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Post by breeze71 on May 4, 2009 18:02:29 GMT -5
Smokerider, Where in Iowa are you located? I'm in Newton riding a 2008 Roketa 250cc.
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Post by smokerider on May 4, 2009 23:54:59 GMT -5
:)well, we got two towns that separate us......colfax and mitchellville. yeah, i live in sin city. you goin' to see the king on the 17th? i think it's a little pricey, but i'm still kicking it around.
we'll have to meet up sometime soon. i'm retired, so anytime is a good time (unless it's raining). tonight, mama wanted something from wendy's, so i volunteered and asked if she minded if i took her scoot (always looking for an opportunity to ride it). she said 'no'! i was crushed! then, she explained that she wanted a chili baked potato, chili, and a frosty. i thought about telling her about how i could arrange things in the seat trunk and my backpack............took the cage. i wanted chili, too, and those containers are kinda flimsy.
but, i would like to see your rocketa....never seen one before. i think my email address is in my profile.
harry, we don't have those nozzles here, but the idea is the same, i think hyosung doesn't want that nozzle down that hole because they know somebody's gonna break it.
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Post by smokerider on May 5, 2009 0:06:14 GMT -5
oh yeah, breeze, i forgot to mention.........that must be a pretty trick setup with an onboard computer so you can post on scootdawg while riding your rocketa! do all rocketas have that? ;D
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Post by CCProf on May 5, 2009 6:23:34 GMT -5
Harry - you're definitely enjoying your Xpeed. I would love to see the Cascades in any form of vehicle. Smokerider & Breeze - Sounds like you have some nice country to ride. Me, I'm waiting for the monsoon to end. Every time we get a break in the rain, it's either cold or I have to try and get yard work done. If it keeps raining, I'll get more use out of the boat than my scooter. Note on carrying food - pears in the trunk don't work well.
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Post by breeze71 on May 5, 2009 9:33:51 GMT -5
Yeah Smokerider, I'm retired from Maytag after 30 years but I have a part-time job from my house as a sub-contractor doing damaged freight inspections in the DM/Central Iowa area. No problem emailing from my scoot. Carry the laptop with me in my saddle bags and look for a Wi-Fi.  I'm going to take some pics of my Roketa and post them on a few of these threads. Some guy was hunting for matching hard bags which you can get but I like my soft bags, easily removed and I can carry a lot of stuff. I'm getting ready to change over to LEDs and halogen headlight bulbs real quick. I'm trying to get some of the Big Dawgs to respond on the LED thread for some specific info. Nice day out right now so I'll get the scoot out for a spin. |
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Post by breeze71 on May 5, 2009 18:21:34 GMT -5
Hey Smokerider, Thanks for the call. It was good talking to you. Nice to know that there's someone close in the neighborhood on this forum. Let me know when you want to get together. Looking forward to it.
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Post by smokerider on May 5, 2009 23:21:24 GMT -5
 back atcha, man. it's supposed to be nice this weekend.......maybe then? it's tulip time! sorry, harry, don't wanna hijack yer thread. by the way, have you put synthetic in your UM yet?
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Post by breeze71 on May 6, 2009 7:32:03 GMT -5
Yeah, the youngest daughter is a senior at Central this year and oldest grandaughter is a freshman. We were just down there and the tulips are a bloomin'.
Harry, I'm not putting synthetic in my Roketa for awhile. Read a couple of articles that cautioned against premature application of synthetic. I'm using 10-30 Trop-Artic and have some left over and will last me awhile. Can't get it anymore. Trop-Artic switched to synthetic. I'm not happy about it. I used the regular TA in all of my vehicles for years, straight wt in my lawn mowers. Go figure. I've had to start changing over this spring but the scoot will be last.
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Post by harrywr2 on May 6, 2009 8:44:25 GMT -5
You don't want to go to synthetic until 1,000 miles. Engine needs to break in.
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Post by breeze71 on May 6, 2009 20:01:56 GMT -5
That's in the range for minimum. I'll be way past 1000 before I have to change over. I'm not that impressed with synthetics. They have their place. I was using Royal Purple in my motorhome but man is that stuff expensive. But from everything I read on synthetics, RP was the best. I would definitely recommend their automatic transmission fluid. Never had problems while using any of their products. Sorry, but I'm a Trop-Artic man. It's the best oil I've ever used through the years. Never had a problem with oil breakdown and sometimes I ran that oil a long time and once I was REALLY low on oil, like no oil, and I didn't know it, motor was fine and that really sold me. Oh well, have to change now since they're not making it anymore. Hope their synthetic is as good. Bummer!
