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Post by mickster on Mar 22, 2007 23:01:36 GMT -5
Just thought I would start a thread on the Viva 250cc roadster honda reflex clone scooter. I purchased one of these off of ebay and I am more than happy to answer any questions anyone has on this scooter. This is my first scooter, but I have been riding motorcycles for about 30 years now. I am mechanically inclined so if there is anything in particular that someone wants to know, just post away and I will do my best to reply. I also have about 2 years of chinese minibike/motorcycle/atv experience and I am pretty knowlegeable on common problems on these bikes. I will post a followup message on why I bought the roadster on this thread.
Mickey
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Post by mickster on Mar 22, 2007 23:07:21 GMT -5
I wanted to buy a 250cc scooter because I wanted:
1) to be able to get up to speed quickly (I live next to a major highway and interstate) 2) to be able to carry a passenger and still be able to go 60mph 3) I test drove a helix and decided that I didn't want to have less power than that 4) I had rode motorcycles for years and I wanted to drive something different.
I decided on the viva roadster because
1) It was pretty much a honda reflex clone so I knew that buying parts would be a bit easier (since I could probably buy some of the reflex accessories/parts and they would fit)
2) It appeared to have the largest fairing in stock form
3) I liked the way it looked
4) I liked that it had the exact same motor that is in my off road buggy
5) I liked the way the instrument panel looked
6) I liked that it had larger tires (13's)
Next message in thread will have details on my scooter
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Post by Aaron on Mar 22, 2007 23:12:48 GMT -5
Post pics too if you can and welcome to the forum mickster glad you found us! Did you buy directly from Viva? What speeds is it giving you? Have you checked it against GPS or a car yet? Is it comfy two up? Hows the brakes, lights, quality of switches etc? Looking forward to your input.
Aaron
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Post by mickster on Mar 22, 2007 23:28:11 GMT -5
Ok, I bought my scooter off of ebay and had it shipped to my door. Whole process took about 10 days. I was able to get a burgandy scooter. The box had damage and the crate was bent in one place, but the scooter was unharmed. I am used to uncrating these kinds of things since I got into chinese atvs and motorcycles in the last 2 years. I knew to not expect perfection, I did have a certain level of quality that I was hoping for. The Scooter was easy to setup (charge/install battery, check fluids, check tire pressures, check brake operation, install winshield and mirrors). The manual was a joke (lots of funny engrish). The mirrors were surprising good and functional. The paint looks great (doesn't appear cheap at all). The overal fit and finish is unbelievable good for what the price was. Tires were Kenda (would have prefered higher quality, but at least they are not the generic stuff that is on the chinese dirt bikes). Fluid levels were ok, I did add a touch of antifreeze, but not enough to matter. I added some gasoline and cranked it over. It started up without having to prime the carb or extending cranking. I took it for a test ride and everything was ok. I was hoping the brakes would not feel cheap or spongy. The brakes feel as good as any honda I have ridden in the last 20 years. The motor runs smooth and quiet and has plenty of power. In the last 150 miles this is what has been found wrong and what I have done.
1) Wire pulled loose from one speaker connector (resoldered the crimp connector)
2) Dashboard intstruments were unreadable in the dark (removed 3 dashlight bulbs and replaced them with normal 194 dash bulbs)
3) One tail light burned out (replaced with a normal 1157)
4) headlights aimed too low (adjusted lights up)
5) Removed a few stickers (WD-40 is a good way to remove adhesive)
6) turn signal indicators on dash are hard to read during the day (ordered two bulbs that should have twice the wattage)
7) ride is harsher than desired ( lowered tire pressures ( 21 in front and 2? in the back))
8) windshield diverts air away from my body, but air still directly hits my face. ( ordered a larger winshield, will post results when I get it mounted)
So far I am very very happy with my purchase. I really didn't expect a single cylinder machine to be as smooth and vibration free as it is.
