Just got a new China-ATV, unfamiliar with this one... help?

[Deckard_Cain]

Hey all, great forum here- I've researched and read many many threads and posts over time, finally decided to register and participate.

I have a TaoTao New Cheetah 110 that my 7yr old rides (and me too, more often than I probably should!), and that quad makes a lot of sense and is very simple.

I now have a new one that is a 150cc GY6 clone. It's branded as a "Dragon", by "Dragon Motor Sports". As we all know, brand name is largely irrelevant.

But, being new to the GY6 stuff, I can't quite figure this one out. Previous owners had ran it a few years back and it was fine (they were neighbors). They moved and sold it with the house (left it in the garage). It allegedly idled OK and ran at full throttle fine last week, but is said to run poorly at mid throttle.- I can't get it to start except with starting fluid. Charging battery now...

It's got the KF Standard of Japan type carb, electronic fuel enrichment it seems. No vacuum line to the fuel petcock, just screws into tank and has one line going to carb inlet. No clue which position is ON and which is OFF. any ideas?

Also, I don't know how many gears or what the shift pattern is on this thing. There is also a big lever on the right side of the engine, that I presume looks to be or might be a reverse engagement lever, but it seems to want to "pop" when I pull it up and push the quad either forward or backward.

Can anyone help me with the fuel petcock, the shift pattern (feels like 3-down, and then it always springs up), and with the right-side lever on the round bit that the chain sprocket is behind?

I know that it runs, shifts (if it has gears, cvt maybe?), and otherwise "works" as I had seen it being operated a few years back before it sat for about 1-2 years.

I feel I need to pull the carb and disassemble, drain the float bowl and maybe adjust the jets, check the diaphragm.... looks like the front plastic maybe have to come off to make this easier.

Thanks for any advice! And here are pictures to make all of this helpful...

[Deckard_Cain]

Edit to add that I installed a brand new NGK CR7HSA plug, verified solid strong spark, and the engine has good compression (tested with finger over hole method, gauge is not with me this weekend). Electric start only, so no kick start on this one.... and oil looks and smells good, no sparklies to indicate internal engine wear/damage.

[Douglass]

I believe the lever on the left side is a kick start as backup. The lever on the right side should just be forward, neutral, and reverse. Not sure about the fuel switch, but im sure if you unplugged the line going to the carb you will find which position is on and off.

Please post a picture of the carb. I would suggest pulling it out, and cleaning everything. I have the a similar engine in my Bull, and the carb is very sensitive to cleanliness. If you have a rubber diaphragm on the top, just use soap and water to clean it, not carb cleaner.

[JerryHawk250]

The GY6 has a CVC clutch so no gears to shift. Douglass has everything else covered.

[Deckard_Cain]

Originally Posted by Douglass

I believe the lever on the left side is a kick start as backup. The lever on the right side should just be forward, neutral, and reverse. Not sure about the fuel switch, but im sure if you unplugged the line going to the carb you will find which position is on and off.

Please post a picture of the carb. I would suggest pulling it out, and cleaning everything. I have the a similar engine in my Bull, and the carb is very sensitive to cleanliness. If you have a rubber diaphragm on the top, just use soap and water to clean it, not carb cleaner.

AH ok, so the left side lever that would be the gear shift on a typical motorcycle or my TaoTao is actually probably a kick start...interesting. And then the big lever on the right?

I'll pull the carb today and get it apart a bit, cleaned out as much as can be done. It starts and runs for a second on starting fluid, so I'm sure the carb just needs some help- if not complete replacement. It looks a lot like the PD24J carb that VMC sells. So roughly $20 for new is nice.

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

The GY6 has a CVC clutch so no gears to shift. Douglass has everything else covered.

So no neutral or reverse then huh? That'd be a bummer on an atv. Will investigate further..

thanks for the help and replies?

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by Deckard_Cain

I'll pull the carb today and get it apart a bit, cleaned out as much as can be done. It starts and runs for a second on starting fluid, so I'm sure the carb just needs some help- if not complete replacement. It looks a lot like the PD24J carb that VMC sells. So roughly $20 for new is nice.

So no neutral or reverse then huh? That'd be a bummer on an atv. Will investigate further..

thanks for the help and replies?

The shift on the right side is for forward neutral and reverse.
The carb looks to be the same as on my Coolster which is the PD24J. Try giving it a good cleaning. Make sure the slide moves easily. As Douglas stated they don't like being dirty. Make sure you have a good air filter. if all else fails get another carb.

