Project XL185/CG250 swap

[XLsior]

While i was checking valve lash I cranked enough to see the oil level rise up the cylinder stem...Intake valve seemed tight so I backed off both to .003 for a tappety happy tappets.

Spark plug was dark with a brown tint...not lean which is fine.

went for blast around the yard came back to garage...oil radiator was cold...

I can only assume its an air lock...not sure what would be best system bleed procedure?

[XLsior]

The oil cooler line routing was rubbing me the wrong way...

So pretty much swapped over everything input/output wise. messy

Ended up like this...As there are no swivel fittings you're pretty much contorted to how the lines want to be when its all snugged up...

However i wanted to go top feed with the drain below and the loop should theoretically keep some oil level height in the radiator...

would a bottom to top fill and drain be better...probably...however I can't be f'd trying to reroute the lines again.

any oil that was coming out was not fresh so that suggests to me there was circulation and it might just take time to work itself out...

I might look for a barb end banjo fitting to cut down the long line to be the short end and run the screen housing line up to the top of the radiator at some stage...

anyone perhaps know what the ID on the pipes are perchance?

[XLsior]

maybe this?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32843474480.html?spm

[XLsior]

Was noticing a persistent lack of voltage supply.

Riding around with the headlamp on was dropping voltage to 11v.

I thought maybe the old Regulator had it so purchased a new Regulator and continued riding but voltage supply seemed lackluster.

Thought maybe the bulbs were drawing to much current so orderd some LED alternatives still in shipping...

Decided to disconnect the + battery terminal and try kick starting the bike.

The bike fired up and ran but no active voltage to power anything in the loom circuit.

Looked over the main stator plug connections and found these
(attached photo)

Think that'll do it.

[XLsior]

I'm am still having doubts about the oil cooler...after a decent riding session with the engine getting hot I feel the cooler and its cold...

Was confident in the installation but my only assumption is air locks preventing circulation.

I have ordered the AN6 banjo fitting and will probably uninstall the cooler for now As I don't want to gamble with a possible oil starvation issue.

Not sure if anyone else has experienced similar oil cooler installation problems, but for now I'd prefer peace of mind.

[Megadan]

The entire system is suction based for cooler circulation. If you have a big enough air pocket trapped in one of.those loops or humps in the cooler line it can definitely cause it to not pull. That is the reason many of the cooler kits come with a syringe, so you can prime the whole return line and cooler as much as possible.

[XLsior]

I figured as much Dan, However knowing its suction based is good to know...as I tried to 'push' oil through with the return end disconnected using the starter motor and no spark plug installed which explains why it just dribbled under gravity...because it was trying to 'suck' the whole time

Tried to prefill and bleed out as much air in the line as possible...

Suspect the oil screen housing void to be the problem pocket...

The excessive line lengths making optimal routing problematic without forming loops.

I will see AN6 banjo fitting will work and shorten the 2ft line down to best fit.

as for now happy to report the electrical charging issue is resolved...

[Megadan]

Yeah, with some push on banjo fittings you can simply hack the lines down to what you need. That should definitely help.

[China Rider 27]

I had a similar problem while back with a cooler. I think the issue was the sump adapter plastic gasket was not sealing which allowed the oil pump to pull oil from the sump and bypass the the cooler. Those long adapter connectors need to be in a certain place to come straight out the front but sometimes it seems the adapter could use some more turning to seal. I used some 5/16 or 8 mm ID hose and new banjos to fix it.

[XLsior]

Originally Posted by China Rider 27

I had a similar problem while back with a cooler. I think the issue was the sump adapter plastic gasket was not sealing which allowed the oil pump to pull oil from the sump and bypass the the cooler. Those long adapter connectors need to be in a certain place to come straight out the front but sometimes it seems the adapter could use some more turning to seal. I used some 5/16 or 8 mm ID hose and new banjos to fix it.

Im hoping the AN6 banjo will make do on the supplied lines.

I made a complaint regarding the paint and rusty bolts to the seller and I'm am lead to believe they are sending another full replacement order...well see if that happens...I've had sellers make that statement but nothing gets sent.

I put my finger over the suction inlet on the bypass adapter and it was pulling suction...so I believe it was just an air pocket that passed and lost prime. So i think the bypass was installed correctly and making an internal seal.

Trying an image host share. Saturday afternoon chain clean, wipe down and nip up.

https://imgbb.com/tLM3F1M

[XLsior]

attempting to calculate how much I've spent to get Xlsior road ready...

Prices have changed on items since 2 years ago so this is not a how much should a project cost analysis.

all amounts are in Aussie dollars $AUD

Bought the bike from a barn $400.

sold the original engine loom and dash cluster $250.

=$150

Seat cover $80.

