WarnerSteel said:
I can't speak on value, but for reliability, the black Lifan 125cc semi-auto is hard to beat. I've lost track of how many builds I've done using this motor. Just finished 4 CT70's last week with Lifan 125's. I have never had a problem with any of the 25+ motors I've used.
My daily rider is a Honda S65 with the black Lifan. I have thousands of miles on that motor and have only changed the oil. And I don't baby it. I regularly go on 100+ mile rides and run WOT at 65+ mph. It still purrs like a kitten.
The My Trail 90 Crew rode 2 Honda Trail 90's from Oregon to Florida last summer, over 11,000 miles. Each bike had a Lifan motor. The first motors only lasted - miles because they used the stock gearing of the bikes and the sustained high RPM's finally took their toll. When the swapped in new Lifan's, I suggested changing the gearing and the finished the last - miles with no trouble. To my knowledge, they are still running those motors.
I can't speak for all Lifan's, but I'll take the black 125cc semi-auto over a Honda motor any day.
Mike Warner
Click to expand...
No disrespect but, you lost me with that last line. That speaks directly on a subject with which I am uniquely qualified, firsthand...high-mileage road usage.
True enough, being under-geared increases the wear index but nowhere near enough to double engine life, from a simple gearing change. There are other factors involved including setup/tuning and build quality. You might be shocked to know how many different motors have been marketed under the L110/125 moniker, right down to the prefix of the SNs. Some are legit, others have been cobbled-together from odd-lot & Q/C reject parts, at various times over the past decade+. The real turds dominated the market just about the time that this board was established. Those should be mostly all out of the system by now.
That said, I've ridden bikes powered by just about one of everything and have been through a lot of motors over the years. The biggest visible differences are all inside the cases and there are too many to list, without an overly-long post. The tolerances, design changes (from the OEM parts upon which these are based) and metallurgy are all marginal. The best-built of all the Chinese motors was the late, lamented, Zongshen 108; it retailed for $1K...circa . Then the "race-to-the-bottom" began a couple of years later, mostly on fleebay. Fact is, there's no magic. An engine that retails for less than $300 wholesales for about $50. Just how do think that is accomplished? Hint...you won't find NTN bearings inside. Chinese manufacturers have to make a living, same as anyone else. Something has to be sacrificed to cut costs.
My intent is not to call anyone out. This is simply a reality check. I get it, you like the L125 (which is just an L110 with an overbore); that engine has been around the longest of any low-buck Chinese motor. It has one thing that none of its peers have, a record of field service. This engine has its place in the market. It's an inexpensive way to get roadable horsepower. You're making money modifying bikes with these and feel that they are treating you well...understood. Business is business; this is still the US of A. That said, what's contained in that last post is like comparing tools from Harbor Freight with SnapOn...and claiming the HF items to be of superior quality. Anyone who could deliver the top quality engine in a category, at a small fraction of the cost, would absolutely dominate the market...and put everyone else out of business. Unless the world changed overnight, that hasn't happened. Strictly on facts, 65mph sustained cruising capability and superior quality over a comparable Honda lump is over-the-top. Everyone is entitled to his, or her, opinion but they are not always the same as facts. I can elaborate, in detail, if anyone wishes. This post is already longer than I'd like it to be.
No disrespect but, you lost me with that last line. That speaks directly on a subject with which I am uniquely qualified, firsthand...high-mileage road usage.True enough, being under-geared increases the wear index but nowhere near enough to double engine life, from a simple gearing change. There are other factors involved including setup/tuning and build quality. You might be shocked to know how many different motors have been marketed under the L110/125 moniker, right down to the prefix of the SNs. Some are legit, others have been cobbled-together from odd-lot & Q/C reject parts, at various times over the past decade+. The real turds dominated the market just about the time that this board was established. Those should be mostly all out of the system by now.That said, I've ridden bikes powered by just about one of everything and have been through a lot of motors over the years. The biggest visible differences are all inside the cases and there are too many to list, without an overly-long post. The tolerances, design changes (from the OEM parts upon which these are based) and metallurgy are all marginal. The best-built of all the Chinese motors was the late, lamented, Zongshen 108; it retailed for $1K...circa . Then the "race-to-the-bottom" began a couple of years later, mostly on fleebay. Fact is, there's no magic. An engine that retails for less than $300 wholesales for about $50. Just how do think that is accomplished? Hint...you won't find NTN bearings inside. Chinese manufacturers have to make a living, same as anyone else. Something has to be sacrificed to cut costs.My intent is not to call anyone out. This is simply a reality check. I get it, you like the L125 (which is just an L110 with an overbore); that engine has been around the longest of any low-buck Chinese motor. It has one thing that none of its peers have, a record of field service. This engine has its place in the market. It's an inexpensive way to get roadable horsepower. You're making money modifying bikes with these and feel that they are treating you well...understood. Business is business; this is still the US of A. That said, what's contained in that last post is like comparing tools from Harbor Freight with SnapOn...and claiming the HF items to be of superior quality. Anyone who could deliver the top quality engine in a category, at a small fraction of the cost, would absolutely dominate the market...and put everyone else out of business. Unless the world changed overnight, that hasn't happened. Strictly on facts, 65mph sustained cruising capability and superior quality over a comparable Honda lump is over-the-top. Everyone is entitled to his, or her, opinion but they are not always the same as facts. I can elaborate, in detail, if anyone wishes. This post is already longer than I'd like it to be.
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