V2 head on Lifan 150cc

[Psomniferum]

Anyone around here put the v2 roller rocker head on the Lifan 150cc? The only kits available use a 14mm-pin piston, the 150 uses a 15mm-pin piston. Has anyone tried this head using the stock piston? Other than valve clearance, what other issues might be ran into?

[Psomniferum]

Looks like I'll have to be the 1st. Just got my Lifan 150cc, 56.5mm x59mm. Waiting a few days for head set up. This is my 1st build. Since my bike originally came with a Lifan horizontal 125cc, I ordered the biggest Lifan horizontal I could find. This was before I learned nobody makes aftermarket pistons for the 150cc w/ the 15mm wrist-pin piston. They're all for the 14mm engines, 110-125cc. I ordered the head ANYWAYS! I'm figuring this out as I go. If I can replace my own head gasket on a car, I figured one of these small engines should be a snap to learn on! Any books or manuals anyone would recommend for these? I ordered a Lifan repair manual, but the engines in there are upright.

[Psomniferum]

My bike was stolen only a few days after I got it tagged and insured. Being a sub-$2k bike, I only got liability. The thief spray-painted the bike EVERYWHERE! Since I have to tear the bike down to fix all the "ugly", I figured I'd rebuild it MY WAY!

[Psomniferum]

This is my 1st bike engine, but I've worked on cars my whole life. I'm going to run clearance checks and compression tests with the new head. Plan on setting up a jig to drill the valve-reliefs in the piston, if I have to. The kit normally comes with a piston set at 11.5:1 cr. But they recommend fuel-stabilizer with that set up. I want to be able to run pump. Stock cr is 9.0:1 on the 150, so I'll start there. Maybe max out around 10.0 or 10.5:1.
To simplify things, I'm bypassing the electric-start and keeping the kick-start the 150cc came with. I'd like to tear the 125cc down shortly and pull everything I need to convert the 150cc over to e-start. But I want the bike running 1st.

[Psomniferum]

If you'll notice, the thief managed to mangle the stock shift- linkage. Venom does not carry a replacement part, and it is unique to the x22/125cc combo. I think I can salvage the actual arm and adapt the linkage from a Grom for now. Youtube has videos about how to bullet-proof yhe linkage on the Grom. Does anyone know who sells the stock linkage for the Baodiao 125-11 (aka Venom x22 125cc edition.) I've TRIED Google. No luck yet...

[Psomniferum]

Just got my vm26 and intake from TB. Will compare stock intake to v2 unit shortly.

[Rangerscott]

I would take measurents of both heads. Their intake and exhaust ports and the valve sizes. That head could be a downgrade.

[culcune]

I would speak to Pete at Kronik Racing in Simi Valley. He should be able to set you in the right direction :tup:

www.kronikracing.com

[Psomniferum]

Rangerscott, from the little bit of research I've been able to, the 150cc head is sold on some websites as the big valve head for the 110-140. It is spec'd with 27i/23e, but I'm not sure of the port sizes, definitely worth looking into. I'm ASSUMING with the larger valves for flow (28.5i/23.5e) and roller-rockers to reduce parasitic loss, that it should out-perform stock. Very smart point, though. I'll ask Vince over at TB if he has any flow numbers between the 2x, he sells both.

[Psomniferum]

culcune, thanx. I'll have to look into Kronik Racing!

[Weldangrind]

I can't tell from the pics what the issue is with the shifter. I'm guessing that there is supposed to be a linkage that attaches to the ball in the second pic; is that right? It also looks like the ball section is bent in, but I'm not sure.

[Psomniferum]

The cups on both sides that the rod threaded into are damaged. The cup is bent all to hell on the linkage hooked to the output shaft and the cup is broken off the pedal itself. I ordered a Grom shifter from Ebay. I can remove the linkage-rod and replace it with tie-rod bolts. The Grom only needs aroun 3-4" length for the linkage. The Venom is 7-8". I was meaning to replace the garbage linkage before it was stolen. The thief pulled an absolute "tweak" move, I wish I would have taken pix, where he JB-Welded a square TP-roll dispenser from the pedal cup to the output shaft! I would have been scared to death! Tweakers are brave, lol! It is near impossible to use the linkage-less Grom pedals they push on Ebay. You would have to move your foot forward 3 or 4" from the peg to hit the shifter. The x22/125 shifter has to be done JUST right!

