Getting a Viva 150cc...have a few questions

[jonny5alive]

Hi from Denver!

Later this week I'll be the proud new owner of a barely used Viva Phantom 150cc (http://www.viva-motors.com/moped-150cc-phantom-limited-edition-with-muffler.html). I'm a first time scooter owner with little riding experience and have a ton to learn!

Man, am I excited!

The scooter is one of a lot of six that my brother ordered last year for him and his friends. They have put 1k miles each on the the other scooters, but the one I'm getting has less than 100 because of a stalling problem.

Now onto the questions...

1. Should I get a full face helmet or a "beanie" style? I'll be using the bike to get to/from work on city streets with a max speed limit of 45, and for cruising around the city. I prefer the looks of the beanie style, but are they too much of a safety sacrifice?

2. The scooter is stalling after riding and coming to a stop. Its fine at speed, but when you start slowing down for a stop sign it dies. It starts right up and goes again just fine apparently. What can I do to fix this? Adjust idle? Fuel lines? I'm totally clueless with small engines (never worked on one), but have basic mechanical skills.

3. He's bringing it down from MN to me in Denver. Will I need to make any adjustments for the 5000' elevation difference?

4. Does anyone have any experience with this make/model/clone? I haven't been able to find much info on the Viva brand but assume its from the same factory as many others. The VIN# is LJ4TCKPB37Y041174. Engine #157QMJ070596595.

5. Any scootdawgs in Denver?

It has the alarm/remote start which I'll probably rip out, as well as do a more thorough PDI just to familiarize myself with the bike.

I know I'll have many more questions in the future, and appreciate any tips/advice anyone has to offer!

THANKS FOR THE HELP!

Jon

PS...Is this the best area for this post?

[dancinci]

Welcome to the board. The helmet question is easiest.

I don’t wear a beanie type helmet, not enough protection to make it worth wale for me. I have seen them work effectively in low speed crashes with cars. What often happens in a slow speed crash is your head goes into the car windshield.

I wear a ¾ helmet because it offers a bit more protection and fits in my under seat storage, a traditional full face does not. No doubt a full-face helmet or one of the new modular helmets would give best protection. Most of the better helmets have their weight listed in the description. A lighter helmet will be more comfortable.

If you are a novice I would consider a full face, if you hate it a beanie helmet is fairly cheep after you have more experience. A ¾ or full-face can also be purchased with a face shield so you don’t have to fool with glasses or goggles.

Gloves a riding jacket and pants can be a lot cheaper then one trip to the emergency room. Plus they can make a difference from simply getting up after a minor wreck, compared to needing treatment for cuts and abrasions. Consider borrowing or buying these items for the first few rides, then decide according to your own comfort level, if you want to keep using them.

About the stalling. I would post that in the 125 and up forum after you have the scoot. If it runs good at speed the stalling issue is something that can be corrected.

[jonny5alive]

Thanks for the helmet info! I've decided to get both! I went shopping for a full face helmet, but the store I went to didn't have any under $250. They did have a nice white open face on sale for $25 that I picked up. I'm going to use that as a spare once I order a full face. I won't be doing much riding for a couple weeks as the dmv doesn't offer weekend riding tests so the only way for me to get licensed is through a weekend MSF course.

I'm also shopping for an armored jacket.

Now I just need to work out the stalling issue and some electrical gremlins. I picked up a new AGM battery but there is no response with the starter, blinkers, any lights, ect. The bike starts fine with the kick start though. I'm assuming theres a short or bad wire somewhere. Hopefully its nothing major! The fuse at the battery is not blown but I might replace it anyway.