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Post by phatboy on Jun 3, 2014 3:51:53 GMT -5
hey
My scoot has a flat seat, long enough for 2 people and has passenger foot pegs. but I'm a big guy, 6'4" and 280 lbs, I sit near the back of the seat when i ride my scoot.
I tried taking a passenger on my scoot. not big, 110 lbs maybe, problem is, we got on the scoot i went half a block and had to stop. I cant safely ride the scoot with me sitting at the front of the seat. my knees are touching the handle bars.
i did some measuring, and i figured out with a little welding and fab, i can move the seat back 4 inches on the frame and it will only raise up 1 inch. Is this a bad idea?
Also what determines weight capacity of a scoot? specs say 330 lbs max. can i use stiffer springs to safely bring that up?
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Post by rockynv on Jun 3, 2014 4:22:06 GMT -5
The engine output shaft of the gearbox is not really designed for that. The 330 lb limit also takes into account the frame, front fork and brakes.
Moving the seat back presents other problems with the potential to put too much weight behind the center of the rear tire which could lead to loss of control by unloading the front wheel.
If you need to take a passenger then you really need a bigger bike with a 450+ lb capacity. That is why I ended up with an Aprilia Sport City 250 which has a bit over 460 lb capacity. With a 330 lb capacity your talking 2 teen agers weighing about 150 lbs each or an adult and a child so you will have a little capacity left for a lunch, parcels or a bag of groceries
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Post by phatboy on Jun 3, 2014 5:16:41 GMT -5
Its a 150cc ruckus clone, with engine set back already. the seat can go back 4 inches and still be in front of the center of the rear tire. I could buy a kit to set the tire back even more. i bought the ruck clone in the first place b/c I knew it could be more easily modded than other scooters
I did some searching and found a 150cc scoot, same mfr as mine, with a curb weight of 295 # and capacity of 350 #. Thats 645 # on the output shaft. My scoot only weights 190 #. so with 380# on it you have less load on the shaft. I think that heavier scoot uses the same forks and breaks too. so all thats left is the frame and springs. wondering if I can strengthen either.
I can't afford to upgrade now I just bought my scoot brand new like 2 months ago, has only 200 km on it. I'm stuck with it until at least next summer. just trying to make the best of it.
but even with a 250 even though it would carry the weight, i would worry about it still not being enough room for me and a passenger. scooters are one size fits all, they can't make them too big or too small. and they probably don't have guys like me in mind when they make them.
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Post by spandi on Jun 3, 2014 7:26:09 GMT -5
Rocky is Right. But when you DO upgrade make sure the scoot you want to buy has a long wheelbase, as you are quite tall and will need the extra room so everyone is comfortable.  |
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Post by ramblinman on Jun 3, 2014 10:38:21 GMT -5
any chance you can let the passenger sit in front of you? that's how i use to ride with my little brother.
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Post by rockynv on Jun 3, 2014 12:41:16 GMT -5
Ruckus is not what comes to mind when I think of a big guys scooter. I was at 265 when I got my 150 and the Ruckus was not on the list then due to its size.
My Aprilia 250 fits me along with a 200+lb passenger. It is a tall rider which some passengers find a little intimidating due to the higher seating position however that is how they make for more leg room by the greater vertical distance between the seat and the floorboards. I am just about at eye level with many SUV drivers.
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Post by alleyoop on Jun 3, 2014 12:53:33 GMT -5
Yea for a big guy you need a scoot that mesaures  + from center wheel to center wheel, those are some of your 250+ scoots. Alleyoop |
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Post by phatboy on Jun 3, 2014 14:14:11 GMT -5
funny thing is I had a kymco 50 before this 150cc ruck clone and we actually both fit on the 50, though it was tight it did not feel unsafe. it was slow of course but rideable and seemed to handle us ok.
i like the look of that aprilla, looks like a regular scoot, but still the seating position worries me, with those 2-level seats there is just one seating position for driver. it looks like i will have to go to an actual dealer next time instead of order and have it shipped.
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Post by phatboy on Jun 3, 2014 20:26:39 GMT -5
I parked next to a guy on a piaggio BV500 today a really big scoot. we got to talking for a while and he let me sit on it. yep, still cramped. Gonna be a long search for a big enough scoot.
