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Post by einism on Nov 14, 2007 1:50:01 GMT -5
Hillbilly, just wondering how your scoot is doing, I have been riding and working on my scoot 5 years now. something about keeping one of the cheap scoots on the road sparks my interest. Mike
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Post by jennings813 on Dec 18, 2007 21:53:35 GMT -5
I bought my Roketa MC54 from atvdiscounter on ebay and had a very good experience. I first orderd a sunl then the next day they listed the Roketa and I emailed and requested changing my order to a Roketa and offered to pay for any additional paper work. they changed the order at no cost. Scooter arrived fine, no damage. The paperwork came in a week and was incorrect according to WV DMV. The DMV called them and I got new paperwork in 3 days! Put about 750 miles on it. I followed Scootdawg's suggeztions and changed fluids, gas lines and fuel pump. I hope you have as good an experience as I have. I do wish now that I would have gotten the 150 instead of the 250, oh well. Good luck.
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Post by scottfla on Jan 5, 2008 23:08:20 GMT -5
So, what's happened to the cheap scooter? What's happened to Hillbilly?
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Post by memturbo on Jan 12, 2008 9:07:27 GMT -5
Ive seen there feedback and most of it is people whom are jumping the gun
when something is wrong they leave negative feedback
Most of the complaints are left several messages and emails and never got an answer.
I did have problems with emailing them but I called them several times and have always
got a person .
I got a call a few days ago from them stating that the color I chose was mismarked
on a scooter so they didnt have it .
They said they had silver and grey so I told them silver would be fine
they apologized and promptly refunded $49.00 to my account for the trouble .
I asked them about there recent negatives and he said that the people would have a
small problem like some body damage or starting problems and instead of being calm
and stating their problem they would leave dirty emails and messages .
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Post by rerun2 on Jan 12, 2008 21:56:05 GMT -5
skunkwiper, you might want to join the group and get to know what we are about BEFORE you post obvious promotional stuff... advertising here is frowned upon. If you want to give an opinion on a dealer, your are more than welcome to do so, there is a specific thread to do so!
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Post by memturbo on Jan 13, 2008 22:28:11 GMT -5
All Im saying is in just about every negative they say the couldnt get to talk them
everytime I called them I got a person .
We will see how it turns out after I get my scooter from them
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Post by bucky512men on Jan 16, 2008 11:53:05 GMT -5
We just bought a milano 150 from ATV Discounters showroom here in farmers branch, we recieved excellent service from the staff. Scooter is good chinese quality. Make sure to write down the number on the EBAY ad for assembly advice. The showroom is open Mon-Sat and they service what they sell.
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Post by christyw on Jan 17, 2008 22:01:56 GMT -5
I bought a cheap clone scoot (roketa bermuda 150) back in april with very little information and kind of spontaneously.
i've changed her oil and replaced her intake manifold (cracked) other than that, no problems.
I don't ride her as much as I want b/c I am a weather wimp.
I am planning on selling her soon though and getting a 250 (aprilia, i think) anyone know if I can get a couple hundred bucks for the bermuda or if it's even worth trying to sell? Maybe I should just keep it?
I'm impressed with how well she rides, but she is a bit bumpy (compared to other scoots i've ridden) and her throttle is loose, but dad says that is easily adjusted...i just have no idea how to do it.
She has recently developed a squeak when riding but i have no idea what it is...could be the brakes, but not sure. should I be worried???
Hillbilly, i'm glad your scoot seems to be running so well for you. I hope she still is, these months from your initial post.
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Post by termite on Jan 20, 2008 17:44:53 GMT -5
Christy,
Check your PMs.
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Post by mtbarnum5 on Feb 17, 2008 12:22:23 GMT -5
Hey man,
I just did the same thing, and I am having a heck of a time getting it going. I ordered from the exact same company and everything. It's an Sunl 150cc Adventurer. They don't send any instructions on how to get the thing going, the manual is a terrible translation from Chinese to English and only identifies parts that are obvious like the seat. After hassling with it for a couple of days, I finally got it started by spraying lighter fluid into the air filter, but I can't get it to idle. I have adjusted the idle screw, and the air fuel mixture screw on the carb, but it still won't idle. When I called Atvdiscounter, they told me to take it in to a shop and let some one work on it. I was appaulled! Why should I take my BRAND NEW scooter in to get worked on? It should run immediately. The kicker is that the warrantee only covers parts and not labor. The only place that will work on it charges $85/hr. So, I'll have to pay that out of pocket. And there is no return policy. I'm sure once I get it running I will be more satisfied with it, but so far it has been nothing but a head ache. Let me know how it goes for you, or any tips you might have. Thanks
Mike
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Post by "Big Guy" on Feb 17, 2008 13:15:18 GMT -5
First off, 99.2% positive is a heck of a rating for someone selling Chinese scooters. I personally have bought four scoots from them and never had a problem with communication. Of course, I didn't email them. I just picked up the phone and called. They have always bent over backwards for me and I would and will do business with them again, however not from eBay. I order direct from the old fashioned telephone and get the same price or better than eBay, and a better warranty.
