My new JH600

Hello,

this is the story of my Jialing JH600 with pictures of the bike and MODIFICATIONS to turn it into an adventure bike. I will try to describe all improvements, changes and added accessories in detail. Each topic will have its own reference and the posts will be edited and updated according to the progress of the modifications.

Below a list of quick-links to the modifications done so far, sorted by recent editing dates:

REAR AND FRONT SPROCKET - edited 06-04-2012
AIR-HORN - edited 04-28-2011
PROGRESSIVE FRONT SPRINGS - edited 04-19-2011
TOOL BOX - edited 01-04-2011
JH600 parts manual - edited 09-15-2010
SIDE PANEL MODIFICATION - edited 08-23-2010
WHEELS AND TIRES - edited 05-23-2010
ALUMINUM PANNIERS - edited 05-12-2010
HAND GUARDS - edited 05-01-2010
REAR SUSPENSION MODIFICATION - edited 04-27-2010
ENGINE SUMP GUARD _ edited 04-17-2010
LUGGAGE CARRIER SYSTEM - edited 04-10-2010
HANDLEBAR RISERS - edited 03-05-2010
SPARK PLUG - edited 02-26-2010
ELECTRIC POWER SOCKETS - edited 02-23-2010
LASER PRODURO MUFFLER - edited 02-11-2010
AIR FILTER AND BOX - edited 02-11-2010

Please feel free to share or comment on information and experiences on JH600 modifications, improvements or other details, to make this thread a good source for everyone interested in this motorcycle.

Ride on.
AW

Here is the latest set-up of the JH600 with a new set of wheels


http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...8_8i7As-XL.jpg


Previous impressions:

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/photos/7...85_byeHt-L.jpg

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Biking/C...54_Jv3Rh-L.jpg

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Biking/C...19_5F7nn-L.jpg

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Biking/C...09_vQD27-L.jpg

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...8_3PsSS-XL.jpg

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...93_5Zso9-L.jpg
Now including a nice toolbox attached to the mudguard.

Phaelzer,

Welcome to MCM. I moved your post to it's own thread so more folks may get a chance to respond. Bike looks awesome mate! I'm sure the 21" front will change the feeling a lot.

Is the factory providing the 21" wheel or is it custom made?

CC

Very nice looking machine mate. Looks as 'dual-sports' as many others so described and the proof is in the riding and where you try and take it. I think most of these machines (like my Kinlon) are probably better seen as a dirt road/rough road bike rather than an off-road bike. Too many loose bolts, cheap alloys and plastics to be called 'sport'. More like 'dual purpose' and that suits me fine. Yours even has an engine guard and a windscreen! Lucky bugger.

Hi CrazyCarl,

I have a set of new wheels custom built at my friends place in Germany. I have sent them a pair of original hubs. The plan is to easily swap the original wheels with the new set to test out the difference. Will have them shipped in with a pair of TKC 80.

For that I also have to lift the fender a bit. I played around with a plastic motocross fender but I don't like it too much. So the plan is to cut the original fender in the center at the fork bridge and move it a bit apart to fit to the radius of the 21" wheel. I know this might be a little "over-the-top" for a China bike but I'm having fun with it. More mods to come...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pfaelzer

Hello,

here some pix of my Jialing JH600. Dual sports or not? I use it on and off road, exploring the Fuzhou area. Waiting for my 21 inch front wheel to come though. Does anyone have some nice modification ideas? I got a fine Laser exhaust from Franki.

Ride on.
Hope to see more pictures here.

---

Hey there, Pfaelzer...
Nice photos of your JH600. How long have you had it? Did it come with the high mudguard & 21" front-end or is that something you put on yourself? Which model is it, Asian or Euro market model? What did it cost all up after all said and done, all inclusive price? Any contacts as far as purchasing (dealer/agent)?
Have you managed to go off-road much and if so, how has it handled so far? Any plans to change the rubber on it to something more off-road biased?

