Pros and Cons of buying a Chinese Import Scooter: My DirectBikes Moped Review
My DirectBikes scooter
Last year I decided I was sick of my daily struggle with public transport and decided to get a moped. It would be quicker than the bus, more economical than a travel card, and would invest me with the type of ‘cool factor’ that you only get in Shoreditch. Alas, my budget wasn’t quite as big as my dreams, so I settled on buying a Chinese import scooter from import company Direct Bikes- and this is my tale.
There are many options when buying a Moped, and they range from purchasing a brand new model from a dealer, to getting a second hand version on eBay. Models and prices vary from around £500 for a used version to £1900 and up for a brand new scooter. Options do tend to get a bit more limited when your budget is low and you’re set on owning something pink (repressed Barbie fantasies) so I was a little bit stuck when searching for one. I have a full car licence, but annoyingly it was issued in 2003, which means I need to complete a CBT (a one day training course, approx £110) to ride a 50cc or 125cc scooter. Anything above 125cc required an investment of around £1500+ to get the correct licence, and I wasn’t willing to go there.. yet. The rest of the costs are negligible, as I live in London and scooters don’t have to pay congestion charge. Parking is also free in most places in central London, apart from Westminster where it’s £1.
DirectBike moped in detail
With these facts in hand I set off to buy a moped and experienced issues at every turn. Either they were well out of my price point- like this beautiful pink Vespa, or they were based in Manchester and I had no easy way of getting there. eBay wasn’t a huge help, nor was Gumtree, and then I stumbled across a site called DirectBikes. They ship all their bikes in from China, and sell them brand new in the UK at a markup. Even with their markup it was still only £649 for a BRAND new bike, plus a non negotiable £80 odd pounds for delivery. And no, you couldn’t pick it up yourself. Boo. OK, so that’s £731 all in so far.
I ordered it online.. and it didn’t go through. I rang them and they said my address had been wrong (it wasn’t) and reordered it. Same issue. Different card tried, same issue. Now my bank was calling me because they though there had been some fraud taking place and I had zero cash (frozen ) and no bike. Four days later I tried again, this time ringing them straightaway. Exact same problem. Losing hope, I got the boyfriend to try them, and somehow it went through. No apologies from them about this, and no mention of when they’ll fix their website ordering process- consider yourself warned.
Three days later the bike arrived, in a packing crate. Isn’t it lovely???
Moped in the packing crate
A few things needed to be adjusted before I could go ahead and ride it- the battery had to be charged and the mirrors attached, but this was pretty simple stuff- and I’d been informed of this prior to purchase. The bike had no number plate however, because the Direct Bikes folk are cheap and make you pay to register it themselves. That isn’t their excuse though as they laughably say ,’ ‘By registering the scooter before the scooter is sold makes the scooter second hand, you become the second owner. This significantly reduces the value of your scooter. We only sell new scooters where you are the first owner’. Yeah, bollocks. If there’s 0 miles on the clock you’re the first owner.
I can live with this however, as registration is £55 pounds- yep price is mounting for the £649 scooter, which is now at £786. When you register is you also pay for a tax disc (£15), so we’re up to £801. To register is you need documents from the DVLA and forms to fill in.. but the DVLA phone number has a recorded voice mail going ‘due to unseasonable amounts of calls we want you to check online…’ BEEP. Ta, very much then.
Online it says that the number plate ordering process can take 4-6 weeks for you to get a number plate and that you have to provide insurance documents to get it. Hmm. So you’re paying for insurance on a scooter you can’t ride yet? Grreat.
I checked with the insurers, and because my bike doesn’t have plates yet it costs an average £100 more to insure, for f**ks sake. The story gets more convoluted- don’t give up!
As it’s a cheap bike, the excess on third party, fire and theft works out at around the same cost as the insurance- so like, £350 insurance and £350 excess.. not really worth it. Will keep looking. The Direct Bikes company recommends their ‘friendly’ insurers Rampdale- who refuse to insure freelancers as we’re not a viable option. Ta very much, back to square one.
DirectBikes scooter details
GoCompare has given me more favourable rates, but there’s still that dratted excess to contend with. I have heard (don’t quote me) that pink bikes are the least likely to get stolen, but it’s my baby… and I want it to be safe! I know that London has a high incident of moped theft and I’m worried that something as pretty as my bike will just get walked off with. Finally I choose an insurer, and just grit my teeth and go with it. Next up-bike plates. Deciding I didn’t want to chance my number plates to the deep recesses of the DVLA I travelled across town to their London office (Wimbledon is so not central) and gave my forms in there. They said it would take around ten days (much less than their prerecorded message said) and the documents arrived within that time. Then I had to take them to a shop and get the plates created (yes, more money- kerching!). Now my bike was finally ride-able.. and I’d spent £820 plus insurance- higher than anticipated.
