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Post by scooterollie on Aug 20, 2006 21:20:41 GMT -5
Latest news about my Roketa Bali 250:
The scoot has continued to run well but for a carb problem I will detail below. I now have almost 1,000 KMs on the scoot and the engine feels stronger as it breaks in. My front caliper continues to have a very slight leak. Not more than a drop now and then. NDPowersports did send a replacement caliper but it was from a small scoot, probably a 50 cc. When I told them it was not the correct item they requested that I remove mine and send it in so they could match it. Doesn't sound like they really have any parts breakdown for the bikes. They should be able to call Roketa and get what they need for that specific bike. Since the leak is not disabling the scoot, I don't want to take it out of service for perhaps a couple or more weeks. Roketa won't sell to individuals, only dealers. Called a dealer Roketa recommended and he said he wasn't certain how to order one!!! Does not say much for an organization when you can't get the parts from them. Really no different from other other stories we have heard. Will continue to search for one so I can install it myself and not loose ride time.
The carb problem was with the JAPANESE Kiehin carburetor. About a week ago it suddenly started dying like it was flooding out, with gas pouring from the float bowl overflow hose. Removed the carb, disassembled, inspected, cleaned, blew air through passages. Scoot ran great after reassembly! Thought it was a stuck float or float valve but couldn't find anything. Adjusted the mixture screw while the carb was off and it seems to be running even better.
The more I ride the 250 the more I enjoy it. Response from other owners of 250s indicates more than the usual number of problems - compared to the air cooled scoots - but each problem seems to be different. A dealer on ScooterBBS said that out of 12 he had sold from his shop, 6 experienced no problems and the other 6 each had different problems but none were with overheating! He quit selling them drop ship because it was just too frustrating for him and his customers. He does still sell them from his shop and has recently turned down a good bit of business by not selling drop ship. Got to respect him for that decision.
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Post by KevLin on Sept 18, 2006 22:09:43 GMT -5
;D I just found a great link to every part number on the Bali 250.( www.terminatorscooter.com/sysdefault/template/parts_summary.jsp?ItemId=2644 ) I found this during a very long search on information about the charging system. I got my Bali 250 a week ago (still waiting on paperwork from scooterdemand.com). I love it so far, but the charging system wacked out at about 4km into break-in. The stator ohms out at 4 ohms on both sides and replaced the rectifier(regulator) with a good one I had from a Honda helix I have, still no charging. Probably a connection somewhere I haven't found yet. I couldn't wait to get some riding time on it though so, off I went. I love how it rides and so far haven't had any other serious problems at 45km. Can't wait to get it registered so I can get out of my neighborhood with it. I've had it up to 50mph once and it done great. No overheating problems at all (it helped to change the fluid with American anti-freeze and oils before start-up). You gotta give china the credit for offering a bike as cheap as these are. You would have to expect some minor problems for this cost. I will try to post again later after I get some real time on the road with it, I'm shooting for the interstate. Chow for now. |
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Post by KevLin on Sept 18, 2006 22:18:56 GMT -5
Correction. Almost every part number.
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Post by scooterollie on Sept 19, 2006 7:37:46 GMT -5
KevLin;
Thanks for the information. What a great site! Welcome to the DawgPound. Why not register and become an official "ScootDawg"? We have several 250 members here and are building a good base of experience. Glad your experience has been mostly positive so far. You will get the problem solved.
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Post by scooterollie on Sept 19, 2006 8:24:42 GMT -5
KevLin;
A question for you - In your search, did you find that info. for a Roketa Fiji MC-04 150? I am in need of some body panels for a friend's damaged scoot.
Thanks.
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Post by russ553 on Sept 19, 2006 10:10:27 GMT -5
Try www.terminatorscooter.com then click on mopeds. There are parts links with each scoot model. Anyone notice these are exactly the same parts diagrams for the Tank scoots? Russ |
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Post by scooterollie on Sept 19, 2006 14:50:21 GMT -5
russ553;
Thanks! Missed the "Parts" link below the picture of each model on that page when I checked it before. Was looking fot a separate link on the left side for parts. Yeah, I did notice that. Also noticed that if you go to the official Roketa site and look at the parts, the parts numbers don't seem to jive with these lists. Maybe I just haven't checked them carefully enough.
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Post by KevLin on Sept 19, 2006 21:08:49 GMT -5
;D
An update on my electrical problem.
