The first JH600 in Nanjing?

**TexasAggie** · 06-11-2010, 05:19 AM

I would love to join you but we have sales team from work coming in from USA today for visit to a supplier on Tuesday. I will need to babysit them :(

At least one of the guys rides in the USA and I will fire up the Chang Jiang 750 and the JH600 for a ride out around Jiangxin Island on Wednesday. Not really anything as nice as thear ride you are taking but it is close to me and not so many cars out on the island to dodge. Plus there are some dirt trails to explore.

I am jealous. I am sure you should include invite to jkp as he is pretty close by and has a new toy that requires seat time too.

DT

**Pfaelzer** · 06-11-2010, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by bikerdoc

Haha. Yeah I thought the mods looked so similar, but I had thought (incorrectly) perhaps AW had done most of the mods himself.

....

Hi bikerdoc and TexasAggie,

that is my bike posted here. The guy is Mr. Tu who made the hardware (luggage rack, engine and sump guard and boxes). You can see him also standing on the rack for "testing" on the pictures in my report. I sent the bike to Zhejiang for that and picked it up riding it back to Fuzhou (see my RR Zhejiang to Fuzhou). The guys are really great - met them through Franki. There are a bunch of other chinese pages with these pictures - information is spreading... Can't do all by myself - especially not these boxes which are great. Need their contact, let me know.

Cheers,
AW.

**TexasAggie** · 07-29-2010, 07:03 AM

Well, TIC and another Bad China Day. Warning for all you new JH600 owners.

As I live in a 35 story high rise, I do not have a proper garage. I did get the management to let me park my Jialing and my CJ in "special" spots but they are dark and not good for doing any maintenance. So....I went to local "mechanic" that I have been told by numerous locals is the best motorcycle mechanic in Nanjing for modern bikes to get the oil changed for the first time at 300km. I brought the synthetic oil and the oil filter. Of course it still turned into a complete clusterfuck as one of the three bolts holding the oil filter in place immediately snapped off upon trying to remove it. Then the fucking circus started. After 2 hours of painfully watching the removal job being attempted without proper tools resulting in a worse and worse situation. I grew angry and just used 2 screws to put the plate back on with new filter. I will bring some fucking tools from the USA and fix it myself in the damn street. I have not been too unhappy with the bike itself but I definitely am not happy the factory does not have any automated torque equipment or no idea how to calibrate their DC drivers if they are using this technology. I spent 25 years building engines in the automotive industry so I am not blind on maintenance but having proper tools sure keeps things from turning into what happens here all the time. I have not even tried to replace the muffler, rear shock, and front fork springs even though I have the new designs from AW and Franki in my possession but if I cannot even get the oil changed, I am not about to let the local monkeys screw with anything else more complicated. THose looking to buy one of these should consider their local maintenance facility. If you have access to local dealer or something other than the damn street, you will like the bike but if you live in a city with no dealer, beware.

To sum up the day, I would strongly suggest replacing the three standard oil filter screws with something stronger and also remember to lubricate them before torquing them down as steel and aluminum tend to bond over time.

Attached are few pictures including the side panniers. I am basically happy with the supports as they came from Jialing. The boxes themselves are not very strong but they are working fine for around town use. Considering the lack of talent in Nanjing, I am happy I bought already assembled. AW and jkp have better quality by going to aftermarket modifications but they also had either access to good talent, time, or both to do their modifications.

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No good deed goes unpunished!

**euphonius** · 07-29-2010, 07:23 AM

Damn, feeling your pain, Aggie. Having done my first oil change in the streets of a small town outside Chongqing, I'm feeling it could just as well have happened to me. I live in similar circumstances (20th floor vs 35th) and have no ideal place to wrench it myself. But I do have what I believe to be a good competent mechanic, and now I'm thinking I should negotiate access to some place where I can do my own wrenching.

Nanjing is a big place. Surely with a little initiative we in this forum (and others) can find a good shop for you there.

Incidentally, are you able to get correct oil filters in Nanjing? I bought 10 from Jialing while I was there.

cheers

**bikerdoc** · 07-29-2010, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by TexasAggie

Well, TIC and another Bad China Day. Warning for all you new JH600 owners.

As I live in a 35 story high rise, I do not have a proper garage. I did get the management to let me park my Jialing and my CJ in "special" spots but they are dark and not good for doing any maintenance. So....I went to local "mechanic" that I have been told by numerous locals is the best motorcycle mechanic in Nanjing for modern bikes to get the oil changed for the first time at 300km. I brought the synthetic oil and the oil filter. Of course it still turned into a complete clusterfuck as one of the three bolts holding the oil filter in place immediately snapped off upon trying to remove it. Then the fucking circus started. After 2 hours of painfully watching the removal job being attempted without proper tools resulting in a worse and worse situation. I grew angry and just used 2 screws to put the plate back on with new filter. I will bring some fucking tools from the USA and fix it myself in the damn street. I have not been too unhappy with the bike itself but I definitely am not happy the factory does not have any automated torque equipment or no idea how to calibrate their DC drivers if they are using this technology. I spent 25 years building engines in the automotive industry so I am not blind on maintenance but having proper tools sure keeps things from turning into what happens here all the time. I have not even tried to replace the muffler, rear shock, and front fork springs even though I have the new designs from AW and Franki in my possession but if I cannot even get the oil changed, I am not about to let the local monkeys screw with anything else more complicated. THose looking to buy one of these should consider their local maintenance facility. If you have access to local dealer or something other than the damn street, you will like the bike but if you live in a city with no dealer, beware.

