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Post by keltex78 on Jul 18, 2013 13:49:25 GMT -5
This is a continuation of the thread "Playing the wating game": itistheride.boards.net/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=2894On 5/15/13, I ordered a new Roketa MC-54b scooter from Superior Power Sports, and today, on 7/18/13, I finally received my new scooter. I received a call from the driver this morning letting me know he would be in town today, and we set a time and location to meet. As he was in a semi with a 54' trailer, he wasn't able to negotiate the turns in my residential neighborhood, so we made arrangements to meet in a parking lot and transfer the crate into the bed of my pickup truck. When we first met, I was apprehensive as the crate was obviously torn on one side and I have read the many horror stories regarding wrecked shipments:  We removed the crate to the bed of my truck and removed the cardboard. The weld had broken on one of the horizontal bars on the metal frame and made contact with the taillight, but the plastic film had protected the lens and there was no scratching. I inspected all body panels and the windshield for any damage or cracking but they were all intact with no damage! I was very happy to see that they had shipped my first color choice of blue:  I was surprised to see that the aluminum floorboards were missing, but I located them in the underseat storage with the battery. The trunk box is the large square style as pictured on the dealer site. Although I like the size of such a large box, I think it looks out of place on the otherwise sleek design and I may not use it or I may replace it with a better quality top box: www.amazon.com/Bestem-T-Box-TBOX-2012-BLU-Motorcycle-Scooter/dp/B001O79DHY/However! A quick examination revealed this:  The motor is obviously the 244cc CFMoto design rather than the 257cc Linhai design used on the MC-54b. On examining the bike, I noted that it had no Roketa branding on it; checking the data tag revealed that this bike is a Jonway YY250T and is tagged with the 244cc motor. I am a bit disappointed as I had ordered the MC-54 B and was shipped a different model. With this new model, I know I'll have the advantage of the easier valve adjustments, and the 244cc motor will still be capable of pushing this bike faster than I intend to ride. It is a 2013 model, manufactured in May. I really like the rims on this bike; the rims pictured on the website are painted blue to match the bike, but on this model, the rims are a very nice silver. I think the silver looks much better than the blue so I'm happy with that change. The bike also has the saddle with the lumbar/mini-backrest built in. I'm not sure how I'll like that; others have said it's more comfortable... The radiator is filled with blue Kool-Aid so I'll be draining that and refilling with good fluid when I get home from work this evening. I pulled the dipstick and the oil doesn't look normal, it's a very light shade instead of the typical golden color of good motor oil, so I'll be draining that as well and replacing it with the Rotella T 15W-40 I already have purchased for the bike. A brief inspection of the electrical connections didn't show up any issues, and I didn't see any unexpected rust or bad welds, but it hasn't been completely torn down yet. Keep watching this thread, I'll post more as I tear into this bike and hit the road. |
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Post by richardthescooter1 on Jul 18, 2013 14:14:57 GMT -5
Congrats, nice looking scooter  ;D  |
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Post by type79 on Jul 18, 2013 14:20:07 GMT -5
Man you got lucky.. That shipping company had my box completly torn off and all kinds of bent up frame pieces. Love that color. Congrats on finally getting it. I am STILL fighting with Superior on my replacement body panels. Keep telling me i will have them this week, and then nothing. My scoot from them had the coolant replaced with good green stuff already. So i got lucky there. One other thing i would reccomend checking. My scoot had this done. I called and spoke with the Tech guy there, and he told me they do this on all the scoots due to risk of receiving a scoot with a faulty sensor. Turn the key over and listen for the fan on the radiator. They had my wires taken off the sensor and twisted together so the fan ran all the time. He told me they do this so the bikes run cooler, and so customers dont get their bike and the sensor isnt working. MY only issue was, it was draining my battery quick. I hooked mine up correctly and it has been fine since then. Another thing is my scoot has the backrest thing on it. I do like it. It does help out on the long rides. Rotella is awesome. I run the same in my scoot. Remember when you change the oil for the first few times to look at the drain bolt cap closely. Mine is magnetic and had the usual metal chunks on it. Just want to clean those out each time. Keep us posted on how you like it. Love mine. Changing out the stereo in mine right now for a better one. Got the speakers mounted up last night in place of craptory ones. |
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Post by spandi on Jul 18, 2013 16:40:34 GMT -5
CONGRATULATIONS! YA DID GOOD! I got mine from Superior and the delivery guy couldn't have been nicer. Now do a FULL pdi and save yourself a TRAINLOAD of grief down the "road" (both figuratively and literally) You also just might have done better with the 244cc CF Moto engine than you think. (which is in reality the old Honda Helix power-plant) because parts (even OEM Honda) will fit and can be had almost anywhere on the net. As to the back support, you, (and your lower back) will be glad you had it at the end of a long ride. (one of my future projects is putting one IN.) In addition to a fluid dump, consider putting in better brake fluid, and buying bolt through tire valves to replace the rubber press-fit models. BTW, beautiful blue lapis color. Hope you have endless miles of cruising fun!  The Pdi link: x1scooters.com/pdi.htmlBolt through valves: kurveygirl.com/shop/index.php?cPath=169 |
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Post by keltex78 on Jul 18, 2013 16:56:22 GMT -5
OUCH! First lesson learned. Chinese metal crate frames are sharp like a razor! I just slashed my fingertip working on getting the bike out of the rack. Not bad enough to need stitches but deep enough to STING!  |
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Post by spandi on Jul 18, 2013 17:14:06 GMT -5
Sorry to hear this. (hope the cut is not too bad) BTW, that reminds me, some of the welds on the SCOOT FRAME can be sharp too. (you may want to look into a metal file and some Rustoleum auto paint.)
