Troubleshooting a Carbed Chinese bike

[Thumper]

I you do the initial work adjusting valves, rejetting to more rich airgas mixture, and keep a few spare parts around (tested coil, tested CDI unit) and know how to check for spark and fuel delivery, you can keep a carbureted Chinese bike on the road.

I have been amazed at ALL THREE dirt bikes I got over the past couple of years, and how easy they are to troubleshoot and fix.

This is important if no mechanics will work on your Chinese "junk". More and more, it is obvious that you need to be a reasonable motorcycle mechanic (or be very lucky that nothing fails)! These are great bikes, if you can fix them. Don't get me wrong... ALL bikes need fixing now and then. In a pinch, you can take your Honda to the dealership!

My carbureted Zhongshen engines have never let me down. I have always been the problem, like when I drilled the airscrew on a perfectly good working bike, and decided to open it to 2 turns instead of checking the original setting and making minor changes! Oh it got me home, and I figured it out, but that's a carb for ya! Simple, low tech.

Since my bikes have good charging systems, I have checked stator voltages and tested spare parts, just in case. I have spare electrical parts, fuses. I know where the reg/rectifier is, I know where the starter solenoid is (and how to bypass it)...Well, I bought the thing, and I can't expect a regional mechanic to fix it, so I will have to live with failure, or learn to fix it. I feel pretty well equipped now, but I am so glad I chose naturally aspired system on these bikes. Just my opinion.

[tknj99]

An added side benefit is that since they are so easy to work on and learn from, some of that knowledge and experience can be transferred to much bigger bikes

[Megadan]

Yep, all the reasons I love the carbed Hawk. Barn door simplicity and reliability. It's the same reason I bought a manual transmission, base model, Nissan Versa - it has nothing to fail, so it never breaks down.

[Magician16]

Yeah, I love the simplicity of a carbed bike. I just wish I could buy a pickup that was like a pickup from the 80's instead of these luxurious grocery getters.

[Thumper]

Having a good set of tools is important. A combination wrench will suffice for the axel bolt(s), but a dedicated socket is helpful, and a breaker bar. Chain tool, spoke wrench(es), tire spoons, etcetra are must have motorcyce tools.

The other thing you really need is a good voltmeter, and in depth familiarity of the type of stator you have, and where the rectifier/regulator is. I cut my teeth on GS series Suzuki 4 cylinder bikes. They had notoriously weak stators, prone to failure. That is when I learned what a diode does! Testing a charging system takes less than a minute when you have a voltmeter! At least, a good charging system takes less than a minute (charging or not!).

All of that charging system knowledge came in handy when I needed to troubleshoot an old cast iron block 10hp Kohler engine on my Gravely 1972 walk behind. I quickly figured out that the stator was putting out just fine (about 35V, AC at 1200-1500 rpm), but that the rectifier was blown. $15 later, it was running. You tube videos on electrical systems are a good place to stator if you need to learn about these charging systems.