@@idahoduckhunter of course it solves a mystery. Obviously when plugs foul they begin to stop working sometimes completely but sometimes only under load or high rpms. Solve the mystery right there. I guess you can always change a plug with every repair but why do that. I'm sure the $50 device has paid for itself already in not having to replace a plug unnecessarily.
Run a small sheet metal screw down through the small hole ( on the idle mixture) - it will pop the cap right up. (Look at me telling *the man* how to do it) _Absolutely love the channel, I learn so much_
When you’re cleaning out the needle seat, try using a q-tip with some valve lapping compound, I’m a small engine mechanic and we do it all the time, works great!
Why is this channel relaxing? Is it because he doesn’t say “be sure to hit the like button, subscribe, and turn on notifications”. Or have sponsorship BS? Or have “guests”. Or making it about him? All that stuff likely.
Guy at work bought a very similar 250cc Chinese bike except it has lights and blinkers making it street legal. Think he told me he paid like 2k for it new in 2019-ish? He rides it to work pretty much every day, says he travels 25 miles to and from work and has had no real issues with the bike. I was just looking it the other day, he has almost 30k miles on it too. I think like you said, these things probably wouldn't take a true off road beating for long, but as a trail/street bike they seem fairly capable.
That bike is very quiet and for $850 not to bad. There's really not much you could find for that price in running condition. I'd keep it as a back up bike for that friend that doesn't have a bike. Love the content. Looking forward to next video
Ah, Great to see one of these come through your garage lol! There is a pretty decent following/modding community for the cheap chinese bikes. The Oil Line you were mentioning is a EGR line. Best to delete, block off those and rejet the carb. One of the cheap things that make the bike run much better. The highest mileage I've seen recorded (online forums) with one of the CG250 engines has hit 60,000 miles before a complete frame strip down, engine out rebuild. Full disclosure, I decided to rebuild mine at 5k miles with a "bigbore" kit. I know that this the OHC version of the CG so not sure how reliable they are. These bikes are great for learning mechanical skills, relatively simple and it will need attention.
Big bore kits are a waste of time, money and are often lower quality than the original cylinder on a 4 stroke, I'm surprised people are still doing this these days. The breathing of the bike doesn't change so it's a bigger bore with restricted air flow in the head so no gain worth even mentioning. Bigger engine/bike is the only way. Done this many moons ago. There was absolutely no difference in power or torque. Anything anyone 'feels' is a placebo. Blocking off the EGR is also a waste of time btw.
@@RUclipsSupportTeamsfirst of all why is your name that?😂 and yea sure on a 4 stroke you are restricted by the size of the valves in a sense. But a bigger bore will create more vacuum on the bdc stroke thus being able to pull more air in so yes it will make more power but not like a 2 stroke big bore can. Once you open up the ports you really start to gain power. My buddy has a 600cc skidoo motor (makes around 150hp stock) that was sent out to a reputable company, they mod the cases to accept 800cc jugs and pistons and then port the cylnders rework the head and give you a set of twin pipes. Makes over 220hp. Out of a 800cc. That is nuts.
@@RUclipsSupportTeams I didn't state my full spec list. My head is ported, valves lapped/ground and flow benched from Motocult with a 30MM Nibbi carb and free flowing exhaust. Blocking off the EGR made my jetting requirement change. It caused a lean condition with the pilot jet after blocking it off. Think about it. Blocking off the EGR means more oxygen and no inert gas. More fuel is required. Doing the mods without the proper fueling will make it run worse that if it were left stock. You should have figured this out in your "many moons."
I noticed you use sandpaper for the float needle and one thing that I’ve been doing for 40 years is taking a smaller drillbit and some fine steel wool to the tip making sure your drill bit is very dull or grind the tip a little bit so it doesn’t cut in and you put it in the drill spin it, cleans the seat and the sides real nice ,real fine steel wool and a drill motor. When you put your steel wool on the trip of your drill motor, you sort of spin the steal wool on a little bigger than the hole that you need, works great. Fast and neat
At 31:16 I suggest you put an appropriately sized drill bit on your drill into the brass seat and put your drill in reverse at full speed and just tap it on the seating surface. It grinds it down just a little bit. that has worked great for me
I have a 21 tbr7 tao tao. Same engine on all these chinese 250's. They come jetted lean for import emissions. Change the jets to a 38 - 110 and she'll be happy and run way better. Same as another guy said, delete the egr "system". Best is a carb swap but the jetting change will do the job if that carb works.
My friend bought a daul sport from a dealership. The Chinese carb is the weakest link .followed by the fuel & vacuum lines. Keihin carb would be my recommendation & use ethanol free fuel. Thanks for another great vid Joe 🎬🔧🔥🔥🫡. Safe travels & happy holiday everyone 👍
Damn. Pretty cool that you graced that Chinese bike with your knowledge and experience. Kinda felt like it wasn’t worthy of a stand in your garage but you didn’t hate on it. Basic run through inspection for any manufacturer that comes in not running.
The engines on many of those are actually decent units and can run a long time. Many are Honda CG clones, which don’t have great power, but are very reliable.
I got the Hawk Dlx 250 about 3 years ago . Have just over 5000 relatively trouble-free miles on it now . Keep up on the oil changes and valve adjustments . Mine's fuel injected, so no carb issues, obviously . My check engine light did come on. I'm not sure why . The bike runs fine , though maybe a bit rich . She's due for some new tires now and also a chain and sprocket set . Otherwise , no complaints for an $1800.00 Amazon bike shipped right to my door . It owes me nothing if it craps out tomorrow.
my Hawk 250 first thing it need was new carb to make it run. then new tires and chain and new AGM battery. they all need new carbs. also i had to cut the front exhaust pipe to remove the catalytic converter. it will melt things. its packed in way to tight for exhaust to pass through.