Problem solved. It was a wire from the stator was pinched under the seat hinge mounting bolt. Simply removed seat and pulled wire out, re-sealed the connection, started the scoot, and tested. Works great now.
On another note; as a reply to the part numbers being different on Terminator scooters. You should notice the name at the top "GoldenvaleInc.com". Goldenvale is the main distributor for roketa to the US. Those part numbers should (Emphasis on should) mean something to any dealer for Roketa or Tank.
Also, I would like to say Thank you to all for the input and I will probably officially register to the forum soon. Thanks for the welcome.
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Post by scooterollie on Sept 19, 2006 22:12:36 GMT -5
KevLin;
Great news! Glad you solved the problem easily. Just more testimony indicating what we need to be prepared for and be able to do if we purchase a Chinese scoot.
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snoopy
New Puppy Dawg
Posts: 1
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Post by snoopy on Sept 27, 2006 20:29:47 GMT -5
Hi everyone,
I finally formally registered, I decided on Snoopy as my official name (Formerly KevLin).
An exciting update on my Bali 250, I actually achieved 70mph today (Wow, what a thrill). I just got it registered yesterday and road about 70 miles today. I found that 60 mph was quite scary when you have the throbbing vibration from the bike that some others have spoke of. I determined that my problem was from the front wheel that was out of balance. I took a little time and patience to balance the wheel myself using mag wheel weights. It was worth it because now I'm able to go 70 mph with minimal vibration. I plan to take to a local cycle shop to get the real thing ,but for now it rides totally smooth at a comfortable 65 mph. No overheating still! I am completely amazed at my scoot so far.
If anyone is having the vibration problem, try having the wheels balanced.
I will try to get pics of my new scoot soon.
I'll try to have updates occasionally.
See Y'all later,
Snoopy
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Post by scooterollie on Sept 27, 2006 21:15:28 GMT -5
snoopy;
Glad to hear things are going well with your Bali 250! I purchased and installed balancing beads in mine. Started w/1 ounce/tire. May up that 1/2 ounce just to see. Mine never had much of a balance problem - just a little vibration around 50.
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Post by lencraft on Sept 28, 2006 9:15:38 GMT -5
So far so good with my Bali. I got the 250 because I wanted a scooter to fit on the back of the motorhome. Apologies to the gas saving crowd. I thought I was getting a Tank that weighed under 400 lbs. (hitch maximum) that would carry two at highway speed. I rode the Honda, and liked it, but didn't want to pay over 5K. I have owned several motorcycles in the past, none of which would fit the bill for weight. As it turned out I got a Roketa, which seems to be a good alternative, based on this forum. It is candy red with black on the bottom. I do have a lot of shipping damage to resove, but at least I am now able to put it on the street. (Only took 8 weeks to get the missing parts) I have been able to avoid some of the problems by following the tips here, like removing the under seat screw. The scooter starts and runs well, and handles very nicely. Even with the two of us, it gets out and goes nicely. The chinese rubber smell has tainted everything in my garage, though. I will keep posting as I get more miles on the scooter, but I am afraid that scooter season will soon be over here in WI. (42 degrees this am)
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Post by scooterollie on Oct 6, 2006 11:10:31 GMT -5
Every time I do something new to my scoot I carefully examine the area I'm working in for potential problems. Took the center panel (over gas tank) off my Bali 250 yesterday to run some wires. Saw a problem when I looked down at the push-on connectors on the temp sensor on the bottom of the radiator. Looks like during assembly one of the connectors where the wire is crimped on was broken off so the assembler shoved the bare wire through the hole in the male part and just pushed the broken female part on the spade to hold the wire in place. It worked but was a sloppy solution. Installed a new female end on the wire along with a piece of heat-shrink over it. Last month I found a couple of similar issues up front when doing another mod.
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Post by Ringo on Oct 12, 2006 10:18:36 GMT -5
Try dyna beads to balance your tires. I used them in my 250 and it helped a lot. Much easier and more permanent that rim weights.
Do a Google search and you'll find them.
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Post by scooterollie on Oct 12, 2006 10:53:46 GMT -5
I may be the only one who has experienced radiator cap problems with their 250. In an early post on this thread I mentioned that I discovered the cap was leaking under pressure and allowing coolant to blow by. My solution was to bend the locking tabs or ears about 1-2 mm to tighten the cap. Seemed to mostly work but I would still find periodic evidence of dried coolant stains. Took my cap to Advance Auto and compared it with those on the pegs. Found one, Stant #11233, that looked right. The O.E. cap was marked 1.1 Atmos and the Stant was marked 16 P.S.I., different units but the same pressure. At first it would not tighten because the locking tabs were angled inward 1-2 mm. I bent them out to make the opening between them a little wider and it snapped right in place, locking firmly. Took a ride this A.M. but it is in the 50s and I didn't ride very far but everything seems OK.