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Post by mickster on Mar 22, 2007 23:37:00 GMT -5
As far as the quality of the lights is that they are very good. I had read about a lot of scooters having poor headlights and I was prepared for the worst. They are not as good as a honda/suzuki, but definitely good enough. I would rate it as 80 percent of light of a honda. They were adjusted too low, but were very bright. The only lighting problems were that the dashlights were way too dark (couldn't read any of the needles on the dials in the dark) and the turn signal indicators are too dim to see clearly in the day. I bought from Ebay ( a drop shipper that just has it sent from Viva). Brakes are great, fit and finish of all the controls is great. Nothing was damaged or non working. I have not did any top speed tests or any riding with a passenger yet.
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Post by mickster on Mar 22, 2007 23:38:42 GMT -5
I will post pics next week. Please let me know if there are any pics in particular that anyone wants to see. The pictures on Viva's website does show most of the points of view of the scooter.
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Post by scooterollie on Mar 23, 2007 8:46:29 GMT -5
mickster; Welcome to the Dawg Pound. Thanks for sharing your information and experience with the Viva. I have a Roketa Bali 250 and enjoy the power and size for the same reasons. I would recommend changing out ALL fluids as some of the Chinese stuff is of questionable quality. Put in your preferred brands and then you will know what you have from the start. I prefer DOT 4 synthetic (not silicone) brake fluid and at least a SynBlend gear oil for the final drive. I heave even seen reference to poor quality oil in the forks, although most of us have not gone that far in the fluid change out area.
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Post by banditms on Mar 23, 2007 13:32:33 GMT -5
Mickster, Congrats on the purchase and hope you have tons of riding fun! I was wondering if you could do me a favor and post (or e-mail) a pic of your scooters engine compartment. Take a pic on the muffler side looking up into the engine compartment just above the muffler. I was also very curious as to some of the detailed specs of the scooter so I went to the link on eBay to check out the Viva Roadster... and the specs said it was a 19 HP 250cc. So I figured that they really meant it was a Linhai 257cc engine at 19 HP. So I looked over their photo's in detail ... and then reviewed them with my mechanic who initially agreed that it was a 257cc engine. If you look at the pics below, you'll see what I did... The second image shows the muffler side of the scooter. You can see where the exhaust pipe comes down from the rear side of the engine cylinder and into the top of the muffler. This is a CF Moto 244cc engine... So how did they get 13" wheels on this baby? And are they actually 13" wheels - which I believe they are. I think we've found the long rumoured CF Moto 244cc engine with 13" wheels. If you look at the first image of the tranny cover side, you'll see that the rear end of the cover comes out to a cone shaped point. It's been modified. The odd thing is, CF Moto didn't do this... Another little factoid of info I'd like to share with everyone is about wheelsizes. There is a lot of deception about those... and a lot of wrong perceptions as well. For instance, the 13" wheels on this Viva Roadster use 130/60 tires. If you calculate that out, they are 19" overall dia. But my UC-150/250 scooter models use 12" wheels with 4.0" tires - or a 20" overall diameter. My point being, if you are looking for taller tires, taller wheels may not be the answer... But then again, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong about everything... ( ; Jim J... Bandit MotorSports www.bandit-motorsports.com
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Post by WarrenS on Mar 23, 2007 14:13:14 GMT -5
I find the main difference between the 12" and 13" wheels is the larger wheel is easier to check and add air to.
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Post by mickster on Mar 24, 2007 9:34:52 GMT -5
I will try and get some pics up, but it looks like the standard cf244cc motor. I did finally have a chance to do a speed run. After about a minute at full throttle, the motor starts to die due to fuel starvation. I checked all the lines and nothing is kinked so I am just going to upgrade to the 12s electric fuel pump. I figure the vacuum pump is either weak or too small for the 250cc motor. I plan on picking it up today.
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Post by WarrenS on Mar 24, 2007 12:44:48 GMT -5
I meant to say the 10" rear tire on my Helix was hard to service because of its small diameter. Twelve or 13" are easier to check and inflate. I find the main difference between the 12" and 13" wheels is the larger wheel is easier to check and add air to.
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Post by mickster on Mar 28, 2007 18:46:50 GMT -5
Just a follow up the original post. I have put around 400 miles on the scooter with only one issue to speak of. I had a fuel starvation issue when the bike was held wide open for more than a minute or if carrying a passenger and trying to hold a speed of 60mph. I replaced the vacuum fuel pump with a small electric automotive pump. Now the scooter runs fine wide open and with a passenger. Top speed is 75 mph (by the scooter speedo).
