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Post by tvnacman on Jan 12, 2014 12:27:46 GMT -5
Any 6LQ6 ?
They get a good buck or so.
I remember as a child going to the drug store to test and buy tubes.
John
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Post by JR on Jan 12, 2014 12:37:24 GMT -5
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Post by spandi on Jan 12, 2014 16:46:29 GMT -5
Hmm, Interesting. I didn't even know there was a museum dedicated to the cable technology of yesteryear. (I guess everything now is fiber optics and computers?)
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Post by rockynv on Jan 13, 2014 5:26:06 GMT -5
I have played both sides and I like the following about the name brand bikes from Europe and Japan:
6,200 mile oil/gearlube changes with a filter instead of once or twice a month oil/gearlube changes.
30,000/40,000 mile life spans on the clutch and variator.
Automotive grade lighting using standard bulbs available at most parts stores and Walmarts.
25,000/35,000 mile life span on brake pads.
Long life brake system components that last and rarely need service aside from flushing every 2 years.
Fuel and vacuum lines that don't have to be replaced before you can ride the bike.
Bikes delivered with the correct lubricants and antifreeze in them that is safe to ride with.
1 to 4 year warranties that are fully honoured with infrustructure to stand behind them.
Reliability that allows them to be used as year round daily transportation.
Factory incentives that make the bikes only 25% more expensive than the clones.
My 250cc bike was on factory incentive for $2,999 at a local dealer while the local Chinese dealers all charged well over $2,000 for their 250cc bikes comparing apples for apples. Yes you can get a 250cc chinese bike drop shipped for less however I did not buy a drop shipped bike nor did I want to roll that dice. For the no more than $500 extra I paid for my Aprilia I got many times more value and reliability over the average that most are getting from the clones which has made it totally worth the expense.
Over the past 20,000 miles I have not once had to remove the seat bucket or rear bodywork on my Aprilia while on my Lance which I only owned for less than a year many of the fasteners holding the body parts on had worn out and had to be replaced at 6,000 miles. The Lance Vintage 150 was purchased originally from a local dealer for $1,699.
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2007 Yamaha Majesty
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Post by bigggroovy on Jan 13, 2014 13:23:58 GMT -5
try yamaha majesty or kymco xciting 500.
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Post by loganhes on Jan 13, 2014 14:34:00 GMT -5
I would suggest trying a 150cc Kymco Super 8. I have a 2011 model and I LOVE it. I have not had any problems with it at all and it is a blast to ride. Just my 2 cents.
--Jim
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Post by JR on Jan 14, 2014 8:34:56 GMT -5
I have played both sides and I like the following about the name brand bikes from Europe and Japan: 6,200 mile oil/gearlube changes with a filter instead of once or twice a month oil/gearlube changes. 30,000/40,000 mile life spans on the clutch and variator. Automotive grade lighting using standard bulbs available at most parts stores and Walmarts. 25,000/35,000 mile life span on brake pads. Long life brake system components that last and rarely need service aside from flushing every 2 years. Fuel and vacuum lines that don't have to be replaced before you can ride the bike. Bikes delivered with the correct lubricants and antifreeze in them that is safe to ride with. 1 to 4 year warranties that are fully honoured with infrustructure to stand behind them. Reliability that allows them to be used as year round daily transportation. Factory incentives that make the bikes only 25% more expensive than the clones. My 250cc bike was on factory incentive for $2,999 at a local dealer while the local Chinese dealers all charged well over $2,000 for their 250cc bikes comparing apples for apples. Yes you can get a 250cc chinese bike drop shipped for less however I did not buy a drop shipped bike nor did I want to roll that dice. For the no more than $500 extra I paid for my Aprilia I got many times more value and reliability over the average that most are getting from the clones which has made it totally worth the expense. Over the past 20,000 miles I have not once had to remove the seat bucket or rear bodywork on my Aprilia while on my Lance which I only owned for less than a year many of the fasteners holding the body parts on had worn out and had to be replaced at 6,000 miles. The Lance Vintage 150 was purchased originally from a local dealer for $1,699. You did none of the PDI prep on your scooter because you "paid" a dealer to do that is the higher price you paid, nothing wrong with that.
I paid $1250 for my 250B and $1150 for my wife's 250A did all of the PDI myself which meant I pulled all the plastic off one time on each, did a PDI not a so called PDI.
Normal maintenance, tires, oil, etc. done all myself, you did none of this more than likely until the warranty expired, I would guess. Still no matter who did it, it's a apples for apples thing whether it's name brand or Chinese.
Extra's I did on my scooter was add to the cooling system, didn't have to but I did. I did the same on my 1993 Silverado which is still in mint condition with 200k on it with the original starter and water pump. I like things in the harsh Arkansas heat to run cooler.
My 250B is a 08 model, wife's 250A is a 07, wouldn't hesitate to get on either and head off to California on them, yes they have/are that dependable, only thing to break on either (mine) was speedo cable, replaced for $10.
