QLink Pegasus- MADE IN CHINA, PERFECTED IN THE USA BY SOME DUDE IN HIS HOME GARAGE!

A better pic in between the raindrops

2008-04-13T23:44:00.001-04:00

A better pic in between the raindrops

My replacement motorcycle!

2008-02-25T00:04:00.001-05:00

My replacement motorcycle!

A quick sketch showing the design error.

2008-02-07T17:05:00.000-05:00

REMEMBER: I SAID QUICK!
This is NOT to scale. I did this in about 5 minutes to try to explain to an owner how the issue works. (Well- doesn't work.)

60 degrees today!

2008-02-06T19:42:00.001-05:00

60 degrees today!
168 Km trip.
Needle just slightly (about one-half a needle width) higher than 40 degree day's ride last time.

Left the bike idle. Gauge needle would reach just the top of the face screw, fan comes on, needle drops to about 1/4 white, fan goes off, temp goes back up.

Everything looks good.

Antifreeze level is about 1/2" lower than the reservoir lid. This way, if it starts to get hot and overflow, I'll see it RIGHT away.

40 degrees today

2008-02-02T19:58:00.001-05:00

40 degrees today.
210 Km Round Trip.
Needle never passed 1/4 white.

Today

2008-02-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Today

Still going strong.

2008-01-31T16:35:00.001-05:00

Still going strong.

Twenty eight degrees this morning.g...

2008-01-31T16:33:00.000-05:00

Twenty eight degrees this morning.g...

Says it all

2008-01-27T15:45:00.001-05:00

Says it all

January 27th

2008-01-27T13:29:00.001-05:00

January 27th

January 26th 30 degrees F

2008-01-27T13:27:00.001-05:00

January 26th 30 degrees F

Forward: Qlink Pegasus "Overheating" / Head Gasket

2008-01-23T23:53:00.000-05:00

To read the entire story correctly, you will have to read the last post first. The entries are in reverse chronological order.

Use the links to the right to read the blog this, correct, way. (For some reason, blogger doesn't allow visitors to sort by date.)

This is the saga of my 2006 QLink Pegasus 150cc Scooters, purchased new- from an authorized QLink dealer, on September 1st, 2007. It has just now been fixed, by me.

I am the ONLY person who has publicly said they have a DEFINITIVE solution to these series of scooters, which have been described as having "overheating" issues. Rumor has it that about 20 of these scooters were replaced with new ones, very quickly, by QLink. These were the first ones to have trouble. Since then, I have seen no verifiable evidence to support this rumor.

This blog is a result of fairly careful note-keeping. It was something I knew I had to do within the first week of owning my new bike, because I was already starting to get screwed. My original dealer wouldn't answer his phone. A local dealer told me to go to hell, and that he wouldn't support the warranty. He, too, was an authorized dealer for QLink scooters.

I originally posted many of this in my own, closed, membership-only, forum. I did this for the ease of the dealer. I felt it would be simpler for them to view pictures and text together, than to receive email, and that they could do it from any computer. I had never had membership requests for the forum, but eventually had two requests from users in China. This were the first requests in the three years my forum has been up, and it happened a day after the title appeared: "QLink CFMoto Pegasus 150 Scooter."

I kept quiet about many of these details, because popular opinion suggests they have a habit of "voiding" the factory warranty. The owner's manual says that warranties will be voided if work is not completed by an authorized dealer. Well, an "authorized dealer" authorized me. Therefore, a representative of QLink and their products legally gave me permission to do this work without voiding the warranty.

I have tried to protect the dealer who made this arrangement with me. The owner seems like a good guy, the place appears professional, the prices seem fair. He went through the trouble of picking my bike up, driving it to his shop, and working on it for four weeks. I don't want him to get into any trouble over this matter, because I don't feel he deserves it, and I think his hands were tied by QLink to an extent. You will see that communication isn't their strong point, however, especially when plagued by a problem product like an overheating Pegasus. If I were in the market for a scooter, I would see him first. People tell me I'm crazy. People tell me they'd have thrown that bike through his front window. There's always some room for improvement, I guess.

Finally, after documenting MY solution to this head gasket, (note that I do NOT call it an "overheating" problem now,) I'm a bit angry. I lost probably five weeks of riding time- time I planned on saving money in gas over what my big SUV uses- since this started. I've been lied to- right to my face. I knew it, stood there and took it, knowing the other people wouldn't budge. But enough is enough.

Everything here should be considered "opinion." Any emails that were copied are true and complete. I have all email archived including the header files, so there is proof of who sent what, and when. All images are as they were taken, except where obvious notes or color keys were added. I have had a witness to the discussion regarding me doing warranty work. I have two witnesses who observed my repair. I have the opinion of two of the most intelligent mechanical engineers I've ever met. I have receipts, phone records, and more.

I have a growing network of other owners who have gotten the shaft- some far worse than me. These owners are, typically, those who took dealers' advice to keep riding their machine, despite a clear need for taking it out of service and repairing it. Some call this a conspiracy between QLink and dealers. Many facts indicate this could be possible.

My goal here isn't to slam anyone, but to warn others what they're getting into when they choose products that are imported and poorly supported. To warn others to what extent their $2400 investment could mean absolutely nothing for months on end, and to help those who have had these problems fix their machine.

I am fully open to participation in a class-action lawsuit against QLink. I will say no more at this point, except that you may contact me if you wish to do so.

This blog may quickly disappear. I have asked QLink for some things in exchange for information on how, exactly, to fix not only the head gasket issue- but to regain their reputation. I've offered to send them professional-level documentation on the process of doing so- ready for distribution to their dealer network. I've offered to tell the story of how some unscrupulous dealers seem to have given advice to customers that result in catastrophic or irreversible damage to their bikes- probably in the hopes that they would fail. From here, those dealers are absolved of responsibility unless the customers took them to small claims court.

