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Post by jaxco on Nov 11, 2008 21:54:10 GMT -5
Hey, I posted that. Yippee. Jacine was nice enough to move it to the right place for me. |
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 11, 2008 22:50:25 GMT -5
Hey, I posted that. Yippee. Jacine was nice enough to move it to the right place for me. This be the place...if your maintaining your own ride!! |
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 11, 2008 22:58:10 GMT -5
Tested the new battery today...only 8 amps...figured it was my $19 trickle charger. Bought a proper battery tender +. 4 hours it took for the 'green light'...lights were bright...took 5 or 6 presses on the starter button to get the engine to turn.
Noticed an excessive amount of 'green' on the battery terminal wires.
I'm in the middle of paying for the lack of consultations with the Mrs. Spent all day in IKEA. We be getting $800 worth of furniture in the morning.
Gotta manage to sneak out and get some contact cleaner and electro conductive gel.
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 12, 2008 21:18:54 GMT -5
Got the battery charged up...cleaned up the wires from where some corrosion had occurred do acid leaking out of the 'non sealed' battery that the 'professionals' at Les Scwab had installed. Still no joy.
Being old school...I took out my worst screwdriver with an insulated handle and shorted the solenoid. Vroom...Vroom. The solenoid on Stan's site looks a lot like the solenoid in the bike. So I figure I'll take a chance on ordering a wrong part for $14 .
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Post by Gary on Nov 12, 2008 21:58:06 GMT -5
Harry -
Its reassuring to hear that it is not just cheap china scoots that have the occasional parts failure.
Gary
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 13, 2008 12:27:25 GMT -5
Harry - Its reassuring to hear that it is not just cheap china scoots that have the occasional parts failure. Gary I poked around on the net for causes of starter relay/solenoid failure. Apparently, operating them on insufficient voltage can cause pitting, arcing and failure. Which makes sense as the unsealed, sealed battery installed by the 'professionals' at Les Schwab won't charge to a full 13.6 voltage and the leaking acid coming out of it corroded the connectors. My Mrs's actually guessed solenoid. She works at an RV dealership..and RV's tend to sit for extended periods with the resultant half dead batteries. They go thru starter solenoids/relays like water. |
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 15, 2008 11:50:11 GMT -5
As I wait for the mailman to deliver the new solenoid I took some pictures. Engine compartment  Body completely removed  Performance Exhaust  |
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Post by Gary on Nov 15, 2008 12:37:37 GMT -5
Very nice. Checked with the dealer here in San Diego yesterday. The Hyosungs haven't arrived yet. Maybe a good thing.
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 15, 2008 19:20:57 GMT -5
The Generic GY6 Scooter Starter Soldenoid/Relay that I ordered from Stan arrived. Looked identical except for the plug was the opposite gender and the rubber holder fit on in a different direction. Swapped connectors with the old solenoid,reused the old rubber holder, plugged it all in, connected the battery and vroom, vroom on the first press of the starter button. Killed it and restarted it 10 times just to make sure.
Weather was absolutely gorgeous...so I tooled out onto I-90 East and managed to keep up with the flow of traffic till I got off at mile post 31....North Bend...which most folks who watch TV would recognize as Twin Peaks. Some trucks were in the slow lane so I did some passing too. I would have went further except I forgot which was the last exit before Snoqualmie pass.
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Post by jim63 on Nov 15, 2008 22:14:02 GMT -5
I agree with you harrywr2, the weather today in the Pacific Northwest was excellent. I was out today as well looking to find an elusive scooter like yours so I can see, and touch it, and maybe even ride one. Went to UM website got several addresses for local dealers. Went north to Bellingham, WA (25 miles) the closest to me, that shop was closed and had a "for lease" sign on it. Next closest was in Lynnwood, WA (60 miles) a Motoplex dealership, multiple brands under one roof. Looked around saw a bunch of 50cc and several 150cc, and of course a TMAX for big $$, but not one Xspeed to be had. Guy said he could get one, but I said give me a call if you get one so I can look and drive it before make a decision to buy. I didnt call ahead obviously and figured if anything I get a long ride out of it. Rode I-5 from Bellingham to Lynnwood, good ole 250B hummed right along at 65mph. Went to another dealership in Lynnwood that sell SYM's. They had some 200's, they are a good sized scooter, I'd say equal to my 250 or possibly even bigger. No 250's there either. They also sell Kymco's, but nothing in 250 or 500cc. I am beginning to think there are no 250/500+ new scooters left in Seattle area lol, with the exception of TMAX's. Sooner or later new ones will come in, all these dealers will be dialing up my cell phone #. All told put 170 miles on my scooter today, was fun all in all.
