PK80 Wildcat Ported from California Motorbikes is Garbage

[Deleted member 35519]

Wildcat PRO Racing Engine 80cc (Ported) 5HP With CNC Head | website

-PORTED GTZ 3rd Transfer Port Injected Split Port Cylinder-Window Piston-Reed Valve1-6mm Race Carburetor-Trued Bottom End (38mm Rod)CNC Head- best quality aircraft grade solid cnc ENGINE ONLY, and race parts shown in photo.- Not a full kit. Select "Yes" on "make this a complete kit", and for...

www.californiamotorbikes.com

Just to confirm this is the SECOND motor I've gone through and both have broken at the beginning of their break-in point. Cause: Oil seal in magneto side blows out from high compression due to internal crank bearing having NO SEALS on either side.

This by default should be considered a BAD QUALITY CONTROL. Almost purposely known to boost sales. They should have at least one BEARING SEAL ON each bearing facing the magneto and crank. But nope Zane claims it's to penetrate them with oil. I call bollacks and sleezy business practice.

Secondly the manifold meant to mount the PZ16 carb ARE GARBAGE. Both kits REQUIRED me to dremel out EXCESSIVE solder left over from factory assembly. These motors are ticking time bombs. I don't understand how a business in over 10 years standing cannot correct these issues. I have wasted over $400 on these! One replacement motor without the CNC head and another with the CNC head and motorized bike kit. Absolutely horrible experience...

First motor blew piston after the oil seal on the magneto side blew out and partially due to the carb running a little too lean.

Second one, now my motor refuses to start after the oil seal blew out. I quickly had some quality Viton seals and installed on the blown magneto side. Now the engine just sputters and comes to a hault. Spark, magneto, cdi are ALL FINE.

There is no way to determine what else it can be without tearing the crank case apart! definitely not the crank side! I just put over 310 miles on it running a little rich and it was running amazing until this happened yesterday!

Wildcat PK80 bottom cranks are garbage! I have purchased two Wildcat Ported Racing engines, both the same problem! I highly suggest Zane UPDATE and correct these issues immediately.

I have a Minarelli as a paperweight and will REFUSE to run it until i split open the case and modify to correct these CARELESS problems. This is complete cancer.

The only benefit to owning this motor is to keep the GTZ cylinder as a carbon footprint to match the port work.

 

[Nickt919]

I use this thing...not sure where to buy it in the usa...
It holds the seal in place.

(B46-PL-66) Inner Magneto Electric Seal 66CC

Replacement magento electric seal for your motorized bicycle engine kit. This is a direct OEM replacement and is guaranteed to last.

motorizedbicycle.com

 

[Deleted member 35519]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[GW's Motorized]

It seems like the bottom end seals are an issue with all of the California Motorbikes bottom ends

 

[DAMIEN1307]

Wildcat PRO Racing Engine 80cc (Ported) 5HP With CNC Head | website

-PORTED GTZ 3rd Transfer Port Injected Split Port Cylinder-Window Piston-Reed Valve1-6mm Race Carburetor-Trued Bottom End (38mm Rod)CNC Head- best quality aircraft grade solid cnc ENGINE ONLY, and race parts shown in photo.- Not a full kit. Select "Yes" on "make this a complete kit", and for...

www.californiamotorbikes.com

Just to confirm this is the SECOND motor I've gone through and both have broken at the beginning of their break-in point. Cause: Oil seal in magneto side blows out from high compression due to internal crank bearing having NO SEALS on either side.

This by default should be considered a BAD QUALITY CONTROL. Almost purposely known to boost sales. They should have at least one BEARING SEAL ON each bearing facing the magneto and crank. But nope Zane claims it's to penetrate them with oil. I call bollacks and sleezy business practice.

Secondly the manifold meant to mount the PZ16 carb ARE GARBAGE. Both kits REQUIRED me to dremel out EXCESSIVE solder left over from factory assembly. These motors are ticking time bombs. I don't understand how a business in over 10 years standing cannot correct these issues. I have wasted over $400 on these! One replacement motor without the CNC head and another with the CNC head and motorized bike kit. Absolutely horrible experience...

