Chinese 250cc Scooter Engines...

This is one my older posts on ScootDawg and explains the two different sizes and configurations of scooter engines currently available on Chinese scooters. Most will be the 244cc version as it costs much less to build than the 257cc version...


Greetings,

I thought I'd take a minute to address this question (or statement) since I had the opportunity to talk with a customer on the phone about again on Monday. It appears that there is a ton of confusion out there as to how many different 250cc engines there are for scooters coming out of China... and most of the confusion is caused by online sellers who don't have a clue in the least. I've talked to people on the phone about it, and read on this forum some interesting opinions. I read with amusement the thread from AJ in the general forum about his search for a new scooter - and what he found for HP ratings on the Roketa Bali 250. It's amazing what sellers will actually print...

http://scootdawg.proboards59.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1172981769

Well, at this time I'd like to clarify the entire 'mystery' as it is. I think that there are many people who understand that there are multiple engine sizes for 250cc scooter engines coming out of China, but how to identify them is whats not generally known. There are, of course, TWO engines in the 250cc scooter class coming out of China at this time.

The first, and way more common, is the 244cc CVT engine based on the Honda CN250 Helix and made by CF Moto. It's most apparent identifying marks are it's cylinder which lays backwards from the vertical position as shown in the photo. Another critical identification mark is the exhaust muffler shape, size and trim.



The second is the 257cc CVT engine based on the Yamaha YP250 Majesty and made by Linhai. The original YP250 was a 249cc engine at 69mm bore x 66.8 stroke. The 257cc version is just 1mm larger on the bore. The 257cc CVT engines most apparent identifying mark is that it's cylinder points towards the front wheel - or is in a horizontal position with the ground. It also has a distinctive exhaust to help identify it...





The stated HP rating of the 257cc CVT engine on the Linhai website is 18.75 HP. The stated HP rating of the 244cc CVT engine on the CF Moto website is 16.75 HP. If you can't believe the information from the manufacturers of the engines, then there's no need to print anything...

There are no 14 HP, 15 HP, 16,6 HP or 19.2 HP 250cc CVT engines coming from China. I have viewed online seller websites that indicate their scooter engine is a 249cc CVT engine size - for which there are none of those either.

The other main difference between the two engines, and a major selling point, is that they typically come mounted with different size wheels. The 244cc CVT engine can only mount a 10" wheel whereas the 257cc CVT engine can mount a 12" wheel. Rumor has it that CF Moto is extending the swing arm of its 244cc CVT engine so that it can accept the 12" wheels, but that is not confirmed as of yet. And the 257cc CVT engine will also have rear disc brakes over the drum brakes found in the 244cc CVT engine.

The main reason why I am posting this thread is because I had a customer (not mine) call and e-mail me last summer to tell me about a situation he was having with an online seller. This customer talked to the seller directly on the phone and told them that he wanted to buy a 250cc scooter that had the 257cc engine, the 12" wheels, would be bright red, and wouldn't have Roketa labels all over it. Of course, the seller told him that, yes, their scooter had the 257cc CVT engine with 12" wheels, would be bright red, and even though their scooter was built in the same factory as Roketa, it wouldn't have any Roketa stickers on it...

So the customer recieves the scooter. It has 10" wheels, is a dark burgundy color and is covered with Roketa stickers. And with my help, he identified the motor as being the 244cc engine (vertical cylinder). Furious that he's been lied to when he asked them directly about the specs, he calls to explain what happened and what information he found with my help. They told him that I was lying. Nothing about their own lies or misrepresentation of their products. They tried very hard to convince him that I was lying about my scooters having 257cc engines and that no one really did for that matter. Last I heard, he sued their panties off and won...

Anyways, my main goal with this thread is to shed some light as to what TWO CVT engines are available from China in the 250cc class scooters... and how to easily identify each one... and how to catch a seller in an outright lie if they are misrepresenting...