[Rangerscott]

Imstall a suicide shifter. Lol

[Psomniferum]

My mom had a friend when I was little who rode a Harley with an ol' suicide shifter on it, lol! I was always fascinted by them. I'm tempted to run a linkage-less shifter like they sell on Ebay. The shifter goes directly on the output shaft. I'll have to physically pick my foot up from the peg and slide it forward the 3 or 4 inches to reach the lever. If there is not a lot of leverage needed to engage the grears, I'm thinking of cutting the shifter down to a "shorty" length. See if my US size 10 can reach the shifter then. The distance is much shorter on a Grom.

[Psomniferum]

I just got the V2 head in. I'm curious; the package of the camshaft reads "Honda/Import type." I can find a separate Monkey/Grom cam on TB's site with a different part number. Could this be for the 110? Other sites, such as OMB Warehouse, list a v1 cam for smaller engines up to 150cc with a v2 cam for engines over 150cc. Yet, TB list these cams as for the KLX V2 head. Does this mean my head is compatible with KLX bumpsticks? Or should OMB clean up their description?

[Weldangrind]

This is just a guess: I suspect that when they reference the Honda/Import type, they're referring to the old Honda 50/70 frame of architecture (FOE) that all of the China clones are based on. Despite the fact that our Chinese friends have bored and stroked the little horizontal motor to 150 and beyond, the FOE remains the same as a Honda 70. As an example, a China clone motor would not bolt in to a CT90 without adapters.


The Grom 125 motor has a different FOE, although it's quite similar to the clones from what I can see. That might be the reason that the Grom cam does not carry the same parts number as the 150 clone. To further complicate things, a clone that is above 150 might have yet again a different FOE to accommodate the larger proportions. In the vertical clone world, the FOE changes after 200cc; you can't bolt a 230 cylinder onto a 200 bottom end. Perhaps when they engineered the heads for your motor, they used the KLX FOE. Dunno. :hmm:

[Psomniferum]

Thank you Wag. That was very informative and I appreciate it! I learned a lot. Vince got back to me from TBParts. He tells me the cam I have is the ONLY one that will work with my particular head. So I assume we can rule out the KLX cams ;-( Too bad, they have 2x or 3x bumpsticks for the Kawa's. Looks like OMB Warehouse may be a little misleading?

[Psomniferum]

This is the mount for my footrest and shifter. When the thief damaged the linkage, he tried to drill the allen bolts holding the mount to the frame. I had to drill them larger and use 2x bolts with washers and nuts from True Value. For the shifter itself, the original had a shaft to connect it to the mount, the Grom shifter does not. I picked a 3/8 x 3" bolt (I needed 2", but the 3" has the perfect shoulder to pass through the hole in the shifter and mount, the threads begin on the other side) with washers and a lock-nut. I'm using a regular nut to measure off the threads, I plan to chop about 3/4-1" off, then I'll lock it in place. Might not be the prettiest, but it's what Ace had. The Grom shifter is about 1" to 1-1/2" longer and sticks out 1" or so further than the stock unit. But my US-size 10 shoe still covers the territory comfortably, so I'm happy. I bought a 1/4" steel rod (stock is 7mm, Ace didn't carry metric) that I plan to chop and bend into place of the Grom linkage, giving me the extra 4" I need. Couldn't find the correct rod-joint bolts at Ace. If the steel rod proves impractical, I'll run to the city, to Home Depot, and try a different set up.

[Psomniferum]

The Grom vs. stock X22/125 shifter. While the stock shifter has been bent inward slightly, the new shifter would still protrude further out. I just got my TBP 5-way adjustable brake/clutch levers as well. The brake/clutch levers should be worth at least another 3 mph, they look so much more aerodynamic than the stock units!

[Psomniferum]

I was mistaken about the length I needed to extend my linkage. For some reason, I thought I was only 3-4" short. In the mock-up below I'm actually 7-8" short. I thought I purchased too much when I bought 1 foot of 1/4" rod. Now I'm relieved! The output shaft is just under the vertical blue line of paint on the flywheel cover on the upper-left side of the pic.

[Weldangrind]

I was hoping to find those adjustable levers for a drum brake, but no dice.

[franque]

If I were you, I'd cannibalize linkage parts off of a sportbike, then make it work for yours.

[Psomniferum]

If I were you, I'd cannibalize linkage parts off of a sportbike, then make it work for yours.


