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Post by Gary on Oct 31, 2008 10:25:13 GMT -5
YD - yes, early Christmas. And all for under $100.
Madman - White lithium it will be.
I think I'll do the belt and sliders first, them mess with the "illegal" air filter later. I'm hoping the filter will help get my mileage up a bit, but I want to go one step at a time. Cheers
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Post by Gary on Oct 31, 2008 21:34:27 GMT -5
Installed the new belt and sliders. I'm a little bummed. The new belt is considerably shorter than the old one (830 mm vs 850 mm) resulting in a lower gear ratio (or is it higher?) and a lot less zip. The new sliders are interesting, but I couldn't tell much difference one way or another. Here is a photo of the Dr Pulley sliders going in: Here is the belt in position. Its a lot lower down in the pulley vs my old stretched one which rode right near the top of the pulley. Guess that explains the extra zip I had and maybe why my mileage dropped. I'll try this setup for a while. If I'm not happy, I may try some lighter sliders to get some of the zip back. Either that or buy an EFI scoot. Cheers, Gary
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Post by madmanjustice on Nov 1, 2008 0:01:42 GMT -5
yea, i seemed to lose some low end torque when i had the shorter belt on my scoot. I definitly like the performance better with the longer belt.
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Post by Gary on Nov 1, 2008 10:09:23 GMT -5
Based on some rough measurements of where the old and new belts sit on the driven pulley, I estimate that engine rpm and torque are down about 13% with the shorter belt. I can certainly feel the effect on acceleration - way less zip. It will be interesting to see the effect on gas mileage. I'll bet mpg could easily go up 5 or 10%, i.e., 3 to 6 mpg, or maybe more with my commute that has lots of hills and stop lights (like 30 in 7 miles!).
The OEM belt stretched from its original length of ~830 mm to ~850 mm in 10,000 miles. I wonder if a kevlar belt would stretch as much? If I could find a Kevlar belt around 22mm by 842mm, I'd like to try that.
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Post by helotesguy on Nov 1, 2008 11:21:54 GMT -5
I guess the good news is, as it wears and stretches you will end up with a belt just about the original belt size instead of one that is too long when stretched. So the gas saved while it is smaller will help you pay for the cost of the belt. (always the optimist) Mike
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Post by Gary on Nov 1, 2008 11:48:18 GMT -5
Yeah, but I miss the zoom zoom factor. That might be worth $60 every 10,000 miles. Cheers, Gary
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Post by yarddogbbq on Nov 1, 2008 12:33:51 GMT -5
these belt sizes are something, mine is a 828/22.5 and your belt is 830/22 so it would sit lower in the drive pulley hmmmm. you may use more fuel. lets hope not. are the sliders quieter? yarddog
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Post by Gary on Nov 3, 2008 11:53:56 GMT -5
It rained last night and early this morning so I got my first chance to test out the Continental Navigators on wet roads. They stuck really well. I could make them skid, but it took some real effort. My old tires would have been like riding on ice.
They grip really well dry too.
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Post by Kiwiscoot on Nov 5, 2008 14:15:54 GMT -5
Hi Gary, just remember that the tyres have release agent ( to get them out of the mold during manufacture) on the outside. Someone told me they put their scoot on the center-stand and take sandpaper to the surface to get rid of that first little bit of slippery rubber. May be something to consider, but then these probably grip as well now as what ChinSeng tyres grip at their best. Hope you get good milage out of them. Kiwiscoot - NZ where we are back into winter again at -2 degC this morning. Nothing like a blast on a scoot on a morning like this to wake up...almost as good as a nice strong coffee...ah the joys of life. ;D
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Post by robcarb on Nov 6, 2008 4:53:08 GMT -5
Ca is long way from Ga. Wish could help you out. I'm a novice, but a friend is worth "priceless' 2 of us could solve any bike problem i'm sure.
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Post by Gary on Nov 6, 2008 10:05:53 GMT -5
Thanks for the thoughts Rob. Compared to a lot of folks on this forum, I'm a novice too. I never owned a two-wheeled vehicle before I got my Tank about three years ago. I've learned a ton of stuff since then, either from the kind and knowledgeable folks on this forum, or by just doing it myself.