Found the basket CG250 engine $80 + loom kit $50 + new starter/sprag/transfer gear. $100.

$150+$310=$460

Dunlop 605 tires and HDtubes + another tube because I punctured one..
$240ish.

$700.

Acewell 3701 digital dash + hall speed/odo sensor cable $250.

$950...

battery $30...
PZ30b carb and throttle kit....(not used) $40.
Nibbi PE28fl $140 + intake manifold custom fabrication $60.
Bark busters + new clamps $40.
Acerbis* alloy throttle $35
Grips $10
Gear lever $20
Chain and sprockets $70
Rear shocks $170
Air filter $10
Windscreen $25
Kickstand pad $5
USB port $10
handle bars $30

$1680...

Sundries and prep, (sanding, grinding, fabrication, painting, fluids etc)
Lets say approximately $200.

$1880..

Safety inspection and road registration 1 year + tax

$520.

Total= $2400

I am not including the pooched 81 bike even though I used rear brake assembly. I sold enough parts from it to about $100 in the red with enough remaining as 'spares'

the XL350 tank side project is another $250... but not required to be on the road as of now...

So basically over the 2years of fettling to get a crusty barn find on the road is under $2500...

Time is not inclusive to cost or value...that is a personal expense.

I have learned a great deal over the project and there is no other bike like it...

So if your are not inclined to put in the effort my suggestion is just save up and buy the better bike upfront.

[XLsior]

Had my training course to upgrade my motorcycle license.
First time loading and carrying the bike on a trailer... no issues.

The training course is held near "The Big Pineapple" Sunshine coast, QLD Australia.

Bike held up and got through the training session and extended ride.

Passed the course without issue.

So I'm all legal and public road ready.

Would still like to get a spare tube,pump and tire levers before any extended trips/adventures.

Ive ordered a 17t front sprocket I think the bike has enough low end torque to stretch the gearing taller and getting to 100kph without requiring a down hill tail wind...

Anyway got home fine and airing out the riding gear.

[XLsior]

Woke up early Saturday morning.
Had the itch...

the itch to ride.

geared up and headed out.

Got 'the nod' from other early bird riders passing by.

Found another 'end of the road'

Checked the tank and headed home for breakfast.

[Megadan]

You can add up all the costs, but projects like these aren't really about saving money. They are about building something you want, because you want to.

When I resto-modded my 75 Goldwing, I bought the bike for $300. I spent more than that on just rebuilding the carbs lol. Not including my time, between cleaning, painting, polishing,wiring, other upgrades, etc. I likely had $5000+ into the bike. I ended up with a classic bike that had full LED lighting, a fully upgraded charging system with the worlds most oversized lithium battery (500cca lol), a sweet metallic orange paint job, and something I could stare at all day. It looked nothing like any other bike on the road, and it made everybody turn their head and look at it, and every biker across the spectrum approach it. Everybody that talked with me always knew somebody who had an old Goldwing, or they had one themselves, and I ended up in a ridiculous number of conversations for who knows how many hours.

I could have easily bought a great new or almost new bike for the money I put into it at the time, and by most measures ended up with a "better" bike.

I wouldn't have traded it for anything. There is a certain amount of pride and a sense of accomplishment that you just can't get from buying a bike.

I love your little project, and I can't wait to see where you take it next.

[XLsior]

I had my reasons to attempt a bike restomod.

I was in a pretty downtrodden, broken, crusty state of affairs prior to the start.

So fixing a downtrodden, broken, crusty motorcycle was more of a self help program with the hope of adventure at the end.

I had no plan or desire for any particular make or model other than wanting a dual sport roughly the same age as me.

It just happened to end up with the 92 XL185 S...

The financials were not really a factor other than what I could afford in increments.

Time was plentiful and no deadlines...

I wanted to learn new skills and gain the confidence if anything broke later on I could identify and fix the problem...Which I think I achieved.

the bike is not 'perfect' by any sense of the word, I was not aiming for perfection just dependable imperfection...

Im looking at other XL185s for sale now and other than not being totally original I think my bike still came out on top for the money....

However paying somebody else to restore a bike to the same condition would be 5-10x the cost roughly speaking....and would probably take less than 2 years for most people.

I have a few more things I'd like to get done to the Xl185.

But I am also looking into finding the CT110/postie candidate for a possible ZS190cc swap...

(I took a chance on the $80 ZS167fml 250cc that was in basket. Which thankfully turned out serviceable and funnily enough pointing me towards the china rider forums, which resulted in this thread post.)

But I think I might go a new crate engine next time...

Was it worth it?....For me it definitely was worth having something to apply effort on.
But I think its important to be real an state if its about 'making money' you probably going to come up short every time.