Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Comparing Bikes, dirt bikes, reliability problems

Question
Hello eXpert Will,

My name is Nagy and I am a fellow expert in Electronics, home theatre and satellite Pay-TV.
I live in Australia and I have an import business.
Due to the local demand for Dirt Bikes, I have been communicating with Chinese manufacturers as to source from them.
In return I was confused with all the jargon they used which I doubt that all end-users would know but since they affect the price greatly I would appreciate all help in deciphering them.
So basically, number of engine strokes, number of valves, alloy vs steel parts, normal or upside down absorber, water vs air cooling.
I understand it could be too much for you to discuss and write but it will be equally helpful if you attach some links for me to read, I'm good at it.

THANKS HEAPS

NAGY

Answer
Hey Nagy,

Well, good luck with the Chinese bikes. A friend of mine bought one because it was so cheap and ended up with a broken motor in just under two months.

Personally, I still think they need to cook for five more years as they have been unreliable, problematic and poorly supported thus far. More and more of them are available here (USA), but they're not yet getting a very positive reception.

Also, there is little or no support network for them here, so it's almost impossible to get them worked on when they break, which is often.

I have little doubt that in time, the Chinese will bring their bikes (and cars) up to quality levels near the other major manufacturers, but that time is a ways off.

I see them the same way the most people saw the Japanese in about 1962: as makers of lightweight, non-serious machines that had reliability problems. We all know how that story ended, and we'll see if a Communist country can breathe free enough to bridge the gap needed to play in the big leagues.

As for your links request, here's a great publisher of all things motorcycle as far as books go:

http://www.whitehorsepress.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=4

Another good resource is http://www.wikipedia.org Just search for "motorcycles" and browse around for the info you need. A good resource.

And of course just Google anything and see what pops up.

Other than that, you might go to a dealer during a quiet day (like a Tuesday) and pester a saleperson with some technical questions, as if you were looking to buy a bike. Sneaky, but effective.

Good luck with your business. Hire lots of mechanics, and get the Chinese to pay for all the warranty repairs- for a while at least.

Best of luck, mate.

Bill Roberson
Portland, Oregon