Adventure Motorcycle Magazine Subscribe Now

Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1 help a newbe id this bike 
    C-Moto Noob
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Charles Town W.V.
    Posts
    6
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...torefresh=true new here just bought this can anyone fill me in on this bike . seems viva is gone and can't find specs anywhere
    Reply With Quote  
     

  2. #2  
    Administrator-tron CrazyCarl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    NoVA
    Posts
    2,540
    IIRC, the Vivas were produced by JiaLing Motor Company out of ChongQing, China. I rode one of the 150's around China for quite some time and, I assume, it is still riding around China now under the care of member DHFox.

    The Viva line was an earlier start up project from Jialing several years ago. I believe they were based out of Florida and failed in North America due to the normal lack of marketing, parts and support.

    They aren't bad bikes but they will need some TLC... like anything esle.Not sure about specs or manuals for the bike but maybe some other MCMers can chime in.

    Last, but not least, CONGRATS

    CC
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Subscribe to the hippest, most happeneing Adventure Motorcycle Magazine around!
    Adventure Motorcycle Dual Sport News Magazine

    Help support MCM!! Buy "The Return - Riding Western China" DVD! -

    http://www.motocyclops.com/buydvd/

    Personal China travel info, photo and video site:

    http://www.carlparker.com

    Reply With Quote  
     

  3. #3  
    Senior C-Moto Guru culcune's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Yuma, Arizona (the 3:10 left me here)
    Posts
    1,624
    One thing I remember about 3 years ago on chinariders.net was that several members all ordered Vivas around the same time from the Viva distributor (I think). We heard all about them for several months from the various members, but then their engines seemed to have some sort of catastrophic failure (maybe not all the members who bought them, but 3 or 4 of them). None of them ever really got their Viva back up and going, but then again, these were $900 dollar bikes, so were more or less experiments--

    but like Carl stated, not enough support with parts to keep the bikes going did the company in. Funny enough, it might have been a year or so ago, a 'revived' Viva came back in business,using rebadged Shinerays (I think they were Shinerays) but didn't seem to stay in business, either.

    I figure there must be plenty of rolling chassis bikes out there waiting for new crate engines from Lifan to get them back up and going. Ironically, the really cheap bikes of 4 or so years ago have gotten more pricey, and used ones are asking prices similar to new ones!
    Reply With Quote  
     

  4. #4  
    Administrator-tron CrazyCarl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    NoVA
    Posts
    2,540
    Quote Originally Posted by culcune View Post
    I figure there must be plenty of rolling chassis bikes out there waiting for new crate engines from Lifan to get them back up and going.
    I figured somebody gotta make an engine that fits that model. That engine is about as standard Honda single cylinder as it gets. Actually I think the problem may have been in the casing. I've seen manufacturers put 200cc heads on 150 cases and it didn't really work out so well. Zongshen was one of those early on one of the reasons why the QingQi is so succesful world wide is the engine.

    I'm guessing the QingQi 200's will probably be on the road the longest compared to any other brand I've seen so far if not because of any other reason than the DR200 engine. That's bikes right?

    I'm guessing Jialing China really wanted to get into the NA market with some of the others and went in too fast trying to do too much with too little. (Which, BTW, is known to happen around those parts)

    When I toured the Jialing factory in 08, I asked the NA Sales Director if they planned to bring a 250 to the US again and he said yes but I don't recall him putting a time frame on it. Up until now though I haven't heard anything from Jialing besides the JH600 which, I think, is already starting to age as a platform.

    Be nice if someone pulled some wicked shit out their sleeves but I'm not ready to hold my breath on it yet.

    Quote Originally Posted by culcune View Post
    Ironically, the really cheap bikes of 4 or so years ago have gotten more pricey, and used ones are asking prices similar to new ones!
    Dude...like... what the hell? Right? Dude... like..... Dude.


    C
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Subscribe to the hippest, most happeneing Adventure Motorcycle Magazine around!
    Adventure Motorcycle Dual Sport News Magazine

    Help support MCM!! Buy "The Return - Riding Western China" DVD! -

    http://www.motocyclops.com/buydvd/

    Personal China travel info, photo and video site:

    http://www.carlparker.com

    Reply With Quote  
     

  5. #5 Re: help a newbe id this bike 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    38
    strange that the owner would need to remove a spark plug on a bike with such low mileage .
    Reply With Quote  
     

  6. #6 Re: help a newbe id this bike 
    C-Moto Noob
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Charles Town W.V.
    Posts
    6
    This one had a huge failure as well . Think it was run lean , dropped the head of the exhaust valve . Mushroomed the bottom of the spark plug ,also put a big whole in the piston . Bought a new lifan engine 163fml. up and running as of last Saturday . Moved the needle clip to the bottom in the carb . after my first 10 mile ride checked the plug and has color . Think there were vacuum leaks as well on the old engine . All looks good for now . This bike has aluminum wheels . Is that normal for Chinese bikes?
    Reply With Quote  
     

  7. #7 Re: help a newbe id this bike 
    Administrator-tron CrazyCarl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    NoVA
    Posts
    2,540
    The original engine on that bike is the same as one I had in China for a few years and did some extensive traveling with it. Although the thing ran, it required lots of maintenance.

    I'm sure you're happier with the new engine in there. How much did the new engine cost and how did you take delivery of it? Any problems in fitting?

    C
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Subscribe to the hippest, most happeneing Adventure Motorcycle Magazine around!
    Adventure Motorcycle Dual Sport News Magazine

    Help support MCM!! Buy "The Return - Riding Western China" DVD! -

    http://www.motocyclops.com/buydvd/

    Personal China travel info, photo and video site:

    http://www.carlparker.com

    Reply With Quote  
     

  8. #8 Re: help a newbe id this bike 
    C-Moto Noob
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Charles Town W.V.
    Posts
    6
    long story on the engine . First one they shipped ups ,was a 150cc and damaged in shipping . So i either had to pay for another or get this one back to them ,before they would sent the right one . because it was damaged had to wait on ups to do a damage claim before i could send it back . that all held me up for two weeks . the day it got back to them ,they shipped the right one ,. part # on the first engine was also fml163 ,so i don't know if there really a difference . install was no problem at all . wish i had known if a 250cc would fit ,since it had to be replaced anyway . i did some searching and couldn't find any 250cc swap post . i played it safe
    Reply With Quote  
     

  9. #9 Re: help a newbe id this bike 
    Administrator-tron CrazyCarl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    NoVA
    Posts
    2,540
    You probably made a smart move staying with the 163. From what I understand an engine designed and built to be a real 250 won't fit in most 150 frames (unless the frames were designed for a 250 and then stuffied with 150 engines/heads). Manufacturers the took 150 cases and stuck 200-250cc heads on them ran into some reliability problems eventually... Jialing was one of them as was ZongShen.

    CC
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Subscribe to the hippest, most happeneing Adventure Motorcycle Magazine around!
    Adventure Motorcycle Dual Sport News Magazine

    Help support MCM!! Buy "The Return - Riding Western China" DVD! -

    http://www.motocyclops.com/buydvd/

    Personal China travel info, photo and video site:

    http://www.carlparker.com

    Reply With Quote  
     

Similar Threads

  1. Dirt bike and 4X4 race, general bike meet Shandong.
    By ZMC888 in forum Ride Reports and Meetings
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 08-12-2013, 07:27 AM
Bookmarks
Bookmarks
Posting Permissions
  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •