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I thought I'd share some of my observations about the Arqin 125 after owning it for a llittle over a year and having ridden it 6000km.

 Let me start by saying i love the little scoot and my criticisms must be taken in light of its cheap price. I bought it at the 2008 Sydney Easter Show for $2000 Ride Away!

I think it must have been the deal of the century and I am very happy.

In any case let me talk about the scoot and my complaints.

 Petrol Tank and Fuel Gauge

A very small tank - a little over 3 litres means that you will need to tank up frequently. This can be annoying. Because of the small tank the petrol gauge is a bit eccentric. Mine was stuck at 1/2 full for 8 months and for some reason last week fixed itself. Even when working properly it really only indicates Full, 1/2 and then empty within 3-4 km. I fill up when it indicates 1/2.

 Center Stand

Other reviewers have noted the center stand that will scrape on the left side if you lean too far - which in not too far. Other than that it is a very stable stand.

Overall Build

My mechanic said that the engine quality is quite good. Early Chinese engines had to be worked on very carefully due to poor steel leading to stripped threads. He had no complaints about servicing the Arquin. The one major service I have had cost $250 dollars - more than 10% of what I paid for the bike. Can't complain.

Result of Poor Maintenance

 This week (after 5700km) the exhaust rattled loose, snapping some of the exhaust welds and very thin steel brackets supporting the exhaust. The rear plastic mudguard came away and was left in bits on the road. It was supported by the exhaust itself and the fixing points were simply made of plastic.

I had to weld the brackets of the exhaust back together on the exhaust and now it is right as rain.

 Admittedly, it was largely my fault. I noticed an annoying rattle and the fact that one of the plastic loops on the mudguard had slipped off the exhaust and ignored it. The vibration over time caused the failure however the lack of spring washers contributed to it.

No Washers?

 While fixing the exhaust, I noticed there were no washers used on any of the bolts securing the exhaust! This annoyed me quite a bit as this probably would have stopped them loosening to start off with and would have cost the manufacturers about 20 cents. I recommend that if you have an Arquin or are going to buy one to tighted your bolts int his area at least every 2 months or as I did put spring washers in. This might be obvious to someone who maintains thier scoot, but I use it as a workhorse and really don't pay much attention to it which speaks volumes for its toughness.

Overall

Excellent value for money, particularly at the price I paid -$2000. I ride it 20km -40km a day most days to work. I live at the foot of the Blue Mountains and ride up a very steep, winding road (Old Bathurst Rd) and it eats up the incline with no problem at all.  Fast starts from the lights and adequate top speed makes it a nimble ride.

Headlights are quite good for night riding and the suspension is adequate for me at 80kg. No oil drips or the like and the engine seems as good as the day it was delivered. The luggage pod on the back is excellent with so much room in it that mine has stuff in it I don't need. It will also easily hold a couple of bottles of wine. The wind protectors for the hands have proved themselves to be fantastic in a Blue Mountains Winter despite my sneers when I first bought it in summer.

In conclusion the Arqin Sprint  125 is excellent value for money. It is a no fuss workhorse with hints of personality that endear you to it before you know it. I want to trade up to a Bonnieville, but I really like my Arquin 125.

Good to hear you're getting your money's worth... you can't argue with the value at 2,000 bucks! But 3 litre petrol tank? Damn, that's SMALL.

If I were you, even if I was going to get the Bonnie I'd keep this scooter for another year to squeeze even more value out of it. Use it as a daily commuter and save your Bonnie for more special occasions. Why not? Rego is cheap and at 2,000 there's no point in paying for any insurance beyond what's compulsory... and it will save some wear and tear on your Triumph.

 

 Well written, it's nice to hear a positive review of a cheaper scoot - they usually just get criticised. If you got the train...(if there was one that took you door to door) you would probably have paid more than the running costs of the scoot anyway.

I agree fully! I down graded from a Yamaha 750 Motorbike to the Sprint and most folks thought I was going mad. But I have no regrets. I managed to solve the road scrapes by raising rear the suspension a click and it has worked wonders. I will take a look at the exhaust - thanks for that tip. The fuel gauge - I feel happier now that someone else has the same problem as i do :)

But yep no dramas so far. I ride to work with the crazy city bound Sydney traffic though the western suburbs and the bike holds its own among the hoons and miss daisies alike.

 

Thanks so much for sharing the post.

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Thanks so much for the advice and feedback. I'm just about to buy a Arquin SPRINT 125 and you're comments have really helped. Other than the unanimous thoughts that the petrol tank is too small and gauge is a bit suspect it looks an alround good buy for the money.

One question tho - how is it was somebody else on the back...enough grunt up hills (in and around sydney) / speed okay?

