View Full Version : Modifications made to my new Viva VX200SX!
OK, I've been lurking and posting for awhile now! I have decided (JUST NOW) that I'm going to order a new Viva tomorrow! These bikes are cheap and awesome machines for the money. They seem like a great deal for what you pay for them. About a month ago, I went with Pumpkin when he purchased his new Lifan America GY-5. The bike is great. He's had a few issues but nothing major. I'm going the cheap route and getting mine for $999 OTD. I want the blue one! They will put the bike together for me for $99 and I can pick it up in Pittsburgh, PA next week.
It's all TheOtherRides fault. After looking at that red Viva. I must have one, can't stop thinkin'... about, MUST stop thinking........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!
I'm just going to buy it! You guys all suck! On second thought, it's all you guy's fault!
How did you know ob1? http://www.advrider.com/forums/images/smilies/eek2.gif
...oh yeah! May the force be with you! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/lol8.gif
Actually, I want this one!
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/htxpert/Viva.jpg
ambassador
03-22-2007, 11:05 PM
Sam,
Good luck on your purchase and keep in mind that it's not a LIFAN, why don't you follow Pumpkins lead and get what he got, as I think he is satisfied with it?
I like the fact your going with a B&M dealer but if price is your main concern and your going to go off another beginner riders advice(No offense Pauli) Then I would have someone else build and loc-tite it for you... Again, not tyring to be an a$$ but if pumpkin has and likes his bike, ??????????
pumpkin
03-23-2007, 12:32 AM
had i known then what i know now i'd have a viva from pittsburg. no disrespect to my bike but i paid $1950 thinking it was a better bike because of the american part of the name. hopefully it will be after all the bugs get worked out.
Sam,
Good luck on your purchase and keep in mind that it's not a LIFAN, why don't you follow Pumpkins lead and get what he got, as I think he is satisfied with it?
I like the fact your going with a B&M dealer but if price is your main concern and your going to go off another beginner riders advice(No offense Pauli) Then I would have someone else build and loc-tite it for you... Again, not tyring to be an a$$ but if pumpkin has and likes his bike, ??????????
Building the bike and loctiting it is well within my scope of abilities! I'm not a beginner, as I have been riding since I was 7 years old! I don't work as a motorcycle tech but I'm certified as one. I've already rebuilt a couple of Buells. One from the frame up. The other was a Stage 3 Buell S1W that made 115rwhp. These Chinese bikes are not as complicated as a quad cam Sportster/Buell and I've done numerous high-performance topends.
Really, I just want a cheap bike to mess with and have for visiting family members. Frankly, I don't see much of difference between the authorized dealer bikes and the ebay bikes. They both seem to have the same problems. If I had to completely disassemble the bike and completely rebuild it, I could. My plan is to get what I want. If they can't deliver the color I want then, I won't buy it. Even if I had to completely rebuild a china bike, I wouldn't care! I'd probably start from the frame up and rip half of the crap off it. from what I see, most of the wiring could be trashed. I don't need beeping turnsignals, gear indicators or gauges that don't read correctly. I'd go digital. Cheap and easy!
I have a really cool set of tools! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/thumb.gif
Pictured below is my last project. We had some issues with the frame and the frame builder. He didn't build the frame to the proper specs and wanted me to ship it BACK to California on my dime, so he could fix it. Homie don't roll that way! As a result the exotic XR style heads would not work with the front downtube and the rear Penske shock did not give enough clearance for the Supertrapp XR-750 dual exhaust. I parted the bike out on ebay for a hefty profit.
See that custom built fuel tank? It cost more than the china bike I'm planning to buy!
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9215/picture021sh5.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5756/picture32gy4.jpg
fatboy250
03-23-2007, 07:16 AM
Glad to have that kind of experience aboard the CHINARIDERS EXPRESS. With that kind of desire to tinker, I'll expect to hear about all kinds of upgrades and mods that I can do to mine.
Jason
Pictured below is my last project. We had some issues with the frame and the frame builder. He didn't build the frame to the proper specs and wanted me to ship it BACK to California on my dime, so he could fix it. Homie don't roll that way! As a result the exotic XR style heads would not work with the front downtube and the rear Penske shock did not give enough clearance for the Supertrapp XR-750 dual exhaust. I parted the bike out on ebay for a hefty profit.
See that custom built fuel tank? It cost more than the china bike I'm planning to buy!
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9215/picture021sh5.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5756/picture32gy4.jpg
I'm not a big Harley fan, but I see where that bike is heading, and I like it!
Classy tank, bud!
Trubattleax
03-23-2007, 08:08 AM
, I'm going to order a new Viva tomorrow! These bikes are cheap and awesome machines for the money. They seem like a great for what you pay for them.
i have the viva vx250pr and its a blast! heres a pic.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w81/trubattleax/LOOKHELMETS004.jpg
sheadouglas
03-23-2007, 10:09 AM
I said it in another post, but I cant help but say it again. Man, those dirt bikes look pretty darn sweet!!
TheOtherRide
03-23-2007, 11:11 AM
I AM a beginner! All I can pass on to anyone are my experiences, good and bad. I was more willing to take more of a risk on the customer service aspect because of my resident bike mechanic, and because of you guys here. <MWWAAH>
I'd heard so much good and bad about every brand, I just went for price and features. Fashby's good words/pics (on this site) about the Viva helped. So blame him, not me! LOL
Posted by: fatboy250
Glad to have that kind of experience aboard the CHINARIDERS EXPRESS. With that kind of desire to tinker, I'll expect to hear about all kinds of upgrades and mods that I can do to mine.
Posted by: ob1
I'm not a big Harley fan, but I see where that bike is heading, and I like it!
Classy tank, bud!
Well, I have some experience! A couple of my bikes turned out really nice. A few like the XR Street Tracker went in the crapper. One thing to remember with bikes is, they are generally worth more as parts than they are as bikes. If the Viva turns out something I don't want. I'll part the thing out and not look back! I like doing things that people don't expect. Something with nothing, if you will. These china bikes have great potential. They are heavy, but that can be addressed, to a point. They seem to be relatively fast for the size the size engine they have. Cruising at 70mph with the right gearing is nice. I plan to build mine into something better than what I started with. For me it will just be a project! A cheap commuter bike and a bike I can let someone ride and not feel horrible if something happens to it.
ob1,
That bike was going to be a real looker. I believe I could have easily sold it for 20k maybe more! I had about 5k in it after parting out the donor bike. The tailsection was setup to use a Storz XR750 seat and fiberglass tail. A small PIAA headlight was going to be installed into the front numberplate. Other features were, dual Mikuni HSR45 carbs, very hot Redshift cams, Marchesini wheels, carbonfiber fenders, plus a lot more. You may also notice the VERY RARE Buell Racing/Performance Machine 6-piston dual front calipers. There were only 9 sets of these made. BIG $$$$! Purchased from a Buell raceteam. It also had triple German 'Wave' rotors and a PM 4-piston rear caliper! It had WAY too much braking power but it sure was cool looking!
Don't frit Pauli! You did good! I like that Red Viva. Make the changes you want to make. These bikes are a good starting point. As they get better, better parts will become available.
I've heard a few reports that a network of parts is being setup to make parts easier to get. There are some businessmen buying parts from all the Chinese manufacturers. I think it's just a matter of time before whatever we need is just a phone call away.
I just got off the phone with Avi at Viva Motors www.atvsimports.com. My blue Viva VX200SX will be here sometime next week. It has the matching blue aluminum wheels. After it arrives, I will be requesting the MSO and getting insurance for it. About a month ago, I put a one hundred dollar deposit on a leftover 2005 Yamaha Majesty scooter. This bike was going to be a daily driver for commuting back and forth to work. Last week, I got that deposit back from the dealer and decided to go with a china bike instead. My plan now is to use the VX200SX for commuting to work. I saved myself over 3k with purchase of the Viva. I have no unrealistic high asperations for the VX200SX, well maybe I do! We'll see how the relationship develops. If ...and that's a big IF, the bike turns out to be reliable ONLY then will I use it for commuting. I'll do local shakedown runs on it before longer treks are attempted. Me and Pumpkin will be out there making these bikes better for our use!
My first plans after receiving it and the assembly are to order new blue aluminum Renthal handlebars. I'll be ordering a set of blue Acerbis Rally Pro handguards with the aluminum stiffeners in them. New grips will also be purchased. Anything not needed will be scrapped. I'll be looking for a new better headlight assembly and ways to eliminate some wiring. The seat may also need reworking to make it more comfortable. The seat will probably get new foam and a new cover, won't really know until I get it! My thought is that a new better Gel battery will probably be needed. I have no faith in Japanese Yuasa batteries (all of mine have failed), so I'm sure the cheap Chinese battery won't last long. I've ordered some of my batteries from www.ebatteriestogo.com. They seem to be well worth the money. I also use Westco batteries in my bikes. Fork Seal Savers will be on the way shortly too. I use them on my KTM 950 and they work.
I'll post my experiences with the buying and shipping procedure here. I may start another thread after the bike arrives and post my thoughts on putting it together and my modifications!
So far, so good! The price was $1029 shipped to my door. A great deal, IMHO. I decided to go with Viva Motors because they had the bikes with the color matched aluminum wheels. The dealer in Pittsburgh, PA did not have any blue bikes and didn't expect any for a few weeks. They did not have the bikes with the color matched wheels. Something I wanted.
TheOtherRide
03-23-2007, 02:58 PM
Congrats, Sam! :D Glad I could be a BAD influence...sure you don't want pink?
PolygonFla
03-23-2007, 03:23 PM
I think it is going to work out well for you.
I use my Zong as a daily driver and it hasn't failed me yet, Of course I only have 500 miles on it so far.
The best upgrade I did was putting a less restrictive air intake filter in.
I wish you the best of luck.
Posted by: TheOtherRide
Congrats, Sam! Glad I could be a BAD influence...sure you don't want pink?
You were definiately a BAD influence Pauli! I LOVE pink and I always want it! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/lol8.gif
Sorry! I apologize for that!
They had the red, I mean pink ones but the blue bike will suit me better though. I already have 2 blue bikes and all my riding gear, well most of my riding gear is blue. I'm going to park the Viva right in between my '05 KTM 950 S and my '05 Yamaha WR250F.
PolygonFla,
I'm sure the Viva will be a good bike for me. Although, I don't expect it to replace either of the bikes I already have. It should be economical to ride everyday to work and back and that's all I want it for. Actually, I am very interested in starting a China Bike Riding Club in my area. The only criteria for membership will be owning a china bike. I hope to plan events and rides throughout the mountains of West Virginia. I have quite a few buddies that could spend a grand for a bike and not think twice about it. I just think it would be cool to cruise around with a bunch of guys and girls on chinese motorcycles. We modify them for our needs and how we'd like them to look. Turning, not much of a bike into something cool to have.
This is the way I feel about my new Viva! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/wings.gif
TheOtherRide
03-23-2007, 04:04 PM
:oops:
Oh you nasty boys! Let me get my mind out of the gutter, so yours can float by!
:twisted:
cycleway4
03-23-2007, 04:07 PM
congratulations, Pauli and Sam....I know you will enjoy your new purchases.....and best of luck with them!...........
I recently got a Roketa [end of January] for the same price, $1029,...and am well pleased........I have about 100 miles on it........
its all I have expected, considering the price..........
I have done some mods, and some improvements..........and am actually quite happy with its overall performance.
I myself am convinced by reading all these posts, one of our bikes,..is just as good as another.......its all in the way you prep and maintain it.
At the moment, I cant see the additional money for "dealer bought bikes"
when you consider some dealers are getting about twice the money we paid........Time may change this opinion when we see the dealers having vastly superior products, and warranties that compare to the Jap bikes..
but for now, I think we have all done pretty good with our internet buys......
I myself work at a Honda dealership, and would like to see dealers thrive and succeed with this new market of powersports equipment as well.
Akonababe
03-23-2007, 04:23 PM
Good pick, We have 2 viva's here in hawaii with about 2000km on them and no complaints. You probably will want to put the 45 rear sprocket on instead of the 56.
I can see the extra money for a dealer bike, if you don't want, or think you may have, licensing issues. Let say if your state was very strict on what you could license. No other reason really. Parts availability maybe!
Pauli,
I was just funnin' with ya! I think it's very cool that you are getting out there on a bike. My hat is off to you. I'm not sure if you have ever ridden on the street before, don't remember seeing you post anything about that. Just keep in mind that the learning curve is steep, be careful! Every cage out there is a potential problem for you and trust nobody! Don't ride next to a car or an anyone's blind spot. I'm sure you know all this! We look forward to seeing your view and experiences with these bikes.
cycleway4
03-23-2007, 04:37 PM
yes,....I can second that for the rear sprocket change......I have a 46, with 17 front....its a great ratio for street, and Ok for light trails, too.
on our Roketas,...that combo takes a 126 link chain
Actually, that's one of the first mods on my list. I just failed to mention it. The best thing to do may be to replace the chain and the sprockets all at the same time. Still looking into what to do!
Make the jump to 520 chain, or get really familiar with the chain tightening routine.
Hint; my daughter has run her enduro season on the Honda/Lifan XR200, and the chain has only needed lube. No adjustment. There is a reason Honda spec'd a 520 chain on XR200's and CRF230's...
