Planet Minis

redhandmoto · 05-12-2009, 09:59 PM

Ok, so the handlebars are shimmed out with brass sheet and rock-steady now. Chain adjustment is right, and the engine has used no oil. Brake lever and pedal travel is good - got a title, got a tag, so out we go for a little rip.

At around 40mph or so, there's a sudden pebble-in-the-hubcap sound from the front hub, and the speedo dies. Now what?

Go back home, drop the wheel, pull the hub. The speedometer pickup housing (?) is nearly backed completely off the threads. The cable ends inside in a bit of frayed wire, and there are two loose round solid steel pins inside, one a solid bar, the other a bar with a split end.

I earlier downloaded a CT70 service manual, thinking it would at least provide me with an illustration of the speedometer components and lend a rough idea of how they were to be assembled, but no. No help there.

I recognize that this is a rudimentary issue for most members here, and thank all for your forbearance. This is my 'learning' bike, and anything I post will likely be in the way of very basic questions.

What I think happened - I suspect that because I failed to insure that the speedo pickup housing was well-threaded onto the hub and secure at uncrate/PDI time last week, road vibration finished the job of loosening its hold, interior components shifted in their positions, and the cable end broke off and was chewed up. I don't think this here is a warranty issue.

What I wanna do - Find some sort of clear illustration of speedo components and their placement, order new parts, and fix it. I hope.

Meanwhile, gotta ride it anyway. Came out of the grocery tonight and unlocked it from the lightpost I'd tied up at. ZZ Top's grandpa, only less concerned for appearances, sat in a pickup adjacent. He jumped when I hit the starter button and almost dropped his apple, "Say!," he yelled, "that Cheesy Rider's got an electric start?!"

Heh, heh; Cheesy Rider. Hadn't heard that.

regards, thanks,
rhm

CrawlerD · 05-12-2009, 10:51 PM

ZZ Tops Grandpa? Calling it a Cheesy Rider! That is Classic. Too funny.

On the speedo side, maybe the new "classic" from Pitster will be a source for parts and info.

RAZZO · 05-13-2009, 03:42 AM

Should have said, "Ah, I see your using the pick-up. Your Hardly- Runnison broke down again or just in for more chrome?"

Or "Hey! Where's Dusty Hill??!" LOL!

redhandmoto · 05-13-2009, 06:11 AM

Ya know, I just laughed out loud at the 'Cheesy Rider' remark - never heard it before & struck me as funny. Even an obese old man with a long stained beard in a faded F150 gets off a good 'un oncet in a while. I'm thinking maybe I'll paint "Cheesy Rider" in fake Chinese characters on the tin.

Oh, they's parts a-plenty available through American Lifan and any number of folks - I'm just like a palentologist holding a handful of million year old bird bones: "What's this 'sposed to look like? Is this one bone that broke in half or two bones?" Even a crude line drawing would help.

But later for all this - our seventh grandchild is being induced to join us this morning (get born, that is) & Mrs and I are a-goin' down to the hospital in Fredericksburg to be there for the event.

Say, how young can a little boy learn to ride?

Later, Fellas.

fatcaaat · 05-13-2009, 06:21 AM

If you need, I have a brand new set of lifan brake hubs, complete with speedo pickup gears sitting in my garage...I'm probably never going to need em. So, if you mangled anything up besides the speedo cable, know that I have the stuff you need to patch it up.

redhandmoto · 05-13-2009, 06:26 AM

Thank you, Brother fatcaaat! A good congregation of folks here at the Assembly of the MiniBrethren!

fatcaaat · 05-13-2009, 06:45 AM

I'm going to head over to Heidleburg for lunch today on my CT70...you should pop on over.

CrawlerD · 05-13-2009, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhandmoto

Thank you, Brother fatcaaat! A good congregation of folks here at the Assembly of the MiniBrethren!

Can I get an Amen??!!!

redhandmoto · 05-13-2009, 08:31 PM

Amen!

New grandson Jack was finally born at 5:23pm. What with going out to eat afterwards with the crowd (15!) of family and friends attending and the drive back, we got home well after 9pm. A very long day for the old folks, though not as long as the daughter's.

fatcaaat, Heidelburg Bakery on Lee Hwy, or some other H'burg? Sorry to have missed it!

nielspbr · 05-14-2009, 12:06 AM

Congratulations

redhandmoto · 05-14-2009, 05:57 AM

Thanks, Niels!

