| With rising gas prices, many Americans are turning to | | | | motorcycles to the US. However, the economics that |
| alternatives from their gas guzzling cars. And yet while | | | | have existed in America have been vastly different |
| common sense would lead one to believe that a | | | | than they've been in countries in Asia, the Middle East, |
| motorcycle is a better alternative to a car, the well | | | | and Africa. Motorcycle buyers in the US aren't looking |
| established name brand motorcycles aren't seeing the | | | | for the lowest form of transportation available. In the |
| same huge spike in sales that motor scooters are. | | | | vast majority of cases, an American purchases a |
| And why not? | | | | motorcycle as a supplement to another primary |
| The answer is simple. The best selling brands of | | | | vehicle that they own. These conditions have traditional |
| motorcycles in America are, relatively speaking, | | | | left the motorcycle product offerings from China as a |
| expensive. Whether you're considering economic | | | | non-factor to American motorcycle buyers. |
| evaluators such as "total cost of ownership", "return on | | | | However, $4 a gallon gas has significantly changed the |
| investment", or "opportunity cost", trying to save on | | | | demographics of the American motorcycle buyer. |
| gas by buying a Harley Davidson, Honda, or other | | | | Now we see a new demand for extremely low cost |
| name brand motorcycle just doesn't produce the right | | | | transportation as a primary vehicle from Americans, |
| bottom line. | | | | and the name brand motorcycle manufacturers aren't |
| So does this mean that one has to settle for a motor | | | | producing products that meet that need. Enter China. |
| scooter as a result of the high gas prices? Well, as | | | | China is ramping up as fast as possible to provide the |
| long as free market forces are allowed to run their | | | | same products that they dominate the Asian, Middle |
| natural course, the answer is "no". Options are | | | | Eastern, and African markets with. While most |
| available to the American looking for a way to save | | | | motorcycle enthusiast balk at the idea of America |
| gas without having to settle for a scooter, but those | | | | being flooded by Chinese motorcycles, capitalistic |
| options are in slim availability in the US at the moment. | | | | forces are far more powerful than their opinions or |
| And those options are Chinese motorcycles. | | | | objections. |
| According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, 50% of | | | | Today the majority of Chinese motorcycles are being |
| the motorcycles in the world originated in China, and | | | | sold via the internet, from brands such as Roketa, |
| China has been the leading country in the production of | | | | Tank, and SUNL. However brands such as QLink and |
| motorcycles since 1994. These numbers usually don't | | | | CF Moto are setting up infrastructures of dealerships |
| make any sense to American motorcycle enthusiasts | | | | to sell and service their brands of Chinese |
| because in America Chinese motorcycles make up a | | | | motorcycles. |
| very slim minority of the motorcycles in use in the US. | | | | And a very unique thing these Chinese motorcycle |
| So where has China been sending all these | | | | manufactures are providing is a good amount of |
| motorcycles they've been making? | | | | automatic transmission motorcycles. With many new |
| Primarily Chinese motorcycles are exported to | | | | people turning to motorcycles as a new form of |
| countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The | | | | transportation, the automatic transmission motorcycles |
| demand in these countries for extremely low cost | | | | are very appealing to those who don't want to learn |
| transportation is higher than anywhere else in the | | | | how to shift. |
| world. For many families, the only vehicle the family will | | | | So as we watch the Olympics in Beijing conclude, rest |
| ever own and use is a basic small engine scooter or | | | | assured that we haven't seen the last of China in |
| motorcycle built in China. | | | | America. Very soon, Chinese motorcycles will be a |
| In the past few years China has begun exporting their | | | | part of many American's daily commutes. |