Baja / Zhejiang X250 Upgrade Thread
 

Hi, all,

I posted a bit about myself and my 2007 Baja / Zhejiang X250 in an Intro thread: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=14247

I haven't done much else with the bike since that first race outing back in November except ride it around my yard and around the neighborhood.

I've decided that I'm more of a dual-sport guy so I've decided to convert the ol' girl to at least the appearance of street legality. I've got a dual-sporting trip planned up to Suches GA in 3 weeks and this bike will be going along. I thought I'd do a bit of a thread on the project.

Here's where we started:


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So, there a fair bit of stuff to do to make this look like it's street legal. Plus, there's a bit of maintenance stuff to do as well.

More to follow...

Well, since the tires are nearly new, I'm not going to replace them yet, even though they're not DOT-legal. Gonna have to take my chances there. Gotta go careful around the corners on the street as well.

Equipment I'll need is lights, blinkers, horn, mirrors. Some other stuff will be valve clearance check/adjust, gearing changes, carb upgrade to Mikuni, oil change.

Here's the 'universal' headlight I have. My son picked this up somewhere and he gave it to me. It has a high/low beam, and even has integral blinkers. You can also just catch a glimpse of the tail / brake / license plate assembly I'll be using sitting on the bike to the right in the background.


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I ordered a universal headlight/hi-low/blinker/horn switch off ebay, and while I wait for it to show up, there's other stuff to do. This bike, for some reason, came with the kill switch / e-start button assembly mounted on the LEFT handlebar. Now that I've got the light switch assembly coming, I decided to swap sides so the switches will all be in their "normal" places.

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On this bike, the front brake lever assembly had what was a safety switch. You were supposed to have to squeeze the brake lever for the e-start to be able to work. I bypassed that, but it left a perfectly nice switch available for use as a brake light switch. I'll maybe one day add a rear brake light switch. I've seen hydraulic switches that install right at the banjo bolt in the system. It's not top priority, since I'll at least have a brake light off the front brake for now.

I decided to check the valve clearances while the tank was off. This bike was ultra-quiet from the top end. Plus, it never did like to kick-start.

Good thing I checked, too. Intake and exhaust had basically zero clearance. Couldn't slide the 0.002" feeler gauge in at all. So, I reset 'em to 0.003" intake and 0.004" exhaust. Slappy valves are happy valves and all that. :)

I was surprised at the difference - it will kickstart right up first kick. I use the e-start, but it's very nice to know the kicker is an option now.

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The bike also needs a gearing change for street riding. It came with 15/48 gearing with a 420 chain, and it tops out at about 35 ~ 40 mph in 5th. I've got a 16-tooth front sprocket on the way. I bought one for a Honda SL125, since they're interchangeable.

The rear sprocket, though, is a mystery. I've read other threads that talk about measuring the center hole diameter and the bolt circle dimensions and ordering based on that. I did an on-the-bike measurement and got about 2-1/16" for the center hole. Bolts are 2" apart and about 2-7/8" apart on the diagonal.

Anybody have any details or interchangeability hints?

I'll make a decision on number of teeth based upon how it drives with the 16-tooth up front. I'm thinking 45 or even 42 or so.

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And that's about all for now. More updates to come when parts start arriving. Woo Hoo!

Kirk

Nice posts and pictures. Are the hand guards fitted with LED's to act as indicators? Odd sizes on the rear sprocket you are getting is probably because it's metric so you need to measure in mm as any replacement will almost certainly be in mm's.

Jeff

Thanks. Good point on the measurements. I'll wait and see how the bike rides when the 16-tooth front sprocket shows up. If it still needs to be geared taller, then I'll take the rear wheel off and measure more accurately before I order something.

The handguards don't have anything but stickers on 'em. I had been thinking about mounting some kind of indicator on them until my son came up with the headlight with those integral blinkers.

I picked up a $20 pair of generic mini-blinkers to use on the back. They'll get mounted directly on the tail light assembly.

I'll pick up an electronic blinker flasher from the auto parts store.

Gotta figure out something for a horn, too. I might have a spare laying around. Otherwise, something generic will do.

Then mirrors.

For now, I don't have any speedo / odometer. The biggest hurdle there is going to be a drive assembly from the front wheel. The bike currently has nothing, so I'm not sure what to do there. We'll see.

Speedo - get an electric one - stick a magnet to the disk and the sensor on the fork and then you dont have to worry about speedo drives etc. Also, it can be configured to your wheel size so you can get fairly accurate reading.