Although the quality control and materials of construction of the china scoots may not always be up to snuff, I continue to be amazed at the very clever engineering that makes these scooters so easy to maintain. Working on the variator the other day, I was impressed how easy everything was to take off and put back on, and how parts were engineered to go on in one order only and only one way. Pretty much idiot proof, which in my case is a good thing. Gary
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Post by Gary on Nov 6, 2008 12:15:06 GMT -5
I filled up for the first time since installing the new sliders and belt. Interesting result: my mileage jumped to 59 mpg, up from the low 50's (around 54-ish). Granted this is only one tank, and it will take several tanks to confirm. However I did top off the tank really high (actually spilled a little bit - shame, shame), so if anything the amount of gas I used in the mpg calculation was conservative. Also, the riding included about 30 miles or so of two-up riding, up and down La Jolla and "Mount" Soledad (a big hill really). In any case, its an encouraging result.
Also, I've noticed a bit of the scoots acceleration has come back (or at least it feels that way). I'm speculating that despite my efforts to keep the belt and pulley faces free of grease, I either contaminated them a bit or some excess grease slung out and contaminated them, causing some belt slippage. I think the grease has burned off and the belt is gripping better now giving better acceleration. Either that, or its all in my mind.
Gary
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Post by Gary on Nov 16, 2008 10:15:34 GMT -5
Ole blue passed 11,000 miles this week. The scoot is running flawlessly. The engine never skips a beat, handling is great (with the new tires), and there aren’t even any squeaks or rattles to speak of (judicious placement of duct tape and double stick foam tape has taken care of these). I’m having a ball.
Pretty much everything was in order when I took off the body panels last weekend. I found and fixed a slow coolant leak; it was due to a loose clamp on a small bypass hose. The hose and clamps were original and still in good shape but I replaced the hose and installed new clamps. One of the trunk brackets was cracked - the metal is really porous and brittle. It had cracked before and I had it welded. I may try to braze it myself this time. I also found out why the fan quit working – I inadvertently pulled one of the wires out of the fuse box when I took the seat bucket off. (Normally I disconnect the wiring harness to the fuse box, but I got lazy this time). Anyway that was a quick fix. All systems are go again.
Acceleration is down a bit with the new belt and rollers. Not bad really, just a bit "flat" in the 20 to 40 mph range. I was told the stock rollers were 26 grams so I ordered 26 gram sliders. After I got the new sliders in I weighed the old rollers and found them to be 20 grams. Big difference!. I might try a set of the 23 gram sliders and see how they work out.
The handlebar mitts I installed a couple of weeks ago are working out great. They keep my hands warm and toasty when it’s cold. The mitts are attached with Velcro, so when it warms up during the day, I just peel them off and stick them in the trunk.
I also installed a much larger windshield for the cool season. The new windshield is a Slipstreamer Scoot 50. It measures 23" wide by 20" tall vs the old windshield that is 20" wide and only 15" tall. This new screen blocks the wind like a giant wall. It’s awesome in the cold. I mounted it the same way as the existing windshield, i.e I just drilled holes to match the old mounting and trimmed a little excess off the bottom with a jig saw. It bolts right up in place - very easy. I'll post some photos later.
I did notice my rear brake pads are wearing funny and one pad is almost worn out after only 3,000 miles. I'm guessing that the wear is due to having lost one of the bushings in the caliper assembly. I ordered a replacement brake assembly, and will try putting in a brass bushing in the old assembly once the new one arrives.
I also received new iridium spark plugs and will install one today. The old plug has 10,000 miles on it and is really black. Other than the color though the plug still seems to be in good condition and as I said above the scoot runs just fine. I plan to pull the new plug in a week or so to check the color again. I suspect it will be black, indicating the scoot is running rich, but will see. My last project is to see if I can put a little LED on my bicycle computer so I can read it at night.
Hope the rest of you have as much fun with your scoots as I am having. Gary
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Post by yarddogbbq on Nov 16, 2008 12:13:40 GMT -5
i know it is a pita, but you really need to turn your mixture screw in at least a quarter to half turn. just to see if it changes anything. cause you are making alot of carbon and is not good for the bike engine, and another good thing is running rotella diesel grade oil cause it will keep the ring area clean and prevent the rings from sticking and prevent the carbon from settling in the crankcase. i run dielsel grade oil too different brand.
till you adjust the idle mixture change oil more often. carbon will or can grind down metal. over time.
if turning the idle mixture screw inward doesnt do anything, a pressure regulator might be in order. one that will adjust preferably down to 1psi minimum.
yarddog.
you got a good bike and so did i. i just gas and go.