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Post by smokerider on May 7, 2009 1:00:11 GMT -5
without meaning to open the 'oil' can of worms...............i'm a fan of trop-artic, also. used it for many years. i used to work for international trucks for 35 years. international, at one time, had it's own oil, bearings, fasteners etc. one thing that always stuck with me was something the rep told us in a seminar. whether it is true or not, hey, i'm not a chemist.............but, oils that come from certain areas of the country that also mine coal, are sulphurous and, in general, are of lesser quality. now, he didn't say where the magic 'good' oils come from, and i'm not going to slander anyone's state. however, he said that, for the layman, a simple yardstick to use to evaluate the oils that you try in your vehicles, is that if the oil "uses", try another. in other words, if you have to add more than a half quart of oil in 3,000 miles, your oil probably isn't up to the task. (now, this is all assuming you don't have issues with the motor.) international oil was very good oil. it was also fairly expensive. in my trials and errors, i found that havoline and trop-artic worked very well on my budget. i even went back to some of the 'other heavily advertised' brands, just to convince me that i wasn't deluding myself.........they used! same car, same engine...........back to trop-artic.
synthetics???............never had much interest in them. 12 years ago on a taurus forum, all the young guys on there used amsoil, and mobil 1, and i thought they were just buying expensive snake oil. however, over the years, i have kind of been converted (partly because of the life of the stuff). when i was still working, i had a customer that ran straight stp in the differentials of all his trucks. he swore by it.
then i got real interested in the stuff (and did a lot of research online) when i bought my HD sportster. now, talk about a crowd that will spend anything to get the best and the 'chromiest' only to sell the bike with a thousand miles on it. go to a HD forum and read about what they spend on oils. the HD syn is about $12, and some HDs have 3 different locations that take oil. on a sportster, there is only 2.......trans, and engine. both take the same 10w-50, so it's not a problem.......unless you don't want to pay $12 a quart. they put syn in it on it's first service at 1000, and i went ahead and let them do it again at the 6000 service since it was still under warranty. at 11,000 i decided $12 a quart was too much and at a little over $6 a quart, put mobil 1 in the engine. in all the reading that i did, amsoil and mobil 1 by far, outperformed HD syn. the reason i used mobil 1 was that it was cheaper than amsoil, but tested close to the same. since the trans with the clutch plates is separate (as in most of our scooters), there should be no reason not to use straight mobil 1. they do make a motorcycle syn, but it is around $10 or $11. i will probably bite the bullet and use that or stay with the HD syn for the transmission.
a lot of japanese bikes today still use a common sump for engine and trans. they must use 'motorcycle' oil because they don't use friction modifiers that can cause clutch slippage. that comes straight from mobil. i guess they should know what they put in it (unless they just enjoy charging twice the price for 'motorcycle' oil - which some folks believe.) the motorcycle oils supposedly have more phosphorous and zinc in them. everyone knows that friction and heat are the biggest enemies of your engine. synthetic oils are, i've become convinced, better because of longevity, wear protection and they dramatically run cooler. in an air cooled v-twin, that is extremely important in traffic. in a water cooled scooter......maybe not so much. we have over 900 miles on the ms3 now, and i just put castrol dinosaur oil in it to get the break-in oil out. i think they changed the oil on it just before delivering it (they had put around 100 miles on it as a demonstrator). it takes less than a quart to fill it, so around 2,000 miles, i'm going to put mobil 1 in the engine. i haven't made up my mind what i'm going to do to the gear box on it, but it only takes less than 1/2 qt. i'll have to see what comes out of there when i change it. i may just put dino oil back in.
it's funny, i haven't yet made the change in my cars. i keep putting dino oil in them. ford makes a reasonably priced synthetic blend that i use in the SVT focus, but that's as close as i've come.
if dinosaur oil keeps going up in price, synthetics make more sense from the longevity aspect. at three times the price, it lasts 4 to 5 times longer if you can convince yourself to do it. it's hard for us old guys who've dutifully changed our oil every 3,000 miles to wrap our minds around 10,000 to 15,000 intervals.
dino oil - $2 qt
mobil 1 - $6 qt
synth m/c - $10-12 qt (if you believe there's a difference......there are people who don't and use straight mobil 1 in a wet clutch application and swear there's no difference)
it's still a learning process for me, but the HD synth 'used' slightly. i was a little surprised at that, but it wasn't much, and i was looking for a miracle. now that i have mobil 1 in there, it'll be fun to see how it does.
people get real amped up talking about their oils, as evidenced by a visit to a harley forum. i've always been rather ambivalent about it because back in the 60's when i started riding, 'motorcycle' oils didn't exist. we used 'car' oil and it worked fine, the way the japanese intended them to in our hondas and yamahas. castrol and belray became kind of the snooty oils for those that wanted to claim they had the 'best' in their crankcase, but really....................
