NEW RIDERS--DO NOT BUY LIFAN PRODUCTS

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by iMoose

Has anybody had trouble buying a Hi-Bird? 8O

I might be wrong, but I haven't even heard anything bad about'em yet. 8)

I wonder what the difference is? :wink:

They mostly seem to be shipped too. :P

Hmmmm. :idea:

Maybe warranties aren't as big a concern for them as others?

(and yes, used alot of smileys for an adult.)

Sorry, this just made me laugh.

[ejcycles]

Originally Posted by samjac68

i really dont understand how there can be 2 diff types of lifan??? and how can the american government refuse to register one but not the other? :?

Hi samjac68

PLEASE Read This: http://chinariders.net/modules.php?n...iewtopic&t=845

American Lifan is not a Registered Distributor in CT. There was no Dealer interest in this State.

[ejcycles]

Originally Posted by bex

With all this stuff happening between American Lifan and the grey market,

Because American Lifan owns The Federal EPA Certificates on all of these bikes being sold. It's one Distributor per EPA Certificate in The USA.

[mrhyak]

Can someone please show me ONE example of a grey market Lifan bike? I hear a lot of talk about them but I have yet to see one.

Show me a link, or a photo or something? Just curious if this is all just talk, or someone actually has a REAL GREY Market bike.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by mrhyak

Show me a link, or a photo or something? Just curious if this is all just talk, or someone actually has a REAL GREY Market bike.

To me, if it was up to American Lifan, all Chinese bikes would be considered "grey" unless it was an American Lifan brand bike (that seems to be the vagueness they are trying to use PR to their benefit--insinuating all bikes from China are "grey" unless they sell it).

You also have to consider the regional characters involved. Carroll Shelby, born and raised in Texas, was and is known for alot of "Texas tall tales." American Lifan, combining PR to those who don't know much about Chinese bikes, again, insinuate that any bike not badged as an American Lifan, is grey. See, using tall tales.

That leaves out, you for instance with your Tank product. What about all the Shineray owners? Jetmoto? Zongshen? To me, and it seems like you are (conveniently thanks to AL) confused about the issue, too. That's just what AL wants us to think!

Buy a Hooper! Much less complicated--problem solved :wink:

[GY_Racing]

Originally Posted by mrhyak

Can someone please show me ONE example of a grey market Lifan bike? I hear a lot of talk about them but I have yet to see one.

Show me a link, or a photo or something? Just curious if this is all just talk, or someone actually has a REAL GREY Market bike.

No.. They are the same exact bike as everyone else has. They are called gray because the vin number was never registered with the DMV. You cannot tell the difference unless you goto the DMV and they don't list your vin when they look it up. Because the vin was never sent in via AL it cannot be registered with the DMV. If AL wanted they could send in the vin number of grey bikes for the DMV record but they won't because they did not make money on the import. The grey dealers can import direct cutting out AL but they can't send in the vin to the DMV computer. Only AL can because they are registered to and they set everything up with them.

AL is trying to be a monopoly, any dealer can import from China but they have to jump threw more hoops to get connected in with the DMV. AL jumped threw the hoops and they are using it squash new importers out of the market. It is much easier for new dealers to go threw AL if they want to sell platable bikes then it is for them to go threw the process AL did. The grey dealers don't bother going threw any process at all that's where the problem lies.

It's all about money. For example MotoX goes threw AL and AL takes some of his profit and its absorbed by the consumer. Frontier Imports goes china direct and pockets the money they would have paid AL and AL finds out and makes sure the vin does not pass at the DMV.

Maybe there should be a sticky explaining it because many people still don't know what it means. Basically the consumer has NO IDEA if its gray or not until he goes to check the vin and the DMV tells them sorry, no plate for you! Some states don't check the vin in the computer and the grey bikes slip past. This makes AL very upset so that's why they refuse to sell parts to us. AL is cracking down on the DMV and more and more people are not going to be able to register their Lifans very soon.

In fact when I was at the DMV they said they were going to recall about 80% of the Lifans plates in the next few months because they were not AL authorized vins.

[maf119l]

Originally Posted by culcune

To me, if it was up to American Lifan, all Chinese bikes would be considered "grey" unless it was an American Lifan brand bike (that seems to be the vagueness they are trying to use PR to their benefit--insinuating all bikes from China are "grey" unless they sell it).

You also have to consider the regional characters involved. Carroll Shelby, born and raised in Texas, was and is known for alot of "Texas tall tales." American Lifan, combining PR to those who don't know much about Chinese bikes, again, insinuate that any bike not badged as an American Lifan, is grey. See, using tall tales.

