|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 2, 2010 1:27:19 GMT -5
Good to hear everything is as it should be.
It will be good to hear your views/experience with the Feelfrees after a few 1000kms. My Michellin Gold Standards are very good and should give me good service. Our tarseal is done with very coarse stone-chip, which chews into tires pretty quick. The Gold Standards seem to last well on it.
It will be interesting to know what those Feelfrees cost and what shipping costs would be, but don't go to any trouble. I would need new tires probably 2 years from now I guess.
Happy scooting
|
|
|
|
Post by hualalai on Apr 2, 2010 19:09:51 GMT -5
Paul, let me know if you want some Stateside help. Metzeler Feel Free front and rear. |
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 5, 2010 4:24:30 GMT -5
Thanks for the offer. I see these guys don't ship international too.
|
|
|
|
Post by hualalai on Apr 6, 2010 4:35:34 GMT -5
Anecdote 1. I was on the freeway today on my Citycom at about an indicated 115 kph, which is average for that stretch of highway (which has about an 8% downhill grade for 10 km). I moved over a lane to allow an Audi to pass, and then followed the Audi. I had to speed up, but the scoot felt very stable... more stable than my DRZ400 would be (it's 100 lbs lighter, and higher C/G) ... and near the bottom of the descent I was surprised to see an indicated 150 kmh on the speedo. Thanks to the Audi I have a new level of comfort on the Citycom.
Anecdote 2. Over the weekend I spent several hours on a Suzuki Burgman 650. I was not impressed. I like Suzuki VStroms and DRZs very much, but the Burgman did not compare with the Citycom. The acceleration of the two was comparable (the current Burgman without ABS is 593lbs and with ABS is 611 lbs!!), and although the Burgman carved better (longer wheelbase and lower C/G) at speed, the Citycom had a much better overall road feel and much greater low speed maneuverability. Both had similar underseat storage, but my Citycom's top case fits my Nolan N102 and the Burgman underseat did not.
|
|
|
|
Post by nzscootrider on Apr 7, 2010 0:52:16 GMT -5
Hi Kiwiscoot. I think I'm about to do it but just need a push. The dealer will take the 49cc scooter I bought before Christmas and give me $2000 for it which I think is fair. On trademe it didn't get up to that level. He'll sell me a new Citycom for $6000 plus rego. Choice of black or blue (a real blue). On the negative side we're heading into winter, but hey. Cheers.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 7, 2010 2:04:26 GMT -5
Hi Kiwiscoot. I think I'm about to do it but just need a push. The dealer will take the 49cc scooter I bought before Christmas and give me $2000 for it which I think is fair. On trademe it didn't get up to that level. He'll sell me a new Citycom for $6000 plus rego. Choice of black or blue (a real blue). On the negative side we're heading into winter, but hey. Cheers. Go for it! Go for it! That's the same price I paid almost 2 years ago. You will not be disappointed. That sounds like a very good trade-in too. Let me tell you, you'll have a permanent "smile on your dial". I did 400km over Lewis Pass two weekends ago and it was a blast. |
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 7, 2010 3:12:50 GMT -5
