2014 Apollo 250, or is it?

[onevette80]

Spur of the moment, I found and purchased a "2014 Apollo 250 with 30 miles on it". Found Monday and picked up Tuesday. While I'm a serious gear head, I'm new/ignorant about dirt bikes(I have had several Harleys). Before Monday, I didn't even know Chinese "copies" existed.
I immediately began researching the Apollo and had a replacement carb(mikuni) ordered before I'd even picked up bike.
I got the bike very cheap because the battery was dead and the "carb needs to be flushed since I haven't started it in a year." While it wouldn't start, I did kick it over a few times before I drove away, and It has significant compression.
So last night I start pulling it apart to swap the non adjustable carb, that I've read these come with. And I find a few interesting things:
1. It has a tag on frame that says 2008. That must have been a very long boat ride.
2. Previous owner claims to have purchased new from dealer and never had to replace anything. Yet, carb is fully adjustable.
3. While sitting in garage for "a year", in Arkansas. Gas in carb had completely jelled.
4. Bike also has raw wheels, while every Apollo I've seen on net has black wheels.
Does anyone have any insight for me?
He won't respond to my questions.....
Is it even an Apollo?
Ryan

[2LZ]

Have any pics?
The old owner may have bought it "new" in 2014 but it could have very well been a 2008. Many of the early CB's sat in warehouses, "new" for years, waiting to be sold. Many dealers came and went and the stock floated around to highest bidder.

Odds are, the 2008 had an adjustable carb. It's the newer ones, especially CA bikes, that are totally sealed.

[onevette80]

No pics yet.
Looking at their website, it appears to be an AGB-30E.
Does anyone know what American bike this is a copy of?
Please excuse my ignorance, but it looks like there are at least 3 different engines configurations amongst their 250cc bikes?

[Weldangrind]

Welcome! As 2LZ says, have any pics? That would help us to help you.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by onevette80

No pics yet.
Looking at their website, it appears to be an AGB-30E.
Does anyone know what American bike this is a copy of?
Please excuse my ignorance, but it looks like there are at least 3 different engines configurations amongst their 250cc bikes?

If you are looking at Apollo's China site, they show specs as what is available/optional to importers in various countries. In the US, they have EPA certified the bike year after year (my guess is you have to do this as long as your specs don't change, which makes the re-certification a simple paper deal vs. waiting a year or longer and having to go through the months long certification process which would start from scratch) with Zongshen 229cc engines, so those specs are what we in the US get.

There is no real copy that Apollo uses from what I can tell. In fact, they classify their bikes, from what I can see, as 'pit bikes' no matter what size they make the bike and/or engine, so I believe they are somewhat original, unless they model them off obscure Euro brands? I doubt that, however.

Until you post photos, based on your belief that it is a 30E, I am guessing we have not had that model since 2008 or thereabouts--I think the current bike is the 36, and maybe 38 models, but for sure, the 36, besides their pit bikes.

[onevette80]

Pic from original listing. I'll take some more tomorrow when I put it back together.

[Weldangrind]

It's hard to tell with my monitor, but it looks like a CG motor. Close-up pics will answer that, when you have time.

[onevette80]

It is in fact an AGB-30E according to the data tag on frame.
What is a "CG" engine?

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by onevette80

It is in fact an AGB-30E according to the data tag on frame.
What is a "CG" engine?

It's a pushrod Honda clone. Made to be unbelievably durable.
Here is a history of the CG motor.

http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1975cg125/

[onevette80]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

It's a pushrod Honda clone. Made to be unbelievably durable.
Here is a history of the CG motor.

http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1975cg125/

So, as far as Chinese copies go, I got a good one?
I'm big on maintenance, so I doubt my oil will ever turn to "goo".

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by onevette80

So, as far as Chinese copies go, I got a good one?
I'm big on maintenance, so I doubt my oil will ever turn to "goo".

If you could get us a close up pic, that would be helpful.

General rule is if it has a belly button on the left side of the head (toward the bottom), it's a CG motor. If it has caps on top of the head for adjusting the valves, it's an OHC motor.

[culcune]

Apollo has pretty much used Zongshen engines since as far back as I can remember. Since they are certified with the EPA, it is easy to re-certify them year after year, as starting with a new engine requires a manufacturer to start from scratch.

Onevette, there should be some sort of writing on the engine itself, and my guess is there will be the letters 'ZS' and numbers. This will confirm yours as being Zongshen sourced.

[onevette80]

Several of my buddies and I did about 40 miles Saturday. The bike did great! While the suspension is horrible, it had enough power to keep up with the KTM that lead the pack. Several much more experienced guys jumped on it and were blown away. I assume this is due in part to the carb swap to the mikuni vm26? Since the original carb was gummed up and the bike would barely run, I really cant compare it to stock..... I'm talking, it'll wheelie without popping clutch!

[2LZ]

Good to hear! Change the front fork fluid with a known good fluid of your choice. This will help the forks tremendously. They probably have the original garbage in them. Pour each fork out and measure the amount of fluid in each. Then refill.

[zingshoen]

does it have a zongshen motor? like does the engine number start with zs? behind the shifter?