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Post by preacher on Oct 12, 2006 15:13:22 GMT -5
Thanks scooterollie for all the info on the bali 250. My wife received her bali 250 about four weeks ago, I'm still waiting for the new raditor fill neck from bnscooters. She is very anxious to start riding the 250. In the mean time I have checked things you've talked about on the bali and have been able to fix some potential problems!
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Post by Aaron on Oct 12, 2006 15:17:50 GMT -5
Preacher welcome to the forum!
Aaron
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Post by scooterollie on Oct 12, 2006 22:00:56 GMT -5
preacher; Welcome to the "DawgPound"! Glad to hear my writeup was of help. It'd good that we have another 250 owner on the forum. If you don't want to wait, you can purchase one from Honda. Ask for one from a '92 CN 250. Also, contact Dave at www.scootersgeorgia.com and ask if he has one in stock. How did it break? |
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Post by preacher on Oct 13, 2006 10:32:42 GMT -5
scooterollie
Thanks for the welcome, I also had read on your report about the CN250 filler neck working on the bali. I ordered one this week, it should be here the first of next week. The small fitting on the return side of the fill neck was cracked when we received the bali. I've tried 3 or 4 epoxies but once the pressure builds it won't hold.
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Post by scooterollie on Oct 13, 2006 11:11:32 GMT -5
preacher;
Glad you were able to order a replacement. Keep us informed of your progress. I don't seem to run out of project ideas for mine. One of the next is a paint job. I ordered a silver one and got one painted matte black. Have worked out plans to paint several panels a deep burgundy metallic but still leave some of the lower ones black. Maybe this winter.
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dave6m
New Puppy Dawg
Posts: 3
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Post by dave6m on Oct 16, 2006 0:59:28 GMT -5
I've been reading at different sites about overheating issues with the Bali 250cc. I was worried about it because just riding a few miles had my temperature indicator at about 3/4 (with the manufacturers coolant). I emailed bnscooters about changing the coolant as at least one site recommended doing it to make sure a good quality coolant was used. I used a 50/50 coolant prior to sending the email Dan replied to my email to use 100% coolant. I changed it to 100% coolant even though I know water has better heat transfer properties. The 100% coolant raises the boiling point which may have some advantage relative to the bursting filler tubes.
I purchased a Microtek Infrared Thermometer from a local model shop for $29 (they had others starting at $24)
I let the bike idle for about fifteen minutes and measured (each minute) the cylinder head temperature, the pump inlet temperature, and the exhaust temperature. The radiator fan kicked in at 139 deg F and at idle, the exhaust temperature was higher than the coolant temp by about 32 deg F.
When the fan kicked in, the temperature gauge was right in the middle of the range. I drove the bike at 30mph, 45 mph, uphill, downhill, and stopped whenever the guage was above the midpoint to take a temperature reading. 60% of the range read 147F at the pump inlet. I put about 20 miles on the scooter and at the end, having become bored taking measurements, decided that I shouldn't worry about overheating. The measurements say 100% of the meter range is about 180 deg F. (139+8 deg x 5) to 200F (if I use 10 degrees per 10% above my 139 degree midpoint).
Speaking of front wheel freedom, I had an odd thing happen. I filled up the tank at the gas station and was driving about 5-7 mph around the side of the building and the front end dipped and I thought the engine had fallen out. I couldn't find any problem. I rode around the parking lot slowly and whenever I pulled the front brake, it grabbed and the front end dipped. It only happens at slow speeds if I pull the right brake a bit hard. But, I also noticed the front wheel didn't spin as freely as the rear so I'll have to take it apart and see if I have the same dry grease problem as was mentioned earlier. Above 5mph or so, I couldn't detect any problem.
Does anyone know what size bolts hold the rear view mirrors on? I saw a couple of nice adjustable ATV mirrors at a Kawasaki shop for $15 that might work with the Bali 250 cc.
