Review of Lifan LF200-5GY – characteristics of a pioneer from China

The first mention of the Chinese enduro bike Lifan LF200-5gy dates back to 2007 . Since 2010, the same model has been offered to Russian users under the ZiD brand. (Degtyarev plant, Kovrov, Vladimir region).

Despite the typical enduro shape - raised front fender, long suspension travel, engine protection, the motorcycle also receives a headlight, stops, a full set of turn signals and mirrors. As well as a PTS , which makes it possible to register it and subsequently use it on public roads. An engine capacity of 200 cubic meters implies that the motorcyclist has a category “A” .

The development of our market began with these motorcycles. Irbis TTR125 pit bikes were bought for children, and older people took LF200. The presence of a vehicle title, an inexpensive price, and ease of maintenance are why this model attracted the attention of domestic consumers.

Specifications

As is customary with a Chinese manufacturer, the developers copied the engine from the Honda XR250 . The engine received the index 163FML . Depending on the year of manufacture, the engine may have had a balancing shaft .

This is a 1-cylinder, 4-stroke, air-cooled engine.

A distinctive feature can be considered the ability to start both from the button and from the paw. Moreover, according to user reviews, the electric starter works even at -20 ° and in an unheated garage.

Spread from a book with technical specifications

Transmission and clutch

There are also no differences in the chassis from the Honda.

Gearbox diagram 1-N-2-3-4-5

The bike has a 5-speed gearbox . According to user reviews, its stock settings allow you to feel normal both on a flat road and on rough off-road conditions. And if you play with the stars, you can plant them in the swamp and up to the saddle. Neutral is difficult to detect when the engine is running.

The main drive is standard - chain .

Brakes

The motorcycle received disc brakes .

Front brake caliper.

Rear brake caliper

Users note that the parts themselves are good, but the fastening of brackets to the rotors or the fit of the pistons must be checked before each trip. Loss of fastening screws occurs, as a result of which the brakes may fail (this is in the front). The constitution itself is minimalist. One disc per wheel, support for 2 pistons at the rear , and 1 piston at the front .

In general, the design of the front brake raises questions. The rear one is more powerful, but they stuck the front one from a scooter. The block is small and round. If you want to drive on roads, then the caliper is definitely a replacement.

There are no additional options provided.

Suspension

Front fork.

Rear shock absorber.

• There is a telescopic fork at the front , it is small and flimsy in appearance. It’s better not to forget that this is a LIGHT ENDURO model and serious jumping is contraindicated for it. Immediately after purchase, you need to drain the liquid and fill it with normal liquid. It is necessary.
• At the rear there is a progressive mono-shock absorber . The rear is hard, the quality of the shock absorber is questionable, the only adjustment is the spring preload .

Front suspension seals are consumables. Replace once per season of active use. Chinese ones cost 100 rubles , Japanese ones from 800 rubles . Personally, it’s easier for me to change the oil seal once a season, clean everything and change the fluid in the fork.

Technical characteristics of the Chinese Lifan motorcycle

general information

Engine of the Chinese motorcycle Lifan LF200-10P

Dimensions and weight of the Chinese motorcycle Lifan LF200-10P

Wheels and tires

Other technical characteristics

Additional Information

This product addresses "Chongqing Cai Zhen Fengqi Road, Beibei 16" (Note: There may be inaccuracies)

Driving performance

Although the speedometer of the motorcycle is designed for 150 km/h , the maximum speed barely reaches 100 km/h . As users say, for this you need to turn the engine very well. Comfortable cruiser - 60–70 km/h .

Acceleration (dynamics)

about acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h , but as the owners note, the dynamics are not bad for a Chinese - “you get out of a traffic light before the surrounding cars.” Of course, the difference in dry weight is not worth mentioning.

Fuel consumption

Consumption, according to the manufacturer’s documentation, is 3 liters per 100 km . Users make adjustments - on the highway no more than 2.5 . But in a forest/swamp, everything depends on the quality of the coating.

see also

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Modifications and competitors

There is no need to talk about modifications or competitors, unless you take into account the fact that the store can offer the user both Lifan and ZiD. These are clone motorcycles, except for the country of assembly. Even a booklet with instructions for Lifan will be from ZID.

PTS. In the PTS LIFAN, but it is “type” ZID.

Manual.

Passport.

• The first one may be assembled in China .
• The second is in Russia .

Which one to choose is up to the user. According to unverified data, the Russian assembly is of slightly better quality. It has properly laid wiring, emergency light settings and other little things that an experienced biker can set up himself.

In this segment, everything is almost the same if you look at the Chinese. This includes LF200-3b (upgraded 5gy model), YX250GY-C5C.

Peculiarities

The motorcycle had a lot of good and bad decisions:

• Posterior progression. Here the Chinese did not copy very well; the suspension turned out to be stiff. There are bushings in the suspension itself that break. It is better to replace it with caprolon.
• A large saddle that can easily accommodate two medium-sized riders (some owners ride with a large, stuffed backpack).
• A full-fledged trunk on which you can install a large trunk.
• The standard minimum tidy is two cups plus neutral indicators and turn signals.
• Small headlight - according to reviews, powerful lamps or xenon are needed. We replaced it with a headlight from JAVA .
• The hazard warning light turns on every time the motorcycle turns or brakes (can be treated by adjusting the relay located under the body kit on the left side of the bike).
• There are no towbars , and tube wheels tend to rotate during sharp braking, cutting off the nipples. Therefore, always monitor the tire pressure.
• PTS.
• No center stand .

Users recommend that when purchasing a new motorcycle, they immediately take care of the issue of towing for both wheels, and after removing the tire, wash it in a solvent.