Time for an update. 17000kms will roll past tomorrow and all is going great. Added a Givi top box which gives my wife more security on the back. The rack has the added benefit of keeping water spray off the seat in the wet. Changed the tires to Michellin Gold Standards and it improved the very good ride even more. The ride seems to be less "harsh" than with the OEM Maxxis tires. Replaced the belt after more than 15000kms with the same OEM Mitsiboshi belt. It still looked like it could do another 15000kms and only wore 1mm over that distance.  This is what the clutch bell looked like, hardly any wear and very shiny. Not blue either.  This is the clutch. Still heaps of shoe left.  These are the bearings of the clutch that run on the shaft. I gave them a good grease up and the shaft too.  Greased this bearing in the CVT cover well too.  You use the holding tool just as you used it to take the variator off.  Just loosen the two nuts so that they grap thro the holes of the clutch-bell.   While I was in there I cleaned the Dr Pulley sliders and variator too. I initially used graphite on them (against the manufacturer's instructions & others), but it cause them to not slide as far as they should. Also gave the variator bush a clean and a light coat of grease. All in all a very easy job and within the scope of any DIY Citycom owner. Now she is ready for another 15000kms of Smile Your Miles. |
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 7, 2010 3:30:18 GMT -5
As some may recall, I'm 6vt4.5 and always looking for more room. I find the Citycoms seat very comfortable and there is enough room for my legs and feet. Two weekends ago I did 150kms on a BMW GS650 and do I value the Citycom's space for legs and feet now. And the weather protection of the Citycom - I'm really spoiled by it. Well I sometimes wished I could slide back on the seat a little bit.  Well this is the underside of my seat after I did some surgery. Took the seat off the scoot and with a Dremel tool carefully removed 3/4 of the dome plastic. I put some polyurethane foam in between the seat foam and the bottom of the seat to protect the foam of the seat. All this was done with the seat cover and foam in place. The seat still looks stock standard from the outside, but now I can slide back and the hump just gives way. I could test this when my scoot had to come to the rescue 2 weekends ago. We were 200kms from home on the other side of the Southern Alps when my wife lost the car keys. I hitch-hiked back and shot back on my trusty steed at 10 o'clock on a dark & damp night thru the Lewis Pass. I could slide back on the seat and straighten my arm better - it was a blast. Imagine - 90kms of no cars, no lights, no civilization, just you, the scoot and one twisty after the other - life can't get better than that! ;D ;D have fun ! |
|
|
|
Post by Gary on Apr 7, 2010 9:45:53 GMT -5
Great update. Your photos really attest to the quality of the materials and engineering of the SYM. Really some great machines.
|
|
|
|
Post by hualalai on Apr 7, 2010 21:38:43 GMT -5
Kiwiscoot, thanks for the pix, and the seat mod. I'm only 6'2", but I'm going to enjoy stretching out more. Did you Dremel with a disc or with a bit?
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 8, 2010 4:13:47 GMT -5
I used a disk and went carefully thru just the plastic of the seat. The seat has some "ribs" across which took some care to cut thru as I did not want to cut into the foam of the seat. Made a bigger difference than I thought it would.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 11, 2010 6:02:31 GMT -5
Two up riding this weekend:
I did short trips with my wife a few times in the past, but she commented that she felt insecure on the back. Like as if she could fall off the back.
Well I fitted a Givi top-box and bought her the all pink Spool motorcycle jacket she wanted. Saturday we did a 60km trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The weather was perfect, sunny with no wind.
Today she wanted to do another trip which we did. About 120km all up. Lovely sunny weather, but we did have some wind along the way. That did not put her off, neither the cager who pretended we did not exist and turned in front of us (man I need that Strebel horn). She found it very comfortable and the scoot handled our weight just fine. Kept 110kph/72mph on the clock all the way even into the wind and the hills.
This scoot keeps impressing me.
happy scooting.