Jack Rice & his sister, Morgan Lee...

A very loooong day...

dsrt4 · 05-14-2009, 09:28 AM

AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!My Sisters 3rd baby is being taken by C section today. Its going to be a exciting weekend!!!

redhandmoto · 05-14-2009, 11:34 AM

Congrats to you, Uncle dsrt4!

Spent the a.m. calling family around the country about the new nipper, uploading and e-mailing pix of same, then despite threatening skies, went to disassemble the detonated speedo pickup and take pix...

1. The hub. Note the speedo cable 'housing'/gizmatchee/whatchamacallit barely caught onto the threads. I have found that it won't thread any further under mere finger power, which is probably why they just left it like that at the LF plant...my bad for not checking...

2. Autopsy underway...

3. Pickup shrapnel - worm gear dealy and associated speedo gear look ok...but that other stuff...

4. Pickup parts details

There you have it, M'Lords; one very busted thingamabob. How do these parts relate in real life and in a not-broken state?

I await the kind counsel of Your Graces, and go meanwhile, speedo-less, on errands to the drugstore and grocery...

Thanks and regards,
rhm

fatcaaat · 05-14-2009, 11:37 AM

Never had one apart, so I can't tell...But I do have that brand new hub set sitting here that you can pop on and be done screwing around. I want $25 for the pair.

redhandmoto · 05-14-2009, 12:32 PM

Thanks, fatcaaat; at this point, I'm thinking that the cable itself ended or was attached to the end of these parts, so that it would be the cable itself that needed replacing, rather than the hub, with it's nether end intact.

But, admittedly, I don't know. Have sent pix to my dealer to get his opinion, or to hear from somebody here who's had one apart. The end of the cable is held in place by the housing and the set screw you see in the first pic...and I ain't even looked at the top end of the cable yet - wonder what it's gonna be like taking the headlight bucket apart to get to the speedometer end of this thing...

Have exhausted supply of English curses, and am googling for Mandarin oaths now. Perhaps the bike will respond to those...

redhandmoto · 05-14-2009, 03:25 PM

Well, it finally occured to me to look for a photo of the speedo cable parts on a dealer's website. D'oh!

Lo and behold, there it is on Hooper's site. Looks to be that only the end bits were sheared off the cable - a new one is only $9.95, but he's out of stock at the moment. Have been in touch with my dealer, and he should be able to help me out...

Next!

redhandmoto · 05-16-2009, 02:27 PM

Big props to American Lifan and my dealer, Shamrock Cycles (<title>American Lifan Authorized Dealer | Genuine American Lifan Dealer in Located in North Texas offering the full line of American Lifan Motorcycles. ). Replacement parts are on the way - gratis.

I am surprised and dee-lighted - these folks know how to keep a customer, which ain't always the case with the Big 4 (or the Italians, either). I've had nothing but great communications and responsiveness.

1998 Honda Z125R · 05-17-2009, 06:50 PM

I had the same problem with my 2007 lifan 110. The cable end at the drive gear sheared off. I had no luck finding the cable though. I wound up having to buy a used ct70 cable off ebay and adapting it. Hooper imports was sold out of them when i was looking; about a year ago, haha. I wonder why he even has the add posted on there if he hasnt had 1 in stock in a year. I would just recommend putting a bunch of white lithium grease inside the cable tube and on the speedo cable itself before installing it. That will help prevent this from happening again.

redhandmoto · 05-17-2009, 08:07 PM

Lithium gease is great stuff; got a big tube in the shop.

It is odd that Hooper's still advertises the OEM cable; perhaps they are having trouble getting it themselves

redhandmoto · 05-30-2009, 10:12 AM

Well, the sad fact turns out to be that a speedometer cable for a Lifan LF110GY-3 is not to be had. Not from AL, not from the secondary market, not from nobody. A <$15.00 part, and there ain't any in the country.

Riders of Chinese bikes kind of accept & expect that getting parts will be challenging while the US infrastructure, uh, matures. I hope that they catch on real soon - the Italians apparently never have, and they've been selling here since the end of WWII.

Meanwhile, I have a query out to DrAtv to determine which of his CT70 cables will work, if any. I plan to separately install a more accurate bicycle speedo anyhow, but I'd really like the OEM cable to work...

Say, anybody parting-out a GY-3?

