my own line. I know the factories in all areas of Chongqing, Zhejiang, and Guangzhou.

The original 150-200cc GY bikes I could find everywhere were not bad bikes, but in comparison to the Qlink, and SSR bikes..... they were absolute junk. I put almost 15,000 miles on a pair of the old 200GYs that I took to Baja several times per year. We did on road, and off road riding, and rode them hard. Not bad for a $1500 bike!

What was bad about the old GY bikes?
These bikes could be made at one of 150 different motorcycle assembly plants.
The panels would not go onto the bikes well.
Hard time lining up parts to assemble the bike.
Over all Fit & Finish was SHI#@$%^$% !!!
Cheap parts for the most part.
Hard shocks
Steel rims and handle bars
Very old Pushrod CG Honda Type Motor from late 70s
Crap Exhaust
Crap cables
Crap Slider/Cable only Carburetors

Qlink & SSR Bikes are only made by Pioneer / Qingqi. The main company is Qingqi. They have been in bed with Suzuki for over 30 years, and French Pueugeot for over 10. The company is massive, and Government Owned.... meaning unlimited R&D. This is as close as you come to seeing a mirror image of a Tokyo Plant in China. Good Stuff!!!

Fit & Finish on the entire bike is just like a $6000 Japanese Bike.
Parts quality is like Japan.
The engine is like the Suzuki DR200SE... so much more smooth and modern than GY bikes, and the old CG motors.
These engines actually have a oil filter... CGs do not.
The Qlink and SSR motors have 2x the oil capacity of the old CG motors.
The carburetors are modern vacuum operated, and come from Japan.

If you took the old and new out for a day of riding.... you would see the HUGE difference.
If you had to assemble, PDI, Tune and prepare a old and new bike out of the box for a customer, you would see a HUGE difference!!!

I assure you, there is no comparison from the old GY bikes, to the modern Qlink and SSR bikes. Do not be afraid to spend $3000 on a new one. It's still 1/2 the cost of the counterpart from Japan.... and almost the same bike.

I hope this helps......

[waynec]

Thanks for the great info Doug. Very interesting.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by Doug

Chinese Dual Sports are Not all = Equal.

I see allot of guys saying over $1500 or over $2000 I will not buy a bike. Let me help with this decision. I am not trying to be a sales person either, I have owned ridden and built them all..... in 10 years of owning a Chinese Only Dealership.

I think the difference is financing versus cash at this point. I have a TMEC 200 which has all the 'bad' stuff, but it has been very reliable the year since I took ownership (I bought it used). Fit is alot better than my old Jetmoto 200 GY, while finish is probably about the same. I would buy another one for $1600.

I have toyed with the idea of trying to finance a SSR 250 with the fat tires (I like the look of those tires, even if the motard-style ones, like on my TMEC, are probably better suited to my 30 mile daily commute ( 15 miles each way). I figure the payments should be low for a $2700 bike. I know that the members with Qlinks, from4 or more years ago (I am guessing some are/were your customers since they live(d) in Sacramento) have always been pleased with their bikes. I couldn't imagine the 250, with more power, wouldn't be 'better' still, all other things being equal and relative (compared to the 200).

[waynec]

Hi Doug.........you refer to older bikes as being inferior and refer to them as the old 150 and 200gy's....but the SSR's are both described as a 200GY and 250GY. Help me understand what GY aspect these bikes all have in common? What does it mean? It seems to be a very generic term and its tough to follow.....thx...wayne

Originally Posted by Doug

Chinese Dual Sports are Not all = Equal.

I see allot of guys saying over $1500 or over $2000 I will not buy a bike. Let me help with this decision. I am not trying to be a sales person either, I have owned ridden and built them all..... in 10 years of owning a Chinese Only Dealership.

10 years ago I started with a 200GY from Lifan, and a 200GY from Shineray. Both made in the Chongqing central region of China. I have been to China Countless Times in the last 10 years, and Imported my own line. I know the factories in all areas of Chongqing, Zhejiang, and Guangzhou.

The original 150-200cc GY bikes I could find everywhere were not bad bikes, but in comparison to the Qlink, and SSR bikes..... they were absolute junk. I put almost 15,000 miles on a pair of the old 200GYs that I took to Baja several times per year. We did on road, and off road riding, and rode them hard. Not bad for a $1500 bike!

