New SkyTeam ST250 V-Raptor owner

[Krasi_BG]

Hello,
My name is Krasi and I'm exotic fetishist


After some months of lurking around your, and other, nice forums, it's time to introduce myself properly, albeit verbosely. The reason I came across here was my quest for information about Puzey XTR-4. They still don't have CE certification though, so in the mean time my wife benefited from the situation. Plus, I found myself digging through some rider reports. I was especially impressed my this thread over there:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201349

Just little bit of background: I'm 34 and live in Bulgaria, Eastern Europe. Yeah, baby, former communist :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

I currently posses two "big" bikes, both of which highly exotic:


(For sale! )

and GasGas EC300, 2-stroke:



The GasGas looked like that when I bought it brand new a few years ago. Nowadays it's quite bumped and bruised, but it'll retire with me, so it doesn't matter much.

Anyway, last week I received my SkyTeam (cool name, ha? Especially for an airline alliance), model ST250-2 V-Raptor. The irony is that my big road bike model is is also a model, called Raptor , but the make is Cagiva, and it's 1000cc - as much as four of the new bike


Initially I asked SkyTeam themselves who gave me a price of $1450 EXW (at least this was the price a few weeks ago). After calculating shipment, import taxes, VAT, custom clearance, etc, I decided to buy it from the English importer - http://www.northbridgebikes.co.uk/index.html as the final price would have been about the same. I was in contact with Colin there who helped me tremendously and I'm expressing deep gratitude for his service.

Well, here is the "beast", fully assembled and running:










I think the engine is Loncin. You may correct me on that as I still have hard time remembering who were the main two or three engine manufacturers in China. I'm sure you know perfectly well the TT data of the bike, better than the factory themselves

All in all, I'm pleasantly surprised by what I received. I have to admit I was prepared for worse. The bike came properly packaged, in a steel crate:




Tires are impressive, to say the least. Rear one is 180mm wide, which is as much of that of the big Raptor. Front is 130mm.


Like I said, I was prepared to complete the manufacturing of the bike in my garage:


Tens of stainless nuts and bolts to replace the OEM ones:

Actually they were pretty much rendered useless. I didn't come across a single loose nut or bolt. Plus, all nuts are with a metal unwinding protector (whatever it's name is). Not be a complete waste, I still changed some, like on the handle-bar clamp, pillion pegs, seat, etc. I guess, only time will tell if the OEM will get lost from the vibrations. Oddly, I couldn't loose the two bolts holding the from brake caliper to the left fork. Tried with a 1/4" wrench and a o-shaped spanner. I guess somebody was very enthusiastic with the pneumatic wrench...

There was grease like on a "real" bike, which was a nice surprise:




Without claiming to know much about welds (so much for my engineering degree!) these seem alright to me:



Since I was prepared, I changed fork oil. There was about 150ml of oil in each fork, which seemed not enough to me. I consulted with a local suspension specialist, who also advised me to put more - till the top end of the spring with fork fully compressed. So I did - it came to about 250ml in each fork. "Preload" spring bushings are about 1/3 in length of the springs themselves. And the springs are progressive, believe it or not:


I suppose these are some scooter/moped forks. I haven't measured their diameter, but it can't be more that 30-35mm. Front axle goes directly into a thread on the left fork, which was new for me, but probably is normal for such bikes:


"Preflight" checks included also valve clearance adjustment. Valves were tight, as I was expecting after reading around the Net. During the check I came across the first major "design" flaw - in order to take out the cap for the intake valve, one must loosen and wiggle the top engine mount. Not a big deal, only three bolts with nuts:


Another shortcoming is that the oil stick, a.k.a. filler cap is tucked in a dogs arse, like we say round my part of the world, and getting it in and out is inconvenient, to say the least:

Oddly enough, apart from the dip stick, there is also an oil level checking window on the right side of the engine (which I haven't photographed). I guess there is no way you can omit checking the oil level

Battery arrived dry. The acid electrolyte was in a separate container, which gets shoved (hehe) onto the battery and the fluid bubbles into it. Probably this is standard setup, but it was new for me:


Electrics also seem "like real":

Everything is tight, tucked and worked the first time. Only the rear lights connectors under the rear fender seemed not water-proofed enough, so I winded some insulation around them.