---> As to the topic on hand, try going to a local lawnmower man. Several people I have given this advise to have thanked me for it. Lawnmower shops typically charge from $35-$50 per hour and know these engines inside and out. This time of year would be great to go to one, since they are probably hurting for business.
Save yourself some money by removing the necessary panels so that the engine is accessible before you bring it to the shop. Take photos along the way also, so you know how to out it back together!
One guy I know on another board went to Honda and got a price of $212.50 for a complete carb removal and cleaning, then went to a lawnmower shop and got it done for $65.00... That's what I would do if I needed a mechanic.
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Post by jennings813 on Feb 28, 2008 16:28:52 GMT -5
I bought from ATVDiscounter also and scoot arrived with no damage from Old Dominion Trucking. I had a probvlem with the MSO being incorrect, but they overnighted a corrected one. I have just orderd an ATV from them last week. Hope you have a good experience.
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Post by Gary on Mar 1, 2008 11:50:45 GMT -5
I went the cheap china-scoot route too and am very happy with the end result. The scoot I have is a Viva 250, bought from allnewsports.com. It was $1800 delivered, or about $1,500 for the scoot and $300 shipping. That's about as cheap as you can get for a 250 I think. I had a number of mostly nuisance type problems at first, but was able to work through them with the help of the great folks on this board. I've now had the scoot a year and have accumulated 10,000 km. The scoot runs flawlessly. I really like the extra power of the 250 (I also have a Tank 150) and have become spoiled by the windshield on the 250 (I'm adding one to the Tank). Interestingly enough, the seating position on the 250 is lower than the 150. I'm short, but can flart foot the 250 if I slide forward on the seat a bit. On the 150, I'm on my tippy toes. The 250 also packs a lot more storage than the 150. It isn't quite as nimble as the 150, but is still light and agile enough to split lanes at stop lights, etc.
I'm digressing. The main point is that the very cheap scoot route can work with a 250 too. Just have some patience, don't expect perfection at a rock bottom price, and work throgh the issues. It can be done!
Cheers, Gary
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Post by norm74 on Mar 22, 2008 17:38:11 GMT -5
I too went the cheap route for curiosity sake I suppose. I bought a Piaggio Fly 150 for my wife and I decided to keep this one that I had originally bought for her. It is kind of funny, I had pretty much the same problems that hillbilly had, on the exact same scooter from ATV discounters. My fuel gauge was off due to incorrect assembly, and several other small items. The biggest potential problem came when I was changing all the fuel and vacuum lines. When I pulled the vacuum line off of the right side of the carburetor, it was a solid nipple!! It wasn't even drilled out! I took off the fitting and put it in my drill press and drilled from both ways (it has a 90 degree bend on it). Worked fine. Also, the starter would maybe turn, maybe not. Traced it to bad/loose wiring. VERY LOOSE WIRING EVERYWHERE!!! I pretty much rewired everything with REAL connectors before I first started it. When I was checking the connection for the CDI, it had a terrible rattling sound of something inside smashed/broken/not right. Replaced it with one of my many, many replacement parts I bought when I first purchased this scooter and read about the poor quality of some of these parts. Also finally found some REAL clamps for the fuel line on eBay from a guy in Canada. I hate using the cheap screw adjustable type. Constant tension clamps work so much better and are easier to use.
After the engine oil and gear oil was changed and everything was tightened/replaced, I decided to fire it up. I only wished that I had remembered to prime it by sucking on it first to save on the starter/battery. I also replaced the crappy filter and spark plug with real ones. Anyway, it fired right up once fuel went through the filter. Idle seems to be good, no problems thusfar. Unfortunately, after just getting it started I shut it down and now I have to wait for the snow to go so I can break it in properly.
