Is this considered reliable? Quick wash and it looks like new, Great quality and goes better than ever
1 bike, no.
100 bikes, no.
1000 bikes, no.
The market is going to dictate the real answer to the question.
When smaller US dealers are no longer avoiding these Chinese mfgs, I'll assume them to be overall reliable. Smaller US dealers don't have the bandwidth or customer base to get involved with sketchy.
Experiences like yours are important to the brand/s. Japanese reliability is a known commodity. Most US buyers will have that baseline expectation.
I get all the retort regarding where everything comes from. That's not the underlying issue.
Consistent production quality management of final assembly is the problem in china. Most companies aren't Apple and don't have foxcon.
If these china moto companies can manage final assembly and component quality effectively, they have a shot. Long term.
History says, absent a foxcon setup, consistent production quality isn't likely.
While I'm happy for your experience, I'm of the opinion it's far too soon for assumptions of success.
China has a rich history of junk final assembly, junk metallurgy, and ZERO cultural commitment to quality. That rep was earned, let's not forget that.
It's going to be a while before any china brand gains much respect in the US. Folks tolerate a ton of shit in other markets that just don't fly here.
3 bikes finishing a race and a handful of documented US sales ending well, doesn't put any of these machines in a reliability zip code.
When these folks build the next wr250r in reliability terms, everyone will pay attention. That's big shoes to fill, and it's gonna take a ton of good bikes.