Midbike Nation (Southern Hemisphere)

[redryderaus]

It's now official. Midbike Nation has a Southern Hemisphere chapter. My X18 arrived today! I'm impressed, the bike was shipped from Sydney lunchtime yesterday and arrived in Melbourne at lunchtime today. That's 800km's door to door in 24hrs. thumbsup2

I haven't got time to do anything with it tonight as I'm about to take the CAG out for it's last ride night for 2007. More tomorrow.

Cheers,

red ausflag

[Midbike Racer]

YES!
Way to go red!
Congratulations!

Cant wait to see some pics.

ausflagausflagausflagausflag

[mishka]

finally man! post some pictures if you can! congrats man!bluelaugh

[The Nutty Professor]

Now you just have to find a way to ship it as carry-on when you fly to the States to race us Yanks thumbsup2bluelaughmoon1patriot

[swheels]

That's great Red.thumbsup2 Are you gonna take it for a test drive first or just start tearing it down.To get it up to track speed.

[redryderaus]

Now you just have to find a way to ship it as carry-on when you fly to the States to race us Yanks

I wonder if I disassembled it and put it in several suitcases could I get it there that way?? moon1 The Xrays could be a bit hard to explain, though. Personal medical equipment maybe?

Cheers,

red ausflag

[redryderaus]

That's great Red.thumbsup2 Are you gonna take it for a test drive first or just start tearing it down.To get it up to track speed.

I'm waiting on a couple more engine bits for the 125cc from Akunar and I'd rather finish the engine before I fit it. The shock will get replaced this weekend if I have time. Now I have the bike I can draw up the triple clamps for the USD's and get them CNC'd. New footpegs are a priority as I don't trust the stock ones. I need to get sprockets and a decent chain too. I'll take a leaf out of Nutty's book and replace all the fairing bolts with Dzus fasteners. The final ride day for 2007 at the Morwell track is on the 16th, so I haven't got much time to get her track ready.

Anyway, the short answer is I'll give it a squirt stock just for the fun of it this weekend but the upgrades will begin immediately.

Cheers,

red ausflag

[Supercharged]

what are you doing on here get to the modifications!!!

[redryderaus]

what are you doing on here get to the modifications!!!

LOL! Patience, mate. It's a tad early in the morning here and I have to head out to work soon. But you can bet I'll be itching to get home to start work. I'll get some pics up before I start.

Cheers,

red ausflag

[redryderaus]

Last night on the superCAG I was getting passed by motards even though I was riding so hard I ended up blistering the rear tire censor_d . Now I can look forward to turning the tables on those d#%n chook chasers!!

It's payback time!! thumbsup2

Cheers,

red ausflag

[Supercharged]

bluelaugh dont you just love the underdogs??

payback timerock2 ausflag

[redryderaus]

People actually ride these things stock?? You have my respect bows_smilie

[RANT ON]

What a POS! A gear shift lever and a rear brake lever that are so sloppy they are in fact useless. Footpegs that are upside down. A fuel hose so long was always going to get an air lock in it. And why can't the chinese produce a bike without fuel leaks? The fitting in the tank was so loose it would have pissed fuel out everywhere and the fuel hose was only useful for....well I'll think of something eventually. Once I finally finished the pre-start check and actually got the bike started it was impossible to ride as I couldn't change gears due to the aforementioned slop. I had to put it in 1st with my hand as my foot couldn't move far enough. What a mess straight out of the box. Even my CAG was better quality at 1/5 the price. I'm going to be busy in the workshop for a long time just to get it trackworthy. Forget about Morwell on the 16th, there just isn't enough time to do everything before then.

[RANT OFF]

Sorry guys, but that is my honest assessment of this particular bike. I've got a lot of work ahead of me to bring it up to an acceptable standard.

red

[rene13]

Try some votex rearsets. They might require some modding but they are adjustable.

[The Nutty Professor]

That's almost exactly what I put in my thread Red. I guess we came from a little different world (OK a lot) and maybe expected to much. As for the shifting that was my biggest B***h out of the whole thing. The rest I could ride around but the shifting...ain't no way wave_finger

[redryderaus]

Try some votex rearsets. They might require some modding but they are adjustable.

I'll look into them, rene. The issue with mine is they have put the footpegs on upside down in the rearsets. And even after I flip them over they are just smooth aluminium, so my boots will slip off them. It looks like the lathe will come into play turning some new ones with a knurled surface for grip.

That's almost exactly what I put in my thread Red. I guess we came from a little different world (OK a lot) and maybe expected to much. As for the shifting that was my biggest B***h out of the whole thing. The rest I could ride around but the shifting...ain't no way wave_finger

You're right, Nutty. I did expect a lot better, even though I knew these bikes were below the standard I've been used to. Oh well, looks like a ground up rebuild and fix everything as I go. There's too much to do to have it ready for the Morwell track day so now I've got a couple of months to do it all.

Cheers,

red ausflag

[The Nutty Professor]

Well you're in a better position than I am. Everything takes longer because I don't have the tools to get the job done on hand. I beg, borrow, or ste...naw just the first 2.

[redryderaus]

Ok, I'm over my dummy spit now. The bike got put in the shed in disgust but will come out tomorrow to begin it's rehab into a race bike. thumbsup2

Cheers,

red ausflag

[swanni06]

pics???thumbsup2

[The Nutty Professor]

Remember re-enforce your bodywork. Cracks are on the near horizon thumbsup2

[redryderaus]

Remember re-enforce your bodywork. Cracks are on the near horizon thumbsup2

Does reinforce mean take moulds and make CF/glass bodywork? thinking_smilie

Cheers,

red ausflag

[The Nutty Professor]

Does reinforce mean take moulds and make CF/glass bodywork? thinking_smilie

Cheers,

red ausflag

LOLOLOL bluelaugh No! But if you want it do it!