I have a 2020 Brozz 250 with carb. It came with a Keihn carb. I changed the jets when it was new to richen it up. They come way too lean. Currently have 6,500 trouble free miles. I don't have any experience with Apollo. The valves are usually off on these bikes and should be checked.
I stumbled on your channel about three weeks ago and have been binge watching ever since. Your content is excellent and you sure know your machines. Great job!
Glad to see you on the China bike struggle bus. I bought a replacement carb on Amazon for $28 for my daughter’s quad. It has removable float bowl and metal slide instead of plastic. It runs night and day difference.
I have 2, RFZ 125s. They freaking rip for what they are. No issues really other than adjusting the valves on 1 after a bit. Super solid bikes. Take quiet the beating. And parts are cheap as hell right from Amazon. It's tough to beat man 😂. Especially if your not a super hard-core rider and you just like ripping around. Really can't complain about them
Use strands from a copper wire to clean out the jets. Less likely to elongate the jet hole. Its harder than most clogs too. Compressed air is your biggest friend for cleaning a carb.
Joe, I am also a RUclipsr and a fan of your channel. Keep up the great work. I have two doctorates and am trying to learn how to repair bikes and other motorized vehicles. You are a fine teacher.
I do a lot of the same stuff with bikes and mowers or chainsaws. You spend a lot of time on initial assessment. I usually 1.check fuel 2. Check spark 3. Check air. Kick it over. No start = shot of starting fluid. Answers the questions on if spark, timing and air are all good in 1 shot. If it fires off the hot start then it just needs fuel and you can go strait to the carb. I dont open the engine until I have to. Am I risking engine damage by doing this?
For future reference, when you drill out your air fuel, just drill out the plug with a small drill bit, then use a small screw to thread into the brass plug, then pull out with a pair of pliers, it’s easy and you won’t risk damage to the carb
I have been absolutely addicted to this channel since I found it a few weeks ago. It motivated me to do some upgrades to my bike. Does anyone know what he does with the bikes? Just wondering if this is his full-time job? Edit: I'm sure he edits the videos, but I've never seen bike work go so smoothly. I get aggravated trying to put plastic back on, this guy breaks apart a transmission like it's nothing. He is a beast of a mechanic.
Back in 1979 I bought a KZ 650 4 cylinder off the showroom floor 2500 and I kind of regret selling it I used to take it out in the hills and jumping even did a few front wheel landings on it but I was a wild child I ride my skateboard and bicycle inside inside of an empty pools and you can get some real good height centrifugal forces great and again by the way love your program
Tire chalk / stop installation in wheel will stop that inner tube from spinning while Is acceleration so valve stem won't tear. Or try loosening valve stem so it floats a little
Keep checking the valves n always keep good oil in it. They run for a while . Keep a eye on the valve seals in the forks to. Ive owned 2 Chinese bikes maintenance goes a long way and tightening up bolts every now n then
Love the channel buddy,great knowledge you have,this guy should be a mechanic for a motocross team,,but it's crazy how people won't take the time to try and fix something, ya maybe they don't know how to work on quads/motorcycles but alot of fixes are sometimes pretty easy, but none the less awesome channel!
Joe, I appreciate the thoroughness of your videos… even a seasoned mechanic like myself has learned a lot of troubleshooting skills from your videos. Sometimes I wonder why you don’t just go straight to starting fluid or a squirt of fuel in the spark plug hole and then I remind myself you are a teacher… teaching the correct way to diagnose. I wonder how many thousands you have helped with your videos. You keep putting out the videos and I’ll keep watching… nice work sir! 🫡💯👏🏻
A tip for the First Person Shots, turn off Image Stabilisation and set the lens angle to it's max. If you want to go a step further buy a cheap set of ND filter (20$) for your action camera and look on a tutorial on how to set up the Iso, Shutter Speed and FPS
Drill a small hole in the air screw plug then use a small self tapping screw. Then you can grab the screw to pull the plug out.. I was cringing while you drilled it LOL
Man I bought 2 apollo rxf 150 dirt bikes and I had no problem with them at all! Hard to get little parts like bolts and faring parts, but the motor is rock solid. My son in law did a ride at sam houston national forest with us, I was on a 23 beta 200 and our other buddy was on a Honda cfr 250 and it kept up with us for 20 miles thru sandy trails. We had a blast! For the money? Yea great beginner bikes!
the chinese bikes get a bad rap but theyre fine. ive had a few and had nothing but fun. no issues out of any of them neither. the price is excellent and gets people outside enjoying a new hobby for cheap. whats there not to like. the best cheap fun anyone could have period! id easily buy another one too np. im back in the market currently and looking for a dual sport.
Hey Joe, I've been a two-stroke guy for about 40 years so I don't have any experience working on 4 stroke bikes. You mentioned that the intake valves typically tighten up before the exhaust valves. Why is that ? Just a suggestion, a welder tip cleaner works great for cleaning out jets . They are cheap and would probably last forever just using it for carb work. It was interesting seeing a review on one of these bikes. ... It's definitely no ball of fire but it does start easy and runs good for what it is. I agree, it would be alright for a beginner on a budget if they could buy one for what you paid for it, and they didn't beat on it hard. I think a person would be better off saving a little more money, and buying a nice used older bike from the big 4 makers. Besides, bikes from the big 4 will always have some value. After this thing is used for a couple more years, it will basically be a disposable bike.
