Dong Fang DF 250 RTB Bobber Information

Hello all! New guy here. New to bikes, not mechanically inclined by any means, fresh motorcycle license, and trying to ride a DF250 RTB with an exhaust pipe that gets so hot it turns cherry red just sitting in idle for 5 minutes. Now that we have that out of the way. :)

I picked up this badboy from a local seller 3 days ago. Bike came with a 2 and half gallon HD tank, but no other mod. Been reading this forum ever since. It's amazing all the common problems and great solutions everyone posts. Hoping someone can point me in the right direction, (also hoping that direction won't be to an exit door). I've tried for several hours to rotate what i believe are the air and fuel mix screws. No matter how i turned them, the idle seems extremely high. I know many have mentioned a leaner idle, but i seem to be having the opposite problem. What worries me the most is how hot the exhaust pipe gets, mainly section immediately coming out of engine nearest to front tire. Can someone help with locating a manual or pointing out the parts from the pictures i've taken so far?

I appreciate any help. Thank you.

Attachment 15117Attachment 15118Attachment 15119

Mine was delivered with an EXTREMELY high idle. Turns out it was the cable adjustment at the throttle grip.

Thanks Nick
Sorry to reuse same picture.
That's exactly the problem i think i'm having. So I tried adjusting the two nuts that hold the throttle cable. (not sure i'm saying/describing this correctly).
Is there somewhere else i should be adjusting the throttle?

After that i've been messing around with those screws based on my lack of mechanical knowledge and the related problems others have mentioned on this forum.

Also, found this info, but no idea what it means. :eek2:
note JD630
him - HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM!!!!!!
Filled up the tank and started. Holy s--t full RPM, couldn't get to the kill switch fast enough.
me - pulled the needle seat didnt ya :P
wide open throttle is caused by re-inserting the carb tube (with needle in it) so dont seat fully . I did that myself
look at it the cutout has to be facing the rear wheel , and it will let it seat deeper , stopping that WOT on start

is that what u did ?

him - yes

that solve u problem ? if not idle screw is under moving throttle on carb (side facing out) thru the pivot the cable rides on

Attachment 15120

Mine was the adjustment up on the twist grip.

Got it. I'll look into how to get adjust it. Hope this will take care of things for a while.

Had an afternoon of one step forward and two steps back. Looked into the throttle cable adjustment from the twist grip. No real change there, i ended up leaving the screws in their original location. The step forward was when i realized I wasn't giving the screw on the right side of the carb enough counter clock wise turns. The screw was originally all the way closed, or all the way turned clock wise. When i gave it more counter clock wise turns, the idle wasn't as high and exhaust wasn't turning cherry red anymore. Wasn't long before the muffler was backfiring though. Had some spots of black smoke followed by engine cutting off. I messed with it for at least an additional hour before i called it quits for the day. Was afraid to break the darn thing. I did also set the screw on the front part of carb all the way closed, then gave it two counter clock wise turns to open. Glad i'm not burning up the exhaust anymore, but not sure i'm on the better side of things either.

Additionally, i'm rereading this entire post in hopes of findings answers i missed before. Really wouldn't want to get so discouraged that i end up selling this bike. :confused1:

drgnsghost: Not to sound like a jerk, but didn't you test drive or run the bike before you bought it at a dealer? If you just recently picked it up wouldn't they be able or willing to "tune" it in for you?

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Originally Posted by drgnsghost

Hello all! New guy here. New to bikes, not mechanically inclined by any means, fresh motorcycle license, and trying to ride a DF250 RTB with an exhaust pipe that gets so hot it turns cherry red just sitting in idle for 5 minutes. Now that we have that out of the way. :)

I picked up this badboy from a local seller 3 days ago. Bike came with a 2 and half gallon HD tank, but no other mod. Been reading this forum ever since. It's amazing all the common problems and great solutions everyone posts. Hoping someone can point me in the right direction, (also hoping that direction won't be to an exit door). I've tried for several hours to rotate what i believe are the air and fuel mix screws. No matter how i turned them, the idle seems extremely high. I know many have mentioned a leaner idle, but i seem to be having the opposite problem. What worries me the most is how hot the exhaust pipe gets, mainly section immediately coming out of engine nearest to front tire. Can someone help with locating a manual or pointing out the parts from the pictures i've taken so far?

