CHINESE COPY OF THE HONDA WIN 100CC – FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

This Chinese copy of the Honda Win 100cc is normally sold and advertised as Honda Win but things are very different. It’s straight out a lie and we will go over things you should know.

Sorry, we don’t provide this model as we don’t consider it as a “touring bike”, even the real Japanese Honda Win.

First, look at the two photos below to have an idea of the original Honda Win and a Chinese copy of the Honda Win 100cc. A new Japanese Honda Win (imported from Indonesia) used to cost over 2,000$US and a new Chinese copy of the Honda Win is now sold for about 550$US. Vietnam has 100-120% taxes on imported motorbikes so expect a double price of the same bike here than in your home country!

Photo 1. Genuine Japanese Honda Win 100cc (restored)

Photo 2. Chinese Copy Of The Honda Win 100cc (Spray Painted)

Offroad Vietnam never offers, provides, or uses a Chinese copy of the Honda Win 100cc so there is nothing to speak ill about it. We only tell the truth because you don’t want to be cheated, right? Apparently, dishonest sellers tell lie right from the beginning by using the name Honda Win! We accept less business rather than cheating people.

Japanese Genuine Honda Win

This model was made based on the Honda CD90cc model which started in 1971 by the joint venture between PT Federal Motor and Honda Japan as CKD (Completely Knocked Down). The first Honda Win 100cc was made in 1986 and the last one in 2005. There is little change in design, just mudguards, and stickers.

Japanese Honda Win 100cc was designed to lightweight, easy to ride, fast and reliable. It shared the engine (except manual clutch) and many parts like the popular Honda Wave or Dream 100cc which made it the cheapest option for a manual clutch bike in Vietnam. However, with a demand for stronger and more reliable touring bikes, Honda PT Indonesia discontinued this model in the early 2000s.

Chinese Copy Of The Honda Win 100cc

About 99% of used or new so-called “Honda Win’s” now is a Chinese copy! To tell if it’s a Honda product or a Chinese bike just look at the blue registration card and if you don’t see Honda printed then it’s a Chinese bike. The other way is if the bike comes with both an electric start and kick start then it’s definitely a Chinese copy.

The real Honda Win comes with only a kick start like in the first photo of this page. There are some Chinese Win’s that also have no electric starter. Bike dealers or rental companies in Vietnam usually cheat tourists and advertise Honda Win while in fact, it’s a Chinese copy. We are honest and against this plot, so we don’t use this model. Your experience with a Chinese fake, after all, can be more trouble than fun! Many people joked “Chinese Win is a Chinese Lose“!

Most of the used Chinese copies of the Honda Win motorbikes have bad idling due to many problems with the engine, carburettor, and electrical system. This affects the acceleration and performance of the bike. It’s not easy nor simple to fix the problem because it’s the quality of a Chinese copy, not just the carburettor! Imagine what would happen when you try to overtake other vehicles like buses or trucks? If you value your life for just around 300$US then go for it, we have no comment.

This crap is responsible for a fall in tourist numbers to Vietnam over the past few years. After all, it’s the Vietnamese sellers, not the tourists. Nobody is happy in the end, you get what you pay for.

Our Real Experience

Before you read a real experience from a tourist like you below, above is a photo of our own experience that we would like to share. This happened when we rented a Chinese Win from a restaurant owner back in October 2008 when one of our bikes broke down. Our guide was riding down a hill near Sapa and the rear brake hub broke and locked the wheel. He almost lost his life and this is the only time we tried a Chinese Win, never again!

Vietnam is not a place for beginners, so please consider a touring bike as your feet! Below is a copy of a thread on a forum that you can see in full details here. That’s Chris’ experience and I below = Chris. We only added some updated information, photos, or reviews. This came from a tourist with his real experience and should be very clear about a Chinese copy of the Honda Win. Let the truth speaks itself.

A Real Experience From A Tourist Like You

Many bike shops try to sell second-hand Wins and they do not just give you an unsafe bike but make money on you (while you think you save money)! Then when you resell it to another tourist they will be the next person to pay. Is this what you really want?

Most of the bikes being sold by backpackers and buy-and-sell bike shops on most occasions have been bought from another backpacker who also is likely to have purchased the bike from a backpacker, which means that the bike has gone up and down Vietnam like a yo-yo. During the trip, the bikes would have had multiple works and rebuilds done to them. Most of the time they will claim they bought it from someone else. You only need to check the clock to see the mileage on them to know they are no longer safe and reliable. Even still most of the time the mileage gauge has stopped working and it’s not difficult to adjust it to a lower figure or just have a new one replaced for around 3$US. On some of these bikes, the true mileage is normally 60,000 70,000 or maybe more.

