11-18-2021, 07:50 PM
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#16 |
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: De Soto, MO
Posts: 1,976
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I see that this thread has been promoted to well-deserved stickyhood.
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2021 Lifan Xpect--sold 2022 Lifan KPX 1972 Honda CT90--The Carrot 1969 Honda CT90--The Tomahto Cheesy is the WDK (workplace drama king). Now retired. Nope, back in the saddle. Nope, finally retired. Climate: The Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A24fWmNA6lM How our government really works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjadCd0VRBw Question all authority.....think for yourself |
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11-20-2021, 12:52 PM
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#17 |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PNW
Posts: 984
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The weekend is here and that means motorcycle mechanics. The team got to feeling an obligation these past few days after I blew up the Xpect community with those pix of the stem bearing grease so they asked if I would do a post and I said of course.
I, the team, are not great mechanics, expert, just guys that have been turning a wrench a la backyard mechanic for years and starting working on these China bikes couple years ago, I mean you have to right? I'm not trying to teach anyone the best or proper way to do things, just show you what I do. This post is not for the many experienced mechanics on this forum but for those guys with limited experience trying to do some work on their X pect. The tools you need. The hooked wrench is a shock preload adjusting wrench I got off amazon for my HAWK when I started and has done the job on a number of bikes and you can use it for shock preload too.  First thing you take off the headlight housing with four bolts and disconnect the headlamp plug. This first pix shows a front picture of the instrument mounting bracket and how it attaches, the cage fitting at the bottom into rubber grommets which is common for many bikes. Two bolts holding it in the upper top right.  Need to loosen those two bracket bolts and use some of that plastic wire you got to wire it out of the way. The handle bars need to come off and just pull them back to rest on the frame with some padding. You need to loosen the 30mm nut holding the top fork plate. (Easier if you do this before removing the forks as someone can hold it or use an impact wrench). The bolts on my bike were pretty tight, especially those small 6mm holding that speedo bracket so be prepared. I used the impact wrench. Pull top plate off.  Below we find the bearing collar. Use the spanner to loosen it and remove it and out comes the bottom fork plate be ready.  I clean um, re-grease um, and put it back together. Tighten down the spanner nut with the hook wrench while moving the stem back and forth, side to side until you feel good resistance to turning side to side, meaning you have tightened (preloaded) up the bearings. Back the spanner completely off. Retighten it this time while moving it side to side until there is no play in the stem up or down any way (no looseness) but it turns freely. Put the top plate back on and bolt and torque it after you have put the forks back on and set up the front suspension. If you pack these with good grease and don't swim them a lot probably will last maybe as long as the bike. Rather than this, you could drill and tap the stem for a ZERT as explained in other posts. Then pump grease in it until the seals on the end bulge or grease shows confirming you have grease to the bearings. The headllight, stem, wiring is layed out in an easily workable fashion compared to others. Try looking at the rats nest behind a HAWK sometime. My conscience is now clear. 11/25/2021 This video does a better job explaining it all. Last edited by China Rider 27; 12-23-2021 at 09:50 PM. |
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11-20-2021, 04:52 PM
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#18 |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PNW
Posts: 984
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Pix Pictures full resolution
If you can't tell by now, I do like pictures to tell the story! The pictures in this post are all uploaded by way of imgbb. A neat function of this upload is the ability to right click on the picture which will load in another window with plus + sign cursor. If you click again it will give full resolution and zoom allowing for viewing greater detail. Useful!
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11-20-2021, 05:20 PM
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#19 |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PNW
Posts: 984
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Front wheel axle brake rotor Fork
Need to finish up a few things on the front wheel. They call these bearings "sealed" but using a utility knife you can get under the cover and pop out the side plate revealing the bearings and grease and it was so done for inspection.
