i have been working on my cars and trucks since i was 16 and have learned a TON, but sometimes you need someone that has the experience to find those not so common or intermittent problems. their tools and experience alone make the labor rates worth it for some things. also, im glad to see you owning your mistakes and telling us what you did and what was wrong, believe it or not it may help someone down the road to diagnose problems with their own equipment
FYI 1.) Break in procedure makes a big difference on small engines. 2.) Take pictures to take the guesswork out of reassembly. 3.) Don’t wash engines while they are on, its a bad idea for many reasons.
Read of a guy who was washing a diesel tractor and sprayed water on the engine while running. The cold water seized the injection pump and broke the timing gears and cover. OUCH $$$$. Diesel engines should never be washed unless they are stone cold.
I am 14 years old and have been riding dirt bikes for 3 years now and every ride was me breaking stuff and fixing it. it started with carbouraters, then I did a cdi replacement and next thing I know, im rebuilding bikes all the way from xr100s to yz426f. I am so thankful for what god has given me and that he showed me how to use that gift of mechanical inclination. I used to think it was normal for kids my age to be working on dirt bikes, but then my dad started paying me to work on heavy equipment. and I get a kick out of it when people get weirded out when a 14 year old is rebuilding the hydraulic system on a directional boring machine. but in the end, it is you who inspired me to be where I am now man and I am so tankful for you and your channel. I hope to make a successful career out this one day. God bless
Sometimes I'm like, "This guy is cocky" and then you can be so honest and self reflecting, and to an extent self deprecating. Enjoying the videos. Oh, just saw the end. That's funny, I could totally see myself making that same mistake with the wheelie. I just realized it as I rewatched it, the geometry is all weird, it makes the tipover point really mild on those bikes I imagine.
"I pressure wash my bikes as they run so it steam cleans them" I felt millions of metalurgists, welders, and other hobbyist cry out in terror at this statement.
i have a apollo 125cc that i took to Mexico like 8 years ago and still running strong gets the looks and overthere its amazing since you can lane split get on sidewalks and pretty much put in everywhere climbs hills like nothing everybody wants me to sell it but no its my baby. hehehhe worth every single dime.
@@cs_katman theyre are pretty much the same but the one i have in Mexico its a 2009 model only few things change like plastics color, brakes, handlebars and shocks but same frame and engine.
“If your 16 and this is your first experience with a bike...” waiiiiit, wait wait wait, Get, A, Used, Honda. Lol Edit: For all that agree with me, please subscribe. I am trying to grow my channel! Thanks.
My first bike was a 14 year old honda cb125rs (A reg 1983) still had loads of life left in it. Actually still have it at Dads house (37 years old now) will get it back on the road when I have the time. Much better than a new Chinese Bike. Paid £300 with tax and mot.
They are all tight. Both of mine had zero clearance so when they got hot they went to negative clearance. My guess is during assembly they just run the adjuster all the way in and call it good.
@stephen ward heyy man in trying to fix the valves on my onw Chinese pitbike. On how much mm should my intake and exhaust be? It's a loncin 125cc with 4 gears
From someone who has spent over 10 years on chinese bikes and atvs: check the valvelash. They dont set them properly from factory and or they change over time, worst case scenario, the nut for the adjustment backs off, causing the valve to float and compression to go real low resulting in poor running/no start/hard to start 👍
@@CuttinChris all manufacturers have specs for each engine 👍 you just gotta dig 😁 but id say somewhere around ~.15mm for a 50-120 chinabike. But like i said, check the manufacturers specs 😊
You have a large audience, do a video on valve adjustment for the hawk and the pit bikes. They all need it guaranteed and they will run better. Should get decent views too. That is probably one of the most ignored maintenance items on any brand bike but these all come from the factory with next to zero clearance.
I've been watching all your Amazon bike vids. Very entertaining and tempting. Thanks for sharing the info on the warranty service and the fix for the starter. I'm sure that will help a lot of people. You may want to consider just pulling that small segment into a whole separate vid. There may be people searching for that specifically. Keep up the good work. I love your content
Honestly I've always been interested in dirt bikes and this quarantine made me love them so much more especially this RUclips channel it has great content
10:55 bright side of that is sure you may end up spending as much as a new brand name bike in the long run but you end up with a reasonably high quality bike built to your liking , it's a bike you can truly make your own whilst spreading the cost across a longer time without dealing with loans.
When you do compression test you have to be at full throttle. A lot of people that do that for first time don’t know that and get incorrect readings on gauge. Not sure if you did that or not. Can’t tell in video.
So just bought the apollo from a buddy. I've raced moto my entire life , own a new yz250f. Bought this for my girl to ride other than carb I'm going to add some oil to front forks for stiffness to balance the bike and set the sag the best I can on the shock. Seems to be ok if you maintenance it.
You're right most of that break in stuff is nonsense to an extent just don't flog them. Once run in however you should find both bikes will have more compression and oil usage will go down as the rings and bores bed in properly.
totally and completely wrong. i cant tell you never rebuilt an engine before. you have to slowly ramp up the rpm, 1/4 throttle for lets say 3-5 min, take it down to idle. some manufactures say to let the engine rest, some dont but it all basally the same. you slowly run the engine at higher rpms for some time then take it back down. then change the oil. you dont properly break in an engine, you lose performance and longevity.
During break in of any motor I just ride them the same as I always do and I've had no issues or loss of performance, alot of people believe in taking it easy for a while during break in but life is too short for that carry on
Code Name Noob bruh do you not understand how metals work/how oil and engines work you sound so ignorant go watch why you shouldn’t push a car when it’s almost new 0-8000 miles
For anyone who missed it I said don't flog them just normal operating conditions send it more once run in, keep checking the fluids especially oil. New engines do use more oil while bedding in. It's all simple shit 👍
Thats how you can tell he doesn't know what he's doing. First complaint on a Apollo is the carb. Thats a must. And a 22mm would be way to small for that 125
it hurts my biker soul that they even have the word "bikes" in the channel name... i think they should stick to combing their beards instead.. who eaven sends a one cyl crf50 copy to a mechanic to do a compression test?? a "mechanic" who took 4-5 hours to figure out how to adjust the clutch screw...