I'm looking to buy one, but still waiting to hear back from JiaLing (email sent around 2 months ago)... so look forward to reading about your escapades and experiences with the JH...
cheers
Sunny-side-up
Bikerdoc

Hi jape,

"Dual Purpose" is really the better name for it. I took the bike on some rough dirt roads. So far no loose bolts (yet). Windscreen is fine on faster roads but the engine guard needs some attention. In case of an impact on the "right" spot, the edge might cut right into the water pump. I'll look into this at a later time.

AW.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pfaelzer

Hi jape,

"Dual Purpose" is really the better name for it. I took the bike on some rough dirt roads. So far no loose bolts (yet). Windscreen is fine on faster roads but the engine guard needs some attention. In case of an impact on the "right" spot, the edge might cut right into the water pump. I'll look into this at a later time.

AW.

---

Hi again,
I saw your reply above where you wrote about the size of the wheels you are having custom made in Germany. Will they be wire wheeled rims too or cast alloy? Are the current wheels/tyres tubeless by any chance. Will be interesting to see how your JH performs with 21" wheel(s). One of the guys in our riding group has a JH he picked up mid 2009, here in Zhejiang, though he had problems with the front forks which were replaced under warranty. I think that your bike the way it is, looks pretty good with that elevated front guard, compared to the one my friend has, which sits just above the wheel...

When a group of us rode down LiShui way then down to southwest of Zhejiang and into Jiangxi last October, the JH600 blistered through some really rough terrain as though it was as smooth as, while the rest of us with big bore road bikes had to tip-toe through... bouncing and feeling every bump and gyration...
:LOL:

Hello Bikerdoc,

I got the bike in spring 2009. Its the "euro market" model.The only difference to the "Asia market" model seems to be the seat height, which can be adjusted by moving the bolt at the lower end of the rear spring into a different position.

Due to my job there is not too much time for me to ride and work on it though. It comes with mudguard and a 19" front wheel and there is nothing wrong with that set-up. I just like to play around to see how the bike handles with the 21" wheel and TKC 80s.

There is a lot of information on your questions answered already in the threat from Franki (JH600 impression) and also in another threat JH600 impression (2). The price is a bit over 30.000RMB and I ordered it through my Chinese office staff directly from the factory - which, as I understand, is the only way to get one in the P.R.C. Ordering process, if you have someone speaking Chinese for you, is pretty straight forward. Place order by phone, get quotation, send the money, 4 weeks later the bike arrives. Some assembling work needs to be done. Registration is no big deal since the bike is made in China and I am not living in a city, which doesn't allow motorcycles.

It is not an off-road bike (200+kg) but its fine on dirt roads. Handles a bit like my F650GS. I am planning (and actually already did) some more modifications. Due to time restrictions this might be a longer process.

A friend of mine, Franki, also in this Forum, is well connected with Jialing. He is traveling right now but he surely will help you out on communication once he is back. Just PM him.

Hope you will manage to get a JH600 to grow the community in China and share experiences. I didn't regret buying it, especially after changing the muffler... I will bring this up a little bit later.

Cheers n safe ride.
AW

bikerdoc
The wheels are being built on alloy rims and steel spokes. I do not fancy cast alloy too much. The tires are with tubes. I am not sure if I keep the elevated front guard. You see, if I put in the 21' front wheel, then I need also to rebuild the fork bridge to make room for the bigger wheel radius, which I did already (the bridge). I also had to make an adaptor, to hold that elevated mudguard in the right position. On a off-road test ride, the higher bridge crushed into the mudguard and broke it (no worries, price 80 RMB). My plan you can see in post #4 above. However, there will be more space between the new wheel and that original, modified mudguard than in the stock setting. That'll help the look I guess.

Can't wait to get these wheels into my garage - but in Germany things take time...