So, the big question- how did it drive?
I’ll be honest with you here- it is AMAZING. The engine purrs nicely into life, the moped accelerates quickly and the brakes are very responsive. It’s comfortable to sit on, and is great for taking on London traffic. The bike is a lovely bright colour- way better than hoped for, and looks really striking and riding it is fun. Sure, there could be more power, but I knew what I was getting when I got a 50cc. I rode it without the free (finally!) topbox for a while, then after one Tesco shop too many put it on, and it holds everything very nicely. I feel very in control when on it, and the bike handles wet weather well. The quality of the seatcover isn’t the best- it’s most definitely ‘pleather’, but it feels nice to sit on and looks fine for the price.
Issues with the DirectBikes bike
Six odd months on and I’ve had one or two problems with my bike. The first was when I managed to smash both lights (oops) as the bike toppled over (1 of them) and then I managed to hit the other into a lamp post. Brand name Vespa’s have the lights integrated as part of the frame, but this cheaper model has them protruding- not good for someone like me. I was worried it would cost a lot to replace, as I knew parts were scarce and expensive and eBay showed me the lights at £14 each. I decided to call DirectBikes (just in case) and found they could do replacement lights for £5.50! Woo hoo! And they arrived within two days. Score.
The second problem was when the indicators suddenly and without warning stopped working. Cue scary driving, and the bike not leaving the house. The issue was the ‘indicator relay lights’, and the parts were cheap when I checked on eBay. As I have a year warranty for parts however, I rang DirectBikes up and asked for a new part.. only to be fobbed off with, ‘You need a service! Call Greg on 0777xx to arrange this and he’ll sort it out.’. When asked how much that was they said, ‘You’ll have to negotiate it’. Hmm, suspicious. Phonecall 2. Technically under their T’s and C’s I did need a service- but at only 3 months of usage I didn’t want to pay for one! Greg was actually great to talk to, and arranged for the relay light to be sent free of charge. I fitted it easily (OK, with an online tutorial) and the bike was 100% once more.
My DirectBikes pink moped
The final verdict
Overall, I’m happy with the bike. It didn’t help that I found out they’d been featured on Watchdog, but despite that fact, I was pleased with what I got. I bought a budget bike, and it performed very well. The DirectBikes people may not have been the most helpful staff in the world, but things (eventually) got done, and my bike remains in good nick today. It does scratch quite easily and the design of the indicator lights is a bit silly, but it’s a comfortable drive and handles roads well. Be aware of the hidden costs involved in this purchase and the extra effort needed to get set up and then you won’t be caught out.
You can try out DirectBikes for yourself here. What do you think of the brand- any personal experience?
Barbie Pink Moped
Here is an image of what may have subliminally motivated me to buy this. I’m not sure if I see the resemblance, do you?
Check out some cool looking scooter helmets to go with your moped here.
Welcome to the world of scooters! From looking at your Barbie shots, you are truly a scooter diva
I like the review- had been torn about whether to go for DirectBikes but feel reassured now, and think I’ll chance it.
I really enjoyed the review very funny. I would like a pink scooter but I have a feeling I would crash it a lot. I am not even good at riding a bike!
Great review.
I have just ordered the 125cc cruiser model and although I have read mixed reviews about Direct Bikes, I am willing to take the gamble due to lack of funds to purchase a Honda or more reputable brand at the moment.
How much were your licence plates, by the way?
Good luck with it- it worked out well for me. You can get licence plates from around £15 from a local shop, or for about £10 on ebay. Cheers.
The UK is often one of the last places in Europe to get new updates of current models because the importers tend to try to get rid of their old stock before replacing it.
Hi i have purchased a chinese import (sukida 50cc) through ebay its fab it was £500 for bike, £349 insurance TPFT, £15 extra insurance to register while waiting to get number plate, £55 for DVLA & £16 TAX, just waiting for documents from DVLA and will be away.
Such a great cheap bike 80 miles to gallon
Gretting
Pretty in pink .
You can purchase flush mount indicators for pounds on ebay,simple diy fit, yes you may need to paint them pink,or you could cut down your present ones so that just the orange lense sits on bodywork with or without minimal black case….
Im sure you could diy it or buy from ebay and screw on.
See link to see what I mean about lights
http://www.motor-scooters-guide.com/images/keeway-venus-50cc-motor-scooter-review-21272493.jpg
ttfn
Haha! i love this review and was definately eager to order the 50cc Sports Scooter in pink as i have been searching for a pink one everywhere.