I have the 2023 tbr7 tao tao 250 chonda.chinses Honda Enduro. On off road just hit 600 miles did oil change and adjusted valves..runs great street legal.there $1,499.delivered.lol.the nice thing is replace parts with Honda 250 same yr.i already put a Honda carb on it and the mods for it is awsome crazy.idk I'm just having fun with this cheap bike.😂😂😂😂
Firstly, great video secondly, I was today old when I discovered a spark plug tester, while realizing simultaneously all spark plugs in my immediate vicinity need testing immediately.... (proceeds to amazon)
Snap On Tool USA 208CP Battery bolt Pliers Side mount angle nose offset jaws red, a great plier to get those stuck philips head screws out, you would be amazed!
I feel like Joe wants to hate it, but is actually liking it much more than he ever thought he would. They are cheap, but not the worst for how much you pay. I did get my 09 KX450 for $1800, and other than oil and tires, I have not had to do anything else other than ride it. Came with full FMF exhaust, so your point is valid that you can get a decent "proven" bike for the same price. Good video, would like to see an updated after you get the new tube and can really give it a full test ride.
I bought a hawk 250 for 300 bucks last summer. I had to put another 300 into it but it ran really good that whole season as an extra bike for buddies to ride. I sold it for 1200 because it’s street legal with a title.
@@ObiWanShinobi67 bought one last month. Very few miles so far because it's been miserably cold and rainy, but so far it's been perfect. Blue loctite EVERYTHING. Change the oil to a good wet clutch oil and adjust the valves before you run it and it'll run for years.
Great video. Wouldn't be bad for tooling around on the hunting property but, only if I could get it for the price you did. Lol. I keep bread twister ties around just for cleaning carb jets. Once you get it through, put a couple kinks in it with your thumbnail. Work it back and forth. Works great.
If Vin won't sniff it, I'll cross it off my wish list! But it looks better than the Chinese Quad I bought my daughter a few years back. I wonder how well the the gearbox shifts?
one Thint I learned back in college in the 70s was use the right tool for the right job, jobs I have held through my mechanical career would fire you for using an adjustable wrench instead of an open end wrench. do you need a set ? I would get you some in support of your Chanel . let me know be safe and I watch you for hour in my retirement
I had a few similar bikes. They were GIO 250s, I got 3 for $1150 Canadian total. One was a 3/4 size frame with smaller wheels, one was a bit on the small side, with full sized wheels, and the other was a full sized bike. Two of them ran, the middle sized bike, I ALMOST got running, but gave up when I couldn't get the carb out (identical looking frame to the one you got. I suspect they probably all had the same base engine as your bike, but they were several years older. They are good bikes for what they are - cheap trail bikes for someone who isn't doing anything too serious - and a buddy bike you can loan out to someone who wants to ride with you, without worrying that they might ruin your much more expensive Japanese or European bike. Careful of those wheels though - the 3/4 bike, my dad and I actually bought for my sister. She had lots of fun on it until on one ride, the front wheel dipped in a rut, got grabbed, and twisted the handlebars from her grip. The wheel bent, and flipped the bike on her. I still think the wheels on a Japanese bike would have held up, and cut loose from the rut. To put it in perspective, a replacement rim, complete with tube and rubber, before it was discontinued, was $107 Canadian - they are junk wheels.
I've now watched a few of your videos and just have to ask, what happens to the bikes or what do you do with them after you've repaired them? I see a few (and other) of them standing/remaining in your garage/workshop
As much carb work as you do, and all the other tools you have, buy yourself a welding torch tip cleaner. It has a good selection of small wire tip cleaners that would be ideal for what you do.
A lot of times with the Chinese type bikes, you have to take the intake boot off with the carburetor to give you enough room to move it around. You can get it out the ether way cause obviously u did but it’s easier pulling and take boot off.
Did you go to a school to learn your trade or is this all from a life of being around engines? Love the channel and have a nephew very interested in the profession. Great channel Joe!
I bought one recently for 400 dollars all it needed was a carb clean but a little after riding it the rear sprocket destroyed the rear rim hub and had to replace the rear rim for it but other than that it’s been pretty good .
I feel like WD and a stiff, fine brush tip on the Dremel would do a better job cleaning out the jet seat. It may take just a little longer, but less futzing around with trying to get sandpaper down there, and less opportunity to wind up with grit down in there too. Also, I've been seeing a lot of straight-up blown inner tubes in Chinese-made wheels, where they weren't being abused and the air pressure was what it was supposed to be. The inner tubes just give up and filet themselves when you're not looking. Then you go to buy a new tube, and everybody wants an arm and a leg for one. I think I spotted the scam here, right up there with printer ink! :D
i had a rfz 250 other than little things like brakes and stuff like that breaking i abused mine for a good 6 months even through winter and it would kick over pretty easy
I'd check the cylinder for the cc. The 250 sticker on it means nothing. Most of the Chinese bikes are mislabeled as far as engine capacity. Also the first time I've seen someone use sandpaper to clean the float valve seat. I wouldn't use anything more aggressive than an industrial Qtip (has a wood stick rather than cardboard) and carb clean. Pilot jets I used a stran of speaker wire so as to not damage the jet. A sonic cleaner is a good shop tool.
My son bought two of these mail order cheap Chinese bikes. They both ran pretty crappily from the beginning. We just replaced the junk factory carbs with appropriately sized Mikuni carbs. Since the Chinese just clone Honda engines the Mikuni's fit right in and work great.
