It looks as if B.C. based Konker Motors may have closed up shop.
Konker’s best known for their KSM200 motorcycle, a made-in-China bike with a motor based on the DR200. We tested a long-termer last summer and were suitably impressed with its toughness — it pretty much just shrugged off a crash on the mean streets of Saint John, N.B. But apparently, the company itself doesn’t share their bike’s longevity.
We first started to wonder about Konker’s demise late last winter. We’d heard they had a new motorcycle coming to Canada this year, an update of their supermoto/dual-sport KSM200, with a 250 cc engine that looked pretty similar to Suzuki’s TU250 motor.
However, the information abruptly stopped flowing, and this despite repeated calls and emails to head office. The only tidbit we got was from R&R Motorsports in Ontario, who claimed to be their new parts distributor, and they told us that the new and improved 250 was indeed on its way.
Fast forward a few weeks to June, and we still haven’t gotten any more news on the 250. Instead, we’re getting comments on our site from unhappy customers, complaining that they can’t get in touch with Konker for parts.
So, we did a little digging, but we hit a brick wall. Nobody from Konker will return calls or reply to our emails. We can’t even find a phone number for R&R anymore on the Konker website and their dealer list doesn’t display any names.
And we’re not the only ones; dealers are having a difficult time getting in touch with Konker as well. Supposedly they’ve been told to put their parts order through the Konker website — just like the general public — but Konker dealer Sven Bernard, with W.C. Distributing in Fort McMurray, says he’s been unable to get parts through the website at all.
He says his company is still managing to honour the warranties on the bikes they’ve sold, despite their problems sourcing parts, so if you bought your Konker from them, you’re still in luck.
But if you’re not so fortunate and you’ve got a Konker in need of some fixing, don’t despair. We mentioned Arthur Mitton at ChinaPartsCanada.com last summer during our long-term testing, and we’ve confirmed that he’s still able to get parts for the KSM200.
Also, Sven Bernard says that his company is so impressed with the KSM200 that they’re hoping to bring it in themselves (under a different name, of course), though they may just leapfrog up to the new 250. They’ll likely offer the dual-sport package as the bike’s original configuration as well, instead of the supermoto styling that came stock from Konker.
So, although we haven’t heard an official announcement from Konker’s management saying that they’ve closed their doors for good, we haven’t heard anything to the contrary from them either. Of course, if we do, we’ll be sure to update you.
Got any more info on the state of Konker? Please add your comments below.
Im looking for parts for the konker kpx50
It may share parts with one of the bikes in the pitster lineup.
Try ChinaPartsCanada.
There’s also http://chinariders.net. Maybe they’ll no about that model?
So what happens when you order bikes and don’t get a certificate of origin? I finally sold a pair of scooters and the buyer can’t register them because there is no certificate?
No idea. I know they’ve been out of business a long, long time now.
Just to let you know i use to be a dealer and i have some new parts left call 519-872-4871 for enquires.
The brand pitster pro just came out with a 200cc bike that looks identical to the Konker, the specs are the same as well, to me I think its the same bike with the same name, I just ordered a part through pitster pro under the name of their identical looking bike, just waiting for the part to show up hoping its the same, luckily its a cheap part so if it not the same no big deal. Its worth looking at the Pitster Pro site to compare notes if you are interested.
Did the part fit?
I got my KSM200 parts at multinationalparts.com. Digging a little more a little more…these guys have all the parts for all the china machines!!! My kid’s Gio hummer, our family KSM200 and my Gio X37 all parts are available from these guys.Â
Rocky mountain Honda in Calgary is carrying the same bikes under the name Pitster Pro. The quality is there as the Chinese are really hitting the market.Case in point,source out Japanese dirt bikes and you will be suprised at how many components are actually manufactured in China under contract. The Chinese factories are following quality control practices with check points and documentation to back them up,sort of an ISO system.They are the worlds next economic superpower.Find a MIKUNE carb on a Harley and ultimately you may find it was cast in China.
well i just heard about it today was waiting for a part i ordered i guess im out 345.00 could i get my money from the credit card company?
it appears that the Konker motorcycle were manufactured at BSE motorcycles in China.They have a website.I have a KPX 150 that seems to work just fine,picked it up new at Bow Cycle in Calgary for 500.00 so even if it works for a few years thats ok .Maybe parts can be had through the factory or they can name a supplier.
It looks like Allan Louie owner/con artist from Konker is now operating a new business, “Blast Media” out of the same address using the same phone #. It appears he will be up to his old tricks in no time.
They are definitely hiding, I bought what was supposed to be a few new, crated bikes from Konker Motors directly (Motorsport Craze Distribution) and ended up getting 3 used, worn out pieces of junk, I tried multiple times to get a hold of them, via phone, e-mail, regular mail and fax, all of my attempts to contact them were ignored, after 2 months I ended up having to file a claim with my credit card company. Keep the individuals responsible in mind, I’m certain they will eventually surface, be careful with any transactions. The owners/managers names are:
Michelle Lehwald
 &
Allan Louie (who appears to also go by Allan Tong, Allan Tong Louie, Tong Louie)
As a dealer keen on following the Chinese invasion I think the KSM200 is about the best Chuzuki, Chonda, Chamaha imported.
The only reason it never hit my showroom is the importer.
The only distributor of chinese machines I am a dealer for I don’t like his machines so they have not hit my floor yet either.
If the distributor is big enough to hang in there through the slow times his overhead is big enough to put the prices of the machines and parts high enough for me to figure the current quality is not worth it. With labour prices in China raising the costs for the importers by the time the quality is at a level I will be comfortable with, I figure the price will be so close to the Japanese the value won’t be there.
I’m surprised that so far none of these Chinese manufacturers of what are, in effect, knock-off bikes, has been able to get their act together, establish an actual brand, and improve their quality a bit. I find it hard to imagine that one of them couldn’t turn a product that is more comparable in quality to the comparable Japanese models and still undercut them on price by a whole bunch (those Japanese 200-250cc dual purpose tiddlers being insanely overpriced, IMO).
Guess they konked out.
How much $ did you really save buying that china junk now?
Might as well be Honda. Â They don’t have a single dealer in Canada’s largest city.
The Chinese company that makes the bikes that Konker sold haven’t disappeared. Just the Canadian importer/distributor. Konker was a better name than Qlink I think.
Seems like the US distributor for the Konker`s sibling XF 200 is still in business http://www.qlinkmotor.com/