Good advice! I'll do that!
fatboy250
03-26-2007, 10:28 AM
Make the jump to 520 chain, or get really familiar with the chain tightening routine.
Hint; my daughter has run her enduro season on the Honda/Lifan XR200, and the chain has only needed lube. No adjustment. There is a reason Honda spec'd a 520 chain on XR200's and CRF230's...
I may have considered this route too if I had to replace a sprocket initially, but ours came with the 46 rear stock. So, I'll just wait until everything wears out first before considering the 520 upgrade.
Jason
red2003
03-26-2007, 11:25 AM
Jason, have you found your HD 428 chain from JC Whitney is stretching like the stocker? I can't make up my mind what to do. Go with a 428 HD, like a DID o-ring roller, or go with the 520??? That 520 setup is a lot more rotating weight, and we're underpowered as it is, you know?
fatboy250
03-26-2007, 03:50 PM
Jason, have you found your HD 428 chain from JC Whitney is stretching like the stocker? I can't make up my mind what to do. Go with a 428 HD, like a DID o-ring roller, or go with the 520??? That 520 setup is a lot more rotating weight, and we're underpowered as it is, you know?
You still have a good chain? Use it! The HD is only marginally better. Now the DID chain would probably do a little better than the HD, but I guess it's all about what you want. I wasn't planning to change to 520 until I needed to change worn out sprockets. Even at 5000+ miles the need to adjust the chain every other week is not that big a deal for me. Maybe all of about 3min. add another 3min for chain lube.
Jason
I just called Viva Motors to get a tracking #. The bike won't ship until tomorrow. Major bummer! I was hoping to have it for the weekend. That probably won't happen now. morespl, thanks for the picture! Can't wait to get my hands on one like this.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u49/htxpert/viva.jpg
morespl
03-26-2007, 10:15 PM
Hi Sam,
You really need to be patient and take your time assembling this bike.
Before it arrives, go get yourself a 6mm 45-degreee grease fitting, two tubes of red Locktight, one qt of 10-40w synthetic oil (I used Mobile 1 motor cycle) and some JB weld. The wiring harness on this bike is horrid and many problems will occur if you don’t carefully check each connection under the instrument cluster. Use pliers to tighten the bullet connectors on the main wiring harness as they will just slip out and are very loose connections from the factory.
Regards,
Ray
I was out in my shop today and noticed my new mountain bike sitting in the corner. I had almost forgotten about it! Earlier this winter I got a great deal on a leftover 2006 Diamondback Freeride XTS Mountain bike. The bike retails for $1899, but I didn't pay anything near that for it. I got to looking around and found the invoice. After sales tax, it cost just a few dollars more than my Viva VX200SX. I can't believe that I purchased a motorcycle for less than I paid for a mountain bike. You gotta love the Chinese. My original plan for the XTS was to part it out on ebay. Then I rode it! I hope it's the same for the Viva.
2006 Diamondback Freeride XTS
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/7613/xtsputtydb06fjq6.jpg
ambassador
03-26-2007, 10:27 PM
Ray, in the pic your back brake line looks really tight, may want to look into some braided lines or something???
zacstewart
03-26-2007, 10:30 PM
I like the dual exhaust. But does it really have much effect on performance?
ambassador
03-26-2007, 10:45 PM
Zac,
That's not a dual exhaust, the "other" muffler is the tool kit/extra parts storage...
morespl
03-26-2007, 10:47 PM
Ray, in the pic your back brake line looks really tight, may want to look into some braided lines or something?
Hi amb,
Yeah the brake line doesn’t have much slack but this bike has such a stiff rear suspension I really don’t think it will break. I am going to try to mod the shock and spring because this thing rides like a hard tale with 50 PSI in the rear tire :lol:
Regards,
Ray
morespl,
You're right! I will take my time assembling the bike. I'll be waiting on the MSO anyway, so it's not going anywhere soon. Most of the stuff you mention, I already have in my shop from my old Buell engine building days. Not sure about the 6mm grease fitting. I'll need to get that.
What do you use the red loctite for? I mostly use the blue stuff.
red2003
03-27-2007, 11:04 AM
Hi Sam,
You really need to be patient and take your time assembling this bike.
Before it arrives, go get yourself a 6mm 45-degreee grease fitting, two tubes of red Locktight, one qt of 10-40w synthetic oil (I used Mobile 1 motor cycle) and some JB weld. The wiring harness on this bike is horrid and many problems will occur if you don’t carefully check each connection under the instrument cluster. Use pliers to tighten the bullet connectors on the main wiring harness as they will just slip out and are very loose connections from the factory.
Regards,
Ray
Great advice, except I would NOT go with a full synthetic initially. A full synthetic wont let the engine break in properly. It's too slick and the rings will never seat. Parts need to "wear in" and get comfortable with each other during the breakin period. Run a regular dino oil for the first couple oil changes, then switch over to synthetic. Mobil 1 is GREAT stuff. I plan on switching over at about 500 miles to make sure the motor is properly broken in. PS, the Viva looks very nice. I like it a lot!!
Left over in my shop from my Harley/Buell days, are a few quarts of H-D brand dino oil. I think it's 20W-40. Will this work in my new Viva? What are you guys using? I also have 3 or 4 quarts maybe more of Redline 20W-40 full-synthetic oil. The engine and transmission both use the same crankcase oil sump on these bikes, correct? If this stuff works I'll probably have oil for 4 or 5 full oil changes. My plan is to change out the stock oil and brake fluid straight away. My first oil change happens around 250 miles or so then 500. Then I'll go 1000 and every 2000 or 3000 after that. I like to do a few heat cycles on the engine without a load before putting miles on it. With an air-cooled engine you just get it good and warm and then shut it off. Don't overheat it! This seems to work for me and I've never had any problems doing this.
We'll see how it works. The one thing that worries me a little about these bikes is the vibration. They seem to have an unnatural vibration to them. The cranks may not be balanced very well on them. Do they get smoother as the miles rack up?
*UPDATE*
I just got off the phone with UPS Freight. My bike will be at the local terminal Thursday morning before 8am. I get off work about that time so I'm going to drive over and pick the bike up on my way home. Anybody have the dimensions of the box? LWH? Will it fit into my wife's Jeep Liberty? They say it only weighs 187 lbs. How is that possible? I though these were almost 300 lbs?
Thanks for any info!
msRandi
03-27-2007, 04:16 PM
still have the shipping frame, 33 high, 18 wide, 74 long.
TheOtherRide
03-27-2007, 04:16 PM
Hey Sam--
The guy at the freight terminal here brought it out in his pickup and had it unloaded before I even got home. There are handholds built into the box. I was confused about the 187 lbs. too; it seems heavier than that, but maybe it has to do with a shipping agreement Viva has with UPS???
I still have the box at home. Since the overall length of the bike is listed at 81", I'm guessing it's about 71" long with the front wheel removed, and less than 3' tall. I'll try to list the box dimensions later today or tomorrow.
TheOtherRide
03-27-2007, 04:17 PM
LOL, msRandi ain't just fast on a bike! She beat me to it! :lol:
msRandi
03-27-2007, 04:18 PM
you are real close!!!
msRandi
03-27-2007, 04:19 PM
I could be cleaning house, but this is more fun
Thanks TheOtherRide and msRandi! I'm going out to measure the Jeep now! If it will fit in the Jeep I won't have to rewire my bike trailer. My buddy and I took the trailer into town today to pick up a used TT-R125L for his son. No lights!
It's not going to fit perfectly but I'm going for it. The package will stick out the back about 6 inches or so. I'll be able to get Most of it in the Jeep but I'll need to use a stap to hold the rear door closed. The hatch glass can stay up. The guy at the freight terminal said, "...don't worry we'll get it in there!" For some reason, I'm worried!
TheOtherRide
03-27-2007, 05:52 PM
And I could be working... 8O
msRandi
03-27-2007, 06:10 PM
thats what they said when we picked up our first bikes. and he did make them fit. and the bed of our truck is still bent from it.
Did you guys see my signature and what I named the Viva?http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/jkam.gif
TheOtherRide
03-27-2007, 10:01 PM
Yep, nice touch! We're both 'Cool boys' now...but we didn't get the decals :(
Shucks!
vi·va
interj. Used to express acclamation, salute, or applause
Noun 1. viva - an examination conducted by word of mouth
Salute the Sam!
Have you ever seen Viva La Bam? Those guys are idiots but they make me laugh! Filthy mouths, so I'm glad they bleep them! I won't let my daughter watch it!
I'm thinking more like applause!
TheOtherRide
03-27-2007, 10:12 PM
Oh yeah, apparently I'm dreaming of nice weather so I can go riding...can't believe how slow my mind is these days. I didn't make the connection...now it's a LOT funnier! :mrgreen:
I thought it was funny! No MTVers? Admittedly, I'm too old to watch MTV but Bam cracks me up! The show with his wife is pretty good! All the crap she goes through before their wedding. Poor girl!
*UPDATE*
My Viva left Los Angeles at 2300 hrs on 3/26. It's currently in route and should be delivered before 0800 hrs tomorrow, Thursday morning. The tracking number just shows the package in route and the trailer number. When the package arrives at the Freight terminal it should show on the computer. I'll check overnight on my laptop while I'm at work. I'm supposed to call to make sure it arrives and they can get to it. Hopefully, I can pick it up around 0830 or 0900 hrs. Waiting for this thing to get here is like waiting for... http://www.advrider.com/forums/images/smilies/hurryup.gif
Why am I this excited about a bike that cost me $1029? I'm using military time like this is some special operation. UPS does too though! The last set of mufflers that I bought for my other bike nearly cost me as much as this bike cost! I hope I'm not let down by the actual ownership experience of this bike.
I cleaned my shop out yesterday! Today, I'll set up my bike lift (it's still in the box) and clean up any tools that are misplaced. Friday, the plan is to get the assembly of the bike started. I plan to take my time and change a few (ok, more than a few) things as I go. My digital camera is ready to go and I have a new Image Shack account for picture posting. Hopefully, you guys and girls won't be bored by my constant posts about this bike!
PS: Had riding buddies laughing at me again yesterday about buying a Chinese dualsport. One rides a Ducati ST3 and the other has a Yamaha FZ-1.
Yuppie Elitists!http://www.advrider.com/forums/images/smilies/Whip.gif Not really! They're good guys just doubtful about the quality of something made in China. It's funny! We have no problem with almost everything else we have being made there. I guess I'm sort of the same way. Hopefully, this bike will change their attitudes.
red2003
03-28-2007, 03:20 PM
Sam, Sam, Sam, get a hold of your self :D . It's great to see you so excited about the new bike. Hell, I get excited about changing the oil in my truck just because I get to go buy something new and visit the parts store. These bikes are certainly NOT the quality of a Yamaha or Ducati, but they are pretty decent for the money. You'll get the last laugh when you calculate your per-mile driving expense on the Viva compared to the Yamaha and Ducati!
msRandi
03-28-2007, 08:29 PM
Have fun, don't rush putting it together. and I say with the Vivas. they use NO grease puting it together, Pull the swing arm bolt and grease the hetk out of it. and everywere eles it moves!!!!!!!!!! but most of all, have fun.
I took a cold shower today and I feel much better now! :roll:
Seriously, I know the Viva isn't going to compare with my other bikes and m,y buddies bikes. I did my best to try talking them into each buying a China bike. They'll have none of it. Like talking to the wall. They aren't elitists I was just kidding around. Maybe after seeing my bike they'll change their minds. Probably not. I am going to try to organize a local get together of local China bike owners.
Thanks for all the good advice msRandi! I will be taking everything apart and greasing it all!
Maybe after they ride yours...
Nope, they gotta buy their own! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/lol8.gif
TheOtherRide
03-29-2007, 03:17 PM
Sam must've gotten his bike...it's been over 12 hours since his last post!
:D :D :D :D
Hope everything's going well!
Yes, I picked up the Viva this morning! The guys at UPS Freight were very nice and helpful. They had the crate pulled aside and waiting for me, when I got there. We jammed it into the Jeep, no problem at all. It stuck out of the back of the Jeep about 8". I used a tie-down strap to keep the door pulled up tight. I also left the rear lift glass up. Made it home without incident. Unfortunately, nothing is going to be done to the bike today or probably tomorrow! I'M SICK! http://www.advrider.com/forums/images/smilies/sick.gif I feel like garbage! I think I have either a very bad cold or the flu. Coughing, snizzing, runny nose, scratchy throat, fever and I can't rest. I need medicine! Sounds like a commercial, huh? I called in sick tonight at work, so I'm here on the couch and the bike is still in the Jeep. I managed to get the Jeep backed up to my shop! I probably won't do anything until Saturday sometime. I'll post pictures sometime this weekend.
I'm not happy! I peeked into the box and my Viva DOES NOT have the blue aluminum wheels! Not happy at all! If any of you guys with blue aluminum wheels wants to swap, I'm up for that! One of the mirrors is busted and the muffler was resting on the rear brake caliper, so it's dented. Not happy!
Let me know!
PS: My MCO was included with the bike! Crap & garbage! I feel like crapage!
TheOtherRide
03-29-2007, 09:19 PM
Try pm'ing morespl--he wasn't very happy with his blue rims.