I appreciate any help. Thank you.

Attachment 15117Attachment 15118Attachment 15119

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Top left is idle speed on carb but as other have mentioned you need some slack in the throttle cable first.

The air mix screw is correct.

Other is the float bowl drain screw.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drgnsghost

Had an afternoon of one step forward and two steps back. Looked into the throttle cable adjustment from the twist grip. No real change there, i ended up leaving the screws in their original location. The step forward was when i realized I wasn't giving the screw on the right side of the carb enough counter clock wise turns. The screw was originally all the way closed, or all the way turned clock wise. When i gave it more counter clock wise turns, the idle wasn't as high and exhaust wasn't turning cherry red anymore. Wasn't long before the muffler was backfiring though. Had some spots of black smoke followed by engine cutting off. I messed with it for at least an additional hour before i called it quits for the day. Was afraid to break the darn thing. I did also set the screw on the front part of carb all the way closed, then gave it two counter clock wise turns to open. Glad i'm not burning up the exhaust anymore, but not sure i'm on the better side of things either.

Additionally, i'm rereading this entire post in hopes of findings answers i missed before. Really wouldn't want to get so discouraged that i end up selling this bike. :confused1:

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This should be a minor problem that any decent motorcycle shop should be able to fix in a very little time. The DF is about as simple a bike to work as any. However most shops will not work on Chinese bike like they would not work on Japanese bikes back in the day.

I usually say that a new biker should stay away from a Chinese bike unless they have access to a good dealer shop or an experienced friend that can help them.

As Babyswiss says you should take your DF back to the shop you bought it from and have them correct this problem. Should only take a little time to do it.

Carb info at
http://wem.walbro.com/distributors/s...CAEBURETOR.pdf
The DF has a PZ 30 which is just a bigger version of the PZ 26.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick Papageorgio

Mine was the adjustment up on the twist grip.

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Mine was cable catching on my steering shaft. Brother fixed that with a cheap nylon tie down cable that one would use on a trash bag. Go figure, but it worked. Every time I turned left my throttle would go to 100%. Not a good thing to happen in heavy traffic LOL. He was the biker. I only have one year under my belt. so Im learing.

Thank you all for replies. Everything you said makes sense in regards to dealer. Only thing is I didn't buy from dealer. I got the bike for $850 used with 1200 miles on it. Took a gamble because the metal piece with a whole, that the shift link goes into to shift, was broken. So at the time of purchase the link was rigged over that same bar rather than under. (Hope that somehow made sense). I read several pages from this forum before buying bike. Little problems that the bike had I summed up to having relation to the link being off.
Don't have any friends that ride,I had the licensefor a while but want til now that I saw a chance to get a nice starter bike.
With all that said, I spent last week researching, reading and youtubeing... was able to figure the thing out. Doesn't seem to have engine or transmission problems, just me not knowing how to use the adjuster screws Bike isn't over reving or dyeing out anymore. There is a bit of sputtering when I'm in low gear not giving it any throttle. Guessing that's somewhat normal.

Thanks for the feedback, over the summer I'll start looking into sprocket, jet, etc. For now I plan on arty last spray painting the spokes on rim to avoid rust.already notice a bit forming.

Hello all, just need some quick advice from experienced China bike owners. I've got a 2010 model DF250RTB, which, up until now, ran fine. As of yesterday it blew a fuse, and I used the replacement that's included in the bike's electrical barrel-thing. This fuse blew moments later, leaving me to believe that there might be a short somewhere. After further investigation I couldn't see anything aside from some slight browning on some wires at the CDI and rectifier (I'll chalk it up to a careless soldering machine)

From what our manuals say, the bike runs a 15A fast-blow fuse, but the ones included appeared to be 10A. Strange thing is that the bike ran with what appeared to be a 10A for the past year, albeit with some rough starting here and there. Has anyone else had any electrical issues with their bike, and what is the actual fuse rating we need to run? Any help will be greatly appreciated, as I've got an MSF Experience Riders Course to attend Wednesday, and I need my bike up and running to attend. Thanks all!

