FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

1. What tyre works the best for my CCM Supermoto?

2. What oil should I use?

3. How do I change the oil on my Rotax?

4. What brake pads work the best, OEM or aftermarket?

5. My bike makes this funny rattling sound, what is it?

6. I would like to purchase an aftermarket exhaust. What works the best, what are the common jetting numbers, and what horsepower gains will I see?

7. I need a stand for my bike. What stand will work the best?

8. What suspension changes can I make to my bike? Can I just change my settings?

9. What gearing choices work the best for my CCM?

10. How do I make crash bobbins?

11. How do I jet my carb?

12. What is jetting? How does it work?

13. How much pressure or tension is correct for the adjustment screw on the sidecase of clutch?

14.  Will I need to re-jet my bike if I modify the airbox?

15.  What battery should I use for my CCM?

16.  What is the correct tyre pressure for Goldspeed Supermoto Tyres?


 


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1. What tyre works the best for my CCM Supermoto.

One of the most popular tyres now is the Maxxis Goldspeed.  These are great tyres and come in various compounds from street compound to ultra soft. 
Street Sports, are a superb compromise for riders who don't compete on track.  They deliver great performance and grip and are fantastic value for money.  Same pattern as the race intermediates, but manufactured with a road compound for extra mileage. 

Some people are worried about the chain fouling the tyres, but you should not have any problems with this.  If you fit them and find you do have a problem, it is most likely your wheel alignment that is out.

".....the performance is fantastic - bags of grip, even at high angles of lean..... there's terrific wet weather performance..... Got a Supermoto?  Get these on it." RIDE Magazine

".....for a genuine Supermoto all rounder do-it-all set of boots, we'd plump for the Goldspeeds which are the daddies..... a real Supermoto bargain compared with some of the others..... made the bike feel nimble and very flickable..... good grip all around the track...."   Supermoto Magazine

Visit  www.aaa-racing.com  for more details.

Other popular tyres:

Brand:-
Pirelli Dragon MTR02 (H rated) 120/60 150/60
Road:-
Good, neutral, square off quickly, loads of grip (took a couple of miles to warm up in winter, then again most tyres do), average to good wet weather grip, very good feedback
Track:-
Neutral, predictable, masses of grip - total confidence, very good feedback Blister up nicely after a hot track day
Pressures:-
28/28
Mileage:-
2000F 3000R


Brand:-
Challenger Tomahawk (Metzler carcass) 120/70 160/60
Road:-
Very quick steering, average feed back, a bit twitchy (but nothing to worry about) flat out, grip like nothing I've used before. Fine in the wet but not much tread so have never *really* pushed them.
Track:-
Superb, grip straight off. Totally predictable. Far more ability than the rider
Pressures:-
28/28
Mileage:-
700R 1000F (but cheap)

2.What Oil Should I use In My Rotax.

Make sure you have a good mineral oil (not synthetic or semi-synth) castrol GP (not GPS) is one of the best at around £12 - 15 for 4litres

3. How To Change The Oil On My Rotax.


All this is how i change my oil on my rotax engined bike.... its a bit long winded but once you have done it its straight forward enough

1, make sure you have a good mineral oil (not synthetic or semi-synth) Castrol GP (not GPS) is one of the best at around £12 - 15 for 4litres you will need an oil filter, and a replacement fibre washer for the magnetic sump plug ccm part 250-010 its an 18mm o/d 12mm i/d fibre washer

how to do it...

2,remove the oil filler plug from the top of the frame between the fuel tank and headstock 8mm allen key

3, remove the front drive sprocket cover (two 5mm allen screws) this exposes the cover plate for the oil filter

4, remove the sump bash plate if you have one (DS models) its held on with four nuts and bolts (5mm allen/13mm a.f. nuts) yes its a bit awkward

5,place an old drain oil can under the frame and remove the frame drain plug (13mm a/f) situated below the engine on the nearside frame rail be quick to move your drain can under the jet of oil that is shooting from the frame onto your knee oh yes have plenty of rags handy!