At the time of purchase, very little negative information existed regarding the model, and the few internet discussions out there made the bike look good. One negative comment mentioned an overheating issue that a forum owner decided was "not credible," and banned the user from his forum. It was said that 'there are people out there just trying to make trouble' and that no one should trust this person's account of events. (Note that this forum also is a heavy supporter of QLink, and has their banner ads on the forum and main site. The owner, on more than one occasion, has said that he met the "general manager" of QLink, a "Mr. Johnny Tai.")

Nowhere in this saga was Mr. Tai available for discussion, despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Please note that much of what is presented here is speculative, in terms of the actual corporate policy of QLink. It is, rather, an account of actual communication with them, where it is referenced.

Feel free to post a response, or contact Tim at
qlink_pegasus [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Troubleshooting: Verify you've got a blown head gasket!

2008-01-21T02:36:00.001-05:00

Much has been said about troubleshooting a blown head gasket. Some true, some not so true, and some are just impossible to come by for many people.

In the case of QLink scooters, it really doesn't behoove someone to go ahead and verify- even with 100% accuracy- a blown head gasket. Why? Qlink doesn't care. They will NOT send you a head gasket, despite a very clear indication that this is the problem. They are NOT in the business of getting people back on the road quickly. If you disagree, do a quick internet search for it and read the accounts yourself.

The way I looked at it was this: if I verified, hands-down and for sure that there was a head gasket leak, I'd still have a big headache arguing about all the stupid shit they forced me to wait for. I'd rather simply suspect the problem, give them the chance to straighten it out, wait forever to get parts, try them, and ask again... until it finally got fixed; than to know and end up waiting just as long. I know; I called them myself and spoke to them. Don't believe me? Try it yourself.

In the meantime, here are the checks you need to perform to have a reasonable indication that you've got a leak; at least in the same capacity I had mine.

Does your scooter run hotter than the screw on the temperature gauge? Even in cooler weather? Does it blow coolant when you accelerate suddenly? Is your radiator coolant level low? (Like down to 1/3 capacity.) Is your recovery tank level low, despite adding more? Is your tank level high all the time? If you answer yes to these, keep going.
Stop the scooter. Allow it to cool. Take off the front shroud using a phillips screwdriver. Remove four screws on the rear side of the front fairing, and two at the bottom by the fender. Take off the COOL radiator cap. Don't burn yourself. If the tank is low, add coolant to the top. Start the bike. Once warmed up, goose the throttle to 1/2 or 3/4 full, very quickly, and let off. Do it again. If coolant pushes out of the filler neck, consider yourself 90% sure that you've got the problem. Check it a couple of times. It'll throw a shotglass or more of coolant every time you do it.
Remove the lower head bolt that is at the lower left hand side of the head. (LEFT = LEFT WHEN FACING THE FRONT OF THE BIKE.) You can get to this bolt without removing the valve cover. If it has ANY grey, rubbery, RTV like sealant on it, this indicates a scooter that was suspected of having leak issues at the plant. Perhaps they used it through all years, perhaps even after the fix; I do not know. What I do know is that it was on this scooter. Can you see this grey sealant around the hole? Oozing from the head/cylinder joint? Just another way to check.
Did you drain the coolant? Did you see black flakes of paint in the coolant? If you get flakes from your coolant, can you bend them without them snapping in two? If the latter is the case, and they're stringy, rubbery, or do not break- this is the coating from the head gasket. It comes off as a result of exhaust gas and high pressure passing over it. Some of the coating is within the combustion chamber, before the seal point of the gasket. This will be expelled through the exhaust. But what you're seeing is the coating that was blown from the gasket and into the coolant, as hot, high-pressure exhaust gas cooked it off and blew it there. Seeing this should make you very suspicious that you've got a gasket leak.
If you've changed coolant and flushed the system, and have run the bike for two hours or more, does the coolant still look nice and green? Does it look kind of stained? Brownish? This could be exhaust gas staining your coolant.

There is more to come.

What do I need to make this repair? General Introduction.

2008-01-21T02:18:00.000-05:00

First of all, you need a general piece of advice. The single greatest gift that a mechanic can have is that of consistent and careful observation. Look for inconsistencies in what you see in front of you. Look for inconsistencies in sounds an engine makes, or in how hard one bolt might be to remove than another.

Machines are designed to fit together, and work together, as a system. When one part of that system fails, it can cause a chain reaction that is difficult to assess, understand, troubleshoot, and repair. When you're talking about opening up an engine, know first that anything you do will have a marked effect on the longevity of your engine when you put it back together. If you have a doubt at all about anything you're going to do, DON'T DO IT. Stop, and seek advice from someone you can trust, and someone you know could have experience in what you're doing. Even if you have to simply get an uneducated but simple second opinion from the neighborhood handyman.

Second, in the case of QLink motorscooters, what you're about to do will- in their opinion- void the warranty. It will not matter that you've successfully accomplished a repair- even when they themselves made you wait months without solving it. It will not matter your ability, knowledge, or even if you are a licensed mechanic. In my experience, and from talking to others, I fully believe they will void your warranty, just as they would void mine.

It doesn't matter that I am the only one to offer a definitive solution to the problem. It does not matter that I have a relatively high mechanical aptitude. It would not have mattered one iota if I had videotaped the repair for their approval, as I have offered to do so, and have been told right from the source- no. They wouldn't let me change a thermostat- something no major automotive company would never void a warranty for.

Just keep this in mind- you're now on your own. Make certain you have everything you need to complete the repair BEFORE attempting it, as parts right now are only available through a dealer, and that very dealer will have your warranty voided based solely on the part(s) you order from them.

