Let's talk Typhoon ATV (BMS 125) Convince me to buy one, or convince me it's junk!
I want to hear from Typhoon owners! Please.

First, I'm looking for a trail quad, to ride from home, with my wife and kids. Our experience levels include owning a Honda Forman, a Yamaha Blaster Kx250, CR80, and Yamaha Warrior. I want to get the kids off video games lol.

I've seen 50plus Typhoon Videos, read every possible thread. I've viewed Current Typhoon pics and it's clear that many of the original problems, frame brace, pegs, front shocks mounted too low, have been corrected.

So, what should I know before buying? Am I throwing my money away, pissing momma off with another broken down OHV? Are parts available for this Chinese beast. Cheap family fun or nightmare?


Thanks!!!!

 

I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole unless you enjoy wrenching constantly. For me, it was a nightmare. Basically gave it away after getting aggravated with it constantly. Carb problems, electrical issues, starter problems, etc.

 

Thank you for the frank reaponse. Although the Typhoon is very tempting. It doesn't sound like a reliable beast.

Sorry it was such a pain for you!!

 

From everything I've read about them you have to be very lucky, like win the lottery lucky, to find a Chinese ATV that isn't a pile of junk. I would buy anything else before I bought Chinese.

 

Some of us are quite happy with our Chinese ATVs. I don't know anything about that particular model but my 10 year old Taotao 250 and my 6 month old Taotao 250 have been reliable and a great value. I'd absolutely buy another one.

 

Jumbo, I think unfortunately you are 100 percent correct. Baring a few exceptions-the Tao Tao Rhino 250 (utility quad) Chinese bike have a horrible rep.

This is a huuuge loss for the OHV community. Why? Well let's take the Typhoon for example. There is no other Kid atv/adult pit atv that (on paper) offers wide stance, reasonable power, and race ready geometry for under 2k(in this case even cheaper). Affordable bikes make for life long riders.

But, scan reviews and you'll find hundreds of Typhoon buyers who fell in love with the bikes potential and then got burned by reliability issues.

All of these folks could have been future high end atv buyers. Yet, no one was able to put together affordable/quality Chinese bikes. Not possible? Perhaps, but as a woodworker I have tools from Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita and Harbor Freight. All work well, with the DeWalt from the high end and HF from the low end, but all from Chinese parts. Chinese bikes represent a missed opertunity. Theses younger and poorer riders likely go on to other sports or digital devices. Meanwhile the power sports industry dies on the vine.

 

Great to hear a positive experience!!

Thanks!

 

Simply do a search and you will find the majority of Chinese machines are mostly problems and difficult at best to get parts for. On occasion someone gets a good one, but are you willing to take that gamble with the odds stacked against you? With that said do not compare Chinese to Taiwan made machines. Separate country separate manufacturing...Taiwan allows the engineers from outside countries ( mostly USA and Japan) to come in and set up their quality control system where Chinese do not allow any outside interference at all. Korea is now like Taiwan, the QC is getting better each day. In todays market you have nothing to fear from Taiwanese made products as they are every bit as good as USA made products, in fact many usa achiness are made in Taiwan and renamed and brought here such as Artic Cat, Suzuki, some Kawasaki models etc. Chinese are a big gamble but don't confuse Taiwan with them as many do.

 

A review of Kymco web pages shows a trend toward side by sides. These are cool but pricy, as are all side by sides. These appeal to new OHV users as well as aging boomers. Still, this has minimal impact on new or young riders who are traditional buyers of cheaper, small displacement atvs or dirt bikes.

Kymco offers their 90cc atv, with nice features, attractive plastics and very mild performance for about $2500. Unfortunately this isn't far enough from used Honda prices to sway many buyers, and the lack of aftermarket support or potential leaves many buyers who would have purchased high quality/low cost bikes from Asia in the dark.

Before you say high quality and low cost is impossible from China, look at Ryobis tool offerings. While no where near the quality of my Bosch or DeWalt tools, Ryobi is innovative, affordable, reliable, durable and precise enough to perform on professional worksites.

 

I'd just get a used Honda or Yamaha. Much more reliable even used compared to a new Typhoon or MooMoo or whatever name the Chinese quad has. Dealers everywhere have Honda and other name brand parts available and will have for many years to come. The Chinese stuff is cheaper yes but if it constantly needs service, to me it isn't worth the hassle.