The Moriarty MKII, a new project bike for a friend

A good mate of mine Pete (actually the bloke who bought the Churchill) is in the market for a new bike... I built another bike... but I wasn't happy with it, it's a great little performer, but he wanted something he could potter about with his bird on the back and also something with power and practicality....

Here's a picture of the bike I originally built for him but wasn't satisfied that it met his requirements (so it went to C-milk who can appreciate its performance orientated stance and handling).

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I happened to be wrenching on this bike at my local bike shop when I saw a GN125 clone stripped down for fixing and it clicked... This is the bike I want to build for Pete, it's bigger, more comfortable, safer and much better for carrying a passenger.

So... enter the piece of shit canvass:

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It runs.. but that's not important since I'm going to toss the engine anyway...

Why did I choose this rusty piece of crap? Well simply because the frame is salvageable, it has a new tank, the rear tyre is newish... and well because it's the right shape....

The first thing to do was to get rid of all the rust on the frame... this was done using a wire-brush attached to a grinder... I managed to also remove several layers of skin off of my one hand in the process (pain is for the weak).

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After removing every bit of offending rust (there was a lot)... I had to turn my attention to that awful swingarm:

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It was completely rusted through... and the swingarm bolt was rusted in place... I had to cut the bugger out with a grinder...

Coming up... things start to look better

- SerpentZA (youtube.com/serpentza)

We continue...

Long story short, a new swingarm, a pair of new rear shocks, and a fresh coat of paint on the rear frame and it ended up like this:

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What an improvement... but it took a lot of bloody work :P

I put the rear wheel back on (I'll be taking it off again tomorrow to clean and respray it)

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Next, I cleaned up a lot of the bits and pieces and then put it all back together... I was knackered and needed to call it a day....

Here's how the bike stands at the end of day one:

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Starting to look like something...

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Tomorrow the engine gets tossed and a lot of changes will happen to the front end... stay tuned...

- SerpentZA (youtube.com/serpentza)

good choice for a potterer/putterer. Those things have comfort as their main attribute and reliability as a back up. Going to go for the 250 implant?

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Originally Posted by zhu

good choice for a potterer/putterer. Those things have comfort as their main attribute and reliability as a back up. Going to go for the 250 implant?

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Yes, already ordered a 250cc Shineray engine.. I love those engines :P

What do you use to get rid of all the rust and aluminum/chrome oxidation? Seems it work really well. My bikes engine is a bit oxidized and I cant find good product to remove it as all the recommended ones are western and hard to get here. Have no idea about the Chinese ones

Quote:

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Originally Posted by modron

What do you use to get rid of all the rust and aluminum/chrome oxidation? Seems it work really well. My bikes engine is a bit oxidized and I cant find good product to remove it as all the recommended ones are western and hard to get here. Have no idea about the Chinese ones

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WD40... I bathe the bike in it and then scrape off the crud with steel wool or something similar... basically oil is the key ;)

Today was pretty productive... I started to work on the front end of the bike...

Firstly I have to explain that the entire front end of this bike is rubbish... here's what's wrong with it:

The forks are rusted pieces of crap, the speedometer and tacho are garbage (and don't work either), the triple tree/clamp is rusted and gnarly and the headlight mounts are rusty too... oh and I didn't mention that the speedo cable and the cable driver are seized and rusted too... basically the whole lot is garbage.... so where do I start?

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First thing was to remove the headlight so that I could get at the bolts holding on the speedo cluster... I could also get a closer look at all the rusty goodness that lay beneath...

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This bike has seen better days... actually... being bought by me is probably the best thing that has ever happened to this poor neglected turd...

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These are absolute garbage, maybe they worked once... way back in antiquity, strange thing is, a pikey at the shop almost tripped over himself with joy when I gave them to him because they "looked more beautiful than the ones on his bike".....

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Next I took all the rusty bits and brushed them down to bare steel with the steel brush/grinder combo (be careful with this, not only did I remove a lot of skin yesterday... but today ended up with a lot of wire splinters in my leg hand and even my cheek...)

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Here we can see some of my bits after their first coat of paint (more coats and a clearcoat were to follow later)....

Next we take care of those disgusting head bearings....

When taking off the triple clamp/tree, what was left of the crusty head bearings all fell out... they were rusted garbage in any case...

So... good time to replace them:

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Worn out and rubbish...