05-12-2009, 09:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Ok, so the handlebars are shimmed out with brass sheet and rock-steady now. Chain adjustment is right, and the engine has used no oil. Brake lever and pedal travel is good - got a title, got a tag, so out we go for a little rip. At around 40mph or so, there's a sudden pebble-in-the-hubcap sound from the front hub, and the speedo dies. Now what? Go back home, drop the wheel, pull the hub. The speedometer pickup housing (?) is nearly backed completely off the threads. The cable ends inside in a bit of frayed wire, and there are two loose round solid steel pins inside, one a solid bar, the other a bar with a split end. I earlier downloaded a CT70 service manual, thinking it would at least provide me with an illustration of the speedometer components and lend a rough idea of how they were to be assembled, but no. No help there. I recognize that this is a rudimentary issue for most members here, and thank all for your forbearance. This is my 'learning' bike, and anything I post will likely be in the way of very basic questions. What I think happened - I suspect that because I failed to insure that the speedo pickup housing was well-threaded onto the hub and secure at uncrate/PDI time last week, road vibration finished the job of loosening its hold, interior components shifted in their positions, and the cable end broke off and was chewed up. I don't think this here is a warranty issue. What I wanna do - Find some sort of clear illustration of speedo components and their placement, order new parts, and fix it. I hope. Meanwhile, gotta ride it anyway. Came out of the grocery tonight and unlocked it from the lightpost I'd tied up at. ZZ Top's grandpa, only less concerned for appearances, sat in a pickup adjacent. He jumped when I hit the starter button and almost dropped his apple, "Say!," he yelled, "that Cheesy Rider's got an electric start?!" Heh, heh; Cheesy Rider. Hadn't heard that. regards, thanks, rhm

05-12-2009, 10:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
CrawlerD 1st Gear Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sin City Posts: 645	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. ZZ Tops Grandpa? Calling it a Cheesy Rider! That is Classic. Too funny. On the speedo side, maybe the new "classic" from Pitster will be a source for parts and info.

05-13-2009, 03:42 AM	#3 (permalink)
RAZZO Old School Z50s Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NEW JERSEY PINELANDS Posts: 1,968 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Should have said, "Ah, I see your using the pick-up. Your Hardly- Runnison broke down again or just in for more chrome?" Or "Hey! Where's Dusty Hill??!" LOL!

05-13-2009, 06:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Ya know, I just laughed out loud at the 'Cheesy Rider' remark - never heard it before & struck me as funny. Even an obese old man with a long stained beard in a faded F150 gets off a good 'un oncet in a while. I'm thinking maybe I'll paint "Cheesy Rider" in fake Chinese characters on the tin. Oh, they's parts a-plenty available through American Lifan and any number of folks - I'm just like a palentologist holding a handful of million year old bird bones: "What's this 'sposed to look like? Is this one bone that broke in half or two bones?" Even a crude line drawing would help. But later for all this - our seventh grandchild is being induced to join us this morning (get born, that is) & Mrs and I are a-goin' down to the hospital in Fredericksburg to be there for the event. Say, how young can a little boy learn to ride? Later, Fellas.

05-13-2009, 06:21 AM	#5 (permalink)
fatcaaat 3rd Gear Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 3,778	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. If you need, I have a brand new set of lifan brake hubs, complete with speedo pickup gears sitting in my garage...I'm probably never going to need em. So, if you mangled anything up besides the speedo cable, know that I have the stuff you need to patch it up.

05-13-2009, 06:26 AM	#6 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Thank you, Brother fatcaaat! A good congregation of folks here at the Assembly of the MiniBrethren!

05-13-2009, 06:45 AM	#7 (permalink)
fatcaaat 3rd Gear Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 3,778	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. I'm going to head over to Heidleburg for lunch today on my CT70...you should pop on over.

05-13-2009, 08:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Amen! New grandson Jack was finally born at 5:23pm. What with going out to eat afterwards with the crowd (15!) of family and friends attending and the drive back, we got home well after 9pm. A very long day for the old folks, though not as long as the daughter's. fatcaaat, Heidelburg Bakery on Lee Hwy, or some other H'burg? Sorry to have missed it!

05-14-2009, 12:06 AM	#10 (permalink)
nielspbr Euro Seagull Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Netherlands Posts: 463 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Congratulations

05-14-2009, 05:57 AM	#11 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Thanks, Niels! Jack Rice & his sister, Morgan Lee... A very loooong day...

05-14-2009, 09:28 AM	#12 (permalink)
dsrt4 1st Gear Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 181 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!My Sisters 3rd baby is being taken by C section today. Its going to be a exciting weekend!!!

