Picking at prejudice
Bikers in the UK regard much of the recent wave of Chinese manufactured machines with derision. They’re dismissed as ‘cheap knock-offs’ of existing models from larger brands. And while that might have been true once upon a time, with each passing year it’s becoming further and further from the truth.
I’ve spent a lot of time riding these small capacity imports. They don’t get a lot of coverage in the wider motorcycling media, but at On2Wheels, they’re our bread and butter; cheap, cheerful, and in plentiful supply. And quality is improving. Fast.
The Chinese motorcycle industry first made a name for itself around the world by producing cheap twowheelers for developing countries. While that didn’t stop importers bringing them in and making a few quid in the process, they weren’t made for the UK, so is it really fair for us to judge them to our own reasonably high standards? I’m not sure.
The game’s changed, though. China’s got some serious competition coming out of India, and as a result the Chinese industry is not selling anywhere near the number of bikes it was once was. That’s forced a change of approach; a focus on quality and value for money, rather than the lowest possible price. Even some of the biggest manufacturers have been joining forces with bike builders right across Asia. And they’ll continue to do exactly that. In China (and India) they’ve got the economies of scale, comparatively cheap labour, and a serious commitment to technological advancement. BMW’s been working with Loncin for years – and we all know how well the Germans put their bikes together.
Still not convinced? Well, it’s probably worth mentioning that this is not the first time British bikers have been slow to get on the bandwagon with the latest Asian imports. Back in the 60s and 70s, bikers were widely dismissive of the new wave of Japanese bikes. And we all know how that story ended. That’s right. They were so good, they put a halt to the dominance of British brands across the world.
Now that’s not to say that Chinese (and Indian) motorcycles are going to dominate the world market and slowly but surely edge out their Japanese and European competitors. But there are definitely parallels. Japan started out building copies themselves, but soon began to innovate and build machines that were more technologically advanced than anything else on the market. I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen. But they’re helping to make two-wheeled travel more affordable, and that’s only ever going to be a good thing, don’t you think?