The Zongshen TT 250 is Coming

[2LZ]

Ok...I like a clean bike...but my mods are usually more into function and comfort....but since the TT is Mrs. 2LZ bike...I figured some matching bling was in order! She likes pretty things....which makes me wonder why she has me around but hey...I ain't complainin'.

Behold! The cockpit is now complete! Added the black and white Scott Double D grips, to match the bar pad and hand guards for her.
Damn she's spoiled!

[oddthought]

Okay, here we go! I have some pictures for you folks.
If you don't mind, I'll just link you to the imgur gallery where everything is saved.

When I tried to put the images straight in the thread, they are WAY too big for this site. I can resize them, but I'm not going to do it right now.

I'm at about 160 km on the bike as of this writing, Sunday night. This bike is a blast! I love it and am looking forward to riding it a lot over the coming months. One thing to keep in mind as I review my first few days with the bike: I don't have much experience with dirt riding at all. I have ridden an average of about 10-15k miles per year, but it's pretty much all been on the street. This bike, hopefully, will allow me to remedy that lack of experience somewhat. That all said, here's my first few days!

Friday:
When I pulled the bike out of the packaging and added some gas, it took some throttle and a couple of seconds on the starter to get the engine going.
I'm not terribly surprised by that, since it had been sitting around in the shipping warehouse in LA for a few days before they even sent it to Utah. I flipped the shark fin around so it pointed toward the back of the bike and pulled and lubricated the speedometer cable. It didn't seem to have much of a sharp bend in it to my eye, but I eased it out a little even so. There had been some grease near the top, but the rest of the cable wasn't either bone dry or particularly greasy. I rode around the neighborhood for a while, then had to help put the kids to bed. After that was done, I took it out for a while longer through an unfinished subdivision nearby where I can go, turn, stop, and generally fool around without bothering people. I also rode around on a dirt road a mile or so from my house to get a feel for that. By this time, it was totally dark, but I'm familiar enough with the road that it's not a problem. I topped the tank up and rode the same way back towards home. On the way back, I got in a track that led me up the bank on the left side of the dirt road, and between my lack of experience and the sudden added 6" drop on the right side of the bike, I couldn't keep the bike upright when I came to a stop, so it fell over on the right side. No problem, I righted it and started it back up, then went on home. All good, just a tiny scratch on the end of the right grip and the brake pedal bent in a tiny bit. No big deal.

First impressions:
Gearing: first gear reminds me of my '94 F250: almost useless it's so short. Works just fine for getting started up a hill, but I almost immediately have to shift to 2nd and further up.
Engine: as I speed up, guessing at engine speeds, it feels like the engine has an absolute ton of power on the low end. By the time I top out in 5th gear, I'm only traveling 35 mph or so (indicated).
Ride quality: at anything above moderate engine speeds, the bars and footpegs are SUPER buzzy. I don't mind that, but this is my first single cylinder bike, so that's going to take some getting used to. The mirrors aren't terribly clear at moderate engine speeds, but that's okay too. If I have a general idea of what's back there, I'm okay with that. I also won't be surprised if it smooths out a bunch as the engine breaks in. I also ran the bike across a dirt road near my house to get an idea of how the suspension handles and I was pretty pleased at how it felt. I'm not the heaviest guy around, nor the lightest, so my approximately 175 lb load should be fairly representative of the middle ground.
Brakes: wow. Not what I am used to AT ALL. My previous bike, a Honda NC700X, isn't exactly renowned for much of anything, including brakes. However, when I first hit the front brake on my TT250, I thought something had to be poorly aligned because so little happened. I hopped off and checked it out, and everything seems okay, but there just isn't much stopping power to be had right off the crate. A significant portion of my first day's experience was spent bedding in the front brakes. The rear brakes, on the other hand, locked up very easily when I applied moderate braking pressure on the pedal. Throughout my first 40 or so km, I noticed a distinct improvement, but it still wasn't anything to write home about.

