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Orion Powersports Review: Why So Few Customer Complaints?

Orion Powersports is a well known motorcycle dealer based out of Fort Worth, TX that sells a range of Chinese dirt bikes.

They aren’t the only company in this space, but uniquely, their reputation is pretty high. Most other companies earn themselves their fairshare of customer complaints due to slow shipping and faulty products.

Frontaer did the research to see what they’re doing to impress customers, and why their products are so cheap. We’re unbiased in this review and aren’t paid for our opinion.

Let’s begin.

Orion Powersports Review

If you’re just getting your kids into dirt bike riding, then you’re often shocked at the prices of some of the conventional dirt bikes from Yamaha and KTM. You’re out the door and down $5,000 with protective gear…and that’s just one child! Those with 3 or 4 kids are going to struggle financially to get their kids really into riding.

Fortunately, there are companies like Orion who have filled the gaps. They bring motorcycles over from China for 15 cents on the dollar than compared to the Japanese and European equilavents. What does this mean? A better deal for you.

Unless your kids are riding competitively and are aspiring to become motocross superstars, then it’s unnecessary to spend the big bucks. Plus they’re going to outgrow conventional dirt bikes pretty quickly anyway.

Minimal Customer Complaints

Have you noticed that there are so few complaints about Orion Powersports? Therefore, you’ll pretty much be safe ordering from their company.

How did they achieve such good status among riders:

  1. Their dirt bikes are quite reliable and are field-tested before being listed for sale.
  2. They have USA-based customer support staff who have actually used the products too.
  3. Customers can text the business instead of calling. Who really wants to make phone calls these days and be stuck on the phone.
  4. It’s free shipping for products over $100 in most cases. This has made Orion the Amazon FBA of the pit bike world.

Frontaer has noticed that they respond quickly to any negative comments and the like. No – they don’t delete them, but they let customers know that they’re available for support, questions and feedback.

What’s on Offer

Orion Powersports stocks the biggest range of Chinese-made pit bikes that we can see. Further more, they also have road-legal dirt bikes and dual-sport adventure motorcycles.

Sure – they’re not the best in terms of power or suspension, but they’re 90% of the way there. Plus, you won’t be paying a fortune to experience some thrills out there.

For those living in California, there are carb approved dirt bikes for use in California riding areas. We’ve written an extensive guide of where you can go riding there as well as many places across North America.

Now – their reliability is quite substantial but some of them do break down from time to time. If you’re outside the warranty period, then they have plenty of parts on offer to keep you going strong.

On the negative side of things, we’ve noticed that some of their road-legal dirt bikes are direct copies of popular equilavents. Have a look on their site and see if you can spot the Kawasaki KLR copy and the KTM 300. Quite obvious.

In Short

Why get a pit bike? Because you don’t need to buy a trailer or try to lug a full-sized dirt bike into the back of your pickup. Most of the pit bikes offered by Orion and their competitors fit in the rear of most large passenger vehicles.

You can get a decent ride for under $1,000 and the maintenance costs are quite minimal. Add in a discount or coupon code and it’s even cheaper.

For the budget conscious folk out there, then this is one very good starting point.

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Extreme Motos Australia: Are They Safe to Buy From?

Extreme Motos is an Australian store selling Chinese-made dirt bikes, quads and pit bikes. Are they worth it?

In this unbiased and unpaid review, Frontaer really wanted to see if they’re genuine. We did the research so you don’t have to.

Let’s begin.

Extreme Motos Australia

Extreme Motos sells their own gear as well as being a dealer for Atomik and DMX dirt bikes. They aren’t new to the market having been selling these out of their Sydney warehouse for years now.

With the cost of living continually rising, it’s little wonder why more parents don’t buy these. The cost of Japanese and Euro equivalents are seriously high. Then you gotta buy the gear too.

Now, Extreme Motos has all their dirt bikes made in China. This explains why their prices are so cheap. In years gone by, the reputation of these machines was low.

Not a day would go by when you wouldn’t hear of poor reliability, bad craftsmanship and difficulty in ordering parts. Nowadays, the reputation of these imported dirt bikes is far more superior.

Chinese pit bikes and dirt bikes in Australia now have a reputation of going for thousands of miles. For cheap thrills, this is now considered the better way to go for budget-conscious Australian families.

Some farmers are going for these now including their side-by-side and ATV’s.

Industry Reputation

Many people know about Extreme Motos and people are happy with what they provide, however, their website hasn’t been crafted that well. That’s definitely one aspect that they could do better. As you know, Frontaer is unbiased.

For years they have been selling their imported offroad machines to families as well as gear and trailers too. Most of what they sell also comes with a warranty and there are parts available too.

Fortunately, much of what they sold 3 to 5 years ago is still being ridden today. If you find Extreme Motos dirt bikes 2nd hand for sale on eBay or Gumtree, then that’s a tell-tale sign that the machine is still running well, however you often don’t know how many miles they’ve done.