The turn signal indicators were hard to read during the day so I swapped them out with a number 70 bulb. It has twice the luminance of what was in it originally.
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Post by powerride on Mar 29, 2007 17:25:37 GMT -5
Mickster- where is the radiator located on that 250cc roadster ??
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Post by mickster on Mar 29, 2007 20:40:36 GMT -5
Down low behind the fuel tank and in front of motor
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Post by powerride on Mar 30, 2007 15:27:37 GMT -5
Mickster- another radiator question. Do you think it gets good air flow in that location ? Would it be a major refit to move the radiator up front behind the front wheel ?
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Post by scooterollie on Mar 30, 2007 16:49:35 GMT -5
powerride; It does look like this location would restrict air flow to the radiator - and it probably does to some degree - but if everything is working properly, the scoot does not overheat. Many 250 scoots have grossly inaccurate temperature gauges that give readings suggesting the scoot is running in the red zone. Usually this is not true. If the cooling fan cycles on and off as you ride or sit at idle on a warm day, then your scoot's cooling system is operating properly. Some have installed deflectors to direct more air toward the radiator. In my area, a really hot day is in the mid to upper 90s. I have ridden up a long 2 mile hill at that temp. with only a needle's width increase in the temp. gauge reading. On my scoot, the left side of the gas tank is shaped so as to allow air to flow around it to the radiator. I am certain a high end scoot would have a better design but this works.
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Post by mickster on Mar 30, 2007 19:57:33 GMT -5
Yeah, the reason it would be a major retrofit is that there is no where for the wind to go after it would exit the raidiator if it was mounted up front.
The scooter seems to have plenty of airflow where its at and it does have a cooling fan. My temp gauge runs at 1/4 all the time. The Fan does cycle on and off. More so when setting idling than going down the road.
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Post by powerride on Mar 31, 2007 10:53:03 GMT -5
Mickster Thanx, I really like the looks of that scoot. I might get one. Earlier you said it was starving for more fuel at top speed can you turn the air/fuel needle valve open 1/4 - 1/2 turn for more fuel to the carb ?
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Post by mickster on Mar 31, 2007 13:08:31 GMT -5
Fuel starvation problem was due to a bad fuel pump (or poor design). I replaced it with a electric pump and the scooter runs great with plenty of power.
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Post by feyd1701 on Apr 4, 2007 20:40:26 GMT -5
Mickster, are the parts you ordered for your Roadster, Reflex parts? If they are how interchangable are they?
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Post by feyd1701 on Apr 4, 2007 21:06:49 GMT -5
If anyone can recomend some performance upgrades for my Viva Raodster, I would love to hear them.
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Post by mickster on Apr 5, 2007 13:30:26 GMT -5
As far as part interchangability, I don't have any experience yet for the most part (at least drivetrain wise). I did add an aftermarket Cee Baileys tall winshield to the scooter (it was designed for a reflex) and it bolted right on. All the bolt holes lined up, I just removed the old shield and installed the larger one. As far as the fuel pump, it was a low pressure universal automotive pump.
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Post by Charlie on Apr 6, 2007 8:33:15 GMT -5
mickster, this is the first chance I have had to read about your scoot! Wow, nice looking machine. I like the fact that it has foot pegs for your two up riding. Did they place the radio toward the rear of your seat trunk? If you have pics of the radio installation could you post it please?
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Post by stewntexas on Apr 6, 2007 9:31:28 GMT -5
Very good write-up of your experience/opinions/impressions regarding this scoot. Could you expand on your fuel pump change? Where did you get it? Who makes it? Stock or item number? Wiring it up?
Thanks,
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Post by 12string on Apr 6, 2007 14:26:05 GMT -5
Hey Mickster, Does anybody know if the engine in your Viva is a Honda clone? That is, is it a clone engine of a Honda Reflex engine? And will the parts interchange? Carbs , Exhaust etc.?
