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  1. #1 New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
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    Hello,
    My name is Krasi and I'm exotic fetishist


    After some months of lurking around your nice forum, it's time to introduce myself properly, albeit verbosely. The reason I came across here was my quest for information about Puzey XTR-4. They still don't have CE certification though, so in the mean time my wife benefited from the situation. Plus, I found myself digging through your rider reports and those in AdvRider. I was especially impressed my this thread over there:
    http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201349

    Just little bit of background: I'm 34 and live in Bulgaria, Eastern Europe. Yeah, baby, former communist I currently posses two "big" bikes, both of which highly exotic:


    (For sale! )

    and GasGas EC300, 2-stroke:



    The GasGas looked like that when I bought it brand new a few years ago. Nowadays it's quite bumped, but it'll retire with me, so it doesn't matter much.

    Anyway, last week I received my SkyTeam (cool name, ha? Especially for an airline alliance), model ST250-2 V-Raptor. The irony is that my big road bike is also a Raptor model, but Cagiva, and it's 1000cc - as much as four of the new bike :)


    Initially I asked SkyTeam themselves who gave me a price of $1450 EXW (at least this was the price a few weeks ago). After calculating shipment, import taxes, VAT, custom clearance, etc, I decided to buy it from the English importer - http://www.northbridgebikes.co.uk/index.html as the final price would have been about the same. I was in contact with Colin there who helped me tremendously and I'm expressing deep gratitude for his service.

    Well, here is the "beast", fully assembled and running:










    I think the engine is Loncin. You may correct me on that as I still have hard time remembering who were the main two or three engine manufacturers in China. I'm sure you know perfectly well the TT data of the bike, better than the factory themselves ;)

    All in all, I'm pleasantly surprised by what I received. I have to admit I was prepared for worse. The bike came properly packaged, in a steel crate:




    Tires are impressive, to say the least. Rear one is 180mm wide, which is as much of that of the big Raptor. Front is 130mm.


    Like I said, I was prepared to complete the manufacturing of the bike:


    Tens of stainless nuts and bolts to replace the OEM ones:

    Actually they were pretty much rendered useless. I didn't come across a single loose nut or bolt. Plus, all nuts are with a metal unwinding protector (whatever it's name is). Not be a complete waste, I still changed some, like on the handle-bar clamp, pillion pegs, seat, etc. I guess, only time will tell if the OEM will get lost from the vibrations. Oddly, I couldn't loose the two bolts holding the from brake caliper to the left fork. Tried with a 1/4" wrench and a o-shaped spanner. I guess somebody was very enthusiastic with the pneumatic wrench...

    There was grease like on a "real" bike, which was a nice surprise:




    Without claiming to know much about welds (so much for my engineering degree!) these seem alright to me:



    Since I was prepared, I changed fork oil. There was about 150ml of oil in each fork, which seemed not enough to me. I consulted with a local suspension specialist, who also advised me to put more - till the top end of the spring with fork fully compressed. So I did - it came to about 250ml in each fork. "Preload" spring bushings are about 1/3 of the springs themselves. And the springs are progressive, believe it or not:


    I suppose these are some scooter/moped forks. I haven't measured their diameter, but it can't be more that 30-35mm. Front axle goes directly into a thread on the left fork, which was new for me, but probably is normal for such bikes:


    "Pre-flight" checks included also valve clearance adjustment. Valves were tight, as I supposed by reading around the Net. During the check I came across the first major "design" flaw - in order to take out the cap for the intake valve, one must loosen and wiggle the top engine mount. Not a big deal, only three bolts with nuts:


    Another shortcoming is that the oil stick, a.k.a. filler cap is tucked in a dogs arse, like we say round my part of the world, and getting it in and out is inconvenient, to say the least:

    Oddly enough, apart from the dip stick, there is also an oil level checking window on the right side of the engine (which I haven't photographed). I guess there is no way you can omit checking the oil level

    Battery arrived dry. The acid electrolyte was in a separate container, which gets shoved (hehe) onto the battery and the fluid bubbles into it. Probably this is standard setup, but it was new for me:


    Electrics also seem "like real":

    Everything is tight, tucked and worked the first time. Only the rear lights connectors under the rear fender seemed not water-proofed enough, so I winded some insulation around them.

    From what I've read, I'm prepared to have to change rear sprocket and chain after not much mileage:


    Rear brake caliper is with two pistons, which is also like "on a real bike" :


    Initially I thought they managed to use the same caliper as the the front one, but, the heck, they are different:


    The speedometer reminds me of the ones we used to have 20-25 years ago on some East-German-made small bikes, called Simson. Ah, sweet memories... In the crate, the odometer indicated 900 meters:


    Indication lights icons are shifted one position to the right, but at least they are only three so there couldn't be much confusion:


    Carburetor is Teknin or something like that. I'm sure you know more about it. "Standard of Japan" stamp, really brings a smile:

    Model is stamped as PZ30, which I hope means it's 30mm. Am I right? Any advice on jetting settings about it, is more than welcome. Especially since the temperature is about 5-10 degrees Celcius around here and I think the engine runs on the lean side. Also, there are some hot air and case vent hoses around it, which I suppose I related to meeting the eco norms. If that's the case, I'd really like to simplify the system

    One other flaw that showed up is that the right-hand tank sticker started to peel off:

    Why on Earth did they have to use such 3-D stickers instead of regular PVC foil is beyond me. I'll try to stick it back, but if I fail, I see some weight reduction in the near future. I also noticed that the coating on the exhaust, close to the cylinder, started to crack and chip. Thanks God it's not a chopper :)

    I expected the fuel line to be of the vacuum type (you know, thin and transparent), but this one seems genuine, at least visibly:



    I think these are all the pictures I made. I hope you like them. I also changed the brake fluid and the engine oil, before even starting it for the first time. There was some "metallic" particles in it, but AFAK it's normal. I bought myself a 5-liter bottle so I'll see to change it quite often, especially during the break-in. Speaking of breaking-in, the manual says to be gentle during the first day or first 25km

    I guess, that would be enough introduction. It turned out quite long, but I hope you like it. I'll be expecting your advice on everything about my (OK, my wife's!) new ride.
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  2. #2 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Kennon's Avatar
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    nice bikes Krasi, and what better a country to ride in.
    its nice to read someone praising chinese build quality once in a while

    Kennon
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  3. #3 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
    C-Moto Senior Nima Naderi's Avatar
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    nice bike and also nice job

    tell us about the performance and specially tires !!!

    it looks like the bike is modified for beach and sand ....
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  4. #4 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
    Senior C-Moto Guru MJH's Avatar
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    It is a replica of a Suzuki Van Van.



    About the welds…..


    “Evaluation of weld characteristics includes the size of the weld and the presence of discontinuities. The size of a weld can be extremely important, as it often correlates directly to strength and associated performance. Undersized welds may not withstand stresses applied during service, and oversized welds can produce stress concentrations or contribute to the potential for distortion of a welded component.

    Uncovering weld discontinuities also is important because imperfections within or adjacent the weld, depending on their size or location, may prevent the weld from meeting its intended function. When discontinuities are an unacceptable size or in an unacceptable location, they are called welding defects, and they can cause premature weld failure by reducing strength or producing stress concentrations within the welded component.”

    Source: Fabrication and Manufacturing Association
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  5. #5 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
    Senior C-Moto Guru MJH's Avatar
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    As for the engine, it looks like they dropped the OHV they previously offered and have switched to an OHC, the code on the engine will offer the manufacturer. The first two characters, a Loncin CB250 (223cc) would have LC166MM stamped on its crankcase.
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  6. #6 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
    Senior C-Moto Guru humanbeing's Avatar
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    Keihin had 20% share in Deni http://www.dekni.com/
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  7. #7 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
    Senior C-Moto Guru MJH's Avatar
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    People take off the SAI all the time, but without removing the catalytic element down stream, that being the restricted exhaust the results can be problematic.

    The SAI Secondary Air Intake consists of a reed valve that operates off vacuum from the carburetor, it opens and closes allowing small amounts of oxygen to enter the exhaust chamber, it perpetuates the burning of hydrocarbons.

    If the SAI is removed then all the unspent hydrocarbons have to pass through the catalytic element in the muffler.

    If you then increase the fuel in the mixture then it will increase the amount of hydrocarbons that collect on the catalysts.

    As time goes eventually it will be or could become more and more restrictive and could even cause carbon deposits on the exhaust valve itself.

    Unless you are going to remove the exhaust and replace it with a dirt bike muffler your not going to get any noticeable improvements in throttle response. Only dirt bike mufflers do not have a catalytic element or race mufflers, both are available for off road use.

    I said it before and it is worth repeating the SAI is integrated and removing it requires consideration to the entire circuit.
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  8. #8 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
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    Thanks for the welcoming.

    Indeed it's Suzuki VanVan replica. This is even how it's advertised in UK. Only yesterday I realized that Suzuki never imported VanVan in the US for example, and that there was a 200cc version of it. I've only come across the 125cc. Hyosung also offers such type of bike, but it's only 125cc - http://www.hyosung.co.uk/detail.php?id=13 and it resembles to Yamaha TW. Plus mine is with a disk rear brake :D:D:D

    The engine is indeed OHC, but strangely the camshaft is held in place only by the head cover and not with bolts and shells to the head itself (ask me how I know this!) . And it has roller bearings, which are encapsulated :D I was meaning to check it's number, but work and other issues keep me away from the garage these days.

    Thanks, for the in-depth info on the SAI, MJH. There is no way the owner of the bike, a.k.a. my wife, would let me put an offroad muffler on it. If it was mine, I would have chopped it open straight away, but she likes it quiet like it is now. I'll just play a little with the jets if they are not too peculiar because now it doesn't tick-over properly when cold, even with the choke on.

    Nima, I can't really comment the performance yet, once because I haven't pushed it yet - it's quite cold outside, and it's still breaking in, and twice, because I don't have a benchmark to compare it with. For now I can say I'm satisfied how it accelerates on 3rd and 4th gear up to 80-100km/h (50-60mi/h). The vibrations are quite noticeable, though. As for tires, I think they'll last for ages considering the "massive" power and weight they need to handle and put to the tarmac. I don't think this bike will see much dirt in it's life with us, despite being designed to do so.
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  9. #9 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
    C-Moto Senior Nima Naderi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Krasi View Post
    Thanks for the welcoming.


    The engine is indeed OHC, but strangely the camshaft is held in place only by the head cover and not with bolts and shells to the head itself (ask me how I know this!) . And it has roller bearings, which are encapsulated :D
    where are these roller bearing ? u mean the camshaft rolls over roller bearings or it has been fixed between simple bearing on it's both heads ?
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  10. #10 Re: New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner 
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    Sorry, my bad. The bearings are ball, not roller, i.e. the most common bearing found around.

    The camshaft has two of these bearings on both ends. Actually, one of them is not at the end, but just behind the cam-chain sprocket. At least this is what I saw by lifting the head cover a little, as I couldn't remove it completely without dropping the engine from the frame at least a little.

    Plus, when you untighten the bolts of the cover the cam-chain pulls one end of the shaft, which rises the other and it's somewhat tricky to put it back together while everything is on the frame. I hope I wouldn't have to do that (dis)assembly again for some years :D
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