suanpai

To SUANPAI and WANTAN,

dear sirs, as i mentioned i will change to the modified cam shaft as first to improve the horse power. THAN i will change the back wheel sprocket.
That together should improve the top speed to a max. 135km/h - 145kh/h.

To SUANPAI

Thank you very much for that information khun Suanpai.
Until it is not necessary, I will not open that part at the back wheel hub.
After a time, (the bike is still new with just 700 km on the meter) I plan to order the modified cam shaft to increase the horse power. After that is done I will reduce the transmission ratio, even more as you did.
May some modifications at the carburetor(the inner shape is cone out to both ends, so a bigger bore is my idea or change the carburetor to a other one of a similar engine size. I guess that the bore of a KAWASAKI BOSS 175 carburetor is even bigger)
Really annoying for me is the the very loud noise of the misfirings (is the the right english word??) in the exhaust. That because no air vent is build in at the intake section after the carburetor.
I think that is the next modification I will do, use the some parts of the KAWASAKI BOSS or just some pneumatic parts from FESTO or SMC, both companies are in Laem Chabang.  

In my opinion a max speed of 135km/h, 145km/h is absolutely enough for Thailands road conditiones.
That will gives me a very comfortable cruise speed of 120km/h. That is my aim.

To SUANPAI
Looks like we have the same profession of the past.
So far, no mixture adjustments at my Cross 200 was necessarily yet.
(After they changed the carburetor at my LIFAN at the factory they said to me that it should be much better now, because there was some problems with the “old” ones. So perhaps you have one of the “old”ones?)
And if i have to do, that need a rpm meter to adjust in the right way. I don't not have those meter at my home, not yet.
The bolds are not corroded yet, and if later on, I will replace to SS as well, mostly.
Many of the screw heads shows scratches already because using wrong size or old screw drivers.
For sure they will corroding soon.
I read your post about the sprocket replacement and it will be no problem to do after several more Km on the meter.
But what I wonder is, there is a part on the rear wheel hub on the left side, between the swing arm and the sprocket, I have never seen before.
Part No.: F11-11, Bush, rear wheel, LH.
Is that a kind of over dimensioned washer a kind of diameter reducer or a bearing or what.
No other bike have that, as I know.
Thank you for help.

First of all: Thank you very much to all of you for reading my post and for the constructive replays.
To SUNPAI: i am really agree that the silencer is much too noisy. May to add a piece of extra pipe to it makes it better. In that case of the carburetor: That sounds not normal. The engine, the controls of the valves and ignition timing is exactly set up to the mix of the carburetor (should be). Did you have checked the valve clearance yet? As well the the enginge will not well running on medium load, is a sign of wrong valve clearance as well.
I find original mirrors are ok. The replace of the original screws to stainless steel is just a gimmick as long the original ones not rusting. Please aware that stainless steel can not take the same high load as the normal steel of the screws.  

happy and safe riding to you too

Perhaps not as it should have been but it originally ran too lean and no adjustment of the mixture proved any good hence the modification I made. I spent most of my life in the motor busness so hopefully I know what I'm doing! You will find a lot of the bolts etc will rust for sure and as many of the tapped screw threads are over cut, the SS ones have a bit more grip. I would think by the look of many screws fitted, they are not very high tensile. If you bought your bike for the road then see my previous post re sprocket replacement...It really does make a difference.

LIFAN 200 Cross.

Ok, here I am. An owner of a brand new LIFAN Cross 200 at Chonburi Pattaya.

My TIGER electric motorbike need some spare parts and I would not like to invest any more money in it. So I was thinking about to purchase an new KAWASAKI Versis.

The first time I saw the LIFAN Cross 200 by accident at a motor bike dealer at the third road.
I did a closer look and talked to the sales lady.
The price of just 46.900.- Baht seems to be a great offer even I saw that the bike is low tech and low quality.
The sales girl told me that the bike is not a chinese product, it is build in Thailand- Rayong.
All the stickers on it are in Thai, so I believed her as first.
I did a test ride and I liked it pretty much.
At the same day I went home and googled a bit about LIFAN.
I found that LIFAN is the “biggest engine manufacturer” in China and what else so great they are doing.
As usual if you google about Chinese factories, there are always the best of the best and the greatest with highest qualities anyway.
But all the posts and blogs of owners told me that the LIFAN bikes ( 250cc chopper and the Cross 200) are pretty good.

So LIFAN is actually a 100% Chinese product, produced in Thailand.
That should keep problems with service and spare part problems away.
Mostly the blogs compared LIFAN with JRD and PLATINUM.
And as well mostly they said that LIFAN is much better.
I found that the scooter LIFAN LF 125T-6 and my own JRD 125 Quest is the same bike.
As well the LIFAN 125T-9A and another JRD are identical.

How ever, I decided to purchase, because a low tech bike I am able to service by my self as long I can get spare parts.

I went to the shop and I selected the nice blue one and during the paperwork, the boys made my new bike ready to start.
Unfortunately, the left and right mirrors where exchanged and the engine wont run.
I changed the mirrors at the shop by my self and showed the guys how to set up an carburetor for the very first run.
The engine runs, but always stoped by self.
I thought it was because a cold engine and very new.
Ok, I went out than to the next gas station to fill up the huge (10 liter) tank.
Unfortunately the motor fully stops on the way(after 800 meter), because the shop did not add enough gasoline. No problem-- switch the gasoline cock to RES and I could go away again.
From the internet I knew that I have to use 95, gasohol is ok.
After fill up the tank I went around a bit and very soon I lost the connection of meter cable at the front wheel hub.
No problem as well, could fix it in a minute beside the street.
I wondered that there was no grease inside the mechanic.
Later on some strange sound cames up from the front wheel.
At home I disconnected the cable again and add some grease into it. But the strange sound was still there.
Anyway, it was dark already and the next day will show me more.
At the next day I found that the sound cames from the disc brake pads.
I have never heard those kind of sounds of the brake pads and I went back to the shop to look after that.
The guys at the shop does not know what to do and they sent me to the main shop at Pattaya at Naklua.
Ok, went there with the bike with very strange sounds out of the live saving front disk brake.
That shop is now the main shop of LIFAN in Pattaya. A shop where some mechanics working on the dirty floor armed with some big screw drivers and big hammers.
So they as well didn't know what that problem is and toked out the brake pads and polish them a bit with some sand paper. The brake disk as well.
The sound was gone, but I was pretty sure that that could not be the solution.
At the same day on the evening the sounds cames back.
So the next day at the LIFAN main shop they exchanged the complete front brake from a new bike. Problem solved for me and given to the next proud LIFAN cross200 customer.
I ask them for a spare part catalog, but they even did not have such things for them own.
NOT EVEN A SPARE PART CATALOG.

Anyway, the brake problem is ok now, but the engine still stops at idle speed.
I tried to adjust the air mix by my self, but without a carburetor adjustment tool is that almost impossible.
I found a shop who has such a tool and the very professional mechanic did the setup up of the carburetor.
The problem was better now, but still not good.
I just decided to visit the LIFAN factory at AMATA city, they must be able to fix that annoying problem.
At the next day, after some difficulties to find the LIFAN productions plant, I finally arrived there.
I went first to the office building. A single floor building with 3 or 4 office rooms and a meeting room. Thats all.
As first a nice young thai man welcomes me and I required a spare part book and a owners manual in english.
After a view minutes he cames back with both dokuments.. FREE Very nice!!
I told him about my engine problem and he sent me to the production line where the CROSS 200 and the 250cc chopper comes out.

I saw a crew of workers, sitting on the floor, assembling some parts of the Cross 200 and the 250cc chopper. As well armed with some big screw drivers and hammers in addition with some pneumatic nut runner.
How many Cross200 bikes they producing a day I asked. 30
All bikes was assembled by hand and got a test run.
A chinese engineer was called and he cares my problem.
After a time he just changed the whole carburetor and smiled to me. FINISH.
Ok I thought. Thank you and going on the way to home to Pattaya.
The problem wasn't solved and becomes to worse.
Ok, new day new luck, went again to the factory.
Now 2 chinese “specialists” cares about and changed 3 times the carburetor, 2 times the CDI box, as well twice the igniter spule and the spark plug.
Nothings happened.
More than tired I asked them why they not check the valve clearance as first, hum?

OH, yes.
But what I expected and what what I saw was actually the reason why I post that here.
Check the valve clearance is actually easy to do and you just need a feeler gauge, and a wrench No.10.
They open the two caps on the cylinder head cover and proved the clearance by tik it up and down. No feeler gauge or similar. No special tool. Just nothing.
Same as a typical repair shop when they do it.
I do not know any mechanic or engineer on the world who is able to “feel the difference between 0.05mm and 0.08 mm.
(the clearance at intake and exhaust valve is 0.05 mm shown at the owners manual)
It seems Chinese and Thai engineers can do.

But--- I have to say, the problem was nearly solved.
I driven the bike home. The engine did not stop as self so many times anymore but the motor runs very rough and not smooth at all. On the medium load the engine would not really run at all.

At the next morning I did that by my self.
I have an feeler gauge anyway at home.
Open the seat, take out the plastic parts at the tank, than the tank as self.
Open the chromium cap on the left side on the crank case, as well the oval plate on the crank case side.
Spark plug out and turn the generator magnet as long you can see the mark.
That is piston top position.
4 screws open to remove the cylinder head cover and you have plenty access to the valves.
I found the clearance at intake 0.09mm and exhaust 0.00mm
To adjust takes 5 minutes. After that is done just assembling the parts back. Thats it. All in all not longer as an hour for an private engineer with limited tools.
Now, the engine runs perfect, good performance, torque and smooth.
No self stops at idle speed anymore accept very cold engine condition without choke.

My resume is:
I am really in doubt that LIFAN is much better as JRD or PLATINUM.
Ok they have a factory in Thailand, but as well TIGER and JRD has had factories in Thailand as well.
I will see how long that bike will keep running.

If some one think about to purchase, if you are familiar with mechanics, tools and oil dirty hands, than will be a good choice because the price unbeatable.
Otherwise, UP TO YOU.

The LIFAN Cross200 is a low and old tech (at least not that stone age old as Harley Davidson is) and very low quality dirt bike. That does not mean that it is not strong. I purchased it because I believe that I can handle that.
The low quality you can see all over the bike. The steel weldings are very rough, not polishes at all before painting.
Looks like hand made of some bakers. I even found some welding pearls on the steel frame.
Many other parts from steel metal or plastic having sharp edges and it is easy to get hurt by bleeding skin cuts just by cleaning the bike.
Some other plastic parts looks like cuted with a chopping hatchet.

The meter and the information lights are badly visible at the day time(all in green, may I change them by LED light bulbs soon).
As a new owner it wouldn't be wrong when you first put some grease and oil to all the sensitive and moving points. Specially the throttle.
The mechanic inside is completely dry and all parts rubs against each other.

Now I really enjoy that dirt bike a lot, it runs perfect and I am happy with it.
One consideration at the factory I will tell you.
All bikes was tested by a test run. The test run is done by 95 gasohol.
It is actually well known that you should not leave gasohol in the carburetor over a longer time period.


Please let me know if you have other problems with the Cross 200. May I can help or may I can be prepared for the next story?
I by my self, I am always happy if I can help out some one.

Have fun all together