6, remove the magnetic drain plug from the sump again move your drain can under the oil pouring onto the floor

7, remove the oil filter cover plate via the 3 5mm allen screws and catch more oil..... remove the old filter, give the housing a wipe out then push in the new filter .... refit the cover plate

8, make sure you have re-fitted your frame and sump drain plugs..... even more oil on the floor is usually a good indicator you have forgotten one

9,measure out 2 litres of oil and slowly fill the frame using a long flexible funnel don't rush it to avoid airlocks

10, leaving the long funnel in place I turn the motor over a dozen times on the kickstarter (ignition off) to circulate the oil round the filter etc and remove any air (you will hear big glugging noises from the filler whilst hand turning the engine

11, pour another 1/2 litre in, refit the filler cap "important" don't run the bike without the filler cap in place...more oil on the floor! run the bike for five minutes switch off check the oil level at the sight tube on the nearside of the headstock just below the filler, sight tube should be half full after you have turned the engine off...top up a bit at a time and repeat the running/sighting procedure

12, now spend at least an hour cleaning the oil off the garage floor! top tip ..... put some plastic sheet down before you start

well this is the way I do it and I haven't had any problems.... other than the floor usual disclaimers! not my fault if you cock it up eh!

4. Brake pads and most recommended.

- OEM Honda Brake pads. These are the highest recommended pad on the list. They have great stopping power, good feel, readily available and are reasonably priced. Grade (5)

- EBC Green Race. OK for a while, not as good as OEM. Grade (2)

- Galfer Green's (5) in the dry (3) in the wet

- Braking KC6 Grade (5) They've got all the things I'm looking for - consistency, feel, fade resistance, and in particular, give the stock system more power.

- Carbone Lorraine sintered pads and I am well pleased with them. The bite and feel is superb. The only downside to them is that they take a little warming up before they really start to bite and the dust needs cleaning away every few weeks or they start to squeal a bit. Grade (3)

5.My bike makes this funny rattling sound, what is it?

Normal to an extent. Valve clearances may be too big (only potentially a problem if they go too quite and have therefore closed up). Piston slap (some is normal). Small end (possible). Worn rockers.

6.The best after market can.

Without a doubt has to be the REMUS factory race can, but beware this is one awful load can, it goes with the 185 main jet also supplied with the can, also there is a club discount group buy available from Quill, which has a nice bark and is road legal, but needs a bit more fettling with jets (Rotax engine) Suzi engine uses a 135 main jet

7. I need a stand for my bike. What stand will work the best?

Almost any cheap and cheerful MX lift stand.

8. Suspension settings by weight and riding (track/street)

Ensure correct sag is set and drop front forks by 5-10mm. Beyond that it's personal preference.

9. What gearing choices work the best for my CCM

18/44 (tuned) 18/46 (standard) as a good starting point

10. How do I make crash bobbins

Skateboard wheels and threaded rod with lock nuts.

11. How do I jet my carb?

The Jetting FAQ
All carbs are basically the same components. Jetting should be accomplished by modifying the lower end first and changing towards the wide open throttle after the lower end is right (idle, bottom rpms, mid range, and then wide open).

Start with number one and change through number six.

NAME IT AFFECTS
1) Air Screw- idle to just off of idle (not the idle screw)
2) Pilot Jet- just off of idle to 1/4 throttle
3) Jet Needle- 0- 1 /2 throttle, work with the needle shape first, then the clip position
4) Needle Jet- 1/8-3/4 throttle, also called nozzle
5) Slide Cutaway - 1/4-3/4 throttle, the angle of the cut affects air intake
6) Main Jet- 1/2-full throttle

Notice that every component overlaps the throttle range of one or more of the other components. Most people only change needle clip position, and pilot/main jets. Some older Mikuni's also have a power jet (1 /8-1/2 throttle). Most people check jetting by looking at the plug or the exhaust spooge. I jet by how the bike sounds and feels in response to throttle input at different rpm starting points. I always jet by the numbers listed above, one first, then two, etcetera. I don't mess with the cutaway because of price, nor the nozzle because my Keihn doesn't change. I've never known anyone who can jet a bike right the first time. All jetting is trial and error, because every bike is
different. And different from the one designed by the manufacturer on the flow bench. Castings are different, gaskets, assembly, etcetera.

