any help welcome!

[kofi]

i bought a zongshen 200 last year and now i realise why i will never by a cheapo bike again...
the number plate holder thingie broke off, the speedometer is no longer working...battery died after a few weeks (turns out some cables chaffed thru)...the headlamp has blown...the exhaust brackets broke off. (i fixed that myself) ...
now being a woman...i get SO ripped off and i really dont have the money to go running to the dealer every time! its driving me insane. i love riding my bike and use it as transport to work everyday!

anyway, so any advice as to HOW to do things myself - i'd appreciate.

at the moment my hose from the tank to the petcock (?) has perished (after a YEAR???) and i need to replace it..
is it a fairly easy procedure? To me it seems a simple replacement of hose and then putting on some clamps...

Am i right? am i taking on more than i can handle?

thanks every one! MOST appreciated!

[storysunfolding]

... you get what you pay for. You can probably fix some if not all but is it worth it?

Also, sounds like they used a basic rubber tube for the fuel line instead of something that can handle gasoline

[kofi]

... sounds like they used a basic rubber tube for the fuel line

yeah indeed! i wen tto get a new rubber now - and the hose they OFFERED me - for this purpose is like 4 times thicker than the one on there now!!!

thats first to repair...

[Damian]

That's awful that your new bike has had so many problems. Fortunately, the things you mentioned are easy enough to repair yourself. Do you have any mechanically inclined friends that ride bikes? If so, they'll probably walk you through the repairs. This would mean that you only have to buy parts (and maybe a few adult beverages of your friend's choice).

Now don't let your friend do all the repairs, the idea is for you to get confidant enough to do these things on your own.

If I were you, I'd get the bike in decent condition and sell it. You've already invested enough money in a bike that seems to be falling apart. Take the money from the sale and whatever you can afford and buy a decent used bike. You'll be able to use the skills you picked up repairing your current bike on the one you buy.

[kofi]

last night i went home and surprised myself...
i found a website and downloaded the schematic something or othe rof the bike...
i got the rubber hoses and fixed my petrol leak - and tightened my clutch! i also emailed a place in another town with regard to spares. i refuse to support the dealer in my town. they arent bike enthusiasts and its just a business not a passion. something i will certainly look for in a future dealer - goodness me, good thing this is a bike forum!

i am also absolutely horrified that in this town there IS NO STOCKIST of parts for bikes - bulbs / special screws etc. you are forced to go thru the dealer.

i guess the best way to beat the competition is not to have any!

thanks damien! i will certainly be looking for a new bike near the end of the year or maybe beginning next year...for now i'll keep her together!

[Bubba]

i bought a zongshen 200 last year and now i realise why i will never by a cheapo bike again...now being a woman...i get SO ripped off and i really dont have the money to go running to the dealer every time! its driving me insane. i love riding my bike and use it as transport to work everyday! anyway, so any advice as to HOW to do things myself - i'd appreciate. thanks every one! MOST appreciated!

The first thing "to do yourself" is stop buying cr*p. Find a good used bike on the net or in your local paper. Have it checked out and ride something that is reliable.
Best bikes to buy used, in my opinion, are those maybe a year or two old, from a private source. These bikes are usually from people that bought them new and out grew them or are scared to death of them.
You can uually get something in good shape. Stick to the known makes.
Check it out good yourself for the things you want in a bike, like ease in maintenance, ease of ride and safety.
Good luck in your search.

[Johnj]

kofi, most of the fasteners (bolts, nuts,and screws) can be found at a good hardware store. They should all be hardened metric on that bike. All the bulbs should be in stock at the local auto parts store, look for the Heavy-Duty bulbs, they cost a little more but last a long time. I hope you got fuel line for your petcock, at the local auto parts store, along with the clamps.