 

Many thanks again

 

 

Wow,  so many people just dropping in to make their point about how great the Arquin Sprint is, and then dropping off never to be seen again...  Nothing weird there at all.

Our only experience with the Sprint was when one of the instructors brought his pupil over who had been given one after a whipround from the Ulysses club for an old bird who'd had her scooter pinched.  They were concerned that the indicator warning lights weren't working and that she'd need them to help pass the test.  It was only before we were about to unscrew the handlebar cover to see if it was a wiring problem or the globes had gone that we realised that they were actually working - but so dimly that they were probably only visible to nocturnal animals.  Needless to say, she soon upgraded to a second hand LeGrande.

Maybe I am doing them a disservice, but our other experience with budget 125cc scooters is that if they are used in Australian conditions, they get to about 10,000km and then start to fall apart. The exhaust issue mentioned is not untypical.  If you get 2 years out of one, that's $1000 a year, and personally, I don't think that's such a great rate of return.

Another thing that we've noticed is that people whose first scooter is a budget quality one, rarely buy another scooter thereafter.  The joy of ownership is fairly short-lived once the problems start to set in.  However if you do manage to get one that is problem free, then it's certainly cheap transport.

Cheers Steve...interesting. i suppose you pay for what you get. I'm hoping to get a bit more than two years out of it...though will probably need a little more looking after than most.

If you had 2k - 3k to spend on a scooter what 125 scooter would you recommend (for Aus conditions)?

 

jamestr98:

Cheers Steve...interesting. i suppose you pay for what you get. I'm hoping to get a bit more than two years out of it...though will probably need a little more looking after than most.

If you had 2k - 3k to spend on a scooter what 125 scooter would you recommend (for Aus conditions)?

 

I'd probably recommend a good used model rather than a new cheap one.   It shouldn't be too difficult to get hold of a used or demo Piaggio Fly, SYM VS 125, Kymco Agility in that price bracket, for example.  They'll last you significantly longer than 2 years and will still hold a decent value at the end of that time.  Anything built for the Chinese domestic market is really built for their road speeds - which is normally up to about 60kmh.  Take it for longer periods at Aussie speeds and they'll rattle themselves to death. 

I'm really not into dissing brands just because, but we used to sell one brand and when it became apparent to us that the 125cc machines were truly shocking we simply had to stop selling them.   Even a 4 year old Honda @125 would be a better machine.

 Hmmm, I'd call you a ramper if you were on my share trading forum. Ads for designer scoots at the bottom of your post is sus.

Are you a dealer feeling the pinch on Chinese imports?  Can't sell your overpriced scoots if you stock an alternative?

People dropping in to comment on the Arqin and not heard from again?...No not weird. Probably because they bought one and had no issues to complain about.

You state "Even an Honda would be better..." seems you don't like Japanese either...oh surprise, surprise not one of the brands you sell.

 Your post also states that your only experience with  Arqin is limited to someone elses scooter? Eyesight so bad that you have to take the bike apart before you can confirm the indicator lights work? Cmon....get real. This forum is to help people not to advance your own financial position.

You also give poor advice regarding the purchase of a second hand scooter. By definition a 125 cc engine is not made for highway conditions. Only a fool would ride one cranked up to max for hours at a time. In fact scooters should be considered as having a limited lifespan. My mechanic says a rebuild on any 125 cc engine at 25-30 k  is a probability.

Cheap scooters are exactly what they are. Buying Italian branding at 4k plus might get you a nicer finished scoot to look at while sipping your late in leichhardt, but I'd prefer a new arqin to a second hand Vespa.

Yes they are cheap transport as you say in your last paragraph, which I presume you feel the brands listed after your post are not.

I am up to 8000 k with no major mechanical problems. Cheap, practical, no nonsense motorcyling.

 

It is terrific that there are probably people out there enjoying trouble free performance from their Arquins or similar, but the reality is, they just don't compare to better built products. Arquin as a brand here in Australia, is a brand that is having a lot of trouble. Many of their issues come down to build quality, product recalls and the like. What Steve says is true- many buyers of these sorts of products (Arquin is not the only brand) tend to get burnt one way or another, and not return to scootering which is a real shame.

And I agree, it is very suspicious that a couple newcomers have breezed into this thread, then disappeared. But even though this forum doesn't require any form of formal identification upon sign up, people aren't as anonymous as they might think...

aceraceracer:

In fact scooters should be considered as having a limited lifespan. My mechanic says a rebuild on any 125 cc engine at 25 k  is a probability.

Unfortunately, your mechanic is ill-informed

aceraceracer:

Buying Italian branding at 4k plus might get you a nicer finished scoot to look at while sipping your late in leichhardt

The European, Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese offer more than just a better finish. I don't know Leichardt, I'm guessing it's a posh suburb, probably like Bondi or that area...

aceraceracer:

I'd prefer a new arqin to a second hand Vespa

Or a Government education to a Catholic education?