For this particular repair, I would recommend that you fully troubleshoot your Pegasus prior to even considering repairing it yourself. This now said, I also recommend that you do NOT take the word of your dealer alone: if coolant is pushing out of the system only on acceleration, I'd call any dealer a liar for denying the possibility of a head leak.

Since troubleshooting is important, I will address this in another post.

For now, understand that most people who have done a bit of work on cars probably have 90% of the tools required to perform the repair. You will need a torque wrench that will handle 35Nm, 7Nm, and 10Nm. Don't worry yet- I'll translate that in the tooling post.

You could invest in a compression test kit, ($30-$60 on average,) to assess your scooter prior to repair. You may have to purchase a few specific metric sockets and tools, as not everyone generally has all of these in a general kit. A definitive list will come up soon, but for now- don't let tools discourage you. In a bind, you can always borrow them from someone, or rent them from an automotive store.

How can I believe Tim and Savage? Taking Measurements

2008-01-21T02:06:00.000-05:00

Incidentally, here is the bolt from the head that goes in the bottom hole surrounding the timing chain cavity. The grey stuff is rubbery RTV type sealant. This is a weak spot- clean off the RTV well, hit it with acetate solvent, add some blue (medium) Permatex locking liquid (Or medium loctite) and reinstall.

Savage taking measurement.

Protrusion / height of alignment sleeve above head flange surface.

This is the depth that MUST be in the rocker arm assembly, or the pin is too long!

The height of the sleeve above the mating surface of the bolt hole flange is 0.3695"

This means the rocker arm assembly counter bore MUST be 0.3695" or greater in depth.

This is the measurement on the UN modified sleeve, overall length.

This is the depth of the counter bore in the rocker arm assembly. WAY TOO SHALLOW!

THE PIN IS TOO LONG!

File or grind the sleeve down to a final measurement of around 0.465". Remember to put a slight taper on the outside of the pin. This may help center the counter bore of the rocker arm exactly where it should be.

How can I believe Tim and Savage? Cylinder Head Close Inspection!

2008-01-21T01:50:00.001-05:00

These pictures were taken from 10x to 30x magnification, through a microscope. Initially, I was trying to identify what small black dots were on the face of the head. I discovered a load of pits and voids across the face of the head, in the combustion dome by the valves, etc. Most were not of a troublesome size or location. However, it should be noted that it is extremely risky to take a head like this, and re-flycut it to remove material in a warped-head condition. This is because you could potentially open up a big void- it's like trying to cut away at the opening of a cave. You could make matters far worse.

The surface roughness and flatness of the surface were very good on this head, in my opinion. Again, the flatness was within 0.0005" across the entire head surface, which is kind of surprising considering everything I expected to see.

20X magnification
Coolant passage opening, edge. The discoloration is burnt coolant and carbon. Note the fracture-looking pits. Further- and of great importance- note how the sealing feature of the gasket dug into the head.

In most areas of the head, this mark looks like a rope. In this area, and along the leaking side of the head, the mark looks like a continuous groove. This is a result of the movement of the head gasket when running. The rope or cross-hatched pattern of the mark is caused by the high and low spots of the tooling that cut the head. The flycutter cuts a series of circles across the head, these circles are alternating high and low spots in the aluminum, very small indeed. As the head gasket moved, shifted, and vibrated; the tool marks were worn down so far that they are no longer visible in the problem, or leaking, areas of the head. This is important to know when you inspect your head, as it will point out very readily where the gasket was actually loose.

30x magnification

Further pitting and apparent fracturing at the coolant passage opening edge.

Note again the depth of the head gasket seat groove in the head aluminum. It is not only continuous in this photo, but it is also significantly deeper.

Again, the discoloration is burnt coolant and carbon- not black gook from the head gasket coating.

Roughly 15x

This is a further view of the bottom of the timing chain side coolant hole. Tool marks are not visible in the head gasket sealing groove, caused by vibration and shifting of the gasket.

10x
And still further away.

30x magnification

This image shows a void under 30x magnification. Again- this could be a real problem for some heads- causing leak paths, potential starts for fractures, and could make flycutting for warpage a dangerous and risky operation.

How can I believe Tim and Savage? Cylinder Head!

2008-01-21T01:37:00.001-05:00

2006 QLink Pegasus 150cc Cylinder Head

This is the condition of the head prior to cleaning:

The red identifies the remaining RTV / Sealant on the problem side of the head.

The orange shows that there are no leaks going into the timing chain cavity. This is important, as if a particular bike did not seal well, coolant could be forced from the coolant passage into the timing chain cavity. This could mean coolant (and lack of lubrication) flowing into the timing chain, and upper end of the motor to the rockers, valve stems, and camshaft.

The yellow in the following image shows the actual leak path between the combustion chamber and the coolant passage. Again- the black residue found here is a combination of burnt antifreeze and carbon deposits. This is a huge image that will show, in an upcoming post, how the aluminum began to suffer fatigue as a result of the hot, high pressure gas, flowing over the sharp edge of the coolant passage opening.

The green circle shows where you should look if you click on the image and view it full size. The blue highlight did not do well in the photo, but if you look at the larger version, you'll clearly see when comparing it to the first image- there is a load of RTV in this hole.

Following a good cleaning, this cylinder head was placed atop a granite inspection table. Using standoffs that are within 0.0002" in height, the entire surface of the head was inspected for warping. This head measured ONLY 0.0005" different from corner to corner! Incredible! No head warping, and it had a few hundred Km put on it (gingerly) since the gasket first lost its seal!

How can I believe Tim and Savage? Head Gasket!

2008-01-21T01:30:00.000-05:00

2006 QLink Pegasus 150cc
Head Gasket Analysis

Note that pictures are labelled directly with what they are showing. There are two sides to this gasket, and both are in this post.