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Post by alleyoop on Jun 3, 2014 20:42:43 GMT -5
The Piaggio 500 actuall all the pieaggios are short framed they are like a 150 frame they are under " from center wheel to center wheel . Your looking at the wrong sizes. Alleyoop |
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Post by skuttadawg on Jun 4, 2014 1:10:38 GMT -5
What size are your tires ? My Echarm has 16s and I am 200 and have had people bigger than me on back with no issues . Yes if you upgrade your rear shocks to nitrogen type instead of oil they handle ride better and handle the extra weight . I upgraded my tires to Michelins and those bad boys can hold up to 630 lbs each . You can over stress the frame bushings by exceded the weight limitation if is stamped on it or in the manual . My scooter dealer told me about a customer who was a really heavy guy and only rode his 50cc around campus at college and the bushing gave out and bent the single rear shock . I have seen a few on scoots with 10 inch wheels and the rear suspension and tire was sagging . This is a very bad idea to do . Maybe a short ride around the block , but not on the streets . I have ridden a few on my old scoot that had 10s and it was not so stable and it put some wear on the rear tire , belt and clutch . With 16s on my Echarm it is to me like a crossover between a scooter and a motorcycle . To me a scooter should have " doughnuts " which means tires that are wide and 12, 13 or 14 inch wheels . The Echarm has wimpy dual rear shocks so I adjusted the spring dampening to the firmest setting . I replaced the stock ChengShin tires with Shinkos and it was such an improvement . My other scooter has 13s and a mono rear shock . I had ridden several pileons , but not as many or for as long of distance as I have on my Ecxharm . I have ridden boocoos of passenger miles on it . Back to the 13s , the stock tires seemed ok , and suspension too but it was a load on the engine when it was 50cc . After a 47mm or 70cc BBK it had plenty of power to carry a pileon up hill with a running start . With the Michelin PureSport SCs wow an amazing improvement in every category . I bought my Michelins here tires for the same price as generics in town with free shipping . Since you have a Ruckus clone and if anyone who knows for sure it Honda Ruckus suspension parts will fit here is a link to some parts but they are pricey Ruckus partsI have a buddy who has a Honda Ruckus who is bigger than me but added on a windshield , huge saddle bags , a bag up front and a tool box on back with no problems , other than slow since it is bone stock . He has ridden a couple of passengers but only a very short distance at a time . |
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Post by SylvreKat on Jun 4, 2014 22:43:38 GMT -5
phat, I disagree that scooters are one size fits all. Not that I've sat a bunch, but just between the Schwinn I sat on first and my Piggy, there was a big diff. The Schwinn felt a whole lot closer to me. My Peej, I have room to slide around to get comfy. Except the seat's a touch too high (I stand on the front halves of my feet at stops--not ideal) As for shifting the seat back, I'm trying to think of physics  and I don't see how that's going to change things a whole lot as far as weight distribution. He's going to sit in the same general spot he's sitting now. Only diff is the passenger will be a little farther back. But if they ride like I've seen pillions on motorcycles, they're leaning forwards anyways which is putting some of their weight where it currently rides. And their feet won't be different, so there's more weight in the same place. >'Kat |
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Post by rockynv on Jun 5, 2014 12:50:07 GMT -5
The Piaggio 500 actuall all the pieaggios are short framed they are like a 150 frame they are under " from center wheel to center wheel . Your looking at the wrong sizes. Alleyoop What sold me on the Sport City was the 6' 4" 325lb Sales Manager let me ride his personal bike when he was closing up the shop one night. I bought one the next day. Unfortunately Piaggio seems to be trying to cripple Aprilia and is not allowing them to bring more than the 50cc bikes into the US and they have taken all the Sport Citys along with Scarabeo 500 from the lineup overseas. |
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Post by phatboy on Apr 17, 2015 22:24:45 GMT -5
Hey all, old thread but I thought I would add that I solved this problem... I saved up all winter long to buy a bigger scoot and last week I sold my 150cc Ruck clone. Maxi scoots aren't my thing, I like traditional scoots, though I did sit on a few. Then finally I sat on a used Vespa GT and found the right match of scooter styling, power and size, so I bought it. The GT is the biggest traditional scoot I sat on and I knew before I even got on that it was different. Love it and love how it rides too. However it is water cooled so I guess that means I can't post on this subforum anymore  |
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Post by geh3333 on Apr 18, 2015 3:47:57 GMT -5
Hey all, old thread but I thought I would add that I solved this problem... I saved up all winter long to buy a bigger scoot and last week I sold my 150cc Ruck clone. Maxi scoots aren't my thing, I like traditional scoots, though I did sit on a few. Then finally I sat on a used Vespa GT and found the right match of scooter styling, power and size, so I bought it. The GT is the biggest traditional scoot I sat on and I knew before I even got on that it was different. Love it and love how it rides too. However it is water cooled so I guess that means I can't post on this subforum anymore You got a pic ? |
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+ from center wheel to center wheel, those are some of your 250+ scoots.
..BAD TO THE BONE..
