Chinese break away

£700 for a brand new bike might sound like a real bargain but one MCN reader is warning fellow bikers to: “Beware of cheap Chinese imports”.
George Nelson, from Southwark, South London, thought he’d found the Internet bargain of a lifetime. A brand new 125cc trail bike, on the road and ready to go for £700.
But with less than 1,500 miles on the clock the rear subframe collapsed causing the rear end to squat on top of the rear wheel. 
Nelson said: “Luckily I wasn’t going fast at the time or else it could have been really dangerous. If it had happened on a motorway I might have died. I don’t care about getting my money back anymore – I just want to warn other bikers of the danger.”
With a background as a motor mechanic Nelson was scathing of the build quality: “I knew I was buying a cheap bike but I can’t tell you how thin the metal is – it’s just not fit for purpose.”
Read the full story, including response from the Chinese factory that produces the bikes, in this week’s MCN out on 14/02/07.
HAS IT HAPPENED TO YOU?
Have you had problems with your Chinese bike? Is it not the bargain you had been hoping for? If so, contact tom.rayner@emap.com and MCN will investigate.