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The truth about Chinese branded scooters, mostly sold on-line.

            We have a steady stream of people coming into our shop asking us to for parts or repairs to a Chinese branded scooter, or scooters with innocent sounding names like "SKYWAY". Most are at their wits end because they have only had the scooter for a few weeks or months and its giving them no end of problems. We like most reputable shops are reluctant to get involved, because the machines are fundamentally poorly designed, poorly made using poor materials. We have to guarantee our work by law, and we can only be confident of the repair to a "proper" brand of scooter because the spares we use in the repair will be of good quality and be readily available.
             Often the scooter is delivered in a box, and customer has to get it ready for the road themselves. When you buy a well known brand of scooter from a dealer, all sorts of preparation and paperwork is completed by your dealer which is unseen by you the customer. You get a call to say its ready then turn up and drive it away!
            The initial purchase price is attractive though, only about £500 for a NEW scooter. No point spending any more it's only for work. 
I wish I had a pound for the number of times I've heard that over the last 30 years! Getting to work is the most important journey a person makes!! Get half way and it breaks down; what a pain, you're loosing money, got to push it home or pay for recovery.

            This rapidly becomes £500 down the drain, its stuck in the shed and the resale value is non existent.

         Consider the experience of a 4 year old Vespa ET2 owner. Vespa is a premium brand and the ET2 would have cost him or her £1600 in 2004. Having had 4 years enjoyable riding on a stylish eye-catching scooter, its up for sale and they have no trouble selling it for £750 (£899 in a dealers shop). So 4 years riding with an annual depreciation of just over £200, that's what I call good value. This goes for any reputable brand of scooter, its easy to check it out for yourself, do it on the Piaggio Zip for example. What's a Chinese scooter worth when its 6 months old!

            Still not convinced? Before buying that bargain online, walk into your local scooter shop and ask them about service, repairs and spares  for the scooter.
            Would you buy a car called a ***** (insert the Chinese name that you have never heard of)?... No I didn't think so. But its the same for bikes and scooters.
             There are proper brands available, each with a network of dealers, just like cars, go into your local shop and check them out.