Boxer Bobbers in China - British & European Bikes, Build Threads & How-To’s

**4444Design** · 09-28-2010

my 1st post in this forum - been active in some others and always interested to share new ideas or just some small-talk with other pals also working on "individualize" their rides ...

been working here in China since 3 years and work on the local produced so called "Chang Jiang 750" beemer-boxer-based motonikes which have been produced based on drawings of the pre-war BMW R71

this is how these rides usually look like:

24 hp engine, propshaft driven, sidecar

for the first stage i used one of those bikes in the "normal" sidecar setup but wanted to shift back to "solo" riding

and also wanted to have my bike built up to my ideas

so - after some different steps - i got here:

so far the list od modes:
- added footboards
- new frontlight
- skipped the frontfender
- cut the tail-fender and added sparto light
- new seat
- rims
- turn indicators
...

was a real though job to get those 16 inchers on the ride due to the restricted space caused by the propshaft - but after some trial and erroe finally it worked

seems i'm the first in whole china running such a ride on the small diameter rims with fat rubbers

still there is some stuff to do - "a bikers work is never done" - and some ideas how to improve

greetz froom china!

Thomas

**NHMike** · 09-28-2010

GREAT looking bikes, all of them!! The stock bike is killer even!

**Sighless** · 09-28-2010

Damn! Those are ill! I'm startin to get a real soft spot for those enigines.

09-28-2010

Hey, I have an ugly Chang! Yours is much nicer. Are there any performance parts available for them over there? Thanks for sharing.

**NHMike** · 09-28-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdozer

Hey, I have an ugly Chang! Yours is much nicer. Are there any performance parts available for them over there? Thanks for sharing.

Are these bikes something that's readily available out in Cali?? I don't think I've ever heard of them out here on the East Coast. What are the prices like? I'm hoping to head to Cali for work for a few months and picking up something cool, on the cheap out there to haul around on.

09-28-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHMike

Are these bikes something that's readily available out in Cali?? I don't think I've ever heard of them out here on the East Coast. What are the prices like? I'm hoping to head to Cali for work for a few months and picking up something cool, on the cheap out there to haul around on.

Mike, I wouldn't say they are readily available out here but they pop up on CL and eBay all over the country pretty regularly the couple times I've checked. Registering was a pain in the ass, but doable. Mine tops out at about 55mph so if I were you I'd look for an old Honda CB550 or something more fun and fast. I got mine from a friend for a retarded cheap deal. They are neat bikes and mine has been great but I put about 50 miles a month on it. My biggest complaint is that everyone wants to talk to me about it when I park and that drives me nuts. I wonder how they ride as a solo set up like 4444's bike. I do like the fact that it is a flathead design. Here's a link to my original thread about this bike: http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showth...ighlight=Chang

Sorry for the hijack 4444.

**Psychophilly666** · 09-28-2010

I think the Urals are using the same engine arent they?

**Psychophilly666** · 09-28-2010

2006 Ural Retro Classic

09-28-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psychophilly666

I think the Urals are using the same engine arent they?

Might be the same design, but I believe the Urals are made to a much higher standard. The casting quality and fit and finish on my bike is atrocious and I've heard the Ural's are quite a bit better. 4444, any input from the country of origin? I wonder if the Chang's in their home country are any better than the one I'm running?

**GENERICo** · 09-28-2010

Thomas

Im in south korea. i want one, preferred to be ugly. just a decent runner. what kind of cost am i looking at? i will come to china to ride/ ferry home possibly.

jake

**TemeculaTerry** · 09-28-2010

Yeh, I have seen both now in person thanks to bill and I can say the Russian bike is much much mo betta, but both are super cool.

The Russian bike I want to say is based off of a 40's r75, not the late 30's r71.

Harley made a replica as well during the 40's, check my blog I did a write up with some pics of a few BMW and HD military bikes.

THE BEER BOOTERS - HDXA-750

Sorry 4444, yu have been super hijacked but these bikes are a beloved thing around here.

**4444Design** · 09-29-2010

Wow!

Didn't expect that many replies ...

Just to start from the beginning:

when i got here to China once in a while i ran into one of these Changs and tried to get more info about them. Due to the ancient look and also to the fact that they are built based on Beemer-drawings a lot of foreigners here are interested to ride those bikes.

Some workshops around here to restore them and sell them to mostly expatriates working in China - alone here in Beijing are more than 10 shops doing Chang Jinag business.

The clue behind is to find THE shop which is reliable, reasonable priced, up to date aso

My first ride was my 32 hp tan coloured "Rommel Bobber" which i bought right from the restauration shop. Loved quiet a lot but started to customize 3 months after i got coz i didn't want to ride around like all the other foreigners ...

See pics of the different stages of my first sidecar:

first update was to add crosscountry rubbers to give it a more rugged look

first "mild" customizing was to cut the tailfender and add a sparto taillight

i ran that sidecar for about 5.000 km - sold it to a guy in Germany - shipped and now it is running over there without any problems

my second ride was the black solo-chang with the smaller flathead engine with 24 hp

you find some pics of the build-up on the thread of billdozer - someone of you guys posted my pics there ...

was the mockup stage when i tried to fit all the imported parts like taillight, footboards, aso

the black ride has now also about 3.000 km on the clock WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS except a blown fuse ...

since a couple of months i ran the ride on 16 inch rims - i was always hot to be the first guy in WHOLE CHINA to run a changjiang on HD rims with those nice rubbers

was really though to get those 16 inchers on the chang - lots of trial and error and all parts like spokes, rims - even tyres had to be brought in by myself in suitcase or imported from the US

since more than 1 year i owned the red chang also - again with the flathead engine and also changed the rubbers to 16 inchers and some other changes

before:

after:

the fenders are sold to a guy in the us - teh sparto is the one i initially had on my desert bobber

now the parking lot gets more and more stuffed coz i already planned for another bike - once more a "Desert Rat" but also solo-bike

**4444Design** · 09-29-2010

this is how the parking lot looks like right now

the chinese neighbours already got pissed but who cares

concerning the question wether Changs are better or the URALS / DNEPRS

as far as i know there is 2 different quality levels for the changs: bikes produced for the chinese army and for the civilian market!

the military parts are much better means more durable!

i'm not that convinced with the 32 hp version but fully satisfied with the flatheads with 24 hp

compared to URAL i have been asked in a couple of other occasion already but do not have that much experience with the russian rides - heard horrible stories already about thos Molotovs!!!!

the clue behind is: if you find a reliable workshop which is really using good and new parts you can have a lot of fun with a chang - but you need someone here in china stepping by at the workshop to check - and finally to give the bike a "break in" ride for a couple of hundred kilometer to watch out for defects

i'm still satisfied and will take my bikes to Germany as soon as i switch back to Europe in a coiuple of years

and finally: YES - Harley also produced a copy of the Beemers HARLEY XA - i own a load of pics of those rides and now at least one guy in the US who dressed up his Chang to a HD XA lokk-a-like

**Gyllenberg** · 12-12-2010

Hi Swedebobb here! Maybe I should start a thread on my flathead over here too? There seem to be some interest for them over here

**squirts** · 12-13-2010

but I'd love to see a thread on on what folks are doin' to their flatheads. Seen some nice Russian flatties and flat twins at this site... It's good to see folks takin' whatever they can get their hands on and makin' it theirs.

Christian's Dnepr Page