Bikes like these are a great starting point for people wanting to get into fixing/upgrading their own bikes. The first thing I would do is pull the motor and strip it down, replace the pistons and rings with better quality ones and possibly have the cylinders bored out and sleeved. Go big or go home, take on every performance upgrade you can afford and do as much of the work yourself as you can. Far too many people today have no idea how to look after their kit let alone repair it when it breaks. You can get even better upgrade prices if you buy a wrecked higher end bike and harvest the good parts from it, breaks, suspension, maybe even motor/trans. Most bikes are written of by insurance if they have even the slightest frame damage that could remotely compromise structural stability and handling. There are numerous bikes out there that could be fixed for next to nothing or at the very least stripped for parts and used as upgrade donors.
I subscribed after watching two of your videos on these Chinese bikes. I finished the video not feeling like I should hate on them or love them but still make my own decision. The honesty is great and that’s why Ill continue to stay tuned !
@@dantheman7931 might not crack it but it definitely can warp it. These bikes have head gaskets and they are air cooled. You drive it for a while and get it hot then go straight to the water without a cooldown you can warp the aluminum.
Love your review and perspective on these bikes. Most buyers are probably beginners and not mechanics--a legit motorcycle mechanic would never buy one of these for their kids. It's useful to know what you're getting into from the mechanical/reliability/durability perspective. So, you pretty much proved that you get what you pay for.
I have a Hawk 250 and an Orion 250. They are cold natured and you will lose bolts if you dont locktite them, but other than that, they are a great value. And yes, I do own some Japanese bikes, and they are better, but 4-6 times the price new.
Really cool of you guys to approach the mistakes made and really brings a good sense to your Chanel keep it up! This is better than TV right now , also let’s see more wheelies lol!
Sean is definitely good at some things. He's one of the few motorcycle endurance testers who knows how to change the engine oil while the engine is running. 😁
My family bought the 110 version of the Tao Tao 12/24/16. Before February 2016 the 4 th gear cracked. We had a friend a professional mechanic and he rebuilt a brand new engine. That engine has worked for 4 years and is still running. It broke after 4 yrs because I cracked the frame because I was on motocross tracks hitting jumps. 5 ft of air! Rip Tao Tao
As someone with experience working in e-commerce, the #1 rule is: Give your customer the run around, and hopefully they'll give up. #2: Find a way to blame the customer (What did the client do wrong?) to avoid paying out. #3: Make yourself unavailable and work as slowly as you can to discourage customers from pulling this type of thing in the future. E-commerce lessons brought to you by LeDAB Warehouse, Montreal and Puretane USA😉
I remember riding a pit bike when I was younger and crashed and broke the clutch so I could either 1:get a new cultch 2:get a rekluse system. And trust me don’t put a rekluse on a pit
The kick start problem reminds me of a Honda crf50 that I bought cheap. The kick start wouldn’t turn the engine over . The owner thought it needed a rebuild so he sold it cheap. I adjusted the clutch , it kicked over fine and I never looked back.
I luv my d17 Tao Tao, had it for 3 months so far. The only thing that sucks about them is the soft rear tire that the asphalt eats up so I bought a duel propose Kenda tire for 35$. Thanks for the video brah... I will definitely be putting a 22mm carb on her. And I am stoked to see that I found a Christian 🏍 channel
Less than 3 weeks ago I started following your channel and have subscribed so I'm late writing. Your a spokesman for your motivational thoughts on AT LEAST GETTING IN THE SPORT comments. II watched the episode where you got that paddle scooter and gave it to a 15 year old just to get him started. I got emotional ( more than the kid!). You've touched people with humor and obviously a lack of mechanical knowledge but we ALL cant be smart as our dads ( I am !). Hope all is good and I'll be waiting on new episodes to come my way.
The ending statements of this video ring true. I got the apollo for my son's first bike, he's 9 and he can almost touch the ground on it. Its been a great bike for him to learn on. After 5 tanks of fuel being ridden out of it, the only think we have worked on is adjusting the chain and putting in a throttle stop to give him a hand keeping it under control. An experienced rider wont have a lot of fun on those cheap bikes, but they are great to learn young on.
You should look at prices for replacement parts those "50 buck" pegs are actually like 8 bucks. New exhaust will put you back a good 25 bucks. Parts for these are dirt cheap. Cost almost nothing to rebuild one of these bikes.
And some of those upgrades won't have to be done the stock exaust on the Apollo is surprisingly unrestrictive and probably the best thing you're going to find for that bike and the pegs aren't too bad a "good" quality replacement might set you back 15 bucks
Finally!!! A review that actually has useful information. I have looked for a review from Dirtbike magazine on Chinese pit bikes and came up with nothing. They usually come from kids that just got their first one or dealers.
I had a neighbour that knew how to fix older motorcycles so when i was 10 i bought one and he helped me fix it i drove it alot until my mother got a step dad (my real dad broke up with her when i was 5) i was 11at that time i really wanted a pit bike cause in my country has really cheap used pit bikes so he bough me one for 160 bucks that we thougjt was real nice so we fixed it up n stuff showed me how to make a engine 0 to 100% and i started fixing it myself afterwards when it needed smth so i had interest in engines and stuff so i boheadgasket (Audi 80 b4 2.3 universal body) thats been sitting for aboutta 7yrs driven 5km every years so it needed a new headgasket and i didnt really have anything to get the engine outta the frame so i did it the russian way and rolled it on the side and got it put fixed the engine up got the engine back in worked like a charm and after all that i am now 14 and i kno how to fix any engine that i wanna fix
I just turned 16 a little while ago and 2 days after my birthday i was offered a job at my local small motor repairs for lawnmowers and dirtbikes/ATV ect
I am 15 and a 3rd gen farmer . By the time I was 10 I was running tractors and I am pretty dam good at it I have done a in frame rebilled on the engine in one of the tractor we have FYI it's a 253 acre farm and the ongoing saying it "it will be fine"
My daughter's old pitbike did the no compression thing with the clutch too,took me over a week to figure it out,and used to crap out with water crossings etc till I greased all electric connections,never let her down again n great wee bike to learn on
Levers are 10 bucks, pegs are like 30 and so is the carb, parts for these bikes are actually dirt cheap you just have to maintain them more because they're pit bikes
I've heard those engines are almost bulletproof, the Taos aren't tuned as good while the Apollo's are. It's always best to get these bikes at budget dealers as they take good care of them
Me and my brother grew up riding and from 7 years old to like 13 we went through a ton of new motorcycles and we never "broke them in" the way they said too, we tried in the first 10 minutes, but after that it was wide open out in the 400 acre cow pasture. It never made any difference for the rings to seat or whatever, or if it did we sure didn't notice it. But don't take our word for it, just because this is how we did it, doesn't mean you should do it that way too. You do whatever your parents tell you to do, especially while their outside (in the beginning) watching, that won't last to long before they get tired of watching and just go inside, especially with your second, third or 50th bike.