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brand new shiny head bearings :)

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You can't just install them raw like this, they need grease... so here comes the grease...

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Top and bottom all greased up and ready to be re-installed...while I was doing this, I ordered the new front forks...

In the next part the new front forks arrive...

Right, so the new forks were perfect, I put them on and now that everything was cleaned up and de-rusted things were starting to look good:

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The brand new forks and the nicely re-sprayed/de-rusted everything really go well together...

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Look at this rubbish disc brake... unacceptable! (so is the wheel rim... but sanding it down and re-spraying it is tomorrow's job)

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Ventilated discs are sooo much better.... remember this bike is going to be a 250 so it'll need that extra cooling!

Next.... the whole front end comes together!

Since I have to take the wheels off tomorrow anyway for a respray, I just loosely put the front back on... I then added my special speedo and extra special indicators...

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My new speedo bolted on with no problem, it is a very basic unit... but I like it that way, it has a trip meter, a speedo, a high beam indicator, turn signal indicator and a gear position indicator which shows: 0,1,2,3,4,5

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Next, the new handlebars were attached, they're much nicer more aggressive and lower than the original GN wannabe cruiser shyte, I also added my nice rubber grips and kill switch/ignition thing (note that it's exactly the same as what's on the Shineray X5... )

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The wheels will be resprayed tomorrow and this front tyre is going to be replaced with a nice Kenda 90/90/18.. just like my little CG... I really hate these bicycle style front tyres you find on all Chinese bikes...

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Looking smart...

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You can see the handlebar position better from the rear, it's looking great!

.... okay one or two more pictures before I call it a day...

Final shots as daylight faded... many an hour spent on this thing today...


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This bike is screaming "ride me"... :P

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The exhaust will have to change I'm guessing, but that will come after the engine change...

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Still a lot to do, but we can all get an idea of where this bike is headed...

Till next time....

- SerpentZA (youtube.com/serpentza)

Very impressive build speed.
Looks good too.
What is the budget like?

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Originally Posted by Wittrup Sport

Very impressive build speed.
Looks good too.
What is the budget like?

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So far around 5k (including the new engine etc)

no the bike is screaming put a seat on before you ride me !

Today since I have to work in the Afternoon I only had two hours to work on the bike.. I did however manage to sort out the front end!

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I brushed down and sanded the crappy alloy front wheel...

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Some Automotive matt black rattle-canning later...
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A new Kenda 90/90/18 (I love these tyres)

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And a new master cylinder for the front brake... now we're talking...

Next I add the new front disc, get the brakes working, add a new speedo driver and cable and basically finish up the front end...

Okay... time to take care of that shitty speedo driver:

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Begone foul filthy speedo driver!

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Hello new front end!

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Now the speedo is working and all hooked up...

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And the front brakes are like new (new pads, new disc, new master cylinder)....

stay tuned for more as it happens

- SertpentZA (youtube.com/serpentza)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Serpentza

WD40... I bathe the bike in it and then scrape off the crud with steel wool or something similar... basically oil is the key ;)

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Thanks

the bike looks pretty good.
Seems like a bit dear project ;) ....for Chinese standards i mean

amazing the difference the tires make! can't wait to see how it evolves.

I had to go to Dongguan to a friend's wedding today, so I was limited to about 2 and a bit hours of work on the bike today.. but I managed to do quite a bit:

First! Take out that crappy 125 engine (I traded it with the boss of the shop for the new front forks and new swingarm... fair deal as far as I'm concerned... it's a shit franken-engine anyway)...

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It's an easy one man job, but a car jack makes it much easier!

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Looking rather vacant....

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Once the engine was out, I could really get in there with the wire brush and remove all the rust (it's important! If you leave any rust behind, that shit will breed)

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Nothing better than getting rid of years of rust!

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It's easy to be lazy and paint over rust, but trust me... take your time and eliminate every single bit of rust you see.

Next, I paint the frame (the front part) and put it all back ready for the new engine!

- SerpentZA (youtube.com/serpentza)

It's important to paint several layers of paint... I know it's time consuming, but lay down a thin layer first, let it dry and then another... and then another until you're satisfied with the finish... the more layers the better (on the frame anyway).