AW

Phaelzer,

Good to see another JH600 report in the forum. I too am looking at purchasing one depending upon what happens with my geographic location in the coming months. Keep us posted on how it works for you. Are you living in Hong Kong (I see that on your avatar) or on the mainland? Woher kommen Sie?

Cheers,

Dan K.

Howdy Pfaelzer,

The JH600 is looking really nice, I like the modifications :thumbsup:. Are you going to change to an 18" rear wheel along with the 21" front, or stay with the 17"? Thanks for sharing all the modification info with us, can't wait to see how it evolves. I'm afraid if it gets much nicer I will get jealous and end up at the Jialing shop in Jiangmen :naughty:.

Cheers!
ChinaV

Love the bike, black is most definitely the best looking color, that laser exhaust looks very nice too.:thumbsup:

Hi DanKearney,
Hope you will be coming back to China. From your RR I read that you enjoy riding here and you already have some good, well-known friends. I am German, living in Hong Kong and spend about 50% of my time on the mainland, mostly in Dongguan and Fuzhou.

ChinaV,
Long time no see. We should have another Pizza after CNY. Modifications are ongoing. I will post some more details soon. The new rear wheel will be again 17”. I am worried that space would get a little tight in the swing-arm with a 18” wheel and I have made good experience on the 17”/21” setup on my R 80GS. After all, we don’t want to build a super crosser… The bike is fun but not comparable to your Ride.

Hi ZMC888
I like Franki’s green color – but its not available… There will be some more details on the Laser coming up soon. Stay tuned.

Greetings to all and safe ride.
AW.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pfaelzer

Hi DanKearney,
Hope you will be coming back to China. From your RR I read that you enjoy riding here and you already have some good, well-known friends. I am German, living in Hong Kong and spend about 50% of my time on the mainland, mostly in Dongguan and Fuzhou.

---

I massively enjoy visiting China. My wife and I have an apartment in Guangzhou, Panyu, so I'm familiar a bit with Fuzhou which isn't too far away. I lived in Germany for 5 years. Bamberg for 1 1/2 years and Roedermark (Near Darmstadt/Frankfurt) for 3 1/2 years. Germany is where I first learned to ride. I miss it very much. Perhaps we'll meet on my next trip through HK or GZ later this year.

Enjoy the JH600.

Cheers,

Dan K.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DanKearney

... Perhaps we'll meet on my next trip through HK or GZ later this year.

Enjoy the JH600.
Cheers,
Dan K.

---

PM me once you are in the area. I travel a lot but maybe we can work something out.

Greetings, AW.

MODIFICATIONS!!!

As mentioned before, the bike comes with a nice set-up and unless you are up to serious over-land travel on tougher road conditions or seeking for more power, there is no need for big modifications on the stock set-up. If one likes to play around however, and working a bit on bikes to adjust it to individual needs, personal taste, then I hope this thread ill become a useful source.

THE LASER PRODURO MUFFLER

The bike sounds rather like a household lawn mower than a motorcycle. The stock exhaust looks and is heavy (around 12kg) and it seems, that the bike needs a bit more “air-flow”. The bike is fuel injected and comes with a catalytic converter – hence the weight.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...68_GBtkC-L.jpg
The stock pipe will to go first.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...22_uCqQk-L.jpg
In goes the Laser Pro Duro – off-road version.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...41_HGBN7-L.jpg
The original muffler is welded to an extension pipe. I didn’t want to cut off the pipe and use it for the new muffler so a new pipe had to be made.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...94_gFR85-L.jpg
To fit the Laser I needed to rebuild this stainless steel pipe. Due to different diameters between pipe and Laser can I had to make an adaptor – also in stainless steel. The biggest challenge on this project surely was, getting the stainless steel pipe bent to fit correctly through the frame, where at some spots is not much room for variation. It took some trials to get this right.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...21_6H2im-L.jpg
The whole assembly looks like this. Only one holder of the extension pipe to the frame, close to the adaptor is not yet welded on. I made a second ring-holder for the muffler and small latches to fit to the frames fixing points.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...89_D2ygy-L.jpg
First look with the Laser on the bike. Some holders were added to fit to the bike’s fixing points at the frame.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...68_JTXZA-L.jpg
http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...34_eHxvy-L.jpg
The new look. I like it. It looks much lighter than before. One more motivation to change the stock pipe is my plan to put on some aluminum panniers. The Laser reduces the total width so I can bring the boxes closer to the bike later.