Chinabike guy here. I’ve been working on these bikes for years. You can make these cheap bikes run very, very well for riding in a large backyard, trails, etc. but as you noted, you gotta know what you’re doing. However, if you want a racer, you gotta dump the money into a Pitster Pro or a Thumpstar, which are also Chinese but just as good as Japanese bike quality. Tuning (1) carb not only changed but also tuned [i.e., jets, mixture screw]. (2) change to NGK plug, (3) adjusting valve lash is an absolute must. (4) if you wash it like you did, you’ll have to put dielectric grease in all of the connectors. They will run good, but not out of the crate with a simple assembly and oil change.
Good point with the sunk cost fallacy, but on the other hand if that's exactly what an owner want's a cheap-ish new bike to play and tinker on with upgrades and side-grades, or for someone to buy as a teaching aid, they might be a good deal, since new spares and upgrades are made and readily available and maybe cheaper than US/UK/German/Japanese bikes, spares and upgrades.
With dirt bikes we never break them in ...for the first hour maybe we aren’t hammering on them but We never followed a break in period ....never had any issues
Every Chinese pit bike I've seen get babied through a break-in cycle always ends up smoking or having compression issues 2-3months down the line the hard break in is the way to go
This is said to be true about any engine. As soon as the Cam Break in is complete (critical) it's best to straight up rape on it, seats the rings properly. If you wait too long and baby it, they get glazed over before they ever bite in. Also if you baby an engine for a "long" time then Rev it up it can make the pistons go higher in the travel and break rings due to wear on cylinder walls and a step at the top.
These bikes are built with such tight tolerances and the parts come from multiple manufacturers. Breaking in the engine insures that all of the metal filings that are over tolerances get flushed out properly as to avoid getting them stuck inside of your bearings and ruining your engine.
Rob Mirsky 1990 Harley 64000 miles upgraded carb cam and exhaust at break in. Dyno tuned at that time. I have a 1971 Sportster with 100,000 miles on one rebuild at 90k. Tires, oil, and a drive belt, since. I own 10 or more Hondas at any given moment. Great bikes but they have their turds. Just like Harley Davidson. Maintenance is the key.
My first bike was an ssr 125, and it was about the same thing as those. Then I just got a yz125, and my dad was saying the same stuff as Sean was about entry level riding, keep it up 👍👍👍
Just subscribed!! Love this channel!! I just got my first bike, Honda cbr 125 and already craving something faster. Thanks for all the helpful and fun content!! :D
They say to stay under 70% throttle for first 5 hours so you dont die.... first ride i full throttled it and the engine is working better than my friends bike with proper break in lol
...I pretty much grew up riding dirt bikes out in the woods, and I'm pretty comfortable on a Honda 125+ (I mostly ride a 200 that is built to run like a strong 250)... Last weekend I went riding with a friend that has a pit bike, and I got the chance to take his bike for a rip. Honestly, the smaller tires reminded me of riding a little kids' bike... like the Yamaha PW50 that I rode as a kid until I had to stand up on it to keep my toes from dragging on the ground. My buddy was able to keep up with me on his pit bike, and it was a lot of fun for both of us. I personally feel more comfortable on a full-sized dirtbike, but pit bikes also have a purpose and they can be a decent way to get into dirt bikes. I was honestly on bigger bikes when pit bikes became a thing, and that is why I didn't get into them. Pit bikes are easy to store, load, haul, unload and lift over obstacles on the trail... compared to full-sized dirtbikes.
I get what your saying here, pal. I though I didn't have enough money to buy a bike, so I just started restoring my dad's old moped. over time I slowly spent more money than my brother has spent on his 1979 honda dirtbike he bought from a guy locally.
If. I had the money I'd buy the cheapest and probably just stick with it as I'd be able to work on it I am a student mechanic / level 1 motorcycle EMT and car EMT
Ssr is making some pretty decent pitbikes now. They're also 2,500 new for the top model (160 tx) but they're better than the Japanese in my opinion, unless you compare them to the 2 stroke models that are twice as much. Those are solid
Thanks i was really wanting to buy a taotao. But upon further investigating, I came across yr vid. Thank you for yr time on making yr vid. And making my decision.
First thing you should do with the Chinese compression tester is to blow some compressed air in it. Once you know if they are accurate you can actually use it to calculate /estimate the actual bike compression.
Hey B&B, from what I have seen in my 24 years of riding is that in respect to upgrading/replacing stock crap, you do this on even your 10-20k brand new off the showroom floor street bikes. I have a ZX10R and for the most part from factory they are ok, but for the track not so much. So suspension and braking need upgraded. So yea even you more expensive bikes gotta be upgraded.
The first 2 minutes in which he explains how extremely hard it is to fix a single thing is the reason you should buy a bike from a certified dealer, never online.
You can cut and weld a piece into the Apollo clutch arm. The thing is, the longer the arm, the more critical clutch adjustment. That is why the adjustment on the TaoTao adjustment was off.
Hi Sean! Really like your videos! Great content and you are an amazing guy. Positive vibes! Never had the change to own or ride a bike but watching your videos bring a smile on my face! God bless you. Regards from Holland, Europe.
Dear Sir-Great videos! My 13 year old Chinese 2 stroke motorized bike motor crank shaft bearings have no races. They actually create their races during the break in period. This was stated in the owners manual and emphasized by the company that I bought the engine from. I rode it under 18 mph for about 500 miles to prevent catastrophic failure of the crank bearings and have logged over 1000 miles on the engine. Then again, I never drive "Pepe" over 18mph, and run quality 2 stroke oil at the break in ratio of 26:1-my .02-John in Texas
With dirt bikes engine health it’s all about the compression. Need to brake in a new motor and when doing the compression test make you have the correct plug adapter, kick several times with throttle open to get a reliable number.
