Kymco now made in China? Need advice please

[General Zod]

I recently visited a dealership and fell in love with a 2018 kymco x-town, with 150 miles on it for $2,999

but I noticed on the back of the bike it said "made in china" and It was a kick to the gut.

I had a 250cc kymco xcitimg before but was made in tawain.

so why are they making them in China? do any of yall think this would be a bad buy considering chinese products aren't reliable? please help

[john grinsel]

Look at the Vin number.  That tells you where it is made.   My 2019 XTown 300I=made in Taiwan.

[Stig / Major Tom]

China or Taiwan ---- the manufacturing is overseen by Kymco.
Many, many of us LIKE200i owners have no beef with the quality or reliability of our scooters which were assembled in China!
Yeah that vin number will give you the info....plus the sticker will spell out where, when it was assembled.
Stig

[General Zod]

Yeah if it has the made in china sticker on it im pretty positive its made in china, Ive had a Chinese 150 before and it was a mess. I just dont know if I should spend $3K on this or spend an extra $2K and get a used burgman for $5K

I mean I wonder if the quality is the same or worse than the tawain made kymcos

[big blue]

The mainland made Kymcos are built with Kymco quality controls. We have a member here who just sold his Super 8 (Chinese made) with over 30 K miles and no issues. My 2012 Like has been pretty bullet proof and has held together well. People anywhere can build good stuff if given the training and guidance in the manufacturing process.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Yeah if it has the made in china sticker on it im pretty positive its made in china, Ive had a Chinese 150 before and it was a mess. I just dont know if I should spend $3K on this or spend an extra $2K and get a used burgman for $5K

I mean I wonder if the quality is the same or worse than the tawain made kymcos

Two of us have sorta answered your question about a Chinese made Kymco.
If you're looking at a used 400 Burgman for $5K.....I'd keep looking. I paid $4999.00 for a new dealer left-over model 3 yrs ago.
Burgmans have lousy resale value compared to new MSRP.
Can't recall a Kymco review where they said it was junk.
Look that X-Town over closely, read the reviews of it.
But of course buy what you'll be happy with.

Stig

[LidoCA]

 I am not a huge fan of the Xtown, as my Smax is somewhat close to it in performance. However, at that price, I would not hesitate to buy it.

[General Zod]

Yes the price was too good to pass up, I opted for the X-Town. I pick it up next Saturday.

I had a 2010 Xciting 250 and that thing was bullet proof.

I called several several Kymco dealers across the US and asked them about the "made in china" thing

They all said the same thing, Its overseen by Kymco, they only have them in plants in China because of the cheaper labor but the quality is the same, and I had 2 of them tell me the engines are bulletproof on most if not all Kymcos

and even some of the smaller Kymcos are made in China

so I cant wait to pick it up next weekend. thank you guys for your advice, I look forward to being on the board

[KymcoRockr]

I called several several Kymco dealers across the US and asked them about the "made in china" thing

They all said the same thing, Its overseen by Kymco, they only have them in plants in China because of the cheaper labor but the quality is the same, and I had 2 of them tell me the engines are bulletproof on most if not all Kymcos

and even some of the smaller Kymcos are made in China

What did you expect them to say?
If you never see them side by side, they are the same quality. If you do see a couple that are about four or five years old and have been out on the road, you will see quality differences. The aluminum on the Chinese bikes oxidize much quicker and more severely than the Taiwan made models (you also see this with the Chinese Honda Ruckus), and the plastics are much more brittle. The Taiwan Kymco bikes are almost on par with what the Japanese make in terms of quality of component and fit and finish.

[Stig / Major Tom]

All opinions are welcome here, nevertheless you could not prove your theory about Chinese made Kymcos by looking under my 7 yr old Chinese made LIKE200iLX ridden 365 here in Ohio.
All bikes rot in rough environments. Honda scooters have a tough time in England, for example.
Scoots and motorcycles are assembled all over the world....by all major brands.
There was a time people said Hondas rolling out of Marysville, Ohio were second to the Japanese plants. Nonsense.
Of the 6 quality vehicles in my driveway - we have Vietnam, Thailand, China, Canada and Japan represented.
So, buy that Chinese made Kymco and smile all the way to the bank.
Stig

[big blue]