A couple of my hybrids

Junglebiker · 10-25-2012, 07:46 AM

So over the years I've found myself in possession of a couple of extra 200cc Zongshen pushrod engines. I started out with pieces of two engines that had failed for various reasons and eventually built them up into useability.

The Zongda XL200S is a 1975 Honda XL125 chassis with a Zonger engine in it. I didn't care for the circular shift pattern of the Zonger, so I pulled it apart and put in an early type Honda XL125 transmission. The install was pretty straightforward, really. I found that the Zongshen had more in common with 1978 and earlier Honda XL125 engines than it did with the 1979 and later Honda XL125/185/200 engines. The clutch cover, for example, is the early style, the later style won't fit. I'm using a 6 spring clutch out of a Zongshen 3 wheeled truck, the original Zongshen kickstart shaft and gears, (both of which I like better than the original Honda items). I went with the old style Honda clutch cover because it makes the engine a little narrower than the original Zongshen cover and also allows me to use a Honda kickstart lever, which is better than any of the Zongshen ones I have here. I kept the original electric start, (I put a pod filter on the chinese carb, removed the original air box and made a battery box for a 12V7ah gelcell battery out of a computer UPS--this all worked pretty well, but I am currently having problems with the starter and the idler gears, (both were "borrowed" from me while I was out of the country a while back and never returned--I have a starter motor in there right now, but no idler gear yet, I'm having problems finding a source of the ones I need). Anyway, overall, this bike works well, it's no world beater, but it is certainly reliable. Oh, the wheels are off of an old Suzuki RM 125, the front one has a small diameter double-leading shoe brake that is surprisingly effective. The rear shocks are off of an XL185. Sorry for the generally poor quality photos. Some time I'll take better ones, but there was some interest here in the Honda transmission conversion, which is why I took these photos that focus more on the fact that it's definitely a chinese engine with a Honda clutch cover. I built the exhaust pipe myself, it's only big because that was the size of pipe that I had handy at the time and I just happened to have a Supertrapp off of an XR600 that was looking for a home at the time. It seems liek it shoudl be too big, but seems to work just fine anyway.

Here's a somewhat better photo I took soon after I got it ridable a couple years ago:

My other hybrid is an early 1980's Suzuki RM 125 with the same kind of engine in it, though this one still has the goofy shift pattern. It's a long way from being done yet--I'd sort of like to put a water cooled one in this frame, since it already has a place for a radiator, so I'm sort of holding out for either enough parts to convert this air cooled one to water cooling, (I've already got the cylinder and head, just need to get the appropriate clutch cover with built-in water pump), or a good deal on a complete water cooled engine:

I also have a 1986 Honda CR125 that I'd also like to put a water-cooled Zongshen into sometime. Oh, and anybody who might be cursing me for wrecking classic RM's and CR's, relax, their engines were all completely wrecked when I got them, (in fact, that's why I have them).

10-25-2012, 07:46 AM	#1
Junglebiker Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 21	A couple of my hybrids So over the years I've found myself in possession of a couple of extra 200cc Zongshen pushrod engines. I started out with pieces of two engines that had failed for various reasons and eventually built them up into useability. The Zongda XL200S is a 1975 Honda XL125 chassis with a Zonger engine in it. I didn't care for the circular shift pattern of the Zonger, so I pulled it apart and put in an early type Honda XL125 transmission. The install was pretty straightforward, really. I found that the Zongshen had more in common with 1978 and earlier Honda XL125 engines than it did with the 1979 and later Honda XL125/185/200 engines. The clutch cover, for example, is the early style, the later style won't fit. I'm using a 6 spring clutch out of a Zongshen 3 wheeled truck, the original Zongshen kickstart shaft and gears, (both of which I like better than the original Honda items). I went with the old style Honda clutch cover because it makes the engine a little narrower than the original Zongshen cover and also allows me to use a Honda kickstart lever, which is better than any of the Zongshen ones I have here. I kept the original electric start, (I put a pod filter on the chinese carb, removed the original air box and made a battery box for a 12V7ah gelcell battery out of a computer UPS--this all worked pretty well, but I am currently having problems with the starter and the idler gears, (both were "borrowed" from me while I was out of the country a while back and never returned--I have a starter motor in there right now, but no idler gear yet, I'm having problems finding a source of the ones I need). Anyway, overall, this bike works well, it's no world beater, but it is certainly reliable. Oh, the wheels are off of an old Suzuki RM 125, the front one has a small diameter double-leading shoe brake that is surprisingly effective. The rear shocks are off of an XL185. Sorry for the generally poor quality photos. Some time I'll take better ones, but there was some interest here in the Honda transmission conversion, which is why I took these photos that focus more on the fact that it's definitely a chinese engine with a Honda clutch cover. I built the exhaust pipe myself, it's only big because that was the size of pipe that I had handy at the time and I just happened to have a Supertrapp off of an XR600 that was looking for a home at the time. It seems liek it shoudl be too big, but seems to work just fine anyway. Here's a somewhat better photo I took soon after I got it ridable a couple years ago: My other hybrid is an early 1980's Suzuki RM 125 with the same kind of engine in it, though this one still has the goofy shift pattern. It's a long way from being done yet--I'd sort of like to put a water cooled one in this frame, since it already has a place for a radiator, so I'm sort of holding out for either enough parts to convert this air cooled one to water cooling, (I've already got the cylinder and head, just need to get the appropriate clutch cover with built-in water pump), or a good deal on a complete water cooled engine: I also have a 1986 Honda CR125 that I'd also like to put a water-cooled Zongshen into sometime. Oh, and anybody who might be cursing me for wrecking classic RM's and CR's, relax, their engines were all completely wrecked when I got them, (in fact, that's why I have them).
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