IDK, i think you all are reading too much into the idea that higher cost should equal higher quality of manufacturing.

A lot of the cost of bike frames comes from trying to engineer out every little bit of advantage. Whether or not the frame is made well is almost a different question. Obviously, the best brands manage to do both, but Colnago...is Colnago. It's worth noting that Astana is riding frames from XDS this year, and at retail, where they are sold, they are more expensive than the frames used by:
1. Q 36.5 who runs the standard, not SL, Scott Addict HMX
2. AG2R on any of their Van Rysels
3. Intermarche on their Cube bikes

While they are cheaper than Giant and I think Merida frames, owning the production from end to end does not seem to be helping XDS churn out a cheaper bike.

That said, I think buying a lower-spec Scott Addict (like Rival or 105 di2) and then modding it with wheels, cranks, and a cockpit from XMCarbonspeed seems like the way to go, cost-wise, if you want to have a lower-cost rocket of a bike.

[Edited for clarity]

I can assure you that you didn't see my frame quality which looks and feels superb (with the type of carbon used which I cannot be sure which type is it).
The funny thing is that if I remove the decals you will call it tantan and say its a good frame (or any similar sl8 like frames on ali)

1054g
thru axle 35g, 1019g.
derailleur hanger 20g (?), 1000g.
White paint... 75g (?), 925g
4 cage bolts, 10g (?), 915g
Size 54 advertised as 865g, that's a 50g difference, or 6% deviation. I guess anything in the 5% range is to be expected. Better safe than sorry.

6500RMB = 815 EUR + 60$ shipping, this is pricey indeed.
The Factor box makes you wonder... would that be in instance of special access to the factory floor?

I just wish the logo said Tractor and not Factor, but this is a pretty bike indeed. Having a frame from a Factor factory but with Tractor logo would be peak troll.

I thought that everyone selling bike parts has to adhere to the ISO4210 testing protocol anyway as it is obligatory in most countries. Maybe someone with more background knowledge in the world of engineering and standards can explain better.

But what that means is that fatigue testing of sample frames doesn’t really set Chinese frames apart from the big brands. It is the level of QC (or its existence in the first place) that makes the difference. Right? What good is fatigue testing of one sample frame if they then crank out thousands of these frames without ever looking at any of them before they get shipped?

This is not intended to be mean or judgemental, so I hope we can take this response in the sprit of open discussion.

RE #1: Anecdata like this isn't helpful, and to me, the bigger question is whether or not the factory is even testing these frames for safety and failure. If you work with a reputable Chinese factory, they generate a surprising amount of data via testing in rigs to understand fatigue and lower the odds of a frame-breaking. Is the result a guarantee that a product won't break? No. But it does mean that the failure modes are known, and the probability of a frame-breaking meets the ISO standards. Not collecting the data means that it wasn't considered. This is similar to the arguments for and against helmets. Using a helmet provides a data-backed way to mitigate the consequences of an event. Still, there is no direct way to measure the risk faced on an individual ride if you choose not to wear a helmet and you can convince yourself that other factors might make it safer to not wear one.

RE #2: Nearly any race bike frame equipped with similar modern components will be 90% as good as a WT level super bike. Use electronic shifting, use similar wheels and tires, match the contact points and I think its near impossible to find a 10% difference in overall peformance.

I've had the pleasure of riding an Emonda ALR and a Gen 8 Madone now. Even as a smaller rider where the frame matters more as a percentage of aero or weight or whatever, there was no way to look at my ride data and tell the difference between the alloy not aero bike and the WT race bike. You take that from 20-22mph to like 28mph, and yes, there is now a measurable difference, but it's not even 5% and still within the error of my ability to test things on a loop.

How much time and money are you spending trying to make your replica work? How much cheaper does it really end up than something like the Emonda ALR?

Does the extra clout gained from a fake replica do anything for you? I don't think anyone on any group ride will care about this, and if they do, honestly, they are jerks.

If you are saying that a replica bike does no harm because you wouldn't be buying the real thing anyway, what do you do when you move on from the frame? Just throw it away? I suspect that the fakes I have seen being passed off as the real thing often started their life with the first reseller saying, "hey this isnt a real Pinarello" (or other brand), and the second reseller either forgot or isn't enough of a bike person to realize that other people can tell the difference on inspection.

Edit: I want to clarify that I think troll bikes are hilarious—like the LTK bike badged as a "Tractor," for example—but these aren't replicas or counterfeit bikes.

Looks also pretty cool to me! It's awesome that you went for this matte stealthy black. Bought as well some original parts like the head spacer ring, and seatpost wedge. I'm also still doubting if I add under the headset top cover a rubber ring to prevent getting moisture in the headset bearings.

For my build:
I still need a chain, cassette, and wheels. Received this week the chainring 1x, which is a Rotor Qarbon Q-ring with 52t but I received the 50t so I need to wait for that too.

Probably the best take on the carbon layers that they used, for that price range for sure. We will see in the end how that goes. Do you have a picture of your bike tssy5?

I know it will bring controversy and that many people, especially on this form, don't like it.

What an analogy, but I get where you are coming from. For your information I'm not selling this bike as a real one, nor do I try to sleep with someone else to take that identity. See it as a cheap kit car on a Pontiac Fiero base. If you copy a Lamborghini with a kit on the base of a Pontiac Fiero, it won't drive like a Lambo, it won't sound like a Lambo, it just looks like it.

I believe that this fake Factor also won't drive like a real Factor, I'll get Elite Drive wheels, probably the Black Inc wheels are much better, the stiffness in the frame and handlebars will be much less than the original. The original has every where Ceramicspeed bearings, I don't. At a kit car it's quite obvious for the trained eye, I think it will also be obvious for the factor that it's a replica (for the trained eye).
And at this point I can't get rid of the stickers anymore, sorry.