When my bike was delivered, I thought I would have to harass the freight guy into sticking around while I inspected for damage...just the opposite! He insisted on opening the box right there & we both checked it out. Maybe he was curious about what kind of bike would fit in a box!
Have you called Viva to see what to do? We just ordered an ATV from them for the young'n (pink camo--how much cooler can life get for a 6yo girl!). Hope the good bike wasn't a fluke.
Sorry you feel so crappy, get better SOON! (and where do you get all the emoticons, or is that another ancient Chinese secret???)
ambassador
03-29-2007, 09:22 PM
Sorry to hear about that Sam, not getting blue rims isn't the end of the world... Take care of your health and get better so you can post some pics and give us all info on your bike, we know you'll find a way to fix these problems, don't sweat it, alot of us have been there... Hope you feel better...
morespl
03-29-2007, 09:36 PM
Hello all,
Blue rims are sticking with my bike, not because I like them. I am just too darn lazy to pull them off :lol: My dealings with Family Motor sports has been outstanding. I am going to purchase a 250cc ATV from them for my beautiful half. I bet all your troubles are resolved in short order. One more little odd quirk is the MPH gauge is fairly accurate but the ODO is way off. It registers too may mile s for the ride. My bet is the ODO is in KM and not miles.
Thanks everyone! I'm sure I'll get to feeling better soon. The body aches are the worst part of it along with missing work. I haven't used a sick day in awhile. My ears are burning, so I know they are bad mounthing me. :roll:
I'm not too worried about the mirrors or the muffler, they'll be replaced with better parts soon enough. I really wanted those blue wheels. I'm just dissappointed that's all. I slept most of the day, so I didn't get to a chance to call Viva Motorsports today. First thing on the agenda tomorrow. We'll work it out. They seem ok! We'll see! My MCO wasn't filled out either. I guess that's normal from what I read on here. They'll tell me what to put in the blank spaces.
I misssed both of the Brembo brake calipers I was watching today. I was resting (sleeping) and woke up too late. The front went for $33 and the rear went for $29. I have a set of KTM LC4 handlebars that will tempararily go on the Viva. The local KTM, Honda, Yamaha dealer has the blue Renthal handlebars I want. Just need to go in and pick them up. I may check with RAD to see if they make a set of aluminum wheels that will work with the stock Viva hubs.
I get all of my emoticons from Adventure Rider. Now all of you will have them!
TheOtherRide
03-29-2007, 11:54 PM
Jo mamma, baby!
My MSO/MCO was blank also. I think you have to go to http://www.viva-motors.com/titlerequest.html to get one that's filled out. I did that the day I got the bike, but they say it can take up to 2 weeks, so I've got a few more days to go. Who knows though, it sounds like some people have filled in their own when the dealer gives them the info on the phone.
Are your rims just plain aluminum or are they black?
Pauli,
No, my bike has the chrome steel wheels. I'm not upset enough to send the bike back but I wanted the blue wheels. Pumpkin, from this forum who I also work with and Rob one of my riding buddies just left. We got the rear shock hooked up and the front wheel and handlebars bolted on. It's a roller now so that's a good thing. I'm still feeling pretty bad and slept until 10:30 or so this morning. I was up all night! I'm not sure how much more I'll get done today. I need to spend some time on the phone with Viva Motorsports.
Calling them now!
Later!
Akonababe
03-30-2007, 02:09 PM
The Viva's come with the blank MCO in the crate but that isn't the real one. You have to contact viva and give them your motorcycle's vin and motor #'s and then they will send you a MCO with watermarks and all, takes a couple of weeks. I only got the chrome wheels myself and was a little disappointed but got over it. Get well and have fun.
TheOtherRide
03-30-2007, 03:00 PM
I'm really surprised they have steel wheels. I thought they'd be aluminum, just not anodized.
Akonababe, thanks for the MCO info.
Yes, thanks Akonababe! I just sent for the MCO. Still trying to get hold of Viva Motorsports. Been on hold for too long!
Pauli, can you imagine how surprised I was! The steel wheels are starting to grow on me a bit. The bike looks good though with the chrome wheels. I'll post a few pictures in awhile.
Viva Customer Service told me to send a parts request for the broken right mirror and get this, include a request for the blue aluminum wheels. They will do what they can top get me a set!
Nice, very nice! I'm not holding my breath, but maybe something will happen!
One more thing I wanted to point out is that my bike was made by the Chongqing Huansong Industries Group Company, Ltd. The bike came with an Operational Manual and a Motorcycle Parts List book. The parts book includes a breakdown of all the parts and lists all part numbers. The parts book also has a wiring schematic. That's going to come in handy because a whole bunch of stuff was unplugged or not wired up.
The name on the Operational Manual shows the name of the bike as HiSUN. Some of the paperwork has the name Jialing on it. My thought is that this is a generic type manual used for different bikes. The picture on the manaul shows the HiSUN bike that is very similar to my Viva.
I'm very happy with this bike.
Wow, it's beautiful outside! If I wasn't sick I'd be out riding my KTM. My wife and daughter went to a concert tonight, so I'm stuck here with the dog watching tv. Anyway, since I'm home and I need to increase my post count, here are a few pictures of my new Viva.
This picture shows the box loaded into the wife's Liberty. It was a tight fit but we got it in there. It was pretty easy to get out.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/2093/img1348qm6.jpg
Here is one of the Viva. To the left is my daughter's '05 Yamaha TT-R125E. Ironically, it's also made in China!
The Viva was very easy to put together with 3 guys. The other two did all the lifting though. Thanks guys! As you can see there is still a lot left to do. I'm just not up for it today. I swapped out the front turnsignals to a set of smaller EMGO units I had but the headlight fairing covers them up too much to use them. I'm going to put the stock turmsignalls back on it. I have also decided to put new foam in the seat. When I sit down on it, the foam compresses to the seat pan. It's going to be like riding a board. The plan is to get some very dense foam for the bottom support and then use a foam more firm to repalce the stock foam. I'm ripping the seat apart tonight. I may post a few pictures of that too.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/7646/img1373ob4.jpg
Another showing the TT-R and the Viva. The Viva isn't really that much bigger than the TT-R. The TT-R has the smaller wheels. My daughter is just about ready to outgrow the smaller wheels.
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/879/img1372nq5.jpg
pumpkin
03-30-2007, 07:20 PM
SamM,
you're welcome glad i could help just wish you where feeling better so we could have done more.
ambassador
03-31-2007, 12:21 AM
Looks awsome brother!!! I think the chrome wheels look good...
Thanks ambassador! I like the chrome wheels too! As I said the chrome is growing on me. Normally, I don't like chrome on a bike. These don't look too bad though! I'm going to run into town tomorrow to get some plumbing supplies. I may swing by the motorcycle shop and pick up a set of aluminum handlebars. I'm pretty sure they have the ones I want.
If Viva Motorsports sends the aluminum wheels, that will be cool. I ordered the bike with the blue wheels and I want them, as I believe they are much better than chrome steel. I tend to not wash my bikes much. Living on a gravel road, you can never get ahead on them. If I go on a trip I'll hose it off at the carwash. That's about it! I'm going to get some Teflon spray wax and wax the chrome wheels before I ride the bike. This should help keep them cleaner or make cleaning them easier.
On a side note. My buddy really liked the Viva. He spent some time this morning helping us assemble a few things and commented a couple of times that it was nice for the money. Not sure he's a convert yet but it's a start. He liked Pumpkin's bike too!
ambassador
03-31-2007, 01:38 AM
Sam,
Glad to hear your feeling a little better, bikes looking good, awsome to see that your daughter rides, I have twin 8 yr. olds and looking at quads for them B-day/X-mas and gonna teach them how to ride, not like some folks...Post some more pics when your up to it and let us know how things turn out...
Yes, I'm feeling much better! Still stuffed up but most of the body ache is gone. Don't you hate body ache? It's the worst! Nothing makes you feel better when you have that. Still have a slight fever. Nothing major.
My daughter wants a quad in a bad way. I have basically told her no! She needs to get the basics down on a motorcycle, before we step up to a quad.
Oh, I forgot to mention. This is my daughter's second bike. Her first was a Yamaha PW80YZinger. She got that bike when she was 7. The TT-R has a clutch which is a whole different experience for her. She's getting it. Last year, she didn't get to ride much as we were framing up our new house.
Battery installed! Positive cable rerouted. The bike turns over nicely. Sadly, no gas though!
EDIT: Later this evening, I worked on the turnsignals and got them working and beeping correctly! I hope to get some gas in it tomorrow and fire it up!
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/4899/img1374za8.jpg
Today, I finally felt better and finished putting the Viva together. It still needs a few things. I'm hoping to get the oil changed this week and a new sparkplug installed. My wife is picking up a new NGK tonight along with a small portable air compressor. I need one for the shop. The handlebars seem way too low for me. I'll probably be changing them soon!
Overall, I like the bike. It doesn't seem to vibrate excessively and runs well. The choke doesn't seem to do much. Anyone have any idea what the idle speed should be? It seems a little cold natured. Hopefully, the new plug will fix that.
Hey, check it out! I already have the new plate on it! That was fast!
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/7650/img1375hb7.jpg
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/1084/img1377wu9.jpg
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/607/img1378bh3.jpg
fatboy250
04-02-2007, 03:34 PM
The choke doesn't seem to do much. Anyone have any idea what the idle speed should be? It seems a little cold natured. Hopefully, the new plug will fix that.
Initially, we had to hold the choke all the way up for it to work properly. After the carb, filter, and exhaust mod the choke is very rarely used on ours.
Jason
msRandi
04-02-2007, 03:49 PM
Stock ours would not idel under 900rpm, rach's idels at 1000/1100rpm after I did the needal thing to the carb. on mine it idels at 800rpm hot or cold.and I never use the chock now.
TheOtherRide
04-02-2007, 03:51 PM
Idle should be 950+/- 50.
Mine is tough to start (choke all the way up) & idles at about 2K when it's really warmed up. I think a carb needle adjustment is what someone recommended elsewhere on here. That'll be my next project!
TheOtherRide
04-02-2007, 03:54 PM
msRandi, you beat me to it AGAIN! LOL
justjoe
04-02-2007, 05:25 PM
Congrat's Sam for gettin it up and runnin(and also for feeling better,those achy flu things are the worst)
I took the plunge and ordered a Viva from Viva Motorsports-$1029 to my door in Jersey Went with black/2nd choice Red
Interestling though the sales guy(Antoine)told me the blue came with chrome wheels with no prompting from me so I guess the whole shipment of them are chrome
can't wait now for it to arrive(like a kid at xmas!)
Joe V
06 Suzuki M-50
07 Viva 200vx
TheOtherRide
04-02-2007, 05:52 PM
Congrats, Joe--I'll be jealous if you get the black bike w/ the black rims!
I'm curious if you'll get an '06 or an '07, too...and if there are differences.
justjoe
04-02-2007, 06:06 PM
Hey Paulie thanks!
I dunno which I'll get 06 or 07. Thay said they only had One black in stock
So it could be Red with the pink rims for me.............
There goes my macho image, oh well
Thanks everyone! Yeah, Viva Motorsports is probably telling everyone about the chrome wheels now. I think they were just telling me what I wanted to hear when I bought mine. What am I going to do send it back! My salesman was Avi. When I was ordering my Viva, I told him that I didn't want the Viva unless it had the blue color matched wheels. He said, "Yeah, ...ah it comes with blue wheels." He knew after I ordered it would be too late. Got ya! It doesn't really matter now anyway, I guess he was right, huh! The Viva is just as nice with the chrome wheels. I'd like to find a set of aluminum wheels and I'll put it on my list of future ...things to do!
The Viva would not kickstart with the starting lever either. I had to hold the starter button and give it throttle to get it to start. I'll need to look into what's up with that. After it did start, I just held the throttle open a little until she warmed up and it idled ok. Just under 1000 rpm. I'll have to fiddle with it later.
You guys have all been a big help! I'll keep you updated as I do a few things and go for a little ride later in the week.
Off to work for me. I'd like to ride the KTM but I don't need the all the wind blasting me just yet!
Later!
PS: My cousin from Florida is bringing my mom and aunt (his mom) home this week from Florida. My aunt is staying with my mom for a few months. Anyway, he has a chromed out Big Dog Bull Mastiff Chopper. I wonder what he'll think of the Viva. He wasn't impressed with my KTM.
justjoe
04-02-2007, 07:12 PM
Hey Sam I guessin if he was not impressed with the KTM the Viva won't
either(but who knows?)
BTW I like the chrome wheels on yours
Also my guy at Viva(Antoine) told me when I asked about the specs online showing the viva as a 4 speed that "they don't count the reverse"
Okey............I know a 1000lb Gold Wing has reverse but a Viva?
heh heh
My Viva doesn't have a reverse but I do believe it's a 5-speed. Haven't gone all the way through the gears yet. It's at least a 2 speed. I do know that! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/lol8.gif
Congrats on getting the Viva Joe! You're really going to like it. I'll be swapping out the sparkplug tomorrow and pumping up the tires. Thursday is the quickest I can get out on it for a test ride. I can't wait! http://www.advrider.com/forums/images/smilies/hurryup.gif
I hope to be commuting to work on it Friday through Sunday next week!
