China brand "X"..or "Y"?

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by fattybikejones

I guess I used Zongshen name as being quality built. I know that there is some questionable stuff coming from the Chinese mainland. I have been lucky with the 2 scoots I owned (4s Bashan engines) and now I feel pretty good about this motorcycle. I suppose there is a YouTube video tutorial on valve adjustment. If it's anything like a 50cc 4stroke... should be cake.. This will be my first multigear/clutch bike ever. I have ridden them yeeeeaars ago and owned plenty 5 speed manual trans cars.. Needless to say, I do plan on using this bike into the cooler months..maybe into light snow with a knobbie tire swap.. I will use my bike for transportation and semi loaded adventure on/offroad trips. From everything I have read and seen regarding the TMEC, I'm pretty excited.
Are these engines cdi ignition? Limited rev ? I guess I am expecting this bike to be running leeeeannn. If this bike is legal for Cali.. the carb. float bowl screws are probably ground smooth. How are the stock carbs on these bikes? Serviceable?

You're right; valve adjustments are cake. You can even fashion a valve adjustment tool with a square head wood screw (that every good Canadian calls a Robertson) twisted into a marrette connector. The only time there is an issue is if you're working on a pushrod motor and the bike frame doesn't allow removal of the valve cover. If that's the case, most guys just trim a few fins off the top.

Yes to CDI and rev limiter. No appreciable difference has been reported with no-rev CDI's, but nobody has performed any empirical testing that I'm aware of. I choose to not wring out my little four stroke that far anyway.

Stock carbs are certainly serviceable, but jet selection will depend upon carb style. They usually come in one of two flavours; Keihin or Mikuni. I've found the Keihin carbs to be varied in design, to the point where I was unable to source jets. The so-called 30mm Mikuni carbs have been dead consistent in design and casting quality, and I've installed and jetted several. They can be had for less than $40 delivered, and jets are cheap and easily found.

I'm also betting on a lean carb from the factory, replete with a smog device. It resembles an AIR device, and there is usually a cat in the header pipe. I make those things go away.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by fattybikejones

I guess I used Zongshen name as being quality built. I know that there is some questionable stuff coming from the Chinese mainland. I have been lucky with the 2 scoots I owned (4s Bashan engines) and now I feel pretty good about this motorcycle. I suppose there is a YouTube video tutorial on valve adjustment. If it's anything like a 50cc 4stroke... should be cake.. This will be my first multigear/clutch bike ever. I have ridden them yeeeeaars ago and owned plenty 5 speed manual trans cars.. Needless to say, I do plan on using this bike into the cooler months..maybe into light snow with a knobbie tire swap.. I will use my bike for transportation and semi loaded adventure on/offroad trips. From everything I have read and seen regarding the TMEC, I'm pretty excited.
Are these engines cdi ignition? Limited rev ? I guess I am expecting this bike to be running leeeeannn. If this bike is legal for Cali.. the carb. float bowl screws are probably ground smooth. How are the stock carbs on these bikes? Serviceable?

Zongshen does make good engines.

Here's a link to the valve adjustment tutorial at China Riders. However, it appears some of the photographs are missing.

http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=977

[culcune]

Originally Posted by fattybikejones

Needless to say, I do plan on using this bike into the cooler months..maybe into light snow with a knobbie tire swap.. I will use my bike for transportation and semi loaded adventure on/offroad trips. From everything I have read and seen regarding the TMEC, I'm pretty excited.

Just be careful...



This guy is from the UK, and has posted quite a few videos of his adventures with his TMEC 125 which used to be available there. In fact, on Excalibur's site, they have linked the parts manual for the TMEC 125 since all the parts (except the engine, duh!) are the same.

http://www.atv4usa.com/catalogs/TMEC200-1.pdf
and they also have the engine parts catalog:
http://www.atv4usa.com/catalogs/TMEC200-ENGINE.pdf

The parts catalog has come in handy for ordering parts or even installing them.

[footer]

is it just my computer that doesn't play youtube videos in the threads all of a sudden or is it everyones??

[SpudRider]

The videos are playing well for me. You might want to check your web browser.

[pchitti]

Took my phone a few min to get the video going.

Yall are making me want to sell my qlink and buy a tmec. Lol whats the weight and lowest seat height?