|
|
|
|
Post by skritikos on Apr 11, 2010 6:36:36 GMT -5
Excellent mods Paul; what I don't get though is where your wife's weight is supported now that you cut this plastic part of the seat! I have other questions though, as a serious problem is probably near my scoot. *Part 1* Since the first 300km service we noticed a few ounces of a creamy, almost white mix in the drain hose below the engine. I know from my off road experience with KTMs and others that this is usually coolant that got into the engine oil. I don't know why but I didn't think about that during the service. The mechanic was not worried too. The same happened at the 1000km service too, and one time in between that I cleaned the drain hose in my garage. *Part 2* A few days before the 1000km service I noticed a few small drops of oil on the crankcase under the motor, on the axis between the oil filter and the oil drain bolt. I cleaned the area, and one week after, during the 1000km service we noticed the same thing. *Part 3* On both oil changes we noticed no visible white-creamy thing in the drained oil! *Part 4* During the 1000km change the oil filter had many orange-yellow bits stuck on it, gasket glue or something? We cleaned and installed the filter again. *Question* Any clues about all the above? What is the relation between them and how serious it seems? It is still on 1300km and I really don't like the idea to have to disassemble the engine/crankcase. If the problem is something major I would like a new scoot, and not just a patch/repair. I never had problems like those on a new ride  |
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 11, 2010 16:01:33 GMT -5
Excellent mods Paul; what I don't get though is where your wife's weight is supported now that you cut this plastic part of the seat! The back third of the seat has the plastic backing still. Looking from the top the plastic backing starts about 3cm behind the raised hump in the seat. The seat is very over engineered with very big ribs and the plastic backing is about 5mm - 7mm thick. The two rubber stops at the back supports her weight then. If you visualise two people sitting on the seat you'll realize that all the weight of the pillion rider is actually on their sit bones in line with their spine towards the back of the seat. The middle af the seat where the cutout is is actually between the pillions legs where there not much weight. I have other questions though, as a serious problem is probably near my scoot. *Part 1* Since the first 300km service we noticed a few ounces of a creamy, almost white mix in the drain hose below the engine. I know from my off road experience with KTMs and others that this is usually coolant that got into the engine oil. I don't know why but I didn't think about that during the service. The mechanic was not worried too. The same happened at the 1000km service too, and one time in between that I cleaned the drain hose in my garage. Mine had the same at the start. I too queried the mechanic. This is due to the blowback with a new engine. Blowback has moisture (result of combustion) which condenses in the tube as the tube comes from the top of the engine. My mechanic suggested getting rid of the black bung at the end of the tube. It just traps this, better to let it drain. I've done that and never seen it again. I suggest you do the same. *Part 2* A few days before the 1000km service I noticed a few small drops of oil on the crankcase under the motor, on the axis between the oil filter and the oil drain bolt. I cleaned the area, and one week after, during the 1000km service we noticed the same thing. I checked mine now and mine is dry after 17268km. Two things can cause this. The oil strainer has an o-ring and the drain plug at the left side of the engine has a washer. If these are overtightened they flatten and this can then cause oil leaks. I would suggest you check these when you change the oil again. The oil strainer plug can be damaged (crack) very easily on Chinese scooters, so I'm very carefull not to overtighten it. It's aluminium and as it has an rubber o-ring only needs to be tightened untill it's tight. Look at the factory torque settings, they are very low. I've never heard of any problems with Taiwanese scooters in this department. Factory torque settings will give no problems. *Part 3* On both oil changes we noticed no visible white-creamy thing in the drained oil! See "1*" above. I don't think you have a problem at all. Get rid of the bung and you'll have peace of mind. *Part 4* During the 1000km change the oil filter had many orange-yellow bits stuck on it, gasket glue or something? We cleaned and installed the filter again. Yes I had that too. It is gasket glue. That's why I changed all the oils and the coolant very early on. You should not get any more now. *Question* Any clues about