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 16, 2008 0:10:07 GMT -5
There isn't anything in Seattle left. The dealers are so knee deep in Big Iron they are ordering nothing. I was actually shopping for a Burgman, my Mrs's checked back channels...the dealers are selling off the floor...period. Great time to get a $5K discount on a GoldWing.
A UM Xpeed 250i and a Hyosung MS3 are pretty much identical.
A Sym City 300i is a close cousin. Fit and finish on Sym is a bit nicer and of course is reflected in the price. I believe they have one on the floor down in Auburn at Hinshaw's.
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Post by hugh on Nov 16, 2008 19:33:09 GMT -5
jim63 - There is a multi-brand dealer just South of Renton on East Valley that had several 250, 400 and a 650 when I was there last week. However, these were all $5K+ scoots. Also, I think there is a dealer in Auburn that may carry the UM Xspeed.
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Post by jim63 on Nov 16, 2008 19:46:49 GMT -5
If weather is nice maybe next weekend will venture further south to check it out, Thanks.
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 16, 2008 20:15:53 GMT -5
Another great day...decided to take a run at Snoqualmie Pass...perfect sunny day...got out to mile post 38. past the 'severe wind araea' and the road was wet and slick...managed to lock up the back wheel gently slowing on the off ramp. The air might be 45 or 50...but the road doesn't see any sunshine this time of year with 4000 ft of mountain on either side. The pass wiell have to wait till spring.
Not to waste great weather...decided to take a tool up SR 202 and SR 9 to Jim63's kneck of the woods..its just 80 miles away...nice country...don't know which snow covered mountain was in the background but it was purty. ..
Came home on the interstate. Managed to merge just fine at 75 MPH..it would appear north of Everett the 70 MPH speed limit is a suggestion....realistically..top end is 80 MPH. I only passed one double truck and it was a fuel tanker...but the buffeting was within reason.
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Post by jim63 on Nov 17, 2008 3:01:57 GMT -5
Hehe..yup I-5 north of Everett is like you say speed wise. I plod along at 60-65mph several days a week on that road.My strategy is right lane of course, and with luck get in line with slower traffic, so I am not the source of the slowdown. Mountain you see looking northward should be Mt Baker, I have a beautiful view of it from my backyard. So you can see with my commute, why I am looking at buying a more powerful scooter. Want to give 250's a test ride, but probably a more sensible option for me is a 400cc or bigger. I do respect and appreciate the honest reviews given by members of this forum of there scooters. The info is a valuable and will comes into play when I finally make a decision to buy.
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Post by Gary on Nov 17, 2008 9:52:55 GMT -5
Harry -
Sounds like you are really having fun with your new machine.
Gary
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 17, 2008 14:11:24 GMT -5
Gary,
I'm having a blast.
Jim63,
Everyones riding profile is different. I rode my 50cc to the office for two years. Didn't rack up much mileage...the farthest I could have possibly went without getting run off the road was 4 miles. Even that was a stretch. Then I was racking up 7 or 8 hundred miles a month on my 150cc CCS. Can't get to Seattle without going around Lake Washington with a 150cc. Can't go East at all. Something liek Gary's CCS would be plenty for I-90 from Issauquah-Seattle, I-405 and I-5 Everrett to Tacoma.
My Mrs's gets pretty nervous riding on the back at anything over 45MPH. If I thought she would someday get comfortable with riding at Highway speeds I would have waited and got a Burgman.