[redryderaus]

pics???

You talked me into it :)

Have a look at the photo of the footpeg. It's laughable bluelaugh

The motor will actually have to be repositioned in the frame as the sprocket alignment is way out. crazy_smilie I can see why some people have problems with their chain jumping off.

Cheers,

red ausflag

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x131/redryderaus/Untitled-4_small.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x131/redryderaus/Untitled-2_small.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x131/redryderaus/Untitled-3_small.jpg

[The Nutty Professor]

That footpeg is a riot. Mine isn't much better though.

[redryderaus]

Ok, I've been outsmarted by Lifan (or maybe they outsmarted themselves??). My 1P54FMI engine came with a spec sheet that definitely states a bore x stroke of 54mm x 54mm. So I order a 54mm highcomp piston. I strip the engine to find a bore of 52.5mm. banghead

"Now I have to bore the cylinder to suit the 54mm piston" I said. First I figured a way to bolt a block of 25mm aluminium to the lathe faceplate, face it then drill/tap holes and bore it to positively locate the cylinder. Second I ain't got a boring bar solid enough to do the job. Guess what? Both my ally supplier and tool supplier are shut until the New year. censor_d

"Alright, I'll do the head!" says I. So I strip the head. "Bugger!" I said, staring at the different cam bearings. "Now I have to buy a new bearing and press it onto the race cam. At least I have the bearing number!" as I grab the car keys. You guessed it, the bearing shop doesn't reopen until the New year.

"Ok, I can clean up the ports and install the new valve springs" says I. "Bugger!" I said again after realising none of my valve spring compressors will do the job. So I grab a bit of 19mm round tube and one of my cheap F clamps (I keep a constant stock of these for just such occasions) and make yet another tool. Valves removed I cleaned up the ports. Run the reamer through the valve guides and reinstall valves. Remove new valve springs from their box. "Strewth these are rough!" as I fought the urge to throw them across the workshop. I spent over an hour handpolishing the ends on a fine stone. I installed the springs using my new tool and settled down for a quiet beer.

So the end result of day 1 engine mods is:

1/ Cleaned up ports (= 4 hours of reshaping)
2/ Installed the new valve springs

That is the result of a day's effort and I'm hoarse from swearing at the makers of this sh....stuff. I still need (to finish stage 1 engine mods):

1/ A block of aluminium 150x150x25
2/ A solid (25x25mm) boring bar with carbide tips
3/ A 16022 bearing for the cam

Work continues on the frame at least. I need to replace and re-engineer part of it to give me enough room to correct the chain alignment. I've cut the existing engine mounts from the frame and they can be reused once I have the engine in the right spot. The x-member for the upper shock mount has been cut and recessed to clear the way for the longer DNM shock. Tapered bearings are on hand for the headstem, I just need to machine some adapters to mate the bearing seats with the headstem tube. The swingarm will get braced a la Swheels. Once the welding is complete I plan on bead-blasting the frame/swingarm and getting them powdercoated in gunmetal grey.

Cheers,

red ausflag

[The Nutty Professor]

This is total madness but we just can't stop tears2 I feel for ya Red I'm cutting, welding, and grinding then starting all over again maybe not in that order.

[redryderaus]

Madness is in the eye of the beholder! thumbsup2

The sequence is cut, grind, weld, grind, cut, grind, weld, grind............bluelaugh

Let me at that <insert tool of destruction>!,

red ausflag

[swheels]

Yep Red now you see why the bike are so cheap in the price tag.When i first saw them i thought how can they sell them for sucha low price.When i got one i said i see why. So far i haven't had in issues with the chain jumping off.I would love to come up with some sort of jig.To make sure the wheels are inline.

[Blitz$M.Inc.$]

how bout a tee square and a laser pointer

[swheels]

how bout a tee square and a laser pointerThey will work but you'll have to drain the tank and stand the bike up.I was thinking something like that had rails.That you can roll the bike on to.

[The Nutty Professor]

GMD Computrak here we come bluelaughbluelaugh http://www.gmdcomputrack.com/

[redryderaus]

I would love to come up with some sort of jig.To make sure the wheels are inline.

Not hard to do. You just need two pieces of straight aluminium square tube, a clamp and a tape measure. I've been doing it for years. I'll do some drawings later to show the process.

Cheers,

red ausflag

[swanni06]

Nice bike Red..I like the all red or did you remove the black stripes?Never seen one come in just a solid color:confused:.

[swheels]

Not hard to do. You just need two pieces of straight aluminium square tube, a clamp and a tape measure. I've been doing it for years. I'll do some drawings later to show the process.

Cheers,

red ausflagCool i was thinking because of the width of the rear tire it wouldn't be as easy.

[redryderaus]

Sorry I've been AWOL, guys. We've been shorthanded at work since new year and it happens we have more work on than usual for this time of year. Add to that some heavy RC commitments (it's the summer flying season here and I've been doing heaps of product demo's) and I haven't got enough energy left to open a cold beer. Well, not quite that bad bluelaugh but you get the picture.

The X18 is sadly gathering dust in the shed until I get some time to devote to it. At least the 125 is complete and ready to go in the bike. :)

I removed all the stickers, swanni. Partly because they look pox and partly because I still want to take moulds of the bodywork to reproduce it in FG/CF.

I'll get to those drawing asap, swheels, I promise.

Cheers,

red

[Blitz$M.Inc.$]

o please make the molds!
carbon fibre body panels mmm mmm good
o and welcome back

[The Nutty Professor]

Good to hear from you Red thumbsup2 Our season ids coming up fast. You'll get the envy bug soon enough.