Interestingly, in the UK, you are not legally required to have indicators on your motorcycle. However, once fitted it is a legal requirement that they work properly.

This is from eBay UK, but a search on eBay US will find similar

Digital Speedo

There are lots of different types, cheap to "how much!?"

Jeff

Excellent write-up and pics.

Interesting that your bike came with a Keihin clone and a 420 chain. The Canadian version of that bike had a Mikuni and a 428.

Do you have a cat in the exhaust header?

D'oh! My mistake - it IS a 428 chain, not a 420.

As for what carb the bike came with, I don't really know for certain. When I got the black bike, it didn't have a carb at all. When I got the silver/red parts bike, it had the Keihin clone PZ30 carb, but since so much was missing from that bike in general, I wouldn't swear at all that that's the carb that IT came with either. The owner was just a 19-year old young guy who had been hacking around at it. And HE wasn't the original owner either...

I don't THINK the header has anything in it. The bike didn't have a header pipe, so that one came off ebay. Was brand new, not used. It has a bulge in it like some of the aftermarket manufacturers use. Power Bomb or something like that... :)

Kirk

Very cool. I love the split rail frame on your bike. Getting to the top of the engine and carb looks so easy (once the tank is off).

So with 15/48 sprockets... and 5 speeds... you can only reach ~ 40mph? Wow... those must be super low gears... which I guess makes sense if it is an offroad dirt bike... not an enduro. Mine with 15/46 sprockets and 5 speeds... can reach ~55mph.

Your header has the looks as though it might have a cat in it. It's the same size and location as the one on my header. Perhaps it does...

Cheers!

Well, the top of the engine is easy to reach that's true, as is the top of the carb. Overall, though, the carb is a real PITA to access. It sits right between those frame rails and it wants more delicate hands than mine to reach in there. Sigh.

The bigger frustration, as far as I'm concerned, is that frame design makes it dern near impossible to swap on a larger tank. Almost all tanks around are meant for a conventional backbone type frame or are fit very specifically for some other frame rail dimensions. And at 0.8 gallon capacity, that tank REALLY needs to be changed out. :)


Well, I don't know exactly how fast I'm going, and I don't know what RPMs its turning. It just feels and sounds like its really wound out in 5th and I'm not really going that fast thru the neighborhood. And second gear is barely above walking speed!

Interesting about the possibility of a cat. It never occurred to me to look or check. Huh.

The gear set is identical between street bikes and dirt bikes with these motors; there's no distinction made at the factory level. I suspect it's going faster than Kirk realizes.

Kirk, a 17 tooth on the front would wake it right up. That's easier and cheaper than a rear sprocket.

Back when these bikes first came out, there was a competing China bike that was called a Hummer, and it had a much larger capacity. There isn't much that can be done about your tank, unless you're prepared to graft a conventional back bone in.

I'm now starting to wonder if your clutch is slipping; that may be why it's screaming but not actually going that fast. If the PO put regular 10W30 in it, the friction discs might be slipping. The good news is that the friction discs are cheap.

I'd run something through the header to see if there is indeed a cat in there. If there is, there's horsepower hiding in it.

U need a tool like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/151294063048 & ensure which type 1st http://chinariders.net/showpost.php?...3&postcount=13

Yeah, I'm probably going faster than I realize. Or, it could be lower in the rev range than it sounds. I never really held it for any length of time in 5th. When it's back together, I'll have my son ride alongside me on his bike, and we'll see what it's really doing.

I've just ordered up a 17-tooth sprocket as well. At first, I didn't see a 17-tooth available anywhere, so that's why I got the 16. After a bit more digging, 17s are indeed available. Don't know how I missed 'em. D'oh.

Anyway, the lights/blinker/horn switch arrived yesterday, so I installed that, and have been working on all that wiring. Picked up a flasher at the auto parts store and that's working and the headlight is working (all with temporary wiring yet). Gotta do the rear light setup including the rear blinkers. I think I have a spare horn somewhere, too.

Chugging along, chugging along.


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I wish we could still dual sport our dirt bikes here. The gov't took that away from us about five years ago.

:tup:Wow, what was the "excuse" they gave?

They don't need to. The same ministry that makes the decisions also controls insurance and registration.