I have 3 chinese bikes, 125cc kymco ck and an Atomik 125cc and finally another Atomik but a 50cc. I can't stress it enough that these chinese bikes aren't bad. All i've had is good experiences with these bikes and man are they fun, 50cc is fun, fast and very quiet, and both 125’s are really fast but are a little loud for where i live. But their awesome. Everyones experience with them are different, luckily mines been all positive. Edit: spelling errors (Also keep in mind all were bought second hand.)
im glad this is a long video like some of your older ones i was getting burned out watching all these for the second time n that includes all the srk cycle videos thanks for this
I had a z155 engine in my old pit bike fir over 3 years, awesome engine and plenty of power. In all that time I only did piston and valves 18 month in and regular oil changes 👊
We took these bikes offroad and torture tested them!
ruclips.net/video/1KPydNt8rU8/видео.html
plz can you gift me that green bike
Can you send me one of your bikes please its my bday next week an my parents cant afford me one an ive been wanting one
@@heshanelikewela0127 are they real or fake im scared to order one from alibaba
@@heshanelikewela0127 did you get 1 from alibaba
@@heshanelikewela0127 was it any good
I like the fact that you own your mistakes and don't edit out the blunders. I'm sure it draws some trolls, but the majority of us appreciate it.
Well if we edited out the blunders the videos would only be 3 seconds long. Lol 😂
No one really trolls Shaun, they make you shake your head at times but they are pretty good guys.
J Hood he should do a pit bike torture test on a thumpstar dirty b
Trustworthy, unbiased reviews of all bikes. Much appreciated and love the viewing.
@@BikesandBeards "Well if we edited out the blunders the videos would only be 3 seconds long." hahaha props dude
Man I've never even ridden a dirt bike and quarantine has got me watching some good new content
Cameron Archer lol me too
Me 3
Ong I'ma buy one in a couple of days the ttr125 le
thought it was just me
Right I have one and it’s a lot of fun you guy have to get one
i have been working on my cars and trucks since i was 16 and have learned a TON, but sometimes you need someone that has the experience to find those not so common or intermittent problems. their tools and experience alone make the labor rates worth it for some things. also, im glad to see you owning your mistakes and telling us what you did and what was wrong, believe it or not it may help someone down the road to diagnose problems with their own equipment
FYI 1.) Break in procedure makes a big difference on small engines.
2.) Take pictures to take the guesswork out of reassembly.
3.) Don’t wash engines while they are on, its a bad idea for many reasons.
Read of a guy who was washing a diesel tractor and sprayed water on the engine while running. The cold water seized the injection pump and broke the timing gears and cover. OUCH $$$$. Diesel engines should never be washed unless they are stone cold.
Recently tried the Moto man break in procedure
I've always babied then like the manual says.
Moto man is how I will break in all my new bike
Breakin does nothing . Never broken a motor in and never have had a problem
@@gmcman355crazy This is only true on high quality Japanese bikes, these Chinese bikes definitely need it. I've owned 2 myself, coolster and X-pro
How do you not have a compression tester, and there is 100 bike's in the background, damn
I am 14 years old and have been riding dirt bikes for 3 years now and every ride was me breaking stuff and fixing it. it started with carbouraters, then I did a cdi replacement and next thing I know, im rebuilding bikes all the way from xr100s to yz426f. I am so thankful for what god has given me and that he showed me how to use that gift of mechanical inclination. I used to think it was normal for kids my age to be working on dirt bikes, but then my dad started paying me to work on heavy equipment. and I get a kick out of it when people get weirded out when a 14 year old is rebuilding the hydraulic system on a directional boring machine. but in the end, it is you who inspired me to be where I am now man and I am so tankful for you and your channel. I hope to make a successful career out this one day. God bless
Sometimes I'm like, "This guy is cocky" and then you can be so honest and self reflecting, and to an extent self deprecating. Enjoying the videos. Oh, just saw the end. That's funny, I could totally see myself making that same mistake with the wheelie. I just realized it as I rewatched it, the geometry is all weird, it makes the tipover point really mild on those bikes I imagine.
"I pressure wash my bikes as they run so it steam cleans them"
I felt millions of metalurgists, welders, and other hobbyist cry out in terror at this statement.
Caleb Schmucker crack you’re case lmao
When he said that I literally said “bro” lol
It's no different to riding in the rain
@@louisgordon4388 not quite. volume of water matters.
rain cools for sure, but not nearly as much as a high pressure hose
Why do I feel this guy has more dollars then sense?
When you tested the suspension I think you can adjust the rebound on the rear shock.
I tried doing something like that to my china bike. The screw broke..just leave it alone 😅
This is why I watch this channel. The honesty and integrity of Sean and the team. And great content 👍🏽👍🏽
i have a apollo 125cc that i took to Mexico like 8 years ago and still running strong gets the looks and overthere its amazing since you can lane split get on sidewalks and pretty much put in everywhere climbs hills like nothing everybody wants me to sell it but no its my baby. hehehhe worth every single dime.
Did you get it on amazon or a different website?
@@cs_katman theyre are pretty much the same but the one i have in Mexico its a 2009 model only few things change like plastics color, brakes, handlebars and shocks but same frame and engine.
I have a 2001 Honda xr70r and the only thing I’ve had to do is clean the carb and put a new sprocket on it. That bike is a beast
Random Guy yeah honda makes bulletproof engines 👌
@@yoshuaposhua25 i wouldnt ever call these sort of bikes beasts lol.
“If your 16 and this is your first experience with a bike...” waiiiiit, wait wait wait, Get, A, Used, Honda. Lol
Edit: For all that agree with me, please subscribe. I am trying to grow my channel! Thanks.
My first bike was a 14 year old honda cb125rs (A reg 1983) still had loads of life left in it. Actually still have it at Dads house (37 years old now) will get it back on the road when I have the time. Much better than a new Chinese Bike. Paid £300 with tax and mot.
you cant beat a honda, i have a 1990 honda 300 fourtrax and it still runs great not any motor trouble at all.