Yeah, I probably won't even mention the Viva to my cousin! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/bueller.gif
Joe,
Here's a couple pictures for you. Don't forget to post a few when you get it! We'd all like to see it! Waiting for it to arrive IS like waiting for Christmas. I feel like a kid again! I like the idea of saving myself some money on gas. I bet this thing will pay for itself in short order. I know it will for me!
http://home.comcast.net/~ebayservice/vx200sxblack06.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~ebayservice/vx200sxblack04.jpg
justjoe
04-03-2007, 05:36 PM
You guys can be sure I'll post some photos when it come in!
I guess we're talking 10 days or so from the west coast
On another topic I forgot to ask when I ordered from Viva what is their warranty like? He didn't try to pitch the extended one or anything
Thanks
JV
msRandi
04-03-2007, 09:27 PM
It looks just like mine. well with out the cool black wheels. and you know flat black is os in.
**UPDATE**
Today, I purchased a few new parts for my Viva. Renthal aluminum atv handlebars for a Yamaha Banshee, Scotts MX grips, Acerbis Mini Rally handguards, and a new universal clutch lever and bracket. The stock clutch lever moves up and down about an inch and a half. Too much for me. I also have the new NGK sparkplug and a few other small additions. I hope to have everything put on in the next few days. I'll post pictures.
fatboy250
04-04-2007, 08:50 AM
The stock clutch lever moves up and down about an inch and a half. Too much for me.
That was easily fixed on ours with a thin Teflon washer. But I guess moding and accessorizing your scoot is what you really wanted anyway. Can't wait to see some more pics.
Jason
Yeah, I'd like to post some new pictures nut I first need to do something. Lastnight I worked a 12 hr shift and today I'm moving. The picture of the Jeep with the Viva in the back has my mom's house behind the Jeep. We were just housesitting for her while she was away in Florida visiting her sister. She'll be home today or tomorrow. She just lives next door to us. Anyway, I have some plumbing to do at our old house and we have a couple more loads of clothes and stuff to take down. The Viva is on the back burner.
Teflon washers huh! Were do you get those?
fatboy250
04-04-2007, 11:13 AM
Teflon washers huh! Were do you get those?
Well, Dad has access to all kinds of stuff at work. I'm not sure, but if you had access to any durable material like it you could make 'em. He may have made them, I didn't ask.
Jason
Thanks Jason! I'll work something out.
Just returned from my first ride on the Viva. What a great little bike. Nothing fell off, nothing broke, nothing didn't work, and nothing seemed out of sort with it! The handling is much lighter than what I am used to. No big surprise there, I expected that. I put exactly 11.6 miles on the bike. I rode down to the local Elementary School and turned around and came back. I don't notice any excessive vibration at all. It was much better than I expected. After reading so much about vibration I guess I just expected more. The bars were a little buzzy as were the pegs but I could ride this bike for awhile. The seat is brick hard. If I sort the seat foam out I could ride it that much more. The battery simply must be moved under the seat. I have a plan for that but it involves a new battery. I have a smaller battery for my WR250F that will easily go under the seat.
The oil will be changed today and I'm going to start modding it later tonight or tomorrow! It was worth waiting for. I like it even more than I did before!
The one negative was the gearing. I'm calling Bruce right now! 7k rpm produced 40 mph in 5th gear. I was afraid to turn much more than 7k rpm, on a not yet broken in engine with chinese oil in the crankcase! I may have turned it too fast at 7k.
Akonababe
04-04-2007, 01:52 PM
You need a smaller sproket like 45 or 46 tooth, the viva comes with a 56 tooth sprocket great for power in dirt but not much for speed. We have 45 tooth sprockets on our vivas and it seems like the best way to go for street and dirt riding combination.
Yep, already ordered front and rear sprockets and a 520 D.I.D. chain from Bruce at EJCycles. While I was at it I ordered a new air filter. Very soon I'll be making a new battery box and relocating the battery under the seat.
More pictures later tonight.
TheOtherRide
04-04-2007, 05:23 PM
Hey Sam--what sprockets did you order? Part #'s/links to pics would be appreciated. Thanks, man!
Pauli,
Sorry, that I didn't reply earlier! Lost my DSL for about 20 hours or so.
Bruce at EJCycles ordered everything for me. You'll need to get with him. I don't have any part numbers or links. Being an american Lifan dealer, he knows a good deal about these bikes. I took the easy way out and just ordered everything from him. One stop shopping, just the way I like it. He is also sending me a new air filter to replace my stock airbox. After the airboz is removed I'll be making a new battery box and welding new mounting tabs for that under the seat. The new battery will be the same model Westco gel battery that goes in my Yamaha WR250F.
He has everything you need!
Here are a few pictures of my latest mods. New Renthal atv handlebars, and Acerbis mini rally handguards. I also added the new NGK sparkplug. I put the heat back on in the shop so I may change the oil later today! I've found that the mirrors are total junk. I'll be ordering new EMGO mirrors from Dennis Kick sometime today.
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/453/img1381ze7.jpg
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6663/img1382fk0.jpg
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/3157/img1379hh1.jpg
pumpkin
04-05-2007, 03:25 PM
looks nice !! can't wait to see in person sucks it's cold & snowin .
TheOtherRide
04-05-2007, 03:34 PM
Thanks, Sam; I'll have to tell Bruce I want the 'Sam Special' LOL
Love the handle bars/guards! Good color match, too.
Can't wait to see the battery mod. Having the battery hang out there like that is about the equivalent of a colostomy bag.
Pauli,
Yeah, I hate that battery hanging off the side. It messes up the look of the bike and it seems dangerous to me. If it falls off and gets into the wheel, it could cause an accident. The left side panel doesn't bolt on properly with the battery in the way. I ditched the toolbox too! I don't want that hanging off there either. My plan is to use the metal frame the bike was crated in. I'll probably make it at work this weekend. I'll snap a few pictures as I go . The design of the new battery box will be simple and hopefully make the most of very little material. I'm thinking minimal weight. It will be no problem to build another one. Just let me know if you like it. The Westco battery costs about $40.95. It's small compared to the stock battery, so it should easily fit into the frame. Bruce also has the airfilter needed to move the battery under the seat.
Pumpkin,
What's up with this weather? Yesterday it was 60 degress!
Here's another one with my mom's little cottage house behind it. You guys need a place to ride?
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/7694/img1383no4.jpg
fatboy250
04-06-2007, 08:42 AM
Looking good!! I do like the flat blue. It's very old school hot rod.
Jason
It is a nice looking bike! I was surprised how well it runs! The new sprockets and D.I.D. chain will make it much nicer for highway use. The higher bars are much better for me too. The lower handlebars weren't going to work for long.
I still have a few things to do. The grease fitting in the swingarm still needs put in and a little welding will need to be done there in the fitting boss area. That will be done when I change the sprockets and chain. The bike went together so fast, that I forgot to grease the speedometer cable, the axle seal or the axles. I have a motorcycle/atv lift, so it's just a matter of strapping it to the lift and doing it. I won't be riding it much until all of this is done.
The mileage has crept up to 20 miles or so. I've done 2 or 3 short rides on it. My plan was to take it to work on the trailer this weekend and do a few things. I still may do that!
cycleway4
04-06-2007, 12:05 PM
nice looking bike, Sam.......I like the blue bars, nice height, too....
where you at in WV?.....I live just across the border in VA on I64...about 20 miles in...........
Thanks! The bike is coming along nicely! I'm really enjoying working on it.
I live about 22 miles from Morgantown. We have some property near the Marion County line in Mon County. See my picture above!
We'll need to get together for a ride. My buddies and I have an idea for a very cool ride. All motorcycles are welcome! We're hoping to put it together this year. How does an all day (Dawn to Dusk) ride sound? We'll probably do t-shirts and have maps, basically everything! I can't give away anything else yet but we'll give plenty of notice if anyone wants to join in. There may be a small fee for the shirts and we may take donations for a local charity. This is NOT a money for profit ride just a small get together. We'll probably split up in smaller groups to keep everyone safe. There will be very limited or no interstate riding. It's big miles though! May qualify for some IBA award.
cycleway4
04-06-2007, 03:48 PM
that sounds like an interesting ride....will be interested to hear of your details as they evolve..........
justjoe
04-06-2007, 07:21 PM
Hey
Got my tracking #.The Viva has shipped!!!!!!!!!! :D
And they said it was a black one(that remains to be seen)
I figure 6-8 days to NJ ,better get the garage in order
woo-hoo
Just a few more days, brother! Just a few more days!
TheOtherRide
04-07-2007, 11:01 AM
Awesome, JustJoe! I saw a pic of the black Viva on e-bay about a year ago...it really jumped out at me as a nice-looking bike. That's what started me looking at this brand and comparing it to others. Even though all 200gy's are basically the same, the details are all a little different. I fretted about customer service from the dealer for a long time, then decided that for the features, price, and my resources, I could take the chance.
Then, somehow, I had a complete mental moment and ordered the red bike instead of the black...because NO ONE has red rims! HaHa, now I'm really unique....NO ONE in their right mind has PINK rims! OK, I'll stop whining. Once this thing is registered/titled, it's gonna get a paint job...I'm thinking black/white/burgundy, not sure of the details yet. I'm sooooo glad the seat is black.
Sorry, Sam, to hijack your thread! Your bike looks awesome, and it's great to see pics of your mods! I would love to move the battery...keep us posted on how that goes.
Pauli,
No problem on the hijack. As long as we're talking china bikes, it's all good! Keep watching this space and I'm sure you'll see pictures of the underseat battery box and battery swap. You'll probably also see a rear suspension swap sometime soon and I'm thinking about getting some Jialing stickers custom made to add to my bike. I'll get a deal if I have more made than I need. I'll offer them for sale, if Frostbite doesn't have a problem with it. The bike is made by Jialing not Viva. I'd just like to have the manufacturer listed on my tank instead of the model name. Yes, I have issues!http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/icon10.gif
Has anyone thought of getting ChinaRiders.net fender stickers made? I'd love to have a set for my front fender. I could look into it!
red2003
04-07-2007, 09:02 PM
Has anyone thought of getting ChinaRiders.net fender stickers made? I'd love to have a set for my front fender. I could look into it![/quote]
Sam, that's an awesome idea. I'd love to have that connection to this site, and advertise it as well. Frostbite, get some made and we'll all advertise for you!
Posted by: red2003
Sam, that's an awesome idea. I'd love to have that connection to this site, and advertise it as well. Frostbite, get some made and we'll all advertise for you!
As I said, I can look into it but I need the greenlight from Frostbite first! Are there any Viva owners that would like to have Jialing stickers? I may be able to get those too! Actually, those are for me but I may get a price break if I get more made! If anyone wants them PM me and I'll start a list!
Thanks,
Sam
TheOtherRide
04-08-2007, 12:56 AM
Sorry, Sam--I like the Viva name :D
Love the idea of advertising this site more; need some bike-size stickers!
Well there are some chinariders stickers under the swag link, though they maybe a little oversized and not fit too well on the bikes, but I do like the sayings :lol:
TheOtherRide
04-08-2007, 01:20 AM
I agree, Jim! I think it was Poly who suggested the "My wallet & my wife prefer China bikes 3:1" and the 2 that Frostbite has available are great, too, but helmet & bike-size would be great!
Hey those are great ideas, and that's a good phrase for them too :lol: Helmet size would be nice (like the one I put on mine, we dont care how they do it in japan)
The stickers in Swag are more like bumper stickers. I'm not putting those on my bike!
Pauli,
I like the Viva name too! But that's just the model name. The manufacturer is Jialing. I'm just trying to avoid the upcoming questions about what it is and who makes it. I'll put the Jialing stickers over the Viva on the tank but the Viva on the seat will probably remain.
You'd be amazed how many people ask me who makes KTM.
I have had stickers made here before, specifically swingarm stickers. They have a quality product and service, I will gladly do business with them again.
$10 initial set-up fee, $7/pr. I would imagine fender stickers would be similar. Basic color changes are free, but the font selection is set.
http://www.brmoffroad.com/bike_graphics.htm
cycleway4
04-08-2007, 08:56 AM
I would like to see some ChinaRiders.net stickers....maybe couple different sizes
You can get them to do a layout, and they will email you full-size images.
Dont see a font you like? Send them the font, they will use it for your project.
The way I set it up for "my" stickers was to pay the set-up and order a few sets for myself. The rest of the guys at that website are able to order stickers themselves at any time, they just give BRM my name to pull up the sticker design and place their own order.
I had hoped to get a few things done on my Viva today. Yesterday afternoon I went into town and came across a great deal on a 2005 Yamaha TT-R250. Yes, I bought it! Well, I traded for it. My 2005 Yamaha WR250F is going down the road! This bike will be the basis for a lightweight Adventure bike. Someday, I hope to do the Trans-America Trail. I didn't really have a capable bike for that until now! I'll post a couple pictures of it later.
I hope to get some stuff done on the Viva later today! MBD is a hard condition to deal with!
Ferrit
04-11-2007, 05:54 AM
Sam-Might as well do the first section of the TAT next month!!
Ferrit,
I'm going on a mountain bike trip on the 26th of April. With so much work left on my new house, I'll have no time for the TAT this year. I purchased the Yamaha TT-R250 with the TAT in mind. It should be the perfect bike for that trip. The TT-R lacks a kickstarter but a kit can be purchased for roughly $286. It's a great bike. The 6-speed tranmission is awesome.