First motor blew piston after the oil seal on the magneto side blew out and partially due to the carb running a little too lean.

Second one, now my motor refuses to start after the oil seal blew out. I quickly had some quality Viton seals and installed on the blown magneto side. Now the engine just sputters and comes to a hault. Spark, magneto, cdi are ALL FINE.

There is no way to determine what else it can be without tearing the crank case apart! definitely not the crank side! I just put over 310 miles on it running a little rich and it was running amazing until this happened yesterday!

Wildcat PK80 bottom cranks are garbage! I have purchased two Wildcat Ported Racing engines, both the same problem! I highly suggest Zane UPDATE and correct these issues immediately.

I have a Minarelli as a paperweight and will REFUSE to run it until i split open the case and modify to correct these CARELESS problems. This is complete cancer.

The only benefit to owning this motor is to keep the GTZ cylinder as a carbon footprint to match the port work.

Thanks for posting your honest experiences and assessment of these motors from Zane at CMB with NO WARRANTY, and I am sorry to hear about these issues which seem to be going across the board with all of his motors from the Avenger, right down to his PK-80s that he is a vendor for.

I was thinking this was only an Avenger problem, but Zane has previously stated he only deals with just one Chinese manufacturer for all of his motors so I guess these problems seem to be consistant across the board on their entire line of their products.

I have been joking in other threads that his Avenger was not the 'Phantom Killer" that he was claiming it to be because the Avenger was too busy committing suicide, but now it looks like the entire lineup of these motors from that manufacturer are all committing suicide due to bad crank bearings and seal problems.

I am truly sorry for your loses.

It is good to post these types of comments so others are informed and so that newcomers in particular know who and what to avoid when it comes to acquiring their first motor when first coming to this little hobby/sport of ours....One should never have to be tearing down the things in the lower half just to make these things run in the first place.

 

[DAMIEN1307]

This by default should be considered a BAD QUALITY CONTROL. Almost purposely known to boost sales.

Might I add that it don't think it will boost sales so much as it should drive someone outta business for selling a shoddy product with no warranty, because people will eventually just refuse to buy any product made by this manufacturer or from that vendor...Just my opinion.

"Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" should be the Motto here.

 

[currentclock96]

I will now NOT be buying from California Motorbikes after the advice I received and your experience. Thanks for sharing!

 

[DAMIEN1307]

It is also interesting that Zane says this in his advertisement for the motors he sells.

"Orders are hand packed with care by owner. Each engine is hand inspected prior to shipping for defects to ensure you receive the best motor."

And after all this is said by him, before he will even sell to you, you have to tick off a box saying you agree to his rules and conditions for him to sell these motors and/or kits to you in the first place...Even on the ones he himself has ported...The only vendor I have ever seen that does this to their customers.

I have seen and read many a "legal" document in my almost 69 years of breathing, but I have never seen the length nor breadth of such a document of a "legalese" disclaimer being used that is only of benefit to the seller with no practical protection for the buyer just for the "privilege" of even being able to purchase a product.

Terms & Conditions | website

www.californiamotorbikes.com

 

[Zane-CaliforniaMotorbikes]

If the avenger is also having these issues, it proves that it doesn’t have anything to do with Runwell. The avenger is from the Yuandong factory which makes the original grubee Skyhawks. This factory is 1000 miles away from Runwell and uses different parts.

It is not proper to run a sealed bearing. That might work for basic stock motors will not hold up on performance motors.

I should also add that I have made no changes to the bearings our seals on our Runwell motor in 10 years. You may just have a defective seal as I have very very few reported issues on this and I would be happy to provide you with some free replacement seals.

Reguarding the intake, I am happy to replace that also. We have been selling the wildcat pro four about five years and have not made any updates to it as our customers have been very happy with it. Please reach out to me directly if you would like the replacement intake and the seals at no charge. I hope you can give me a chance to resolve the issue.

 

[DAMIEN1307]

How about we just say that we are getting people across the board here that keep reporting this as a problem coming from the same vendor then?