Beginner and Intermediate Chinese 50cc 4 cylinder

[skyrider]

A week ago my wrecked 3x Qinqui 50cc 4 cyclinder scoot got stolen so I'm looking for a replacement 1 step higher in quality. I'm 60, 200lbs, have a car and truck, so my use is purely recreational including a shuttle scoot for kayakfishingl. Do my own scoot maintence, belt, rollers, oil, electric but not tires, LOL. Want a quiet, 100mpg environmental friendly scoot.

So I started with CarolinaFunMachines.com buyers guide with entry level and medium quality scooters. Entry includes TaoTao, Peace Sports, Velocity, VIP, Roketa. Medium includes Bintelli, Wolf and Motofino. Called dealers of Bintelli and Wolf(both have US headquarters and both contract with a China factory to make and put spec parts on their brand). Also called Bintelli and Wolf headquarters. Dealers were great, knew their product, used to sell the TaoTao, and said that TaoTao just doesn't have the quality control or quality parts as theirs. Bintelli would only "Chat" with me, when I called I was referred to a dealer. The Wolf dealer said Wolf headquarters would talk with me and they did and right now I'm seriously considering buying a Wolf locally for $1,164 incl. tax.

So for a proud Scootdawg who has gratefully learned and received great help from members I wonder for someone like me who can work on their own scoot, what am I really getting for spending $1,100??? that I can't get for spending $680 including shipping right now for a TaoTao from Newegg?

From what I understand from Bintelli and Wolf I'm tangibly getting:

10" aluminum vs steel rims
gates belt
motobatt or similar battery

then intangibly getting:

100% copper wiring?
dot hoses?
quality control at the plant??
quality control before shippment to dealer?
higher spec carb?
properly tensioned bolts? and engine bolts?
steel outer hardware?
impeccable dealer service and support and warrantee?

So I ask those "in the know" for a proud Scoodawg who is a diyer, is it worth $419 up front for: ride/performance/time spent repairing/replacing parts etc. to spend $1099 vs $680.

[kz1000st]

I have conversed at length with the people from Bintelli. The common practice for distributors who want a quality scooter is to buy from Znen, as Wolf does. Justin at Bintelli used to do just that. BUT. Znen is the largest manufacturer of scooters in China and can be lackadaisical at times. Justin switched to another manufacturer and my intuition tells me that in pursuit of better quality he found a company that would listen. I had the opportunity to visit a dealer selling Bintelli and put my hands all over the scooters. The body panels were substantial, the metal work was quite good and all exposed connections and clamps looked solid.

Having said that, either company, Wolf or Bintelli, is a good choice. They only sell through dealers and never drop ship. Yes, the extra money is worth it. Quality control at the source prevents a ton of niggling problems later and both companies strive for that.

[Irish]

Different strokes for different folks! Irish

[Irish]

I would say that it depends completely on your individual mechanical ability! You have to do a PDI anyway so you have to decide for your self!I've been to a motorcycle factory school , been a foreman & head mechanic on commercial fishing boats & was a flight mechanic on helicoptors(Sikorsky) so to me it wouldn't be worth the added expense but to you it might be worth it! Irish

[skyrider]

I just got off the phone again with Justin and Alex at Wolf. I was very impressed by their knowledge and committment to provide a better quality chinese scoot. So according to Justin I could get the TaoTao, but its not just my time I would be spending(thus saved money) putting it together, as Irish suggests. The parts that Wolf(or Bintelli) put on their scoots are one or several steps up. Justin of Wolf said all parts from belt, to tires to cdi to wiring to paint. Plus they back it up.
I spent quite a bit of time working on my used Qinqui, prob 1/3 of my total time riding and I learned a lot and sometimes it was fun. But according to Justin at Wolf, the time may now be reduced quite a bit, guess time will tell.

As an aside, apparently Wolf hasn't found Zhen to be "lackadaisical", yet.

[kz1000st]

I'm glad the people at Wolf are having a good relationship with Znen. The same day I saw the Bintellis I also saw a Wolf scooter. It looked quite good too.

I would still go with a scooter from a dealer if I were you too. Older Chinese scooters were labor intensive if used constantly. That has changed a great deal in the last eight years. Wolf and Bintelli are the new face of Chinese scooters. They have upped the game by a large margin.

[Randyjaco]

Man, I 'd like to see one of those 4 cylinder 50cc motors 😉

Randy

[skyrider]

My search has now expanded. If I can get a Wolf or Bintelli new for $1400, then why not find a used 4 stroke Taiwan scoot??? There are two used scoots on Offer Up, one a Lance PCH-50 and the other a Lance Cabo. Both for $1000 asking price. Any thoughts???(again I want 4-stroke cause its slightly environmentally cleaner and definatly quieter than a 2-stroke)

[kz1000st]

Lance makes fine scooters and if those scooters are in good shape they will serve you well. For $1000 you should also be able to find a slightly older Japanese scooter that will be an excellent ride.

[skyrider]

Thanks kz!!