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It's nice to have it stripped down to basics... although I discovered that the rear wheel rim is badly warped... so I'm going to have to buy a new one :(

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Next I installed the toolbox... this is very important as the battery is actually installed on top of this (also it's really nice to have a toolbox with a few spares (spark plug, spanners, cable ties etc)... this is going to be a Chinese bike after-all... foreign built... but well you know how it is...

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Next, a new air filter... I don't subscribe to the whole cone filter theory... lots of bike builders like to throw away air-boxes and use cone filters... I've done that in the past and on a rainy muddy, crappy day the cone filters get soaked and well... I'd rather have my engine breathing nice clean dry air..

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Nice new airbox (I'll only install it when I install the engine as it's a pain in the arse getting the engine in when this is already on the bike).

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And here it stands.... all nice, rust free... waiting for it's new engine :)

- Next update will be once the engine (or seat) arrives!

- SerpentZA (youtube.com/serpentza)

Good work. This is an interesting transformation.

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Originally Posted by Motofan

Good work. This is an interesting transformation.

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Thanks mate, I can't wait for the new parts to arrive so that I can continue!

These bloody holidays have delayed Taobao shipments big time... I'm still waiting for my engine/carb/levers to arrive, as well as the custom seat and black powder coated exhaust pipe....

I thought since I'm waiting for stuff that I would at least do a break-down of what the project has cost me so far:

Rubbish donor bike: RMB1600

Okay, now before you all jump up and down screaming "You paid what for that rusty pile of crap?" let me explain...
I have a very good relationship with this very well equipped village bike shop here in Buji, I paid 1600 but made a bit of a deal... the bike was running and being used, but in an awful state... so for 1600 I gave them the running engine back out of the bike, they gave me a new swingarm, new front forks, new rear shocks and a new air-box and toolbox... Also the reason why I chose this beater is that they had recently replaced the tank and side covers and they're brand new.. and black so it saves me having to paint them.

Engine, carb, switches and levers: RMB2300 approx

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http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=17985883171

The engine I chose was the Shineray CB250 engine, usually used in CQRs etc, the reason for this is that I've tried five different variants of this 250 engine:

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Engine: 6 speed GTY (Installed in the Churchill)
Verdict:
Good: Powerful, responsive and a great ride!
Bad: The gear changes are difficult and rubbish, no kick start.. impossible to find neutral when the bike is running

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Engine: 6 speed CBi500 with balance shaft (Installed in the Moriarty MKI)
Verdict:
Good: Smooth, good gear changes and reasonable power
Bad: Because of the balance shaft, you have to make a very complicated front custom engine bracket which is a pain in the arse! it's a 223, not 250 it's just not as powerful as some of the others, you can feel it... No kick start. (also three month wait since they were out of stock).

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Engine: Zhongshen generic version of this (was installed in my Bodgeworx 250 (CQR)
Verdict:
Good: Powerful, responsive and a great ride!
Bad: No kick start, The clutch was awful, as soon as the engine got a little hot it would start the whole crunchy clutch thing.. I actually replaced the clutch twice... I have a video about that on youtube.

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Engine: The Galaxy 223 version (in my XTR250)
Verdict
Good: Nice and responsive, good low end power where you need it on an offroad bike. (has a kick-start.. but the XTR frame got in the way.. stupid design)
Bad: Too rough for a bike that's going to be ridden on the road... it vibrates... a lot, also gear changes get crap when the engine warms up.


Engine: Shineray 250 (installed in Huizhou Ben's cafe racer custom and two friend's CQRs)
Verdict
Good: Powerful, solid, reliable, great ride! Has a kick-start!
Bad: Only 5 speed...

Out of all of them, this one is the most reliable and also the most cost effective... the engine costs RMB1800 and comes with it's cdi, a kickstarter and a few other bits and bobs... it also has the best pull out of all of the variants I've tried, I always recommend this engine and now three of my friends have this engine in either their project bikes or CQRs.
The "mikuni" PZ30 looks nice and gives the owner a good false sense of quality... it's simple and won't break so that combination works for me...

The reason why I use these engines is because they bolt directly into 125 frames, yes there is a little modification needed, but it' small stuff... sometimes the lower rear engine mount needs a bit ground off to make the engine fit (when I put the cbi500 in, this was the case) and with all of them the top engine mount needs to be modified or replaced, usually a grinder and a drill will sort you out.

Be sure that your donor frame is running the Honda clone engines and not the Suzuki ones, because the Suzuki clones have their electric starter on the front of the engine and so have different mounts etc and it's a pain in the arse... There are basically only two styles of motor, so you can't go wrong.

