Could not help but put some parts on the frame.

However actual assembly will happen at ground level.

Finishing the frame last day of Winter here in Australia was a goal achieved.

Got to focus on house renovations now, but I will continue to tinker on the bike when time and parts presents itself.

Hey, sorry about not having much to comment on, I think you're doing great! Is this happening in real time? If so, you're doing amazingly well! What is your day job?

Hi Franque,

I purchased the bike start of February this year.

But after I had a good look at it and the oil was glitter paste and magnetic scrags I lost the will to peruse the restoration.

I cleaned the original carburetor and got the engine idling and revving but I didn't want to invest time and money into the engine given the condition.

So I put the project on hold and started looking at Chonda engines both the OHV and OHC are available new for around $800AUD which I considered but was just a bit to rich for my budget intentions.

Then the used CG250 just appeared on my version of Craigslist $80 with what was left of the wiring loom and the exhaust system. It was close to home and at that point I felt the universe align in favor of the project happening.

It is not real time, but all up its not that much time considering thus far.
just the tedious numbing bits can make it feel drawn out sometimes. waiting on parts and still much buttoning up to do.

but sometimes that's a good thing for the mind and soul.

I was clinically diagnosed with schitzotypal personality disorder about 7 years ago making me eligible for disability benefits. I prefer to keep to myself at home and garden as an introvert with the company of my dog, aquariums and bee hives.

My lifetime home was thankfully relinquished to me after the old man moved out and took his narcissistic trash that robbed me of 10 years of life. But that ordeal has left the house in a poor neglected state so I need to restore it too.

I needed a distraction and I'm in mid life crisis territory so saving an old motorbike seemed like a worthwhile endeavor. while vicariously healing my mental issues at the time.

But as you can see the bike is turning out pretty decent so nothing to worry about eh.

At some point will need to learn to ride and get my license too :)

I am not trying to show off I am just trying to give a little hope to anyone in a life rut, that it can be done by anybody and is worthwhile.

I appreciate it, and your transparency. I have different but also really difficult family issues, I'm glad to see you're in a good place, and that you could join us here. I'm not one to 'like' a bunch of things, but I'm enormously enjoying your thread.

To quote Tolstoy, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way".

As we say in the states (though I'm in France now), keep on trucking! Or, du courage if you prefer something similar in French!

It's all good, not in it for the social credentials.

As a bee keeper the sentiment is "the honey is sweeter when you've been stung a few times"

She's coming together real nice. :tup: I wish i had time for a project like that. I had an old Honda 200X three wheeler that i use to race many years ago. I wanted to restore it but didn't have the time or money. The only good thing that happened was the guy i sold it too did have the time and money and had restored it back to like new condition. I saw it a few moths back. It looked better than it did when i bought it. Ran just as good too. He let me take it for a spin. :D

thanks Jerryhawk250,

I don't think the $ is all that much different relative to outcomes. I'd say i'm still under an out of the box Chinese bike as far as cost of parts and materials. What I feel justifies the 'expense' is the knowledge and skills gained and a confidence in the quality of build...that sort of thing money can't always buy.

The time is the determining factor, but when you don't have deadline to the project then chipping away at it is all that is required.

I don't feel its been all that long to get to where I'm at now.

But it is important to find the right candidate for a foundation. Some are just to far gone to be revived.

Seems some of the Chinese bikes are just out of the box rebuild projects too.

My used engine had a missing sprocket cover,

luckily for me they are easily replaced, think I paid around $20aud shipped.

earning some chinesium points now.

Any hoo, had to give it the custom chop n fit treatment.

Doing an amazing job! I'd LOVE to do something like this now that I'm retired but the biggest problem here in CA is simply finding something like your XL185 to work on!
My brother in law has an XL250 that's roached but I don't think a CG would drop into it.....

Hello 2LZ,

If people can put 140cc in Trail70s, a 190cc in ct110/posties

and I can fit a cg250 in an xl185.

I would be pretty confident a Chonda 250/300 would swish into an XL250 or XR of similar stature. It's basically the same engine.

The roached part is the issue, terminal rust and bent/cracked frames is out of my league. Here in Australia we don't have the population or massive bike riding culture so there isn't a glut of clapped out old Hondas here either. Every now and then they pop up. I actually found my bike when I was inquiring about a Yamaha AG200.

I am a firm believer in fate and destiny if your intentions are in the right place and you apply effort the universe tend s to reward you with a little patience.

You won't know if you don't try, no harm in asking your brother. the price might worth it regardless and if it doesn't work out some one else might make it.

Hey 2LZ,
Looking at an XL250 the engine mounts will take some fudgery and customization. I think it could be done but not a drop in fit like the engines based off Honda's original 125cc.

anything between XL/XR 125/200 seems to be compatible* for a direct swap CG clone.

I kept investigating 2LZ,

I think with a bit of bracket fabrication and if inclined to make/relocate a top engine mount a cg250 should would work.

found a xl250 reproduction bare frame image to wrap your head around and ponder.There appears to be some variation between years and models.

your brother in law's xl250 honda engine might be a keeper anyway.

Lipstick on a pig,

those with a keen eye will notice I filled in the 'Zongshen' embossed branding on the engine.

I used JBweld to fill in and sanded back flat along with any dents and scrapes.

Did they sell the CG in Oz?

Hi Franque, yes the Chinese Honda clones are available in Australia, but I don't think any of them were fitted to road going motorbikes. As I mentioned previously I considered buying a new motor for about $800 but I could have bought a much better bike to start with with that kind of money. Then I found this used CG250 cheap so yeah...

From what I can tell all the engines used in the Australian market are intended for dirt/off road use.