VIDEO: Is it about time we accepted Chinese bikes?

If Chinese motorbikes make you think cheap, cheerful and unreliable, then you’re not alone.

When Chinese brands first started importing motorcycles into Britain, they were presented as an affordable alternative to the big brands, like Honda and Suzuki.

But costs had to be cut somewhere and consumers ended up with bikes that looked good but had cheap materials, bad build quality and were difficult to find replacement parts for.

The tables might be turning though, as some Chinese brands now hold a significant stake in the market, especially when it comes to lower engine capacity models.

We spoke to Daniel Frost, Business Development Manager at Lexmoto, to find out why this might be.

For years, Chinese brands like Lexmoto had a bad reputation when it comes to quality, with the general consensus being that you get what you pay for.

But Lexmoto now holds 20 per cent of the 50cc and 125cc market, having only been established in the UK for ten years.

In the video, Daniel explains how Chinese bikes were previously brought into the market without proper support from the brands selling them.

The bikes were hard to care for, with spare parts being near impossible to find, despite the motorbikes often breaking and needing replacements.

But these brands inevitably went out of business, along with the factories that provided their bikes, meaning that the Chinese brands that remain, such as Lexmoto, have earned their place in the market.

What are your thoughts? Use the comment section below to let us know.