I am 13 and have an 02 Honda Xr100 and a 04 300ex, you can’t beat a honda
I had a 2000 honda xr100R and it ran great for a while but died in a few months. Just got a kawasaki kx 250 today. It rips. The top speed is mid 90s
I would never buy one of these i can buy a used honda xr80 for $400 in fact i have a 81 honda atc 185 that will fire right up had it for 25yrs
Do the valves on the bikes... I worked in a dealership on those Chinese engined bikes and no 2 bikes had the same valve clearances...
They are all tight. Both of mine had zero clearance so when they got hot they went to negative clearance. My guess is during assembly they just run the adjuster all the way in and call it good.
So i have a question, i have a 125cc loncin, would it help if i put a bigger carb on t, just for more power or torque?
Sven Groot roessink yes do it
@stephen ward heyy man in trying to fix the valves on my onw Chinese pitbike. On how much mm should my intake and exhaust be?
It's a loncin 125cc with 4 gears
@@hannovandebunt1601 well I can tell you it's probably close to 7 thousandths of an inch (convert that to metric)
From someone who has spent over 10 years on chinese bikes and atvs: check the valvelash. They dont set them properly from factory and or they change over time, worst case scenario, the nut for the adjustment backs off, causing the valve to float and compression to go real low resulting in poor running/no start/hard to start 👍
Good tips any advice on what clearance to set them to?
@@CuttinChris all manufacturers have specs for each engine 👍 you just gotta dig 😁 but id say somewhere around ~.15mm for a 50-120 chinabike. But like i said, check the manufacturers specs 😊
That catwalk wipe out was the best thing I've seen all week.. Thanks for the laugh ..
Michael Yarmie ; I’m betting his left knee got injured a bit there.
@@Ethan.s.. haha ya it did in his latest video he was crying about it and wearing a knee pad.
You have a large audience, do a video on valve adjustment for the hawk and the pit bikes. They all need it guaranteed and they will run better. Should get decent views too. That is probably one of the most ignored maintenance items on any brand bike but these all come from the factory with next to zero clearance.
Yeah we don need to do that on some of our bikes
Told you it was the clutch it happened to my friends lifan as well it was disengaging the kickstart from the engine LOL
Hannu Luffingham i remember mine did that too, i was gonna day something but i just don’t care
This. That's the only thing i remember from the old video and he said he read the comments but obviously he didn't read them. Good call!
@@KenpachiZarakiX oh well if he wants to spend loads of money getting a dealer to fix it then its his choice
Yea it’s literally a clutch adjustment issue I just fixed one the other day
I've been watching all your Amazon bike vids. Very entertaining and tempting. Thanks for sharing the info on the warranty service and the fix for the starter. I'm sure that will help a lot of people. You may want to consider just pulling that small segment into a whole separate vid. There may be people searching for that specifically. Keep up the good work. I love your content
Thanks for the idea I just might do that
Seem like a great way to learn on how to fix or modify with out being to hard on the wallet
Exactly ! Great point and positive perspective
It's not hard on your wallet if you do the research!!!
Honestly I've always been interested in dirt bikes and this quarantine made me love them so much more especially this RUclips channel it has great content
I would definitely recommend the pittser pro, I just recently got a new one and is extremely good. Definitely worth the money and loads of fun.
wwhat model you have? The one for 3,5K or the cheaper version?
10:55 bright side of that is sure you may end up spending as much as a new brand name bike in the long run but you end up with a reasonably high quality bike built to your liking , it's a bike you can truly make your own whilst spreading the cost across a longer time without dealing with loans.
When you do compression test you have to be at full throttle. A lot of people that do that for first time don’t know that and get incorrect readings on gauge. Not sure if you did that or not. Can’t tell in video.
Or remove the carb altogether
J you need to have throttle completely open. Thats what i mean. Not running. How would it run the compression tester goes in spark plug hole.
Do you know what you are talking about?
So just bought the apollo from a buddy. I've raced moto my entire life , own a new yz250f. Bought this for my girl to ride other than carb I'm going to add some oil to front forks for stiffness to balance the bike and set the sag the best I can on the shock. Seems to be ok if you maintenance it.
You're right most of that break in stuff is nonsense to an extent just don't flog them. Once run in however you should find both bikes will have more compression and oil usage will go down as the rings and bores bed in properly.
totally and completely wrong. i cant tell you never rebuilt an engine before. you have to slowly ramp up the rpm, 1/4 throttle for lets say 3-5 min, take it down to idle. some manufactures say to let the engine rest, some dont but it all basally the same. you slowly run the engine at higher rpms for some time then take it back down. then change the oil. you dont properly break in an engine, you lose performance and longevity.
During break in of any motor I just ride them the same as I always do and I've had no issues or loss of performance, alot of people believe in taking it easy for a while during break in but life is too short for that carry on
Code Name Noob bruh do you not understand how metals work/how oil and engines work you sound so ignorant go watch why you shouldn’t push a car when it’s almost new 0-8000 miles
abhvgas You realise most decent manufacturers dyno test their bikes before shipping them out right?
For anyone who missed it I said don't flog them just normal operating conditions send it more once run in, keep checking the fluids especially oil. New engines do use more oil while bedding in.
It's all simple shit 👍
Wait, dude has two dozen motorcycles and doesn’t have a compression tester? Wut?
Thats how you can tell he doesn't know what he's doing. First complaint on a Apollo is the carb. Thats a must. And a 22mm would be way to small for that 125
it hurts my biker soul that they even have the word "bikes" in the channel name... i think they should stick to combing their beards instead.. who eaven sends a one cyl crf50 copy to a mechanic to do a compression test?? a "mechanic" who took 4-5 hours to figure out how to adjust the clutch screw...
@@jonathanrall5091 I think he meant he got the vm22 (26mm carb) 🤷♂️ maybe?
bassmaker I have a 26mm it is great
None of their bikes have kickstarts. All e starts. This isn’t rlly a dirtbike channel, more of a street bike channel
Bikes like these are a great starting point for people wanting to get into fixing/upgrading their own bikes. The first thing I would do is pull the motor and strip it down, replace the pistons and rings with better quality ones and possibly have the cylinders bored out and sleeved. Go big or go home, take on every performance upgrade you can afford and do as much of the work yourself as you can. Far too many people today have no idea how to look after their kit let alone repair it when it breaks. You can get even better upgrade prices if you buy a wrecked higher end bike and harvest the good parts from it, breaks, suspension, maybe even motor/trans. Most bikes are written of by insurance if they have even the slightest frame damage that could remotely compromise structural stability and handling. There are numerous bikes out there that could be fixed for next to nothing or at the very least stripped for parts and used as upgrade donors.