TIP: Use zoom function to get a close look at those bearings.   Those ball bearings turn something like 2666 RPM on a bike with 3 to 1 gearing at 8000 rpm? I once pried the side off an ALL BALLS bearing before putting it on my HAWK and it was filled with blue grease which looked similar to this one in consistency and amount. I researched it, The ALL BALLS are filled with a CHEVRON special wheel bearing grease. The other side has a seal and rather than damage that seal in taking it out I opt to gamble and assume it looks like this one. Both turn okay, call it good. Both front bearings are labeled: 6301 2RS/X1 The front axle bolt is 12mm in diameter with a length of 8.75 inches The front brake rotor measures 10 1/2 inch in diameter. I will leave it to those with a need to know to convert it to MM. It is 4mm thick.  I put a tape on the HAWK and found out the X pect front forks are for all purposes of the same dimensions 35 inches long, top leg diameter 31mm, bottom leg diameter at the seal HAWK 52mm, Xpect 50mm, bottom furthest diameter near axle 40mm. Although of the same dimensions the Xpect fork has a part number inscribed and they do look to be of better quality especially the seals. 
Last edited by China Rider 27; 11-20-2021 at 10:49 PM. |
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11-20-2021, 10:44 PM
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#21 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PNW
Posts: 984
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Quote:
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11-21-2021, 12:54 AM
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#22 |
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Earth, USA
Posts: 196
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Great stuff my friend, would be cool to have you as a neighbor! The way you work on bikes is the CORRECT way….. Some may claim it’s overkill, I say they’re wrong. It’s really nice to see someone give a damn, and take the extra time for not only your own peace of mind, but to share it as well for others safety and general knowledge. Fantastic thread, the way you are doing this is sadly becoming a lost art. Most folks just don’t give 2 shits anymore……. Kudos to you!
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11-21-2021, 07:31 AM
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#23 | |
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Northeast
Posts: 934
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Quote:
Not only the best technical thread, but the best jokes around too?? Nah. I just arrived to Florida, where the weather is nice to ride. I’m continuing my theme of zero work on the bike. Checking tire pressure, chain tension and reviving the flat battery I probably still have from not riding the bike enough the last couple months. Then doing some state forest rides. I might follow along on the rear end stuff when you get there. Tempted to improve the suspension back there. Forks seem adequate to me so far. Love the thread though. Like I took an x-ray of the bike. Looks like I will have to get around to greasing some things pretty soon though. You did a good job with that.
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2020 Lifan x-pect |
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11-21-2021, 10:27 AM
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#24 |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PNW
Posts: 984
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Well I guess there is that award category, claim to fame, "I did the least work on my China Bike and it lasted this .........long! Ha, Ha You picked a good candidate for the title, I don't see many weak areas. Say Yet!
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11-21-2021, 10:53 AM
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#25 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PNW
Posts: 984
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Quote:
There are Givers and Takers on the forum. Some guys will come on just to get their need taken care of and not so much a thumbs up for some ones time they put in to solve their problem and they are gone. Then there are guys who contribute thoughts, pictures, ideas, and wisdom and that is what fuels new innovation and carries us all further along. I'm not saying that everyone should or can be a great contributor or needs to be, because a real payoff is helping others do better, and the small conversations, just one answer to a problem is a also great contribution, even bringing a problem up stimulates thought, but when I see someone put work into bringing their ideas to the forum with pix and such I am all in with the thumbs up because it does take some extra dedication and work! As a forum, we can go places with knowledge that we can never go individually, and that is the value and beauty of it. I am honored that I can contribute something of value to others. CG strong, ride Hard! Last edited by China Rider 27; 11-21-2021 at 06:53 PM. |
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11-21-2021, 02:43 PM
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#26 |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PNW
Posts: 984
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Following the sequence the team is accustomed to the rear axle is next, and they got some work getting some good shots!
