New TMEC 200

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the additional, great photos, Brockway! You got a very nice bike.

If you want to protect the oil seal on your shock absorber, I suggest you add a mud flap to the back of the airbox on your bike. If the bottom of your shock gets muddy/gritty, the piston shaft will transport mud into the oil seal, and ruin it. :( If this happens, your shock will leak oil, and lose it rebound and compression damping; in effect, you will be riding a on a rear spring which acts as a pogo stick. :(

When I lost the stock mud flap on my Zong, I fashioned a new one from a diesel tractor mud flap. I attached my new mud flap to the back of the airbox with hex head bolts and fender washers.

http://chinariders.net/modules.php?n...asc&highlight=

Spud

[driller]

After looking at a closeup of pic 5 of your last series of pictures I suspect as well your cable is broken. Look right above the connection to the wheel hub and notice the sharp bend, probably broke right there. 8O

[culcune]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

I'm very happy with the speedometer, and the speedometer cable on my Zongshen 200GY-2. My speedometer and odometer are still working perfectly after 42,000 miles.

Spud

We don't want to hear about your perfect bike with 42 billion miles, blah, blah, blah!! :?

[culcune]

Brockway. so you ordered from Supersportz? I had called them out of curiosity, and I guess they prep the bike and bubble-wrap it and send it out. There is another outfit near them who sell the TMEC's wholesale, but unassembled. I spoke with them, too, and the guy I spoke with said the TMEC president comes to the US. I would love to sit down with him and pick his brain. Anyway, enjoy your bike!

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by culcune

We don't want to hear about your perfect bike with 42 billion miles, blah, blah, blah!! :?

I was thinking the same thing, but the truth is, yeah I do want to hear about it.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by culcune

We don't want to hear about your perfect bike with 42 billion miles, blah, blah, blah!! :?

My Zong isn't perfect, but I have never had any problems with either the speedometer, or the speedometer cable.

Spud

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I was thinking the same thing, but the truth is, yeah I do want to hear about it.

I was merely trying to point out not all Chinese motorcycles have problems with either the speedometer, or the speedometer cable. I wasn't trying to make Brockway feel bad about his speedometer problems.

Spud

[wilserchinarider]

OK I'll come clean, previously I stated I am currently 0 - 3 w/ CB Speedometers. While true, here are the details:

1. Lifan speedo quit working immediately after I drowned the bike in a water hole last December, and then parked the bike outside in freezing temps. The following day the speedo was jumpy all over the scale and then quit working. OK, Im guilty of CB abuse.

2. Shineray / Hibird / hondoid had a flat front the other day just as we were getting ready to headout. Handy guy that I am, I stole the front wheel off the parts hondoid dirt bike, I installed the speedo hub and all appeared fine. Just the other day I notice that the speedo hub has spun 360 and the cable is fouled. OK, twice guilty.

3. My Zong came to me w/ the speedo cable missing. The "kid" PO stated that it was disconnected and he removed it to pass state MV inspection. Not sure what the root cause was, but let the record reflect the PO barely got passed legos on the mechanical aptitude scale.

Ok, there are the facts, can we blame China? Alright, I feel better now that the truth is free.

42,000 plus miles is a credit to both machine and mechanic, in other hands Spud's bike may not have lived past infancy, sad but true.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by wilserchinarider

42,000 plus miles is a credit to both machine and mechanic, in other hands Spud's bike may not have lived past infancy, sad but true.

Completely agreed. Spud's success is due to equal parts skill and blessing. I've certainly enjoyed being along for the ride on the Zong adventure.

[SpudRider]

I don't want to encourage the thread drift, but I feel obligated to make another post regarding my Zong. :roll: Forum member Max_Damage is also riding a high mileage Zong in Croatia. Several people have bought Zongs, and ridden them all over China, and Mongolia.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371656
http://www.danielmontejo.com/Picture...themachine.htm

I have had people tell me on the TW200 forum that I was "lucky," and I have performed extraordinary maintenance on my Zong, or it wouldn't have lasted so long. :roll: They are wrong. I haven't done anything extraordinary to keep my bike running for 42,000 miles. Also, the other riders around the world with high-mileage Zongs confirm that I was not merely "lucky" to get a good bike, manufactured on a friday. :roll:

The Zong has a great engine. The Zong is well manufactured. My Zong is not pampered; it is ridden hard in the mountains of Idaho. I'm not lucky; the Zong is a good motorcycle. 8)

P.S. I have never had any problems with either the speedometer, or the speedometer cable on my Zong.

Spud

[FastDoc]

Spud's bike is good because it's a good bike.

It is long lived because it's a good bike AND Spud is a good mechanic AND a mechanically sympathetic operator .

As a Christian I don't believe in luck.

I also know MANY Japanese bikes that would not have lasted as long as Spud's Zong, ESPECIALLY considering almost all those miles were on hard mountain trails, and NOT going to the Mini-Mart for a cold pop.

That said China speedos tend to be crap :wink: .

My Q broke 2-3 cables, My Lifanoid was off about 10 MPH, My PP400's speedo swung violently.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

Spud's bike is good because it's a good bike.

It is long lived because it's a good bike AND Spud is a good mechanic AND a mechanically sympathetic operator .

As a Christian I don't believe in luck.

I also know MANY Japanese bikes that would not have lasted as long as Spud's Zong, ESPECIALLY considering almost all those miles were on hard mountain trails, and NOT going to the Mini-Mart for a cold pop.

That said China speedos tend to be crap :wink: .

My Q broke 2-3 cables, My Lifanoid was off about 10 MPH, My PP400's speedo swung violently.

Thank you, Brother Bill! Indeed, I don't thrash my Zong, but I still treat it as a dual sport motorcycle.

As far as maintenance is concerned, I merely change the engine oil regularly, and adjust the valves periodically. My bike needed an engine top end rebuild at 31,500 miles, but I don't think that is unusual for any air cooled, dual sport motorcycle. The Zong is simply a good bike, and I'm not the only rider who is getting good reliability from this motorcycle.

I also agree, Chinese speedometers tend to be crappy. However, the Zong's speedometer is a pleasant exception to this rule, and that was the only point I was trying to make, initially.

Spud

[Brockway]

Are speedo cables pretty interchangeable? So I could just grab one for a Suzuki DR and it would work?

[FastDoc]

It works for a Q I don't know about your bike. Look at microfiche on Bike Bandit and compare pictures to what you need.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Brockway

Are speedo cables pretty interchangeable? So I could just grab one for a Suzuki DR and it would work?

I wouldn't trust a Suzuki, DR speedometer cable to fit correctly. The Suzuki cable might have different connectors on either end, or the length might be either too long, or too short. I suggest you take your speedometer cable to a local motorcycle shop, and see if they can match your cable.

Spud