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Post by harrywr2 on May 7, 2009 8:28:56 GMT -5
On oil
We don't have wet clutches...so the $10-$12 a quart m/c oil is a waste for us.
Oil life span is more a function of RPM's and Heat then miles...scooters turn a lot more RPM's then a car for a given mile.
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Post by smokerider on May 7, 2009 12:39:24 GMT -5
exactly, harry! which is why if a person wanted to use syn in their scooter, mobil 1 is half the price and all the friction, cooling and longevity benefits. the longevity factor is the one us old guys have a hard time cashing in on. the Hyosung/UM is unique in that it has a spin on oil filter that can be replaced instead of a complete oil change. if i were going to do it (and i probably will), i'd probably have someone tip the bike for me while i took out the screen and cleaned it also.
i guess, all i was saying in that long post was that you shouldn't have to spend $12qt to get the benefits of synthetic.
breeze71, i looked up trop-artic to see what you were talking about, and it looks like they are offering a synth blend, like ford's motorcraft that i use in the svt. it doesn't look like it is too expensive.......about the price of regular dino oil. i bet you will be pleasantly surprised. i know i like the ford stuff.
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Post by jim63 on May 7, 2009 13:54:17 GMT -5
Personally I am sold on full synthetic oils. Just did a oil change on my SYM after 1500 miles (went 500 over recommended time per manual) the oil still had the thickness of new oil, just darker in color. The dino oils were rather runny after 1000 miles compared to this stuff. I use Castrol Edge, cost $34 gallon at Wal Mart. For $10 a change approx it is money well spent. My scooter is run for the most part at 5500+ rpms so protection is vital. I dont consider myself "snooty" but want to protect my ride best I can. There are oil studies out there that can viewed and most oils dino or synthetic work work good. With my experience with both types, I have more confidence in the synthetics to hold up better for scooter use.
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Post by smokerider on May 7, 2009 18:52:29 GMT -5
i agree with you, jim. that's only about $2qt more, and i'd probably use it too, if i weren't so sold on mobil 1. it comes as factory fill on a lot of exotic cars, so i trust it. some say it has been losing ground to some of the newer synthetics, but for the money, it's still dang good stuff.
just out of curiosity (i'm still trying to decide what to use in the sportster transmission), is 'edge' considered a motorcycle oil for wet clutches? or is it like mobil 1 for cars? and if they do make the 'magic motorcycle' oil, it is probably more expensive like mobil 1 v-twin oil.
but, hey, i agree with you.....like i said, i'm becoming a convert to the world of syn.
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Post by smokerider on May 7, 2009 23:16:50 GMT -5
harry, getting back to your 250i experience, did you notice that the descriptions for the 2009 say electric/kick in relation to the starter. i think it said that about the 2008's also, but ours doesn't have a kick starter and the 2008 stuff isn't on the website anymore. i wish it did have the kick. i feel a little vulnerable without it. we do carry a little jumper battery in the trunk, but with my luck it'll be dead when we need it. have you ever thought about how much it would cost to do a 2009 changeover if it were available? i'd sure like to see a 2009 to verify that it really exists that way.
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Post by CCProf on May 8, 2009 6:30:24 GMT -5
wow - it's like deja vu all over again. The rain finally stopped yesterday afternoon and I thought that I'd take a quick ride. Didn't start, low battery. I haven't had it on the battery tender for awhile and haven't run it since sometime last week. Had to wait to charge. I wish they did have kick starts. The forecast looks pretty good so I'll get out this weekend.
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Post by harrywr2 on May 8, 2009 8:48:33 GMT -5
harry, getting back to your 250i experience, did you notice that the descriptions for the 2009 say electric/kick in relation to the starter. i think it said that about the 2008's also, but ours doesn't have a kick starter and the 2008 stuff isn't on the website anymore. I seriously doubt the '09 will have a kick starter. 250's in general don't have kick starters and EFI bikes in general don't have kick starters. The ECU has to boot up for the bike to run...hard to get enough juice off of a kickstarter to get the ECU to boot up. As far as battery...I measured the battery case and went to Sears and got the highest amperage AGM battery they had that would fit in the case. OEM is 8 Amp...and the one I got from sears was at least 9 amps. The headlight coming on before the engine starts doesn't leave a lot of juice for the starter. I also replaced the tail/brakelight with an LED. Also installed a pigtail for the battery tender...haven't used it in 6 months. |
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Post by smokerider on May 8, 2009 22:03:04 GMT -5
really, harry? you don't think it would be a good thing to have on there? i've been riding motorcycles for 45 years and i can't count the times i've turned on a bike and had enough juice to honk the horn, and light the lights but not enough to turn the starter. until i bought my efi sportster a couple years ago, i'd never had a bike without a kicker. if i were ever on the scooter and had that scenario - lights, pump, no starter - i bet a kicker would get it going. i mean, on a motorcycle, you can bump start it, but on a scooter you can't do that. we have a small jumper battery that we carry in the scooter (good for my bike, too - i hope she's riding with me the day my battery takes a crap). anyway, i just thought it would be a nice backup. with my luck the jumper battery will probably be dead when we need it. i can't wait till my dealer gets the 09 replacement (for the 2008 we bought), so i can check for the kick starter.