To sum up the day, I would strongly suggest replacing the three standard oil filter screws with something stronger and also remember to lubricate them before torquing them down as steel and aluminum tend to bond over time.
Attached are few pictures including the side panniers. I am basically happy with the supports as they came from Jialing. The boxes themselves are not very strong but they are working fine for around town use. Considering the lack of talent in Nanjing, I am happy I bought already assembled. AW and jkp have better quality by going to aftermarket modifications but they also had either access to good talent, time, or both to do their modifications.
No good deed goes unpunished!

Ouch! WTF are they doing with that electric drill in the last photo? Seriously I would have gone ape shiet... I have no problem telling some of the locals they're just one step above __________ , though in my haste to curse I usually yell ________ , which doesn't go down well sometimes (wifey!). Mate, I can sympathise with you, I sure as hell wouldn't have fcukd round with it for more than 30min. Been there done that one time never again. It's got to be hard without the garage/space and a decent place to swing a wrench. But for gawds sake get yourself a good selection of tools... and do it yourself. Especially DT you're an engineer, mate, don't trust them... just don't. It seems harsh, even discriminatory - but I've been burnt and been privy to enough of the BS that passes the mustard for the masses here. Meet many CEO's, C.D.'s, G.M's et. al., who've been cheated by all kinds of business practices & bureaucracy here. That's why when I finally vacate this (____) empire, I will not be buying anything made in the middle k1ngdoom if I can help it (of course I've got to be able to determine the origins of something), that also might seem conceited and biased but I have and continue to see far too much incompetency around me, and so much cheating beyond belief, at the expense of there fellow countrymen and/or the international community.

My other observation is, it might be prudent to replace the hex headed bolts with some alloy Allan key headed ones if possible... just my opinions.

**TexasAggie** · 07-29-2010, 08:02 AM

Nanjing is a city of 8 million 12 year olds.

I was impressed with the quality of the talent you have dealt with recently. I am still thinking I will put Big Blue on a truck and send it to your "Mr Muffler Man"! I am not about to use the clowns I have found here. It took 3 years to find a competent CJ750 mechanic and he is still scary to watch. But he honestly told me he was not interested in working on the JH as he is just CJ mechanic. Hopefully I will find someone with a clue for the JH600 that is at least as competent and my CJ mechanic is. As far as the new rear shock and new front fork springs, I am waiting until I have some confidence in someone local, ship the bike to someone competent, or my own tools and space to do the job correctly. Attached are pics of the fat guy as he was about to blow up. I am that fat guy in the white shirt!
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**TexasAggie** · 07-29-2010, 08:08 AM

I forgot to answer jkp on the oil filters. I ordered 6 of them from the factory. That was the reason I was so pissed off when the clown told my wife there was no such thing as the parts manual. Then after telling him I knew someone, jkp, with one he told us it was ilegal to send it out to customers??? WTF

Anyway, I did not kill anyone and I will get the bolt out and replace all three with better bolts when I return from the USA with a good bolt extraction tool. I think bikerdoc is correct to consider allen head grade 8 or even 10.

**jape** · 07-29-2010, 08:25 AM

I am getting truly uncomfortable with some of the terms and ideas being expressed here. I am the first to call a fuckwit a fuckwit in any race or colour but you guys are getting beyond the point of acceptable insult and discussion! Back it off or keep it to private opinion in PM. You CANNOT insult a whole country/race of so many varied traditions and cultures, undergoing such a political and social transformation, all clowns and baboons just because they don't conform to YOUR standards of education, knowledge and practise.
TONE IT DOWN.
I could and will if pushed give my own opinion of fucking arrogant yank pricks and murderers around the world, but that of course would be immature and patently ignorant of me. Many people applauded what happened on Sept 11. Now I know why. Stay in your own backyard and play with your mumma boobies if you can't deal with the complex, facinating, diverse and grown- up real world and also, get off this forum.

**TexasAggie** · 07-30-2010, 07:08 AM

Update on the Oil filter cover:
I can attest to the fact the oil cover has had zero leakage with only two bolts holding the cover in place. As this cover pushes against the actual oil filter with a rubber grommet, I was worried. However, the O-ring seal is working so far and I rode around town for several hours. I would not suggest this, but if anyone else happens to have the bolt snap off like I did, at least you know you can probably get by until you have proper repair resources.

Overall, the bike performance and design have not disappointed me. It is not my GSA but it sure works as well as my Honda 650L and it is legal here in China.

I am hoping I can successfully remove the broken bolt without damaging the housing threads too much more than they are. I guess as a last resort, I will order new housing cover plate.

I bought a bidirectional drill yesterday but could not find complete extractor kit so I will bring a reverse drill bit and extractor kit with me back from either Europe or USA. If anyone knows where to get these in Shanghai or elsewhere in China, let me know.

**euphonius** · 07-30-2010, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by TexasAggie

I bought a bidirectional drill yesterday but could not find complete extractor kit so I will bring a reverse drill bit and extractor kit with me back from either Europe or USA. If anyone knows where to get these in Shanghai or elsewhere in China, let me know.

All points bulletin! Calling Pfaelzer! He's got the best-stocked garage in China, and seemingly every tool under the sun....

Actually, there are tons of broken bolt extractor kits in Taobao. I searched for the term "broken screw" (断螺丝) and got MANY HITS

Your team in Nanjing should be able to source something useful....

cheers