[Deckard_Cain]

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

The shift on the right side is for forward neutral and reverse.
The carb looks to be the same as on my Coolster which is the PD24J. Try giving it a good cleaning. Make sure the slide moves easily. As Douglas stated they don't like being dirty. Make sure you have a good air filter. if all else fails get another carb.

Fantastic, thank you! I went out and tried the two levers .. .left side definitely a kick start, although it feels like it may be binding some, clicks and does turn the engine over, but only by perhaps half a crank rotation. Eh, so long as the electric starter works, I wouldn't use it anyhow.

The right-side lever for reverse and neutral, that's what it feels like for sure. UP feels like it engages "a gear", so that must be reverse. Good.. a couple hundred pound quad without reverse would be a pain. And DOWN must be neutral- with forward engaging as the engine rpm increases and the CVT pullies activate.

Looks as though to get enough room without hurting myself, I'll probably have to remove or at least loosen the front plastics. No big deal; then pull the carb. Definitely is a PD24J by the looks and style of it. VMC has them new for $19 and some change, which is great if all else fails.

Someone before me had the idle jet screw cranked all the way OUT, and the idle speed stop screw all the way IN. Yeah, I know form my Ninja 250 that that isn't right at all.

Thanks for all the tips so far everyone, I really appreciate it.

[JerryHawk250]

On my coolster I can remove the carb without removing any plastic but I had to remove the airbox which is a pain.

[dugndeep]

I just bought a Tao Bull 200,still processing the order,I wish it come with the kick starter for back up just in case.

[Douglass]

When you pull the carb, could you take a few pictures? Do you have an electric choke on the carb? Once the bike starts with starting fluid, will it stay running?

I'm suspicious that if you have a rubber diaphragm, that it is not opening, or working correctly. This is assuming that the carb, and the jets have been cleaned well.

[Deckard_Cain]

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

On my coolster I can remove the carb without removing any plastic but I had to remove the airbox which is a pain.

I was able to do the same, it was tight.... that big honking stock airbox is going to have to go! A uni filter is definitely on the want-to-buy list now.

Originally Posted by dugndeep

I just bought a Tao Bull 200,still processing the order,I wish it come with the kick starter for back up just in case.

Yeah, this one doesn't seem functional really.. but when they are, it is nice to have, but I wouldn't lose sleep or have regrets over not having one.

Originally Posted by Douglass

When you pull the carb, could you take a few pictures? Do you have an electric choke on the carb? Once the bike starts with starting fluid, will it stay running?

I'm suspicious that if you have a rubber diaphragm, that it is not opening, or working correctly. This is assuming that the carb, and the jets have been cleaned well.

OK, well, I already pulled it, cleaned and disassembled it, and re-installed it, sorry! I can pull it out again if need be. But it was exactly a PD24J carb. Electronic fuel enrichment valve. When it was started previously on starting fluid, it rev'd up and instantly died.

I pulled the whole carb apart and cleaned everything, ran a twist tie wire through the jets, not too bad.. the rubber diaphragm I half-expected to be torn, but it wasn't, but could stand a cleaning.

There was old gas residue on all the jets and their orifices, as well as the needle.

It tends to want a high idle adjustment, otherwise it comes close to and sometimes does stall when cold (perhaps the enrichment circuit is not working well?) and it still surges a bit at about 20-50% throttle. It's tons better than it was and is plenty usable and ride-able the rest of the season.

Getting used to the cvt is way different than I am used to, and the main drive chain on this thing is either way stretched, or the axle needs to be adjusted back a smidge to tighten it. How loose are they supposed to be to account for cvt slack anyhow?

Engaging reverse works, but it jerks when moving... I wonder how the cvt belt is, and if it is slipping causes some of those last issues.

It is a blast in the fun-zone though! For a 150, it sure does have a lot of power... suprisingly more than the Tao Tao 110. Not huge, but enough to notice. It's a great trail runner.

Appreciate all the help I got here in this thread! It really helped me get this girl going. I can post additional pics if requested as well.

[david3921]

Just curious, what's going on with the red and black wires in the second picture? The red one is bare and touching the rear brake pedal. Can't quite see where the black one is going.

[Deckard_Cain]

Originally Posted by david3921

Just curious, what's going on with the red and black wires in the second picture? The red one is bare and touching the rear brake pedal. Can't quite see where the black one is going.

Those are the battery leads. I had it removed to charge overnight after exhausting it trying to get it started.

The insulation near the terminal on the positive wire is indeed a little chewed up. I plan to replace/upgrade those as well as any other wiring that looks insufficient. So far nothing else looked damaged. The machine is in surprisingly solid shape.