As said before, higher -> leaner, warmer -> leaner, wetter -> leaner, and vice versa. The trouble comes when it gets cold (richer) and wet (leaner).


The most sound advice is this:

If it is too rich, you foul the plug, but if it is too lean, you'll eat the engine.

Step 1: Basic Assumptions OK.

We will assume that your air cleaner is clean and that you are using the fuel / oil mixture you plan to stay with.  Timing needs to be set to factory specs. Muffler and spark arrestor should be relatively clean. Use the recommended spark plug.

Step 2: Main Jet First.


The main jet controls the mixture at full throttle. Other jets have negligible effect at full throttle.

Your objective is to get an understanding of the mixture at full throttle (wide open) operation. You need a long up-hill straightaway for this test so you can be in the top gear with the engine under load and running up in the RPM range.

If you hear pinging, it is running lean; so go larger on the main.

If full throttle causes gasping and poor pulling at mid RPMS, it is again an indication of running lean; so go larger on the main.

If the bike runs clean select a larger main jet until you find the jet that causes a blurbbing (four-cycling) sound. When you experience that sound, you have found the jet that causes you to run too rich. So back off one size to a smaller jet. This is the safe main jet to use. You could go
another size leaner; but you need to be careful to avoid running too lean which causes the engine to run hot and could seize the piston. It's better to jet on the rich side.

Step 3: Needle Jet clip position and needle selection

The needle jet controls the mixture from 1/8 to 3/4 throttle. At the upper end of this range the main plays a part too; but you have already selected the main jet.

Again you need an up-hill straight away. This time use 1/2 throttle and allow the RPMs to reach the upper RPM range and leave the throttle there. Now do your listening.

Any pinging means too lean. Blurbbing means too rich. Excessive smoking is also an indication of running too rich

To adjust to a richer mixture, take out the needle and place the clip one notch lower (nearer to the sharp end of the needle).

To adjust to a leaner mixture, take out the needle and place the clip one notch higher (further away from to the sharp end of the needle).

Be careful when you remove the clip. They can flick away and disappear.

I use a small flat screw driver and pry the clip away from the needle and I hold the needle and clip between my thumb and finger while I do this.

If you find that you are up at the top notch of the needle (there are usually 5 notches) you should get a needle with the next lower number (leaner) and place the clip in the centre notch to give the equivalent mixture as the richer needle with the clip at the top. Similarly if you find that you are up at the bottom notch of the needle you should get a needle with the next higher number (richer) and place the clip in the centre notch to give the equivalent mixture as the leaner needle with the clip at the bottom.

You should not have to go to any more than one size leaner needle than stock. And I would not expect you to need to go richer than the stock needle.

Next go along slowly in one of the lower gears at less than 1/8 throttle and move the throttle quickly to 1/2 throttle. If the engine does not pull strongly. Sort of gasps for breath and only runs well after the RPMs build up, it is an indication that the needle is too lean.

Step 4: Pilot Jet selection and Air Correction Screw Adjustment

Regarding the pilot jet. When you are at 1/4 throttle and more, the pilot jet has virtually NO effect. After you get the needle right, get the bike idling by adjusting the idle stop up where it will idle slowly on its own. The air correction screw should be at 1.5 turns out to begin with.

OK now slowly screw in the air correction screw 1/4 turn. Try to find the air screw adjustment where you get maximum idle RPM. You may have to open the screw to 1.75 or 2.0 turns to get the right setting. As the idle RPM increases turn down the idle stop to return the idle RPM to a slow correct idle.

You objective is to find the pilot jet that will give you maximum idle with the air screw set at 1.5 turns out.

Remember that opening the air correction screw admits more air during almost-closed throttle making a leaner idle mixture.