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Post by scooterollie on Oct 16, 2006 10:53:28 GMT -5
dave6m; Welcome to the "DawgPound"! Dave, I don't think I would leave the 100% antifreeze in there. As you probably already know, a mixture transfers heat better than pure antifreeze or pure water. With your location, you don't need 50% mixture but I would go with at least 30% for the additives and better heat transfer. As far as what Dan said, I would take that with a grain of salt. I have spoken with him numerous times and his mechanical knowledge and knowledge of his product is VERY shallow. With the temp. checks you performed, you can be secure in your belief that the operating temp. of the engine and cooling system is normal, if not below normal. As you have probably seen noted, there seems to be a great discrepancy in the accuracy of the temp. gauge from one 250 to the next. With disc brakes, there is always a slight amount of drag when you spin the wheel. That's the nature of the system. It should not be binding tightly as you try to spin the wheel or have one or more spots where the drag is severe (warped rotor). You could have some kind of coating on the rotor. A brake cleaner should take it off. Any sign of leakage around the caliper? Leaking brake fluid on the rotor could cause a problem. Have you checked out Stan Jessup's website? If not, check the link below. Scroll down to "Accessory and Miscellaneous Parts" and you will see a set of black mirrors. I believe Stan has installed these on his own Tank Touring 250 and they are listed as 8 mm threads. You could e-mail Stan to be certain. I have thought about installing an after-market set but have not yet checked the bolt size on mine. www.oregonvintage.com/Scootparts.html |
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Post by preacher on Oct 16, 2006 15:02:33 GMT -5
Finally got the raditor fill neck for the 250 bali, put it on and seems to be working fine. Need some help though on turn signals. When I start the scooter up all lights including the turn signals work fine. Once I start riding within 1 block the turn signals and emergency flashers quit working. Break light and headlights continue working. After turning scooter off for a few minutes and restarting turn signals work, until I ride for about a block then they quit again!
Any ideas on what I can check? - Thanks preacher
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Post by scooterollie on Oct 16, 2006 19:18:00 GMT -5
preacher;
Glad you received a filler neck! Don't think I know the solution to your blinker problem. Guess you checked for burned out bulbs but don't think that would cause your problem. Wonder if the flasher unit is defective? The unit is under the front cowl.
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Post by russ553 on Oct 17, 2006 8:13:13 GMT -5
Methinks you have an electrical connection that is not tight. Check your connections, especially the ones for the mirrors. Intermittent activity indicates this.
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Post by 90GTVert on Oct 17, 2006 8:28:25 GMT -5
Start with the simple stuff. Check the 3 wires on each mirror for anywhere it can possibly be shorted or pinched. Especially make sure a wire isn't pinched under the mirror base when you tighten the bolt down. This is common on those mirrors. Stan Finally got the raditor fill neck for the 250 bali, put it on and seems to be working fine. Need some help though on turn signals. When I start the scooter up all lights including the turn signals work fine. Once I start riding within 1 block the turn signals and emergency flashers quit working. Break light and headlights continue working. After turning scooter off for a few minutes and restarting turn signals work, until I ride for about a block then they quit again! Any ideas on what I can check? - Thanks preacher |
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Post by WarrenS on Oct 17, 2006 8:39:04 GMT -5
There are two types of coolant on the market. One is premixed use as is and the other is pure antifreeze and has to be mixed with water. Since most scooters use between one and one and a half quarts it is easier to get the premixed type.
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Post by scooterollie on Oct 17, 2006 20:35:57 GMT -5
warstein;
If you are only servicing the cooling system on your scoot, I agree, the premix would be a good way to go. I have three autos plus the scoot so I mix my own. I also prefer a special hybrid organic acid type of coolant that is not available in premix.
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ringo
Junior Dawg
Posts: 14
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Post by ringo on Jan 20, 2007 21:06:12 GMT -5
Scooterolie,
How many miles do you have on your scooter now? I have 1700 km and with except for a few problems I worked out myself, its been great. Better then my 150.
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Post by scooterollie on Jan 20, 2007 22:54:41 GMT -5
ringo;
Welcome to the DawgPound! I have almost 1800 Kms on the Bali 250. Slowed down since Winter, even with all the warm weather here. Other than those things I detailed, it has been OK. Great ride for the price. Starts and runs very well. There are a couple more customizing projects I have in mind - voltage gauge, courtesy light under instrument cluster. If you read the posts you saw that I have installed a seat heater and heater pads under the stock grips. They are great for the cold weather. Also put in a courtesy light under the seat. I am thinking of painting the panels this Spring. Never really liked the matte black. May leave a couple of the panels black, just for contrast. If I paint, i will have a color coordinated heavy duty custom seat cover made for the scoot.
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