I'm ordering this set up off of EBay for $40. A little more than I wanted to spend, but looks DAMN close to the unit I'm trying to fix! Thanks for the idea, franque, I thought for sure the cbr250 would be different. Only thing that looks different is the 250 shifter has no built-in spindle like the Baodiao (Venom X22) But, by buying the whole assembly, I skip the hassle of matching the spindle up perfectly for the shifter and mount. I only hope the mount holes match up to where they need to attach to the frame. If not, I'm adapting this shifter to my current shifter-mount.

[Psomniferum]

Blindside grinding the stripped-out bungs that attach the shifter-mount to the frame. When I tried approaching from the aide, I could not clear the chain-guard. I pop the cutting disk mandrel through the hole on the backside before attaching to the drill, then pull out with the drill grinding the welded-in-place nut. Cutting WAY faster than when I had to cut through the bolts! I'm surprised they use weaker metal for the bungs compared to the mounting bolts.

[Psomniferum]

I was hoping to find those adjustable levers for a drum brake, but no dice.

I don't know enough about bikes to know the difference between drum handles and disk handles. I'm assuming drum brakes use different cables than disk? I plan on making the BoomCat 125 my 2nd little bike. 1st thing I want to do is switch to disk.

[franque]

I was hoping to find those adjustable levers for a drum brake, but no dice.

https://m.fr.aliexpress.com/item/32866432236.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&spm=a2g0n.store_home.productList_7856903.0 that work?

[Weldangrind]

https://m.fr.aliexpress.com/item/32866432236.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&spm=a2g0n.store_home.productList_7856903.0 that work?

I think that's just two different colour clutch levers, but I'm grateful for the link. :tup:

[Psomniferum]

How can you tell the difference between drum levers and disc levers?

[franque]

Drums use cables, discs use a flat piece to press on the master cylinder. Here's some other options:

https://asvinventions.com/f2-series-off-road-brake-lever-bdf205-k/
https://asvinventions.com/f4-series-off-road-brake-lever-bdf405/

Not cheap, but amazing quality, and they're guaranteed for 2 and 4 years respectively.

[Psomniferum]

I remember pulling my jet ski out of the lake when I was a kid. As I was going over the hill to leave there is a stop light at the bottom on the other side. A car was stopped in front of me and when I applied the brakes I had no stopping power, I hit the other car. The brakes were still wet from the boat-launch and I forgot to dry them. People tell me this is why they keep drums on their trucks, they work better wet. Is this why you keep drums on your bike? Do you expose your bike to mud and water? Or is it for appearance purposes? I REALLY love the look of the new BoomCat 125cc and am planning on purchasing one. Is there a reason NOT to switch to disk, then eventually abs (after I get more comfortable wrenching on a bike)?
PS- You wrote that drums use cables. Does this mean there is no hydro-assist? They are mechanical?

[Psomniferum]

For a while I was having doubts about my choice of rebuilding the X22, I've shelled out more for parts than a new 1x would have set me back. But, as the parts are coming in, I'm noticing such a difference in quality that I'm wanting to switch even more! I'm having to order Honda pieces when I can't find the Chinese replacement and would've had no idea how generic the parts on my bike were otherwise.

[Weldangrind]

Here's some other options:

https://asvinventions.com/f2-series-off-road-brake-lever-bdf205-k/
https://asvinventions.com/f4-series-off-road-brake-lever-bdf405/

Not cheap, but amazing quality, and they're guaranteed for 2 and 4 years respectively.

Too rich for me, given the only real benefit is adjustability. I'll just go with standard levers at this time. Thanks again for the link.

[Weldangrind]

You wrote that drums use cables. Does this mean there is no hydro-assist? They are mechanical?

Correct. No hydraulic fluid is used; they are fully mechanical. To this day, bikes like the Yamaha TW200 come with a rear drum brake from the factory and it is more than adequate for the task. I have a cool dual leading shoe drum brake I intend to use on a scrambler project and it'll stop the bike just fine. If I were to road race the bike, I'd think differently.

[Psomniferum]

Thank you wag. I have learned much from you on here. franque also! Total noob here when it comes to bikes and I really appreciate all of your advice!

[Psomniferum]

I'm 99% sure this is the neutral-safety-switch. From the looks of that little tab, you push it THROUGH, not pull it.

[Psomniferum]

I would like to remove the handlebars from the forks to respray them. Do I just remove the cap from the forks and slide the handle up and off? That was my 1st plan-of-attack. But I don't want to create a big mess. I purchased a new light-switch box and new silver/black grips to replace the cheesy green ones.

