Templar 250 (not X or M)

[btr22]

I paid the balance on my base Templar yesterday. I put a $100 layaway deposit in January. Should be here in a week or two. I was bummed when I saw it go off the website a while back. I emailed Zora at Powersports Max and she said they actually reserved one for me in my first color choice, green. I was shocked but now excited to start working on it.

[btr22]

Originally Posted by Fast_Freddy

Another update: I did go with stainless steel M6 nutserts in the frame to mount the rear license plate/tail light frame. For whatever reason the factory had drilled and tapped 3 holes instead of 4 in the seat subframe. None of the holes had adequate thread engagement and would have failed eventually. The SS M6 nutserts were cheap from Amazon and easy to install with a 12.9 M6*30 hex head bolt, two washers and a M6 nut. I had to buy a 9mm (23/64") drill bit but wish I had used 11/32" instead as the nutserts wanted to spin in the holes. I would suggest drilling the smaller 11/32 hole and pressing the nutserts in with vice grips or a C clamp. Since I needed another fastener I bought 4 new allen socket headed M6*20 stainless bolts. Sorry for the lack of photos.

Carb is re-jetted. 125 main, 42 pilot and 2 turns out on the idle mixture seems pretty close and so much better than oem.

While I had everything apart I oiled the air filter with Maxis air filter oil. I also adjusted the chain which was loose. I plan to clean it and give it a gear oil bath at the break-in oil change coming soon. I added several turns of preload to the rear shock spring which helped a lot. Lots of little tweaks here and there. Just need some warmer weather to finish breaking it in.

Freddy, what elevation are you at?? I'll be riding 250 to 600 feet. Just trying to get an idea of where to start with the carb re-jetting.

[Fast_Freddy]

Originally Posted by btr22

Freddy, what elevation are you at?? I'll be riding 250 to 600 feet. Just trying to get an idea of where to start with the carb re-jetting.

Congrats on the new Templar! I live and ride between 200'-1000' ASL and so far the 125/42 is working well. If I change anything it will be a step richer on the main jet. GL

[btr22]

Originally Posted by Fast_Freddy

Thanks Pete! I'm starting off with modest one step richer pilot and main jets and 2 washers on the needle. We shall see.

Freddy, did you stick with the 2 washers on the needle? I'm about to take my carb out and rejet.

[Fast_Freddy]

Originally Posted by btr22

Freddy, did you stick with the 2 washers on the needle? I'm about to take my carb out and rejet.

Yes, 2 M3 washers (1mm).

[btr22]

How do you adjust the preload on the rear shock? There is not much room to get any tool in there to spin the collar.

[Fast_Freddy]

Originally Posted by btr22

How do you adjust the preload on the rear shock? There is not much room to get any tool in there to spin the collar.

It ain't easy! AFAIK the only good options are as follow:

Spanner method: Lift bike to take weight off rear shock. Remove seat, left side cover, airbox, rear fender and rear subframe. You now have room to use a spanner wrench.

Drift method: Lift bike to take weight off rear shock. You can use a long standard screwdriver but you risk damaging the preload rings and/or shock threads. Better to buy a special tool for the job.

[Thumper]

The OEM spring is heavy duty (350lb/inch). If you try to turn the preload collar with a tool, it will probably damage the aluminum threads on the shock body, and definitely damage the indents on the collar made for the spanner.

It is easy to remove the shock.
https://www.chinariders.net/showpost...1&postcount=22

And especially posts 12-14 here
https://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=31860

If you compress the spring with a coil spring compression tool, you can easily move the preload collar to any place you need to. Then release the spirng, done.

Even if you don't lower the bike, this might actually be easier, and do less damage to the shock.

[btr22]

Originally Posted by Thumper

The OEM spring is heavy duty (350lb/inch). If you try to turn the preload collar with a tool, it will probably damage the aluminum threads on the shock body, and definitely damage the indents on the collar made for the spanner.

It is easy to remove the shock.
https://www.chinariders.net/showpost...1&postcount=22

And especially posts 12-14 here
https://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=31860

If you compress the spring with a coil spring compression tool, you can easily move the preload collar to any place you need to. Then release the spirng, done.

Even if you don't lower the bike, this might actually be easier, and do less damage to the shock.

Thanks. I read those posts. I was hoping for a simpler way. I thought Fast Freddy posted he used some car suspension tool and didn’t need to remove the shock.
Taking it on and off multiple times to get the adjustment right seems like a pain. I’m only 150 lbs so it may be ok where it is for now. I’ll have to put some miles on it on the trails first. I only have 2 miles around a grass field so far.

[Thumper]

Removing the shock is actually easy, but you have to remove the exhaust, and then remove the lower and upper shock mount bolts. The shock will slip through the upper gap on the right side.

But once you have it out, you need to compress the spring to tighten the collar.

FYI, removing the seat, and battery tray, the air filter ass'y, and the rear frame is a monumental amount of work (I've done it!).

I thought you need a hook wrench to tighten that collar like the one below (shock spanner). I wouldn't know how to use the straight tool. But once you have the shock off, you could not use this tool.



Nothing easy about this! I was afraid of damaging the threads of that aluminum shock body, so I made a coil spring compressor from a car oriented compressor.

[Fast_Freddy]

Originally Posted by Thumper

The OEM spring is heavy duty (350lb/inch). If you try to turn the preload collar with a tool, it could potentially damage the aluminum threads on the shock body, and possibly damage the indents on the collar made for the spanner.

I fixed your post based on first hand experience. I added 3/4" of preload to my shock using a large screwdriver and a rubber hammer without damaging anything. You just have to know what you're doing and not beat the crap out of it. I stopped when the resistance became sufficient that the collar indents might begin to deform from the impact of a steel screwdriver. The reason why shock tools use brass.

Another option here is to compress the spring in situ.

[Thumper]

OK. So it won't damage the threads. The KKE rear shock is built tougher than I thought.

As far as compressing the shock while still mounted, I could not find any tool that fit in there.

I took mine off and backed it off from more than an inch to closer to 3/4". It certainly is a stiff spring.
A ratcheting hook wrench could work if someone would invent and make one!

[Fast_Freddy]

Originally Posted by Thumper

OK. So it won't damage the threads. The KKE rear shock is built tougher than I thought.

As far as compressing the shock while still mounted, I could not find any tool that fit in there.

I took mine off and backed it off from more than an inch to closer to 3/4". It certainly is a stiff spring.
A ratcheting hook wrench could work if someone would invent and make one!

I think the most important thing is to get all the weight off the rear wheel before adjusting the shock preload. Also, there is probably a limit to how much preload can be added with the shock mounted. I stopped before I did any damage.

Do you have any info on the shorter 450mm Templar shock? I suspect it may have a softer spring since it's rated for a single rider only and the seat subframe doesn't look like it could carry a passenger.

Do you think this tool might work?

I was thinking that one side of a spring compressor might be used to take a lot of tension off the rings.I have one like this.

[Thumper]

3/8" drive spanner "wrench"! This looks promising for mounted access, because you can use a ratchet. Worth a try. It will still require continuous micro movements and resetting, but maybe...

[Fast_Freddy]

Maybe btr22 will test it out and let us know how it works?