Take special note to the shiny area surrounding the leak path into the coolant passage. This is the passage closest to the timing chain cavity. Also notice the stringy appearance of the black coating as it comes off of the gasket. The single reason why this coating came off like this, is due to high-pressure, hot exhaust gas, continually passing over the gasket. It literally cooked the coating off.

Now, understand that the coating will come off in other areas due to combustion, but all of this coating should have been expelled via the exhaust valve and exhaust pipe; NOT via the coolant.

This black coating is what I found at the very beginning of the ordeal, when I was flushing out the coolant!!!!!!!!!!!

How can I believe Tim and Savage? Cylinder!

2008-01-21T01:20:00.000-05:00

...huh? Proof? OH!

Here's the proof.

Here is the bare cylinder. Sorry for the poor pic. In the images that follow, you'll see evidence of RTV/sealant that was applied only to the left hand side of the cylinder face. You will also see the leak path, which is very visible here, from the cylinder to the coolant passage / coolant jacket.

The blue area shown here is where RTV / sealant remained on the face of the cylinder housing. The areas where it is not visible are due to bad photography, or that they have stuck to the gasket upon removal. The sealant is a rubbery, RTV-like film. It is thin in most spots, grayish in color, and had to be carefully scraped from the cylinder during repair.

The following image shows a pink area that represents the very visible leak path shown in the first picture. Though there is a lot of black colored residue on the cylinder in this example, most of the black residue is from the gasket coating. However, in the area denoted below, this darker color was carbon deposit- completely different in composition than anything else surrounding the cylinder and water jacket, except where the gasket is normally not sealed. In this area it is identical.

Please read the posts that follow for more examples.

What caused the problem in the first place?

2008-01-21T01:01:00.000-05:00

CFMoto applied an RTV or Sealant on the cylinder and head in an attempt to remedy a known head leak:

The RTV was applied only from the centerline of the cylinder, to the left side of the head and cylinder housing. This means it wasn't a "for good measure" fix, it was intended to fix a specific problem, or for a specific purpose.
The RTV is on the same side of the cylinder that the leak occurred.
The RTV is on the same side of the cylinder as the inherent assembly flaw or engineering flaw.
The RTV applied to the head-cylinder-gasket junctions was counterproductive. It caused more problems than solving them.

The RTV was put on sloppily, and oozed into the lower timing chain head bolt cavity.
This RTV prevented the proper torque being applied to the lower left head bolt, and allowed torque to relax in use.
This may be an individual scooter's issue, or could be commonplace. In any case, this did not solve the problem, and in my case it made it worse.

The Stock "acorn nuts" have adequate clearance for the cylinder studs, due to copper colored spacers atop the rocker arm assembly. However, the internal friction between the nuts, the spacers, and the studs is such that prevailing torque precluded a proper final torque value, on the order of 30% of the required torque value.
The Cylinder bolts are weak. Because of the above condition with the stock hardware, the internal friction adds shear stress (twist) to these weak studs. Under torque called out in the CFMoto Echarm service manual, the bolts torque forward something on the order of 90 degrees with the stock "acorn nut" hardware. This means that when torque is applied and released, the tool will move 90 degrees forward when tightening, but will relax back 90 degrees when the wrench is released. It is possible that some units- even beyond the 2006- could experience gasket leaks due to studs stretching over time. But only time will tell.
The left hand alignment sleeve is 0.064" too long. The protrusion of this pin above the surface of the head is something like 0.370". The cavity left in the rocker arm assembly is only 0.306". This means that the head gasket will NEVER become fully compressed. There is a slight lead angle on the sleeve, that may enter into the counter bores a little bit more, but regardless- this is the major reason why the head gasket leaks.

The long sleeve(s) caused the problem. The RTV made it squeak through inspection, but amplified the final problem. The weak studs and incorrect hardware make the entire affair impossible to correctly torque. All together, these three things MUST be remedied in order to properly address the cylinder head leak. Look forward to the next posts for a detailed process and procedure on how to do this.

What really happened here?

2008-01-21T00:43:00.000-05:00

Here is my interpretation of the entire situation, from CFMoto manufacturing, to the owner(s) "Voiding their warranties" by continuing to ride the bikes... according to QLink.

SPECIAL NOTE: LEFT = LEFT WHILE FACING THE VALVE COVER OF THE ENGINE. (Like sitting on the seat backwards.)

CFMoto was aware that there was a problem with the sealing of the head gasket in [certain] 2006, 150cc, water-cooled engines. These engines were destined for QLink, perhaps for the ECharm, but I have no evidence to support the latter.
CFMoto attempted to fix the problem by adding a small amount of RTV or sealant to the left side of the cylinder, and left side of the head.
CFMoto may have performed a QA (Quality Assurance) test on the engine prior to shipping, and it is feasible to assume that- if they did- the engine passed a seal test. I believe this could have happened simply because so many scooters were test ridden, and ridden following the sale, prior to mechanical failure and the coolant leak occurring.
CFMoto failed, for some time, to properly identify three key problems that were the root causes for the cylinder head gasket failure.
QLink may- or may not have- been aware of the conditions above.
The customer test drove the scooter, bought it, used it, and it eventually failed.
Some customers sought advice from their dealer.
Word has it that many dealers attempted some minor troubleshooting and repair. To my knowledge, not one single dealer fixed the issue after it occurred.
Some dealers advised their customer to keep riding the scooter, saying it would simply continue to run hot.
It is my impression that these dealers had no clue what they were doing, OR, that they wanted absolved of all responsibility in the matter. They probably assumed that the engine would eventually fail, and that QLink would either fix it, or their warranty would be voided. In either case, the dealer couldn't lose, unless the customer took them to small claims court and won. It may be that QLink was not aware that this was happening, and saw, only, a customer with hundreds of miles on their scooter following declaration of a problem.

Some of what is above is speculation on my part, but the following post shows facts.