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Post by cstephen on Nov 16, 2008 12:21:08 GMT -5
Wow, you must really be doing some 'haulin! Didn't you just do a 10,000 mile post!!?? Last week, it was nasty and raining all week. I don't ride in the rain. Then, this weekend was gorgeous but the naturally crazy weather down here plummeted from 72ish degrees to a freezing 54 degrees in the daytime! No way I'm riding in that kind of cold so I am just leaving my scooter covered up for the time being. Will start riding again as soon as it warms up. Congrats. again on your mileage! It will be a LOOONNNG time before I see that mileage figure on my odometer!
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Post by scooterollie on Nov 16, 2008 17:43:31 GMT -5
Stephen, temp. in the 50s is great riding weather with the right gear. Get out and enjoy those sunny days!
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 16, 2008 22:03:28 GMT -5
Then, this weekend was gorgeous but the naturally crazy weather down here plummeted from 72ish degrees to a freezing 54 degrees in the daytime! Decent jacket, decent gloves...54 is like mid summer. Decent pants..44 is like mid summer. I did 5 hours today at 50...without my riding pants.
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Post by Gary on Nov 17, 2008 10:07:43 GMT -5
San Diego is a scooter rider's paradise. We've had almost no rain this year, and the temps during the day recently have been in the low 80s. It does get chilly overnight, sometimes to the low 40s or 30s. I've only done one long trip so far, but am able to commute to work and run errands etc with my scoot virtually every day. The scoot turned over 10,000 miles on 10/15 and 11,000 miles on 11/14 so it looks like I'm riding about 1,000 miles per month. I'm having a ball with my cheap china scoot and enjoying every minute of it. Cheers, Gary
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Post by Gary on Nov 17, 2008 15:32:26 GMT -5
Here are a couple of photos of the old spark plug. The color now looks pretty normal I think. I swear the plug was black when I looked at it the other day. Maybe the enrichener is sticking?? I'll pull the hew plug in a few days and take a look. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks, Gary
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 17, 2008 15:53:39 GMT -5
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Post by sam2000pres on Nov 18, 2008 12:51:01 GMT -5
Installed the new belt and sliders. I'm a little bummed. The new belt is considerably shorter than the old one (830 mm vs 850 mm) resulting in a lower gear ratio (or is it higher?) and a lot less zip. The new sliders are interesting, but I couldn't tell much difference one way or another. Here is a photo of the Dr Pulley sliders going in: Here is the belt in position. Its a lot lower down in the pulley vs my old stretched one which rode right near the top of the pulley. Guess that explains the extra zip I had and maybe why my mileage dropped. I'll try this setup for a while. If I'm not happy, I may try some lighter sliders to get some of the zip back. Either that or buy an EFI scoot. Cheers, Gary Try the Dr Pulley 19 gm sliders. I too tried the 24 gm sliders and lost some midrange, but would have been fine had I riden on flat land at sea level. At 3600' and in mountains, not so good... Now with 19 gms this 2006 Tank 250 runs like new again. Really like the Dr Pulley variator, has a modified ramp profile that keeps the sliders in the lower ratios longer for quicker acceleration. TK
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Post by Kiwiscoot on Nov 18, 2008 14:32:41 GMT -5
IMHO that sparkplug colour looks pretty good.
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Post by Gary on Dec 2, 2008 21:59:15 GMT -5
A while back I moved my bike speedometer to the top of the instrument cluster. Its much more in my "line of sight" there and much easier to read. The oly problem was that it wasn't lit so it was impossible to read at night. To solve that problem I mounted a cheap ($5) LED purchased a Kragen's above the speedo: It lights up the speedo very well and is very legible at night (much more so than the photo shows). The blue is kinda cool. Here is the speedo on the top of the cluster: The scoot is approaching 11,500 miles and running great. Cheers, Gary
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Post by earlwb on Dec 2, 2008 23:18:36 GMT -5
Congrats. I am impressed, I am trying to catch up to you, but you are racking up the miles at a good rate too. Anyway, way to go.
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Post by robcarb on Dec 3, 2008 3:38:51 GMT -5
I'm enjoying your articles friend. My cycle is up and running, but not gaining many miles to cold. Look forward to cathcing up when the wheather warms up. Untill I will read, learn, and prepair for viva 250cc whoes as I to share the same name, but enjoy the better looking reflex clone. Later!