The rear axle is 11.5 inches long with a diameter of 15 mm. The bolt head is 15 mm and nut 21 mm so here we go again I need to find a lightweight wrench of 21 mm. The standard one from my box end is big and looks to weigh a lb. So to take the axles off front and back you need a 15mm, 18mm, and 21 mm. The axle adjusting spacing hardware seems massive compared to the HAWK and should handle any necessary torque placed upon it. Let me say I am not trying to disparage the HAWK, it is just a good comparison reference for me.  The sprocket is 46 teeth and is attached to part of the cush bearing interface with its own bearing. PIX shows sprocket side and backside. The bearing is BUC 6204 RS   The hub and brake drum contain the cush bearing (rubber fits to hub) with bearing CXCL 6202 2RS/X1 The cush bearing absorbs that initial shock from the drive chain when you pop those wheelers I believe, but any expert can chime in whom knows more about it.  The hub is aluminum with a steel insert for the brakes shoes to ride against. The diameter of the Hub on this bike measured at 129.46 mm. We can see stamped inside the hub is a maximum diameter of 131 mm. So when wear exceeds this number it should be replaced. The brake drum side of the hub uses bearing CXCL 6302 2RS/X1  The brake shoes are held in place with springs keeping them against the lever top and pin bottom. The diameter of the installed shoes measured 128.80 mm.  Braking force is applied mechanical by linkage and you can see in the PIX a rod rotates that rounded square side lever against the brake shoes forcing them out against the drum. Looks like they have put some grease on the actuator which is likely high temp. A sign of quality manufacture and quality control.  Outside PIX of the brake lever and rod  download instagram fotos Front drive sprocket 15 tooth held in place with retaining clip and bolts.  The stock chain is 428 with 128 links. With prior bikes I would always oil up the stock chain and drive it for awhile, eventually switching over to an O ring or X ring. I have finally learned there is no cost savings in messing with it when considering my time, and I have ordered a new X ring chain to install from the get go. On the backroad they just work better IMO.  Thoughts: The team was a little surprised to see there are no grease seals to protect any of these bearings. I have never worked on a motorcycle drum brake for reference but it would appear this likely a well established lay out. Maybe somebody with experience can comment. The other thing you wonder about is why not upgrade to a rear disc brake. The only thing I can figure is this model was EPA approved and any modification requires more money/ approval. As we have seen, a small cover protects those bearings and I would not trust that to provide to much water protection. I ordered some waterproof grease with a high temp point and will put a light coat on the outside of the bearings and the axle to add some more protection, understanding that grease attracts dirt. These brakes generate heat and you don't want to put some cheap grease on that will melt and run down on your brake shoes and drum. If you soak it in the river, may require some maintenance. Brake drums have been used on cars and motorcycles a long time so I don't anticipate any issues. The story is caught up, time to turn some wrenches this PM. Last edited by China Rider 27; 01-27-2022 at 10:45 PM. |
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11-21-2021, 03:59 PM
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#27 |
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Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 357
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Is it possible that there is differences in bearings? A thought here why do we want too repair something that doesn't need to be, or is it I'm bored? Some bearings swivel, such as shock absorber bolts, fork steering bolt...are we wanting to ride or repair something that's not needed? I'm thinking that the wheel bearings are a bit different, hence as of design there sealed. These bikes shouldn't be rebuilt, but enjoyed! I'm not going too disassemble my Hawk DLX and repair from boredom...just going to use the bike...and not as a cross country vehicle! Different stokes for different folks...right? Great thread if your new to bikes, but I was new to bikes in the early 60's...just my thoughts you guys
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11-21-2021, 08:39 PM
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#28 |
Join Date: May 2021
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 80
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I think it is a great thing that this bike is being gone through with such attention to detail. I am gradually working out the details on mine a little bit a time, so it is great to have all of these photos to reference for things I haven’t touched or thought of yet. Thanks for posting.
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2021 Lifan Xpect EFI 2012 DF250rtc 1982 Yamaha Virago XV750 1982 Honda Twinstar CM200 |
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11-21-2021, 09:25 PM
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#29 | ||
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Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 99
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Quote:
The numbers I have highlighted in the above posts are the bearing industry trade sizes. Bearing sizes are mostly standardized, so if you have the size and know what kind of seals you want, finding replacements is easy. As an example, take the front wheel bearings: Quote:
2RS indicates the seal type. 2 Rubber Seals. So these bearings are sealed on both sides. So if I wanted bearings that would fit the front wheel of my X-Pect, I could go to Amazon, eBay or many other places and simply search for "6301 bearing" and look for my favorite brands like NSK, SKF, Timken, etc. Look for one with seals on both sides. Often the sellers will add "2RS" to the title because that's a common designation, but different bearing companies designate sealed bearings in different ways. In an application like this, I would definitely stick to a high-quality, brand-name bearing. Common sizes like these are not very expensive. You can also check the bearing manufacturer websites for specs about the bearings to make sure they're appropriate for this type of application. I've found it's often cheap and easy to find replacements bearings for things like automotive pulleys, power tools and electric motors. |
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11-21-2021, 09:52 PM
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#30 |
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PNW
Posts: 984
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Good stuff on those bearings, I am all in on the smooth rolling!
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