After seeing the watchdog video i think id rather pay the extra and get a model like a honda instead of using direct bikes.
you have inspired me to steer clear of them! even though i’m totally jelous how nice yours is.
thank you for your great review~*!
am dying to get the same one,
how is it doing after nearly a year?
also, where are legit moped parking spots?
have only seen them parked on sidewalks and other illegal places..
where around Covent Garden for instance?
thanxx so much!
Hi Lulu- One year on and the scooter is doing very well. I have some trouble starting it after it has been inactive for a week or two, and I often have to replace the lights (around £7) but generally still going well. Lots of approved parking spots in every area, and Covent Garden has loads- it costs £1 a day there because of Westminster tariffs. Hope this helps! Zara
I am having trouble registering my bike, took all docs to Sheffield dvla via the train because of limited car parking. paid for registration and tax then the clerk said you may have to bring the bike in for inspection and most of the direct bikes have to be inspected, she also said its to make sure it meets UK conformity. I asked how am I supposed to get the bike to the dvla office and she said hire a van or get a trailer! I live in Doncaster ffs gonna cost me a fortune! the bike comes with a certificate of conformity what direct bikes provide. what a load of crap, no wonder there so cheap. they don’t tell you all the hassle you have registering the bike. 6 weeks on still waiting.
Hi CJ, Sorry you’re having so much trouble. When I registered I didn’t have to bring my bike in but was warned that sometimes they do require it, so I guess you got unlucky there. It is crazy that you need to rent a trailer- it just means the costs really mount up, and I hated my DVLA visit too. Good luck!
gotcha thanx so much zara~*!
i did the cbt yesterday and am ready to get my moped –
just a couple of last questions please:
1. do you ride in scooter-safe clothes and boots, or normal street clothes and shoes?
and in the summertime, do you ride with exposed skin or covered in kevlar?
i want to ride in street clothes but the cbt people told us horror stories re: skin vs tarmac that really freaked me out…
2. do you chain up or D-lock your scooter / have an alarm, or fine to just leave it as it is?
3. have your storage spaces (underseat and box) been broken into at all? cbt guys said never put helmet in underseat space as it can be opened with a penknife
4. does it feel pretty safe riding in london traffic? i was a bit terrified yesterday..
Hi Lulu!
I have never ridden in ‘scooter appropriate clothing’, I wear dresses, skirts etc, and often heels (though I do have flats in the storage box) but always gloves as hands get cold. I have fallen off (whilst staionary) once and all it did was rip my tights. When I park my scooter in London I just park it in a moped area with no chain ( I figure with all the posh bikes, who will pick on my pink one?:) and at night I have secure parking where I live so it’s safe. My bike has never been broken into ever, and even if it was, they’d only get a helmet and some books and a pair of heels (Kurt Geiger if you care).
Safety wise, it can be scary in London but I get used to it. I find taxi drivers the worst as they like to edge you off the road and cyclists come up on me unawares and scare me. I find central London easier than suburbs as people can’t go so fast.
Hope that helps! x Zara
wow!
fantastic to hear~*
you’ve put my mind at ease – i was getting so paranoid every every aspect…
thank you so much zara you’ve been a great help!!
Just spoken to someone from the DVLA on the phone today, ‘cus the bike I have from DB has to be inspected tomorrow (long story, but the mirror broke when it fell over in wind, and I wanted to check it wouldn’t fail). The guy from the DVLA told me, that this is not a safety inspection, but a ‘newness’ inspection. Bottom line is if the bike was imported more than 14 days ago, the DVLA will check it for newness – apparently what some people do is import ‘em on temporary foreign plates, rag ‘em about for 3 or 4 months, and then try and register ‘em as brand spanking new with a March 2012 (or whatever) plate, do DVLA check ‘em to stop people doing that. He also said for e.g. one guy tried to register as new, a car with 5000 miles on the clock!
So, according to bloke from DVLA, if your bike is imported, and has been stashed in a warehouse for more than 2 weeks – applies to anybody, not just DB, it *will* have to be inspected. Good news though, is that it should only take 10 or 15 min to do, because it’s not a full on safety inspection, so also it’s not gonna ‘fail’ because of the cracked mirror.
Had the same scooter as your,s first few months all was ok then the engine started to lose power garage said the piston ring had broken that would explain the smoke any way they said to fix would be nearly £200 could not afford that sold it on Ebay used the money for a deposit on a Yamaha second hand,
Just been to my local DVLA office today to register my retro direct bikes scooter (have to say I am very jelous of your pink one, Hubby put his foot down regarding colour) I was told 2 different things while there. First person said it WILL need to be inspected and that they will contact me within a day orcso to book an appointment. Not sure how I will get it there! The second person just told me my documents will be posted out to me and no mention of inspection. Just got to keep my fingers crossed the second person was right and no inspection will be needed.