[Psomniferum]

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good; franque pointed me down the right track, I'm VERY close to adapting the 250 linkage to my bike!

The Bad; the shifter-mount did NOT fit my bike. I had to adapt the shift-lever to my mount using a 14mm shoulder bolt. The shoulder is slightly larger than the threaded area.. The shoulder fits the mount while the threaded area fits the shifter itself. The shifter hole being slightly smaller (13mm?) Otherwise I would have had to drill the shifter out or sleeve the mount.

The Ugly; this shifter is OBVIOUSLY a cheap replacement and NOT the original Honda-unit. I complained to the seller, but don't want to hassle with a return. Now that I know the shifter will fit, I'm ordering a genuine Honda replacement. I'm getting hooked on these decent parts, lol!

[Psomniferum]

PS- the threaded rod itself, being 6-1/2", appears to be 2-1/2" short. I'll head over to the bike shop to see if I can get a longer rod. Also, the knuckle that attaches to the output shaft on the engine doesn't clear the engine case. Looks like I'll have to shave some of the crown for clearance. Hopefully I have enough meat left on the knuckle. The 125cc has a hump for the starter, the 150cc is a kickstart. The knuckle clears on the 150. Since the 125 and 150 share external dimensions, I'm leaving the 125 in to mock everything up and make sure it all fits.

[Psomniferum]

Right now I'm debating, do I - a) put the 150 in stock, get it running THEN adapt the head? Or b) adapt the head to the 150, get it running, THEN install it in the bike?

[franque]

Is this why you keep drums on your bike? Do you expose your bike to mud and water? Or is it for appearance purposes? I REALLY love the look of the new BoomCat 125cc and am planning on purchasing one. Is there a reason NOT to switch to disk, then eventually abs (after I get more comfortable wrenching on a bike)?
PS- You wrote that drums use cables. Does this mean there is no hydro-assist? They are mechanical?

Drums are usually on bikes because the bike is an older design. It's not really a question of 'keeping' drums, it's usually more that there isn't a cheap/easy means for changing to discs.

Drums aren't really because they perform better in the wet/mud, I believe the opposite is true unless you have a bunch of holes in the drum for the water to leak out. They were used because it was what people knew, and they were/are cheap.

Swapping to a disc rear brake won't get you a whole lot, as front brakes are much more effective due to weight transfer, and unless there's a pre-existing model running a disc with the same swingarm (if not, you'll either need to engineer a new bracket, or put a different swingarm on it), plus mounts on the frame for a hydraulic cylinder, swapping to a disc would be a huge exercise in unnecessary fabrication. If you can already fabricate stuff, then go for it!

As for abs, real abs (and not the stupid stuff the Chinese sell as abs, which is a limiting valve for hydraulic pressure), you'd basically need an engineering degree to get the system properly calibrated, but before that you'd need an open, adaptable abs system, which as far as I know doesn't exist on the market, and after that, you get to enjoy plumbing all of the different hydraulic lines you need to add for it to work.

If you want abs, get a bike with it installed, but if you can learn to a bike without it, abs is a nice crutch if you really need it, but not necessary.

Also, motorcycles don't have assisted brakes, even if hydraulic. Discs are pretty much always hydraulic on motorcycles (I can think of one exception, and one semi-exception), while drums are always mechanical, I know someone who converted theirs to hydraulic, it's possible but almost always pointless.

[franque]

I'm 99% sure this is the neutral-safety-switch. From the looks of that little tab, you push it THROUGH, not pull it.

That is the clutch safety switch, not neutral.

I would like to remove the handlebars from the forks to respray them. Do I just remove the cap from the forks and slide the handle up and off?

No. You need to loosen the top and bottom triple trees on both forks, or remove the wheel, and just remove one fork at a time (if you're only doing one side). When you put them back together, I would torque the top triple tree bolts to 16 ft-lbs (if you don't have a torque wrench, buy one, this is important stuff), and the bottom triple tree bolts to 20 ft-lbs.

My advice would be to leave this alone, unless you have an experienced buddy who can help you with everything? I'd just tape it off real well, and repaint in situ, or just sand the paint off. You can really mess up your handling/suspension performance if you don't get everything back the way it is supposed to be.

The Bad; the shifter-mount did NOT fit my bike. I had to adapt the shift-lever to my mount using a 14mm shoulder bolt. The shoulder is slightly larger than the threaded area.. The shoulder fits the mount while the threaded area fits the shifter itself. The shifter hole being slightly smaller (13mm?) Otherwise I would have had to drill the shifter out or sleeve the mount.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say there, are you saying outer diameter of the bolt (like the size of wrench that you're using)? Please explain this better before you do something irreversible. That isn't generally a critical measurement, but it is possible that they have different thread diameters/pitches, which is critical.