05-14-2009, 11:34 AM	#13 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	Speedo Autopsy - Warning - Picture Intensive!! Congrats to you, Uncle dsrt4! Spent the a.m. calling family around the country about the new nipper, uploading and e-mailing pix of same, then despite threatening skies, went to disassemble the detonated speedo pickup and take pix... 1. The hub. Note the speedo cable 'housing'/gizmatchee/whatchamacallit barely caught onto the threads. I have found that it won't thread any further under mere finger power, which is probably why they just left it like that at the LF plant...my bad for not checking... 2. Autopsy underway... 3. Pickup shrapnel - worm gear dealy and associated speedo gear look ok...but that other stuff... 4. Pickup parts details There you have it, M'Lords; one very busted thingamabob. How do these parts relate in real life and in a not-broken state? I await the kind counsel of Your Graces, and go meanwhile, speedo-less, on errands to the drugstore and grocery... Thanks and regards, rhm

05-14-2009, 11:37 AM	#14 (permalink)
fatcaaat 3rd Gear Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 3,778	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Never had one apart, so I can't tell...But I do have that brand new hub set sitting here that you can pop on and be done screwing around. I want $25 for the pair.

05-14-2009, 12:32 PM	#15 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Thanks, fatcaaat; at this point, I'm thinking that the cable itself ended or was attached to the end of these parts, so that it would be the cable itself that needed replacing, rather than the hub, with it's nether end intact. But, admittedly, I don't know. Have sent pix to my dealer to get his opinion, or to hear from somebody here who's had one apart. The end of the cable is held in place by the housing and the set screw you see in the first pic...and I ain't even looked at the top end of the cable yet - wonder what it's gonna be like taking the headlight bucket apart to get to the speedometer end of this thing... Have exhausted supply of English curses, and am googling for Mandarin oaths now. Perhaps the bike will respond to those...

05-14-2009, 03:25 PM	#16 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	And the mystery is solved... Well, it finally occured to me to look for a photo of the speedo cable parts on a dealer's website. D'oh! Lo and behold, there it is on Hooper's site. Looks to be that only the end bits were sheared off the cable - a new one is only $9.95, but he's out of stock at the moment. Have been in touch with my dealer, and he should be able to help me out... Next!

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05-16-2009, 02:27 PM	#17 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	Major Props Big props to American Lifan and my dealer, Shamrock Cycles (<title>American Lifan Authorized Dealer \| Genuine American Lifan Dealer in Located in North Texas offering the full line of American Lifan Motorcycles. ). Replacement parts are on the way - gratis. I am surprised and dee-lighted - these folks know how to keep a customer, which ain't always the case with the Big 4 (or the Italians, either). I've had nothing but great communications and responsiveness.

05-17-2009, 06:50 PM	#18 (permalink)
1998 Honda Z125R 1st Gear Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 243	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. I had the same problem with my 2007 lifan 110. The cable end at the drive gear sheared off. I had no luck finding the cable though. I wound up having to buy a used ct70 cable off ebay and adapting it. Hooper imports was sold out of them when i was looking; about a year ago, haha. I wonder why he even has the add posted on there if he hasnt had 1 in stock in a year. I would just recommend putting a bunch of white lithium grease inside the cable tube and on the speedo cable itself before installing it. That will help prevent this from happening again.

05-17-2009, 08:07 PM	#19 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	Re: New LF110GY-3 Problem - Speedo dies an early death. Lithium gease is great stuff; got a big tube in the shop. It is odd that Hooper's still advertises the OEM cable; perhaps they are having trouble getting it themselves

05-30-2009, 10:12 AM	#20 (permalink)
redhandmoto 1st Gear Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NoVA Posts: 101 My Mood:	UPDATE: Speedo Cable = Endangered Species Well, the sad fact turns out to be that a speedometer cable for a Lifan LF110GY-3 is not to be had. Not from AL, not from the secondary market, not from nobody. A <$15.00 part, and there ain't any in the country. Riders of Chinese bikes kind of accept & expect that getting parts will be challenging while the US infrastructure, uh, matures. I hope that they catch on real soon - the Italians apparently never have, and they've been selling here since the end of WWII. Meanwhile, I have a query out to DrAtv to determine which of his CT70 cables will work, if any. I plan to separately install a more accurate bicycle speedo anyhow, but I'd really like the OEM cable to work... Say, anybody parting-out a GY-3?