That leaves out, you for instance with your Tank product. What about all the Shineray owners? Jetmoto? Zongshen? To me, and it seems like you are (conveniently thanks to AL) confused about the issue, too. That's just what AL wants us to think!

Buy a Hooper! Much less complicated--problem solved :wink:

If you want to solve the problem,quit griping just to gripe and let the newbies know about sellers who imported thier bikes improperly never caring if the buyer could registure it or get parts for them.If you want to get mad at someone,get mad at the one's who brought in these bike's improperly and will not stand behind what they sold once they took your money.I'm not against online sellers.I think hooper and vbikes.us stand behind what they sell and care about the customers even after they have received their bikes,so it's should not be about online versus b&m stores.It should be about who complied with the laws and gave the customer what they paid for.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by maf119l

If you want to solve the problem,quit griping just to gripe and let the newbies know about sellers who imported thier bikes improperly never caring if the buyer could registure it or get parts for them.If you want to get mad at someone,get mad at the one's who brought in these bike's improperly and will not stand behind what they sold once they took your money.I'm not against online sellers.I think hooper and vbikes.us stand behind what they sell and care about the customers even after they have received their bikes,so it's should not be about online versus b&m stores.It should be about who complied with the laws and gave the customer what they paid for.

You're right. I think I got carried away. There needs to be a section just for Lifan products--people considering that specific brand can ask away, and get info before they purchase. (I still think there are insinuations and tall tales involved, though :wink: )

[maf119l]

Looking back at my post i should have made it clear i wasn't just targetingCulcune.The trend i've been seeing lately is people bashing Am. Lifan for what others have done or will not stand behind just because "Lifan" is in thier name instead of trying to let new people know BEFORE they buy, who will stand behind the sale,parts supply and warrenty.

[mrhyak]

You can't just import bikes from China by purchasing and shipping, there are import regulations that need to be followed unless you actually try to 'sneak' the bikes through the ports and past import regulators.

Ways that other people have bypassed import rules with European, Russian and Ukraine bikes is by having them shipped as "kit" bikes, or in parts and assembled here. Those bikes then must be taken to the state agencies and be inspected for road use. Some states are easier then others but it happens all the time.

There may be importers who bought Lifan bikes (or other China bikes) w/o EPA testing and sold as "Off Road Only". I think these are the ones where people are buying them on ebay and thinking they can just register them for road use because they are just like the other bikes. This may be why some have the proper vin and others do not as well as good/bad paperwork.

[GY_Racing]

No the ones sold are sold saying they are street legal. They are the same bikes as anyone else has on here, I know I own one!! There is some sort of corruption going on here and customers are getting lied to and I don't like it. The dealers know that if taken to court it would not be worth it in legal cost and effort to expose them. I bought mine from Frontier Imports.

It was listed as
"49 state street/dot legal dual sport" and the bike says dot on the tires,rims,lights,blinkers everything.

Frontier Imports, Speedway PowerSports and ATV discounters are all doing it, in fact they are all the same company. I bought my bike 3 weeks ago, they stopped selling them about a week back after I started bothering them about how the DMV won't plate it.

[mrhyak]

Originally Posted by GY_Racing

No the ones sold are sold saying they are street legal. They are the same bikes as anyone else has on here, I know I own one!! There is some sort of corruption going on here and customers are getting lied to and I don't like it. The dealers know that if taken to court it would not be worth it in legal cost and effort to expose them.

It was listed as
"49 state street/dot legal dual sport" and the bike says dot on the tires,rims,lights,blinkers everything.

Can't you just take it in for state inspection? That is what they do with the Dnepr bikes from the Ukraine to get their tags for street use.

[GY_Racing]

Thats exactly what I did..





You can read all about it here..

http://chinariders.net/modules.php?n...er=asc&start=0

[TeamCheap]

Originally Posted by mrhyak

Can someone please show me ONE example of a grey market Lifan bike? I hear a lot of talk about them but I have yet to see one.

Show me a link, or a photo or something? Just curious if this is all just talk, or someone actually has a REAL GREY Market bike.

Ours are grey market bikes but the way I look at it they are real lifans even more than the American Lifans because they came from China-Lifan (the motherland) so PPffffftttt.




After doing some mods mine looks and rides like this.

Yep, thats me riding it with my "bless the bikini" shirt.
Oh that was a beautiful summer day

[iMoose]

Yo TC!
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, they're gonna break your rice bowl!

8O :o