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Post by patz83 on Sept 2, 2012 13:36:05 GMT -5
Someone nearby has a 08 MC 54B 260 for sale. Any historyon these good or bad would be appreciated
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Post by patz83 on Sept 2, 2012 15:20:39 GMT -5
I reposted after doing more research. Didn't know it is also called MC 54B it is advertised as a Machoman
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Post by prodigit on Sept 2, 2012 15:46:14 GMT -5
I believe they're similar than the roketta (If I'm correct), which are very popular bikes, because of their affordability.
Just take good care for it and it will last you many miles.
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Post by dumbass on Sept 2, 2012 19:43:14 GMT -5
The "Machoman" is a Roketa 250 54b. It was sold by a rip off distributor that basicly did the dump and run routine. They made stupid claims like "their machines were equiped with special carbs that significantly raised the HP". Can you say BS? Bottom line forget the BS name they put on the title. It's a Roketa 250 54b with nothing special added. Which is a good thing because pars are available everywhere. It's equipped with a 257cc Yamaha clone engine. They are an average quality Chinese made scooter. If I remember correctly they were made by a few different Chinese factories and the quility would depend on the factory it was made it. Again, typical of Chinese scooters. I remember mine came from the better factories but sorry I can't remember whick one it was.
I think for a while they were selling the Honda clone 244cc engine which would make it a Roketa 250 54 (no b) and claiming it was the 54b. So who cares? The main difference is not the engine but the wheel size. The 54b has 13" wheels and the 54 has 12" in the back and has ether 12' or 10" in front. Personally, I think the bigger wheels give a more stable ride. You can tell the engine by looking through the inspection hole under the seat. The Yamaha clone 257cc (54b) is a horizontal cylinder. So the cylinder head faces forward. The Honda clone 244cc has a vertical cylinder and faces upward. Of course check the wheel size.
Most people will agree that the 54b will run as well as most Chinese made scooters. So if you buy it knowing that it's not a Honda or simular machine and will require a little more upkeep. The Roketa was a very popular scooter and there's a lot of info and help on this forum.
Hope this helps a little.
Bob
PS: Don't believe the "anti lock brake" wording stamed on the front brake. It's not an anti lock brake. It's only an adjustable flow valve they reduces the braking power to the front brake.
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Post by dumbass on Sept 2, 2012 19:56:17 GMT -5
The "Machoman" is a Roketa 250 54b. It was sold by a rip off distributor that basicly did the dump and run routine. They made stupid claims like their machines were equiped with special carbs that significantly raised the HP. Can you say BS? Bottom line forget the BS name they put on the title. It's a Roketa 250 54b with nothing special added which is a good thing because parts are available everywhere. It's equipped with a 257cc Yamaha clone engine. They are an average quality Chinese made scooter. If I remember correctly they were made by a few different Chinese factories and the quility would depend on the factory it was made it. Again, typical of Chinese scooters. I remember mine came from the better factories but sorry I can't remember whick one it was. I think for a while they were selling the Honda clone 244cc engine which would make it a Roketa 250 54 (no b) and claiming it was the 54b. So who cares? The main difference is not the engine but the wheel size. The 54b has 13" wheels and the 54 has 12" in the back and has ether 12' or 10" in front. Personally, I think the bigger wheels give a more stable ride. You can tell the engine by looking through the inspection hole under the seat. The Yamaha clone 257cc (54b) is a horizontal cylinder. So the cylinder head faces forward. The Honda clone 244cc has a vertical cylinder and faces upward. Of course check the wheel size. Most people will agree that the 54b will run as well as most Chinese made scooters. So if you buy it know that it's not a Honda, Yamaha or simular machine and it will require a little more upkeep. But the Roketa was a very popular scooter and there's a lot of info and help on this forum. A lot of people have put on 10,000 to 20,000 on them. I crashed mine at about 650 miles though. Hope this helps a little. Bob PS: Don't believe the anti lock brake wording stamed on the front brake. It's not an anti lock brake. It's only an adjustable flow valve they reduces the braking power to the front brake. |
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Post by macktheknife on Sept 3, 2012 12:59:52 GMT -5
Both models of the 250 the B and non B have 13" wheels. The 12" front and 10" back wheels are on the Tank and Bali type scooter with the vertical engine.
