Help with buying Chinese made electric motorcycle

Hi guys - I'm new to the forum, so apologies for asking questions that may have been answered in other forums (I looked but couldn't find).

I'm looking to buy an electric motorcycle directly from a Chinese manufacturer. They generally only do bulk sales but are willing to sell me one piece at $200 more than their bulk price. They've sent me the specs and options for both (see attached). I need some help with the following:

1) Has anyone bought these directly from a Chinese manufacturer? How was the buying experience and accuracy/quality/reliability of the vehicle?
2) They have offered to provide a VIN number and will also provide a "Certificate of Origin". Is this sufficient to register and insure the bike in US (I live in PA), or could I run into issues getting it registered if the manufacturer/make/model is not in the DoT or NTHSA database?
3) I also read that a EPA or some emission related sticker is required on the exhaust on all motorcycles sold in US, but this manufacturer cannot provide one. Can this create risk down the road?
4) Are there customs duty I'll need to pay once the bike arrives at the port in US? The manufacturer says they cannot give any feedback on this due to changing tariff regulations.
5) I'm leaning towards the Big Monster bike and I'm debating between Spec 3 and Spec 4 in the attached image...those two models have the same 3K motor but are showing very different peak power. Is this due to the higher/better controller included in Spec 4? I'm trying to figure out if the spec 4 is worth $600 more than Spec 3.
6) Any feedback on these components and how they'll perform? The manufacturer claims speed of 55mph and range of 60 miles for Spec 4..is this realistic?
7) Spec 4 has a 3KW WP QS motor (vs 3KW QS for Spec 3). Does the "WP" basically means waterproof?
8) Is there anything else I should consider for making the decision to buy directly from a manufacturer and the specific version?

Thanks again in advance!

guptanator said:

1) Has anyone bought these directly from a Chinese manufacturer? How was the buying experience and accuracy/quality/reliability of the vehicle?

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Lots of people have bought directly from various Chinese "manufacturers" over the years, though not necessarily whole bikes, with varying results. I've read of success and horror stories; it appears to be a crapshoot. Never heard of "wuxi hanbird", but since they call themselves "import and export trade co., ltd.", they are unlikely to be a manufacturer, but probably just a reseller, regardless of what they tell you. A google search on their name finds lots of stuff posted *by* them on the web, advertising and such, but I didn't find anything I'd call buyer feedback.

2) They have offered to provide a VIN number and will also provide a "Certificate of Origin". Is this sufficient to register and insure the bike in US (I live in PA), or could I run into issues getting it registered if the manufacturer/make/model is not in the DoT or NTHSA database?

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You have to ask your local DMV exactly how that works; each state handles things differently.

THen you need to ask your preferred insurer how *they* do things, because each one of those may have their own requirements.

3) I also read that a EPA or some emission related sticker is required on the exhaust on all motorcycles sold in US, but this manufacturer cannot provide one. Can this create risk down the road?

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That's also up to your local DMV. Since it doesn't have any emissions, it shouldn't need one, but laws and regulations haven't all caught up with the concept, so may need one even so. In some places, it may not even be possible to register an EV of some types, because the laws there may require stuff that only an ICE vehicle would qualify for. Unlikely these days, but still possible.

Pics aren't very good, but I don't see turn signals/etc on there, so you might want to check your local regulations for lighting and such, to see what you'll have to buy and add to it before you can register and ride it.

Same for windshield.

4) Are there customs duty I'll need to pay once the bike arrives at the port in US? The manufacturer says they cannot give any feedback on this due to changing tariff regulations.

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You should assume you'll have to pay the full duties and tariffs and fees, including any handler's fees and agent's fees, per whatever the current regulations are. Then whatever shipping company "customs handling" fees there are, on top of whatever you pay the company itself for shipping. My guess is that could be 25% to 50% of the item cost, but you'd have to look up the regulations.

6) Any feedback on these components and how they'll perform? The manufacturer claims speed of 55mph and range of 60 miles for Spec 4..is this realistic?
7) Spec 4 has a 3KW WP QS motor (vs 3KW QS for Spec 3). Does the "WP" basically means waterproof?