What was bad about the old GY bikes?
These bikes could be made at one of 150 different motorcycle assembly plants.
The panels would not go onto the bikes well.
Hard time lining up parts to assemble the bike.
Over all Fit & Finish was SHI#@$%^$% !!!
Cheap parts for the most part.
Hard shocks
Steel rims and handle bars
Very old Pushrod CG Honda Type Motor from late 70s
Crap Exhaust
Crap cables
Crap Slider/Cable only Carburetors

Qlink & SSR Bikes are only made by Pioneer / Qingqi. The main company is Qingqi. They have been in bed with Suzuki for over 30 years, and French Pueugeot for over 10. The company is massive, and Government Owned.... meaning unlimited R&D. This is as close as you come to seeing a mirror image of a Tokyo Plant in China. Good Stuff!!!

Fit & Finish on the entire bike is just like a $6000 Japanese Bike.
Parts quality is like Japan.
The engine is like the Suzuki DR200SE... so much more smooth and modern than GY bikes, and the old CG motors.
These engines actually have a oil filter... CGs do not.
The Qlink and SSR motors have 2x the oil capacity of the old CG motors.
The carburetors are modern vacuum operated, and come from Japan.

If you took the old and new out for a day of riding.... you would see the HUGE difference.
If you had to assemble, PDI, Tune and prepare a old and new bike out of the box for a customer, you would see a HUGE difference!!!

I assure you, there is no comparison from the old GY bikes, to the modern Qlink and SSR bikes. Do not be afraid to spend $3000 on a new one. It's still 1/2 the cost of the counterpart from Japan.... and almost the same bike.

I hope this helps......

[SpudRider]

I believe 'GY' is the designation the Chinese employ for any dual sport motorcycle.

[culcune]

Not all GYs are created equally. I think that the manufacturers could come up with some more descriptive designations. For instance, the 'old' GYs could continue to be called a 'GY' provided a bike is a dirt or dual sport bike with an 'old' Honda cloned engine.

The Suzuki-like ones are already called XF, so that should be the name. If Zongshen ever brings back the Yamaha clone engine, those could be called something else.

I am not sure if the new range of liquid-cooled engines recently released by Shineray and most recently by Zongshen (i.e. their new RX3 shown on Mychinamoto) but if so, those could be referred to as something else.

Every time someone new joins up, and they obtained a low-cost bike from CL or trade, they usually have a GY. This way, we can have a visual, when they join and have no idea what it is. We can say, "oh, yeah, that is a Hondnoid" When Qlinks start showing up here as $ 500 deals, and the owner has no idea what it is, at least he/she could say "it's a XF" and we would have a good idea what it is they are referring to.

[FastDoc]

Great info.

Thanks!

I have owned 2 Q's and 2 GY's. Although the GY's were fine, no comparison between their quality and ride and performance to that of the Q's.

[Weldangrind]

Haven't seen him in a long time; perhaps summer of last year. Funny you should bring him up, because I just found the Beast decals that he made for me. When it warms up a little, I'll install them.

[katoranger]

From what I understand for Canada pricing you got a good deal on the honda.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by katoranger

From what I understand for Canada pricing you got a good deal on the honda.

That totally depends upon where the purchase takes place, but I agree.

[waynec]

The RS is not retailed in Canada anymore but you still have them. Dealers could not unload the inventory they had as the model wound down. I took one look and knew it was a beautiful thing!! Now they are in demand and considered a 'premium' bike so dealers are pretty happy to take them on trade. I accept that my measure for comparison may be tilted but it doesn't matter the product....we all think/hope our used stuff is worth more that it is. And I am a 'value' buyer after all....

http://s628.photobucket.com/user/cer...dcc5b.jpg.html

[SpudRider]

Here's your photo, Wayne.

[waynec]

Nipped at the wire......thanks for the assistance Spud. I was copying the wrong link......and my cursor seemed reluctant to get the copy to 'take'. I am used to highlighting and copying...but PhotoB works it differently I guess.

Why look at this...I am now only 14,606 posts behind you on this site....w

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by waynec

Nipped at the wire......thanks for the assistance Spud. I was copying the wrong link......and my cursor seemed reluctant to get the copy to 'take'. I am used to highlighting and copying...but PhotoB works it differently I guess.

Why look at this...I am now only 14,606 posts behind you on this site....w

You're welcome.

The great Satchel Paige has a famous quote.

"Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."