New rider - Leike Super Hornet 150cc  By  aus (Read 3,890 times)

aus. One thing you may need to consider that isn't obvious. Check your states requirement for driving this. Most states >49 cc requires a motorcycle license. Unless you already have it it may be an additional cost.

And 2¢ more--please seriously consider safety gear, too. At the very very least a helmet. And gloves--your fingers are important (says the gal currently dealing with a somewhat-buggered thumb).

And if you're truly new, as in NEW-new, then take the MSF's beginner class. It will cram a ton of learning about driving two-wheels into your brain, make you a safer driver, should give you a free pass to your motorcycle endorsement, and probably net you a discount on your insurance.

Oh yeah, to the board!

>'Kat

OK. So thanks everybody for the input.

I bought her for $700.
The story is: the seller is a diabetic, he bought her new two years ago but was having a problem with his foot. Well that problem ended with getting his foot amputated. He needed cash, tried selling her to his neighbor/best friend, who used to ride a lot. The neighbor found his reflexes aren't what they used to be, but posted it on Craigslist.
So I was the 2nd to respond to the ad. When the first responder didn't work out, he called me back to say that if I could come up with $700 that day, she was mine.
Came with a cover, two helmets, and a few other goodies. Waited out a rainstorm at a nearby shop and bought a decent jacket on sale (need a good leather jacket that can protect me a bit in case I ever need it, but for now it will do.
Drove it back on the highway.
As y'all have said - barely gets over 55, only a downslope.

Not sure if I've screwed anything up by running it like that for miles 20-98 on the odometer? probably not the ideal break in period, but, it was the only option I had.

I've got 422 miles on the odometer at the moment. Run around town and absolutely loving it. In addition to helmet and jacket, I always wear a neon reflective vest and usually wear thin gloves, boots, and long pants.

Been really cautious and slowly gaining confidence with my riding skills, but, I do have a good sense of balance and situational awareness, so, only one close call - refrained from cussing out a kid learning to drive who kind of ran me off the road, except I saw it coming early enough that no harm came of it.

I hear ya (and believe me, I hear it from my girlfriend) about proper licensing. I'll get a tag, and the safety class, and the endorsement for my license, in the near future. Meanwhile, honestly, not awfully worried about the 400 miles I've already run, since about a dozen coworkers have told me that in practice, local law enforcement doesn't care as long as you're behaving yourself.

I do have some problems - I have found googled references to identical issues from this model. It stalled out yesterday, couldn't get it started again. Currently have it at my friend's house and working on it. It's running too rich I think - but maybe too lean? And when I crank it, fuel dribbles out of something that seems like some kind of a pressure release port. Occasionally it'll start perfectly, then die after a few seconds.

So, I'm working on that.... will start a new thread for it in a minute.

aus,

Even though I rode big bikes for fifty years, when I got into scooters I was as new to them as anyone.  I did the same as you, starting with a Chinese 150 and moving to a 250 after six years, when the 150 just wouldn't cut it anymore.

You'll probably do much as I did, learning WAY more than you wanted to by fixing the "Chinese bugs" that make scoots act like yours is acting...  My first 150 required a new CDI, coil, starter, fuel lines and carb the first year.  The fuel lines often are not compatible with American fuel and mine "decomposed" from the inside out, ruining the carb with rotten rubber residue.

Once I got the bugs out, I experimented with the carb jetting and "needle" setting and got the engine running great.  Then, I experimented with the rollers in the variator, which made MONUMENTAL improvement in drivability.  Today, I'd opt for sliders instead of rollers as they seem to provide FULL opening and closing of the variator. This gives better acceleration AND top-speed.

Once you have the engine running right, and dependable, roller-weights can make a real difference.  I am heavy (230 pounds) and I first tried 11 gram rollers which gave me great acceleration, but a top-speed of only 43-mph at a screaming 10K rpm.

I then went up a gram to 12 gram rollers which gave me an excellent top-speed of 65-mph, but NO acceleration or hill-climbing power.

Hmmm....

So I ended up with a mix of 3 ea. 11 gram, and 3 3ea. 12 gram rollers, staggered, which was a near-perfect setup... Good acceleration and hill-climbing, AND a top-speed of 62.

Chinese 150's are a great starter-bike and very useful for most all transportation up to 50+ mph.  When local surface streets got upgraded, the speed limits were upped and for safety I really needed to be able to top 65-mph so I traded the 150 on a used Kymco 250 which has been a marvelous all-purpose scooter for my needs.

Twist n' go scooters are a whole different world from motorcycles but are a lot of fun, and highly practical for real daily use, AND just fun riding.

Remain careful, be vigilant and always "expect the unexpected" and you'll have many years of fun riding!

Ride safe,

Leo in Texas