I agree, unless you want a brand new bike, just buy a used Japanese bike. I will say I liked the graphics and colors. The bike def looks a little different, that's for sure.
i noticed that too was at like 42:07 you can see if fall off, it looked like a glove to me, and when he rode back he just went right past it, wondering if he noticed. @2vintage
There is a pretty big community around these bikes. There are aftermarket carburetors you can get for them that will wake them up a little. Not too expensive either.
$2,000 is what I paid for my BRAND NEW 1981 Yamaha 650XS Special OUT THE DOOR - tax, license, Dealer-prep, EVERYTHING. My Buddy Tommy wanted the 4-cyclinder 650 Maxim (more than I was willing to spend at that time). He ended up around $2600 - I couldn't justify it then, can't now - sure - it was A LOT smoother, but "I" didn't feel the vibrations (rubber isolated handlebars, Driver's footpegs, etc. (my future wife, however, didn't have the same appreciation for that motorcycle as I had) - we TRIED to "take a weekend trip" on it - she abandoned me for my buddy's car at about the 1 hour mark. FREEDOM - HE had to take care of her "wants" the rest of the weekend.
I’m a firm believer in wanting everyone to experience dirt bikes and motorcycles. Whatever you can afford at the time. Go have a blast and these Chinese bikes will teach you how to work on bikes. Also a lot of American made and Japanese bike manufacturers use Chinese parts too so it may not be top notch but I’m sure most parts will be compatible. Just go ride. Have fun.
Thank you. I can only assume you bought this bike because you were curious. Great ecucational video for anyone who has one of these or something similar. I think you got it at a fair price as they aren't easily sold. It sounded okay but the true proof of the internal machine parts will only come with time and running hours. The real question will be can you get parts if something goes wrong or wears out. I'm sure that the carb is made inaccesible to dispute warranty issues if they occur. No doubt that in the foreseeable future upgrades and mods will become available for these bikes if they prove to be reliable.
I’m starting to think he’s just buying more bikes to use his spark plug tester 😂
😭
😂
It's just a toy isn't it. Hasn't solved one bike/atv mystery yet.
@@idahoduckhunter of course it solves a mystery. Obviously when plugs foul they begin to stop working sometimes completely but sometimes only under load or high rpms. Solve the mystery right there. I guess you can always change a plug with every repair but why do that. I'm sure the $50 device has paid for itself already in not having to replace a plug unnecessarily.
@@michaelesposito6678 I just haven't seen it solve any of Joe's issues yet.
Joe must have bought everything within a 4 hour radius at this point so he’s down to snagging Chinese cheapo’s. Keep the content coming!
i think he dry for deals....
cause them apolo are cheap, fun yes but quality hell no
Run a small sheet metal screw down through the small hole ( on the idle mixture) - it will pop the cap right up. (Look at me telling *the man* how to do it) _Absolutely love the channel, I learn so much_
I guess most dirt bikes don’t have a plug, but many of my street bikes did.
Wife has a different pair of shoes for every day of the week.. Joe has a different bike for every day of the month! 😂
When you’re cleaning out the needle seat, try using a q-tip with some valve lapping compound, I’m a small engine mechanic and we do it all the time, works great!
Why is this channel relaxing? Is it because he doesn’t say “be sure to hit the like button, subscribe, and turn on notifications”. Or have sponsorship BS? Or have “guests”. Or making it about him? All that stuff likely.
Vinnie is the guests star 😀
Guess you’ve never watched all the way to the very end. He says that on every video
@@t-bone43 yeah I guess you’re right. He’s not irritating about it.
Been watching him for a few years now amazing how far his come
Yeah, that's why I call it my machine repair yoga. It relaxes me.
Guy at work bought a very similar 250cc Chinese bike except it has lights and blinkers making it street legal. Think he told me he paid like 2k for it new in 2019-ish? He rides it to work pretty much every day, says he travels 25 miles to and from work and has had no real issues with the bike. I was just looking it the other day, he has almost 30k miles on it too. I think like you said, these things probably wouldn't take a true off road beating for long, but as a trail/street bike they seem fairly capable.
30K miles and using as a commuter bike 25 miles each way. It's probably paid for itself in fuel ⛽ & car/truck maintenance savings.
He probably takes good care of it too.
@@michaelbrinks8089 Absolutely.
Made for small people by small people.
Gotta be able to work on these
That bike is very quiet and for $850 not to bad. There's really not much you could find for that price in running condition. I'd keep it as a back up bike for that friend that doesn't have a bike. Love the content. Looking forward to next video
Little trick to the plastic welder, if you just slightly twist once the medal goes in it will bite into the plastic and hold really well.
Do you know the plastic welder brand he’s using?
Ah, Great to see one of these come through your garage lol! There is a pretty decent following/modding community for the cheap chinese bikes. The Oil Line you were mentioning is a EGR line. Best to delete, block off those and rejet the carb. One of the cheap things that make the bike run much better. The highest mileage I've seen recorded (online forums) with one of the CG250 engines has hit 60,000 miles before a complete frame strip down, engine out rebuild. Full disclosure, I decided to rebuild mine at 5k miles with a "bigbore" kit. I know that this the OHC version of the CG so not sure how reliable they are. These bikes are great for learning mechanical skills, relatively simple and it will need attention.
Big bore kits are a waste of time, money and are often lower quality than the original cylinder on a 4 stroke, I'm surprised people are still doing this these days. The breathing of the bike doesn't change so it's a bigger bore with restricted air flow in the head so no gain worth even mentioning. Bigger engine/bike is the only way. Done this many moons ago. There was absolutely no difference in power or torque. Anything anyone 'feels' is a placebo. Blocking off the EGR is also a waste of time btw.
