Carlo C.
Active Member
Guy's
After asking about this bike for years, I finally talked a very old friend into selling it to me. I have been wanting to build one so I already have a picture in my head of what I want it to look like when it’s done, so it was pretty cool to finally get it home and put the wheels in motion. When I picked it up, he threw in a brand-new carburetor, and within an hour I had the bike up and running.
Before tearing it down for paint, powdercoat and some new parts I figured it deserved at least one proper ride. That ride didn’t last long before I realized the obvious, if I was going to ride this thing and actually enjoy it, it was going to need more power. I’ve always been a fan of the LIFAN-style Chinese 125 engines. I run several of them in my small Hondas, and they’ve proven to be reliable, smooth, and just powerful enough to make riding fun without overdoing it. Naturally, that became the plan. A little digging led me to a kit from Spangler’s that allows the factory pull-start to be mounted to an aftermarket engine, which neatly solves the biggest hurdle in the swap. With that problem out of the way, the rest of the build started falling into place.
I’ve already ordered a Maier front and rear fender kit, complete with factory-style blue decals, along with a blue seat cover featuring the iconic “70” on the side. To finish it off, I plan on a set of aluminum wheels wrapped in street tires that will be next on the list. Let the fun begin.
I even played around with some AI to try and see what it will look like when finished and it did a pretty good job.
I will post more pictures even of the disassembly once I get going.
Carlo C.
After asking about this bike for years, I finally talked a very old friend into selling it to me. I have been wanting to build one so I already have a picture in my head of what I want it to look like when it’s done, so it was pretty cool to finally get it home and put the wheels in motion. When I picked it up, he threw in a brand-new carburetor, and within an hour I had the bike up and running.
Before tearing it down for paint, powdercoat and some new parts I figured it deserved at least one proper ride. That ride didn’t last long before I realized the obvious, if I was going to ride this thing and actually enjoy it, it was going to need more power. I’ve always been a fan of the LIFAN-style Chinese 125 engines. I run several of them in my small Hondas, and they’ve proven to be reliable, smooth, and just powerful enough to make riding fun without overdoing it. Naturally, that became the plan. A little digging led me to a kit from Spangler’s that allows the factory pull-start to be mounted to an aftermarket engine, which neatly solves the biggest hurdle in the swap. With that problem out of the way, the rest of the build started falling into place.
I’ve already ordered a Maier front and rear fender kit, complete with factory-style blue decals, along with a blue seat cover featuring the iconic “70” on the side. To finish it off, I plan on a set of aluminum wheels wrapped in street tires that will be next on the list. Let the fun begin.
I even played around with some AI to try and see what it will look like when finished and it did a pretty good job.
I will post more pictures even of the disassembly once I get going.
Carlo C.
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