Evaluating the reliability of a brand using online research can be tricky.
Not only do companies try to bury negative coverage, but they can also pay for favourable reviews and features.
That’s why customer review sites like Trustpilot and forums like Reddit are important. They give us an unfiltered look at what real people who’ve put their money on the line think.
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What The Sites And Forums Say
But it’s also worth remembering an important maxim when looking at reviews: satisfied customers rarely say anything at all, whereas an unhappy customer will always complain.
This makes sense. But it can skew the analysis of online reviews.
It’s worth looking at Reddit or some local rider’s forums to find out what the average person is saying. But, the same rule applies there. People with bad things to say are more motivated to find an outlet.
In our research for this article, we did find a broad mix of opinions on forums and Reddit.
There were the typical it’s Chinese therefore automatically terrible comments from people who had no experience with the bikes.
Read more about Chinese motorcycle brands.
But there were also many Lexmoto owners who were happy to defend their machine’s reputation or call out its shortcomings. A quick google search will tell you what’s being said. Just remember to filter for recent results.
Recent Factors Affecting User Reviews
Global Shipping Causing Parts Delay
Whether it’s because of blockages in the Suez canal, political unrest in America or the appearance of UFOs, this has been a bad year for logistics. This has resulted in many companies struggling to maintain inventory.
Lexmoto’s supply of spare parts in the UK used to be pretty comprehensive. But the slowdown of global shipping has led to some delays.
And these delays have really angered some Lexmoto riders who’ve been left without a part they required for a long time. The frustration is understandable. But the delays are also out of the manufacturer’s hands.
Product Recall
Several batches of Lexmoto scooters have been recalled in the last number of years. This understandably really annoys customers who are depending on their newly bought vehicle.
If you’ve just shelled out for a brand new scooter, the last thing you’d expect is to be told it’s unsafe, you can’t ride it, and your insurance is invalid until it’s been sorted.
This is unquestionably a hassle the consumer doesn’t deserve. But it’s also led to some vocal criticism of the company online.
Check this link for a list of recalled vehicles from the company. It’s worth pointing out that recalls are, if not common then standard, throughout the industry.
Production runs from the big-name manufacturers also get recalled for safety issues too. But some of the issues listed on the Lexmoto list are potentially serious.
Manufacturing And Components
Quality Control
The major criticism levelled against import bikes is the finish and pre-delivery inspection.
Lexmoto requires all their dealers and traders in the UK to provide a thorough inspection of the vehicle before sale. This helps with some common complaints about other Chinese machines – poor finishing, loose nuts, bad wiring jobs in the loom, etc.
Read our in-depth Lexmoto review.
Engine
This is one area where there isn’t a great deal of debate. Even those who tell you Lexmotos are unreliable will tell you it’s rarely the engines that are the problem.
Lexmoto uses engine designs based on older, tried-and-tested principles to save money and avoid problems. The bigger Japanese companies do a lot of R&D to unlock new performance features.
Lexmoto and their contemporaries are more focused on reducing cost and increasing reliability.
Brakes
With the Euro 4 regulations, all motorcycles and scooters require linked brakes. Those over 125cc require an anti-locking system such as ABS. Lexmoto’s range of smaller, lightweight scooters uses a front disc and rear drum, while their larger displacement machines stick to the disc, front and rear.
Reviews on both the stopping power and durability of Lexmoto’s braking systems are generally positive.
With the geared 125cc bikes in the Lexmoto range, depressing the normally rear-only pedal applies both brakes. Pulling in the brake lever deploys an extra piston in the front calliper for some extra bite.
The scooters operate their brakes by deploying the lever, as standard. Even the more budget 50cc Lexmotos we’ve tried had decent stopping power. The linked brakes combined with low weight were more than enough.
Switchgear And Electrics
Many of the complaints we’ve seen on Reddit and other places are levelled at failures like indicators, lights, instruments, starter motor coil, etc.
While these are irritating issues, they’re also likely to present themselves within the warranty window (which varies from 1 to 2 years depending on where you buy).
Conclusion
Ultimately, with a two-year warranty, Lexmoto is putting their money where their mouth is.
That said, make sure you check with your dealer what kind of warranty is offered. The two-year plan isn’t standard across every vendor, apparently.
From what we’ve been able to cobble together from experience and research, your chances of buying a dud/defective Lexmoto off the factory line are very low.
The pre-delivery inspection is better than most of the competition and quality control issues are uncommon.
These are built as cheap commuting solutions. And for most people, most of the time – they do that pretty well.