I subscribed after watching two of your videos on these Chinese bikes. I finished the video not feeling like I should hate on them or love them but still make my own decision. The honesty is great and that’s why Ill continue to stay tuned !
That’s exactly what I was going for, just adding some more info to peoples tool box
FYI- he said he cleans his bikes while running that’s how to crack a crank case 101!!
Myth
@@dantheman7931 might not crack it but it definitely can warp it. These bikes have head gaskets and they are air cooled. You drive it for a while and get it hot then go straight to the water without a cooldown you can warp the aluminum.
@@kurthurts8313 I’ll be sure to never drive my dirt bike through a puddle again since Kurt doesn’t think it’s a good idea
He also cuts his boot with a running chain saw. That's a good way to cut your leg off 😂
@@dantheman7931 do what you want with your clapped out bike you couldn't get 500 for resale. Be sure to let people know that's how you treat your bike
You are FAR from an idiot. Not everyone can do what you do.
I think your awesome! Thanks for the smiles I get from all your videos!
“You’re an idiot, Yeah that’s true” aha
Thanks for the support
Bikes and Beards thank you for the awesome content!
I bought my two kids some taotaos to learn how to ride. I expected them to last a couple of months, going on a year and they’re still rippin em!
Jordan Freak You don’t get it do you
Yupp I bought a tao tao and it’s still ripping!
Love your review and perspective on these bikes. Most buyers are probably beginners and not mechanics--a legit motorcycle mechanic would never buy one of these for their kids. It's useful to know what you're getting into from the mechanical/reliability/durability perspective. So, you pretty much proved that you get what you pay for.
I have a Hawk 250 and an Orion 250. They are cold natured and you will lose bolts if you dont locktite them, but other than that, they are a great value. And yes, I do own some Japanese bikes, and they are better, but 4-6 times the price new.
Really cool of you guys to approach the mistakes made and really brings a good sense to your Chanel keep it up! This is better than TV right now , also let’s see more wheelies lol!
Sean is definitely good at some things. He's one of the few motorcycle endurance testers who knows how to change the engine oil while the engine is running. 😁
My family bought the 110 version of the Tao Tao 12/24/16. Before February 2016 the 4 th gear cracked. We had a friend a professional mechanic and he rebuilt a brand new engine. That engine has worked for 4 years and is still running. It broke after 4 yrs because I cracked the frame because I was on motocross tracks hitting jumps. 5 ft of air! Rip Tao Tao
if you wanna see some enduro videos with these apollo bikes that's all I video!
That wipe out at the end was awesome!
I dont know how i just found this channel i love this spent the last 2 hours watching the vids man
I can't wait to get off work and watch this! Been looking to buy a cheap one for my boy to tear up
As someone with experience working in e-commerce, the #1 rule is: Give your customer the run around, and hopefully they'll give up. #2: Find a way to blame the customer (What did the client do wrong?) to avoid paying out. #3: Make yourself unavailable and work as slowly as you can to discourage customers from pulling this type of thing in the future. E-commerce lessons brought to you by LeDAB Warehouse, Montreal and Puretane USA😉
Man, any one of them looks like a blast!
Mark Hicinbothem to ride in the street 🤣🤣
MoChaser I'd never ride in the street.. *wink wink*
Mark Hicinbothem I’m in nyc it’s fun when I cop chase you 😂😂
I remember riding a pit bike when I was younger and crashed and broke the clutch so I could either 1:get a new cultch 2:get a rekluse system. And trust me don’t put a rekluse on a pit
The kick start problem reminds me of a Honda crf50 that I bought cheap. The kick start wouldn’t turn the engine over . The owner thought it needed a rebuild so he sold it cheap. I adjusted the clutch , it kicked over fine and I never looked back.
Sean Show his good and bad, "Suck to be me" I been watching off and on today i sub.
Thanks for vids
I luv my d17 Tao Tao, had it for 3 months so far. The only thing that sucks about them is the soft rear tire that the asphalt eats up so I bought a duel propose Kenda tire for 35$. Thanks for the video brah... I will definitely be putting a 22mm carb on her.
And I am stoked to see that I found a Christian 🏍 channel
Update... I put a 26 mm mikuni carburetor and bought a 14 tooth & a 16 tooth front gear.
Why do I feel like Sean is a mix between the hacksmith and Lew from unbox therapy
Less than 3 weeks ago I started following your channel and have subscribed so I'm late writing. Your a spokesman for your motivational thoughts on AT LEAST GETTING IN THE SPORT comments. II watched the episode where you got that paddle scooter and gave it to a 15 year old just to get him started. I got emotional ( more than the kid!). You've touched people with humor and obviously a lack of mechanical knowledge but we ALL cant be smart as our dads ( I am !). Hope all is good and I'll be waiting on new episodes to come my way.
Every kid who wants to become a mechanic should buy a Chinese bike just for the learning curve 😂
True lol
And for the price
Even just to teach you to re check that every bolt is tight lol
Started from pocket bikes and now a diesel and small engine mechanic so this statement is so true in so many aspects....
Yep cut my teeth on an old 110cc pitbike. Thing broke down all the time 😂. Qualified mechanic now tho with 6 years done ✅
The ending statements of this video ring true. I got the apollo for my son's first bike, he's 9 and he can almost touch the ground on it. Its been a great bike for him to learn on. After 5 tanks of fuel being ridden out of it, the only think we have worked on is adjusting the chain and putting in a throttle stop to give him a hand keeping it under control. An experienced rider wont have a lot of fun on those cheap bikes, but they are great to learn young on.
You should look at prices for replacement parts those "50 buck" pegs are actually like 8 bucks. New exhaust will put you back a good 25 bucks. Parts for these are dirt cheap. Cost almost nothing to rebuild one of these bikes.
Well you'll be replacing questionable quality for truly unknown quality.