I would try bolting everything up before you try changing linkage rods. I was suggesting buying the shift linkage so that you could have all of the fittings, and repair your old linkage, as I think that would be a better use of your time. Now might be a good time to invest in a tap and die set, also, if any of the threads get buggered up.

I'd put the 150 in first and ride it around, even if it is still ugly, so that you have motivation to go to the next step. Also, if you don't have a torque wrench, I wouldn't even think about swapping the head.

[Psomniferum]

Thank you very much for such detailed information! I was aware bikes did not have power-assist, I was NOT aware they still used mechanical brakes. I've been wrenching on cars my whole life, so I do have SOME mechanical knowledge, these bikes are just very foreign to me. I'm speaking of the drive size when I mention bolt-diameter. You are correct in that I was switching from describing the size of the shaft to the size of the drive used to turn the bolt. Thank you for warning me about the forks. I will follow your advice and just do the best repaint job with them in place. The brake-lines, calipers, levers, cables were all over-sprayed and look terrible. I'm fully confident I could remove the brakes, clean up the calipers and master cylinders, etc. Then I was planning on using braided lines from the cbr250. Until I find out what my bike is compatible with, I'm stuck reusing the stock brake units. I was able to attach the shifter to my original mount without having to machine anything but the bolt. I turned the shaft of a 14mm-drive bolt under by about 1mm on my boss' lathe and everything fits now. Except for the rod that goes from the shifter to the knuckle and the knuckle itself. The rod that came with the unit was 6-1/2" long and I'm still about 2-1/2" short. I was going to get a longer rod. Then see if I can find a more slender knuckle that fits over the shaft that comes out of the engine. There is a hump on my engine for the starter gear. The knuckle I'm using is from the cbr250 set up. If I can't find a skinnier one, I'm going to try to machine this knuckle down. They're $6/ea. on EBay. If I screw this one up, I bought 2x extra just in case. Once I put the 150cc in, it doesn't have the starter hump, so I won't need to worry about the knuckle.

[Psomniferum]

I have a garage full of tools. I'm not a bad mechanic, just don't know shit when it comes to bikes! This is my mom's 1991 Loyale Wagon that I'm putting that 2002 JDM Legacy GT turbo engine into. If you ever want to know anything about boxer engines, hit me up! Porsche, VW, Subaru are my specialty. When I 1st ordered the bike from Venom, I bought all the hot-rod parts they offered for MY BIKE on their site. Turns out all the parts were for Honda Grom and most didn't fit. At 1st I bought a Grom manual, thinking my engine was close enough. It wasn't. Then I bought a LIFAN shop manual. Set me back like $80! But it's for the UPRIGHT Lifans, NOT the horizontals. Finally, I found a manual for "Pit Bikes" this will be my 3rd attempt at a manual just so I have all the stupid specs I need! THAT'S why I'm tempted to throw the 150 in for now, slap in the Mikuni and exhaust, and call it a day til I get a proper manual!

[Psomniferum]

The thief used a combination of coat-hanger wire and JB-Weld to connect the shift-lever to the knuckle using this square rod. There is absolutely NOTHING of the original linkage left. I practically destroyed the stock knuckle on the output shaft from removing the rod welded and wired to it. I wish I would have taken pix, but I didn't know I was going to start a thread about this.
PS- CORRECTION - the diameter of the shaft for the spindle was 14mm and machined down to apx. 13 mm. NOT the size of the socket that drives it. I believe the head is 17mm. I machined part of it down, the part that goes past the shifter mount into the actual shift-lever. The inside-diameter of the shift- mount is 14mm. The inside of the shift-lever is 13mm. I did a quick spray with matte-black frame spray. Nothing winderful, but LIGHT YEARS ahead of where it was before!

[franque]

Ok, good! I hope I didn't come across as condescending, I just know that for a lot of people getting a Chinese bike for their first bike (but even most people getting their first bike), there is usually next to no mechanical aptitude, and I said all that I did just to keep things on the safe side. Feel free to post more questions, I'm happy to help with what I can. I would think that a CBR250R manual should be close enough for most chassis stuff, and you might be able to get away with using a CT90 manual for the engine stuff. Many things you know from cars will cross over, but I would get my hands on a Honda common service manual for general info specific to motorcycles.