From what I've read, I'm prepared to have to change rear sprocket and chain after not much mileage:


Rear brake caliper is with two pistons, which is also like "on a real bike" :


Initially I thought they managed to use the same caliper as the the front one, but, the heck, they are different:


The speedometer reminds me of the ones we used to have 20-25 years ago on some East-German-made small bikes, called Simson. Ah, sweet memories... In the crate, the odometer indicated 900 meters:


Indication lights icons are shifted one position to the right, but at least they are only three so there couldn't be much confusion:


Carburetor is Teknin or something like that. I'm sure you know more about it. "Standard of Japan" stamp, really brings a smile:

Model is stamped as PZ30, which I hope means it's 30mm. Am I right? Any advice on jetting settings about it, is more than welcome. Especially since the temperature is about 5-10 degrees Celcius around here and I think the engine runs on the lean side. Also, there are some hot air and case vent hoses around it, which I suppose I related to meeting the eco norms. If that's the case, I'd really like to simplify the system

One other flaw that showed up is that the right-hand tank sticker started to peel off:

Why on Earth did they have to use such 3-D stickers instead of regular PVC foil is beyond me. I'll try to stick it back, but if I fail, I see some weight reduction in the near future. I also noticed that the coating on the exhaust, close to the cylinder, started to crack and chip. Thanks God it's not a chopper

I expected the fuel line to be of the vacuum type (you know, thin and transparent), but this one seems genuine, at least visibly:



I think these are all the pictures I made. I hope you like them. I also changed the brake fluid and the engine oil, before even starting it for the first time. There was some "metallic" particles in it, but AFAK it's normal. I bought myself a 5-liter bottle so I'll see to change it quite often, especially during the break-in. Speaking of breaking-in, the manual says to be gentle during the first day or first 25km

I guess, that would be enough introduction. It turned out quite long, but I hope you like it. I'll be expecting your advice on everything about my (OK, my wife's!) new ride.

[Weldangrind]

Welcome!

Neat bike! It reminds me of a Yamaha TW200, but with a Honda-cloned engine. BTW, your engine is much like the '86 and later Honda XR200R, with OHC; a very reliable performer. Don't even bother trying to read the dipstick. Just use the sight glass as your guide.

Even though the fuel line isn't transparent, it's likely junk. Find some quality fuel hose. The carb is a copy of a Keihin, and I believe it to be 30mm. You might struggle to find a replacement slow jet for it, but the main jet should be easy enough to replace. The other option is to buy a 30mm Mikuni on eBay, which would make jet sourcing much easier.

I agree with your assessment of the rear sprocket and chain. A little research on www.jtsprockets.com should reveal a suitable replacement rear sprocket.

Love your Cagiva and GasGas. 8)

[FastDoc]

Welcome to the forum .

If we had a prize for the best introduction thread you would get it :wink: .

Excellent writeup and wonderful photos .

We would love to see pictures of you and your bike riding around Bulgaria .

Many of us replace the fuel line. Chinese rubber products are always suspect.

The sprockets seem to last OK, many people change them to alter gearing more than due to wear.

Looks like you have an OHC, not an OHV engine. I prefer that :P .

Very cool looking machine, a style I've not seen before. Kinda like a Yamaha TW200.

BTW I'm also Eastern European. My mom was from Romania, my father from Poland. I'm first generation born in America.

Also, FWIW, I'm a firearms collector and I have some fun stuff from your country... 8)

[katoranger]

I like it. Looks like a TW with more of a vintage style.

[SpudRider]

Welcome to these forums, Krasi! I'm very happy you accepted my invitation to join us here at China Riders!

I believe Krasi's bike is a Chinese copy of the Suzuki VanVan. I have read these bikes are sold in Europe [125cc] and Japan [200cc] .

http://suzukivanvan.forumandco.com/

Apparently the Suzuki VanVan bikes are ridden as dual sport motorcycles in Europe, and many riders travel all over Europe on these bikes. Didn't forum member Oengus make a few posts concerning a Chinese copy of the Suzuki VanVan?

Spud

[Weldangrind]

Thanks for the reminder, Spud. I knew I had seen that platform before, but I couldn't remember where.

[SpudRider]

I found a nice walk-around video of the Skyteam V-Raptor on Youtube.



This is a very nice motorcycle!

Spud

[Krasi_BG]

Thanks for the welcoming.

Indeed it's Suzuki VanVan replica. This is even how it's advertised in UK. Only yesterday I realized that Suzuki never imported VanVan in the US for example, and that there was a 200cc version of it. I've only come across the 125cc version. Hyosung also offers such type of bike, but it's only 125cc - http://www.hyosung.co.uk/detail.php?id=13 and it resembles more to Yamaha TW. And it's also not listed on the US Hyosung site... Damn, you guys are short on offerings for small bikes!

Mine is with a disk rear brake and is about half the price, though I sure hope this won't turn into a hollow saving in the long run. You're my inspiration Spud, with your tens of thousands of mileage.

The engine is indeed OHC, but strangely the camshaft is held in place only by the head cover and not with bolts and shells to the head itself (ask me how I know this!) . And it has ball bearings, which are encapsulated I was meaning to check the engine ID, but work and other issues keep me away from the garage these days.