This will help remove the consistency that is poured from the wheel tension on the rim. And for safety, you can also use a fine file to clean the hole under the camera nipple.

Over the course of three years, they wrote to me like this on Instagram 5 times with questions about the motorcycle. Well, you know, “is it worth taking,” “like a spendthrift,” and that’s all. Therefore, I think that my review may be useful to someone, because the motorcycle is still on sale, although with some changes (imho, improvements).

And so, what we have: 2017 year of manufacture, the fourth year of ownership has begun, a little more than 12 thousand kilometers have been driven. Yes, I know, it's not much. Even quite a bit. But! This is a small-capacity Chinese, on which few people roll 30 thousand a year. It will get boring faster. Plus, most of this run was done by two people.

Operating conditions (approximately): 80% of the mileage - together, with a case, 20% by myself. Coverage: 40% in the city, 40% on the highway, 20% in forests, sand, and other off-road conditions available for this motorcycle. In other words: the motorcycle is tested “both tail and mane.” What has broken in all this time? Attention, now there will be shocking content for Chinesephobes! A complete list of breakdowns over 3 years: the elastic band of the footrest was torn, the fork springs sagged. That's it, end of the list. More details below.

Comfort and convenience

Almost immediately after the purchase, I already wrote about my impressions. In general, my opinion has not changed. Comfortable, excellent seating position, all controls work clearly, neutral is caught with the power of thought. The rear gets numb after about 150 km of continuous driving. Of the minuses: for people taller than ~175 it will be frankly small, the seat for the second passenger is quite small and hard, the emergency warning button is in an inconvenient place.

Engine

It always starts up perfectly, according to GPS it accelerates a motorcycle with one carcass to 116, and calmly holds a cruiser of 100-105. At the same time, it consumes <3 on the highway, and ~3.2-3.4 in the city. The engine loves to rev, so it’s not very comfortable on country roads or forests, but it’s better on the highway or in the city. The 6speed gearbox gives good dynamics, as for a 200k. The lack of an oil filter is a little confusing, which means you need to change the oil every 1000-1200 km. But this was corrected last year, so if you take the series in a fresh way, then this is no longer a problem. And there is only a liter of oil.

Suspension

Shit! Well, not exactly, but pretty bad. The diameter of the feathers is only 32 mm! Even some bikes have brighter forks. After 5-6 thousand it sags, and out of 100 mm of travel only 50-60 remains. It can be corrected a little by changing the oil and adding valve springs from a VAZ to the fork, but still. At the rear there is a monoshock absorber, without progression. In principle, for single-face driving on asphalt, everything is fine. Together, or off-road - very doubtful, not for everyone. By the way, the fork was filled with some rare crap from the factory instead of oil.

Transmission (chain, sprockets, gearbox)

There are zero questions about the gearbox, it’s always clear, neutral is caught perfectly. The chain and stars are, as expected, an alloy of cardboard and plasticine. The original set began to deteriorate after 8k of mileage, despite regular lubrication/cleaning/tightening. I think it can be treated with a normal o-ring chain, but on the other hand, it costs the same as three sets of Chinese sprockets and a chain. Therefore, I exchanged it for the same “native” China. Also, the chain slider wore out in 10k, but since it’s a consumable costing $4, which can be replaced in 20 minutes, then, in general, it doesn’t matter.

Wiring

To say that I often got caught in the rain is to say nothing. I once estimated, I counted about 600 km of run under downpours. I'm lucky in this regard) So, despite this, everything is fine with the wiring (pah-pah-pah). To install a backup stop case, USB charging, and LED turns, I familiarized myself with all the wiring in quite detail, and was pleasantly surprised. Everything is sealed everywhere, in rubber plugs, on decent connectors, which sometimes you can just pull out. The wires are not thin. There are no complaints at all, for a motorcycle for $1400 - everything is done at the highest level. The only complaint is the incandescent lamps in corners. Not that this was a problem, but damn, it’s somehow not modern) To replace it, I had to at the same time change the turn relay to an electronic one.

Little things

Tires - changing, of course, would not be superfluous, but you can drive. I removed and installed the plastic several times, I didn’t lose a single latch, I give the plastic a solid five. That's who "fails" - it's the light. Light is a total disaster. Just completely. Once I drove 80 km along the highway in the dark - so by the time I got there, I cursed everything I could. Perhaps it can be treated with a lens, running lights, or some other magic, but out of the box the light is crap. And if you seat a passenger, it’s a total bummer (yes, I know that the headlights have height adjustment). Brakes - yes, brakes are like brakes, there were no problems during the entire period of operation. True, the guides in the caliper were dry from the factory; they should be lubricated. I’ve never looked into the carburetor, some craftsmen on the forum said that they tinkered with the jet to make it go more fun, but, IMHO, this is some kind of collective farm. Frame, chrome, etc. - nothing has rusted, peeled off, etc. in 3 years. Perhaps this is a consequence of purely garage storage.

Lifan, and its replacement)

Conclusions from me: the best Chinese road car in its price segment (at least here in Ukraine). Not suitable for villages with bad roads, off-road (obviously), for frequent driving at night (you definitely need to do something with the light), for tall people. Excellent as a first motorcycle, you can ride for the first 10 thousand only by changing the oil and adding gasoline (well, you also need to check the valves a couple of times for such a mileage).

If anyone is interested in something more specific, ask.

Our CUSTOM

We made a scrambler. For what? We wanted it that way, we are a motorcycle magazine after all, and we love experiments! The tank is from Alpha, the headlight is from Java. That situation when you make a scrambler, but it turns out to be MINSK. But we are delighted!

Side view.

And on the side is a RACER 160 PH pit bike.