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Post by keltex78 on Jul 18, 2013 18:09:17 GMT -5
Well, I have the frame removed and the scooter is secured with ratchet straps to keep it from falling over now. Just waiting for my friend to get back to help me move it out of the truck. Overall, I can't believe that it got here undamaged. It was held with one handlebar bolted to the frame and a single wire tie-down under the scoot. There were a lot of wires that were obviously meant to secure the scoot to the frame but they were never fastened. Two welds on cross braces were broken. Halfway around the world on a boat then halfway across the country on a truck and no damage...
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Post by rollbar57 on Jul 18, 2013 19:15:44 GMT -5
nice ride I got the same one color and all mine was damaged both lower skirts were scratched bad I took pics and they sent me new ones along with new rear lite assy which was also scratched got all parts in 10 days nc got mine from powerride outlet 1800 shipped to my door 1 thing I noticed is the line coming down from bottom of carb bowl on your 2nd pic right in front of muffler make sure the screw is TIGHT mine came loose while driving lost almost a whole tank of gas b4 I could find the problem kind of hard to find at night on country back roads had a few minor probs with other things but nothing major wife and I luv iy very comfy
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Post by prodigit on Jul 18, 2013 19:38:47 GMT -5
The frames for the bikes are cheaply welded. They're more than good enough to protect the bike, as it's mounted on several points.
The radiator fluid is surprisingly ok! It just needs to have some bit added.
The oils need to be changed (50miles for the engine oil, and 100-150 miles for the transmission oil). The color doesn't really matter. The oils are there for the initial break-in; I'd just ride it for 50 miles or odo readings and change it. No reason to waste perfectly good oil when the next oil change is so close by!
It's a nice ride, enjoy!
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Post by tomfl62 on Jul 18, 2013 19:40:41 GMT -5
Good luck with your new scoot , i have the JCL in red and silver with the linhau engine runs better everytime ride it just about ready to turn 3.000 miles .
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Post by type79 on Jul 18, 2013 19:50:28 GMT -5
DX Agreed on the Linhai engine. Mine seems better each ride. I got 500 miles on mine now.
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Post by domindart on Jul 19, 2013 7:19:24 GMT -5
Congrats  |
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Post by keltex78 on Jul 19, 2013 9:07:44 GMT -5
Okay, I got the windshield installed and oil changed last night.
First issue: the scooter was shipped without the aluminum floorboards installed; they were included in the truck. Unfortunately, the screws to attach them to the bike were not included. I checked all boxes and storage compartments and couldn't locate them. There aren't any holes drilled in the body to mount these; I assume they are just fastened with screws into the plastic. Does anyone have any ideas for a source of the low-profile chrome screws that could be used to attach the floorboards? I'm planning to stop by Lowes here locally to look through their specialty fastener selection to see what they have...
Another question: Do the headlights run from the battery or the stator? I haven' t cranked the bike yet, but all lights are working (brake and turn signal) but the headlights aren't coming on...
Finally, draining the radiator fluid: I pulled the drain plug and opened the the overflow tank and radiator cap but only a small amount of fluid drained out. Any thoughts on getting the fluid properly drained so I can flush and refill the system?
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Post by gitsum on Jul 19, 2013 11:25:16 GMT -5
The MC-54 is a nice looking scooter.
That link for the PDI was an excellent written tutorial. It would be wise for any Chinese scooter owner to follow that procedure.
That being said, I must be one of the few people here that think there is just something fundamentally wrong with having do that much work on something that is purchased new...
If all of this extra work and checking is a quest for more reliability,
why not spend a little extra money to get it? A Chinese style PDI can only go so far in preventing future problems on a machine that is questionable to begin with.
And yes, for the few people that have had very good luck with their Chinese scooters, we can find a dozen that didn't. That's terrible odds, is that really a way to save money?
People should expect at least 30,000 to 50,000 miles of service out of their scooters with only basic maintenance and normal replacement parts for wear item like tires, belts, roller weights, and maybe a clutch or variator face. You should expect that only one out of a dozen might have an actual mechanical failure, and those kind of odds will save you money!
My crusade continues ;D
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Post by JR on Jul 19, 2013 12:42:36 GMT -5
The MC-54 is a nice looking scooter. That link for the PDI was an excellent written tutorial. It would be wise for any Chinese scooter owner to follow that procedure. That being said, I must be one of the few people here that think there is just something fundamentally wrong with having do that much work on something that is purchased new... If all of this extra work and checking is a quest for more reliability, why not spend a little extra money to get it? A Chinese style PDI can only go so far in preventing future problems on a machine that is questionable to begin with. And yes, for the few people that have had very good luck with their Chinese scooters, we can find a dozen that didn't. That's terrible odds, is that really a way to save money? People should expect at least 30,000 to 50,000 miles of service out of their scooters with only basic maintenance and normal replacement parts for wear item like tires, belts, roller weights, and maybe a clutch or variator face. You should expect that only one out of a dozen might have an actual mechanical failure, and those kind of odds will save you money! My crusade continues ;D
why not spend a little extra money to get it? A Chinese style PDI can only go so far in preventing future problems on a machine that is questionable to begin with.All a matter of opinion and you pay a dealer for a PDI to add to that little extra that you mentioned, the original Honda Reflex which this scooter is a clone of for sure cost more than a little extra. My crusade continues The OP has started a thread about his scooter and his dealings with it so far and how all is going. If your crusade leads to the old "a Chinese scooter is inferior to the name brand ones" then take the crusade and start your own thread about the differences between the two and not get that going here. If you have something to add to help this new scooter owner then by all means jump right in. To the OP, nice scooter and even though you were disappointed that you didn't get a linhai the engine they sent you has a great track record and will serve you well. Myself all who know me know I'm a linhai man and I own two of these scooters. They have done me well and I really enjoy riding them and so will you. JR |
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