Now when you find that jet size you will want to do some final air screw adjusting to improve throttle response. Assuming that the needle jet is properly adjusted. Let the engine idle for 5 seconds then open the throttle abruptly and be aware of how the engine responds. If it almost dies, then you need a slightly richer idle mixture so that as that mixture is gulped at abrupt throttle openings it will be just a little rich and therefore give good response.

You can test this as you ride say slowly in 2nd gear with the throttle closed so that the engine is drawing only from the pilot. Wick it open quickly. If you find yourself doing a wheelie, your air correction screw is set right. If instead the sound is uhhhhhhhhhwwaaaaaaa and you find your
nose a few inches from you triple clamp, then your idle mixture is too lean and you need to close the screw a little.

12. What is jetting? How does it work?

This information was taken from December '96 issue of DIRT WHEELS.

WHAT MEAN JET? : Carb jetting can be easily understood if we understand the basic principles of carb and engine operation. A carb mixes fuel with air before it goes into the engine. When the mixture is correct the engine runs well. The bottom line is a carb must be adjusted to deliver fuel and air to the engine at a precise ratio. This precise ratio can be affected by a number of outside and inside influences. If you are aware of these influences you can re-jet your carb to compensate for the changes. I'm going to show you some examples of how you can change your jetting for better performance and in some cases increased engine life. As with any engine work be sure you have good tools the correct parts and a good manual before you get your hands dirty!

ALTITUDE COMPENSATION: For our first example let's say we find a new riding area WAAY up in the mountains. Our jetting is dialled in for our usual riding area which ranges from sea level to 1500 feet. Our NEW riding area starts at 4000 feet and goes up from there. Going to a higher elevation will require will require a jetting change but which way? Like our fuel density, air density can also change. Higher elevations have less air density then lower ones. At high elevations our engines are getting less air, so they need less fuel to maintain the proper air/fuel ratio. Generally you would go down 1 main jet size for every 1750 to 2000 feet of elevation you go up (info for Mikuni carbs). If you normally run a 260 main jet at sea level you would drop down to a 240 at 4000 feet. Something else goes down as you go up in elevation is horsepower. You can figure on
losing about 3% or your power for every 1000 feet you go up. At 4000 feet your power will be down about 12%-even though you rejetted! For our second example let's say we are still at our new 4000-feet elevation riding area and a storm comes in. We head back to camp and ride it out overnight. The next day there's a foot of snow on the ground the skies are clear and it's COLD!. Aside from getting the campfire going and making some coffee you should be thinking about jetting again! Cold air is dense air and dense air requires bigger jets. If the 240 jet ran good the day before you will need a bigger jet to run properly today. If the temperature is 50 degrees colder
than it was the day before you can actually go back to your sea level jetting, a 260 main jet! If you don't rejet you can kiss your assets goodbye when you rebuild the seized engine. Air temperature makes that much difference!

Our final example will deal with something often overlooked. We are still up in the hills enjoying our NEW riding area when we notice the old fuel supply getting shorter. No biggie; there's a little store/gas station just down the road. A short trip a few bucks change hands and we are ready to go again. Out on the trail the bikes are running funny, sometimes "pinging" and running HOT. What happened?!?! When we changed jets to compensate for altitude and temperature we were still using SEA LEVEL gasoline. Gasoline sold at higher elevations have a different blend of additives to compensate for the altitude. Generally high elevation gasoline is less dense to compensate for less available air going into the engine and to aid starting. The lighter specific gravity of the high elevation fuel actually "leaned out" our mixture! A 1 to 2 sizes bigger main jet will get us back into the hunt. If you ride in vastly different areas try to bring enough or your normal fuel along to last the entire ride. It will save you hassles and grey hair in the long run!