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Originally Posted by Woody87

Hello all, just need some quick advice from experienced China bike owners. I've got a 2010 model DF250RTB, which, up until now, ran fine. As of yesterday it blew a fuse, and I used the replacement that's included in the bike's electrical barrel-thing. This fuse blew moments later, leaving me to believe that there might be a short somewhere. After further investigation I couldn't see anything aside from some slight browning on some wires at the CDI and rectifier (I'll chalk it up to a careless soldering machine)

From what our manuals say, the bike runs a 15A fast-blow fuse, but the ones included appeared to be 10A. Strange thing is that the bike ran with what appeared to be a 10A for the past year, albeit with some rough starting here and there. Has anyone else had any electrical issues with their bike, and what is the actual fuse rating we need to run? Any help will be greatly appreciated, as I've got an MSF Experience Riders Course to attend Wednesday, and I need my bike up and running to attend. Thanks all!

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The electrical connections on the DF are double crimped,not soldered.If there is browning on the wiring,something got overly hot,causing the fuse to blow.It sounds like,from your description,that the rectifier regulator or CDI burned up.If that's the case,the ignition pick up and stator will need to be tested or replaced.

Woody,
I did a search of this thread for fuse and the only relevant hit was yours so it doesn't seem to be a common problem.

I don't have the 2010 electrical diagram.

What were the circumstances of the first blown fuse? Turning on the ignition switch? Starting the bike? Just taken the tank off and put it back on? etc.

Look for wiring connectors pulled apart. Check for frayed wiring.

You might have to get out your wiring diagram and start checking from the battery positive terminal.

I'll go look at my 2012 wiring diagram for ideas.

I would think that a 10 amp fuse would be sufficient.

I had the bike running quite well last weekend, and pulled it out of storage this week to find that the bike didn't have power. I thought it to be the battery, but after charging the battery and getting the same results found it to be the fuse. I replaced the fuse, started the bike and got it warmed up, and after about 10 minutes of running time the 10A fuse blew.

While it was running it did sound a bit off, as though it had a miss. I've never had any issues up until today (other than cold-starts) and I haven't messed with the fuel tank, or any hardware that might have damaged wiring. I'll be taking a multimeter to it tomorrow, but before I start replacing the more expensive stuff (CDI, rectifier, etc.) I'd like to confirm the fuse rating, as too low of a fuse would cause some of the issues I had today. On a side-note, where's the best place to get replacement parts for the DF?

Stick a 15 amp fuse in it. Shouldn't cause any damage. However the original 10 amp fuse did last a long time.

How about trying another 10 amp fuse and see if it lasts 10 minutes like the second 10 amp fuse. Something warming up and causing high amp draw?

Parts list at
http://www.scooterdepot.us/parts_htm...arts_list.html
from scooter depot.

I haven't really needed any parts for my ex 2101 or current 2012 so can't really answer the replacement part question.

Lots of Ebay parts for 167FMM engine.

EDIT: I have had good luck with other Chinese bike parts and expertise from

http://www.hooperimports.com/showpages.asp?pid=1013

Thank you for the link and parts list! I looked closer at some of the electrical components, and the brown discoloration seems to be from the manufacturer, rather than heat caused by a fault or short. I'm going to look more into it once I get daylight to work by, but for now I'm going up to a 15A and see how it runs. I've never ran the bike in warm weather (got it in winter), so maybe the warm weather was a factor? the only loose wire I had was running from the switch that contacts the front brake lever on the handlebar. One of the wires (green yellow, or yellow green, I forget) got disconnected while I was moving it onto my truck. Other than that, everything seems in place.

So I've replaced the old fuse with a Radio Shack 15A 250V fast-blow ceramic fuse, and so far no issues. I kept the wiring barrel open so I could keep an eye on things while it ran, and no issues as far as I could tell. Now I'm dealing with a bit of sputtering from the carb, adjusting the idle screw helped a bit, and so did re-routing the throttle cable out from under the fuel tank.