RIDING EXPERIENCE WITH THE NEW LASER
First of all – now it sounds much more like a real motorcycle. It is louder but for my taste not too loud especially on low and mid range rpm. I like it. The ride surely feels more powerful. In neutral twisting the throttle give a much faster raise in rpm than with the old system. Acceleration is better. It feels sportier. On the downside, like with many after market cans, the engine backfires a bit when turning the throttle off quick. It is not too much disturbing and raises awareness of others in the traffic (!). This can be a safety factor when riding in China. I will address this issue later when I bring the bike for a bigger service to Jialing factory. I hope they can adjust this issue by working on the ECU unit.

Next thing will be to take a look at the air-filter.

AW

Back to overview

I decide to change the paper filter to a foam filter. Couldn’t find any filter on the market, fitting into the Jialing’s filter-box, so I cut up an original paper filter and fitted filter-foam into the frame.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...59_53DbU-L.jpg
Here the original paper filter.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...61_KcuUS-L.jpg
Cut the paper out.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...99_YxLkH-L.jpg
Glued a wire lattice into the frame and fitted the filter-foam with silicone. Apply filter oil and fit it into the filter box.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...22_k5HFB-L.jpg
Used plastic metal to bond the wire to the frame - somehow it didn't work with soldering. (sorry for the pic quality - that's taken with my phone cause the cam was not on hand)

Riding experience with the foam-filter
I cannot feel a real difference with the new filter riding the bike. However, this filter can be cleaned and oiled on the road now. Any real advantage? Not sure yet. I will try to get some more information on it. More might be seen after the adjustment of the ECU maybe.

Air-filter box
The filter-box seems not to be well designed. There were several air leaks, which I sealed off with glue. Worst I guess is the rather low air-inlet, which could be a problem when fording deeper waters. It seems that the box comes from another motorcycle and has been adjusted and cut to fit into the JH600 frame space. I am thinking to re-design it to get a kind of “snorkel” up next to the battery. Need to talk to some specialists here to do that right.
I further discovered a kind of “plastic bottle” insert inside of the bottom of the box with a small hole on top next to the air inlet. The function of this insert is not clear. It reduces volume and changes air flow. I am curious to understand the reason for this item.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...78_gxXSV-L.jpg
The “bottle shaped” insert in the air-filter box. The air-inlet is at the bottom on the left side here. Typically a filter box should be as large as possible so I am thinking of taking this “bottle” out. The actual filter sits on top of the flange.
More to come here: Try to increase total volume of the air box. Build a higher air inlet. Test different lengths of the air funnel to the injection unit in search for mid and low rpm power.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...67_ABWmK-L.jpg
Lower part of the filter box with air in-let. I will replace the water drain hose with a clear type to see if there is water inside.

I do not have too much experience on this topic. If somebody has some good suggestions, please let me know.

AW.

...back to overview.

Phaelzer,

Looks like you're doing up the bike real nice! Nice clean photos too. The laser exhaust looks great and I'm sure the weight reduction has a positive effect on the acceleration and handling. Does it feel less top heavy with the pipe off?

Looking at the plain rectangular shape of the air filter, I wonder if there are K&N filters that would drop in without much modification. That would certainly save you from having to re-use the filter frame every cleaning. After all that, the ECU will definitely need remapping to get rid of the decel popping and maybe squeeze a bit more out of the top end. Do you happen to know what kind of interface the ECU uses for programming? Changing the mapping yourself may be faster than relying on the factory to do it.

