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i wrenched on mine so much, that i was able to put together a small toolkit that weighed about 3 to 5 pounds (excluding a 13 inch breakerbar).
i strapped the breakerbar to the frame of the bike and carried the smaller parts in a waist pack.
the pack contained the tools to remove every bolt and nut on the bike.

overheating was the only real issue with the engine, although i did have a minor bendix problem with it.
i discovered that % of my no start problems was electrical, not mechanical.
when i first got it, i would never know if it would start, and i couldn't figure out why not.
the electrics soon started to fall apart, and i rewired the entire bike.
after the rewiring job, i didn't have any more no starts, except the mechanical kind which was few.
when it was mechanical, it was associated with the fuel, carb, or intake.

the question is, would i get another one.
if the price was right, i probably would.
but here again, i would be relying on my mechanical knowledge and my previous experience.

chinese can be good rides, but only if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and parts dealers insist on quality parts.

mine wasn't quite that bad.
actually, the engine was pretty sound, only had minor problems with it.
overheating was the only major problem with the engine, but it was caused from a poorly designed cooling system.
i also had a bendix problem but i fixed that too.
i bet that's what killed the motor, the bendix locked up engaging the starter.
at least that's what it sounded like when it died.
the rest of the bike though, especially the body panels and the electrics, talk about bottom of the pile stuff.
it ran great though, it sounded good too.
it came with 11 gram rollers and that gave me great acceleration from a dead stop, it would beat anything off the line.
i guess they were 11 gram, i weighed the least damaged one.
the other five were in little pieces.
i switched to 20 gram rollers to to give me top end performance, but i was slower at getting off the line.

thanks for the heads up, i'll keep a lookout for those shims.

it is in the back yard, and like i said, it ran strong until it choked.
the estimated top speed was about 70mph with 20 gram rollers.
no, i don't have another scooter, i can't seem to scrape up enough money for one.
someone local had a helix for sale for 800 bucks, but it was gone by the time i came up with the money.
i figured even if it didn't run i could get one bike out of it and my old one.

scrappy has engines for my bike, but after sitting so long i would need other things too, like master cylinders and maybe even brake calipers.

maybe i can tie a rope around the handlebars and get my brother-in-law to pull me down the street with me saying "VROOM VROOM".

i think he can get it done by aligning the pickup on the stator with the rotor.
but he would have to remove the valve cover to make sure he was at spark TDC.

the CF250 doesn't use shims.
both rocker arms are in the valve cover, and i haven't seen anything that looked like a shim.

got ya beat, i've been wrenching on a chinese ride for about 5 or 6 years.
i wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

WAAAA, I WANT MY BIKE, I WANT MY BIKE [img style="max-width:100%;" src="

have you tried this method?
the timing hole is on the right side of the engine, but you must be on the left side to turn the crank.
it was impossible for me.
i got so fed up with it, i had to just "guess" when TDC was reached.
i removed the plug, held my thumb over the hole, and turned the crank until i felt compression.
i then gave the crank an extra 1/4 to 1/3 turn more.
like i said, it's a guess, but apparently close enough to set the valves.

if you ever do find the true TDC, then notch the end of the crank with a file.

if setting the valves is your goal, then the following is even better:
remove the valve cover.
rotate crank until the rocker arms are on the low part of the cam (both rocker arms).
replace valve cover.
set valves.
you don't need TDC, just make sure both valves are closed.

this would indicate a blow-by vent hose is plugged somehow.

oil or grease on friction surfaces causes them to glaze.
i've heard that once this happens, the pads (brake or clutch) must be replaced, they CANNOT be sanded down and reused.

spandi,
i'm not sure what's wrong with it.
something in the engine let go when i was cruising at around 60mph.
the bike immediately ground to a halt.
i tried a couple of times to start it, but the engine wouldn't turn over, it was locked up.

it was starting to get cold outside, so i covered it, and it sit there since.
as much as i loved my ride, i was hesitant to put any more effort into keeping it road worthy.
i wouldn't trade my chinese experience for anything, because i've learned a great deal about scooters from it.

it's been 3 years and the weeds have gotten up into the frame and i'm not too confident that it would be worth it to get it back on the road.

the local newspaper had a late model burgman advertised for 2 grand.
it was sold before i even got the paper.
i'll get another one, it's a matter of when.