Other costs are:

Custom seat RMB510
(Yes I'm still buying from those over priced expensive rip off specialty seat guys... because I have no current alternative)
New head bearings and new front disc RMB85
New front tyre and new wiring harness, speedo driver, speedo cable and front brake master cylinder: RMB310
New black powder coated exhaust pipe: RMB180 approx
Custom indicators, speedo cluster, rear lights etc: RMB400 approx

Okay... forseeable costs, I need a new rear rim, a chain and a set of sprockets RMB 300+-

So far build cost:

RMB 5685

Keep in mind that a new 125 clone of these GNs (a real crap quality one) costs about 4800

more news as I progress

- SerpentZA

Really nice write up on the various engines SerpentZA. :thumbsup: To be fair, it's pretty hard to assess the vibration issue between the different frame styles you have. For instance, the Galaxy TGR & XTR have the same engine, but there's a huge difference in the vibration between the bikes (XTR will put your nuts and hands to sleep pretty quickly). I'm really surprised you can perceive a big difference in power, the Shineray is not a 250, it's a 233 (Bore 69mm Stroke 62.2 = 233cc).

As far as reliability, I would like to see the engine internals at 50,000 kilometers. I don't think I've ever seen a review on MCM of a Chinese made motorcycle after 5 years and 50,000 K. If a bike runs for 5 years/ 50,000K with only regular maintenance, it's safe to say it's probably fairly reliable. As much as I share the view that these simple air cooled singles are easy peasy and should be reliable, my experience shows otherwise, as I've had engine trouble with all the China moto's I've purchased.

Being the electrical genius you are, why do you give a shit about the kick start? It adds weight and complexity to the engine internals and it's not like bump starting a 250 requires much effort.

Keep up the good work and I might be looking for a SerpentZA moto someday!

Cheers!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

Really nice write up on the various engines SerpentZA. :thumbsup: To be fair, it's pretty hard to assess the vibration issue between the different frame styles you have. For instance, the Galaxy TGR & XTR have the same engine, but there's a huge difference in the vibration between the bikes (XTR will put your nuts and hands to sleep pretty quickly). I'm really surprised you can perceive a big difference in power, the Shineray is not a 250, it's a 233 (Bore 69mm Stroke 62.2 = 233cc).

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On the pot of the Shineray engine is stamped 249cc, but on the cbi500 and the Galaxy engine it has 223cc (I'll take photos when the new engine arrives, perhaps they're misrepresenting?).

We setup a drag race between the CBi500, the Shineray and my Qingqi, the Shineray was the quickest off the mark (okay it's not really fair since it was in the lightest frame with the lightest rider), the qingqi overtook it due to the longer gearing and the cbi500 eventually caught up, but the initial off the line pull is substantially better than all of the other similar engines I've tried.

A direct comparison would be between the GTY 6 speed and the Shineray as they were both in the same sort of frame (the Churchill and Ben's cafe), I built both bikes (well I helped the Huizhou crew build thiers) and so they were mostly the same, the Shineray engine had a much better pull, once again probably due to different gearing inside the engine, the Shineray only having 5 gears... but still it really has a good amount of grunt.. and it's cheaper too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

As far as reliability, I would like to see the engine internals at 50,000 kilometers. I don't think I've ever seen a review on MCM of a Chinese made motorcycle after 5 years and 50,000 K. If a bike runs for 5 years/ 50,000K with only regular maintenance, it's safe to say it's probably fairly reliable. As much as I share the view that these simple air cooled singles are easy peasy and should be reliable, my experience shows otherwise, as I've had engine trouble with all the China moto's I've purchased.

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Yes, this is true, I'm basing my reliability statements on the fact that Ben's bike and The Pope's CQR both have been ridden by riders who have little or no knowledge about bike maintenance, left out in the rain and mud and still never fail to start and run, the Cbi500 had a spark-plug explode (not the engine's fault, but it's the plug that came with the engine), The GTY has horrible gear changing issues and they keep getting worse and the Zhongshen has awful clutch problems. The three Shineray engines that are knocking about our crew have been consistently good, not one of them has any quirks or issues, all run, all are strong and all have taken a beating (although I think the furthest any of them have gone is about 5000kms +- )

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

Being the electrical genius you are, why do you give a shit about the kick start? It adds weight and complexity to the engine internals and it's not like bump starting a 250 requires much effort.