[Psomniferum]

I was NOT offended in the least! I really appreciate yours and wag's help and advice. THANK YOU! I have learned a tremendous amount about bikes just in the year or so I've owned this little sucker. I just wanted to let you guys know that I DO know my way around a garage, just NOT very handy with bikes is all. I've DEFINITELY caught the bug, lol! I understand now why people LOVE bikes! As I was cruising along at 63mph with my little pony coughing and wheezing, it endeared it's little self to me and I swore I'd beef her up and make a half-ass decent little ride out of her yet!

[Psomniferum]

This is $900 worth of kit from Venom Motorsports. 1x plastics set, 1x fuel tank, 1x nose-cone w/ headlights, 1x new headlight switch and 1x new kill switch (originals were oversprayed and looked terrible) along with a new ignition and fuel tank lock. I'm still waiting on a few items like windscreen and front fender. But this is about 90% of the new "look.' This way, I get to build what I want!

[Psomniferum]

This is what I meant when I stated I wanted to remove the cap for the forks. Now I can remove the handlebars and clean them up right. Even without disassembling the forks. I'm also trying to gain clearance to the fork tubes so I can clean the overspray and get them back to chrome. Then I'll mask it off and respray the shocks and calipers. I've got braided-stainless lines on the way from EBay.

[franque]

That "cap" is called, variously, a top clamp, triple clamp, yoke, or steering yoke. Just make sure it goes on completely straight, and that the fork caps are the same relative to the triple clamp. Assuming those bolts are M8, I would torque them to 20 ft-lbs. Also, this would be a good time to repack the steering head bearings with some good, high quality grease.

[Psomniferum]

Very good advice, franque. I was surprised how much dirt and grime had accumulated underneath. I'll have to find a better way to seal. Definitely want to clean it all out and repack everything! We're on the same page, franque :-)
My next goal is to find out what style pads and calipers this bike uses so I may upgrade them. After that, the springs and shocks.
The 125cc came with a 14t front, 41t rear. The 150cc has a 15t. I purchased a 16, 17, and 18 to see what combo I like best. I also bought a 39t rear because I have yet to meet anybody running as shallow a rear-gear as mine on the street.
PS- I've OWNED the bike for a year, but it was gone for 9x months. I would definitely know a lot more about bikes by now had it not been stolen. After I lost her, I swore off bikes and never wanted to look at another one. After I got her back, I was SO heartbroken by her appearance that it took weeks for me to get the motivation to tear into her and rebuild her.

[Psomniferum]

What is this type of handlebar called? A split-bar? I'd like to know so I can order aftermarket bars. Also, since Im swapping to a kickstart engine with a mikuni carb., I'd like to find a kill-switch w/the headlight dimmer like stock, but without the starter button. No big deal, to be sure. But it would be nice if I can find one. I'm removing the choke-lever from the leftside since the Mikuni's choke is activated on the carb. Would it be practical to swap all the e-start stuff (starter, gears, engine cover, etc...) over to the 150? Or do they offer an e-start kit for the 150?
Jeff at Venom was WAY cool, giving me as many free parts as he could since I spent close to $1k, such as the handlebar controls. THANX JEFF ;-)

[franque]

They're called clip-ons, you can get ones with a rise integrated in them if you think they're too low. To get controls without an e-start button, you'll have to find a machine that didn't come with one; that is kinda difficult for modern stuff, as they're putting starters on everything now, even dirt bikes.

I think you'd need to replace both switches, as normally the right side is only a kill switch, and technically anything imported and road legal (this is federally speaking) can't have a light switch that turns off the light. If you want to keep that, you should keep those switches.

If you don't mind a retro look, I'd look up Honda XL or Yamaha XT controls on eBay. They'll look retro, but if you want to eliminate the e-start button, there's the best way, while getting quality switches. Here's an example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-XL200R-LEFT-HANDLEBAR-CONTROL-SWITCH-HONDA-XL-200-R-84-35200-KG1-771/184227699970?hash=item2ae4d39d02:g:zOwAAOSwbRFefVk L

[Megadan]

They're called clip-ons, you can get ones with a rise integrated in them if you think they're too low. To get controls without an e-start button, you'll have to find a machine that didn't come with one; that is kinda difficult for modern stuff, as they're putting starters on everything now, even dirt bikes.