Customer Complaints

There are a few customer complaints regarding the rudeness of staff, but nothing really regarding the machines themselves. As we say, the trustworthiness of these machines is superior compared to what it was 20 years back.

The nature of those in the dirt biking communities is that just about no one leaves a positive review even when they’ve had a great experience. As soon as something negative happens, then the punches come out. Thus, it’s difficult to get a fairly accurate review rating average.

One thing is for sure – when there’s an issue – there is a high likelihood that they’ll fix it. There are some warranty terms and conditions though and we do recommend that you read through that first.

Of course, they aren’t the only company in town. It pays sometimes to see who has the cheapest prices, but don’t simply go for the price otherwise you can be burned. Look for a company who has great service too, of which Extreme Motos is one such company.

In Short

Unless you can afford it, or your kids are into motocross, then paying a fortune for a Honda, KTM, Suzuki or Yamaha is just out of your budget. Plus you’ll be paying for gear, then complete upgrades every 1 to 2 years after that. It seriously becomes an expensive ordeal!

For this reason, a good alternative are these Chinese dirt bikes. They’re much more reliable these days yet still lack a little power and suspension capabilities. But for the price you pay, you’re still way in front.

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Thumpstar Pit Bikes Review: Are They Any Good?

Frontaer recently came across the Thumpstar pit bike range and felt an unbiased review would be great to help consumers.

Through this guide, we’re not going to hold back any punches. Do these pit bikes really live up to expectations? Let’s find out.

Thumpstar Pit Bikes Review

It’s great when you see families helping their kids enter the sport of offroad motorcycling. It sure beats sitting infont of the computer or watching Netflix or worst, sitting on the iPad.

Life is all about exploring and having fun. When we were kids, there were none of these devices to be found!

Nowadays, the price of dirt bikes has come down but it’s still not that affordable. If you’re going into any of the mainstream stores like Honda, Yamaha and KTM, you aren’t coming out without dropping at least $4k on a Children’s dirt bike + protection gear. Ouch!

Fortunately, some companies have filled a gap in the market. One such company is Thumpstar, and one that we decided to research heavily.

Fun fact: All of their current models are illegal to ride on crown land because they don’t meet ADR-compliance for registration. For 99% of their owners, this is no problem at all but worth mentioning.

Chinese Dirt Bikes

Yes, they sell Chinese dirt bikes. Actually, dirt bikes are different to pit bikes in several ways. They are typically reserved for use by kids on private property to ride around casually or build their skills to race competitively when they’re older.

The pit bikes sold by Thumpstar have good reviews and customers are pretty happy with the performance. While Japanese and European brands have dominated the scene for years with their reliability, those from China have really come up in their standings. Nowadays you’re spending somewhere from a third to half the price to get a motorcycle that’s almost as capable.

For parents with several kids, it’s seriously expensive to kit everyone out with this year’s top-of-the-line KTM range. This is why a pit bike could be the best alternative out there and one light and nimble enough for lighter bodies to handle.

Customer Complaints

We looked far and wide and didn’t find too many negative experiences mentioned in reviews. Most people are pretty happy with Thumpstar and they’ve been operating out of their Western Australia premises for years now.

What’s more, they’ve invested a lot into their YouTube channel to improve their reputation. They literally show you what their pit bikes can do in the right hands. Even better – they even send their models into the World Cup of Pit Bikes!

When looking online, we found that their customer service team has been there to resolve complaints. If you need a hand with something, they tend to want to help you or point you in the right direction to one of their tutorial videos.

In Summary

These bikes aren’t cheap. If you’re looking for a cheap Thumpster, you’ll have to look on eBay and Gumtree. These pit bikes have solid reviews and the engines have been run in well.

From 50cc to 250cc and their main machines – the 110cc and 125cc, it’s clear that Thumpstar has it all covered for younger riders and teenagers alike. If you’re an adult, you’ll be pretty bored after a few rides given that pit bikes aren’t really designed for typical rides out bush at high speeds, but as for those learning to ride, it appears to be a good combination.

By the way – read our complete Australian Dirt Bike Trails Guide featuring many places you can legally take your pit bike with the kids. Frontaer has made this free and it’s definitely worth the read.

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TBolt USA Review: Are They Any Good?

TBolt USA is a popular store for pit bikes, parts and accessories. But are they safe for parents to buy from?

Frontaer has written this unbiased review to give our own perspective. After all, you simply want to know if they are worth it.

TBolt USA Review

TBolt USA started almost 20 years ago and has become one of the most popular pit bike companies around town. Based in Pennsylvania, they help younger riders to get out there and develop their skills behind the handlebars.