The pictures are of the new TT-R arriving at it's new home! The bottom picture is of the TT-R sticker kit I'm getting for the new Yammie. I ordered a new rear fender for it yesterday. Oil change happening today.
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4151/img1385lu3.jpg
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2096/img1386vk9.jpg
http://www.ddgraphics.co.uk/images/TTR250-MX2007-Full-Kit_03.jpg
I hate it when I hijacking my own thread. Frostbite, I hope you don't mind me posting pictures of my other bikes. I'll try to keep it to a minimum!
Back to the Viva! Yesterday, I called Viva Motorsports and talked with customer Service. My MSO went out on April 6th. It should be here anyday. They have a new container of bikes and parts coming in early Monday morning. If they receive my new wheels, they will ship them to me. They want me to call back Monday afternoon. I've given up on the mirrors. I'll purchase new mirrors from Dennis Kirk. I need a set for another bike anyway and some other parts. May as well kill three birds with one stone!
Still waiting on my sprockets and other parts. No problem! I have plenty of time. I'm looking forward to getting the Viva streetlegal, regeared and on the road. Gasoline is getting very expensive again. I think we're up to $2.95/gallon!
Well, I finally started my rear shock replacement and battery relocation project. The first picture shows the bike strapped to the bike lift and stripped. The swingarm was removed and the grease fitting bung was welded in solid. I need some silver paint to finish that up. You can see that the battery box, battery, toolbox and airbox have all been removed. None of those stock parts will be reused on the bike. The bike lift is a cheap $50 chinese made lift that picked up at a tool sale. It has locking levers and works great.
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/8783/img1389sc8.jpg
The linkage brackets at the bottom of the frame will be removed. The extra weight of these brackets isn't necessary. Since I'm trying to remove as much weight from the bike as I can, why not cut them out! The frame has many threaded mounts and very bad looking patches welded here and there on the frame. I'm not sure I like any of it. I may also remove the passenger pegs and brackets.
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/9229/img1390aj3.jpg
This will be the approximate position of the new battery. The Westco gel battery will be the same size as this Yuasa battery. It will probably be a little lower than what this picture shows, as I don't want it in the wiring or starter solenoid. There is plenty of room in here for a battery. I need to fab a battery box and then decide the best way to mount it in the frame.
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/2269/img1392te9.jpg
My new shock is on the way. It is from a Buell XB9 and has a remote oil resevoir with it. Here's a picture of the new Buell shock. I may cut the bottom mounting bracket off and weld a new eye on it. New brackets will be welded onto the swingarm to mount the shock. The swingarm already has a mount for the linkage. This will either be extended for the shock or removed completely. Whatever I decided it won't be any lower than the stock linkage already was.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7751/img1038jx7.jpg
TeamCheap
04-16-2007, 02:51 PM
Looks some serious work going on there SamM, a little more than my bike although I am removing the very long engine mount bolt and redoing the upper rear engine mount as well as changing all the engine mounting bolts.
I'm not sure if your bike has the same engine bolt setup as mine but on mine last summer I popped the head off the upper rear bolt, near swingarm(real long bolt).
I noticed recently as I was installing a new OHC engine inplace of the stock pushrod engine that the lower rear engine mount bolt was also badly damaged.
I have no idea of why this happened but all the engine mount bolts fit very sloppy on mine and I think the engine just torqued them around to much.
Maybe it's because I put to much stress on the bike at 250lbs :lol: and the engine completes the bottom frame support so the stress gets transfered thru/around the engine - IDK.
Oh there was nothing wrong with the stock pushrod engine I just wanted to try the OHC engine in it and rearrange a lot of the electrical components.
msRandi
04-16-2007, 04:11 PM
well you guys have them apart, nows the time to figer out somthing for the swing arm bolt.
justjoe
04-16-2007, 04:51 PM
Wow Sam
That is some nice mods, The Rear shock could use it,the stocker is almost a hardtail!
red2003
04-16-2007, 06:02 PM
Hey Sam,
That looks ALL too familiar :D . That shock looks pretty nice. Do you have a center to center measurement yet? Looks about right. If you plan on making a new scissor, it HAS to be longer then the stocker or you wont gain a thing on rear wheel travel. If you look at my pics, you'll see the new linkage hangs down a good bit more then the stocker, and it has to. No way around it. BTW, if you go to a top mount shock on the swingarm, the battery can't be where you plan to put it. Also, what air filter do you plan on running. My K & N pod type filter was too long to mount the battery like that, and it was pretty stubby. Best of luck with the mods.
Steve.
The swingarm bolt and quite frankly, all of the bolts on the bike look suspect to me. I've already bought a swingarm bolt off ebay for my bike. Someone posted a link a couple days ago and I immediately clicked on the link and purchased the bolt. If it works, ok, if not I'll be trying to source another bolt. Hopefully, something grade 8. I believe most of the bolts on the bike can be replaced with metric bolts purchased locally.
Wow TeamCheap, OHC engine huh! Very nice mod! Start a thread and post some pictures of it. I'd love to see that swap. May attempt that myself later.
TeamCheap
04-16-2007, 08:24 PM
I agree with you on the bolts 100% I dont trust them at all after that engine bolt popped on me last summer.
I dont think the OHC engine is much of a difference, it's still a lifan just not the pushrod engine.
The cool thing is I'll still have my wifes stock bike to compare it to to see if there is any noticable difference in performance.
Posted by: red2003
Hey Sam,
That looks ALL too familiar. That shock looks pretty nice. Do you have a center to center measurement yet? Looks about right. If you plan on making a new scissor, it HAS to be longer then the stocker or you wont gain a thing on rear wheel travel. If you look at my pics, you'll see the new linkage hangs down a good bit more then the stocker, and it has to. No way around it. BTW, if you go to a top mount shock on the swingarm, the battery can't be where you plan to put it. Also, what air filter do you plan on running. My K & N pod type filter was too long to mount the battery like that, and it was pretty stubby. Best of luck with the mods.
Steve
Steve,
I've tried everything to get the stock shock to move. It won't move even a fraction of an inch. It may as well be a hardtail. The stock linkage doesn't inspire me as working much better. I don't have a center to center measurement on the new Buell XB shock. It should be here in a few days. I paid $75 for it! a bit much but I think it was worth it. I'm kinda just going on faith that it will work. I'm thinking it's around 11". I'll be completely eliminating the linkage from the suspension. The Buell XB uses no linkage and since I'm using a shock from an XB, I'm going the same route. The stock shock is basically worthless, so I may cut the mounting eyes off and use them on the Buell shock. I'll have to have it professionally welded but I know professional welders, so I'm covered.
On the battery mounting issue. I may move it down and over. Either way I have plenty of room. The battery is much smaller than it looks in the picture. I'm using a Uni-filter. It should fit in there just fine. I'm not moving the top shock mount. I'm thinking and hoping that everything fits in there just fine. If I get a chance I'll take a few more pictures to show how much room I actually have. Here's a picture that shows were I may mount the battery. It's much like your setup.
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/7483/img1394bp1.jpg
Another picture. This one shows my newly rewelded swingarm grease fitting boss. I cleaned the weld up and put some primer on it. Tomorrow, I'll spray some silver and all will be right with it.
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/4734/img1391qa0.jpg
TeamCheap
04-17-2007, 06:23 AM
LOL I'm moving my battery from the side (like how you want to put yours) to the middle real close to the rear fender.
Atleast you have yours on the other side from where mine came stock, the stock battery location on mine was about 3/8"-5/8" above the exhaust pipe which seemed to be cooking the battery.
I have a K&N 3x3 filter and it looks like it will all fit nice.
I'll try to get a thread with pics started on my little mods, I just need to get the pics on the net somewhere other than yahoo-yuck.
red2003
04-17-2007, 07:43 AM
I'll try to get a thread with pics started on my little mods, I just need to get the pics on the net somewhere other than yahoo-yuck.
We have a gallery here. The site admin, Frostbite, needs to give you permission to post, but that's where most of us post ours. You get 64 mB of space. Good deal, and works well.
Over the past few days, I've made a couple purchases for my Viva. A new Clymer 1979-2003 Honda XL XR 125 185 200 XR200 REPAIR MANUAL cost me $27.85 including shipping. This should come in handy!
http://i10.ebayimg.com/01/i/08/a1/5e/f6_1_b.JPG
A leap of faith was made on this one. It's a 2001 Honda XR200R swingarm axle pin. It was $34.04 shipped. Not bad if it works!
http://i5.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/8f/3e/9b37_1.JPG
New sprockets, a 520 chain and a Uni-Filter will be on the way shortly from EJCycles. I may have this thing back together in a week or so. Today's, plan is to start hacking up the frame removing all the little brackets and tabs that will no longer be used. I've decided to leave the shock linkage mounts on the frame, just in case the rear shock replacement doesn't go as planned.
I have a few other small purchases planned. More on those later!
sheadouglas
04-19-2007, 11:45 AM
Hey SamM, once you get this thing finished, maybe you can represent all the Chinariders at the Erzberg in Austria this year!!!!!!!:D :D :D
http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/lol8.gifOK! I have a PayPal account. Everyone can send money to finance my trip to Erzberg! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/yelrotflmao.gif Seriously, I don't know if the Viva would be up to the challenge of Erzberg. Have you looked closely at the frames on these? I know you have! They're not very good! I hope to have a very nice china bike when I'm done but it's not going to be very off-road capable, IMHO. It will be a nice commuter though. The FedEx guy just delivered my new Buell shock, a few minutes ago. I need to get back to the shop.
Thanks!http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/thumb.gif
sheadouglas
04-19-2007, 03:40 PM
I honestly dont think these 200cc bikes could make it up those steep hills. There are people on high powered bikes that arent making it up a lot of those hills. No , I dont think the frame would be able to handle the absolute BEATING that race has to offer. The bikes and the racers absolutely WEAR IT by the time that race is over. That is something I would love to do before I die. That's one thing that die hard bikers argue about chinese bikes is that they cant handle a serious beating. No, they probably cant, but I didnt buy my bike to be able to handle those type of situations, and I bet most people on this forum didnt either.
fatboy250
04-19-2007, 03:57 PM
Shea,
You're right...I already have a great bike. The Roketa was bought for: fun, quality time with Dad, gas, commuting, easy trail riding, wanna be supermotoing, and just being cool for really cheap.
Savage
04-19-2007, 04:52 PM
Man that's Lots O Mods
sheadouglas
04-19-2007, 06:21 PM
Man that's Lots O Mods
I agree. Man knows what he's doin!
Posted by: sheadouglas
I agree. Man knows what he's doin!
Well, maybe not! The Buell XB shock is going to be too long to work in the Viva. It's around 12" center to center. I will have to look into getting another shock. The shock from an XR200R would probably be the ticket. The stock shock with the linkage removed may work but without the linkage rear travel will be a compromise. I adjusted it all the way out and still can't get it to move. I've looked at the stock setup quite a bit and for the life of me, I can't see what they were trying to do. It just plain doesn't work. Reworking it may be the answer.
Back to the drawing board!
red2003
04-20-2007, 07:56 AM
Whoa, Sam. Why are you bagging the Buell shock? 12 in. ctc works just fine man. If you are gonna ditch the stock linkage and make your own like I did, you can definately use the Buell shock. What problems are you running into? I've studied this rear assembly for hours, built a full scale model of the entire rear assembly, fabbed my own custom linkage, and I can tell you if you go with a shorter throw shock, you're still not going to like the results. I think the shock you have is an excellent choice. How can I help???
I was up half the night looking at different dirtbike type linkages. You're right! The Buell shock may still work. Actually, it will work! What I'm thinking, wow that could be dangerous, is to use two bar type links mounted at the front. These will bolt to each side of the original front mount behind the engine. These will run outbound of the mount and back to the main triangle link that mounts to the swingarm. The shock will mount at the front of the new triangle link. It's not going to really matter much if the shock is longer. The front links will run outside of everything else and this will allow for increased travel.
Yesterday, I cut the rear linkage mount off the swingarm. I'm starting with a clean slate there.
red2003
04-20-2007, 12:02 PM
Go get 'em tiger! Keep us posted!!!
Yeah, I was a little discouraged when I posted that lastnight. I just got back from my shop! After remeasuring the Buell shock, it turns out the shock is just a bit over 14" ctc. I don't know why I posted it was 12". Brain fart! Thinking too much about it! The Buell shock will not work unless I move the mount way up. I hate to but I may use the stock Viva shock for now but I'll start looking for another shock ASAP. If you find another R1 shock let me know.
Early today, I was on the phone with Bruce at EJCycles. My sprockets, chain and airfilter should be here in a few days. When I get the filter I'll be able to see if it's possible to move the mount up.
EDIT: The XR200R swingarm bolt that I purchased off ebay also showed up today. The bolt is too long to use on the Viva. The diameter of the bolt is also too large.
I do have some good news! My MCO showed up today and the new fender for my TT-R is here and looks great!
red2003
04-20-2007, 07:55 PM
Sam go to eBay and search R1 shock. I just found 21 hits. Looks like they are going for about $30.00. Tis the season. FYI, you want an '04 and up to get the horizontal HPG reservoir. Prior to '04 they were vertical and will interfere with your inner fender. Go get 'em!!!!
justjoe
04-21-2007, 08:52 AM
Alright Sam
Glad to see you got your MCO !
