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LeonRFpoa

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About LeonRFpoa

  • Birthday 05/17/1979

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  1. I own that model in the first picture on this thread. It is a Linhai Big horn 400 4x4. Let me start by saying that I did my due diligence of four wheelers and this is what I found: Starting prices are WAY too high for a depreciating asset like a four wheeler. You pay 8 grand for a new arctic cat and sure, they are proven that's great. They are spit shiny perfect and pretty. They reek of testosterone. When you put it on the trailer and drive it even a mile, spend even an hour on it BAM guess what? You just lost 4 grand. Yes that ATV is worth half what you paid soon as you pull it on the trailer. It's BS. Plus the market is soft, so the dealers are out of their minds and think this is retail, one price that's all. That's not how dealers work and ones that do lose my business. Like Arctic cat, Honda and Polaris. The pricing on new ATV's is beyond the meaning of the word stupid. Then I ran into one of these. 4500 brand new out the door? How is this possible, Chinese crap is it? Will I kick the pegs off in the first three days like those pieces of crap you can buy in Atlanta for 2 grand new? I too had the same thoughts as all the naysayers on this thread. What they say is mostly right you can't trust just any old brand and say hey- that's a good one get it. BUT here's where things get interesting. If you have bought or ever rode a Yamaha...you are riding mainly Linhai parts. They have been doing it for like 50 years. I looked at the frame, the motor and everything else. Was impressive, they are made of surplus car parts. McPherson struts up front, car coil overs in the back fully independent suspension. Beefier CV's than all other four wheelers. Standard under armor. Standard fully automatic tranny with thumb shift 4wd. Blinkers, hazards, high and low beams standard. IRS wheels and name brand mud tires stock. Four wheel discs stock. Hidden 2000lb winch under the front rack stock. Underseat storage, front rack storage (both dry) Liquid cooled engine, 28hp with high low and reverse. Shaft drive, true four wheel drive ALL wheels spin at the same time and rate. Tow hitch. You can get all that on other brands, but not the awesome suspension or the crazy transmission. It will do 50 in about six seconds and has excellent throttle response. To me it was principle. I had the money to get a new honda, yeah. I was not about to fork it over to some as* that acted like I was flashing chump change at 4800 dollars cash in hand. And that's what all the dealers did, I made a reasonable offer on a late model or used, they had used but lied to me and said they didn't. They wanted all or nothing. So I turned on them and went to a local Linhai dealer. Now, here's a little background on me. I am an avid hunter and outdoors guy, I do a big channel on youtube called "The wealth around us" (check it out, wink wink) so you can understand I'm no advocate, I do not work for them I just own one. Although I have been dangled a job offer by the manufacturer, I'm just Leon and all I wanted was a four wheeler. If you scan back on my videos list, you will see that I was nearly killed while coming back from Publix to get a sandwich. My legs were crippled permanently and most of my left side was crushed. EVERYTHING as far as I was concerned was taken from me. By some as* screwing with his cellphone and speeding. You don't know how hard that bites not being able to hunt anymore. Or even go out in the woods. So I wanted a four wheeler. That would give me my legs back. First I wanted a travel trailer to hook up on my FJ Cruiser. Not happening, they are not sustainable and go through propane, tires, too big to trail etc. The four wheeler was what I really needed. If I could just have my legs back that would be the hugest thing in my life, change it back to the way it was. I made my decision. I was not AT ALL regretful of that decision. My Big horn 400 4x4 is bad as*. It rides better than ANY of the models I tested from Honda, Polaris or Artic cat. Those rode stiff and the position sucked. My big horn rides even over huge bumps and ruts so smoothly I can speak clearly while shooting videos going down the trail. The suspension is awesome, it's comparable to a custom job. It has crazy power. Digital dash and tach/speedo is great. You do have to come to a stop to put it in low or four wheel drive, not something I mind at all. It has a power port under the handlebars. It looks good, it has a winch under that nose plate. Can be operated one handed. 