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Post by bobbyb on Sept 3, 2012 13:02:55 GMT -5
patz
My wife rides one with the Honda clone engine. We bought it in 2008
and have spent a whole $70 in parts since she bought it. I replaced the
vacuum fuel pump when it was new, and put a new variator on it
last week.
I can't say if we got a good one or not, but it has 7,000 miles on it and
she loves it. She's an old broad too haha. Gotta love redneck women.
If it's a Machoman, it will have the Yamaha clone engine. They require more frequent valve adjustments. No big deal.
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Post by dumbass on Sept 3, 2012 19:43:40 GMT -5
Both models of the 250 the B and non B have 13" wheels. The 12" front and 10" back wheels are on the Tank and Bali type scooter with the vertical engine. Yes I agree the Bali had the smaller wheels. While I remember the 54 being in this same catagory. However, I can't really argue because I can't find reliable info on the older models. For sure the newer versions of both (54 & 54b) are 13". In ether case both good bikes. I have a CF Moto V5 with the 244cc engine and I certainly can't complain about it. Bob |
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Post by jim63 on Sept 4, 2012 5:04:51 GMT -5
I had a 2008 Machoman "aka Roketa 250B". I forget the name of the drop-shipper, they are long gone, maybe operating under another name who knows. The bike was touted as others have said to have 20hp, a upgraded version of the standard one. Guess what, it came in the card board covered metal shipping container, direct from China, they never touched it. Even said it was a 250B on the box, "Cypress" was the bike name if I remember correctly. I paid over $2k for mine in the height of the scooter rush of 2008.
If I could go back in time I would have steered clear of it. The body is a clone of the Honda Reflex, with a Yamaha cloned engine.Mine lasted a year before the engine self destructed. Was fun when it was running good, even road it on the Interstate to work at 60-65mph. To patz83, my advice is if the bike runs good and the seller is asking $300-500, maybe take a chance on it. If your money is tight wait for a brand name bike. I bought a brand name bike 4 1/2 months after I got the 250B. I quickly learned I wanted to ride more than tinker with it, and reliability is big for me. Most of the stuff was minor, but just wasnt what I wanted in my ride.
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Post by richardthescooter1 on Sept 4, 2012 10:26:30 GMT -5
I have the mc-54-250b presently I have just about 12,000 miles on my scoot, I bought it in February 2011, it had a little over 2,000 miles on it. Mine is the Linhai / Yamaha Clone (257cc). I love my scoot, I do all the work myself on my scoot, these scoot can be a good scoot if you from the start do a full PDI on them.
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Post by patz83 on Sept 4, 2012 11:53:10 GMT -5
I finally got called back, it had 700 miles on it and has been in storage for 2 years. They jumped it but wouldn't fire. Obviously needs a complete Pei with new plug carburetor fluids etc. I guess when I get the bottom dollar I'll decide. Any help on what it is worth as is would be appreciated
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Post by dumbass on Sept 4, 2012 12:04:49 GMT -5
I finally got called back, it had 700 miles on it and has been in storage for 2 years. They jumped it but wouldn't fire. Obviously needs a complete Pei with new plug carburetor fluids etc. I guess when I get the bottom dollar I'll decide. Any help on what it is worth as is would be appreciated If it's black and they tell you it came from the Chicago area it might be my old ride. Ask them if it's black and if there is anything missing body parts. Mine was totaled a year ago but there was very little wrong with it and I wish I could have bought it from salvage. My bike sold in salvage for $225. It was a Roketa 250 54b 2008 with about 680 miles on it. It may also be missing the keys. Bob |
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Post by patz83 on Sept 4, 2012 12:19:16 GMT -5
It is black and 2 hours from Chicago. I just asked about clear title,accidents and if they are the original owner waiting for those answers
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Post by dumbass on Sept 5, 2012 19:31:34 GMT -5