He might've meant brand name parts but I doubt it
Wish is a good place to get pegs
And some of those upgrades won't have to be done the stock exaust on the Apollo is surprisingly unrestrictive and probably the best thing you're going to find for that bike and the pegs aren't too bad a "good" quality replacement might set you back 15 bucks
Finally!!! A review that actually has useful information. I have looked for a review from Dirtbike magazine on Chinese pit bikes and came up with nothing. They usually come from kids that just got their first one or dealers.
I don't know what the 16 year olds are like in the US but when I was 16 I was able to fix absolutely anything on my bike and lots of other bikes.
I had a neighbour that knew how to fix older motorcycles so when i was 10 i bought one and he helped me fix it i drove it alot until my mother got a step dad (my real dad broke up with her when i was 5) i was 11at that time i really wanted a pit bike cause in my country has really cheap used pit bikes so he bough me one for 160 bucks that we thougjt was real nice so we fixed it up n stuff showed me how to make a engine 0 to 100% and i started fixing it myself afterwards when it needed smth so i had interest in engines and stuff so i boheadgasket (Audi 80 b4 2.3 universal body) thats been sitting for aboutta 7yrs driven 5km every years so it needed a new headgasket and i didnt really have anything to get the engine outta the frame so i did it the russian way and rolled it on the side and got it put fixed the engine up got the engine back in worked like a charm and after all that i am now 14 and i kno how to fix any engine that i wanna fix
I just turned 16 a little while ago and 2 days after my birthday i was offered a job at my local small motor repairs for lawnmowers and dirtbikes/ATV ect
When I was a kid, I was on the swings and swung all the way around.
I am 15 and a 3rd gen farmer . By the time I was 10 I was running tractors and I am pretty dam good at it I have done a in frame rebilled on the engine in one of the tractor we have FYI it's a 253 acre farm and the ongoing saying it "it will be fine"
When I was 16 I beat goro in mortal combat
My daughter's old pitbike did the no compression thing with the clutch too,took me over a week to figure it out,and used to crap out with water crossings etc till I greased all electric connections,never let her down again n great wee bike to learn on
Levers are 10 bucks, pegs are like 30 and so is the carb, parts for these bikes are actually dirt cheap you just have to maintain them more because they're pit bikes
But thr engine lasted 30mins
I've heard those engines are almost bulletproof, the Taos aren't tuned as good while the Apollo's are. It's always best to get these bikes at budget dealers as they take good care of them
Me and my brother grew up riding and from 7 years old to like 13 we went through a ton of new motorcycles and we never "broke them in" the way they said too, we tried in the first 10 minutes, but after that it was wide open out in the 400 acre cow pasture. It never made any difference for the rings to seat or whatever, or if it did we sure didn't notice it. But don't take our word for it, just because this is how we did it, doesn't mean you should do it that way too. You do whatever your parents tell you to do, especially while their outside (in the beginning) watching, that won't last to long before they get tired of watching and just go inside, especially with your second, third or 50th bike.
I find it hillarious that he thought they would last.
Chinabike guy here. I’ve been working on these bikes for years. You can make these cheap bikes run very, very well for riding in a large backyard, trails, etc. but as you noted, you gotta know what you’re doing. However, if you want a racer, you gotta dump the money into a Pitster Pro or a Thumpstar, which are also Chinese but just as good as Japanese bike quality.
Tuning (1) carb not only changed but also tuned [i.e., jets, mixture screw]. (2) change to NGK plug, (3) adjusting valve lash is an absolute must. (4) if you wash it like you did, you’ll have to put dielectric grease in all of the connectors.
They will run good, but not out of the crate with a simple assembly and oil change.
When you do a compression test you hold the throttle wide open!! And a great carb to run is a Mikuni vm22
14ev0x you can just crank it over a few times.
KoKo Beatz I wasn’t asking I was telling! The proper way to do a compression test is the hold the throttle wide open
Good point with the sunk cost fallacy, but on the other hand if that's exactly what an owner want's a cheap-ish new bike to play and tinker on with upgrades and side-grades, or for someone to buy as a teaching aid, they might be a good deal, since new spares and upgrades are made and readily available and maybe cheaper than US/UK/German/Japanese bikes, spares and upgrades.
i thought to myself "why would you put a 22 carb on a 125?" and then i remember the 24's being on predator 212cc engines
I love the fact you tell your mistakes etc you probably will help lots of first time buyers great video I enjoyed it.
With dirt bikes we never break them in ...for the first hour maybe we aren’t hammering on them but We never followed a break in period ....never had any issues
exactly
Some people spend more time breakin an engine in than rippin it because once is "good" it's already tired Hahaha
Every Chinese pit bike I've seen get babied through a break-in cycle always ends up smoking or having compression issues 2-3months down the line the hard break in is the way to go
This is said to be true about any engine. As soon as the Cam Break in is complete (critical) it's best to straight up rape on it, seats the rings properly. If you wait too long and baby it, they get glazed over before they ever bite in.
Also if you baby an engine for a "long" time then Rev it up it can make the pistons go higher in the travel and break rings due to wear on cylinder walls and a step at the top.
These bikes are built with such tight tolerances and the parts come from multiple manufacturers. Breaking in the engine insures that all of the metal filings that are over tolerances get flushed out properly as to avoid getting them stuck inside of your bearings and ruining your engine.
So... still more reliable than a Harley.
lol seems that way!
Rob Mirsky 1990 Harley 64000 miles upgraded carb cam and exhaust at break in. Dyno tuned at that time. I have a 1971 Sportster with 100,000 miles on one rebuild at 90k. Tires, oil, and a drive belt, since. I own 10 or more Hondas at any given moment. Great bikes but they have their turds. Just like Harley Davidson. Maintenance is the key.
@@dwartfarquart9590 I'm pretty sure just like every bike maintenance is key
My first bike was an ssr 125, and it was about the same thing as those. Then I just got a yz125, and my dad was saying the same stuff as Sean was about entry level riding, keep it up 👍👍👍
I want to do the same thing as you planned to go to school in the fall
Just subscribed!! Love this channel!! I just got my first bike, Honda cbr 125 and already craving something faster. Thanks for all the helpful and fun content!! :D
They say to stay under 70% throttle for first 5 hours so you dont die.... first ride i full throttled it and the engine is working better than my friends bike with proper break in lol
Look it up, thrashing a brand new set of rings is a valid break in method plenty of articles on it too
These bikes will be half worn out by 5 hours.