@@RUclipsSupportTeamsfirst of all why is your name that?😂 and yea sure on a 4 stroke you are restricted by the size of the valves in a sense. But a bigger bore will create more vacuum on the bdc stroke thus being able to pull more air in so yes it will make more power but not like a 2 stroke big bore can. Once you open up the ports you really start to gain power. My buddy has a 600cc skidoo motor (makes around 150hp stock) that was sent out to a reputable company, they mod the cases to accept 800cc jugs and pistons and then port the cylnders rework the head and give you a set of twin pipes. Makes over 220hp. Out of a 800cc. That is nuts.
He doesn't know how to jet bikes.
@@re9947 He knows how, I've seen him looking at jetting table specs for 2 strokes.
@@RUclipsSupportTeams I didn't state my full spec list. My head is ported, valves lapped/ground and flow benched from Motocult with a 30MM Nibbi carb and free flowing exhaust. Blocking off the EGR made my jetting requirement change. It caused a lean condition with the pilot jet after blocking it off. Think about it. Blocking off the EGR means more oxygen and no inert gas. More fuel is required. Doing the mods without the proper fueling will make it run worse that if it were left stock. You should have figured this out in your "many moons."
Famous words of a seller, It was running when I parked it.😂😂😂
After the engine blew out it was parked...😜
It was running the last time it was running, I swear!!
Gotta love the guys who say "how easy" it will be to get running. Well, if it's so easy, why doesn't HE get it running, THEN sell it
Every single time 😂
Also, the famous question of the buyer " Was it running when you parked it?"😜
I noticed you use sandpaper for the float needle and one thing that I’ve been doing for 40 years is taking a smaller drillbit and some fine steel wool to the tip making sure your drill bit is very dull or grind the tip a little bit so it doesn’t cut in and you put it in the drill spin it, cleans the seat and the sides real nice ,real fine steel wool and a drill motor. When you put your steel wool on the trip of your drill motor, you sort of spin the steal wool on a little bigger than the hole that you need, works great. Fast and neat
At 31:16 I suggest you put an appropriately sized drill bit on your drill into the brass seat and put your drill in reverse at full speed and just tap it on the seating surface. It grinds it down just a little bit. that has worked great for me
I have a 21 tbr7 tao tao. Same engine on all these chinese 250's. They come jetted lean for import emissions. Change the jets to a 38 - 110 and she'll be happy and run way better. Same as another guy said, delete the egr "system". Best is a carb swap but the jetting change will do the job if that carb works.
My friend bought a daul sport from a dealership. The Chinese carb is the weakest link .followed by the fuel & vacuum lines. Keihin carb would be my recommendation & use ethanol free fuel. Thanks for another great vid Joe 🎬🔧🔥🔥🫡. Safe travels & happy holiday everyone 👍
Nibbi carb is what everyone is using they are good quality
@@Carboneye7Nibbi makes great carbs 💯👌
Damn. Pretty cool that you graced that Chinese bike with your knowledge and experience. Kinda felt like it wasn’t worthy of a stand in your garage but you didn’t hate on it. Basic run through inspection for any manufacturer that comes in not running.
The engines on many of those are actually decent units and can run a long time. Many are Honda CG clones, which don’t have great power, but are very reliable.
I got the Hawk Dlx 250 about 3 years ago . Have just over 5000 relatively trouble-free miles on it now . Keep up on the oil changes and valve adjustments . Mine's fuel injected, so no carb issues, obviously . My check engine light did come on. I'm not sure why . The bike runs fine , though maybe a bit rich . She's due for some new tires now and also a chain and sprocket set . Otherwise , no complaints for an $1800.00 Amazon bike shipped right to my door . It owes me nothing if it craps out tomorrow.
Joe buy a set of torch tip cleaners, which work great to clean jets (welding shops and Amazon have them).
Ol' Joe loves his dirtbikes. Good looking cycle, now let's tear it apart! Thank you, lots of learning moments
my Hawk 250 first thing it need was new carb to make it run. then new tires and chain and new AGM battery. they all need new carbs. also i had to cut the front exhaust pipe to remove the catalytic converter. it will melt things. its packed in way to tight for exhaust to pass through.
I have a 2020 Brozz 250 with carb. It came with a Keihn carb. I changed the jets when it was new to richen it up. They come way too lean. Currently have 6,500 trouble free miles. I don't have any experience with Apollo. The valves are usually off on these bikes and should be checked.
A Mikuni VM26 will do wonders for it. More reliability and inability is needed from a carb than the stock carb can provide.
And after all that expensive modification it's still crap and dangerously unsafe
. No more dangerous than any other bike.
I like the way you took those screws out especially when you grounded out for flathead screwdriver most people wouldn't have thought about that
I stumbled on your channel about three weeks ago and have been binge watching ever since. Your content is excellent and you sure know your machines. Great job!
Glad to see you on the China bike struggle bus. I bought a replacement carb on Amazon for $28 for my daughter’s quad. It has removable float bowl and metal slide instead of plastic. It runs night and day difference.
I have 2, RFZ 125s. They freaking rip for what they are. No issues really other than adjusting the valves on 1 after a bit. Super solid bikes. Take quiet the beating. And parts are cheap as hell right from Amazon. It's tough to beat man 😂. Especially if your not a super hard-core rider and you just like ripping around. Really can't complain about them
23:19 I would replace the studs with bolts.