16 inches of ground clearance. Ability to tow its own trailer. TRUE four wheel drive is just as good as front locker. Shaft driven means no snapped chains or screaming belts. I'll be honest I had no real buyer's remorse but I did get a little worried about parts. These aren't mainstream per se, and we all know how that goes. But then I got looking on the internet for parts, got a little more worried. Then something funny happened. I found out the manufacturer is 12 minutes from my house. So I drive over, found the building (you would never know that's what it is) walked on in. Not only was I pleasantly surprised to find mainly Chinese speaking people and rednecks working there, when I asked for a part (the tow hitch adapter) not only was I welcomed in broken English by some of the board members, but led to the warehouse BY THE GUY WHO DESIGNED IT, Jim (great guy, American engineer) and given a little tour as we picked it. Sell to only dealers? Not these guys they will retail right out of the factory. The hitch plate was 30 bucks. Very friendly, excellent experience I could not have had from any other manufacturer. They welcomed me back for anything I need. That manufacturer is Sunright, by the way. They have a website. Turns out if you need a part just give them a call, just like Honda or Yamaha (that's what they are, Chinese Yamaha big bears) true they aren't everywhere in the country but they got some big moxy up in that warehouse. They are set to handle HUGE loads when the time is right. Linhai is Chinese, true. But they are top of the line Chinese, the same they ride. Americans designed them and it shows. When I was walking around the factory, all the Chinese people (incredibly friendly) were keen to know what I drove, and when I told them the Big Horn 400 4x4 SE they all smiled. They worked hard on that bike and I'm sure it feels good to hear me say I love the hell out of it. They are not so much fly by night as they are brand spanking new, which I'm sure can make someone leery. Mine is a 2013, they have only been here in the united states for maybe a year. Here's the deal: they come in a crate. Some assembly is required. That's how they are doing it. That's where the meat is on the bone for a dealer- assembly. It's a kit four wheeler, you have to put the handlebars on, assemble the dash, put the wheels on and change (or add) the fluids and give it a last good once over. You have to charge the battery too, it comes with all the tools you need in the front rack and under the seat. That's the big secret. The ATV'S are easy, the side by sides is where it gets like holy crap. But in all, not only have I been very happy with my Linhai Big horn I have been thrilled with it. It performs dare I say better than all the brands I tried and yet left me a little wiggling room to really deck it out how I wanted with a CB, extra fuel, survival gear, the whole nine yards. Knowing I have a whole friggin warehouse of parts nearby is not bad either. These guys were having a big international board meeting with Yamaha execs and Linhai execs when I was there, and I got to actually speak with them briefly and tell them what I thought about my big horn and what I would change. I had it with me so I brought it in, they were just jazzed at what I'd done to it. Coincidentally, I am going to be pushing my four wheeler and its refreshing brand and concept on my youtube channel just as an attraction because my fans are so curious and excited about it. It's a fairly awesome ATV you can have brand new for 4500 and it can hang with anything the big boys are putting out. In my opinion the big horns are more surefooted and car-like than the other brands. Jim knew this and that's his business model- same bang, less buck. By the way Sunright also makes a big horn 550 efi twin and a 700 single that is a MONSTER. The 260 is also no joke and comes in at about 3400 new. The 260 is full sized but light and fast with the same options, yes it's a 4x4. The side by sides are wicked. Hope this has been helpful to you guys, I have been there seen the mountain and it was good. The term Chinese crap has been tossed around a lot and for good reason, but these ain't it. And service can be had at the dealerships, or most people who know to work on four wheelers. Just order the part. I have wrenched on it already and it's not a big chore by any means they are pretty mechanic friendly. So to answer this man's question- I am your guinea pig, test successful. You can watch my channel on youtube because I will be detailing this machine and using it almost daily. I am cutting an ATV trail into the woods by my house to play with it and will keep everyone posted on my Linhai. I will also be going to the manufacturer and doing some episodes about them. Let me see if I can get some pictures I already have some video of riding it. Yeah this site is slow, let me post a link to a video.
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