What they ultimate make are pit bikes which are seriously fun. Unlike most pit bikes out there which are made in China, these are designed for riders to have serious fun with plenty of power on tap. They’re seriously fun and in our experience, perfect for riding in the backyard.

You can even race these! Yep, some of their pit bikes have been featured in national and international races.

What They Offer

Most stores simply offer pit bikes and some replacement parts. With TBolt USA, you’re simply getting a whole lot more. You’ll find equipment, riding ggear and even replacement engines if you need.

Plus they also run sale events and ‘garage sales’ through their online store. Look for a coupon code for TBolt USA and you’ll save even more money.

What’s great is that their pit bikes are not just affordable, but reliable too. Yes, they are Chinese-made but the final assembly is done in their Pennysvania warehouse.

Social Media

When doing our research, we want to check what others are saying about their store and their social media following. Fortunately, there is plenty of content and interactions on their Instagram and Facebook profiles, with questions being readily asked by potential customers.

There is also some good tutorials and reviews of TBolt USA pit bikes on YouTube. Riders are giving their independent experiences having owned one of their models for several months now. That is as real as it gets!

Negative Reviews

Have you seen those customer complaints? It makes you question if you should buy one of these. Remember, we’re unpaid and unbiased as they come.

The thing is – most people won’t leave a 5-star review, or any review for that matter, despite having a great experience. When crap hits the fan, out come the punches.

With any business, it’s hard to keep everyone happy. We noticed that the bulk of complaints were due to items lost in shipment or parts being out of stock. It happens.

We would imagine that TBolt is really on to things nowadays given that they have been in business for so many years, and is one of the largest pit bike dealers around.

Essentially, there is a very good chance that you’ll have a great experience. Not everyone has, but these are far and few between.

The negative experiences are often blown out of proportion. Sometimes this might be parents buying a pit bike for their kids and given how emotional this is, when things go wrong….the customer certainly will certainly let any customer know.

Getting Started

There is no better way to get your kids into the world of offroad motorcycle riding than to have a pitbike. They’re a heck of a lot of fun and don’t cost much either.

Sure – they aren’t dirt bikes and aren’t going to keep up to those riding in the tight technical stuff, but a great segway into the sport.

Given TBolt USA’s reputation, they would be one of the better picks out there.

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B&B Offroad Review: Are They Any Good?

It’s always good to research Australian dirt bike shops, and B&B Offroad is one that needed Frontaer’s unbiased opinion.

We aren’t paid for our content and simply are providing our perspective. Let’s see if they’re worth spending your hard-earned money with.

B&B Offroad Review

When you’re looking for something that’s unique for your dirt bike or ADV motorcycle, it’s sometimes tough to find out there. Luckily, B&B Offroad sprung up recently to fill the void in the market.

We’re talking Made-To-Order gear that’s for your specific year and model. They’re an engineering shop which has everything sorted for the dual-sport and offroad crowd.

Prior to this, you’d pretty much have to order from overseas and hope for the rest. Sometimes they sent the wrong item or it got lost in shipment, leaving a customer stranded. Imagine the return postage costs!

And besides, you don’t know where it was actually made. With B&B Offroad, their gear is made right here in Australia, not China. They have their own fabrication shop on-premises with seriously skilled boilermakers.

Drawbacks

As we said, Frontaer is unbiased. We’re an adventure motorcycling brand that likes to see what fellow Australian businesses are doing in the marketplace, but doesn’t do any favours.

One of the key drawbacks with B&B Offroad is the waiting time. You could be waiting a few weeks for them to make up a bit of gear, and even longer if you live in Perth…though they do offer express postage.

Right now during COVID, their delays have pushed customer orders right out to more than a month. If you were planning a trip in the coming weeks yet need a rack made up on the spot, then you’ll be waiting a while.

The other key downside is the cost. It doesn’t take you long to figure out that their luggage accessories and the like are expensive. But why? Because this is the cost of local labour and doing business in Australia. As consumers, we’re used to reasonably priced goods yet they more-or-less come from China.

You can hop on eBay and find the equivalent parts for half the price out of China. Problem is: Their quality is inferior and the company who makes them probably aren’t dirt bike enthusiasts just like us.

We choose to shop locally and support the local economy. During these tough times, it’s important that we pay it forward, even if it costs a few extra dollars.

Reputation

One thing that really stands out with B&B Offroad is their online reputation. Clearly they don’t mess around with customers or their quality. Most other stores can’t even achieve a 4-star average rating, yet these guys are well beyond this.

Clearly they know how to impress the customer and provide the right instructions to ensure you can fit the racks or protection bars on pretty easily.

Where does their reputation all stem from? Passion. They certainly aren’t in this for the money despite the higher than expected prices. A lot of time goes into the design, testing and sourcing the right materials long before you see something for sale on their website.

Word has spread far and wide from their Ballarat factory over the years, and for good reason. We do look forward to using more of what they have to offer.

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