It is black and 2 hours from Chicago. I just asked about clear title,accidents and if they are the original owner waiting for those answers Yep, I'm in Wayne which is about 1 hour from downtown Chicago. My scooter was sold in Bartlett, Ill. about 10 mins from my house. If this is my scoot I can tell you pretty much why it won't start. Nothing big but about $75 or less in parts that are easyto replace. The last time I saw the bike it was in good codition but had a few scratches and needed to have the front flasher lens replaced. It will also be missing the foot rest on the left side (see likes) but I have them both and if you pay the shipping I'm happy to donate them to you. I maybe able to help you with the other parts as well. As I said the guy that bought it paid $225 or $275 at salvage. If this is my bike I would offer $500 and I think you would be in good shape. Where are you located? Bob www.roketapartsdept.com/products/ROKETA_MC_54B_250_RIGHT_FOOTREST-18389-613.htmlwww.roketapartsdept.com/products/ROKETA_MC_54B_250_RIGHT_PROTECTING_BAR-18368-613.html |
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Post by patz83 on Sept 5, 2012 21:08:28 GMT -5
This is a different bike her title is clear and still has the original bill of sale. She isn't moving from $1000 so I'm going to buy a 150cc China bike. I only want one for joy rides with my wife on her taotao t3. If I'm going Chinese ill start new for the same money
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Post by dumbass on Sept 6, 2012 12:07:59 GMT -5
This is a different bike her title is clear and still has the original bill of sale. She isn't moving from $1000 so I'm going to buy a 150cc China bike. I only want one for joy rides with my wife on her taotao t3. If I'm going Chinese ill start new for the same money Ok, shame you can't find a 250cc model. A lot more bike. Bob |
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Post by prodigit on Sept 7, 2012 0:57:31 GMT -5
Yeah, 250cc's (or higher) are a lot of fun, however a 150cc is perfect for going from A to B.
Just make sure you'll get a watercooled bike, when you get one!
A good PDI is necessary, and after that, make sure you do the fluid changes after the run in period.
That is probably the only frustrating thing in buying a new chinese:
Full PDI means open all the plastic fenders, and spend $25-$50 on Locktite, and apply to every bolt visible. Some people recommend to replace the fuel hoses, but I think it's not really necessary anymore. US of A has now a certain standard that bikes need to live up to, ever since they increased the ethanol levels in fuel.
If companies don't adhere to the fuel hose laws, they can't sell their stuff here, so if you buy a newer model, your fuel hoses will be more than good enough, and you can replace them whenever they start going bad (say in a good 2, 3 or 5 years). Besides, if they really clog the carburator, just inject some cleaner in it, replace the hoses, and off you go!
It'd just be a minor disturbance.
So, going back to PDI, make sure your fluid levels are up to level. I personally had to add some fluids, as they came from the factory with almost nothing in them. Add 10W30 in the motor (if any needs to be added), and 80W90 in the gearbox/transmission. Also make sure the brake fluid, and coolant fluids are in acceptable levels.
Run in the engine:
Just drive slow! You can accelerate fast (full throttle if you want), but keep RPMs low (preferably below 3,5k RPM), and preferably drive no faster than 35MPH the first 100 miles or so; so that the cylinder walls are being scraped off in a proper way.
After 100 miles do a full fluid change, meaning get rid of the engine and transmission oil; and just empty the chinese coolant.
Breaking fluid generally is of acceptable quality, even from cheaper chinese scoots; but you can change it too if you want (DOT3)!
For engine oil, check your user manual, but generally the thicker the oil, the smoother your engine will run, and the gasmileage will be better too over too thin oil. However thicker oil means lower performance. At 10W30 you'll drive a few MPH's faster than with 15W40, but with the latter, your engine will last longer, and vibrate less.
In mine I currently have 10W40, I live in a hot environment (S Florida), and have a watercooled 260 EFI, so I'll probably get 15W40 in it next time, like the user manual recommends.
Also change gear oil to the same 80W90 oil after the break in (or run in period of 100 miles).
Do another motor oil change at between 300-500 miles. After that, your next motor oil change would be at 1k miles, and every 1k miles after that.
Gear oil generally needs very little change, but you can change it at 100 miles, 3k miles, and every 3k miles after that. (probably costs you $10 on oil only).
I personally clean the oil filter at every oil change, as mine is located on the same part as the oil drain plug.
The gasoline filter best check and clean at 1k miles, and at 3k miles and every 3k miles after that.
Usually these things require very little work, perhaps 30 minutes at most each time.
Do a valve adjustment at 10k miles, but it's possible that that is not even necessary! If the bike runs fine, then apply the 'don't try to fix what ain't broken' saying; although it never hurts to optimize the valve settings somewhat, especially if you notice a large loss of MPG, or if the bike starts idling a bit rough!
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