Things checked, observations, and conditions prior to repair

2008-01-21T00:14:00.001-05:00

Please again note to read this factually for one of two bikes.

Symptoms and Observations:

Most all of these symptoms and conditions existed until the repair, at which time they were never again observed. All of these were communicated to dealers and QLink, both of which continued to push non-fixes to the base problem.

Upon draining coolant from system to replace with new, small black flecks of paint came out of the coolant drain plug with the antifreeze. This happened the first three times the coolant was entirely drained while working on the system. At these times, it was assumed that the flecks were from inside the radiator fill neck, where the cap's gasket rubbed some of the radiator paint off. However, this is not the case, and though I didn't realize a very important part of the observation, I figured it out later. This piece of the puzzle was that, when the flecks were bent in half, they did not break. They were pliable, not brittle. This should have told me that they weren't from the radiator, because the paint on the radiator is brittle enamel-like paint. At the time, I wondered if the water pump was made of rubber, so I removed the cover to inspect for play, wear, or any other obvious visual cue. I found the pump, of course, to be made of metal.
The problem came on without warning, when accelerating quickly under load. Specifically, going uphill and accelerating around a turn at 45 mph.
Another symptom of the problem was when the radiator cap was off. Sitting still but running, I "goosed" the throttle quickly to 1/2 to 3/4 full range. As I did this, the coolant would raise in level violently, and pour over the filler neck.
If the bike was sitting as in #3, and you GRADUALLY increased the throttle, the coolant became turbulent and airy, but wouldn't surge out and over the fill neck. When the throttle was released, it appeared as though the coolant level dropped a bit. I quickly realized that most of this was a result of coolant going up just high enough to overflow into the recovery tank, but not high enough to spill over the radiator cap neck.
Following test rides where coolant blew out, when the bike cooled down after stopping, the radiator would only be about 1/3 full, and the recovery tank antifreeze level would be between the bottom limit line and 1/2" lower than the lower limit line.
The bike would run normal if you did not goose the throttle, or demand a great deal of acceleration under load. In this condition, the fan would cycle normally, no coolant would blow out of the recovery tank when it filled up, and the bike would run about 3/4 of the full amount of the white zone on the temp gauge.
No appreciable amount of smoke ever left the tailpipe. Not when goosing the throttle. Not when starting up. Not when throttle was snapped back to zero.
Some steam / gas was evident at the radiator when pushing coolant out, but was deemed normal due to the apparent temperature of the coolant and ambient air.
Exhaust smell, if any, was always masked by "new vehicle" smell. Exhaust gas smell was not readily apparent because it was a new bike.
Exhaust gas analysis did not take place, because I couldn't readily find a source.
No oil was readily apparent in the coolant, though it did appear stained fairly quickly. It turned from bright green to a more brownish color soon after replacement. I was not sure if this was a result of contaminates being cleaned out, or if it was, indeed, exhaust gas.
The spark plug never looked any other way than completely normal.

January 14th-15th, 2008- Letter to QLink and Response

2008-01-15T01:24:00.000-05:00

I have a definitive process for dealing with the overheating issues on the Qlink Pegasus 150 scooter.

This process has been written, and includes technical data such as torque requirements, figures, and an entire procedure to do the following:

1. Identify whether or not a particular vehicle may experience this malfunction, in under 20 minutes. This is not VIN or Serial Number related.
2. Identify whether or not the head gasket is at fault for the overheating issue, in under 10 minutes.
3. Verify the #2 check prior to a head gasket repair approval.
4. PROPERLY perform the ENTIRE procedure, from vehicle tear-down, to component removal, and back again.

The estimated time from #1 through #4, for the repair and troubleshooting can be performed in under four hours by a mechanic with moderate experience and without specialized training. (This assumes all parts are in-hand.) The only specialized equipment required is a torque wrench.

The process documentation is written and ready to send to dealers and distributors, though you may re-write the process as you see fit.

The process of replacing a head gasket on this vehicle is NOT identical, or even similar, to the process on another vehicle. There are a minimum of three specific items that must be addressed in order to properly and confidently perform the replacement on a Pegasus. While additional items could be addressed in the procedure for good measure, the existing procedure covers more than the minimum involved, and gets the vehicle back on the road in a proper operating manner.

A large effort was involved in finding the solution to the problem, with no help whatsoever from QLink and the authorized dealers in my area when they were asked. I am fully aware that there are dozens of customers complaining about this issue, and tarnishing the QLink name brand. (A brief internet search can easily verify this.) I am also aware that QLink is denying warranty service to some of these customers.

If this information is worth something to you, please contact me. If you are not interested in this information, you may respond or simply ignore this email.

It is my sole intent to attempt to help QLink fix this problem, and redeem its reputation. At the same time, I know there are many customers who need this help. I feel that the products I've had experience with are worthy of this effort, but that the warranty execution is both lacking and against federal law. I am not a dealer or distributor.

We can discuss an arrangement that will have minimum impact on QLink, and maximum effect for the company's reputation, the dealers' reputation and customer relations, and the customers' satisfaction. Trust me when I tell you that it will be well worthwhile.

I have not divulged the particulars of this process to anyone. However, if I do not hear anything back by Friday, January 18th, I will contact as many people as I can, and share what I attempted to accomplish.

Cordially

Qlink responded via the "info@qlinkmotor.com" email address, the very next day:

Tim,

Thank you for sharing your insights with us. Pegasus 150 overheating only happened on 06 model. CFMOTO the manufacturer has changed radiator and design to cure the overheating on 06 model Pegasus. So far we haven’t heard 07 model has overheating problem.

I don’t quite get it what you said in the last paragraph that ‘if I do not hear anything back by Friday, January 18th, I will contact as many people as I can, and share what I attempted to accomplish’. There are a lot of misunderstanding and misjudgments against QLINK, and we reserve rights to take legal process to those people spreading untrue information.