Is you bike still running well?
I’ve just bought the 125cc Cruiser. I ordered the bike on the 5th March, it arrived 3 days later. The biggest hold up for me was getting my CBT done and also waiting for the Insurance certificate to come through to send off my V55/4 form to register the vehicle. I finally was able to send the form off on Friday just gone (23rd March) and they advised they now have a 48 hour turn around, so I expect to hear back from them hopefully on Wednesday 28th. I can then get the number plate made up and it will be ride able. All in all it has taken a good 4 weeks from starting point to finishing point to get the bike road worthy. Let’s hope I don’t have any issues with the bike it’s self.
In terms of insurance mine came in at £280 with an excess of £200. I was relatively happy with this considering I had to use the VIN number to insure it.
Fingers crossed all stays well!
I absolutely love your oufit in that pic. I’d love to have a pink scooter, but I’m not sure if I’m brave enough (it’s bad enough that I’m a woman; if drivers think I’m “cutesy” as well, they’ll demolish me, at least here in America).
I’m glad that you went with what made sense (low price). Those brand name scooters are great, but what’s the point in having a $2000 scoot if you barely have any money left over to go anywhere? I have been looking at scooter/motorcycle forums for a week and everyone makes fun of Chinese/off brand scooters and always suggest the Hondas, Yamahas and Vespas. If I had a few thousand, sure those would be choices. But right now my budget is just under $2000. After I take the $199 two day motorcycle class (I’m purchasing a 150cc), pay for title, tag and insurance and helmet, gloves and boots (needed for the class), I’m still cutting it pretty close if I buy a $1200 scooter.
I’m happy that more women are joining the bike world.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for your comments- I love that dress too (River Island last year) and whilst I don’t love being cutesy, I’ve just gone for what I like- who cares what other people say! Yes, I also wanted a ‘brand name’ but my budget wouldn’t allow it and I really love my bike. It has had a few issues (all mentioned) but so would a ‘brand’ scooter, and it’s fun to ride and so economical!
Hey Zara, I am 17 and really taken a liking to one of the mopeds on Directbikes, but really concerned about the write ups on the website. I can’t afford brand names and this website is the best value for money that I can find. I have read your review and wanted to know whether the bike, customer service etc would be recommended. Hope to here back, great blog! Thanks.
Hi Rebecca,
The customer service is a little iffy but once you get the number of the mechanic ( I use Gary in London) he is really good and cheap and happily fixes any issues. Customer service is a bit disjointed as they are really a sales team but stuff did work out for me. Best of luck!
Hi Zara
Your review was really helpful and has made everything about buying a mope a lot clearer.
I’m interested in getting a moped when I’m 16 this year and I’m trying to do some preparation. I was wondering where you got your helmet from?
Thanks.
I just bought a skyjet sj125 and having props getting insurance , we’re did use all get your insurance from when the Nike is not registered thanks
Hi Kerr. I couldn’t get insurance till the bike was registered. Well, that’s not quite true- I insured it and had 28 days to send in registration documents. I use Aviva for insurance and doesn’t cost too much.
Just ordered the 50cc sports moped yesterday, so it should arrive in the next few days but just wondering what the refistration process is like ? i hope my vechail dont get inspected but if it does whats the process like. And how long would you say the whole registartion process without the bike being inspected and with the bike beng inspected.
Thanks,
Hi, Just a quick question can the battery be charged by a standerd car battery charger ?
Thanks in advannce
I have recently purchased a moped from Direct Bikes and have to say the purchase itself was seamless. The bike arrived the next day and its great. No issues with the bike at all. The only problem I encountered first of all was getting it insured. Nobody apart from hastings would insure it because it wasnt registered, however in order to register it, I needed insurance!! The second problem was getting hold of the DVLA form V55/4. What a nightmare! I waited 3 weeks for the DVLA to send the forms, and after 3 attempts at the sending the same form again and again but never received, I gave up and went to my local DVLA office instead. I havent yet heard from them and am hoping they dont want to inspect it as that will be even more costly. One tip I would give direct bikes – introduce an option where the customer can pay a little extra to have the bike delivered registered. They state on their website that they dont do that because it would then be second hand, however all car dealerships seem to manage it…
Yes, no problem at all- it’s very easy to do.
Hey, im thinking of buying a direct bikes scooter as i have little money being a student and love the pink
im not sure weather to go for a 125cc or a 50cc because its cheaper? do you feel limited at all on the 50cc??
Wow!! Thank your review i found some other things about directbikes!! Thank you and by the way you look very nice with your bike!!
Ps: can’t wait to get my one as well!!
Hi
I live in London and don’t feel restricted (though have now had the bike derestricted) but if you live somewhere rural you might want more speed. Good luck!