That looked like the main problem with removing it from the top.
Use strands from a copper wire to clean out the jets. Less likely to elongate the jet hole. Its harder than most clogs too. Compressed air is your biggest friend for cleaning a carb.
Joe, I am also a RUclipsr and a fan of your channel. Keep up the great work. I have two doctorates and am trying to learn how to repair bikes and other motorized vehicles. You are a fine teacher.
Good learning points on a simple 2 Valve thumper. I'll stay with my 40yr XR Honda THX 🇦🇺
I do a lot of the same stuff with bikes and mowers or chainsaws. You spend a lot of time on initial assessment. I usually 1.check fuel 2. Check spark 3. Check air. Kick it over. No start = shot of starting fluid. Answers the questions on if spark, timing and air are all good in 1 shot. If it fires off the hot start then it just needs fuel and you can go strait to the carb. I dont open the engine until I have to. Am I risking engine damage by doing this?
For future reference, when you drill out your air fuel, just drill out the plug with a small drill bit, then use a small screw to thread into the brass plug, then pull out with a pair of pliers, it’s easy and you won’t risk damage to the carb
"...and this, my son, is a factory-spec POS...".
Thank you for taking the hit for us, 2V. 😅
LOL!😁
I have been absolutely addicted to this channel since I found it a few weeks ago. It motivated me to do some upgrades to my bike. Does anyone know what he does with the bikes? Just wondering if this is his full-time job? Edit: I'm sure he edits the videos, but I've never seen bike work go so smoothly. I get aggravated trying to put plastic back on, this guy breaks apart a transmission like it's nothing. He is a beast of a mechanic.
What you need Joe is a Gun cleaning kit ,and an Airbrush cleaning kit ,both kit's will be excellent for cleaning Carb ports ,Jets
Interesting, that would work, having worked in dentistry for years was thinking denture cleaning brushes
Back in 1979 I bought a KZ 650 4 cylinder off the showroom floor 2500 and I kind of regret selling it I used to take it out in the hills and jumping even did a few front wheel landings on it but I was a wild child I ride my skateboard and bicycle inside inside of an empty pools and you can get some real good height centrifugal forces great and again by the way love your program
Tire chalk / stop installation in wheel will stop that inner tube from spinning while Is acceleration so valve stem won't tear. Or try loosening valve stem so it floats a little
Learn something new everyday..I had no idea that there was a plastic welder until right now. nice.
Keep checking the valves n always keep good oil in it. They run for a while . Keep a eye on the valve seals in the forks to. Ive owned 2 Chinese bikes maintenance goes a long way and tightening up bolts every now n then
I have a 1 year old and the slight sound of the background crying had me think I was losing it lol great work joe
Love the channel buddy,great knowledge you have,this guy should be a mechanic for a motocross team,,but it's crazy how people won't take the time to try and fix something, ya maybe they don't know how to work on quads/motorcycles but alot of fixes are sometimes pretty easy, but none the less awesome channel!
Agree, he should have his own shop and/or work on a support team for a motocross or ATV team. Also thought he could be teaching
Joe, I appreciate the thoroughness of your videos… even a seasoned mechanic like myself has learned a lot of troubleshooting skills from your videos. Sometimes I wonder why you don’t just go straight to starting fluid or a squirt of fuel in the spark plug hole and then I remind myself you are a teacher… teaching the correct way to diagnose. I wonder how many thousands you have helped with your videos. You keep putting out the videos and I’ll keep watching… nice work sir! 🫡💯👏🏻
He wouldn't touch anything of mine. Peace...
I hate his cocky little laugh, like he's the FN authority...
He is a hack
In the shot where he takes off next to the trees you can see the back wheel and swingarm have a lot of axial play (moving left/right vice versa)
Tip to clean needle seat. Use toothpaste and qtip in drill to polish seat and clean needle.
I had a 1982 YZ 125 , the brass washers on each side of the piston arm wear thin , when you replace the piston , send in your crank for a rebuild
A tip for the First Person Shots, turn off Image Stabilisation and set the lens angle to it's max. If you want to go a step further buy a cheap set of ND filter (20$) for your action camera and look on a tutorial on how to set up the Iso, Shutter Speed and FPS
Drill a small hole in the air screw plug then use a small self tapping screw. Then you can grab the screw to pull the plug out.. I was cringing while you drilled it LOL
The shrouds are wide because it's not an efficient engine and they need more air to keep it cool.
Thanks for buying this and giving your honest opinion 👍
Interesting, wanted to see one up close.
I use a guitar string which obviously everyone doesn't have unless you play but they work great to clean out the jets
Man I bought 2 apollo rxf 150 dirt bikes and I had no problem with them at all! Hard to get little parts like bolts and faring parts, but the motor is rock solid. My son in law did a ride at sam houston national forest with us, I was on a 23 beta 200 and our other buddy was on a Honda cfr 250 and it kept up with us for 20 miles thru sandy trails. We had a blast!
For the money? Yea great beginner bikes!
the chinese bikes get a bad rap but theyre fine. ive had a few and had nothing but fun. no issues out of any of them neither. the price is excellent and gets people outside enjoying a new hobby for cheap. whats there not to like. the best cheap fun anyone could have period! id easily buy another one too np. im back in the market currently and looking for a dual sport.
Joe, next you clean a needle seat, use a Qtip in a drill with some fine valve lapping compound. It works amazing
The small little details you show is great ... very helpful... thanks
Hey Joe, I've been a two-stroke guy for about 40 years so I don't have any experience working on 4 stroke bikes.