It would appear that a wrong amperage fuse was put in as a spare by the manufacturer (apparently their smaller bikes use 10A and below fuses), so just a heads-up to those of you with the DF, you may want to double-check your spare's rating and match a new one to the fuse you're running.

Glad you got her going. You might want to take the float bowl and clean your pilot and main jet if she has been sitting for a while.

The DF uses the PZ30 which is like the PZ26 at
http://wem.walbro.com/distributors/s...CAEBURETOR.pdf

Thank you Barnone for the PDF! I've got a vast array of tools at my disposal, so all I've needed is a manual to go off of as I'm used to working on older Japanese imports (mostly Datsuns) and 70's era sidedrafts has some similarities to the PZ setup.


I completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation experienced rider's course today, and the only issues I had with the DF was the sputtering carb, mostly at low RPMs in 1st and 2nd gear, and a noticeable lack of power. I figured a combination of the cold weather and rich carb might be the cause, and heard a great deal of popping in the exhaust when decelerating as well which is probably a good sign of an overly-rich mixture. I'll be working on that this weekend, as well as a drag-bar/bar-end mirror install, and fixing the turn signal switch and light combination switch. Our manuals say that the combo switch is supposed to turn on/off the running lights, but no matter which of the three settings I set it to there's no change. I've also got to adjust the clutch lever/cable, as I can't set it into neutral while at a standstill or while the bike is running, it'll only disengage when the bike is off. Anyone had this issue as well?

One of the MSF coaches noticed that the rear tire on my DF wasn't mounted properly, so I'll have to get that remounted/balanced too and hope that it's not a damaged rim. Got a lot of compliments from other ERC riders and bystanders for the look of the bike, and the ride was enjoyable too. I just wish there weren't so many gremlins to be squashed with my bike. I suppose for 1,800 that's to be expected.

Your sputtering and neutral issues are common. All of us seem to have had them from the get go.I still do on occasion.I notice that I can shift to neutral on the down shift while the bike is slowly rolling to a stop..so it is now second nature to do so coming up on traffic stops.The sputtering well.. I just ignore it..it goes away as I ride most of the time. Remember these are cheap rides, and you get what you pay for.I have just under 11,000 miles on mine at this time, and with it being riding season now...well the numbers are most definetly going to increase.
I know alot of folks on here have done some adjusting,tweeking, and overall mods...I kept mine basic stock from the wrapper.Just swapped out the bars for mini ape hangers, and added saddle bags( had to fabricate the brackets). also after many rides, I eventually had to change the seat. Aside from that she is bone stock, and runs just like I want her to. Heck I have not even changed the spark plug yet. But I know now that i said something I may have to..murphy's law ya know.
What i am getting at is do not sweat the small stuff.. it is what it is.
Enjoy the ride, that is what matters. By the way, I have just about any and every tool I need to basically rebuild the bike ,all in two neat little tool bags that are always in my saddle bags...ya never know.

The sputtering wouldn't be hard to ignore if it wasn't for the fact that it occurs at low speeds, which can make cornering difficult or downright dangerous depending on the situation. I'm considering installing an upgraded CDI and coil combo (I've heard good things on the Casoli CDI box), along with spending the day tomorrow adjusting the carbs float height, idle speed/mix. I pulled the plug and it was solid black from the rich mixture. I'm running an NGK plug, I might up it to a platinum if it might help.

The drag bar install went without much difficulty, I've still got to drill holes for the combo switches, and find a way to run the clutch/brake cables now that there's a good 4-6 inches of extra cabling. The combo switch was an easy fix as well, just a bent component in the switch itself. Next up is getting the rear tire fixed, and then just enjoying the ride once weather warms up! Might do some paint as well, since I've got a professional auto body paint booth that's rentable nearby, I'm thinking a 50's hot rod color, maybe red or orange, with checkerboard stripes. And before I forget, is our CDI set up for AC or DC? I'm guessing DC since it has a rectifier?


Thanks again to you all for the help, I do appreciate it!

Woody87,
The DF is basically a nice simple motorcycle. People f**k them up and then blame the bike.