all the above? What is the relation between them and how serious it seems? It is still on 1300km and I really don't like the idea to have to disassemble the engine/crankcase. If the problem is something major I would like a new scoot, and not just a patch/repair. I never had problems like those on a new ride I don't think you have anything to be worried about. With these scoots everything is visible. With a new car all the things that come out of the engine due to the manufacturing process end up in the oil filter and gets thrown away, never to be known about and worried about. In winter you may notice the same creamy oil/moisture mix under your car's oil fill cap or oil dip-stick cap if the vehicle does only short trips. Same thing. I would suggest you change the diff oil to synthetic and the coolant too to a good brand with 50/50 mix with distilled water. Change the diff oil a few times as manufacturing bits do come out. Don't worry I think you will have as much fun and pleasure out of yours as I have out of mine. Happy scooing and SYM = Smile Your Miles.;D ;D |
|
|
|
Post by skritikos on Apr 11, 2010 17:42:37 GMT -5
Paul, your experience and km on this scoot gives me hope  An update about the oil leak. It comes somewhere from the upper part of the crankcase, near the cylinder, and then comes down to the belly of the crankcase and just sticks there as it is very light to drop to the ground. It seems that there is something loose there, or a misplaced o-ring somewhere. I have to give a better look with my mechanic (remove all bodywork etc). Did you have this almost white creamy thing in the drain pipe or just dirty oil and fuel? Mine almost looks like patisserie cream (yam yam yam ) I think that I will change the oil again in 700km (2000km) to see if I still have those funny things on the oil strainer. Another thing, I used a light today to see the level of coolant in the expansion bottle. When scoot was cold it was overfilled, I could not see the level through the window, because it is higher than this! Can I use a syringe with a tube to remove some? |
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 11, 2010 18:02:27 GMT -5
It was creamy white stuff, oil and water mix look like this. Remove the bung and you'll be fine. Sorry to hear about the oil leak.  could be this cam chain tensioner or  the head cover gasket leaking or not tightened properly. Not much else there that can leak as I can see. Good luck. |
|
|
|
Post by nzscootrider on Apr 13, 2010 6:31:36 GMT -5
Hi Kiwiscoot and others. I've done it and collect new blue Citycom tomorrow (Wednesday). If I've read correctly optimum tyre pressures are 30 rear and 28 front, partly cover radiator with something like a mousepad to enable faster engine warm up, and use mineral engine oil until say 3000 kms then switch to synthetic? I have the topbox attachment with the scooter, but what topbox do you recommend and where's a good place to order it? Do you find the s19 kg sliders an improvement by lowering revs and improving economy? Cheers, Greg
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 13, 2010 16:08:23 GMT -5
Hi Kiwiscoot and others. I've done it and collect new blue Citycom tomorrow (Wednesday). If I've read correctly optimum tyre pressures are 30 rear and 28 front, partly cover radiator with something like a mousepad to enable faster engine warm up, and use mineral engine oil until say 3000 kms then switch to synthetic? I have the topbox attachment with the scooter, but what topbox do you recommend and where's a good place to order it? Do you find the s19 kg sliders an improvement by lowering revs and improving economy? Cheers, Greg Congratulations - that's exciting. Hope you have as much pleasure from yours as I have from mine. With the Maxxis tires and my 90kg weight I found 32 back and 28 front to be optimum. With the Michellins on now I find 30 - 31 back and 28 front to be optimum. Yes that's what I've done with my radiator - Top slot left open, next 6 slots covered and the bottom four open. I've now had it like this for close to a year and with trips over Lewis Pass and Arthurs Pass with no problems. Not even in the city with stop-start traffic. Oil - change the engine oil immediately you get it. Put diesel 10W30 or 15W30 or 20W30 oil in. Diesel oil has more cleaning & neutralising agents in than oil for petrol engines. Clean the oil strainer too as it may have orange gasket sealant bits on it. Don't overtighten the oil strainer plug as it has an o-ring that can be squashed, look in service manual if you want to know the torque, it just needs to be tight enough not to leak or come loose. Change oil again at 100kms, 300, 500, 1100. I change my oil every 2000kms. Change the diff oil immediately to synthetic (I run Castrol 75W90 synthetic Syntrax 75W-90 in mine). You may be surprised at what