CC

I might have asked this before but is the JH600 available in the USA?

Sho ain't! I think the side car version could sell well here though.

CC

Lovely stuff Pfaelzer! This is making me want one!

I must say i liked the look of it a lot more with the motocross mud-guard on the front!

Hi Carl,

Having the Laser on is definitely an improvement. The engine responds better. About the lighter feeling, I can’t really tell to be honest. I’m a pretty heavy rider myself and usually on the road with some luggage. I do most of the lobs on the bike after work in the garage at my factory and got not too much time off for riding in China. There is still also the family around in Hong Kong, hahaha.

My first idea was of course to find a K&K filter. I checked out their lists online and those of some other suppliers too, but the closest match was of the R800GS – but it still didn’t have the same size. I checked even for small cars… No choice so far but to DIY.

I want to try out to remap the ECU, due to these modifications and also for trying to get more torque at lower rpm and therefore maybe giving up some max. power, which is not really needed on China roads. The new wheels will therefore come also with a bigger rear sprocket. The JH600 has got an ECU from Bosch. I didn’t look much so far into the possibility to buy my own interface since my experience on mapping ECUs is limited. I guess if you wanted to do this right, then you also needed to have a lambda measuring device and/or one other device to check the CO content in order the get the fuel/air ration right (sorry, don't know the english names for these two measuring instruments). Need also to gather some more information here. Ultimately I would need access to motorcycle performance tester to see on the torque and power curves the result of my tuning efforts. So far nothing of that is available for me in Fuzhou. But then, do we really need that?

I will be off hiking in Bhutan for Chinese New Year. Will be back with some information on the rear shock absorber replacement of the JH600.

Hi Felix,

Nice to see you here. The motocross mudguard hasn’t completely died on this project. But wait and see the modified original mudguard on the 21” wheel. Then we will make a vote…


Happy New Year and best wishes to you and all riders and readers,
AW.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...42_ibspq-L.jpg

What you are doing is great info for all JH600 owners. Can I borrow your photos and use them to report your mods in the Chinese biker forum?
The rear shock upgrade will greatly improve the handling but I think by also upgrading the front shock spring to a progressive one and changing to high quality fork oil will also help.
What teething you will be using on your rear sprocket? Make sure you put on the DID O Ring chain you have already got. It makes a lot of difference on smoothness of drive.
Keep the news coming.

Hi Franki,

The rear shock upgrade is already done. I will post it once back from my trip. I only tell now, that this makes really a huge difference. Together with the Laser, which I got also from you, the bike is much closer to what we are used to in Europe. Progressive front springs need to come for sure. Got those also on my R80GS and they will match perfectly to the Wilbers rear shock.
I will change the chain together with the new sprocket on the new set of wheels, which I hope will be coming in within this month from Germany.

Will be back after the 22nd.
Cheers, AW.

quick question, couldn't find the answer in any search result, and didnt want to start another thread...

What are you doing about luggage? Are there any specific panniers that fit well?

Looking at buying one of these beauts towards the end of the year for my travels through China... the more I read about them, the more I love the sound of them!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 3L4NS1R

quick question, couldn't find the answer in any search result, and didnt want to start another thread...

What are you doing about luggage? Are there any specific panniers that fit well?

Looking at buying one of these beauts towards the end of the year for my travels through China... the more I read about them, the more I love the sound of them!

---

Hi,

Of course you can get panniers of different kinds but the problem as to my information so far is, that there is no pannier rack system available on the market for the JH600 so far. That means DIY again.
I will start working on a luggage system soon and will post progress here. Maybe too early but there might be somebody around who is planning to develop and commercialize a rack system. I'll post this as well once there is more information.

If anyone has more information about this topic, please post here.

Greetings,
AW.

Hi,
Back from Chinese New Year Holiday with the promised post about the rear suspension modification.