You mentioned that the intake valves typically tighten up before the exhaust valves. Why is that ?
Just a suggestion, a welder tip cleaner works great for cleaning out jets . They are cheap and would probably
last forever just using it for carb work.
It was interesting seeing a review on one of these bikes. ...
It's definitely no ball of fire but it does start easy and runs good for what it is. I agree, it would be alright for a
beginner on a budget if they could buy one for what you paid for it, and they didn't beat on it hard.
I think a person would be better off saving a little more money, and buying a nice used older bike from the
big 4 makers. Besides, bikes from the big 4 will always have some value. After this thing is used for a
couple more years, it will basically be a disposable bike.
2 vintage I knew you was going to get it to start I that wasn't even a challenge for you
I loooove the Ape hangers! You better watch out brother,the local MC’s might get jealous!
I have the 2023 tbr7 tao tao 250 chonda.chinses Honda Enduro. On off road just hit 600 miles did oil change and adjusted valves..runs great street legal.there $1,499.delivered.lol.the nice thing is replace parts with Honda 250 same yr.i already put a Honda carb on it and the mods for it is awsome crazy.idk I'm just having fun with this cheap bike.😂😂😂😂
if you ask me, the front plastics are so wide to scoop up air for better air cooling
Line over the exhaust valve cap, no oil line but secondary air... emissions stuff.
Great video. Glad to see you're mixing it up.
Bravo, again your patience and knowledge paid off. Quick flip, or additional to the Ol' Joe World of Wheels
Firstly, great video secondly, I was today old when I discovered a spark plug tester, while realizing simultaneously all spark plugs in my immediate vicinity need testing immediately.... (proceeds to amazon)
Welding Torch Tip & Nozzle Cleaning Tools might help with the pilot
Nice!!! I was starting to get worried about my Sunday morning joe ☕️ with Joe!!! Let's gooooooooooooo!!!! 🏍️
Snap On Tool USA 208CP Battery bolt Pliers Side mount angle nose offset jaws red, a great plier to get those stuck philips head screws out, you would be amazed!
I’m guessing that’s a 230cc Honda xr type engine. Get the carb sorted and you are good to go! Nice work
I feel like Joe wants to hate it, but is actually liking it much more than he ever thought he would. They are cheap, but not the worst for how much you pay. I did get my 09 KX450 for $1800, and other than oil and tires, I have not had to do anything else other than ride it. Came with full FMF exhaust, so your point is valid that you can get a decent "proven" bike for the same price. Good video, would like to see an updated after you get the new tube and can really give it a full test ride.
what fell out of your pocket or off the bike at 42:07? thanks for the videos love how you break everything down.
try a heat gun on the broken side skirt to soften it and bend it in more? With heat they can be made to bend in and flatten them out...
on second thought the wide flares are air scoops to diect cooling air to the motor..Ugly but functional...!
Try using lapping compound on a Qtip to clean the needle seat.
I bought a hawk 250 for 300 bucks last summer. I had to put another 300 into it but it ran really good that whole season as an extra bike for buddies to ride. I sold it for 1200 because it’s street legal with a title.
Was thinking about getting my son the hawk dlx 250. It's a fuel injected dual sport. He's 19. Something to ride to work and play on.
@ They are street legal with titles
@@WrecklessRebuilds yep. You just have to make sure the bill of sale says "motorcycle" and not "dirt bike" or the dmv might give you a hassle.
@@ObiWanShinobi67 bought one last month. Very few miles so far because it's been miserably cold and rainy, but so far it's been perfect. Blue loctite EVERYTHING. Change the oil to a good wet clutch oil and adjust the valves before you run it and it'll run for years.
Those bikes are super reliable , carb is really the only issue on them, but if you run it dry before a long lay off then you never have any issues!
Great video. Wouldn't be bad for tooling around on the hunting property but, only if I could get it for the price you did. Lol.
I keep bread twister ties around just for cleaning carb jets. Once you get it through, put a couple kinks in it with your thumbnail. Work it back and forth. Works great.
Pretty cool. I recommend that you get Pri-G fuel rejuvenator. Stuff really works well on stale gas.
Wow, I missed the boat paying 3X more for my Honda, with no head light. And I have Amazon Prime, could of got free shipping I guess, live and learn!
If Vin won't sniff it, I'll cross it off my wish list! But it looks better than the Chinese Quad I bought my daughter a few years back. I wonder how well the the gearbox shifts?
one Thint I learned back in college in the 70s was use the right tool for the right job, jobs I have held through my mechanical career would fire you for using an adjustable wrench instead of an open end wrench. do you need a set ? I would get you some in support of your Chanel . let me know be safe and I watch you for hour in my retirement
I had a few similar bikes. They were GIO 250s, I got 3 for $1150 Canadian total. One was a 3/4 size frame with smaller wheels, one was a bit on the small side, with full sized wheels, and the other was a full sized bike. Two of them ran, the middle sized bike, I ALMOST got running, but gave up when I couldn't get the carb out (identical looking frame to the one you got. I suspect they probably all had the same base engine as your bike, but they were several years older. They are good bikes for what they are - cheap trail bikes for someone who isn't doing anything too serious - and a buddy bike you can loan out to someone who wants to ride with you, without worrying that they might ruin your much more expensive Japanese or European bike.
Careful of those wheels though - the 3/4 bike, my dad and I actually bought for my sister. She had lots of fun on it until on one ride, the front wheel dipped in a rut, got grabbed, and twisted the handlebars from her grip. The wheel bent, and flipped the bike on her. I still think the wheels on a Japanese bike would have held up, and cut loose from the rut. To put it in perspective, a replacement rim, complete with tube and rubber, before it was discontinued, was $107 Canadian - they are junk wheels.