On another forum, I was advised not to touch the SAI (Secondary Air Intake) system, unless I open up the exhaust too. Unfortunately, there is no way the owner of the bike, a.k.a. my wife, would let me put an offroad muffler on it. If it was mine, I would have chopped it open straight away, but she likes it quiet like it is now. I'll just play a little with the jets if they are not too peculiar because now it doesn't tick-over properly when cold, even with the choke on.

Spud, this video is actually made by Colin from northbridgebikes.co.uk that I purchased the bike from Here a few more:







I'd really like to borrow some your firearm collection, FastDoc! Does it say somewhere "Kazanlak" on the stuff made in Bulgaria? I'm trying to plate the thing, and the combination of one-of-a-kind vehicle with Bulgarian traffic administration can shorten your life more than family reunion at the in-laws. We might be an EU member, but the mentality is from 3rd world... The bike has a CE certificate, so I'll get through eventually. After all this was one of the reasons I bought that particular make and model.

[Krasi_BG]

Because I'm cheap, I'm contemplating on the idea to make myself some DIY heating system, because the temperatures outside are about the freezing point now and will get lower.

So far, I'm thinking of buying a few sets of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorcycle...53967870860524

And to use them both as heated grips and also as knee and/or chest heaters. I'm thinking of connecting them through a relay(s) so that only one of them is connected at any given moment.

On one of the local bike forums I was offered to use one of these aftermarket seat heaters, which are also quite cheap:

http://shopix.bg/img/products/85/ps_fkrse900.jpg

For a peace of mind I'm planning to install somehow one of these:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/digital...c-models-20024

Did I say I'm cheap?

May be a 12-5V transformer and these would also be handy:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/usb-hea...ack-pair-49072

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by Krasi_BG

The engine is indeed OHC, but strangely the camshaft is held in place only by the head cover and not with bolts and shells to the head itself (ask me how I know this!) . And it has ball bearings, which are encapsulated

That's exactly how the Honda XR200R is designed. The non-replaceable bearings will quickly score if the oil isn't changed regularly. That said, old Hondas of that design will still run forever, even if neglected.

Originally Posted by Krasi_BG

On another forum, I was advised not to touch the SAI (Secondary Air Intake) system, unless I open up the exhaust too. Unfortunately, there is no way the owner of the bike, a.k.a. my wife, would let me put an offroad muffler on it. If it was mine, I would have chopped it open straight away, but she likes it quiet like it is now. I'll just play a little with the jets if they are not too peculiar because now it doesn't tick-over properly when cold, even with the choke on.

If you remove the SAI without changing mufflers, you'll destroy the catalytic converter, which is likely within the muffler. If you're good at surgery, you could chop the muffler, remove the cat and weld it back together. After removing the restrictive cat, expect a wicked backfire if you still have the SAI installed. Ask me how I know.

[FastDoc]

You have received some outstanding information.

I am a huge advocate of electric heated gear.

Riding into work this AM, 27 degrees, I wore heated gloves and a heated vest and I was comfortable on my KLX.

When it gets really cold I ride the Gold Wing with it's immense fairing and windshield. It also has heated grips, seat, foot and leg warmers driven off air warmed by the exhaust manifolds. Cozy. 8)

BTW my XR250R with the RFVC also has the cam running in the cylinder head cover, along with a complex series of rocker arms to allow one cam to operate a true hemispherical chamber.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

...BTW my XR250R with the RFVC also has the cam running in the cylinder head cover, along with a complex series of rocker arms to allow one cam to operate a true hemispherical chamber.

My Honda XR650L employs the same design, Krasi. Thank you for posting the links to the additional videos! You bought a very nice bike; I wish it were available in the United States.

Spud

[Krasi_BG]

Apparently I haven't opened enough engines in my life yet, and this is new for me

This morning I checked the engine plate, and it has 166FMM written there. I'm not sure what does that make the engine... Jialing may be? But it doesnt have any letters in front of the 166. And it is 5-speed.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Krasi_BG

Apparently I haven't opened enough engines in my life yet, and this is new for me

This morning I checked the engine plate, and it has 166FMM written there. I'm not sure what does that make the engine... Jialing may be? But it doesnt have any letters in front of the 166. And it is 5-speed.

The 166FMM code does not designate a manufacturer; it merely describes the design of the engine. The 1 designates a single cylinder engine. The 66 indicates the cylinder bore is 66mm in diameter. The M designates the engine is a 250cc class engine.

I have a ZS167FML engine in my bike. In my case the ZS designates a Zongshen engine, which is different from the standard, 167FML engine. The 1 designates a single cylinder engine. The 67 indicates the cylinder bore is 67mm in diameter. The L designates the engine is a 200cc class engine.

Your engine is a standard clone of a Honda engine, so it does not contain a code for the manufacturer.

Spud

[Krasi_BG]

So no letters means the engine was manufactured by SkyTeam themselves, or that it's 100% clone, made by an unknown factory?

Which Honda engine are we talking about actually? XL? CRF?