MB 165 w/ Lifan 110cc Swap!!

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spat12

New Member
#1
#1
I'm quite new to this forum....therefor I haven't really taken progress pics of my process as I went along, I wish I did though. I picked up this Mini Baja from a guy last summer..the motor was a bit weak and was breathing it's last breath. Lucky for me I happened to have a near new Lifan 110cc w/ 4 spd kicking around the garage. It took some clever ingenuity, and a lot of time to get it going. Please mind the sloppy wiring, as it was only thrown together...it will most likely be torn down this winter for some cleaning up. Any questions, just ask!

The bike is a blast to drive and runs out of gear in 4th at around 72 mph..and 1st gear still has enough torque to bring up the front tire pretty easily.







 
joekd

joekd

Active Member
#2
#2
Looks good but 72MPH on stock drum brake=suicide, mine was scary enough at 34.9MPH on the drum

How do you shift since the shift peg is behind the footpeg? Just float your foot and lift?
 
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lilstone87

New Member
#4
#4
What kind of battery are you using? Because I'm thinking of adding one to mine this summer, to run my headlight since, with no governor it blows the bulb, and it also blew the charging coil, I don't feel like replacing it again. so I'm just looking at what kind of battery to get, that will be strong enough to power a headlight for awhile.
 
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spat12

New Member
#6
#6
The battery installed is a Cycletron FAYTX12 by Interstate...they run around $85 from the right supplier. Without any sort of charging circuit the battery would quickly go out depending on your headlight. I was originally running a 100w hallogen..and even with my charging circuit it still wasn't enough to keep up with the current draw (about 9 amps @ 12VDC). I ordered a LED replacement which emits more light and only draws 1/4th of and amp and should have no problem .

Usually I try to obey the local speed limits, usually around 35 since I keep it on back roads. It keeps me at a reasonable RPM when cruising in 4th. The stock drum brake seems to do the trick as long as the shoes are in good shape and it's properly adjusted. The shoes in mine are currently brand new and can bring me to a stop pretty well, but still not recommended. :)

Shifting isnt actually all too difficult. The gears are all down, and cycle through from 4th to N, to 1st. I use my heal to upshift and hook my tow under the shifter to downshift. Eventually I'll either move the pegs to a more suitable location or build a set of forward controls..haven't decided yet.
 
minibikedude

minibikedude

Active Member
#7
#7
Its a cool project with the Lifan engine, But there is No Way your getting 70+ out of a 110cc engine. I have the same engine an a Honda CT70 with the 20mm carb and opened exhaust, I can just get the speedo on the bike to peg at just over 50-55mph, I have it geared for top end right know 17/35 sprockets. You need GPS for accurate speed readings.
 
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spat12

New Member
#8
#8
My current sprocket set up is 18/34 with a 19" tire. I clocked my speed using 2 things...a car to my left and an auto-cop radar unit. Keep in mind that when I hit that speed the bike is wound right out damn near redline (about 7k).
 
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mgregg85

Member
#9
#9
Damn, that settles it. I'm buyin a lifan 125 off ebay now for sure.

Now just the question of whether to go with suicide shift or regular foot shift.

Do you think you could post a simple wiring diagram for me?
 
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spat12

New Member
#10
#10
The lifan 125cc engines are pretty good...the only reason I didnt go with that one was because most of them needed a clutch lever and I didn't care for the shift pattern. (the motor was on another bike originally...didnt allow for easy shifting)

I dont exactly have a wiring diagram, it's mostly in my head. I used some various diagrams from around the web for reference. If you have any questions regarding wiring I would be more than happy to help you out along the way. I spent 9 hours on my wiring...but keep in mind I have all sorts of bells and whistles on mine (signals, horn, key switch, tail/brake light).

There is another solution which I have used before on my old bike...
A complete wire harness for the lifan motors which comes with blinker relay, starter solenoid, key switch, CDI, ign coil, and rectifier. There is only a couple left so you would have to move quick on it. Its a great price too considering what you get with it. The only thing I recommend on said harness is to go over every crimp on pin and connector on the entire harness and either crimp them tighter, or solder them a bit as the way it comes is sub par. I had an episode of wires pulling out of the connectors on several occasions...it can be very aggravating when you find a ripped out wire and have no idea where it came from.

PANDA LIFAN WIRE HARNESS CDI COIL RECTIFIER KEY SWITCH: eBay Motors (item 390087918161 end time Jun-25-10 13:52:12 PDT)
 
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spat12

New Member
#12
#12
I wouldnt really compare my bike with a drag bike....it takes much more than an 1/8 mile to get it to top out. The only gear I can top out easily is 1st. It tops at around 20ish.
 
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spat12

New Member
#14
#14
What math are you using??

With a Primary ratio of 2.88, a 4th gear ratio of 1.043, a final drive of 1.88, a tire with a 59.7" circumference, and a 7500 rpm max redline...my bike should actually do about 74 mph according to the math.

Gearing Commander says the same thing.
 
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