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Post by harrywr2 on May 8, 2009 23:59:09 GMT -5
Kickstarter is gone from the 150cc EFI bikes. Motrcycles were originally military 'runner' vehicles' Designed to still run with the maximum number of parts failures. Battery got a bullet hole in it..would still run. Water cooled...nonsense..a radiator is useless with a bullet hole in it. Times have changed. |
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Post by hakuin on May 9, 2009 0:23:05 GMT -5
Great thread!  I'm looking at buying an MS3 now, and this info is very helpful. Thanks!! |
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Post by jaxco on May 9, 2009 1:55:28 GMT -5
Still Lovin my ms3-250.
4000+ miles. Black is the fastest color.
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Post by CCProf on May 9, 2009 6:26:59 GMT -5
Jaxco - I favor blue and of course Harry's partial to silver. Doesn't that cover all the available colors? Anyway, a battery tender is a great idea. My dealer includes them on all the UM scoots. When I bought mine used, he added it on free.
Hakuin - go for it!
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Post by harrywr2 on May 9, 2009 9:06:14 GMT -5
Welcome to scootdawg haikun.
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Post by JR on May 9, 2009 9:58:58 GMT -5
The LED's do make a lot of difference as I'm like Harry if I don't let my scooter sit for a month it starts everytime. My battery tender has dust on it from sitting on the shelf. JR
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Post by smokerider on May 9, 2009 11:52:18 GMT -5
jr, if i haven't confessed already, i may as well now. i ride her scoot almost daily. it's a hoot. and maybe my anxieties about a dead battery are misplaced. but, even the summer heat can kill a battery. it's happened to me before. however, aside from the monetary setback, the immediate consequences were minimal because i had other means of getting started.
harry, you're right, times have changed. i suffered a bit from culture shock when i bought my sportster a couple of years ago. everywhere i went, honda, suzuki, yamaha, kawasaki.......none of 'em had kickers on them. and that included carbed bikes. technology has gotten better, i mean, the battery in that HD is probably the best battery i've ever had. i bought it in august of 06. three iowa winters and 12,000 miles later, that battery feels as strong as the day i got it. i guess it's just that when i do get stranded, i'll probably be lookin' for a bean counter to strangle.
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Post by smokerider on May 9, 2009 12:30:51 GMT -5
hakuin, i think you'll be pleasantly surprised. i hope you can find a good deal on one.
jaxco, is it so fast that it turns blue in the sunlight like ours? it's like a sharkskin suit........you look at it one way, it's black. you look at it another way, and it's blue!
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Post by hakuin on May 9, 2009 13:19:35 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome and encouragement. I took a silver MS3-250 for a test ride. Nice!!! Now to make a deal...
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Post by JR on May 9, 2009 13:37:27 GMT -5
I don't disagree with you on things that kill batteries but most of the time if a battery fails due to the weather it's cold weather and generally an overnight thing even on your car when they get older, it's warm and then you have one of those blue northern cold fronts hit overnight and ya go out in the morning in a hurry to go to work and boom dead battery!! They also now are making better higher CCA and AH batteries in smaller cases than they did when you could rely on the old kick starter too. I was just pointing out that as with a lot of scooters, if you do change out to LED's you have more charging power go to the battery instead of just burning it on the bulbs that are on all the time. JR
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Post by harrywr2 on May 9, 2009 20:40:52 GMT -5
Went for a 210 miles ride...bikes in good shape...my backside isn't.
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I'm going to take some pics of my Roketa and post them on a few of these threads. Some guy was hunting for matching hard bags which you can get but I like my soft bags, easily removed and I can carry a lot of stuff. I'm getting ready to change over to LEDs and halogen headlight bulbs real quick. I'm trying to get some of the Big Dawgs to respond on the LED thread for some specific info. Nice day out right now so I'll get the scoot out for a spin. 
back atcha, man. it's supposed to be nice this weekend.......maybe then? it's tulip time!
I'm looking at buying an MS3 now, and this info is very helpful. Thanks!!