QLINK does honor warranty but it has to be performed by our authorized dealers. A lot of times dealers won’t want to do it, and we have lately terminate dealers who don’t want to honor warranty. However, we have to admit that many customers didn’t take care of bikes and tried to pass the responsibility to dealers or QLINK. We did find a lot of cases like this.

Hope it will answer your questions.

QLINK MOTOR

My response regarding this last email is as follows:

Sir,

Please take your time and read this entire message. I feel it is good news for QLink, with a fair arrangement that will help the company with public relations, and help to sell future QLink products.
You must also realize that the 2006 Pegasus has been offered for sale as a new scooter well into the fall of 2007. I have heard, but cannot verify, that some dealers still have existing stock of this model year. This means, based on the average time between sale and failure, that you could be fielding complaints about 2006 scooters well into- and beyond- the fall of 2008. This means that negative feedback could potentially continue for the same length of time.
Before further discussion it should be understood that the overheating issues had nothing to do with the coolant system, but were fundamentally caused by the improper installation of the head gasket during assembly at the manufacturing plant. Though the affected scooters did overheat, it was a direct effect of a “blown” head gasket, and NOT an issue of cooling capacity. The “blown” head gasket pushed positive, high pressure exhaust gas, into the coolant system. This forced pressure found its way to the only outlet in the system: the coolant overflow and recovery tank. At some point, depending on the severity of the gasket leak and the load on the engine, enough coolant would leave the system that there was not enough to keep the system cool. At this point, and no other, could the malfunction be termed “overheating.”

My personal experience was that this particular scooter never exceeded 55 mph. It was not abused and was used in a manner no different than the owner’s manual, and certainly no different than any other comparable machine. The malfunction occurred on this scooter at 35mph, when accelerating through a curve and up a slight incline. It also occurred within the same week the scooter was purchased brand new, from a dealer that remained “authorized” on your website. The bike was “properly prepped” and was not sitting idly in a showroom for months without being started. A test drive of the scooter prior to sale indicated that everything was in order.

The fact is that I have experienced the problem first-hand. I know the bike was treated well both prior to, and following, the malfunction. It was then carefully evaluated, and during test rides the temperature was not allowed to enter into the red zone. At no point was the gauge ever at its highest point, and the bike was always shut down prior to exceeding the white zone.

It has been five months since the malfunction happened, and it finally got fixed last week. This is simply unacceptable. I do not understand how Qlink could let a customer go this long without a definitive and final solution. Most businesses realize that a satisfied customer will tell three people; and a dissatisfied one will tell a dozen people. This is even more severe when the internet is considered. It can be a thankless job.

The opinion of many customer complaints on the internet is that Qlink left them out in the cold, and will not accept responsibility for any such problem. While this may be untrue in many cases, it doesn’t sound good to potential buyers. This type of feedback is readily available with a simple and quick search of the internet.

I’d like to think the whole issue was a huge misunderstanding, and I hope that my information, process, documentation, and attempt to help you in the matter will turn things around for Qlink; by answering the public concerns. I think it could be looked at as a learning experience for a new company with otherwise good products. As I said: the scooter is an excellent work of art, and fits perfectly for the purpose and market it was sold for. It is not of the quality of major brand motorcycles, but within comparable models it is very good. The market demands a well-priced, reasonably made, safe scooter. I still feel that Qlink offers these.

The issue now is the warranty, and service after the sale. Without addressing these issues, Qlink will continue to receive bad press and feedback. I have some more ideas about how to deal with this part of the problem, but I’ll await any further comment from you regarding your interest in the matter before I go on.

I contacted you because I’d like to help you get rid of this negative feedback once and for all. This, and because I know there are customers like me who have nowhere to go, and no way to fix their scooters. They will assuredly continue to put Qlink down as a brand. Even those who may have abused their scooter should have the ability to fix it themselves. If they did, they are well aware that they did- and a good-faith gesture from Qlink could turn their opinion to a positive stance. It may only be a communication explaining what they need to do to fix their scooters.

You see, my assessment is that you had products with known problems sold to you. You were not initially aware of the issue. This was unfair. My impression, also, is that some dealers were instructing people to continue to ride their scooters when they should have been taken out of service and repaired immediately. The dealers were either afraid to attempt a fix, were unhappy about their reimbursement, or did not want the hassle. Their hope was that the customer would drive the scooter until the motor “blew up.” At that point, Qlink would either pay for a new one, or the warranty would be void. In either case, the dealer was absolved of any responsibility, and Qlink and the customer had to suffer. While some customers may have incorrectly continued to ride their scooters, there have been dealers that told them it was fine to do so. So both the dealers and the manufacturer put your company in a pitiful, liable, position. This is a very important thing for you to realize: it was NOT the customer who screwed Qlink, it was the very people who should be supporting Qlink that caused most problems. Most customers treated their scooter fairly, and the true problem arose when they followed poor advice given from the dealer.

This is very unfair and very unfortunate for Qlink. To keep this information and support from customers, however, is just as unfair. If they ruined their motor without consulting a dealer, that is one thing. There are customers that tell me they took their scooters to shops immediately, and still did not have the problem resolved.

Regardless of your interpretation of the warranty, the fact is that your manual clearly defines this type of warranty as a Limited Factory Warranty. The interpretation you proposed in your previous email suggests that it is a “Dealer Warranty.” The Federal Government can factually take you to task for denying service based solely on the idea that the responsibility belongs only to the dealerships. In fact, when dealers were asked, they called this a “Factory” warranty, and some even admitted it was an unfair arrangement. Qlink, for their own sake, needs to stop this type of communication from the dealer to the customer. As I mentioned ealier, I have some ideas that may help.

