Faults:

Only normal wear items; chain, tires, light bulb.

General Comments:

While not as refined as the Japanese bikes, the Lifan is reliable and holds up well. Seating position is good for a tall person; I'm 6'1" and it fits me well. Handling is good, and the bike feels stable at all speeds, both on and off road.

The engine is strong and pretty smooth. Being a push rod engine, there is noticeable valve noise, but it's not obtrusive. Stock gearing is too high for off road riding, but replacing the 17 tooth countershaft sprocket with a 15 tooth does the trick.

The swing arm pivot point is about 1/2" too high, which makes it necessary to keep the chain very loose, so that is isn't too tight with weight on the bike over bumps. I was able to change the pivot point with a bit of fabrication and welding.

The front brake pads do not fully contact the rotor, which causes annoying noises once the pads wear down a bit. That can be fixed with a slight modification, or you can just live with it.

Suspension is on the harsh side, but seems rugged, and I've never bottomed out, even on very rough trails.

The biggest drawback to these bikes is lack of good dealers, and lack of parts availability. While many parts are common to other motorcycles, some are not. I recently had to order front brake pads from England.

I would only recommend this bike to those who plan to do their own maintenance, since most shops will not work on an unfamiliar bike.

Faults:

Turn signal burnt out.

Tachometer works when it feels like it.

Front brake rotor warped.

General Comments:

I bought this bike for one reason, it was the cheapest new dual sport I could buy. It was a left over model, but still brand new. I got it for 1800 out the door. I couldn't get a 5 year old Japanese dual sport for that.

The Lifan is Chinese in origin. Despite all the nay saying about Chinese quality, the bike has been reliable. Power is decent, I weigh 200 pounds and it has no problem cruising at 65 mph. I get at least 65 mpg, usually it averages around 73 mpg. I have ridden it on the street and use it plenty for exploring the county woods that surrounds my land.

Off-road the bike performs decent, but first gear is too tall for any serious trail riding. Also the front suspension bottoms out way too easily. I wouldn't take this thing off of any real jumps.

Front fender and mirrors are very low quality. Expect to break them if you go down or hit anything. I replaced them both with aftermarket parts, quality problem solved.

The bike is fairly light and comes with a rear rack. This has come in handy when I get stuck in a hole or mud. On the gravel the bike has a fair amount of wobble in the front end at speeds above 45 mph. It can be controlled and just about eliminated, but it takes some getting used to.

On road the Lifan has plenty of power after the motor is broken in to keep up with traffic. Acceleration is on par with Japanese motorcycles of similar displacement. However braking is an entirely different story. Simply said the brakes suck. Even after adjusting the rear brake three times, it still feels lousy. In town make sure to keep plenty of distance between you and other vehicles, you'll need it. I'd say the brakes for city riding were any worse they would be unsafe.

Also wobble tends to crop up going 55+ mph. It can be controlled and eliminated by riding style, but really I think one shouldn't have to worry about that at all.

Build quality varies on the bike. The tubing is thinner than a Japanese bike, plastic is good except for the front fender. The wiring is cheap and pretty thin. The kick start feels wimpy, I don't use it. Rear suspension geometry is very poor. If you try and adjust the chain to factory spec at 1.5 inches of slack, the chain is way too tight when the suspension is compressed. Two to three inches and you won't have a problem. The engine seems like a well built little unit and runs smooth. Parts are dirt cheap compared to other bikes.

Dealer service and warranty vary depending on who you buy from. But in my case it was non-existent. I wouldn't recommend this bike for someone who doesn't have a basic understanding of mechanics.

Bottom line is the bike is great for people looking for cheap transportation and the occasional back woods trip. It is reliable enough to be trusted every day, and the parts cost are unbeatable.

Overall I would recommend this bike. There is nothing out there that is as reliable or cheap for the price for the amount of performance you get.