Just purchased my 2005 Yamaha R1 shock for $29.95 plus shipping. Should be here this week and will get back on this!
Thanks red2003!
red2003
04-21-2007, 10:15 PM
Go get 'em Bud!!!!
I'm also looking at Honda XR200R linkage. It may come in handy! We'll see.
I haven't done much to the bike yet. I now have 3 shocks for it and a bunch of money invested in it. I have a Buell XB9 shock, a brand new 2005 Yamaha R1 shock and now a 1995 Honda XR200R shock with matching linkage. The XR stuff looks good but it too long. The R1 shock will probably get the nod. It's very nice and just the right length to work. New links are in the planning stages. I don't work fast due to my schedule but it should turn out nice. My new sprockets are in and on the bike. I have also installed the new Uni-filter. If I get a chance, I'll post pictures tomorrow. I still need spacer material and to cut the upper shock mount and move it up, like red2003 did. I plan to do my rear suspension much like he did his. There may be a few changes.
Just when my faith in mankind is dashed and I think all hope is lost. I get a package from California. Oh, happy day for me! I'm so excited I almost can't stand myself! Look what I got from Jason the UPS man.
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/9715/img1411ve0.jpg
Today, I actually got something done on the bike. I've decide to go forward with the R1 conversion. It seems to be the simplest way to fix the problem of the brand new bike with no suspension.
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/8683/img1407zb5.jpg
This last picture shows the supension sort of mocked up. The dogbone will be moved back a couple of inches with a new mount. This should get me plenty of movement. I'm going to try using as many of the original parts as I can.
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/2276/img1409dv6.jpg
allfunmotorsport
05-03-2007, 11:28 PM
very nice 8)
TheOtherRide
05-03-2007, 11:59 PM
Holy cow! I can't believe you got 'em! That's great!
Did you get your mirror, too?
TeamCheap
05-04-2007, 05:46 AM
UM yeah I'm thinking those rims need to be sent to me because, uh yep thats why, just because.
Nice.
I almost have my bike back rideable (maybe today) then I'm going to look at the suspension also since I really like what you've been doing to yours.
I'm starting to think again about how it would have been easier/cheaper/better to just find an rolling Honda, no engine and just install a new Lifan engine in it.
I got the new mirror too! It was a shock and completely out of the blue! :D Pun intended!
The R1 shock seems to be the ticket on this bike. It's the right size. My hat is off to red2003 for pioneering it.
red2003
05-04-2007, 07:46 AM
:D
Did anyone notice the Uni-filter in the top of the picture of the rear shock and mount? My new rear 35T sprocket is already mounted to the new blue wheel. The shock mount almost hits the Uni-filter. I still need to cut the small wedges to finish the mount. I may add a couple plates to stiffen it more. This will allow me to drill the correct sized holes and move the mounting bolt up a little more. I hope to work on it again Monday and Tuesday. I have plenty of steel to make the wedges and battery box. My plan is to get it rolling sometime this week or next weekend at the latest.
One more picture for the china bike enthusiasts. The blue wheels are going to look awesome on it. I can't wait to get it back together. The extra tabs on the frame to mount the toolbox and battery box have been removed. The tabs for the airbox have also been removed. I'm looking for a better battery. The battery I had in mind, may put out too many amps. I don't want to burn the stator up.
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/2946/img1410xv6.jpg
shammash55
05-05-2007, 07:48 PM
wow looks like a good project going. good luck on it.
AZ200cc
05-06-2007, 01:06 AM
Wow, I read the entire thread and You are making it one he!! of a project.
Very cool...Can't wait to see it when everything is done.
Thanks guys,
I can't wait to get it done and ride it! I've been messing with it too long.
Hopefully, I'll have more pictures tomorrow. The last day of my long weekend is today. I'm stuck at work until 8pm tonight. I'll be up early and be hard at it tomorrow morning. The agenda for tomorrow is to get the welding done on the shock mount and swingarm, gusset the shock mount, redrill the shock mounting hole, then remove the fork clamps, grease the head bearings, grease the front axle, swap the front disc onto the new wheel, red loc-tite the disc bolts, and install the new wheel onto the frontend.
On a side note: With the new handlebars being higher and after removing the ABS valve the front brakeline is just a bit too short. I may have to buy a new brakeline. First, I'll try to reroute the line. It's coming together slowly but surely!
TeamCheap
05-06-2007, 11:42 AM
Stick with it you'll be happy in the end.
Mine is now ridable but still missing side covers and I'd like to get some REAL handlebars that will allow REAL bark busters not the handlebars that have a solid rod in them like mine.
I'm sticking with it but I'm a little slow! Hopefully the quality work will show when I'm done though. In my own defense, the weather is beautiful and I rode half the day away this morning. :D
A short update: I found spacers for my R1 shock. The spacers were in the XR200R rear link that I just purchased on ebay. The bolts and pins from the link are the same size that I'm looking for. I've been looking through hardware store bids and at Lowes to no avail. Just by chance, I saw the link and thought, nah, those won't fit! I tore them down and voila, they fit! Just like the KTM brakeline I had. Still can't believe it! I'll be swapping the bolts and pins over to the R1 shock. The bottom pin on the R1 shock will need to be drilled out, so the Viva bolt will work. This shock swap is almost a bolt on. The pins will need to be cut to be used as spacers and then painted. My plan is to offset the R1 shock over to the leftside. This will allow the bottom clicker to clear the Viva link. I've also been looking for new metric bolts and that has slowed the work down some.
Below is a picture of my booger welds on the top shock mount. I'm adding (tack welding) new steel washers to the mount and raising the bolt just a little more. The hole is the wrong size and the R1 shock needs to move up and back just a bit more for extra frame clearance.
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/1585/img1413sg2.jpg[/list]
katoranger
05-12-2007, 09:42 PM
Wow, I read the entire thread and You are making it one he!! of a project.
Very cool...Can't wait to see it when everything is done.
Ditto. Thanks for doing all the hard work so the rest of us can copy it.
Allen
Thanks! If I can help, just let me know! I wanted to get a lot more done today. Other matters are always more pressing. I had a birthday party to attend this afternoon and I got the insurance and plates transfered this morning. I'm legal now! After the party I had to cut grass. Joy!
Did manage to get a few things done. The new front aluminum wheel is on the bike. I had one issue with that install. One of the threads in the new hub was already stripped out. When I tried to install the bolt it slid right into the hub. I'm going to try to get a Helicoil installed in it. I don't understand why they would send a hub out like this. You could tell it was stripped. Bummer! I measured and got the spacers for the rear shock ready to cut tomorrow. The rest of the supplies I needed were also purchased today. It should be a roller tomorrow! Hopefully! I'm not counting any chickens yet. Sunday is a busy day for me!
red2003
05-13-2007, 03:13 PM
So you are putting the stock Viva shock linkage back on there Sam?? Also, I don't think you'll be able to resize the bottom mount of the R1 shock to accept the Viva bolt, that is a needle bearing in there.
Yes, and it's not as easy as I once thought. The needle bearings aren't the problem though. The real problem is that the R1 pin is made of tool steel. I chewed up 2 drill bits on it yesterday trying to resize it for the Viva bolt and where do you find metric drill bit. Nobody here has anything metric. I'm also having some spacer issues. My spacers OD is the same size as the shock pin. They just walk the pin back and forth. This causes a clearance issue with the stock linkage. I never thought of that. Bummer!
I want to ride. I'm legal. I may just weld the new mount to the swingarm and use the original shock until I can find the proper spacers. I can take the pin to a machine shop and have it drilled there.
red2003
05-14-2007, 01:45 PM
Before I made my own linkage, i just welded 10 mm washers on the outside ot the stock linkage and used a hardened 10 mm bolt. You'll need some large diameter fiber or nylon washers to keep the lower shock mount centered as the needle bearing pin is free to float, like you stated. I picked up some large nylon bushings the OD of the shock body and used those as my spacers. This way the pin can still float back and forth, and if the shock rubs the washer it wont wear away the aluminum shock body.
Cool, where do you find 10mm washers? We don't have metric anything here! Metric wrenches, that's it.
Urethane spacers would be nice too! http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/kboom.gif
TheOtherRide
05-16-2007, 05:56 PM
Did you try Ace Hardware? They seem to have the best metric selection here, anyway.
red2003
05-17-2007, 07:51 AM
Sam, I found the washers and nylon spacers right at the local Aubachon Hardware store.
Well, it's a roller again. Just temporarily though. I spent all of lastnight working on the bike. The rear mount was moved back but is now very close to the rear tire. It's not going to hit and this bike will mostly be used to commute to work on. It won't be an issue and I can still move the tire back about a half an inch. I need to clean up the mount with a grinder, so it all must come apart again. You can see another hole above where I mounted the dogbone. If I get a shorter bolt I may be able to use it but the other hole is not necessary. The mount is set up for the longer R1 shock. I'll mount that shock up after I get the proper spacers.
Anyway here it is! Yeah, it looks like crap I know! Any thoughts? How bad did I do? At least the suspension moves now! I may cut the mount back some to get more tire clearance.
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/4553/img1432an5.jpg
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/2150/img1435wo7.jpg
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7518/img1434ks5.jpg
In these next pictures, you can see how I rerouted the KTM brakeline. I used a Buell brakeline bracket to replace the stock bracket on the fork clamp. It holds the brakeline much better and much tighter than the stock bracket did.
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9049/img1431ty2.jpg
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/7704/img1437gm7.jpg
red2003
05-18-2007, 07:15 AM
Sam, after all your hard work, I am afraid you're gonna be real disappointed with that shock setup. Once you get the shock back out, lift up on the swing arm with the linkage still attached. You're gonna top out that scissor with only a few inches of wheel travel :cry: . The trouble is as the swingarm moves up, the linkage is pulled apart and the way it is set up stock the linkage is just too short. Not trying to rain on your parade, but I know how hard you have worked on this and I want it to be satisfying for you in the end. Let me know if I can help out any.
red2003,
You're exactly right! I'm not satisfied at all, but I want to ride! Honestly, I'll probably rebuild the complete bike next winter. This is just a temporary fix, so I can ride it this summer. I just wanted it beefy enough so I don't have to worry about it folding up on me during my ride to work. I'd like to move the mount back under the swingarm where it originally was. It's going to take me some time to find the spacers and bolts I need to make the R1 shock work. I understand what you did with your mount and linkage and I appreciate you sharing that info. I may contact you later for some help! Once I find the proper spacers I may have another go at it.
I found time to mount some new turnsignals and a new reflector (under the plate) on the rear of the bike too. The front turnsignals will need new brackets to move them out where they can be seen. I'm ordering those today along with some other things I need.
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/1025/img1430gw5.jpg
red2003
05-18-2007, 07:44 AM
Best of luck Sam. You have earned a ride on that bad boy! Go tear it up. The road I mean, not the bike :D .
Thanks! This has turned out to be more than I expected. The lack of metric bolts in my area and the little odds and ends, like spacers has worn me out. I looked high and low for a month.
I just need a break for now!
fatboy250
05-18-2007, 08:45 AM
SamM,
Is there anyway to post the pics in your gallery?
From the ones I can see, it really looks good. I really do like the blue wheels. I think they would look kinda nice on the Roketard.
:lol: :lol:
Jason
IronFist
05-18-2007, 11:59 AM
I'm confused. (I know nothing new :? ) Can't you get a Canadian or British Chinarider to pick you up the nuts and bolt you need? And maybe a fancy set of metric sockets and wrenches? Crappy metric bolts are everywhere up here, the higher grade bolts are harder to find, but you can get them, just not at a local hardware store. Just an idea, you don't have to reply. N2r.
frostbite
05-18-2007, 12:20 PM
For my metric fasteners I go here:
www.fastenal.com
They have retail outlets all over US and Canada.
I even purchased one of these handy units
/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=216&g2_serialNumber=2
AZ200cc
05-18-2007, 01:53 PM
Also for nuts bolts and etc check out Dorman..Most auto parts stores stock this brand And You can get parts numbers right from the website.
It can be a pain to sift through but it might help. You don't have to be a member to search the site either.
https://www.dormanproducts.com/cgi-bin/vm91corp30r/pagepro_disp.w?sid=0x001394dc&clt=hwrap1&pagepro=0x0020cc83&m-login-user-id=TEMP995681hwrap1&vtime=49873&vtime=49873
pumpkin
05-18-2007, 02:00 PM
sam and i have both tried fasnal they have a store here in town ,but when my engine mount bolt broke they said we only sell pack of 50 or 100 . i would of had to bought 100 bolts to get the one i wanted. anyway thier selection of in stock metric fasners leaves alot to be desired, but yes in a day or so and if you want 100 they can get just about anything.
frostbite
05-18-2007, 02:09 PM
they said we only sell pack of 50 or 100
You must have a lousy vendor. I purchase single stainless steel metric bolts/nuts from my local Fastenal with no problems.
pumpkin
05-18-2007, 04:27 PM
i agree ,but they are not all bad one time i needed a bolt and the bag was ripped they said we have no way to price single bolts so you can have it . i guess you win some and you lose some.
pumpkin is right. They'll sell you anything you want, IF you buy 50 or 100 count bags of them. We live in a rapidly developing area and they have all the business they can handle just dealing with local contractors. They have no time for us little guys. They'll practically tell you that when you walk in the door. When I was there looking for the swingarm bolt, the guy I talked to was from another store in another town. He told me someone would get back with me. Never happened! No call back at all. I was going to buy 100 of those but they told me I could get just one. Go figure! These people are not good businessmen or even good counter people.