HARD break in is actually the only right way to break in a new motor.
...I pretty much grew up riding dirt bikes out in the woods, and I'm pretty comfortable on a Honda 125+ (I mostly ride a 200 that is built to run like a strong 250)... Last weekend I went riding with a friend that has a pit bike, and I got the chance to take his bike for a rip. Honestly, the smaller tires reminded me of riding a little kids' bike... like the Yamaha PW50 that I rode as a kid until I had to stand up on it to keep my toes from dragging on the ground. My buddy was able to keep up with me on his pit bike, and it was a lot of fun for both of us. I personally feel more comfortable on a full-sized dirtbike, but pit bikes also have a purpose and they can be a decent way to get into dirt bikes. I was honestly on bigger bikes when pit bikes became a thing, and that is why I didn't get into them. Pit bikes are easy to store, load, haul, unload and lift over obstacles on the trail... compared to full-sized dirtbikes.
I get what your saying here, pal. I though I didn't have enough money to buy a bike, so I just started restoring my dad's old moped. over time I slowly spent more money than my brother has spent on his 1979 honda dirtbike he bought from a guy locally.
You should buy the most expensive and most cheap bikes for wish
I was originally tempted to buy one of those two dirt bikes on Amazon for a first bike, but now you've got me hunting down a used Honda CRF!
Crf150 not a bad move
I’d buy an American made bike from SRK Cycles!
Awesome start for anyone just starting to get into riding two wheels or any kind of bike. Great video!
All respect gone after you said you didn’t have a compression tester
Right - how could you not have a comp tester?.....so basic
"Classic, I just got a motorcycle fashion"...... haha Thats what my wheelies look like all the time..
I hope not lol you must be in pain all the time
@@BikesandBeards Not all the time....only when I try....haha
I can totally relate...
If. I had the money I'd buy the cheapest and probably just stick with it as I'd be able to work on it I am a student mechanic / level 1 motorcycle EMT and car EMT
Use your stimulus check money to buy one.
Why not buy an old honda with the same style engine, ct90, ct70, st90, etc they are cheap as, street legal and a blast.
Buy any older bike and you'll learn how to fix stuff pretty fast, it pays to know what to look out for
Steal one
Been their done tht pocket bike life,but imo get a Japanese bike if u want to ride buy a Chinese bike if you want to repair it all day
Ssr is making some pretty decent pitbikes now. They're also 2,500 new for the top model (160 tx) but they're better than the Japanese in my opinion, unless you compare them to the 2 stroke models that are twice as much. Those are solid
This is why I only buy Japanese motorcycles.
Thanks i was really wanting to buy a taotao. But upon further investigating, I came across yr vid. Thank you for yr time on making yr vid. And making my decision.
$950, I could get a decent 85 motocross bike for that price
First thing you should do with the Chinese compression tester is to blow some compressed air in it.
Once you know if they are accurate you can actually use it to calculate /estimate the actual bike compression.
You sell motorcycles for a living yet you don't even own a compression gauge? Nobody should ever purchase a motorcycle from you.
Hey B&B, from what I have seen in my 24 years of riding is that in respect to upgrading/replacing stock crap, you do this on even your 10-20k brand new off the showroom floor street bikes. I have a ZX10R and for the most part from factory they are ok, but for the track not so much. So suspension and braking need upgraded. So yea even you more expensive bikes gotta be upgraded.
The ATV I use on my farm is a 250cc Honda from 1986. Far lasting other people's much newer cheap Chinese quads.
The first 2 minutes in which he explains how extremely hard it is to fix a single thing is the reason you should buy a bike from a certified dealer, never online.
had a 50cc pitbike as a kid, nowadays i ride every kinds of motorcycles, totally worth it.
Can't be Trolled, if you first Troll yourself! Love It!
I had 2 Zongshen 250cc when I was young and broke. Never had any problem with engines and transmissions, but everything else was always broking.
You can cut and weld a piece into the Apollo clutch arm. The thing is, the longer the arm, the more critical clutch adjustment. That is why the adjustment on the TaoTao adjustment was off.
CAN YOU GUYS PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO OF YOU GUYS BUYING POCKET BIKES AND TEST RIDING THEM😂don’t mind the caps lock but that would be the funniest video
Or a bad idea
Hi Sean! Really like your videos! Great content and you are an amazing guy. Positive vibes! Never had the change to own or ride a bike but watching your videos bring a smile on my face! God bless you. Regards from Holland, Europe.
Sean is basically living my Dream right now. I really need to set up shop and start doing all these experiments!!
Go for it
Dear Sir-Great videos! My 13 year old Chinese 2 stroke motorized bike motor crank shaft bearings have no races. They actually create their races during the break in period. This was stated in the owners manual and emphasized by the company that I bought the engine from. I rode it under 18 mph for about 500 miles to prevent catastrophic failure of the crank bearings and have logged over 1000 miles on the engine. Then again, I never drive "Pepe" over 18mph, and run quality 2 stroke oil at the break in ratio of 26:1-my .02-John in Texas
This is as real as it gets love the content bro I’m subscribing
With dirt bikes engine health it’s all about the compression. Need to brake in a new motor and when doing the compression test make you have the correct plug adapter, kick several times with throttle open to get a reliable number.
I have 3 chinese bikes, 125cc kymco ck and an Atomik 125cc and finally another Atomik but a 50cc. I can't stress it enough that these chinese bikes aren't bad. All i've had is good experiences with these bikes and man are they fun, 50cc is fun, fast and very quiet, and both 125’s are really fast but are a little loud for where i live. But their awesome. Everyones experience with them are different, luckily mines been all positive.
Edit: spelling errors
(Also keep in mind all were bought second hand.)
I love your channel I just started riding and I got lot of good information on motorcycles just by watching your show.
im glad this is a long video like some of your older ones i was getting burned out watching all these for the second time n that includes all the srk cycle videos thanks for this
Haha your welcome
You should do 2 videos one on pocket bikes and another on E mopeheads that would be a lot of fun 😀
I had a z155 engine in my old pit bike fir over 3 years, awesome engine and plenty of power. In all that time I only did piston and valves 18 month in and regular oil changes 👊