Keep up the good work and I might be looking for a SerpentZA moto someday!

Cheers!

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Hahaha, thanks man... well I'll give you a prime example:

During the holidays a group of us went riding down to the Xunliao peninsula, we were doing a lot of stopping at the side of the road to take photos, chill out etc... Ben's bike battery failed on the beach (just a rubbish cheap battery) imagine push starting a bike in soft beach sand... The rest of the trip it wasn't an issue, wherever we stopped it was easy for him to just hop on, give it a kick and ride off... Imagine having to push start your bike every time you stopped for a two day sight-seeing bike ride (not fun). I love the added peace of mind having a kick starter.

I just can't wait for the parts to arrive, the new exhaust arrived this morning... now just the bloody engine and I can make some real progress! :icon10:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Serpentza

On the pot of the Shineray engine is stamped 249cc, but on the cbi500 and the Galaxy engine it has 223cc (I'll take photos when the new engine arrives, perhaps they're misrepresenting?).

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If you look at the taobao add, the specs for the engine say 250(ml)-缸体散热片处有标注 (Google Trans = The cylinder body radiator fin place has labelling) but further down in the specs:
缸径与行程 69×62.2 Pretty sure that equals 233cc, which is still 10 more than the Galaxy 223. I would cut them some slack on misrepresenting it as a 250, as every engine manufacturer in the world rounds up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Serpentza

Imagine having to push start your bike every time you stopped for a two day sight-seeing bike ride

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Chengdu ---> Dongguan on the old QingQi 200 (The Whore as we lovingly called her before you sold her off for your CB400), stator shit the bed and killed the battery, kick start would have been great until I crashed and fractured my ankle and had to bump start it at every stop which was exacerbated by the fact that the bike couldn't be put in neutral while running, so I ended up stalling umpteen times along the way. Finally couldn't take it any more so I just started buying batteries every 4 hours until I got home. Good times! I guess you're right that a kickstarter brings piece of mind, sure would be nice to have piece of mind from reliability instead.

Cheers!
ChinaV

switch to a pair of 16 inch wheels to lower the center gravity?

The new engine has arrived!!! The bike should be running by early tomorrow afternoon!

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As promised to ChinaV, here's a picture of the Pot saying it's a 250...

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I hold in my hands the power of many horses!

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According to a sticker on the bike, it has Shell lubricants inside... Hmm I wonder if that's true?? I'll be changing it anyway (never run an engine with the oil from the factory, they usually put in some cheap crap just to fire it up once for a test.. also they often don't put enough in).

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Here are all the other parts I ordered from the same shop (the bodgeworx guys)... I always order my engines and niggly bits from them, they're a little over priced but they always deliver fast and so far the goods have arrived unscathed...

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I'd like you to pay attention to the cheap switches 28RMB... those are the same as on the Shineray X5... c'mon Shineray... make your own stuff... don't use this cheap generic nonsense... it doesn't inspire confidence!

Tomorrow morning I'm going to figure out how to haul all this crap to where I'm keeping the bike... and then ride the bugger home :)

- SerpentZA (youtube.com/serpentza)

That's the X2 switch, I was told the X5 switch doesn't even have the index finger button for flashing high beam! :lol8:

There are positives and negatives to building a bike on the street... mainly negatives, pikey onlookers who keep interfering and trying to give you lame advice which is all crap and meaningless, buggers who keep playing with your bike while you're working on it... and today a wanker who bumped over my carefully placed petrol tank and side covers... scratching them on the concrete floor.... :gun_bandana:

Anyway... apart from almost dying from the heat today, I managed to get the following done:

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I've mentioned before... A car jack makes this soooo much easier, no more sitting cross legged on the floor balancing engines on my knee :P

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I had to grind off a little of this right lower side rear engine mount or the engine wouldn't fit, not a big deal, just a little off the top, smooth off and spray paint to prevent rust (it's not going to affect the strength of the mount).

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I used all new engine mount bolts that I got from the bodgeworx guys off of Tabao... first slide the bolts through starting with the rear upper mount...

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next come the front mounts, get them all in the tighten the shit out of them (you don't want these coming loose).

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Okay, so the engine is in place... now to modify the upper engine mount... this is a chore... I did it with a drill, but a drill press would be ideal..

- continued shortly