All the electrical work is done. Lights, blinkers, horn, tail & brake lights. Woo Hoo! The handlebar switch even has a cutesy blue LED for when high beam is on. Ha. Don't really plan on doing any night riding, but at least the whole thing looks street legal.

Mikuni carb arrived Saturday. Jets should arrive Monday or Tuesday, along with 16- and 17-tooth front sprockets and mirror perches.

Now I just gotta figure out how to get more fuel capacity.


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I really like that LED idea; it means you don't need to add one to the dash.

NIce job!!

I would be amazed if anyone noticed high beam on some bikes - mine has a 35/35 bulb which is just brighter than a candle. I have ordered a 35/35 halogen to see if it makes a difference. It is a Bosch BA20d fitting so couldn't just swap an H4. One for the future.

Do you need a high beam warning light (legally)? I don't know but I am sure this is a new fangled decision of manufacturers just to add things "because they can" :)

OK, here's one that's a bit embarrassing to admit:

Yesterday, when the carb came, the mailman brought it up to the door and rang the doorbell. Great! So, today, when I was all done with the wiring stuff, I realized I had never brought in, nor even seen, any OTHER mail from yesterday. So, out to the mailbox, and there are my jets, stuffed in the mailbox! I was torn between happiness that they're here, and frustration that the mailman, as long as they were coming up to the front door, didn't bring ALL the packages up...

So, of course, I had to jump right on the carb install. Done and done. I swapped out the 20 / 100 (pilot / main) jets that it came with and went with the 27.5 / 112.5 jets from Jets R Us. The idle mixture screw was at 3/4 turns open, so I set it to 1.5 turns open. The needle clip was in the very lowest (richest) notch, so I set it right in the middle.

Started right up perfectly. No choke at all, so I think I might be even a tad rich at idle, but I'm not going to worry about it. Crispy off idle, too. Idle speed was a bit high, and it's a real PITA to get at the idle speed screw with that perimeter frame. At high speed, it's running just maybe a bit lean. I maybe shouldn't have messed with the needle clip at all. Sigh. Or maybe it'll need a 115 main. Changing the main isn't difficult (although I didn't order a 115), but getting at the slide now that the sidecovers, seat and tank are all back on is a chore. We'll see... I'll have to ride it more - I might just leave it the way it is. Haven't looked at the plug, though.

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So, when I was out for a ride, I had my daughter follow behind me in her car - it wound out at about 48 mph. I didn't hold it wide open or anything, but it just sounded like it was revving pretty hard, not having a tach.

So, when the sprockets show up, I'll do a bit of experimenting. I think the 16 will fit with no chain mods, but I think the 17 might require a longer chain. I'm partial to the 17, since I'd like a more relaxed road ride, and it's already geared low enough in first for the casual trail riding I do. We'll see how it performs.

That, and mirrors, and I should be good to go!

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You've done a great job, it looks really good.

Glad to hear that it fired right up for you. Excellent pics.

So, the perimeter frame on the right side blocks the idle speed screw?

Thanks. So far, so good on the running. It's just a bit lean at mid- to high-rpms. Pops and stutters a bit. Putting on the choke one 'click' makes it better. I don't know if the 'proper' fix would be to raise the needle or use a larger main. Like I said earlier, changing the main is w-a-y-y-y easier than getting at the top of the carb again. The seat, tank & bodywork is a Chinese jigsaw puzzle to get all back together again.

Yeah, the perimeter frame looks neat, but IMO, it's a pain in the behind. Blocks access to the carb, blocks access to the head cover for valve adjustments, makes fitting a larger tank much more challenging.

But don't get me wrong - I'm loving the bike overall. Physically small, lightweight, and very good performance if you keep in mind I'm a fat guy on a tiny machine... :D

It's funny - I don't know how much of it's 'goodness' is by Chinese design and how much is 'luck' by copying the Japanese, but the thing sure does spec out nice - 250cc 4-stroke, e-start, plenty of charging capacity for add-on goodies like I've done, disk brakes front & rear with twin-piston calipers and braided stainless steel brake lines, inverted fork with separate compression and rebound damping adjustments, mono-shock linkage-type rear suspension, wide heavy-duty footpegs, folding shifter lever, and I'm also impressed with the ground clearance and the sturdy frame rails below the motor with no hanging down obstacles to snag on stuff out in the woods. And for me, I've got less than $600, all in (assuming my time is free).