I think you'd need to replace both switches, as normally the right side is only a kill switch, and technically anything imported and road legal (this is federally speaking) can't have a light switch that turns off the light. If you want to keep that, you should keep those switches.

If you don't mind a retro look, I'd look up Honda XL or Yamaha XT controls on eBay. They'll look retro, but if you want to eliminate the e-start button, there's the best way, while getting quality switches. Here's an example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-XL200R-LEFT-HANDLEBAR-CONTROL-SWITCH-HONDA-XL-200-R-84-35200-KG1-771/184227699970?hash=item2ae4d39d02:g:zOwAAOSwbRFefVk L

A more modern option would be the controls from a Yamaha SR400. It is kick start only. The right switch gear is literally just the ignition kill siwtch, left switch gear is lights and horn. Modern retro bike controls = retro bike controls.

Here is the right switch. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2015-Yamaha-SR400-Right-Control-Switch-Start-Stop/382918140253?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SI M%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Da5174fd 94de445d3b9b12db95aa72881%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D1% 26rkt%3D30%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D362631067032%26it m%3D382918140253%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D238620 2%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWeb&_trksid=p2386202.c100677.m4598

and Left: https://www.ebay.com/itm/15-Yamaha-SR400-Left-Handle-Bar-Control-Switch-2RD-83972-00-00/362889356741?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SI M%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Da5174fd 94de445d3b9b12db95aa72881%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D2% 26rkt%3D30%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D362631067032%26it m%3D362889356741%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D238620 2%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWeb&_trksid=p2386202.c100677.m4598

[Weldangrind]

I'd just tape it off real well, and repaint in situ, or just sand the paint off.

You might be able to just remove the spray paint with a little laquer thinner and a rag. Worth a try before tearing anything apart or masking everything for paint.

[Weldangrind]

If you ever want to know anything about boxer engines, hit me up!

I'll remember that. If I ever find a decent Karmann Ghia rolling chassis, I'd love to drop a Subaru motor in it.

[Psomniferum]

I'll remember that. If I ever find a decent Karmann Ghia rolling chassis, I'd love to drop a Subaru motor in it.

I'm a Ghia-man myself, lol! To me, the bugs were too common. And everyone knew what one was. The Ghia was atill mysterious. When I waa 19, my buddy blew the head gasket on his '98 Outback. He bugged me for weeks to look at it for him. I told him I had never worked on a Subaru before. Finally, I looked at it for him. Knew EXACTLY what I was lokking at, only backwards. Lol. They even use a 200mm flywheel and the bolts are practically in the same position as the old VW air-cooleds. V-Dubs with Soobies rock!

[Psomniferum]

Thanx, megadan! That definitely gives me ideas of where to look now.

[Psomniferum]

Thought this was interesting. In order, they are; Honda replacement CBR250 shifter, stock Venom X22 shifter, Honda replacement Grom shifter w/linkage, EBay "Chinese" CBR250 shifter w/knuckle. The Venom shifter is near identical to the stock 250 shifter. The EBay shifter more closely resembles a Grom, I don't think it will even fit a 250, as the hole for the spindle is larger then the Honda unit.

[Psomniferum]

You might be able to just remove the spray paint with a little laquer thinner and a rag. Worth a try before tearing anything apart or masking everything for paint.

That is the plan, I just wanted to open the forks up so I had a clean approach to try to scrub the overspray off. I'm talking about areas of the frame I can't remove. Thus far, I've been able to remove apx. 95% of the spray paint and I'm scuffing up what's left to act as a surface for the new paint. If it's metal and can be removed, I do a more thorough job of removing the spray. I've replaced ALL of the plastic, other than the quages. Luckily, they were sprayed very lightly. I'm either going to "thin" them clean, or sand gently with paper. The more I do, the more I WANT to do! Already, I'm getting more thorough than I thought I would. I just want my pretty, black bike back. EVERYONE thought it was a gorgeous ride after I pealed all the decals and left it "Mad Max" black. No bikes allowed in the gated community and there is a waiting list for a spot to park my bike by the main gate. I used to load my bike into a 2008 Duramax and would drive it up to the gate, parking in the front lot and motoring off to where I needed to go! The truck only gives me 17mpg.

[Psomniferum]

This is the stock throttle-tube incorporated into the kill switch. Both pieces feel very weak and I broke the positive-stop inside the throttle-tube mount only a few days after I bought it. I had intended on upgrading to a stronger unit even before it was stolen. I bought a Honda replacement tube from TBOLT Parts. According to the ad, it is for the cbr150/250r, so I was HOPING it might be close to the original. No dice! While it feels much sturdier, I'm not sure if I bought the correct unit to try to adapt to my bike. Any ideas on incorporating an aftermarket throttle-tube and keeping or replacing the stock kill switch? Also, is it SUPPOSED to have a gap between the grip and the mount? Or is something supposed to go there?

