Hawk DLX running lean

TominMO · 09-04-2021, 08:12 AM

Just on general principles, the first thing I would do is check the valve adjustment. If the pipe is glowing red close to the cylinder head, that tells me that too much heat is being trapped in the head because the exhaust valve is not opening sufficiently for proper transfer of the spent combustion gases.

These Chinabikes seem to be notorious for having too-tight valve clearances from the factory. I'm getting a Lifan X-pect next week, and before I even fire it up I will check the valve and spark plug gaps.

A basic rule of thumb for diagnosing problems in anything is start with first principles. In this case, fuel, spark, air, timing. If all that checks out, then go into more complex issues. Always try the simple and cheap fixes first.

And welcome from a fellow noob.

09-04-2021, 08:12 AM	#4
TominMO Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: De Soto, MO Posts: 1,887	Just on general principles, the first thing I would do is check the valve adjustment. If the pipe is glowing red close to the cylinder head, that tells me that too much heat is being trapped in the head because the exhaust valve is not opening sufficiently for proper transfer of the spent combustion gases. These Chinabikes seem to be notorious for having too-tight valve clearances from the factory. I'm getting a Lifan X-pect next week, and before I even fire it up I will check the valve and spark plug gaps. A basic rule of thumb for diagnosing problems in anything is start with first principles. In this case, fuel, spark, air, timing. If all that checks out, then go into more complex issues. Always try the simple and cheap fixes first. And welcome from a fellow noob.
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