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Post by banditms on Apr 7, 2007 14:11:05 GMT -5
12string, No, the 244cc CF Moto engine in the Viva (Reflex clone) does not share any parts with the real Reflex engine. The Reflex uses a 249cc engine design far different the CF Moto 244cc. BUT... the CF Moto 244cc is a 90% of the Honda Helix, so most of those parts will work and Honda is selling the Helix model currently... so it's all good. ( - ; It looks like I really blew my assessment of that Viva 250 of Micksters... the 13" wheels and modified 244cc CF Moto engine. I think I was duped by the wheel design but am not positive. The reason why I'm reconsidering my position is that I have read most of the thread involving the new purchase of the Roketa Bali 250... scootdawg.proboards59.com/index.cgi?board=200cc&action=display&thread=1175224958After reading that Gary got his new 250cc scooter and it wasn't a Roketa Bali nor an NST-250 but rather a Viva 250 with 10" wheels, I got really confused, really fast. I was certain that the photo's above showed 13" wheels on the Viva... and that the V-belt cover was clearly extended... and that the exhaust pipe came off the back side of the vertical cylinder clearly indicating it was a CF Moto 244cc engine. So what is wrong with the pics I posted above? I reviewed our CF Moto 244cc engine and V-belt cover and there is no difference, other than the Viva version is very shiny silver painted. I reviewed the CF Moto website and was semi-able to determine that the original 172MM engine was the same on the Viva 250 pictured above. OK, so why do the wheels look like 13" versions? My mechanic answered that one. For the longest time, we've been able to identify wheels easily by the number of spokes in them. Our scooter models with 10" wheels have 5-6 spokes, and the 13" wheels were always 3-spoke versions. EXCEPT... our last batch of RC-150's had 3-spoke 10" wheels. So that probably means that the 3-spoke wheels pictured on the Viva 250 above are 10" in dia... This is a plausible explanation but given what Gary found on his new Viva 250 (Reflex clone) for wheels in 10" sizes, I have to assume that I was mistaken on the pics above. Mickster can also confirm on his bike that he has either 10" or 13" wheels... 3-spoke or 5-spoke... Sorry for the screw-up fellow Dawgs. I think I was also hoping for ScooterOllies 'long rumoured' CF Moto 244cc engine that would accept the 13" wheels. If Mickster can confirm the wheel dia on his Viva, I think we can close that chapter for now... Thanks, Jim J... Bandit MotorSports www.bandit-motorsports.com
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Post by 12string on Apr 7, 2007 20:56:36 GMT -5
AJ stated in a previous post that his Viva had 13" wheels and I believe that Mickster said that his did also.
AJ's post said-
My Viva has 13" wheels, Front & Rear. The ID plate on the scoot says the engine is 244cc YY250T family. 6JNYCO.25NFG I wonder about the last three letters on that designation
AJ
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Post by 12string on Apr 7, 2007 21:19:19 GMT -5
Yep, Mickey said his had 13" wheels, I think that some of the confusion is that Viva has two 250 version models, the MP250TR touring edition (looks like the Roketa Bali,10" wheel on rear) and the MP250RO roadster edition (looks like the NTS 250, 13"wheel on rear).Both have the same CF Moto 244cc engine. My scooter has 13 inch wheels and it has the cf moto motor (upright design that is exactly the same as pictures shown of the cf moto online.
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Post by banditms on Apr 8, 2007 22:01:29 GMT -5
12string, Thanks for the clarification on the two models from Viva (Touring and Roadster). I kinda suspected something like that but couldn't get to the Viva website, and didn't catch which model Gary said that he recieved. And while I did see that Mickster had ordered his Viva because it 'has 13" wheels', I didn't see the confirmation after his receipt of the scooter... At any rate, once again it sounds like there is a CF Moto 244cc with 13" wheels available now... ( - ; Does this sound like a soap opera to anyone else? Jim J... Bandit MotorSports www.bandit-motorsports.com
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Post by WarrenS on Apr 9, 2007 9:00:23 GMT -5
I had a Helix and the clearance between the tire and engine was very close. In order to fit a 13" wheel in place of the 10" one would be to use a tire with less height so the overall diameter is the same. This is similar to what they are doing with cars. They put 19" wheels on with low profile tires.
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