Saturday:
I had some baseball games to attend early in the day for my boy, and I had to take the pallets and crate material to the dump, so I didn't have as much time as I would have liked. I did have time to take my boy on the same dirt road (without falling over this time since it was daytime) and rode around a little, bringing the total up to around 60 km. The front brake kept improving, but it still isn't great by any means.

Sunday:
After spending a bunch of time with the family and getting things situated, I managed to leave home on the bike around 6 or so. I rode the same road as yesterday and the day before, with no issues. I'm gaining confidence on the dirt, so I can usually keep my speed up more than I did yesterday. I kept searching for more gears. 5th comes up quickly and it feels like there ought to be another 2 gears to me. This and the short 1st gear suggest to me that I will definitely be able to drop a few teeth on the rear sprockets, increasing my top speed for a convenient commute. My goal is to be able to hit 70 mph (actual) so I can take a 65 mph road safely.

As I rode around some, I decided to take a dirt road that I'm quite familiar with down the west side of Lake Mountain by Utah Lake. When I got further south, I'd be able to decide whether to head over Soldier Pass Road or to go up to the summit of Lake Mountain. As I was riding south, the weather just kept getting better. The sun was behind clouds so it wasn't too hot or bright, and the road wasn't too dusty since the wind was up a bit. I decided to ride up to the summit of Lake Mountain for the view out over Utah Lake. The way up was lovely, with some thistles in bloom and other wildflowers around. I got up to the top with no problem at all. The road was good on the way up, not too steep or rocky. Even the sections of road that aren't so great were no problem for the tires and suspension on the TT250. I'm gaining confidence in just running things straight over, and it's a lot of fun.

I got to the top and found out that the air was full of crap from the wind that's been blowing here. Even so, Provo and Orem were visible with the Utah Valley section of the Wasatch mountains for a backdrop. Utah Lake and Saratoga Springs were in closer, with my beautiful black bike preening for some glamour shots.

There are several communication/radio/cell towers on top of various points of Lake Mountain, and each has its own access road. I rode one way to get up to the view point, then decided just to proceed down that tower's access road. Well, it turns out that wasn't the best idea I've ever had. That road got STEEP on the way down, at least for an inexperienced dirt rider like me. There was also quite a bit of loose rock that tended to slide under my tires even when I hit the brakes. I was reminded rather forcefully of how poor the front brakes were when I was squeezing the lever all the way to the grip and the front wheel was still turning. Some use of the rear brake helped but the steepness combined with my inexperience to cause a couple of falls. No big deal, I have no compunctions about jumping free of a tipping bike that I can't catch. The bike handled the first such fall with the same grace it did the other night, but then... I was heading down and took a little bend in the path, thinking about how bad the front brake was for the situation when I tipped to the right again. I fell over mostly still on the bike, but the bike landed and then turned a little sideways and slid down the hill a few inches. No problem, I thought, until I picked the bike up and found that the brake lever had snapped clean off. Who needs front brakes on a dirt road anyway? Well, I unplugged the brake lever from the switch connections (the only thing holding the lever to the bike at this point) and pocketed it, then walked/slid the bike to the bottom of the access road, back to the main track leading down the hill. At that point, on a much nicer road, I decided to call it a night and head for home, riding carefully on the dirt since I now only had a rear brake and engine braking to slow me down.

Last thoughts: I'm glad parts are cheap. This bike promises to be a ton of fun, and I can't wait to ride it all over the place while I learn how to be a better dirt rider. In the future, I'll definitely have to be better about bringing a buddy along, but for tonight, I knew I'd be in cell range for the whole trip and I'd be within walking distance of home if it came down to it. As I was riding it home, there were some pretty heavy gusts, and the bike caught them like the good sail it is. Not a problem, but definitely an adjustment from some of my older bikes, which didn't have as much surface area on the side of the bike. The tires handled great on pavement, dirt, and rock. No issues with the speedometer cable, and I ended the night with about 160 km on the clock. I am planning to get the speedometer/tachometer unit from mjstef when it's available for the TT, and I think that'll be an improvement over the stock unit, which is pretty basic. I also think the footpegs could be wider for dirt riding. When I was standing up, my feet felt like they were hanging way over the outside edges. I had no problems finding neutral with the oil that came in it. No apparent leaking on the front forks. I'll have to call CSC about the brake lever problems since the site seems to say they're out of stock. If they don't have something that'll work, I may go for something that's made by someone else just so I can get riding sooner. I don't want to ride without a front brake (obviously) but I've already missed some of the best riding season, and I want to ride, dang it!