PILOTS, NEEDLES, MAINS: So far we have only talked about main jet changes to compensate for altitude, temperature and fuel density. As most of you know there is a pile of jets in a carb. While main jets are the most critical for ensuring full power operation and engine longevity, the other jets are equally as important for a good running engine. Let's run through them quickly. Pilot jets control the low-speed and idle mixtures. Many times an adjustable jet is used in conjunction with the pilot jet. The adjustable jet allows a precise setting of the idle mixture. If the adjustable jet is located to the rear of the carb and usually on one side it is a AIR adjustment. It controls the amount of air that mixes with the fuel coming from the pilot jet. If the adjustable jet is to the front of the carb, on the side or bottom, it controls the amount of air/fuel mixture going into the engine. In either case if adjusting the mixture screw won't improve the low-end running speed it's time for a different pilot jet. Throttle valves (the slide) control the off idle, to 1-quarter open ,mixture. Some aftermarket carbs have replacement slides available with different "cutaways". Changing the cutaway changes the mixture. More cutaway is lean, less cutaway is rich. Some carbs do not have different slides available, so you have to compensate by changing the mixture on the idle circuit or
needle circuit. Partial throttle hesitation or rough running can be caused by the slide cutaway. Needle jets control the amount of fuel going by the needle and into the engine at low to mid throttle. There are 2 types of needle jets used in a carb. One is a primary type that has a very precise hole hole drilled through the middle of it, along it's length. The size of the hole relative to the size of the needle determines how much fuel goes into the engine. The other type of needle jet is constructed essentially the same except for a bunch of holes drilled into the side of the jet. These holes allow air to mix with the fuel before it's metered into the engine. Either type of needle jet works well in most cases but there is power to be gained on HIGH PERFORMANCE 4-STROKES by going to the needle with the holes in the side. These are called "bleed" type needle jets and produce more midrange power in a 4stroke. In any engine going to a leaner (smaller) needle jet is the easiest way to rejet the midrange running when going to higher elevations. Changing the needle jet leans out the mixture evenly at all the midrange throttle settings moving the needle clip doesn't. Jet needles more commonly know as the "needle" control the fuel mixture throughout the midrange. The shape or taper of the needle dictates how much fuel goes into the engine at a given throttle opening. The needle must work in conjunction with the fuelling requirements of the engine relative to slide position. If you have an engine with a strong hit in the midrange the needle will probable have a noticeable reduction in size the the slide is half open. Remember it takes fuel to make power and when the engine makes power it needs fuel NOW! If it doesn't get the right amount of fuel it pings or misses. You many have cleared up a little midrange pinging by moving the needle up a notch but at the same time you may have overrichened some other areas. If the problem isn't too bad you won't even notice the rich condition. If the machine stutters before it comes on the power that part of the needle's taper is too small and the only way to cure it is to get a needle with a different taper. Finding the right needle can be difficult so hopefully moving the clip will do the job. Finally the good old mainjet comes into play at 3-quarters open to full throttle conditions. Most of you already know a bigger mainjet has a bigger hole so it lets more gas into the engine! Pretty simple!! As simple as it is the mainjet is absolutely CRITICAL to high-speed engine operation. Not only does it meter the gas into the engine, it can aid in cooling the engine as well. A properly sized mainjet will let the engine make good power for a long time.


A one size smaller mainjet may make greater power for a while. A slightly rich mixture burns cooler than a lean one so be sure the mainjet is big enough! One final note on jets. All of them and the carburetion functions then perform tend to overlap into some other jet's territory. If you mess with one jet, you may have to mess with a few of the others. My best advice is to not change more than one jet at a time. Slowly work out the correct jetting and keep notes on what you are doing. If you get totally fouled up at least you can go back to where you started.

SIGN, SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES: How would you know if there was something wrong with your jetting? If you listen, your engine will tell you! All you need is an interpreter. Since I speak and understand several different engine dialects, I will give you a hand. Let's start with lean conditions because they can cause the most damage. In a lean condition the engine will surge and sometimes ping under acceleration. The engine will also be "cold-blooded" (hard to start and keep running) but will run better when hot. The spark plug will look bone white or burned in extreme cases. The engine may spit back or sneeze thought the carb once in awhile too. If the engine is running rich the throttle response will be fuzzy and not too quick. The engine will burble, miss and blow black smoke. It will start easy but will run funny when fully warmed up. The plug will be dark, wet or fouled (possible all 3!). Ok so what do you do first to cure the problem?

