There sure are lots of two-wheelers coming from China these days. Still, there are plenty that stay in China and are ridden by those who can't quite swing the cost of a car or its fuel. Many of these mopeds, scooters and motorcycles are powered by gas, but there is a growing number of electric two-wheelers in China as well. Oddly, in Yungang district, Shenzhen, all two-wheeled vehicles have been banned - gas, electric, whatever. So, why is that? Is it due to the environmental impact of old machinery or are just there too many? No and no. It seems that there were a rash of crimes being committed where the perps got away on motorcycles. The unique solution is to confiscate any and all two-wheelers, gather them up into huge piles and crush them with bulldozers. Yeah, that'll do it. The results? Besides making it much more difficult for tons of people to get around, motorbike robberies are down 58.32 percent this year and China has another eco disaster on its hands.

[Source: DANWEI via The Scooter Scoop]

A Michigan man has found his own personal solution to high gas prices in an interesting three-wheeled enclosed scooter which leans into turns from a Chinese company known as Xingyue. Before this story, we were not at all familiar with the company, though a Google search does turn up a little information. Powered by a 150cc single cylinder four stroke engine, the scooter is capable of traveling on any road that is not a major highway and is fully street legal. The new owner estimates that he is getting fuel mileage of around 120 miles per gallon when he keeps it under forty miles per hour and 80-90 miles per gallon when he's really wringing it out.

This machine appears to be some sort of copy of the Honda Gyro. Though we tend to shy away from unknown Chinese scooters, reputable brands like Piaggio, Vespa and Yamaha have appeared on these pages in the past. The enclosure of the Xingyue allows a slightly longer riding season for those who live in areas with poor weather much of the year. See a video of the machine in action here.

[Source: ABC 12 News]

Scooter use has skyrocketed these last few years due to the ever-present concerns over fuel mileage and vehicle emissions. Chinese manufacturers have stepped in to provide many of the machines that are currently available for purchase and are often offered at very low prices. Those low prices make them attractive to people who have never owned a scooter before and are not aware of the diverse brands already on the market. One fact which is often overlooked is that Chinese manufacturing companies come and go with some regularity, and the same scooter could be badged with a different manufacturer logo every day of the week.

The ever-changing Chinese scooter business causes problems when it comes time to register the scooter, as this story very clearly bears out. Randy Bearup purchased a Chinese scooter branded as a Ricardo, and was able to register the scooter for a short period before he was contacted by the DMV, at which time his license plate and registration were requested back. It seems that the scooter, although labeled as California approved, was not in reality ever tested by authorities. Since this particular model of scooter had never been tested, nobody could be sure whether or not it met California's emissions requirements, or any other standards for that matter.

It's important to realize that not all Chinese-made machines are of low quality, and not all are horrible polluters either. But it is difficult to know which brands and machines are properly certified and which ones claim to be one thing but are in fact another To quote the often-used phrase "buyer beware," make sure that the model you are looking to purchase comes from a reputable dealership which carries reputable brands. A little searching on the internet can go a long way towards saving yourself from a major headache later.

[Source: CBS13.com]

I am not here to make any personal claims regarding the Chinese motorcycle, scooter or automobile manufactures ability to create a good product. I have very little personal experience with any motor-vehicle to come from mainland China. I have a little experience with their military sidecar bikes, but that is all.

With that said, do any of you remember our coverage of the electric vehicle being sold by a Chinese manufacturer that looked very similar to the Smart? If not, check it out here and here. As of that last posting in November of last year, the manufacturing of that vehicle had stopped. Or did it? Hmmm... check this out here. Phil at Pride of Cleveland scooter shop, whom I have met (cool guy), gives his own mini review upon seeing one:

"The biggest disaster of the show must have been notorious Chinese importer SunL, I don't care how many fake Lacoste dress shirts you hand out, I'm still going to call that Smart Car clone a complete travesty. The bodywork was so bad it actually felt like wood. The windows were just thin sheets of plastic glued in place. The Texans in the booth refused to open the door so I could see if there were any certification stickers inside. They assured me they would be legal for the '08 year. I sure hope nobody mentions this to Mercedes. This show should have taught even the casual observer, if you want to test the quality of a product, just tap it. The Chinese stuff has a feel all its own."

Click here for a site dedicated to SunL's products and their thoughts on the vehicle. This one may not be electric, though. It seems that this Smart-like vehicle has an 800cc engine. The name of the vehicle Sebastian covered was the "City Smart", and this one is the "Mini Cube". How will DaimlerChrysler react to this one?

Also of note: Don't miss the tagline on SunL's vehicle page. It says, "With A 150 different products to enrich your bottom line". Something sound funny about that? I would be glad to check the product out myself, if given the chance.

[Source: SunL via 2StrokeBuzz]