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Post by Gary on Dec 3, 2008 10:40:32 GMT -5
I'm having a blast with the scoot. Not just riding, but learning and tinkering. Its fun and cheap. I don't ride that far each day - maybe 30 miles - but living here in San Diego I'm able to ride every day. So the miles do pile up. And although the scoot has had many nuisance problems, its never stranded me. It has only been in the 'shop' once - to have the rear wheel pulled so I could replace the tire (the second time I did it myself - very easy). And its only been out of commission (not ridable) maybe once or twice that I can remember. Anyway, I'm having a blast. I enjoy reading other peoples' experiences as well as sharing my own. Cheers, Gary
PS: Rob, I have to concede the reflex clone is better looking:)
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Post by 12string on Dec 3, 2008 20:58:33 GMT -5
Gary, I remember back when you took delivery of your scoot. I too at the time. was looking at the Viva Roadster. But I ended up with a rx150i. I soon upgraded to a Burgman 400, but I still enjoy the 150i. I am so glad to hear the experience of your Viva. Happy scoot'n
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Post by Gary on Dec 14, 2008 12:13:32 GMT -5
Thought I'd add a few photos of the carnage (scooter only) from last week's crash. Actually, both the scooter and I faired pretty well considering we went down at about 50 mph. Things could have been a lot worse. The front fairing got it the worst. The right turn signal was busted out of its mounts, the fairing cracked in a few places, and several of the mounts broke loose. I pretty much reconstructed everything with epoxy. Wish I could find the missing piece of plastic. The grey piece above the front fairing got worn away a bit. Kind of like my skin. I probably won't bother doing anything about this. The side down near the foot rest also suffered pretty good, sliding along the asphalt. My new windshield didn't want to be left out either: The left mirror (opposite the impact) also broke off its mounting. I reconstructed the mount with epoxy but decided to replace both mirrors with aftermarket ones from Oregonvintage. This is something I've wanted to do for a while and now had a reason. I think the new mirrors look nice. I obtained a new front fairing from Roketa, but unfortunately it is the wrong shade of blue (its a blue blue, my scoot is more of a purple blue. I'll call Roketa during the week to see if the have the right color. Don't know what I'll do if they don't - I kind of like the color of the new part better than the old. Maybe I'll have all the panels repainted to match the new one. Or more likely, Ill take the lazy way and just leave the old panel on. Gary PS: The combination of 23-gram sliders and the 830 belt seems pretty good. I kick myself for not ordering 19-gram sliders to mix and match with the 26-gram sliders I ordered originally. It would have been nice to try a net weight lower than 23 grams. Maybe I'll try lower weight in the future. But for now, 23 grams seems about right. Otherwise, the scoot is running great. My only issue at the moment is low gas mileage, about 55 mpg. I probably should adjust the valves. I've been hesitating, because a) I'm chicken, and b) the scoot starts and idles great, and I don't want to mess it up. But, I should just do it one of these days.
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Post by Gary on Jan 2, 2009 18:34:33 GMT -5
Ole Blue just rolled over 19,000 km so I figured it was about time to do the Dreaded Valve Adjustment. I followed Yarddog's method outlined in this post: scootdawg.proboards59.com/index.cgi?board=200cc&action=display&thread=18109The whole process took about four and one-half hours: Four hours worrying about whether I was gonna screw things up (the scoot had been running perfectly), and about half an hour to actually adjust the valves and go for a test run. The procedure is indeed simple. On the CF Moto type engine the valve adjusters are accessed through the same little inspection plate used to access the spark plug. No body panels have to come off, which is way cool. Following YDs instructions, I loosened the adjusters and with the CVT cover off I turned the engine with a wrench on the variator nut. The adjusters flopped to one side as they were supposed to but did not come back to center. So, I removed the spark plug to find TDC. This wasn't straightforward either, as something kept grabbing the rod I put down the spark plug hole. Anyway, I made my best guess at TDC and adjusted the adjusters. Man, those increments are tiny! Anyway, I buttoned everything back up, fired it up and whew, it started and sounded normal. I was very relieved. I took the scoot out for a test ride and it seemed to run pretty much the way it did before except it seemed to have a little less top end. The day was cool and damp and the air was really "heavy" so perhaps that was the reason. I'm going to leave the valves as is until I get in a test ride on a better day. I also topped off the tank so I could get a new mileage reading. Lately the scoot has been getting about 55mpg, which seems lower than it should be. I'm hoping the valve adjust will help here. Anyway aside from valve adjust, the little spill I took a few weeks ago, and the color change from blue to yellow, there is not much else to report. The scoot continues to run great and for the last several thousand miles its had virtually no issues, just miles of smiles. Hope you are all having fun out there and, oh yes, Go Chargers. Gary
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Post by robcarb on Jan 2, 2009 22:33:15 GMT -5
just out of curiosity where did you valves line up on the circular ruler?
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