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Post by norm74 on Mar 28, 2008 7:25:53 GMT -5
Well I took it out yesterday and I have to tell you that it is possibly the best $798 I have spent. What a blast! It was definately worth the 8 hours or so going through everything before I rode it. This forum and it's members have been a real godsend and I thank you for all your posts and topics. Now it is parked again because in the night we got 6 inches of snow and it's still coming down... :-(
The only problem that I could complain about is the air pressure seems a bit high. Definately rides a little rough, but maybe it'll mellow as time goes on. I'm running about 31 pounds in the rear and 29 up front.
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Post by mplsscooteruser on Apr 14, 2008 3:03:17 GMT -5
hillbilly, you haven't posted on this for several months and wondering how the experiment has gone so far. Have you pulled it out yet this spring or put any more miles on it. The string kinda got hijacked after you stopped updating. Maybe you restarted a different thread somewhere else. I'll keep looking in other spots, but bookmarked to see how this ends.
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Post by rattlemeter on Apr 17, 2008 8:22:24 GMT -5
Hillbilly hasn't posted on *any* topic here since Nov 14, '07.
Perhaps he's moved on.
/hoping not in a bad way.
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Post by mplsscooteruser on Apr 17, 2008 21:31:58 GMT -5
I am sorry to hear that, kinda like someone ripping the last chapter out of a book. Oh well, I hope he is doing well though.
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Post by hillbilly on May 5, 2008 22:44:07 GMT -5
So I'm back home and got the little scoot and the fiji both out last week. My son had come over and swapped the battery chargers (3) around among the various batteries (8) that I had to store but the cheap oem battery was weak when I went to start the scooter. There is a Batteries + store just a couple of blocks away and I went there to try and get an AGM battery for it that I wanted to try but they were out of the size I needed so I ended up getting a regular Yuasa for it.
I had changed the engine and gearbox oil before I left and ran some sta-bil through with the last fill up so it was ready to go after I checked tire pressures. I usually just run 30 psi in both tires.
I have had all sorts of errands to do running around town and have also done a little aimless cruising so as of this evening it is up to 961 miles. Gas prices are pretty bad so it sure is nice doing as much as I can on two wheels right now. I should probably adjust the valves soon, but the scooter is running about as well as I could ask so I'm not going to bother with it for now and just see how it goes for a while.
There had been an intermittent squeak over bumps that I tracked down to contact between the edge of the centerstand footpad and the kickstart lever so I took an angle grinder and took about 1/8" off the inside edge of the centerstand footpad so they could no longer touch. Other than that it has impressed me with how quiet it is. The body panels on my Fiji usually make a little rattle or squeak now and then on bumps but so far the body panels on this are pretty tight.
I don't plan on getting back into the tree work around here for at least another couple of weeks. My son did a great job running everything while I was gone so I am going to keep on with fun stuff for a while and should rack up quite a few miles.
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Post by fatlou01pa on Jul 2, 2008 23:00:37 GMT -5
have a capri 150 same as lance and had the it worked on but now there is oil coming out of the air box and filter what is doing this?? vac line not right a bad ?? can anyone help me thanks fatlou
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Post by sc00terchris on Jul 7, 2008 1:25:01 GMT -5
sunl is usually a good brand
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Post by mplsscooteruser on Jul 8, 2008 2:33:29 GMT -5
Are you KIDDING ME? ? Those things are more hit than miss. sc00terchris, I highly recommend taking time to read all the SunL, Tank, and Roketa postings on here. I have had nothing BUT trouble with my SunL from day 1 (So far all electrical) which seems par for the course with this company's product. If you are someone who just wants to ride and not get your hands dirty stay away from these bike; however, if you really want to learn how to take the body parts off just to work on GY6 electrical these are the scoots to buy. I garauntee you'll learn how NOT to put a wirring harness together. Keep in mind that hillbilly, isawhim, and several others are veteran Scootdawgs that really know there stuff and how to reduce down time. Sorry, didn't mean to go off on a tangent but stay away from SunL if you looking for a Scoot, you'll have a better than fair chance your going to spend more time fixing than ridding and by time you get done buying parts, waisting gas money on your cage not only buying parts, but waiting for new ones to arrive, you could easily afford an Achilles or even a Vespa.