I doubt that changing the CDI, coil, or spark plug to a platinum will fix your low engine rpm sputtering. I don't remember many problems with those items on the DF. Probably just running way too rich. Do clean the plug.

I think that you need to work on your carburetor some more. What size is your low speed (pilot jet) jet? Has someone bored it out? Are there any washers under he needle head.Check the paragraph on Idle and Low Speed in the pdf. Screw in the air mixture screw lightly seated it and try one turn out.

curious if anyone has collision on their DF?

i insured the DF it fully over the first year as i thought it might be worthy as i got used to driving a hardtail springer...
But now im not so sure if its worthy.

my agent says they would pay about what a "used" bike would be. thing is I doubt any one over there would ever find a listing for a used DF or the kbb value. and if they do it wouldnt be much.

dropping collision cuts my premiums for the year nearly in half.

what do you guys do.

Hi all, does anyone know where I can get new throttle and clutch cable for my 2012 DF?

Barnone,

I've got a 40 pilot 105 main jet setup, but that's what the bike came with from the factory. I've adjusted the float height to 15mm, lowering the fuel level about 1mm more than the Walbro PDF has for their PZ26. I've also adjusted the valves to the factory recommended .006I/.008E. When I removed the valve cover this morning and brought the engine to TDC I found that there was almost no clearance at all!

I started it up and noticed that it fired up a bit quicker and turned over easier, but I've still got to mess with the carb. I cleaned the plug and carb prior to firing it up, and let the engine warm up after the float adjustment. Pulled the plug after all this, and still found it sooty black. The mixture screw is about 2 turns out from seated for all this, and adjusting it helps barely. The carb keeps "coughing" from a cold start, sending a noticeable puff of fuel out of the air filter each time it does.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woody87

Barnone,

I've got a 40 pilot 105 main jet setup, but that's what the bike came with from the factory. I've adjusted the float height to 15mm, lowering the fuel level about 1mm more than the Walbro PDF has for their PZ26. I've also adjusted the valves to the factory recommended .006I/.008E. When I removed the valve cover this morning and brought the engine to TDC I found that there was almost no clearance at all!

I started it up and noticed that it fired up a bit quicker and turned over easier, but I've still got to mess with the carb. I cleaned the plug and carb prior to firing it up, and let the engine warm up after the float adjustment. Pulled the plug after all this, and still found it sooty black. The mixture screw is about 2 turns out from seated for all this, and adjusting it helps barely. The carb keeps "coughing" from a cold start, sending a noticeable puff of fuel out of the air filter each time it does.

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The 2010 DF came with a smaller man jet than a 105 if I remember right.
I wonder if it is really still a 40 and a 105 . Any washers under the needle? After it is warmed up does it still cough?

Here is a brand new Dekni PZ30 carb for $29.91 shipped.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEKNI-PZ-30-...p2054897.l4275
I'd buy that and put it on unchanged and see what she will do. Ain't no telling what has been done to your carb.
And if it runs good leave it alone.

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Originally Posted by Chi town

Hi all, does anyone know where I can get new throttle and clutch cable for my 2012 DF?

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Did you try these bozos?
http://www.scooterdepot.us/parts_htm...arts_list.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by axa

curious if anyone has collision on their DF?

i insured the DF it fully over the first year as i thought it might be worthy as i got used to driving a hardtail springer...
But now im not so sure if its worthy.

my agent says they would pay about what a "used" bike would be. thing is I doubt any one over there would ever find a listing for a used DF or the kbb value. and if they do it wouldnt be much.

dropping collision cuts my premiums for the year nearly in half.

what do you guys do.

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Guess it depends on what half the premium cost. I just have liability on my DF and W650 but full coverage on my Ural.
Ride the Ural most of the time since I can carry a lot of stuff in it.
Attachment 15152

:lol8:

Barnone,

It still coughs while warm, mostly at speeds below 20mph, in first/second gear. No washer under the needle, and the jet size should be accurate, I read it off of the jets, and the bike came to me from the drop shipper in the steel crate so noone has had it prior to me.

If I get another carb I may just use a Walbro. Question is, doI need to swap over the accel pump, or run without it