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YOu'd have to ask QSMotor company what their designations mean. Don't assume that an abbreviation in English letters has anything to do with English words. QS doesn't mean Quality Service, for instance, it means Quan Shun.


Regarding this being a "motorcycle"...well, it's way beyond "electric bicycle" capabilities, by legal definitions most places, but 3KW is not much of a motorcycle. Ten times that power level is getting there, but not that. More in the class of "motorcycle-shaped scooter", or "moped", realistically.

3KW might get you 40MPH+, it isn't going to accelerate all that fast. My CrazyBike2 had 4KW, and with me on it at my lower weight then was around 400lbs with all the tools/lunch/work crap I carried in the cargo pods/etc, and I could do 4 seconds or less to 20MPH (that's the speed limit here for ebikes, so dunno what it would do beyond that) and that's with 2WD, which can accelerate faster than 1WD, depending on the system. The hundred-pound-heavier SB Cruiser trike takes about a second more to do the same thing with a bit more power.


They list that they're pushing peak powers much higher, but you can't count on sustaining that more than a very short time without overheating the motor. See http://ebikes.ca/simulator for how that can work with different systems. (read the whole page first, then play with various setups similar to what you're wanting, and see what results you get). If there's no motor that is similar to what you want to use, there's a custom motor setting if you can get the parameters for it from the motor manufacturer (the bike seller probably won't have a clue).

You can run a lot of DD hubmotors at higher power levels than they're "rated" for, for a while, but most can't take several times that continuously without some form of cooling modification. The bigger they are, the longer they can take it, but there's always some limit. If you don't mind pushing limits and fixing or replacing things when they fail, then it's worth a shot. But you can't expect any form of warranty repairs on something without a local dealer (and even with one, they may not be able to get parts, or may be unwilling to help, or even just up and vanish), so expect to buy replacement parts yourself.


As far as range goes...if you're after highway speeds, 50MPH+, you're going to probably use 100-150wh/mile+ . To get 60 miles out of that, at those speeds, you may need 9KWh or more of battery. At 72v, that's around 125Ah.

If there's hills, headwinds, or a lot of stops and starts, it may take more. Depends on a bunch of factors. Fairings like the Vetter type can greatly improve power usage , and thus range, at higher speeds (and possibly give a higher max speed), but you'd have to build that yourself after you get the bike.

Most sellers give some max range that isnt' at max speed, usually at minimum expected average road speeds in traffic, but not necessarily counting the frequent stops and starts you'd have in that kind of situation. Or they just pull a number out of thin air.


So...the bike might perform like you want...but my guess is it's not as good as they say it is. Safer to be pessimistic.

There's a lot of places selling basically the same things, with different stickers slapped on them. Some are cheaper, some more expensive, but realistically they'll likely be the same stuff underneath. They may or may not have the specs (or parts!) they claim, either, and you wont' know till you test it yourself. :/

amberwolf said:

3KW might get you 40MPH+, it isn't going to accelerate all that fast. My CrazyBike2 had 4KW, and with me on it at my lower weight then was around 400lbs with all the tools/lunch/work crap I carried in the cargo pods/etc, and I could do 4 seconds or less to 20MPH (that's the speed limit here for ebikes, so dunno what it would do beyond that) and that's with 2WD, which can accelerate faster than 1WD, depending on the system.

They list that they're pushing peak powers much higher, but you can't count on sustaining that more than a very short time without overheating the motor.
You can run a lot of DD hubmotors at higher power levels than they're "rated" for, for a while, but most can't take several times that continuously without some form of cooling modification. The bigger they are, the longer they can take it, but there's always some limit. If you don't mind pushing limits and fixing or replacing things when they fail, then it's worth a shot. But you can't expect any form of warranty repairs on something without a local dealer (and even with one, they may not be able to get parts, or may be unwilling to help, or even just up and vanish), so expect to buy replacement parts yourself.