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Post by ptglass on Jul 8, 2008 9:42:43 GMT -5
One thing that really bothers me about these Chinese scooters is the fact that almost every dealer I've checked out with the BBB has received a poor rating. Is there anybody selling these scooters that has a good reputation with the BBB - If so, I sure haven't been able to find one? It just seems "hit or miss" as far as a good experience goes purchasing one of these.
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Post by wildbill on Jul 9, 2008 18:58:35 GMT -5
hey hillbilly..I believe atv discounters work out of Texas. It may be just fine. wait til it arrives.you know what's great bout cheap scooters? they have doubled in price in the last few months. I have heard of "Milano". Iam thinking scootertronics.com may have a model with that name. wildbill ... goodridin' down hills!
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Post by wildbill on Jul 11, 2008 17:59:23 GMT -5
HILLBILLY,OPEN THE BOX! thats your mistake of not checking the contents while the shipper was there. too late now..goodluck wildbill
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Post by eagle150 on Aug 4, 2008 1:52:57 GMT -5
Hey Hillbilly,
(Being pretty much a redneck myself, I have to give your identity high marks!) I have a feeling you'll love the scoot! My Wife and I bought a Xyngyue Eagle 150 from ATV Discounter a couple months ago. We love it, but, the little Armor Milano 150 was the one I really wanted. (There are a couple of "Milano" scoots by different manufacturers, but they are very similar.) The Armor version usually is labelled "Big Chief" and I actually like the goofy name, since I like vintage Indian cycles... The name decal CAN be removed if you just hate it!
VERY "Vespa-like". We drove to the Farmers Branch ATV Disc. store to sit on and compare all the models, and I liked the little Milano even BETTER in person! Trouble was, the seat was just too short for both of us to get onto comfortably. (Some dieting needed here...) That was the only reason we went to the larger, longer size bike.
The little Milano was only $698 at the time (should have bought one anyway. I think they're around $1,300 now with the new $100 residential delivery charge) and if you like the Italian style, you're gonna LOVE the Milano. The spec's on it are a little faster and more hp than most other 150's too, but that may or may not be true. A lot gets lost in translating from Chinese...
We still ordered the scoot over the internet, because it was about half the in-store price, with free delivery. The entire deal went great. We had some hassles with the Texas DOT about registering, but ATV Disc. took over the paperwork and did everything for us quickly! They also were more than willing to answer all my questions (some pretty dumb, in retrospect) by e-mail before AND after the sale.
I'm brand new to this forum, and new to scooters, but have been a biker for more than 45 years. Seems a lot of good people are in this group, and a lot of good information is available here.
If your deal goes anything like mine did, you'll be a real fan of ATV Discounter. Regardless of where you got it from, I think you'll LOVE that little Milano! Heck, if you don't, you can always resell it for a profit once it's titled!
Best wishes on a happy experience with it!
Leo & Betty in Texas
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Post by ltjohnny18 on Aug 10, 2008 15:37:49 GMT -5
I ordered the same one. Let me know how it it is. I got it for 799.00
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Post by highlsnds3 on Sept 1, 2008 13:03:21 GMT -5
Hillbilly, A bone for you, you rock!! I was pretty wary of ordering my first scoot, but after reading your post, and a LOT of reading and lurking here on ScootDawg, I braved the world of online scoot buying and got mine from a dealer off ebay. I paid for it on a Monday, got it Weds. morning, but didn't get a chance to put it together and do the PDI until last week. So far this has been one of the best "big" purchases I've made. I love that all you guys (and gals!!) are so willing to share your experiences and help out those of us that are completely new to the world of scooting.
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Post by devonrs on Mar 10, 2009 14:38:38 GMT -5
Hey all.. I'm new here but have been a member of other forums, mainly provoscooter, for years. After owning a lot of non-chinese scooters (vino, venice, vespa, lambretta, bajaj, etc), due to my current budget, I just bought a Roketa MC16-150 on Ebay for $900 including shipping, and so far (100 miles) it's running great!
The only issues I've had have been with the seller.. As the bike was shipped to me without a battery or an exhaust pipe!!! I borrowed the exhaust pipe from a friend's identical Baron Retro until I get that issue sorted out.. But otherwise I couldn't be happier. Though time will tell...
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Post by kz1000st on Mar 14, 2009 9:45:32 GMT -5
OK, most batteries are throw-aways on a China scoot, but the exhaust pipe? If worst come to worst you can buy parts directly from Roketa.
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