Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 25, 2015 17:11:29 GMT -5
You've got the Grand Vista, like Leo/oldchopperguy, right? You apparently won't find whitewalls for one of them (I think it's rear). But Leo has a thread about painting a whitewall on his tire. And his Minnie Mouse really looks sharp with the whites. >'Kat Really? No whitewalls for 140/70-12? Dang! Whitewalls might look out of place anyway seeing as I've countrified the scooter with colored tape to cover up all the feathers. LOL
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 25, 2015 17:06:07 GMT -5
Crazy frog is AWESOME
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 25, 2015 14:10:01 GMT -5
Total and complete rip off. The high price is for the name. Even if I was Donald Trump rich I wouldn't waste money like that. Same thing with stuff like Harley Davidson, Indian, and BMW bikes. There's no justifying the cost.
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 25, 2015 13:45:54 GMT -5
Freeway speeds, lots of storage carrying capacity, not to mention 2 wheel fun....... What's not to like? Especially for a low cost, high gas mileage vehicle. I love it!
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 25, 2015 12:44:57 GMT -5
What size are you looking for? I'm looking for a 140/70-12 for the back tire and a 120/70-12 for the front tire.
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 25, 2015 12:40:57 GMT -5
Hehe I really don't care if the tape pulls the paint off. I really hope it does. I'll do like Leo said and do a little sanding and masking and repaint the thing myself. I bought it to be a commuter, not a beauty queen. And all the paneling is plastic, so there's no worry about it rusting. If my wife inherits a beast rather then a beauty than oh well. She can go out and paint it up however she wants it when it becomes hers!
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 24, 2015 21:50:25 GMT -5
I want to put some whitewall tires on my scooter. I was looking online at scooter tires, and I keep running across a brand called Shinko. The tires look pretty nice, and they're priced pretty decent. I've never heard of Shinko before. Maybe I should just stick with brands I know like Michelin and Bridgestone. Anyone have any experience with Shinko tires? What's your tire of choice?
|
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 24, 2015 4:14:25 GMT -5
So I took my Grandvista 250 out for a ride today. I took it out on a short stint down highway 143 which runs by Sky Harbor in Phoenix. It's a 55 mph stretch of road, but most everyone runs 70 mph plus. I turned the throttle all the way and reached an indicated speed of mph!! It's a 250cc!! I know the speedo is probably overly optimistic by 5 or 6 mph, but even if that's the case this scooter with 12 inch wheels was doing over 80 mph!! I think that's downright amazing!! I know it was over 80mph because no one was passing me. I was leaving all the cars in the rear view mirrors. The lines on the highway were buzzing by fast. It could be that because of the low altitude of only about 1100 ft. Phoenix AZ has almost the perfect 14 to 1 air pressure ratio for the optimal efficiency for a carburetor fed engine to produce the maximum amount of power. I kept my hand on the throttle and it was still accelerating. The 143 is just a short bit of highway, and I had to back off the throttle to merge back into 45mph speed limits on the city streets. The tachometer was reading a maximum of about 7,500 rpm. All I can say is that I was amazed. Not just at the speed, but how stable the bike was at that speed. I have a 125cc scooter that tops out at 55mph with my 210lbs on it. Downhill I can get about 60mph of it but it's topped out. In fact, here in Phoenix with all the 45mph roads, I really don't need a throttle for the 125cc scooter. Just an on/off switch. I'm ether full throttle with it or I'm slowing down for a stop. It's kind of annoying really.
|
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 22, 2015 23:35:43 GMT -5
Personally, I think the best way to go would be one of those locomotive horns. Everyone and their dog will get out of your way. =)
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 22, 2015 22:34:44 GMT -5
Okay guys. I couldn't take the purple feathers, the green beak, and the stupid chicken eyes anymore. I did some goofball engineering. I used a little all weather red tape, some reflective tape, and black tape on the purple fender, and down the undersides below the footrest to conceal the purple feathers. What do you think? I don't care if it looks like hillbilly engineering. I'd rather it looked tacky than look like it's Ru Paul's personal scoot.
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 22, 2015 21:47:42 GMT -5
It's funny you mentioned that. I actually live right between 40th and 48th streets! LOL
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 22, 2015 20:49:18 GMT -5
I live in Phoenix. You can ride year round here too. I live right in the center of the metro area, so fun scooter roads are a long way off. Phoenix is laid out on a huge grid with a bunch of confusing street names that go for 50 miles in any direction, and most all of them are 45mph roads where people routinely drive 55 plus. There are lots of scooter dealers here, but I don't see very many 50cc scooters on the roads here. If you can't go at least 50mph you will probably get run over.
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 112
Likes: 38
Joined: Jan 14, 2015 18:26:42 GMT -5
|
Post by scootdude on Jan 21, 2015 1:33:46 GMT -5
Wow I had no idea the Grandvista was discontinued in 2011. That's a bummer. It's a cool scooter. I didn't get the chance to go to the Kymco dealer today to help me adjust the headlight, but I did go for a bit of a ride. I had to take the fuel bowl cover off the carburetor again, because I didn't clean up the pilot jet well enough the last time I was into it. This time I used a thin guitar string to get inside the jet and really clean it out. Then hit it hard with carb/choke cleaner to blast out any remaining debris. When I got done with it, I put it up to the sunlight and I could see thru it plain as day. I popped it back in and WHAMMO it ran like a champ and had no more idling issues.
If it does it again I'm just going to order up new jets, floats, and the whole carb kit and just be done with the issue once and for all. I tried to run all the fuel out of it, and I diluted the old crappy fuel with new fresh fuel. I don't dare add any sea foam to it because the lady I bought it from said she added some. I think she probably dumped a whole bottle of sea foam in it. I should probably siphon the fuel out of the tank and just dispose of it all.
The lady who owned it before me bought it new in 2006 and only put 3750 miles on it. She probably put most of the miles on it in the first year or two that she owned the scooter and then let it sit in her garage gathering dust and letting the fuel turn into varnish. I'm going to toss some new tires on it in the next week or two. I'll bet those are the original tires from the manufacturer. I'll take your advice and put some P rated tires on it.
When I was out and about on the scooter today I was getting lots of strange looks from pedestrians. LOL! Probably looking in awe at the fat, grey bearded guy on the pointy nosed, cherry red feathered, green beaked and purple sided scooter. I just rode on by and enjoyed the ride. Ha! It's amazing what a fella can get away with when the young kids think he's a goofy old dude. But seriously... I think I really AM a goofy old dude. At least that's what my wife keeps telling me.
I really appreciate your efforts to help me look into the whole headlight adjustment thing. Between the two of us, we're bound to figure it out.
|
|