I used one of pumpkin's lines on them when I said, "This would be a good place to open a parts store!" They didn't get it! How hard would it be to open a 100 count bag of bolts and put them in a bin marked what they are? I don't get it.
We have plenty of metric tools new2riding, that's not the problem.
frostbite, I have one of those bolt measuring tools in my toolbox from Fastenal. When I was building American bikes I had no problems finding bolts at Fastenal and they were more than willing to open a package and basically give me whatever I needed. I always offered to pay but they said it would be more trouble than just giving it to me. I'd buy all my tools and supplies from them to make up the difference on the bolt they gave me. Metric seems to be a real problem for them. I guess I need to go down there and purchase a catalog and just order everything I need from the main warehouse or something.
Thanks for the links and the help everyone. As I said before I will have plenty of time this winter to redo the rear suspension linkage and I'll use the R1 shock on this bike then. This cobbed up mount just gets me riding for now. I wanna ride!
TeamCheap
05-18-2007, 05:57 PM
I had thought about making up BOLT kits for these bikes.
Just buy bulk sort and label and hang on to them but sooner or later someone will need a bolt kit.
But then there are actually bolt kits out there for other bikes/atv's and stuff so it's not really that difficult.
My Viva VX200SX has been a work in progress, since I purchased it in late March. If you have followed red2003's thread, this thread or if you own a Viva you will know about the Viva's poor rear suspension. I recently took red2003's advice and pulled my rear shock after rebuilding my rear linkage. He was right the linkage was binding on the upswing of the swingarm. It would have destroyed itself in short order. The link is not proportioned properly and causes major binding. This was unacceptable to me. What I came up with and what I always wanted to do was eliminate the linkage completely. Progressive linkage makes more wheel travel possible with a short throw shock. My VX200SX will be used mainly as just a commuter bike. I have no off-road asperations for it. I already have an off-road bike. That's not to say that I'll never take it off-road though. 4 to 5" is all the rear suspension travel I need or want.
The next few pictures show what I decided to do. Yesterday, after pumpkin and I finished our ride, I got after it. pumpkin, thanks for coming up and getting me away for awhile. I needed the distraction to get my head clear! My main thought was to increase the angle of the shock but the swingarm brace was in the wrong position. The fix was to completely remove the brace. I cut it from the swingarm after welding a piece of steel to the rear to keep everything inline. A 1998 Buell S1W sacrificed it's swingarm for the betterment of the Viva. A section of the Buell swingarm was cut out and pieced into the Viva swingarm, only much further back. Yes, my welds look like crap but they are just as good as the stock welds. It isn't going anywhere. I'm still learning to MIG. I left plenty of room for the bottom bolt to be moved back. The shock can be adjusted for sag and the firmness of ride. I didn't get to the top mount but it's fairly straight forward. Just two pieces of steel welded to the new frame stiffener that I will weld in where the shock mount used to be. Everything will be tacked and then removed for welding.
I'm not sure that I have left enough room for my battery relocation but I'll worry about that later. Overall, it has been a lot of work removing the brace and fabbing a new one. A steady hand with an angle grinder is a must. I slipped a couple of times and cut the swingarm and these places had to be welded up. I also slipped while I was cutting out the top shock mount and cut into my exhaust pipe. It barely went through, so hopefully I can weld it up easily with a series of tack welds. It's pretty thin stuff.
The shock angle will be greater than the picture shows! It will sit closer to the mount at the top and closer to the swingarm at the bottom. I'll drill a new hole closer to the swingarm and possibly cut the mount down more. The swingarm mount will also be braced at the rear and bottom.
Post your comments! I don't mind the critizism because you may see something I didn't think of. I won't be changing it again though! :D
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/1091/img1447ec7.jpg
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5894/img1445eq3.jpg
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/3089/img1450jb2.jpg
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/6730/img1451ul7.jpg[/img][/list]
Just to clarify! Here are both before and after pictures. You can see how much the brace was moved back. The rear most marks on the swingarm show where the tire will be located. I wanted to leave enough room there for muddy tires. As I said, I have plenty of room to move the shock back at the bottom shock mount. This first position was just giving me a reference point. I made the mount long for that reason. It will need to be cut for the bottom clicker.
Before
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/2276/img1409dv6.jpg
After
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/6730/img1451ul7.jpg
red2003
05-23-2007, 11:06 AM
Hey Sam,
I am at work and can't see the pics (blocked :( ), but it sounds like you're on the right track. I will check out the pics as soon as I get home. This will be a nice contrasting mod to what I did, and may open up some other options for folks. For sure the stock rear suspension HAS TO GO. It's just reduiculous how messed up it is. Anyway, it sounds like you got a winner there and doing away with the scissor all together might be the ticket for a commuter bike, and it's certainly less complicated then what I did. Can't wait to get home to see the pics! BTW, what shock are you gonna use? The R1??
Yes, the R1 shock is on the bike. I'm on my way to the shop now to start fabbing the top mount. I'm also going to move the shock closer to the swingarm brace. I left the mount long so I could do that if I needed to.
I also need to cut the linkage mount off the frame. No reason for it anymore!
red2003
05-23-2007, 11:27 AM
Like I said, I can't see the pics, but since you have the extra material on the lower shock mount how about making several holes in a radius to the shock swing so you can change overall spring rate / dampening rate / wheel travel "on the fly". Rearward position = stiffer for onroad/ less wheel travel, pull over swap to another hole foreward for a softer ride and more suspension travel?? Just a thought.
Good idea red2003! I've already cut the mount and modified it. The shock would have been too high the way the mount was. Great idea though.
After I cut the shock mount and clearanced it for the shock clicker, it was perfect. I can now adjust the rear ride height with a spanner wrench. I need to get one of those. I also need instructions for the R1 shock.
Here are the pictures of the finished fabrication. Well, almost finished. I still need to weld everything up. It's all downhill from here. After I get off work Friday morning, I'll get it welded and ready to roll then.
http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/2013/img1452sz6.jpg
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/597/img1453bm5.jpg
shammash55
05-23-2007, 09:03 PM
ill prolly end up copying these picts and geting a welding shop to fix mine like that(since i dont have a welder:( ) that looks like it will work great.
TheOtherRide
05-24-2007, 12:52 PM
So if I understand this correctly, you now have a static linkage? I can see where that makes more sense than the original poor design. Are you going to beef up the lower shock mount? Seems like there would be a LOT of stress on the tab weld there. Just curious to see how this works. :)
TeamCheap
05-24-2007, 04:09 PM
At first you'd think cutting up and removing then adding metal to these frames would weaken them.
But then knowing the metal used on these frames must be the same stuff used by "The Amazing Kreskin" to do his spoon bending demonstrations I guess adding steel to these can only strengthen them.
I may have to do a rear shock mod on mine at some point also.
I'd have cut up an extra swing arm or least know where to get a replacement just to play it safe but thats just me.
We were going to go for a ride on our bikes the other day but I noticed a bolt missing from the wifes bikes (lower-rear engine bolt TOTALLY GONE-YIKES)
Posted by: TheOtherRide
So if I understand this correctly, you now have a static linkage? I can see where that makes more sense than the original poor design. Are you going to beef up the lower shock mount? Seems like there would be a LOT of stress on the tab weld there. Just curious to see how this works.
Not exactly!
Statics is the branch of physics concerned with the analysis of loads (force, torque/moment) on physical systems in static equilibrium, that is, in a state where the relative positions of subsystems do not vary over time, or where components and structures are at rest under the action of external forces of equilibrium. When in static equilibrium, the system is either at rest, or moving at constant velocity through its center of mass.
By Newton's second law, this situation implies that the net force and net torque (also known as moment) on every body in the system is zero, meaning that for every force bearing upon a member, there must be an equal and opposite force. From this constraint, such quantities as stress or pressure can be derived. The net forces equalling zero is known as the first condition for equilibrium, and the net torque equalling zero is known as the second condition for equilibrium.
Meaning there would be no force in either direction just stress and pressure. Every force on the system is not zero. Sitting on the bike and even the force of gravity puts force on the system.
Pauli, please don't think I'm getting smart with you! Just trying to explain my reasoning! Be patient this is long!
Basically, I have just removed the linkage. I understand what you were asking and that's one big explanation of statics that I posted above. By increasing the angle of the shock, I just limited the movement needed. That's exactly what progressive linkage does, it limits the movement needed. It makes a short throw shock work in a long travel suspension. Through leverage, less movement is needed because the distances toward the end of the lever (swingarm bolt) are less than at the opposite end of the lever (axle bolt or rear wheel & tire). As the swingarm moves through it's arc, the linkage levers up and into the shock, compressing it. The movement and travel needed from the shock is much less depending on the design of the linkage. I did the same thing by increasing the angle of the shock. As the shock swings through the arc on the bottom tab, the idea is to keep the shock at the same angle throughout that arc. As it levers up it just compresses the shock, but stays at the same angle. Less movement is needed because the distances are shorter. I'm not sure if I have actually got this right yet! I'll have to see how it works! Different dirtbikes use this system to great effect. KTM and Husaberg come to mind. The Big 4 dirtbikes all use linkage suspensions. Why wouldn't they? More parts to wear out and sell to consumers! If I was designing I bike that I had to replace the parts on, hint: I AM, I'd go with something less complicated. Obviously, this is less complicated and there is no linkage to worry about. If the Viva linkage would have been designed properly, like other bikes, it would have worked fine. But what happens when it wears out? Where will we get the parts to fix it? I couldn't come up with any good answers for those two questions, so I eliminated the problem! These bikes are all very similar but there seems to be differences in the mounting points and component lengths. The American Lifan linkage is almost identical to the Viva, some of the components appear to even be the same, and it workes perfectly. Slight changes in the mounts and a different (read: bad) shock are probably the reason the Viva suspension doesn't work. Even my 220 lbs. could barely move my rear shock, after I moved the dogbone back and fixed the binding issue. I even jumped up and down on it and total movement I could get was about 1 inch. That was after making the shock as soft as possible. I suspect that the shock is very poorly constructed! The point of no return for me, was when red2003 suggested that I remove the shock and try to move the swingarm up. It moved up 3 inches, maybe and was locked solid. Exactly like he said it would! Wow, I was floored!
My suggestion, is to remove the rear suspension on the Jialing Viva VX200SX and replace it with whatever you can. red2003 did a very good job making that linkage work! My hat is off to him for that. I actually took the easy way out by removing the linkage completely.
Pauli, you are right! There is a great deal of stress on that lower shock mount and even the upper for that matter. I'll probably take it and have it professionally welded by a gentleman I go to church with. The lower mount is flush with the back of the new brace that I built for the swingarm. A piece of flat steel will run up the back of the mount, strengthening it and up the back of the swingarm, giving it more support and strength. I may box the bottom too!
Sorry, for the very long post!
TheOtherRide
05-24-2007, 06:29 PM
LOL, I took statics and dynamics, too...I know an FBD from a BFD... :wink:
You answered my question, at any rate. Relative to the swingarm, the lower shock mount IS static, unless it breaks off. I should have asked my question in a better way! ...but now let's go into the philosophy of why; I have this great book on Zen....hehehehe
Hugs!
red2003
05-24-2007, 07:30 PM
Hey Sam,
That looks pretty damn good. I think you'll be much more pleased with the ride now. Pauli, I knew what you meant by "static" :lol: . Definately give us a ride report Sam. If it works well, this is a much easier mod than what I did, and should be accesible to most people. The R1 shocks are still pretty cheep on eBay, and what you have done is pretty strait forward to follow. Nice work!!!
Pauli,
When you say it like that I understand completely what you meant! But technically it's not really linkage anymore either. Of course, it does link two components, so... maybe it is! Is the pressure or force greater with the shock bolted on or not? Six of one, half dozen of the other, I say! :) As for the why...! Why... didn't they build it right to start with? Money! It all comes down to money in the end! Doesn't it always? :roll:
red2003,
Thanks for the vote of confidence! I sure hope it works out better than the linkage did. It was a lot of work but I think it's the best solution, at least for me. I sort of patterned it after my KTM. The static links are different though! :oops: The KTM has long bolts that run through the frame and swingarm. The shock eyes replace the sections of frame cutout for them to index into. Very clean and very tough!
I think this modification is very repeatable and something that backyard mechanics could handle. I'd be willing to help anyone wanting to tackle it. The only tools I used, were an angle grinder with cutting wheels, a cordless drill, a tape measurer, a marker, cutting torches, a file, my cheap MIG welder and a few metric wrenches. Everything was cut freehand using just the angle grinder. I did used the torch to cut the middle of of the original brace and to give me a starting point to work from. I cut my right hand once, burnt a pair of new Mechanics gloves off my right hand (from sparks off the grinder) and two fingers trying to get the glove off, before I burst into flames. All in all about average for me! :D
red2003
05-25-2007, 07:44 AM
Sounds good Sam. Can't wait to hear ride results!!