Great work as per usual. Im sure u had a great chuckle off cam. Cheers
That line what was blocking you from checking the exhaust valve is a egr line not a oil line you can blank the egr and remove it not really needed
I've now watched a few of your videos and just have to ask, what happens to the bikes or what do you do with them after you've repaired them? I see a few (and other) of them standing/remaining in your garage/workshop
As much carb work as you do, and all the other tools you have, buy yourself a welding torch tip cleaner. It has a good selection of small wire tip cleaners that would be ideal for what you do.
A lot of times with the Chinese type bikes, you have to take the intake boot off with the carburetor to give you enough room to move it around. You can get it out the ether way cause obviously u did but it’s easier pulling and take boot off.
Did you go to a school to learn your trade or is this all from a life of being around engines? Love the channel and have a nephew very interested in the profession. Great channel Joe!
I bought one recently for 400 dollars all it needed was a carb clean but a little after riding it the rear sprocket destroyed the rear rim hub and had to replace the rear rim for it but other than that it’s been pretty good .
I'm so glad you did what they didn't want you to do, lol (taking apart the carb).
I feel like WD and a stiff, fine brush tip on the Dremel would do a better job cleaning out the jet seat. It may take just a little longer, but less futzing around with trying to get sandpaper down there, and less opportunity to wind up with grit down in there too.
Also, I've been seeing a lot of straight-up blown inner tubes in Chinese-made wheels, where they weren't being abused and the air pressure was what it was supposed to be. The inner tubes just give up and filet themselves when you're not looking. Then you go to buy a new tube, and everybody wants an arm and a leg for one. I think I spotted the scam here, right up there with printer ink! :D
i had a rfz 250 other than little things like brakes and stuff like that breaking i abused mine for a good 6 months even through winter and it would kick over pretty easy
I'd check the cylinder for the cc.
The 250 sticker on it means nothing.
Most of the Chinese bikes are mislabeled as far as engine capacity.
Also the first time I've seen someone use sandpaper to clean the float valve seat.
I wouldn't use anything more aggressive than an industrial Qtip (has a wood stick rather than cardboard) and carb clean.
Pilot jets I used a stran of speaker wire so as to not damage the jet. A sonic cleaner is a good shop tool.
My son bought two of these mail order cheap Chinese bikes. They both ran pretty crappily from the beginning. We just replaced the junk factory carbs with appropriately sized Mikuni carbs. Since the Chinese just clone Honda engines the Mikuni's fit right in and work great.
I agree, unless you want a brand new bike, just buy a used Japanese bike. I will say I liked the graphics and colors. The bike def looks a little different, that's for sure.
Something fell off the bike when you 1st took off
that's normal for these lmao
@@TrippyWheelz 😄
I think it was a gopro
i noticed that too was at like 42:07 you can see if fall off, it looked like a glove to me, and when he rode back he just went right past it, wondering if he noticed. @2vintage
It’s ok the piston will probably fall out pretty soon too, temu just doesn’t build bikes like they used to
There is a pretty big community around these bikes. There are aftermarket carburetors you can get for them that will wake them up a little. Not too expensive either.
Cutting torch tip cleaners are the bestbfor jets bro. Pick em up cheap at harbor freight
Joe I'd never trust the oil in the bikes you pick up. Who knows what they put in there. Probably not even dirtbike/atv oil. Buy buy clutch.
I'm sure the plastics flared out in the front is so it can pull in more air for cooling.
$2,000 is what I paid for my BRAND NEW 1981 Yamaha 650XS Special OUT THE DOOR - tax, license, Dealer-prep, EVERYTHING. My Buddy Tommy wanted the 4-cyclinder 650 Maxim (more than I was willing to spend at that time). He ended up around $2600 - I couldn't justify it then, can't now - sure - it was A LOT smoother, but "I" didn't feel the vibrations (rubber isolated handlebars, Driver's footpegs, etc. (my future wife, however, didn't have the same appreciation for that motorcycle as I had) - we TRIED to "take a weekend trip" on it - she abandoned me for my buddy's car at about the 1 hour mark. FREEDOM - HE had to take care of her "wants" the rest of the weekend.
Torch tip cleaners work great for cleaning out carburetors
I’m a firm believer in wanting everyone to experience dirt bikes and motorcycles. Whatever you can afford at the time. Go have a blast and these Chinese bikes will teach you how to work on bikes. Also a lot of American made and Japanese bike manufacturers use Chinese parts too so it may not be top notch but I’m sure most parts will be compatible. Just go ride. Have fun.
Thank you. I can only assume you bought this bike because you were curious. Great ecucational video for anyone who has one of these or something similar. I think you got it at a fair price as they aren't easily sold. It sounded okay but the true proof of the internal machine parts will only come with time and running hours. The real question will be can you get parts if something goes wrong or wears out. I'm sure that the carb is made inaccesible to dispute warranty issues if they occur. No doubt that in the foreseeable future upgrades and mods will become available for these bikes if they prove to be reliable.
The first thing most people do is replace that factory carb on those bikes
So they buy a clone carb to replace the clone carb??
What do you replace it with ? Mikuni? keihin? or another chinese junk carb?
@@Ajaxaxxess A real Mikuni would cost about what a new motor on ebay would.
Get a nibbi pe 30 u should be golden
@@dublindave5795 I know hence the question DS