Zongshen ZS250GS questions

I've got a question about the Zongshen ZS250GS.

I've recently bought one (a few weeks ago) on ebay, only a few hundred miles on the clock, and only a few years old.

but this thing feels slow.
don't get me wrong it gets up to highway speed (70MPH), but it seems to struggle to get there... -and whilst that is the legal max so I don't have a lot to complain about, a little bit more is always nice, you know if you're passing someone etc).

I used to have a Lifan 125gy-3 I could understand a not too blistering performance from a learner legal 125, but I was hoping a bit more from the (around twice as powerful) zongshen. (I could happily get to around 60 - 65 on the 125, and could push it all the way to the redline at 12k, it's happily sit at 11k all the way home on a 40 mile drive and then start on the first kick the next morning ready for a boat load more abuse.

(after owning the bike for three years I gave the bike to a guy, now and again I pass it, or see it in the street and think I used to have a bike like that, then I see the plate and realise it was my bike)

but the 250 gs just seems a bit lack lustre, on a dual carriageway it sits at around 70MPH and struggles to get any more, that's top gear with the revs at around 7k, so only just over half way around the clock... it just won't rev any higher, or go any faster. no matter how much I try to "tuck myself in, or going downhill, or wind direction.


I'm wondering if the bike is limited? underpowered, or would just struggle to cart around a fat git such as myself, (at 16Stone / 220lbs).

(I don't need uber speeds out of this machine, the reason I have this machine is a fuel economy based decision, riding it around so far I've gone around 100 miles on a little over 1/3rd of a tank, (so getting around 80MPG)...
if I want speed I've also got a GSXR 750... though the economy of that is about half the Zongshen, and road tax is around twice!)

TL:DR
my ZS250GS seems underpowered,
is that just how it is? or is this indicative of a problem?
what mods are cheap and sensible for eeking out a little more power.
what sort of power gains can be expected (and are these also dependant on wishful thinking and wind direction?)

I know that this bike is always going to be a sub 90MPH commuter more suited to towns than highways... but my commute involves towns and highways

thats all she is..
70mph is pushing it...
around 7 grand in revs is max.. (valves start to float around 7200)

potential low cost mods..
bigger jets and a less restrictive muffler will get ya a little quicker (not much)
a better spark plug irridium will help get a more complete burn..
a different front to rear sprocket ratio will allow higher top end but remove some lower end gusto...

JUST REMEMBER
she isnt a ninja250 ..
this is intended for a beginner rider
or a city cruiser..
downshift..roll the wrist and get out of the way of idiot drivers..
but she is alot of fun for what she is...
in the specs top speed is 65 with a 180lbs rider
so think of it as you have a quality ride for getting over the spec!!!

Many thanks for the reply.

that makes a lot of sense. (and explains why in all the videos I seem to see online nobody ever revs this thing to the redline!)
(kind of makes you wonder why they put quite so much space on the gague?)

I found that as I was riding I was shifting up the gears pretty fast, so I don't think that there is a particular lack of grunt in these machines, so loosing some of it hopefully won't make the machine un-ride-able.
my journey is (or will be) short in trip, then A roads, through another town then dual carriageway, so, in town I would think that loosing something from 3rd won't be too bad, the bike seems quite low geared, (almost to the point where 2nd gear is useless!)

anyway, the journey consists f travelling between 30 - 70 and not much in between.

I don't have a way to discernibly test and exhaust mod, so I can't really see the point in that one.
I might, (over the winter) have a look at changing out the valve springs for some different springs from a higher performance bike to hopefully cure some of that valve float.

Hi guys, I've not long ago brought a quad that I was told was a 150cc, but it has no vin plate, docs etc but it does have 3 different lots of numbers on the barrel could u help me out with these please? The numbers are; bottom of barrel ZS153507, half way up barrel ZS153507JJ and then opposite side right at the bottom it's got ZS161FMJ 85800001, do these numbers mean anything to anyone???!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jay426

Hi guys, I've not long ago brought a quad that I was told was a 150cc, but it has no vin plate, docs etc but it does have 3 different lots of numbers on the barrel could u help me out with these please? The numbers are; bottom of barrel ZS153507, half way up barrel ZS153507JJ and then opposite side right at the bottom it's got ZS161FMJ 85800001, do these numbers mean anything to anyone???!!!

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ZS161FMJ suggest it's a Zongshen 61mm bore air cool machine. The 1st 161FMJ is found on http://www.motorfans.com.cn/bbs/view...uthorid=412685

I think the large high rev gauge is for the "look" in the showroom.. wow this bike must be fast hehehehe