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Post by haakon59 on Nov 19, 2008 18:39:03 GMT -5
I see you are taking apart your Xpeed. I spoke to the dealer in Auburn and the one in Bellingham which went out of business a few days ago. Both advised me to look into Sym and Kymco. This makes Hyosung difficult to buy, unless you want to travel a long way out of town. Do you feel the quality is close enough to that of Sym and Kymco that a person who will be relying on others for maintainance will be pleased with the quality? The price on the Hyosung is great--it would be nice to save the money. What would your recommendation be? Thanks in advance for any advice you want to give.
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 20, 2008 0:07:03 GMT -5
I see you are taking apart your Xpeed. I spoke to the dealer in Auburn and the one in Bellingham which went out of business a few days ago. Both advised me to look into Sym and Kymco. This makes Hyosung difficult to buy, unless you want to travel a long way out of town. Do you feel the quality is close enough to that of Sym and Kymco that a person who will be relying on others for maintainance will be pleased with the quality? The price on the Hyosung is great--it would be nice to save the money. What would your recommendation be? Thanks in advance for any advice you want to give. I think the 'relying on others' part of a United Motors purchase in the Seattle Area may be a bit difficult. I took the matter of the Bellingham dealer going out of business up with the District Rep for UM. He advised me to get service in Port Angeles. I haven't attempted any contact via Hyosung as for service. There was a joint co-operation agreement between Hyosung and Suzuki going back to 1979. And there is this bit... www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/hyosung/2007-hyosung-ms3-250-ar36622.html"If you check, you will find that the engine has exactly the same bore and stroke as a Suzuki Burgman 250, and Hyosung used to supply engines to Suzuki." IMHO The Hyosung drive train is either a Burgman 250 drive train or a very close clone. The actual mechanical build of the bike is very good. The Sym RV I looked at had features like open the seat without removing the key from the ignition, carpet in the underseat storage. Courtesy light in the underseat storage. A Speedo with the big numbers in MPH and little numbers in KM. Sym is going to probably have the best service network. Carter Brothers(the distributor for Sym) has been in business in the US for a very long time. On another thread I think Kiwiscoot was surprised that Sym was more expensive then Hyosung in the US. Carter Brothers is pretty good about leaving a bit of margin on the table for its dealers. The Hyosung has everything the 'tuners' here would put on their bike if they could get the parts...Electronic Fuel Injection, 4 valve dual overhead cam ,a performance exhaust along with a radiator out in front of the handlebars for maximum cooling. Personally I think the Hyosung MS3/United Moters Xpeed are a lot more value for the money then a Sym Citicom 300i. But I don't place a very high value on the service network to begin with. I have every tool Sears sells. The first thing I did was lay my hands on a shop manual, complete with service codes for the electronic fuel injection. For folks that don't like to wrench or with limited wrenching ability the quality of the service network is rightfully their first,second and third considerations. In the Greater Seattle area the Sym is going to have the better service network without a doubt. |
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Post by haakon59 on Nov 20, 2008 14:43:55 GMT -5
Thank you, harrywr2, for you helpful comments. And thanks for the Link too. The Hyosung/United motors bike has been one I have been considering, but as I mentioned, their dealer network locally seems to be falling apart--for now anyway, until they rebound. Since I don't work on cars and bikes, etc., I have to take this into consideration--although I hate to miss a good deal, when there is good quality for a lower price. But as you mentioned, I think I have to consider the dealer network as important. There is a dealer here close to me, Interbay Scooters, which carries both Sym and Kymco. There is a Suzuki dealer too which carries the Burgman 400 and the 650 too. At this point, I am not sure if this might be too big for me at first, for my first bike anyway, but I will have to go and visit them soon and sit on their bikes and get a feel for it. Regardless, I value your advice highly, so thank you for your kind help.
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Post by star8013 on Nov 23, 2008 23:12:09 GMT -5
Glad to see others having good luck with the ms-3. I got mine in June and have only put 1000 miles on it. Had mine up to 85 on I435 and still had power left, only turning 7000 rpm . how far off was your speedometer from gps? I ride with a bunch who ride 650 burgmans and silverwings and can keep up with ease.