But, on this site, I'm preachin' to da choir - can I git an Amen! :tup:

Kirk

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Amen! :D

Man, I'd be so tempted to relieve the frame where the idle screw is obscured. I'd probably weld in a piece of round tube that I chopped in half, just so the screwdriver would make it in there.

If you remove the tank and seat, is it still difficult to remove the carb and get at the valve cover?

Preach it! Very cool looking dirt bike turn enduro!

Do you have an airbox in there? And where does your battery sit? The backend is so slim with huge wheel gap... makes it look really high in the back.

Cheers!

Ha! It's funny you mention that, because I was sorely tempted to do just that with a drill... But, the frame tubing is kind of 'angled' at that point, and it would be tough to drill a hole there with a hand drill. I used a small bit from a bit-driver set to adjust the idle speed. Watch out for the hot exhaust pipe, tho.

No, with the tank and seat off, access to the valve cover is perfectly easy. Carb access to remove it is a bit cramped, but I have large-ish hands. Smaller hands or fingers would make it easier. But, all in all, getting the carb out isn't really any more difficult than on a regular kind of frame.

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The thing that makes it a pain is a combination of semi-poorly fitting plastics and my own mods.

First, off come the side covers to allow access to the seat bolts. Then, the seat and rear fender are a combined assembly and come off all together, so all the rear electrical wires have to be disconnected. Then, since the fender with the weight of the tail light 'n blinkers is otherwise unsecured, I've added a zip tie or two to keep it all from flopping around. So, those have to be clipped. The gas tank is a bit of a wonky fit, and the fuel hose has a torturous routing since there's no petcock. I had to add the in-line shut-off valve and again, all that stuff is held in by a couple zip ties here and there. And the tank wants to pinch the throttle cable if you don't get it all lined up just perfectly on reassembly. So, whine whine whine, complain complain complain. :cry: :D

Well, as for the gap, you gotta remember, that's only a 16" back wheel, so the scale might be a bit deceiving. But yeah, it's very slim out back and there's a large gap. Kind of the modern MXer styling.

Yep, there an airbox and battery and all the misc electrics (starter solenoid, misc relays and wiring) all in there. The bike has a bolt-in rear subframe. Directly behind the shock is the airbox. The carb sits in the frame at an angle in front of the shock and the snorkel between the carb and the airbox curves around to the left side of the shock. The misc electrical bits are mounted on and around the airbox.

The battery box is directly behind the airbox. It's a pretty small battery for an e-start bike, but it seems to be doing the job. The battery box is directly exposed to the rear tire. That is, the rear and bottom of the battery box and of the airbox form the rear 'inner' fender, such as it is. Any rocks and mud and such are flung directly at the rear of the battery box. The bottom of the seat pan has a bit of a lip that extends down behind the battery box, protecting it a little, but not much.

Here's some pictures from when I was first resurrecting the thing.



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Cool. Quite interesting and condensed packaging in there. Well hidden from the outside.

Still like the look of the frame...even with all the downsides!

Cheers!

So, we went up to the mountains of northern Georgia this past weekend and did the 21st annual "Hooch" 2-day dual-sport ride in the Chattahoochee National Forest, put on by the Georgia Recreational Trail Riders Assoc.

2 days of 65% forest service roads, 25% paved mountain twisties, 10% pretty rugged jeep trails. The event headquartered out of the Skeenah Creek Campground, about 15 miles from Two Wheels of Suches campground in Suches Georgia. Lunches both days and dinner Saturday was included.

The 250 performed great from beginning to end! Other than that miniscule tank, it was great. Plenty strong enough to haul my 210-lb girth (not including gear!) up and down the trails! My son went along on the 'mothership' XT225, carrying a gallon of fuel for me, tools and water/snacks. I refueled at about 45 miles, then again at lunch, etc. All together, I put about 150 miles on the bike. We skipped out on the 'official' Sunday morning bit, opting to do a bit of exploring on our own, including some regular hiking.

Got a lot of positive comments at the campground from folks wondering what it was. Gotta have thick skin riding this in a pretty hard-core group like that. Lotta serious drinkers of the orange KTM Kool-Aid there. Quite a few plated 'legal' 2-stroke racers there too. :tup:

I'm ready to go back!

Kirk

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Here's our little group somewhere Saturday morning - my son on the mothership, my buddy on his DRZ400 and his 70-yr-old Dad on a Kawasaki SuperSherpa 250.

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That looks like great fun! It's cool that someone hauled an easy-up for you.