The very first thing is to check and adjust the float level. If it's off one way or another it can throw the jetting off too. Set the float to the specs and retest the running. The next item is to determine a rich or lean condition. Let's say the engine gets hot and doesn't pull well. This is a lean condition so the engine wants more fuel. Stick in at least a two size bigger main jet and try it again. If it's better but still not right go even bigger on the jet. and try it again. Bear in mind that drastic or sudden changes in jetting usually mean an air leak has developed somewhere in the engine. Find it and FIX IT!! When the engine burbles on the top end come down 1 jet size at a time until it winds all the way down. Don't drop and more sizes! If the engine seems sluggish and lumpy or want to load up on the bottom end the mixture is TOO RICH. Adjusting the low speed mixture screw helps a little but doesn't cure the problem completely. What you need now is a new pilot jet. Go 1 size smaller and try the adjustment again. When the engine runs smooth with the adjustment screw about 1 and a half turns out from the seat you have it!!

IS THAT ALL THERE IS TO JETTING??: There's a lot more to jetting than just stuffing jets in holes and hoping the problem goes away. If you can understand what your engine is trying to tell you when it runs funny you will have a better chance or correcting the problem than someone who doesn't have a clue. When you rejet, go slowly and carefully until the  problem is solved. As a final thought let me remind you that jetting is a lot like life, if you have a choice it's always better to be a little rich!!

13. How much pressure or tension is correct for the adjustment screw on the sidecase of clutch?

Hi, I understood the correct adjustment for the clutch is as follows-slacken off the adjustment at the handle bars first then remove the plastic plug, slacken the locknut and screw the screw in until contact is made ,then back off the screw 1/8 of a turn (what the ccm handbook says) the rotax engine manual says 3/4 of a turn but I think that is excessive.

Then using the box spanner supplied in the ccm toolkit, carefully tighten the locknut ensuring the screw does not move with a screw driver. Re-adjust at the handlebar(2-3mm of slack). Also ensure there is the correct amount of oil, I checked mine cold after an oil change and I had way too much causing the clutch to drag when warming up. The clutch will tend to slip if the adjustment screw is in too far and there is no free play at the lever. Steve.

14.  Will I need to re-jet my bike if I modify the airbox?

It will need rejetting if you modify the airbox as you are effectively allowing the engine to consume more air. Four stroke, or otto cycle engines work on a pressure differential principal or for the purists amonst us, a constant volume principal. (Before anyone tries to argue, jet engines (gas turbines) operate on the constant pressure cycle)

This means to say that by causing a very low pressure in the piston by drawing it down the bore, when the intake valve is opened, the external air (at normal atmospheric pressure) will rush in to fill the void left by the piston.

This vacuum effect will draw in anything around that is "loose" i.e. air and a measured quantity of fuel governed by the various jets in the carburettor. If there is insufficient air available in the airbox then the engine will run rich and bog down as it has a higher fuel to air ratio.

Likewise, if there is insufficient fuel, i.e. the fuel jets aren't big enough to flow enough fuel to mach the air quantity, then it will run lean. Running rich is not really a drama, it just means the bike will feel "woolly" and unresponsive but no real damage will be done. if, however, it runs lean, it will overheat and very soon pack up with irreversible, or at least very expensive damage.

YOU NEED TO JET UP IF YOU ALLOW MORE AIR IN.

15.  What battery should I use for my CCM?

The Yuasa YTX12-BS is a popular choice with our members and you can purchase these from a number of retailers, including: Celltech Battery Sales & Service

16.  What is the correct tyre pressure for Goldspeed Supermoto Tyres?

The Manufacturer's recommended cold pressures front and rear are 1.65 Bar or approx 24 PSI. These should be adjusted to suit heavy bikes / riders, ambient temperatures, different track surfaces etc. but care should be taken not to over-inflate these tyres as this may result in adverse effects e.g. speed weaves and /or premature wear. Pressures in excess of 30PSI are not recommended under any circumstances.

 

 


 

All material copyright © 2005 CCM Owners Group. All rights reserved.

CCM Owners Group accepts no responsibility for incorrectly published information. See Disclaimer.

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