I still runs

[Spartan19]

After being away in China for a few months, we returned back to Australia from the winter and then spring...which never sprung as it was still -2 and four foot of snow after the Spring Festival around Wuhan and Tongshan.


I was dreading the return to be honest as my towing car, a 2006 BMW X5 diesel, was not well. Apart from glow plugs and controller unit, I had no idea why it would not travel further than 3km.

I got the beast going and left it running to put life back into the battery, while this was going on I thought that if I am going to sit up in the engine bay, I might as well give it a clean.
In doing this, I made an amazing discovery...as I had washed all around the interior body work, I thought I would wash over the engine cover as it was greasy. With no pressure at all I pushed the soft brush over the engine cover and the engine cut out, then caught again I dragged the brush back, Nothing. Forward again and once more it cut out

I had driven the car three weeks without the cover on and thought it was all sorted, then I decided to put the cover on, started the car and all was fine. Just prior to leaving for China, we had to take our birds to my sister and loaded up of we went, as I passed the first exit to return home, and made way to the express way the engine cut out. Pulled over and it fired up again ... FFS...onto the express way and accelerated to 100km/h. All good then we pass the next exit and it starts what can only be described as misfiring. Enough, next exit were off and back to home.
I ordered parts by the bucket load as everything plays its part and upon return it was going to have to be done.

Now I had found the real cause, the engine cover was hitting the injector and fuel rail wires. No doubt, this wiring needs to be replaced but for now, I have made 35mm stand off mount bolts and it is running fine.
Win number one.


Feeling pleased with this, I decided to address the Kinlon KBR 200RT. When I first got it, it was running very poorly, had a flat front tyre and had been brush painted blue. The tyre was fixed awhile back, a new spark plug was put in, but it just lacked life and the kick start was so worn that it leaned backwards, so when you kicked, 9 out of 10 times your foot would slip off and it would skin your calf violently.
The electric start just spins aimlessly, so if that can be addressed without stripping the motor I am all ears for info!
I run some arc weld down the rear of the kick lever to build up the metal and made it look good. I actually over loaded it to give a forward lean, then placed it on the bike. Spark plug out, and about twenty five priming kicks to circulate the oil...Well, I had high hopes
Plug back in, petrol on, full choke, ignition on and just set the kick to compression...a quick kick and there was a lovely purring sound coming from the bike, no smoke or rattles, very tight motor. The lad who sold it to me said it had 48000km on the clock. I didn't have to much in the way of high hopes for it to be honest but when I read the speedometer it was 4872.6Km Not even 5000 km yet. When I switched off it was instant stop of a good engine. I started it again, I'll say this for it, 200cc maybe but if you do not get that kick right it will bite back, which it did. So setting up for a proper kick start, I then just kicked lightly and it purred into life again.
Win number two.
I have bought one of the plastic welding kits with the mesh and staples. I will fix all the splits and cracks first, then rub down this horrible paint. If I could I would have bought new plastics, but the pattern and mounting bolts are unique so a repaint with proper spray painting in a more noticeable colour for visibility.


My only concern is the exhaust, does anyone know if those on Ali Express will bolt on? Any other observations or information will be very helpful as well. Hopefully I can post an image here. Jeff