I can't wait to ride it. I'm running late today and I haven't been to the shop yet. I just took my Yamaha TT-R250 down to my buddies house. He is installing the new GYTR kickstarter kit that I just bought for it. The instructions are all in Japanese. Hopefully, he can figure it out from the pictures. He's good, so I'm sure it will be ok.
The final welding will be done today and hopefully all the painting. I may get everything installed Sunday afternoon. I'll post pictures as soon as I can!
red2003
05-25-2007, 01:24 PM
Keep us posted!
I finished up the rear suspension a little while ago. Here in a few minutes, after I take a shower, I'll take a few pictures and post them. It turned out better than I had hoped. Everything is painted and installed for the last time. The swingarm is much stiffer because of the brace being moved back. To get the wheel and spacers installed I'll have to use a jack to spread the swingarm a little. The spacer won't go in now. It should be an easy fix.
Here you go! I need about one inch of clearance to get the axle bolts, spacers and rear wheel to fit into the space it came out of. This should be easy to do. The frame and swingarm are painted, so everything is pretty much done. I can push the swingarm up by hand.
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/1368/img1454la2.jpg
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/5552/img1455xh6.jpg
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/7676/img1456jz5.jpg
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/4069/img1457qc2.jpg
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/5206/img1458ew2.jpg
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/3846/img1459cf4.jpg
pumpkin
05-26-2007, 12:51 AM
looks good sam let me know if you get-r-done sun. i might have to come out.
AZ200cc
05-26-2007, 01:09 AM
That looks good, Like it was meant to be. Have fun on the first ride 8)
red2003
05-26-2007, 11:01 AM
That's nice work Sam. Congrats, and let us know how she rides!!!
Thanks! The welds are rougher than I would have liked but, I've never claimed to be a good welder. I think they will hold just fine.
I bought a small bottle jack today to spread the swingarm. The one thing I can say is the swingarm is much stiffer than stock. I couldn't spread it the half inch needed to install the wheel. When it was stock I could spread it with a screwdriver. Not now! I should have thought about this and spread it and welded in the proper size rear steel bracket before welding in the new shock brace. Hindsight!
On a side note: Today I was at Wheeling Cycle to buy some parts and looked at the new American Lifan GY-5 with the new counter balance engine. Wow, nice bike! Unfortunately it has a rear drum brake. That alone would keep me from ever owning one.
msRandi
05-27-2007, 02:55 AM
the same thing happened to me when I welded Rachel's swing arm back together. never thouth it would close up like that.
The bottle jack worked perfectly. I was able to easily spread the swingarm evenly and get the wheel and spacers installed. When everything was bolted up, I dropped the bike down off the jack to measure for the new kickstand. The shock bottomed out. Actually with me on it the bike dropped so low, that the tire was sitting on the muffler. I took the shock off and adjusted it out. Still the same. I have cut the bottom shock mount off the swingarm and installed the Buell shock on the bike. The R1 shock will not work without the linkage. The spring is too soft. The Buell shock does not use linkage so it may be a better choice. I can rebuild the bottom mount on Wednesday.
Pictures shortly!
msRandi
05-27-2007, 06:10 PM
I want the R1 shock.
I paid $29.95 for it! That, plus the shipping and it's yours. I'll box it up and check the shipping on Wednesday. I'll need your address, so I can sent it out to you. You can sent a money order whenever. I'll PM you my address.
Thanks, msRandi!
Here are the pictures of the Viva with the Buell shock mounted. It bolted right to my top mount with no mods. I like the Buell shock better, I think! Buells don't use linkage.
http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/119/img1460hd2.jpg
http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/2545/img1461hh4.jpg
New turnsignals!
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4296/img1464ez2.jpg
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/1025/img1430gw5.jpg
AZ200cc
05-28-2007, 12:07 PM
The Viva looks great, Looks like You're very close to testing her out.
Yeah, I thought I'd be done with it WAY before now. pumpkin has been giving me grief! :) Hopefully, she'll be ready to ride sometime Wednesday afternoon. I'm working today and tomorrow. The battery relocation is on hold for now. I'll kick it over to get her to run. No big deal there. The Buell shock sure gives me a lot more room for the battery.
After I finish the bottom shock mount, all I'll need to do is plug a few holes from the smog equipment removal and bleed the brakes.
Anybody ever lace a wheel on one of these yet?
AZ200cc
05-28-2007, 12:45 PM
HA HA never laced a wheel before, And hope I never have to. :lol:
ImEazy
05-28-2007, 12:51 PM
I've never laced a wheel either. Here's a link to a good tutorial on ThumperTalk...
http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=485208
I may be able to hold out until winter to relace the wheel. My new aluminum front wheel has a brake rotor bolt hole stripped in the hub. :roll:
I've been into this for far too long and I'm on my third shock! I need to ride it! Right now, I'm spending between $16 and $20 a week on average for fuel. This depends on how many times I refuel my KTM gashog! :roll: I'd rather be spending $9 on the Jialing and putting the miles on it instead.
Thanks for the link!
katoranger
05-29-2007, 08:15 PM
My gas bill at 70mpg will come to about $10/week. My car cost $20/week at 35mpg. Not really a gas hog, but the bike is alot more fun. Better than the van I was driving at 16mpg. The van could fit a bike inside though. It will take about two years to pay for the bike in gas savings, but it also has a smile factor calculated in.
Allen
The Viva is coming along slowly. I still haven't worked out the rear shock yet but I'm getting closer and more importantly I'm learning something with every failure. This is the ride height I'm looking to get. The next shock will be the Honda XR200R shock that I bought for $20.
You may notice that the old battery box is again mounted to the frame. It has been moved inboard and back just a bit. It clears the wheel and tire and barely shows behind the bodywork. You can also see the cable I hooked up to charge my battery with. It is permanently mounted on the bike, so nothing needs to be removed to charge the battery.
I hope/may to have something positive to post about the rear suspension this weekend.
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/7035/img1466bu3.jpg
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2262/img1468tz0.jpg
I have finally finished up my rear suspension and the other modifications I have been doing on my Viva VX200SX. The first picture shows the battery relocated up under the left side panel. The battery fits better in this location and the battery box has been strengthened to not fall off the bike. You can see that it doesn't stick out much from the side panel.
The bottom picture shows the bike at it's static height. It sits a good bit higher than stock but when I get on the bike it drops about 3". It now has 7 or 8" of rear travel. It's much like a dirtbike and has a very soft ride. Now something probably will need to be done to the forks to soften the ride. The bike doesn't want to idle very well and I'll need to change some settings in the carb tomorrow. After I get the carb sorted hopefully tomorrow, I will test ride the bike and report on how it handles. It feels much better than it did stock with the hardtail suspension.
Sorry for the fuzzy pictures!
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/3872/img1484md7.jpg
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/7761/img1480pk1.jpg
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/444/img1485yy9.jpg
msRandi
06-10-2007, 03:52 AM
Ok, I got lose. what shock did you end up runing and is it strate to the swing arm? I cant waint to hear how it works.
The shock is from a Honda XR200R. It is bolted directly to the swingarm on a mount that I made and welded onto the swingarm. The top mount runs straight up to the frame under the seat. This was needed to give me enough room for the shock. It's quite long! At first, I wasn't sure if it would work. The shock has an adjustment ring and plenty of threaded body to tighten it down. This increases the stiffness of the shock making it work without the linkage!
More later!
TheOtherRide
06-11-2007, 04:24 PM
Looks great, Sam!
AZ200cc
06-11-2007, 04:30 PM
You should post a vid of the first real ride.
msRandi
06-11-2007, 06:37 PM
just let us know you have it up and runing.
A video of the first ride would not have been good.
I did manage to take it for a ride today and I want to thank everyone for their advice on adjusting the carb. It worked out well and you guys were right. I did everything you said and the bike idled and ran great. Also, I couldn't be happier with the rear suspension. It's soft and the seat is cush! I can hardly feel any bumps under my butt at all. It's better than I had hoped.
Here are a few pictures.
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/4658/img1491dq3.jpg
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6296/img1489dh8.jpg
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/119/img1488ei5.jpg
fatboy250
06-12-2007, 09:15 AM
One of the best looking china bikes around IMO. With the blue wheels and such. Keep up the good work.
Jason
msRandi
06-12-2007, 03:24 PM
OK it look way coool, nows it's time to start riding it, beleve me there will be a endless list of new things to do to it.But it's all fun if you like the ride. Oh and stuff for fixing new car bumpers should work on the tank. try a auto body supply store.
Yes, there will always be things that I want to do to the Viva. It was cheap enough that I can afford to mod it. The shock mounts are not finished. I ran out of paint and they are not the way I want them. They are just mocked into place for now. This winter I will strip the bike and rebuild the frame. It's crappy and the welds are weak. The tail ended up sitting too high so, I will fix the mounts and make the back a bit lower when I do that. The top mount needs to be boxed, it's already bent but it's safe to ride with. The shock could be a little stiffer too! For now, I am tired of working on it. I wanna ride! Of course, I need to fix the tank or get a new one before that can happen!
Thanks for the kind words everyone! I think it looks great too! It turned out much better than I had hoped for but you haven't really seen anything yet. I have more plans for it. After I rebuild the frame I want to powercoat it electric (Pacific) blue and install a new better headlight. pumpkin just did an H4 conversion and that's next on my list now. After the tank!
As I posted in my other thread, a new Hi-Bird tank has been ordered from Tom at RPM. It's bit different from the Viva tank and I don't think I will be able to access the fuel valve from the riding position. My thought is to cut a hole in the tank cover so I can turn the valve to reserve on the fly. For safety reasons, I think this is the best solution. I need to be able to reach that valve.
After I replace the fuel tank, my next plan is to streamline some of the wiring and try to find a new headlight. I don't want to have bulb issues, so I'll change that unit out. I'm searching for a headlight now. The stock headlight is the only thing vibrating on the bike when I ride it. In the picture below you can see that the headlight is sticking way out there in the wind. The headlight and it's heavy mounting brackets must go! The steering lock will also be removed as I don't need it either. When the headlight goes I may try a digital gauge unit from Trail Tech. It's an electronic unit that will enable me to remove the speedometer cable and the factory gauges. During my first ride, I noticed that the odometer does not display the correct mileage. If it doesn't work correctly I simply don't need it or want it on the bike. The front fender, beeping winkers and the dual horns will also be replaced. I have a complete Buell wiring harness and all the electronics from my old S1W.
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/119/img1488ei5.jpg
fatboy250
06-14-2007, 09:25 AM
I'm surprised you still have the skidplate, kickstart, and passenger footpegs and brackets. Bike still looks great though.
I would consider just putting the petcock on reserve and leave it. I just watch my miles and fill up again when I get to around 115miles cause at about 120miles I'm out of gas. Plus, these valves are cheap and won't last long going back and forth from reserve.
I'd be interested in what you come up with on the headlight. I haven't seen many economical solutions that are as good as just replacing the bulb with a 45W BA20D type.
Keep up the good work.
Jason
I'm not sure I'll come up with an economical solution for replacing the headlight. Hopefully, I'll just come up with a solution. Baja Designs makes a great headlight but it's $400 or so.
Putting the tank on reserve is a good idea. Gee, didn't really think about doing that :oops: I usually turn it off when I'm not riding, so I'll still be turning the valve at some point.
I've thought about removing all the stuff you mentioned but I'd like to keep all of it. The steel skidplate could get the axe, if I decide to make one out of aluminum myself. I may add removable passenger footpegs from a GY-5. The stock brackets could easily be cut off. That's something for next winter.
Thanks for the tips!
olds_cool
06-14-2007, 10:33 PM
[quote= thinking it was a better bike because of the american part of the name[/quote]
:lol: :roll:
IronFist
06-15-2007, 10:47 AM
The stock headlight is the only thing vibrating on the bike when I ride it. The headlight and it's heavy mounting brackets must go!
Rode at night last night for the first time. My light was suprisingly bright. Local bike shop seems to have no problem getting bulbs for me.(haven't done headlight bulb yet) Mid revs causes light to vib. Sounds like my keys rattling on handle bars but way louder. I have grabbed my keys while riding hundreds of times to see if the noise would stop. Where the light brackets on to the fork is not right, but it can't fall off. Eventually I want to get an old chrome bubble light, but for now just glad that it serves it's purpose. Shocked that the vib hasn't broken the filiment in the bulb. This bike keeps happily suprising me. :D
katoranger
06-15-2007, 10:56 AM
I have found replacement bulbs at denniskirk.com and fatboy added them to the cross reference list. The have 35,45, and 60 watt bulbs.
Allen
I saw where Fatboy added the bulb information. Personally, I just don't like the headlight or it's placement on the bike. It's hung way out there in front of the bike and shakes all over the place. The buzzing and vibrating bothers me. My engine doesn't seem to be shaking much at all but that light is a different story. I pulled out my Dennis Kirk catalog lastnight and looked through it. They have a couple of nice lights that would work well on the Viva. I may just go ahead and order one.
Fatboy has me thinking about those footpegs and skidplate now! :roll:
katoranger
06-15-2007, 11:46 AM
I don't care much for the stock light either, but it functions for now. I discovered the bulb by looking at the UFO lights on denniskirk and some of them use the same bulb.
A tighter fitting assembly would be nice.
Allen
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