Vehicles & Servicing Competent Big Bike Mechanic

You won't have any problems finding big bikes for sale here. It would be a complete waste of time and money to import one, IMO. Prices here are a significantly higher than you would find in the US but it still is significantly cheaper than importing.

Scooters are the way to go here for daily commuting/errands during the dry season. Best to invest in a car or some good wet weather gear for the rainy season (a solid 4 months out of the year).

Those 300cc scooters just aren't worth it unless you are 250lbs+. They really don't offer that much more acceleration or power for the peso. Just a waste of fuel IMO. I drive a 2020 Yamaha 155cc Aerox and it is more than enough to carry my gf and myself (about 120kg/265lbs between us) up and down the mountain to Valencia at 70kph+, averaging about 40km/liter (95mpg). The 155 Aerox would be equivalent to the 155 Nmax. Perhaps a bit worse fuel economy and HP to lbs ratio with the Nmax but probably not by much. Both bikes have enough storage capacity under the seat to store one full size helmet or x3 one liter bottles of Tanduay. Add a storage box and you can get most of your weekly grocery shopping done with either of these bikes. (A storage box could be easily replaced by a gf with decent forearm and bicep strength or a couple aftermarket storage hooks under the handlebar.)

There are several foreigner and Filipino MCs on the island. I never joined one myself but I know a lot of people who have and seemed to really enjoy it. Not my cup of tea but it is definitely an option if it's something that would interest you.

 

Lemons are far more common with these Chinese products and, from what I've seen here, they just don't last as long.

However, there may be reasons for that. People who pay extra money for a brand name motorcycles may have more disposable income for preventative maintenance compared to those on a budget. Unless hundreds or thousands are tested side by side under exactly the same conditions we may never know.

Only one thing is certain with these Chinese bikes/vehicles/products, China is profiting massively off of stealing trademarks and intellectual property from highly educated engineers and designers from developed countries. Personally, I would rather support these professionals and the companies that pay them, because if they get ran out of business and these Chinese garbage factories are the ones left standing absolutely all progress and advancements would come to a dead halt. China is a culture of intellectual theft. P*ss on them.