For my taste, the bike bounces too much on fast bumpy roads and looses traction too easy on steep off-road climbs. The spring feels strong enough, but the damping is not to my taste and on the stock shock absorber is also not adjustable. I decided to change the original part with a Wilbers model from Germany. Some might argue that this is over the top but I just wanted to give it a try. I sent the original shock to Wilbers and they re-build a new one, based on my specification (weight, riding preference). There are different models to choose from, I went for a basic type. Franki helped me to get this arranged through his shop in Hong Kong.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...63_F6fgv-L.jpg
Here the original shock and the new Wilbers part.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...24_3B6x7-L.jpg
The original part has got a thread in the fork (see picture above), which Wilbers somehow couldn’t do. This brought up a little challenge to prepare the lower bolt, since there is not much space where this bolt dives into the fork lever. When ordering again from Wilbers it might be a good idea to ask and get the threat cut into the fork.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...55_3fjWv-L.jpg
See the red bolt. There is now about 3mm gap to the fork lever after grinding down the head of the bolt a bit.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...58_jWpuh-L.jpg
The new WILBERS will go in here. Air filter box and battery need to go out for assembling.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...10_DzaZe-L.jpg
First fit test – looks good. Even the WILBERS is a bit wider it fits in well. Some more bolts, air box, battery and fairing to get the job done. This will take about one more hour.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...55_qdorQ-L.jpg
VERY IMPORTANT - The space between the levers is limited. I had some little difficulties to fix the lower mount of the Wilbers shock, since the original screw was too long and would have touched these levers at both sides. There is about 12-15mm space at each side.The original Showa has got a thread in the fork, so no nut is needed. Make also sure, that the bolt (M10) has got a good strength.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...34_qLjjY-L.jpg
See the space I am writing about. Measured more precisely shows: 69mm.

Riding with the new Wilbers
Great, as expected. I have chosen the spring to be on the harder side since I will do also some rides fully loaded and with 2 people up. However, even solo, no uncontrolled swinging on fast uneven roads and the rear wheel stays on the ground off-road much better than before. This was a good investment. Soon I will have to turn my attention to the front end since this feels rather soft now and actually bottoms out easily.

2010-04-27 Update:
There are some more riders interested now to modify their JH600 with Wilbers reach shocks. I have been in contact with them yesterday and provided them following more detailed information:

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/Motorcyc...82_Ap5zr-L.jpg

Sag of rear-shock, bike only: 50mm
Sag with rider: 105mm (rider weight 96kg)

We also discussed the bolt space issue on the lower mounting fork (see the pictures above). The new shocks, provided for the JH600 will now have a inserted thread in one side or the fork. This will give more room and makes assembling easier. Wilbers promised to provide the shock together with the matching bolt. Don't forget to use some LockTite... Good news!

...back to list of modifications.

I am 1.85m tall and prefer a more upright seating position. 25mm raisers are added. This helps also when riding off-road in standing position. Raising the handlebar more than 25mm will require a longer break line and maybe a longer clutch cable too. Those raisers are available from companies like Touratech, Wunderlich and so on. Important is only the diameter of the handle-bar, which is 22mm on the JH600.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/photos/7...27_UoZfS-L.jpg

...back to overview.

On the road you need power for different appliances like GPS, communication systems and others. The dashboard of the JH600 offers good space so I built in two sockets, a car type and a small type plus a main switch. I connected the sockets (fused) directly to the battery. They also serve as a connection point for the battery charger, which helps to maintain the battery in good shape.

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/photos/7...43_S8yCy-L.jpg
Electric wiring from the backside of the dashboard

http://pfaelzer.smugmug.com/photos/7...19_rFCe6-L.jpg
Two sockets and a switch. Not sure if I keep that switch. Its a bit chunky but there was not a big choice available up in Fuzhou.

The next add on to the dashboard should be a volt meter.

...back to overview.

Phaelzer,

How many watts does the JH's alternator put out? You're going to have the world's most tricked-out JH600 when you're done with all your modifications. :riding:

Cheers,

Dan K.