What fun!

tl;dr (too long; didn't read, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term): Fun bike, rode a bunch, learned a lot, going to have to wait for some replacement parts. Handles well but there are some points that will need improvement.

[dpl096]

Good looking ride and fantastic pix

[kohburn]

your incident with the brake lever is exactly why I don't like those little mud deflector hand guards and want the full aluminum rib guards like the tusk/barkbuster type.

[BlackBike]

Oddt...don't blame you with the pic thing. Ireb (I read every bit ) think they are saying it's Saharan dust in North American atmosphere causing the haze. Sounds like you are taking technical stuff even experienced riders might think twice at. One things for sure you are on the fast track so to speak. Those single track deals are killer, I try to avoid them all together. When I do have to negotiate these hurdles and the like I try to remember to keep up the momentum , keep close in to frame, keep bike as vertical as possible, CONCENTRATE, and keep my head up and try not to get fixated with every immediate obstacle that you're encountering. The momentum will always carry you through to the next moment where you will regain balance and traction. (If that makes any sense?) These technical challenges are what makes it all worth it right? Look forward to seeing big bike and little bike in the back of the pickup.

[2LZ]

Great report oddthought!

Couple things to keep in mind. I cleaned both rotors real well out-of-crate as suggested by someone else here, then bedded them in and now they work great.

Also, the CG motor, for the first 4-500 kilomiles, is a blender. It will smooth out over time and be less buzzy.

Bummer about the brake lever. Hopefully they can get one to you soon. Keep us posted on your newest adventures! Bike looks great....

[mtiberio]

TT250 manual online: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1...W5rWXdEWm1qVG8

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by kohburn

your incident with the brake lever is exactly why I don't like those little mud deflector hand guards and want the full aluminum rib guards like the tusk/barkbuster type.

For sure and they have their purpose no doubt...but it's all about preference for riding types. I had the full framed bark busters on an older bike and they worked great regarding hand protection and durability if I flopped it...but what I didn't like about them was they weren't forgiving for brush and branches. They'd push the bars instead of flexing and allowing me to keep the bars straight....but again, I'm not near as aggressive of a rider as I used to be either. Light trails and dirt roads are about as heavy duty as I get these days.

[EachAdventure]

Originally Posted by oddthought

I'll have to call CSC about the brake lever problems since the site seems to say they're out of stock.

I bent my handlebars on my last time out and accidentally stripped the screw on the shift lever when I was adjusting it. Ryan at CSC told me that they should have the parts in this week. Just an FYI.

[oddthought]

I think this'll be a good opportunity for me to do an early oil change and valve adjustment. I figure it won't hurt anything to do them earlier than recommended as long as I perform all of the tasks.

After posting last night, I checked the website and should be able to replace everything I need (front brake lever and upper pump) for something like 35 bucks. Only problem is, the website says they're still out of stock! It says they should be getting parts in May though, so I hope I don't have to wait that long! I'll call them tomorrow when they're back in and see if they really do have the parts on hand. If they don't, I'll be a little disappointed, to be honest. They've had quite some time to build up inventory after receiving the initial shipment of TT250s. We'll see what happens with that.

Originally Posted by kohburn

your incident with the brake lever is exactly why I don't like those little mud deflector hand guards and want the full aluminum rib guards like the tusk/barkbuster type.

Well, much to my chagrin, I actually hadn't even put on the hand guards that I bought from CSC. I was too eager to ride! I'll definitely put them on once I get things back together.

