My 09 Lifan LF200 GY-5 restore thread

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by nyvdub89

...Oh well you live and you learn with these Chinese bikes.

You are a kindred spirit, and a true China Rider.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by Xrrl

Hmm..you could be right. Why do you say that? I've yet to compare it to a GPS but it feels in the +-5mph area for what the actual speed would be.

My Lifan tach was ridiculous, and I don't trust them. Can you borrow a tune-up tach from an old-school mechanic? Prehaps you could compare your tach with a decent instrument.

I also don't trust China speedometers. A GPS comparo is a good idea.

[nyvdub89]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

You are a kindred spirit, and a true China Rider.

Thanks Spud!

[nyvdub89]

I will never ever EVER wrap a seat again. At least not one with this bad of a curve. I must be missing 5 of the 7 layers of skin on my fingers and they've been callused for years from guitar playing. :( Not really but in all seriousness the curve on my seat made it hard. And it's not perfect. Darn! And yes, those were staples I had to pull out to stretch the vinyl even more. -__-

[Weldangrind]

I think you did a nice job. If you want to tackle it again in a few days, you could likely get rid of the wrinkles altogether.

[nyvdub89]

I might do that. I'm not too concerned as I've said. This isn't a $8000 motorcycle. Although I've spent a whole $100 so far on it.

[SpudRider]

I agree with Weld. I think you did a pretty good job. However, I bet you can do even better if you keep after it.

[nyvdub89]

I'm kind of in a pickle with my carburator. I was getting a cut out between idle and 1/4 throttle telling me I needed to either adjust my pilot screw or increase my pilot jet. I adjusted the screw, lost my perfect position of idle and had to start from scratch. I followed the rule of thumb to start at 3 full turns backed off from all the way in. Unfortunately that wasn't the sweet spot. I've tried everywhere in terms of half turns from 1 - 4 out from snug. I'm not sure if I need a new pilot jet because I don't have my entire air filter assembly on. I was going to throw mesh over the tubing that ran behind the air filter because my filter is completely shot and the sealant around the housing that connected it to the tube rotted away. At 3 1/2 turns out I was getting a puff of white smoke from ignition but it wouldn't stay running. Any suggestions?

[Weldangrind]

First, if you need to turn the pilot mixture screw out more than two turns, your slow jet is too small (assuming it's clean).

Second, the needle comes into play by about 1/4 throttle, so perhaps you need to move the clip. I'd move it down one notch and try again.

[nyvdub89]

I'm kind of lost because everything I know about carburstors says a pilot jet too small would lean the a/f mixture out but I pulled my plug and it was running rich. As for the clip, I'm not sure what you mean by that. My fuel mixture screw has a spring above it ans that's it.

[Wild_Alaskan]

running with no air filter will increase off idle bog. i found these gy-5 ran better down low tuned wrong. turn the mixture screw in a little more than it should be and compensate for the rpm loss by adjusting the idle up to the proper setting

also it is possible to get a cover over this curve just keep at it, took me a couple hours and I've done several seats before, this was by far the hardest.

[nyvdub89]

That bag of frosted flakes looks amazing, WA.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by nyvdub89

I'm kind of lost because everything I know about carburstors says a pilot jet too small would lean the a/f mixture out but I pulled my plug and it was running rich. As for the clip, I'm not sure what you mean by that. My fuel mixture screw has a spring above it ans that's it.

Time for some theory.

• The slow jet is a fixed jet that you can unscrew and replace. It is responsible for idle.
• The pilot mixture screw is the transition that takes you from idle to main.
• The jet needle is pulled out of the main jet as the throttle is opened, and the base height setting determines mid-range behaviour.
• The main jet is a fixed jet that you can unscrew and replace. It is responsible for 3/4 to WOT.

You'll find the jet needle within the slider. If you unscrew the top cap where the throttle cable enters, you can remove the slider assembly. The jet needle pokes out the bottom of the slider, and the base height of the needle can be adjusted by moving the circlip to a different position. If you move the clip down one notch, it will run richer in the midrange.

For setup, the slow jet needs to be big enough to flow the right amount of fuel to meet the air intake and exhaust. The right slow jet will allow the engine to idle properly and warm up quickly.

With a warm engine, you should be able to open the throttle quickly without (much) bogging or hesitation. Adjust the pilot mixture screw to create a smooth throttle opening. If you need to open the pilot mixture screw more than two turns, the slow jet is too small.

The jet needle controls the midrange, which is from 1/4 to 3/4 throttle. If there is a stumble in the midrange, try moving the clip down one notch. Did that make it better or worse? Move the clip as necessary.

At 3/4 to WOT, the main jet is on it's own. If it behaves like it's running out of fuel at the top end, it's too small.

Think of your carb like a relay race: slow jet / pilot mixture screw / jet needle / main jet. Make sense?

[nyvdub89]

Yes. I understand that all. I'm just lost in that I had it perfect by a fluke and now I can't get it to run at all anymore.

[nyvdub89]

My headlight came in while I was in Wildwood! Wooooo! It has integrated headlights and blinkers. I wanted to do the UFO headlight but that can be later because at the moment I just want the bike to pass inspection. So here is my non-DOT headlight that was a whole $29.