comes out of the diff, metal flakes and such. After 300kms change it again. After 1000kms change it again and then at your first 200kms change it again. After that every second or third oil change. Cheap enough at about 200mls. I use an pump oil can to fill it untill oil runs out the top fill hole. I let it stand for a while then to drain out the excess before I close it. I did the "Motoman" break-in on mine. First 100kms. This was how I did it. Open quiet road. With scoot warm (I would say do this before radiator mod). Stop and then accelerate to about 30 kph with WOT(wide open throttle) and then close the throttle letting the engine brake the scoot to almost a standstill. Both these actions (accelerate and decelerate) is very important if you do this method. Do this about three times, then up the speed by about 10 - 20kmph, repeat it at this speed 3 times and then up the speed again and repeat. I did this all the way to about 130kph (all speeds indicated). From memory I did about 80km that first night doing this. Thats why I change the oil at 100km to get rid of all the junk. I then for the first 500 kms always accelerated WOT from any traffic light and used engine braking as much as possible. Also tried to vary the speed and not run at a constant speed. I also took it up the hills and did the same, especially nice long engine braking down hill. My topbox is the smallest Givi box which can fit one full face helmet. I'm not much of a fan of top boxes as it places weight to far back which affects the handling. I got my topbox to give my wife more of a secure feeling on the back. I don't know where you are, but I bought mine from Cityscooters here in Christchurch. They have another brand there too that looked very good. I got mine secondhand from them for cheap. The sliders are an improvement. For city riding the rollers were fine, but for open road the sliders do make a very slight difference. The sliders does give you better acceleration too, which is a bonus in town. Economy I can't say I've seen much of an improvement as I guess 250-350rpm reduction on the open road does not equate to a noticeable improvement. The scoot just feels more comfortable at the lesser RPM and has more up and go to about 125kph, which was what I wanted. Sorry it sounds like I'm preaching to you. The above are all suggestions - you do whatever your comfortable with. I would do the above again if I was to get a new scoot again. 17332 trouble free kms on mine is enough evidence IMHO that it did work for me. Have fun. Kiwiscoot |
|
|
|
Post by nzscootrider on Apr 14, 2010 15:53:48 GMT -5
Being a beginner in the servicing dept, is there a specific way to clean the oil strainer. Do you wash it through with some sort of spirits or just wipe it. Sorry to sound slow. Cheers, Greg
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 14, 2010 17:00:44 GMT -5
No worries. It's metal and you can wash it in petrol. Do you have a copy of the service manual??
I cut the mouse pad in strips and fitted it with the plastic side to the radiator and the black side visible. One do not notice it when you look at the scoot.
Kiwiscoot
|
|
|
|
Post by nzscootrider on Apr 17, 2010 16:49:48 GMT -5
What a great ride - so stable and comfortable. Trying an icecream container lid taped over half the radiator to see if engine runs warmer. Prior to this ran at about a quarter of temp gauge. What would be a good temp to aim for? 50:50? I'm in Tauranga, NZ and will post some pics once I work out how. Dealer not keen on me changing to diesel engine oil in case I void the warranty. Speaking of warranty it is unfortunate SYM only offer a one year warranty here compared with four years in Australia and other countries. KYMCO has a four year one here and I guess SYM will eventually follow, but too late for us SYM enthusiasts who've already purchased. I'm trying to think of a catchphrase to match your "Miles of smiles" Kiwiscoot! Cheers, Greg
|
|
|
|
Post by ootscoot on Apr 17, 2010 17:39:44 GMT -5
I just wanted to thank you guys here for such enthusiastic reviews of the Citycom! I have recently sold a few to customers who have done their homework and read reviews of this great bike.
Here in the states we have a 2 year warranty, and so far my customers have not needed it!
The newer 2009 citycom has a few more inches of footroom - nice for us taller folks.
I sold my earlier 2009 model and just got the newer blue/black version w/ more foot room, beefier mirrors and as always - a blast to ride.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gary on Apr 17, 2010 20:34:07 GMT -5
Hey Greg -
The bad news is you only have a one year warranty, but the good news is you proably won't need it. My 2007 RV-250 has had absolutely no issues. I'm sure you'll find the same with your Citicom. I am very, very impressed with SYM quality.