Originally Posted by BlackBike

Oddt...don't blame you with the pic thing. Ireb (I read every bit ) think they are saying it's Saharan dust in North American atmosphere causing the haze. Sounds like you are taking technical stuff even experienced riders might think twice at. One things for sure you are on the fast track so to speak. Those single track deals are killer, I try to avoid them all together. When I do have to negotiate these hurdles and the like I try to remember to keep up the momentum , keep close in to frame, keep bike as vertical as possible, CONCENTRATE, and keep my head up and try not to get fixated with every immediate obstacle that you're encountering. The momentum will always carry you through to the next moment where you will regain balance and traction. (If that makes any sense?) These technical challenges are what makes it all worth it right? Look forward to seeing big bike and little bike in the back of the pickup.

This is great advice, thank you! The rest of the stuff I was on was really straightforward, it was just that one downhill that suddenly got a lot steeper and rockier than I'd planned. Next time, I'll be sure to scout the trail before I ride it. I would have saved a lot of effort and time (plus the brake lever) if I'd just walked 50-100 yards ahead and realized that trail was way beyond my meager capabilities. I especially learned that I have to maintain momentum. I didn't fall over when I was moving, just when I tried to slow down. Live and learn, I guess!

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Great report oddthought!

Couple things to keep in mind. I cleaned both rotors real well out-of-crate as suggested by someone else here, then bedded them in and now they work great.

Also, the CG motor, for the first 4-500 kilomiles, is a blender. It will smooth out over time and be less buzzy.

Bummer about the brake lever. Hopefully they can get one to you soon. Keep us posted on your newest adventures! Bike looks great....

I will definitely be cleaning the rotors and working on it some more. I figure now's a great opportunity to take it apart more than I would normally, since I'll be waiting on parts. Like I said above, I'll have to call them tomorrow since the website thinks they're out of stock.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by BlackBike

When I do have to negotiate these hurdles and the like I try to remember to keep up the momentum , keep close in to frame, keep bike as vertical as possible, CONCENTRATE, and keep my head up and try not to get fixated with every immediate obstacle that you're encountering. The momentum will always carry you through to the next moment where you will regain balance and traction. (If that makes any sense?) These technical challenges are what makes it all worth it right?.

Totally agree BB. Like we told Mrs. 2LZ long ago when she was first transitioning from Horse/Jet Ski to motorcycle...

"Be aware of your immediate obstacles but keep your eye on the target. Always look ahead to where you want to be, because what you fixate on, you'll hit."

Sure as hell, we were negotiating a very tight canyon and she was on her Sporty (at the time) and she rode straight into a ditch around a corner. Fortunately, she hooked it up and popped back up on the road.

When we got to the bottom, I said, "You fixated on the ditch, huh?"
She said "Yep, saw it coming, freaked and didn't look to where I wanted to be instead so I ran right into it."

[oddthought]

Originally Posted by EachAdventure

I bent my handlebars on my last time out and accidentally stripped the screw on the shift lever when I was adjusting it. Ryan at CSC told me that they should have the parts in this week. Just an FYI.

Didn't see this until after I had posted! Thanks very much, that's good to know. I'm glad I won't have to go looking for a third-party solution. I'm sure I could find something that would work out, but I'd rather stick to OEM stuff until I think there's a clear benefit to switching.

[oddthought]

Oh, and I'm not sure how clearly I showed it in the pictures, but the part that broke wasn't really the lever so much as the mounting point on which the lever pivots. That's a little annoying, since I'll have to spend 30 bucks instead of just 7, but considering the fact that it'd be an awful lot more from somewhere else... I'll survive.

[mtiberio]

valve clearance, approx:
.0015" to .003"
I might ust do the intake to .0015" amd the exhaust to .003"

[oddthought]

Originally Posted by mtiberio

valve clearance, approx:
.0015" to .003"
I might ust do the intake to .0015" amd the exhaust to .003"

Why would you do them differently? I haven't done valve adjustments before, but it seems like it'd be easier just to do them the same way.