[pchitti]

Found the weight, any one weighed one full of gas and oil?
Its dry 20lbs lighter than my 250 and carries an extra 1.2 gallons of fuel...

Depending on the seat I might really look into doing this next year.

[culcune]

Not sure if I would get rid of the Qlink--you have one of the few bikes of that model in the US, I believe. I would consider saving up and getting a TMEC as an additional bike, however, if I was you. The seat is much lower, if I remember from your description of your bike, but I am 5'7" and the TMEC is about as tall as I would comfortably go. But the seat itself is very comfortable.

[FastDoc]

I do ride on the snow occasionally, but only off road. Light powdery snow less than 3" I think is quite OK as the knobbies bite through it to the dirt below. I would not do it on pavement though.

Now spiked tires would be a different story.

I'd like to try my YZ with the sand paddle in deeper snow as I think it would work, but, thank God, we don't get much snow here.

[pchitti]

Originally Posted by culcune

Not sure if I would get rid of the Qlink--you have one of the few bikes of that model in the US, I believe. I would consider saving up and getting a TMEC as an additional bike, however, if I was you. The seat is much lower, if I remember from your description of your bike, but I am 5'7" and the TMEC is about as tall as I would comfortably go. But the seat itself is very comfortable.

Hhhmmm you make a good point about my qlink. I need to try and find more info on the sales numbers. Maybe qlink will be usefull on that front. Lol

Culcune, any chance you would be willing to get an accurate seat height?
Im 5'6" with little legs. Lol 28" inseam.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by pchitti

Hhhmmm you make a good point about my qlink. I need to try and find more info on the sales numbers. Maybe qlink will be usefull on that front. Lol

Culcune, any chance you would be willing to get an accurate seat height?
Im 5'6" with little legs. Lol 28" inseam.

I wear cheap steel tip boots from Big 5, and change into my work shoes at work since we are not allowed to wear steel tips. The boots let me almost flat foot, and since I have liked enduros since my 1991 DR250s, and have gotten used to balancing with it, and more recently with my TMECs, and have continued to be short, it is something I can deal with. I will get a seat measurement for you, however. But my guess is if you have adapted to your Qlink, and your bike is taller than the TMEC, you will be fine. If you watch any of the TMEC videos on youtube from Wade Liu he is my height, and is on his arches in this test ride video, but is not wearing boots--it looks like tennis shoes.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

I do ride on the snow occasionally, but only off road. Light powdery snow less than 3" I think is quite OK as the knobbies bite through it to the dirt below. I would not do it on pavement though.

Now spiked tires would be a different story.

I'd like to try my YZ with the sand paddle in deeper snow as I think it would work, but, thank God, we don't get much snow here.

Bring that bike down to the dunes near Yuma. Actually, there are some dunes north of us, too, which would make it closer for you, but you can see what I mean by all the beach-like sand we have down this way along the Colorado River.

The video I linked from the guy in the UK does show him on the 17"/17" street tires which I believe all that they had available in the UK for the time someone imported the TMEC 125's.

I would be interested if someone will keep their bikes on the road this year into the winter, including snow. I think that people seem to have issues in the spring when they store their bikes away, so I would suggest to keep them running--either ridden or started--yes, easy for me to say since I ride year round, LOL

[jjn]

I think, if I had a Qlink XF200, I'd just hang onto that bike. I've heard a lot of good stuff about them.

Spudrider has a Zong 200 dual sport that must be approaching about 50,000 miles by now. I do believe he may have dropped a new head on it.

One thing I love about the TMEC is the higher quality parts manual you can access from Wade's website as I recall. Very well done, complete, and easy to use.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by jjn

I think, if I had a Qlink XF200, I'd just hang onto that bike. I've heard a lot of good stuff about them.

He actually has the Qlink 250 made by Shineray--water-cooled engine and the whole nine yards (for a Chinese bike, LOL). It is a very unique bike since when he joined, no one knew they were available in the US (some people on mychinamoto had reported ownership reports, but they were members living in China). I actually thought it might have been a manufacturer's sample that had been sold off since Qlink has gone by the wayside, but searching a bit, I found a retailer advertising two other unsold, new bikes...so we know that there are at least 3!

[culcune]

Checked seat height--33.5" at the lowest point on the (surprisingly comfortable) seat without me on the bike. I think that is a lot lower than your Qlink, pchitti