The big brands fueled china for the last 70yrs. Certain clones are real close to certain jdm models. Wonder why? But I would take a horizontal clone places that only a tw200 or a coleman might venture. It is not the orgin but the design. Crazy riders over there use their gn125 or cb clones for farming and logging. So in the middle of no where with a half mile of fallen trees..clone all the way. It would be a bad day on a "real" adv bike low on fuel. But I could have many more options on some clones. I could even take the bike apart and tote. But most likely ride around, under or over. I got stuck in briars with 6 foot deep water holes. I just ghost rode the bike off zero speed and used a small stick to ramp the bike air born. As I previously posted the big 4 does not make these types of bikes.....but they did decades ago. My xt225 and tw is as close as it gets to what some clons offer.
My Chinese bike knowledgebase and experience is some what limited to a few ATVs and smallish motorcycles oh and two generators.
The Generators first the 860W two stroke Generator was / IS still a good thing its been very reliable both mechanicaly and electronicaly for over 15 years, used regularly and its only failing is the exhaust shield was spot welded to the mega thin delicate exhaust can and it fell off and i had to braze up the holes with qxy/ acet for fear of desolving the thin can if i tried to weld it.
One other anoyance is the fuel tank cary handle is held on with two screws which leak fuel if you carry it around with the handle and you have to seal it with petra patch to stop it seeping fuel,. Other than this good machine.
Second Generator a 1500Wv GX140 clone , was a turd looked good but was rubish i mean started great got hot never started again, had an intermitent spark issue and in the short time it did run it went all soggy on the piston rings burnt oil like a demon. Re rung it and it cured the oil burning once it got some decent European matched up rings in it, but everything else just terrible it was auctioned off good residence IMO.
ATVs 3 of them a youth size moto roma 100cc two stroke it was briliant decent electrics reliable and even the frame and suspension held up well right down to bearings pivot points etc, i rated that atv.
A 150CC CG clone engine atv with a shaft drive made of cheese YAMOTO, it had very coarse threads into all aloeycasings and was a constant chore to locktite together and loosing a bolt even on a little run up the cows was a distinct possibility. the electrics were typical generic chines kind of generically available if you like, but the wiring harness and some switches were terrible severe oxidization within every connection a constant cause of bad connections causing at worst a breakdown proper or at best a poor connection creating a resistance thus a component fail bulbs especially.
Anothe 150cc cg clone Bashan but chain driven this was better on the casings threads and the screws a better quality alltogether it had cheese sprockets and bearings in the headframe and pivot points made from old stale bread i think, and the electrics again the harrness was junk made my own from a scrap peugeot car and it got a lucas switch off a 1950s british rotorvator, it was ok then kids had it 15 years.
3 bikes a 90cc KAWASATI PW90, was reliable electricaly but smoked with the rubber piston ring deal, i swapped out the whole piston and rings for a yamaha T80 townmte one a perfect fit and it cured it and ran 10+ years with my kids who tried to kill it but it lived forever.
A 150cc ECO busman had rubish electrics again but rewired it all myself the remains of that peugeot wiring loom and apart from a oxodised white death carb once it was faultless for 10+ years.
Curently have a lifan king 125 water cooled cruiser, its an ok engine terrible electrics joke crome parts apart from a rear rack thats superb but probably not china in origin, the suspension is a poor atempt and rear shockers were sesigned for a small jack russel terier to ride not a human being not even a very small light china person sorry its anot bad engine surounded in poor stuff the tank is ok built and acctualy quite heavy gauge steel but litteraly everything else is IMO sub par.
Not one seconds worth of venom to chinese bikes just factual day to day china bike stuff how i experienced it warts and all.