Gary
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 18, 2010 1:18:53 GMT -5
What a great ride - so stable and comfortable. Trying an icecream container lid taped over half the radiator to see if engine runs warmer. Prior to this ran at about a quarter of temp gauge. What would be a good temp to aim for? 50:50? I'm in Tauranga, NZ and will post some pics once I work out how. Dealer not keen on me changing to diesel engine oil in case I void the warranty. Speaking of warranty it is unfortunate SYM only offer a one year warranty here compared with four years in Australia and other countries. KYMCO has a four year one here and I guess SYM will eventually follow, but too late for us SYM enthusiasts who've already purchased. I'm trying to think of a catchphrase to match your "Miles of smiles" Kiwiscoot! Cheers, Greg Hi Greg, no not 50%, but 4 marks up from cold (second long mark) as far as temperature goes. Oil - I did not tell my dealer, I just changed it and cleaned the oil strainer myself as I knew it could cause no "void to warranty". I felt I am the one that has to live with the scoot once the warranty expires, which came up pretty quick @ 4000kms/ about 6 months. If you are dubious about the diesel oil then you can use petrol engine 10W30 good quality oil. The diesel oil bit is just in theory that's suppose to be better, but that will only show up @ 3000km oil change intervals. Kymco's warranty is a good ploy to get you to service the scoot every 3000kms/every 3 months if you do about 10 000kms per year just to keep the warranty. $200 a pop is a good income for them as they know the scoots will have no warranty issues. And my catch phrase is "SYM acronym = Smile Your Miles" which I do every time. Now just back from a 80km two-up trip with my wife across the Canterbury plains. Smiles all the way! |
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 18, 2010 1:26:29 GMT -5
I just wanted to thank you guys here for such enthusiastic reviews of the Citycom! I have recently sold a few to customers who have done their homework and read reviews of this great bike. Here in the states we have a 2 year warranty, and so far my customers have not needed it! The newer 2009 citycom has a few more inches of footroom - nice for us taller folks. I sold my earlier 2009 model and just got the newer blue/black version w/ more foot room, beefier mirrors and as always - a blast to ride. Ootscoot - no thanks needed as it is just the honest day to day pleasant experiences of a satisfied customer in my case. No "sales-man talk" here. Glad if this review brought a few sales your way. Looking at the specs of this scoot on paper I think SYM was very conservative. Again today I marveled that only 21HP and 23Nm can haul two adults ( 90kgs/200lbs + 70kgs/155lbs) along effortlessly at 60-70MPH uphill and against a wind. I think they were to conservative and it looks underrated on paper. Hope you sell some more and enjoy your "improved" 2009 model. Kiwiscoot - smiling my miles as usual. |
|
|
|
Post by nzscootrider on Apr 18, 2010 2:00:12 GMT -5
Hi Kiwiscoot. Maybe we have different temp gauges. Mine has a needle that goes up in a semi-circile. It's divided into about 10 divisions with red hot symbol for the top 2 divisions. The needle currently goes up say 3/8ths and I was wondering of I should aim for say 4/ths. Before partly covering the radiator the needle only went up say 2/8ths. Here's a pic of my new scoot, if I've grasped how to post it. Cheers, Greg Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by nzscootrider on Apr 18, 2010 2:18:03 GMT -5
Here's a pic of the temperature gauge. Where is the ideal operating temp? Currently the needle hits the second mark up from bottom.
Cheers, Greg.
|
|
|
|
Post by nzscootrider on Apr 18, 2010 2:24:17 GMT -5
Hopefully the pic will show this time. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by flyangler on Apr 18, 2010 4:25:09 GMT -5
Nzscooter,your ideal operating temp will be specific to your scooter as these gauges will not read uniformly from one bike to another, however what you are describing is right where mine is running. I just picked mine up on fri. afternoon and only have 40 mi. on it so far, I was hoping to get the initial 200 mi. on in the first week but the weather here in New England is cold and rainy with a chance of snow. Oh well , it will give me an opportunity to pull my seat and shave about three inches off the seat height. Dan.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiwiscoot on Apr 18, 2010 5:11:30 GMT -5
Hi Greg, that's one gooood looking scoot. I like your blue, maybe a bit more exciting than black.
Now that's interesting regarding the temp gauge. I went and had a look at mine. It has 17 divisions (short & long marks), that's counting from the "C" mark to the red "H" (18 if you count the C mark as well). Perhaps SYM changed the gauge. Sorry my previous description is a bit lame. Here's another try try. Mine runs 4 divisions (second long mark) up from the C mark. It runs for a while at the third (short ) mark until it heats up. Now sometimes on a chilly morning it may stay at the third mark or going down a long hill it even goes down to the first (short) mark just above the C mark. With it factory standard it would stay at just above the C mark and idle high (2000rpm choke setting) at every traffic light. With the radiator covered it would cycle between 3 to 4 marks above C and idle at 1250-1500RPM as it should when it's at running temperature.
Congratulations. Happy miles to ya!
|
|