Ok, so some facts about rebuilds, which all the shops claim have been done to most of their bikes. The figures below are on average and relating to the Chinese copy of the Honda Win.

Rebuilt Bikes

Most shops will rebuild an engine using second hand (or very cheap) parts. The engine should have a rebuild with brand new parts, once only after 20,000km, so after 40,000km the bike is on its way out and so shouldn’t be used for any long-distance trips at all! Also, parts of the bike like the suspension should be changed when needed and properly fixed with new or at least with good second-hand parts. Ignoring the basic maintenance of a bike or doing up a bike just to make it look good (most Chinese Win were spray-painted in black for this reason alone), this is when the bike can become unsafe and dangerous. (Offroad Vietnam tested some Chinese copy of the Honda Win bikes and found out that the rear suspension is dead or too hard and the front leaks oil).

Real Prices?

The price of the bike is often bumped up to tourists by a substantial amount in some cases over double the price of what a local would pay! The average price for a second-hand Chinese copy of the Honda Win being sold to a tourist is $350 to $400 and notice how the price is always similar and not priced on the condition, mileage, and model, but apparently, they have all had rebuilds, which I hope, but doubt they have used brand new parts and only rebuilt it once.

The true value should be judged upon each individual bike and can start from $50 to $550 for a brand new one! You can always get a deal from a backpacker trying to sell their bike. However, if you have no maniacal knowledge, you are buying blind. In my experience, I have seen bikes being bought for about $80 from a backpacker and then sprayed with paint to look new and only a few minor adjustments have been applied and then resold as a rebuild for $350 sometimes even $400.

Buy Back Promise?

When you purchase a Chinese copy of the Honda Win from a buy and sell shop you might be offered a guaranteed buy-back at the other end through a connected company. A lot of times the customer would be told that they would buy it back for about $250. However, if you manage to find the other shop, I can assure you they will not be buying it back for $250 but most probably $50 to a maximum of $150. They will point out and find numerous problems with the bike and explain because it wasn’t looked after they cannot pay the full amount that was promised.

You might get lucky and be able to sell it to another backpacker. (Honestly speaking, backpackers who ride Chinese copy of the Honda Win know very little about mechanic basics. Some even didn’t change the engine oil as needed or oil the drive chain every day. So this is not just the sellers.)

There are a lot of comments on forums of people claiming that they bought and then sold the bike and they lost hardly any money and this does happen. However, in my experience, it’s not often and what a lot of people fail to mention is the true amount they had to spend to keep it running during their trip. This can add up to much more than the true value of the bike.

History of the Honda win

Honda stopped making real wins in 2000. Soon after the Chinese copied it. It’s really hard to come across a real Honda win these days and often most people believe that their bike is a real Honda when in fact it is a bad copy. The Vietnamese copied it in the late 2000s and make a slightly more reliable version which is called a Sufat.

Update for Chinese Copy Of The Honda Win

Offroad Vietnam also tested a Sufat or Detech Win and to be honest it’s just another Chinese copy of the Honda Win with a new name! This company now makes more electric bikes than motorbikes. For more details, visit the official website of the government office of Vietnam Register here and scroll down to Sufat in column 2, and in column 4 it said Trung Quoc va Viet Nam - China & Vietnam. Or simply copy this link and use Google Translate. The last motorcycle product of this company was updated in early 2013 so for the past few years they didn’t make more motorcycles due to low demand which means not welcome by buyers.

So what’s the solution to all this?

Take your time when buying a bike; don’t be pushed into buying something that you are not 100% sure about. Check the mileage. Look at the bike to see if it has been spray painted to cover anything up (like in the photo 2 above) and don’t buy into any promised buybacks.

Renting from a trusted rental shop is always a better option. However, if you want to buy a Chinese copy of the Honda Win you can buy a relatively new Win in very good condition with low mileage for about $300 (only from another backpacker if you are lucky, when you buy from a shop at this price it’s crap! The Chinese copy of the Honda Win in this page was bought at 5.5 million VN Dongs - 250$US .).

For current real Honda motorbikes Offroad Vietnam is selling, please follow this link.

To know which motorbike/scooter is the best for you, please watch the below video. For more videos, you can visit our YouTube channel.