Ron
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 24, 2008 10:43:20 GMT -5
Glad to see others having good luck with the ms-3. I got mine in June and have only put 1000 miles on it. Had mine up to 85 on I435 and still had power left, only turning 7000 rpm . how far off was your speedometer from gps? I ride with a bunch who ride 650 burgmans and silverwings and can keep up with ease. Ron My speedo is anywhere from 3-4 MPH off to 7-8 MPH off depending on the moon or something. I've also not pulled any RPM's above 7,000. I pulled the CVT cover off a few days ago just to have a look. The faces of the variator and clutch pulley's are convex which surprised me. Someone did a lot of engineering to keep the bike inside of the maximum torque curve. |
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Post by jim63 on Nov 29, 2008 1:57:04 GMT -5
You're maybe lucky yours is a United Motors and not a Hyusung. Today was making my scooter purchase at a motorcycle shop in Auburn, was asking about trading mine in. I figured they wouldnt touch Chinese scooters and was correct, due to they cant guarantee them. I can understand this, and had anticipated this but had to ask. But what caught me off guard was the story on how the guy took a Hyusung scooter in on trade, and they had a hard time selling it. Not going to hijack your thread with my purchase story, but found this odd. Have read nothing bad about them and yours seem to be another fine example of a good quality scooter. Maybe it is the name that gets people wary, not a well known as Honda Suzuki Yamaha etc.
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Post by harrywr2 on Nov 29, 2008 13:13:39 GMT -5
You're maybe lucky yours is a United Motors and not a Hyusung. Today was making my scooter purchase at a motorcycle shop in Auburn, was asking about trading mine in. I figured they wouldnt touch Chinese scooters and was correct, due to they cant guarantee them. I can understand this, and had anticipated this but had to ask. But what caught me off guard was the story on how the guy took a Hyusung scooter in on trade, and they had a hard time selling it. Not going to hijack your thread with my purchase story, but found this odd. Have read nothing bad about them and yours seem to be another fine example of a good quality scooter. Maybe it is the name that gets people wary, not a well known as Honda Suzuki Yamaha etc. I suspect the dealers in the Greater Seattle Area have a hard time selling anything used with a price of less then $5K. The normal commissioning arrangement in a dealership that sells used vehicles is that the commission is split between the sales person that took in the used unit and the saleperson that sells the used unit. Normal commission is 15-20% of net profit. So if a dealership takes in a used unit for $2500...and sells it for $3000 the shop will get $100 for 'prep'...which leaves $400 in profit. Even at 20% commission, the sales people end up splitting $80. |
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Post by Cookees on Nov 29, 2008 15:32:22 GMT -5
These are great bikes indeed!! If anyone needs a great Christmas present, I've got one 08 X-peed left at $3900. New with warranty. ( BTW...they're Korean..not Chinese)
The floor plan company will get it next week, courtesy of PennDot.
Any takers?
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Post by harrywr2 on Dec 30, 2008 0:21:02 GMT -5
Odometer passed 2000 miles...nothing really to report..put gas in it...hit the starter button...vroom...vroom. As it has a real oil filter...don't need to change the oil for another 1,500 miles. Yawn.
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Post by badguitar1 on Dec 30, 2008 4:06:18 GMT -5
My fiance' & I both have UM xpeed 250i's & we love them! Great scoots & we bought ours new for about $3700 each . And they are FAST . 3 year warranty .
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Post by Gary on Dec 30, 2008 10:55:39 GMT -5
Harry - very nice. Good thing you have this site so you can do your trouble shooting and wrenching vicariously.
Badguitar - You got a deal. Those are very nice bikes. MSRP for the '09 model is about $4,600 I believe.
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Post by jim63 on Dec 30, 2008 15:37:37 GMT -5
Now that you have extra scooter time, since it runs so good it maybe time to "pimp your ride". Saddlebags, new seat, lotsa good add-ons out there. You know what they say "Idle hands do the devils work". hehe  |
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Post by harrywr2 on Dec 30, 2008 15:44:03 GMT -5
Now that you have extra scooter time, since it runs so good it maybe time to "pimp your ride". Saddlebags, new seat, lotsa good add-ons out there. You know what they say "Idle hands do the devils work". hehe I still have the $500 bucket of bolts I bought off of craiglist as a 'learner' bike for the Mrs's to tinker with. Then come spring once she has figured out going more then 35 MPH on 10 inch wheels is a tad 'exciting' we'll have to shop for a 'proper bike' for her. |
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