Here is what I offer:

1. I will have the information formatted and ready to use. You can chose to use the information to help dealers and customers fix the issue, or do nothing with it. I cannot force you to use it.

2. I will continue communication with you in any way you feel helpful.

3. Just as you cannot guarantee that customers did not abuse their scooters, I cannot guarantee that my process will fix every condition and every scooter. This is mechanically impossible. However, I am quite confident in my analysis of the problem, and have reviewed it with two separate, licensed, mechanical engineers.

4. My process will have a separate section that may be kept for internal organization use. This section will list a number of suggestions what will help enhance quality from the standpoint of the upper end of the engine, to the scooter in actual use. This will include rideability issues, comfort issues, potential safety issues, personal experience, opinion, and suggestions. The section should help shed light on what it means to own a Qlink from a customer standpoint.

5. I will offer a better translated Operator’s Manual. This will include SAE equivalents for all metric units of measure, clarification of some features and procedures, and more.

6. I will offer my assessment of the warranty and how it could be changed to benefit Qlink and the dealerships. Any suggestions should not make Qlink any more liable than they already are, but should open some options for customers. It should better explain the reasonable expectations that Qlink places on the customer.

7. I will begin a new thread of discussion on up to three user forums of your choice. My confidence in Qlink will be restored if this offer is accepted, and I will attempt to objectively demonstrate that lessons were learned and improvements were made. I will act as an “in-between,” demonstrating Qlink’s willingness to fix issues under fair circumstances, provided their policy has been followed by all parties. I have no problem doing so, provided you show interest in this arrangement, for- in my opinion- a lack of involvement by Qlink has been the major issue in the past.

8. I will create an agreed-upon number of images, of professional quality, for Qlink to use in advertising. The images will be studio grade and style, as well as “natural” or “environmental” images showing the product in use or in the environment where it is used.

9. I will continue to report all issues, good and bad, to Qlink as they occur. I will seek permission before discussing major issues in a public forum, and will not do so without express consent from Qlink.

10. I will attend a minimum of one regional motorcycle event, meet, gathering, or ride- every six months.

11. I will agree to advertise Qlink with stickers, banners, or any supplied media that can be applied to the scooter listed below. These will be visible during routine riding, as well as during motorcycle events. Photos will be taken at initial application of this media for proof that the media was applied, and will be repeated for any reasonable request from Qlink. (Not to exceed once per week.)

12. I will continue to direct any Qlink inquires to the Qlink website, and the regional distributor for my area. I will be a good faith representative for Qlink in public.

13. I am open to other suggestions that you feel will help push your products.

14. My original Qlink Pegasus 150 Factory Service Warranty shall remain intact. The fact that I have performed repair to my scooter, and single-handedly solved this quality and assembly issue, should be proof enough that I am as capable as an authorized dealer to perform the work. Based on my discussions with dealer service people, I am better qualified.

Note that items 7-12 will require a set length of time, or frequency. I am somewhat open to this, so please feel free to tell me what you think.

What I would like:

1. I would like a 2007 or newer 150cc or higher, scooter. This will be used for photographs, testing, reviews, and repair. Any supplied scooter will remain my property, unless Qlink decides to renew this agreement and have me test another street legal motorcycle 150cc or higher for the next model year.

2. Six (6) head gaskets for the 2006 150cc Pegasus motor. These will be sent to the six people I know who have a legitimate problem, and have had their warranties voided or are left without a local dealer or parts source.

3. A factory service manual. If a CFMoto manual is the only one available, this is fine. If you would like a better interpretation of the manual, I can add this to the list of items above. If the manual’s body and instrumentation section do not match the Pegasus, and if we both agree, I’ll be glad to re-write that section of the manual for Qlink and include photographs.

Please understand that I am in no way trying to “blackmail” Qlink, but I am attempting to help better public opinion.

The fact that you so promptly responded to my previous email has made me very happy, as I have had nothing but bad experiences so far.

I truly believe in- and enjoy- your product, I think I understand your positions and what happened to you, and I only wish to help. However, I refuse, after spending five months in this ordeal, to simply hand my work over for free.

If you read this email as I have intended it, and with the tone I tried to show you, you will see that I am actually asking for MORE work. This work, in my opinion, should help Qlink better their image to the US marketplace and consumer. It will be enjoyable for me, as I will be tasked with things I am very good at, and have fun doing.
I am not asking for a new scooter to replace my Pegasus. I am not asking because I am greedy. I am asking, ONLY, because I would like to push a new product for you, and create a new image for your products and company.
Please let me know what you think as soon as it is convenient.

QLink's final response to my suggestion was the following email:
We appreciate your offer, but at this moment we will work with our dealers for any product issue.

QLINK MOTOR
Understand that I don't believe my suggestions and offer to be free from fault. I know, in some ways, I was asking for a lot.
However, QLink's last response was a dismissal and a show of complete disinterest in finding a way to fix what they have allowed to plague customers, dealers, distributors, and themselves. They would rather threaten customers with voiding their warranties for posting negative things on the internet, than take a responsible approach to fix the issue once and for all.
My impression is that most customers would have their faith in QLink completely restored, had they chose to take a proactive approach to the problem. Perhaps there aren't thousands of units out there with these problems, and there are many more that run without a single issue.
The condition of these "few" bikes, however, is pitiful. Especially when considering they were bought new, from dealers who were authorized by QLink, and fail before they exceed much more than 1000 kilometers. They are unsafe to ride in these conditions- a complete hazard that could make QLink very liable for injury in an accident.
For now, the offer I made still stands. I want owners who have these bikes to be taken care of. I want those who are now considering QLink scooters as a brand, to know our story- even if it turns out better than what you are about to read in this seemingly unending story. Perhaps they will be willing to fix this the right way. At least now the dealers will know how to troubleshoot the issue, and correctly fix it.
Now that I've done all the work.