 

Gee another dealer comments on how better their products are. Do you stock the Arqin? or any other non designer brand?...where are all the complaints from buyers in this forum if the bike is so bad?

Feel threatened enough to check out my email address details.

You seem to be Anti Catholic too in addition to being a product ramper. 

the scooter shop:

Or a Government education to a Catholic education?

Yes I teach at a Catholic school as you can see from my email. So what does religion have to do with it?  And I watch my dollars. Not Real relevant to the discussion of a scooter.  Poor form Scooter shop and I call upon Catholics not to buy from you.

 Sure you pay for what you get and that has been the point of my review. The product in the end is good for the price you pay. Scooter dealers self serving posts should be moderated off this forum....Comments by owners only!!!!!

PS...Keep religion out of it while you are at it.

aceraceracer:

Gee another dealer comments on how better their products are. Do you stock the Arqin? or any other non designer brand?...where are all the complaints from buyers in this forum if the bike is so bad?

Feel threatened enough to check out my email address details.

You seem to be Anti Catholic too in addition to being a product ramper. 

the scooter shop:

Or a Government education to a Catholic education?

Yes I teach at a Catholic school as you can see from my email. So what does religion have to do with it?  And I watch my dollars. Not Real relevant to the discussion of a scooter.  Poor form Scooter shop and I call upon Catholics not to buy from you.

 Sure you pay for what you get and that has been the point of my review. The product in the end is good for the price you pay. Scooter dealers self serving posts should be moderated off this forum....Comments by owners only!!!!!

PS...Keep religion out of it while you are at it.

You have obviously misinterpreted my post. If you refer back, you will see that I said "It is terrific that there are probably people out there enjoying trouble free performance from their Arquins". This is a positive comment.

I'm not a stockist of Arquin, nor am I a stockist of Vespa. Also, I have in no way been anti Catholic and resent the suggestion. In fact, quite the opposite. I was illustrating that paying more will get a better end result, there is no doubt about that. I had a Government education, but I can assure you my daughter won't. There was nothing in my post that was anti Catholic, that, unfortunately, was your interpretation.

You have really come out swinging here and for no apparent reason, calling Steve and myself rampers, and having a go in particular at Steve's business, product range and opinion. All this in the space of your first two or three posts on this forum.

We welcome your review, and we welcome your discussion, but please don't take it upon yourself to have a go at respected industry members like Steve, when he was sharing his experience with the product and questioning the validity of a couple of phantom posts, one of which appears to be from Vietnam. Go figure..

Anyway, keep scootin', and enjoy your Arquin. If it's been trouble free so far, I trust it will continue to be trouble free. Hopefully your mechanic is not right in that it will need a rebuild in 20,000k's, because you're nearly half way there already. Hopefully you'll get many 1000's of k's out of your scoot.

 

 

You've probably offended Public School teachers now as well. That's the danger of going off topic.

You think it's strange that one comment is from VIetnam? I think its strange that only upmarket scooter dealers who have anything substantially negative to say. 

 

the scooter shop:

We welcome your review, and we welcome your discussion,

Your phrasing makes me think you both have a role in running this blog. Are you the blogmasters of this site. if you are you should indicate it clearly in your profile.

If you are the blogmasters you should really consider the role and responisbilities you have to the members of this site.

I'm a moderator of this site, but not a dealer (although I have bought and sold many scooters) and I can relate to you as I nearly killed myself on an arquin sprint. There was a national recall of the sprint, and that was due to 'my' rear wheel blowing out at 95km/h on the hume freeway on the Spirit of Freedom bridge crossing the Murray river. I sold the sprint, because it was meant to be for my wife, and I'd not have her on such a nasty piece of garbage. Im glad you've found a good one, becasue after 60km on the dial, our sprint would suddenly stop, and nothing but kick starting would get it going again after many kick starts. Then, the kick start crank that comes out of the gear box snapped off, and there was no manual way to start it. You said you'd rather a new Arqin Sprint rather than a second hand Vespa.... Well funny you mention that, cos I sold the sprint with only 120km on the dial, and got my wife a Vespa ET4 150, 2001 model, with 17,000km on it. It was a little scratched in places, but it never missed a beat, and went strong until we upgraded her scoot to a new Vespa later on down the track. The new owner of that scoot has no issues with it, and its done 28,000km now (I see him regularly, and he's only had to change tires and do routine servicing on the ET4). I'm not knocking your choice of scooter, but I got a dud Sprint, and causing a national recall is serious. I've been pretty quiet on the issue of quality and the sprint, but I can see similarities with your negative issues to ours with the sprint.