[Psomniferum]

I think I'm on to something here... I was able to hack off the last 1/2" of the kill-switch housing as it was just the cavity for the throttle-tube to spin in. I'm tempted to cut a 2nd box much more cleanly once I test this out and make sure it works as I want it to. I've already cleaned all the blue spray off with some thinner.

The Honda unit feels SO much better than the stock one!

[Psomniferum]

Attempt #2 - I took a dremel and carved the kill-switch box around the new throttle-tube. I'm happy with the results!

[Psomniferum]

The 1st image is my vm22 atop the intake that came with the 150cc. Perfect fit! The 2nd image is my vm26 with the v2 intake from TBolt Parts. I'm a day or 2x away from swapping engines. For now, I was going to put the 150 in stock and was thinking of topping it with the vm22. I was hoping to pair the vm26 with the V2 head when I installed it. Will the vm22 be too anemic for the 150? I did buy jet kits for BOTH carbs. But I need to buy another intake to fit the vm26 to the stock head. I was hoping to skip that hassle...
The 125 was equipped with a PZ22 which I've read measures a true 19mm and I've heard the vm22 measures LARGER than 22mm? The owner's manual informs me the 125 makes 5.4w (7.2 hp) while the 150 produces 9 (12 hp) so right off the bat I'm gaining 67% power! My goal for the head (ported and polished, cr between 9.5:1 and 10:1) is 15+ hp. I've read it takes 18 hp to go 85 mph on this model.

[Psomniferum]

These are the manuals I've bought so far. The Chinese 125cc manual is ALL upright engines, grrrr! I ordered the pit bike manual and patiently await its arrival! According to Google Preview, it has a chapter on horizontal engines. Can anyone RECOMMEND a manual for these Grom knock-offs? The torque specs do NOT match the Grom's.

[Psomniferum]

My mom fell very ill and almost died. We believe she is past the worst of the illness, but she is still in the hospital. I'm sure you guys understand why the bike was on the back burner for a while.

I finally got the repair manual for pit bikes and I believe we have a winner this time! It includes the teardown of 3x different "laydown cylinder" (I learned THAT reading the intro. to the manual) horizontal engines. Not EXACTLY my 150cc, but I'm sure I can figure things out between the 3x.

[Psomniferum]

The piece on the bottom is a Honda "upgrade" linkage. The eye-holes are m6 and the shaft itself is 190mm. You could order the shaft in MANY lengths. I'm going to order a 200mm so I don't have to turn the ends oout as far, but this will work for now. The piece on the top is 2x Heimz fittings, sized m8, with a 1.25mm threaded rod.

I do believe the Honda unit will fit without any modifications, I would have to drill the holes on the Grom linkage from 7mm up to m8 to use the Heimz set-up.

I'll go to the hardware store to get the necessary nuts and will install tomorrow. Looks like I won't be using the Heimz piece, I bought it as a back up.

[Psomniferum]

I bought the "skinny" unit from EBay for apx. $13, I think it was $8 + $5 shipping. It has all the features of the stock unit EXCEPT the provision for holding the throttle-tube. Therefore, you may remove the stock unit and throttle and replace with aftermarket throttle-tube without carving up the kill-switch box like I did.

[Psomniferum]

Because of my ignorance when it comes to bikes, I failed to specify that I had a DOUBLE front-brake caliper. My bike requires 3x lines, NOT 2x. I have a cross-over from one side of the caliper to the other. Luckily for me, Dave down at CORE is being way cool about it and he's sending me the 3rd line! Thanx Dave.

I am now aware that the front brakes on a Venom x22 are more similar to a CBR250RR (double front-caliper) than they are a CBR250R (single caliper). I guess there are OTHER major differences between the R and the RR, like big differences in the frame and swing-arm. I'm going to have to hit the books to see what my bike more closely follows so I don't run into anymore compatibility issues.

[franque]

I'm not sure I follow, are you saying it's a double disc front end? If so, you can get a longer banjo bolt that will allow you to run two lines from the m/c. The CBR250RR was never sold in the States, telling the person to look for that might just confused them. You'll just need an extra crush washer. I'm glad to see it coming back together.