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I disagree with that. 3KW QS motor is what I have on my motorbike, which is much heavier than this one. It reaches around 75mph and can sustain that speed without any problem, with a Sabvoton 72200. I can reach 60mph in around 8-9 seconds (it doesn't sound impressive, but most of the torque comes between 10 and 50 mph, so I'm losing a fair bit of time from 0-10 and from 50-60, not mentionning the fact that I weight around 90 kg... )

Been like this for around two years, and I'm using the bike every single day to go to work, so I can say it is not unreliable.

It will be more than enough for this bike. I would just recommend the OP to ask for the 72200 version of the sabvoton instead of the 72150. The 72150 isn't weak at all, but this is a somewhat heavy motorbike with large diameter wheels so it's nice to have the extra kick. Especially since it's only 100USD more for a better controller, bigger battery and bigger motor, that's a no brainer.

As for the question "is it safe to buy".... Well I can't really say. Some people already tried to buy motorbikes from chinese sellers and it didn't work. So if you're gonna do it, the only recommendation I could give you is to use Paypal, at least the guy got reimbursed and didn't lose his money.
See here: https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=98217

Dui said:

I disagree with that. 3KW QS motor is what I have on my motorbike, which is much heavier than this one. It reaches around 75mph and can sustain that speed without any problem, with a Sabvoton 72200.

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Ah, then unlike almost every other hubmotor out there, QS must be *de*rating their specs, rather than exaggerating them.

My only issue is that the price seems awfully low for an emoto with a lithium battery pack. In addition to making sure you won't have issues clearing customs, make sure it's perfectly clear what battery pack is included.

After further discussion with the seller, it appears that I will have to pay for shipping and customs here at the port, and those combined could be another thousand dollars.

Also the seller is being evasive about providing a VIN number for the bike. So even if it makes it here, I am not certain that I can actually get it registered. And there’s also the risk that I may not even be able to clear customs if the motor vehicle is not DOT approved...Supposedly they seize such vehicles and routinely destroy them.

Well I may just have to consider Sur Ron or Super Soco...I find the city slicker very cartoonish for adults.

Yes, you can't just order some vehicles from a manufacturer somewhere on the other side of the world and expect to be able to go to the DMV with it. Before a new car or motorcycle can be used it has to be approved. This costs tens of thousands of dollars minimum, because you're expected to prove it meets every regulation in the book from headlight specifications brake performance down to tiny stuff like making sure there's no sharp edges anywhere, no asbestos, or that the controls aren't too slippy in the rain. With cars you even need a full set of crash tests. If anything is out of spec you have to pay to have the design revised and start the process over again.

The only exception is imported vehicles over a certain age. In the USA that's 25 years. A lot of people have had land rovers and mini's seized for falsifying model years.

Dui said:

I disagree with that. 3KW QS motor is what I have on my motorbike,

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Sigh...the motor may be the 3kw model but you're obviously running 3x or more that power level to reach 75 mph. Come on man, at least try. The guy you replied to is talking about input power.

flat tire said:

Sigh...the motor may be the 3kw model but you're obviously running 3x or more that power level to reach 75 mph. Come on man, at least try. The guy you replied to is talking about input power.

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1) Please be less condescending, or "at least try".

2) Maybe you should read first, before commenting. The OP was trying to decide between Spec 3 and Spec 4 of his table.
Spec 3 and Spec 4 are using the QS motor 3000W.
The first part of my reply was explicitly related to the motor choice, the second part was discussing about the controller choice. I believe I was clear, but maybe not.
This answer was mainly because amberwolf was concerned about the possibility that the motor would melt at sustained speeds, so I don't see how my answer wan't appropriate here, he was talking about motors. I think amberwolf got it, from what I understand of his reply at least, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't need people to explain what he was talking about.
Maybe I should have quoted only the second paragraph of his answer instead of both... big deal.

3) I'm not a native english speaker so I might do mistakes interpreting some comments. Please understand that it's much easier for you guys than for us, I'd appreciate if you could be a tad more tolerant. But in this case, I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who can't read

Dui said:

I'm not a native english speaker

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Could've fooled me. (actually, you did. ) You write better english than many (possibly even most) "native" speakers / writers I encounter. :/

Dui said:

1) Please be less condescending, or "at least try".

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OK, well there was a miscommunication between you and the guy who said 3kw was slow. In any case you are right. I will stick to the facts.