November 3rd, 2007

2007-11-03T00:45:00.000-04:00

Friday, November 3^rd, 2007

Attempted to install the parts received the day before, with the following results:

Temperature Sensor / Gauge sending unit. The sensor was a different size, and had a different type of connector on it. The new one had a male spade connection, and the old had a push-on, barrel connection. I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to chop off the old connector without splicing in the new female spade connector, or else I’d be screwed if the new sensor didn’t work right. While I was contemplating this, I decided to take a resistance measurement on the new and old sensors. When tested, the new sensor showed no impedance whatsoever. So I ran it under 110 degree tap water to heat it up, and tested again. Nothing. It was a complete “open” circuit. Once again, I decided to go against instinct, and to follow what they told me to do. I spliced in the female spade connector, installed the sensor, and moved on to the thermostat.
The thermostat was identical to the original one, or the one the dealer put in, whichever it was. I decided to put the new one in.
The radiator was, indeed, bigger than my original radiator. This is the only reason I bothered to go through with these repairs, hoping that this would somehow mysteriously fix the problem. However, this radiator had a few problems. The first was that the overflow pipe connection was 180 degrees from where the 2006 one was. This meant that hard right angle fittings would have to be used to ensure the hose didn’t kink. I was worried what might happen when I turned the handlebars, and didn’t want the hose to kink or interfere in some way with the wires for the front light, or the fork head. The second problem was that there was no temperature circuit to return to the fuel enricher sensor on the right hand side of the head. The only alternative I had during installation was to plug the original rubber hose, and plug the outlet pipe on the radiator, so I could start the thing up and see if anything changed. When I did this, I instantly got a substantial leak from some hose connection beneath the floorboards. It wasn’t so bad that I was in danger of losing much coolant, but I could see that the exercise would only be short-lived without modifying the aluminum radiator. I would only be able to see if the thing overheated; I couldn’t ride it that way.

Sure enough, the bike did the same thing. The temperature sender didn’t work at all- the gauge needle rested continuously on the bottom pin, showing no reading at all. Using a darkroom thermometer, I kept an eye on the coolant temp right at the radiator. It exceeded 160 degrees F when the bike was adequately warmed up.

The result was that I had to take the replacement radiator and air dam out, and replace it with the old again. I had to remove the faulty temp sensor/sender, and replace that with the old as well. I spent the weekend troubleshooting, and removing the stuff that wouldn’t work.

Detail as it was recorded:

I replaced the 2006 radiator (and rear sensor) with the 2007 radiator (with the new rear radiator sensor installed.) This was done on Thursday night. When I ran the bike, I couldn't keep it running because coolant was pouring out of the bottom shroud (or front of the engine- I don't know because I didn't have body panels off.) I figured I'd call Friday and find out what to do about the secondary hose since I figured this was the reason for the leak. I had it plugged with a rod just to try it out.

When I talked to the service manager on Friday, he told me that the dealer had another one that was fixed by doing all these changes except for the radiator repair. He wanted me to revert the radiator, change BOTH sensors to the new ones, change the thermostat, and try it out.

I did this last night, and the results pretty much speak for themselves. By the end of the night, I changed the temp sender back to the original one, and the gauge began working again.

I rode- for some crazy reason- in the 46 degree weather about ten miles. At first it didn't look like the gauge worked, because it was almost pegged at the low end. But after the first hill I found- coolant started blowing out again- and, of course, the temp went right up to about half of the white. I was taking it REAL easy, and it was cold as hell, but coolant still leaked out. I have no doubt that under normal riding conditions today, it'll blow all but 1/3 the radiator capacity out, it'll run at the lower end of the red zone, and would probably run this way for a few hundred kilometers until a warm day or a lot of hard riding was done. Then I'd worry, add more coolant, and this whole thing would start again.

Anyhow- here are the pics:

2006 (Original) Radiator removed from bike:

The 2007 Radiator was installed:

Detail of how secondary return hose was dealt with during trial run at idle:

Detail of the radiator cap and air dam interference with overflow tube. The clamps and elbows were required because the stock hose was not long enough, and the larger and better hose would kink without these "hard" turns:

I noticed a complete difference in both senders. The Originally installed version is on the left, and uses a push-on barrel connector. The replacement sender I received is on the right, and uses a spade connector.

Because of this difference, I took a resistance reading (at the same scale,) for BOTH senders. The original sender was tested...

The replacement sender was tested, and at NO setting was a reading able to be seen. The pic below shows the sensor at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit, following a tap-water bath to see if any change in reading was noticeable. Still, the sensor read as an "open" circuit telling me that it was defective:

Regardless of my test, I trusted what the dealer said, and planned on installing the sensor anyway. Since the sender lead had to be modified to accept the new sensor, I planned it so that I could re-connect the old one if I had to. This way, if the dealer sends a second sensor, I can put it in place with very little trouble. I'm a fan of soldering connections, and where feasible, adding a crimp connector on top for strength. The following pic represents the "soldered" state of the leads:

This is the modification complete, with shrink tubing and a splice cover.

I took this pic to show I received the new thermostat, and that the old one is out:

I took this one to show that I replaced the thermostat since most of the labor is already done- there'd be no reason to not go through with the change!

Here is a shot of a darkroom thermometer, which unfortunately does not go up too high, but you can see that it's reading better than 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

This was a tricky shot to take by myself, but I managed to get the gauge in the picture at the same time while holding the thermometer. Bike was at idle during this shot.

Here is the differences between the 2006 and 2007 radiators.

A detail of why the 2007 won't work without a professional modification:

Here is a shot with the 2006 radiator RE-installed:

November 2nd, 2007

2007-11-02T00:45:00.000-04:00

Thursday, November 2^nd, 2007

Received the radiator, temp gauge sender, temperature fan switch, and new thermostat- from the dealer.