Wife's 250A got 4k on it, never had a wrench on it other than normal PM, mine has over 12k and it's had a lot of run the dog out of miles put on it. Have ridden it to Dallas Texas 5 times alone over 800 miles round trip 5 times with two trips in July and at over 100F temps, never failed to get me home or broke down.
Both still have OEM stator, R/R, carbs, varitaor, clutches, the list goes on. Variator weights changed to sliders for the area I ride in, a choice, not a necessity.
Now are there name brand scooters that will do the same, you bet ya there are? Are there other Chinese scooters that will do the same? I'm sure there are.
Difference between my scooters I mentioned and the ones you now have? I do the work, bought two of them for about the price you paid for one, if mine blows up tomorrow my choices are put them in the junk yard as a "good" investment for what they gave me or repair them at 1/3 of the cost that it would take you to do the same with a Kymco or name brand.
Lastly don't get so lost in the name brand never have any trouble thing, want to shake that illusion, go to a name brand dealer and find the repair shop and oh yes they keep a full time mechanic busy, you just don't hear about it at this Scooter forum much but do at places like here:
www.kymcoforum.com/index.php
www.provoscooter.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=76
www.zumaforums.net/phpBB3/index.php
www.apriliaforum.com/
lancescooterforums.com/forum/index.php
The list goes on. I've got a lot of manuals that I'm going to get started back on putting in the tech section, manuals of "all" scooters and I put them in there for a reason and it's not because someone just lost theirs?
Rarely do I find a good Chinese service manual and we all know why, but that's not the case with the name brand scooters and service manuals are made for two reasons, how to service them, and how to "fix" them, ask the repair men.
A few examples here:
www.jr-richscooterdoc.com/Aprilia_Sportcity_250ie_Workshop.pdf
www.jr-richscooterdoc.com/Kymco_People_250_service_manual.pdf
www.jr-richscooterdoc.com/Aprilia_SCARABEO_400-500cc_Service_Manual.pdf
www.jr-richscooterdoc.com/SYM_HD200_Service_manual.pdf
www.jr-richscooterdoc.com/Yamaha_YP50AP_Zuma_Service_Manual.pdf
BTW Lance is still Chinese, last word I read is they are made at the Sym factory in main land China, not in Tiawan as some think.
www.jr-richscooterdoc.com/lance_Cali_Classic_125_Owners_Manual.pdf
It all boils down to one thing like it always has, what you like to ride.
JR
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Post by spandi on Jan 14, 2014 11:10:05 GMT -5
Maybe it's just the relief of not having to deal with a particular "Lemon Lance" made the "brand name" a miracle by comparison. I do know a local woman here who drives a Znen made Lance (and has for three years) with just regular maintenance (the local Honda shop carries Lance and services them) You see her going everywhere on it and she's had no major issues at all. (Maybe the former was a monday or friday scooter?)
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Post by JR on Jan 14, 2014 11:20:08 GMT -5
Maybe it's just the relief of not having to deal with a particular "Lemon Lance" made the "brand name" a miracle by comparison. I do know a local woman here who drives a Znen made Lance (and has for three years) with just regular maintenance (the local Honda shop carries Lance and services them) You see her going everywhere on it and she's had no major issues at all. (Maybe the former was a monday or friday scooter?) You'll get a lemon in life on about anything, just because Lance may have had a scooter that carried that label doesn't mean they are all that way.
I look at Lance like two of the other "better" built Chinese scooter, Fly which went by the way side and CfMoto which pulled out of the scooter market here in the U.S. IMO they did build a better scooter but they still have one thing, Chinese label and then add the higher price it adds up to two bad combinations to sell them when one can save $100's if they are willing to do the work themselves.
It's like the old adage of a $100 saddle on a $10 horse. Horse isn't any better just because he's got a high dollar saddle on.
The point is like anything you ride/drive, sometimes you only ride/drive with no issues but sometimes one has to pick up a wrench, the question is who is going to do it, you or the dealer?
JR
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Post by spandi on Jan 14, 2014 11:43:47 GMT -5
I would say the majority of people who purchased a Lance got good service from them, which is why I included the story of the "grocery getter" lady and her scoot. Personally the knowledge and satisfaction of working on your own scoot is priceless. (and not paying somebody 80 bucks a hour even better.)  |
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Post by americanpsycho on Jan 14, 2014 15:03:47 GMT -5
Stupid- quoting system sucks monkey balls.
This is exactly why I'm buying a $1,355 Tomos moped over a $700 craptastic TaoTao scooter.
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Post by JerryScript on Jan 14, 2014 16:10:34 GMT -5
While I am firmly in the camp of self servicing your chinese scooter in order to save money (and enjoy it), these discussions often make me think of this scene. Without people taking their bikes to mechanics, there would be a lot of mechanics out of work! Zorg explains how destruction leads to creation(unfortunately cannot embed this video) |
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Post by larrball on Jan 14, 2014 19:59:18 GMT -5
While I am firmly in the camp of self servicing your chinese scooter in order to save money (and enjoy it), these discussions often make me think of this scene. Without people taking their bikes to mechanics, there would be a lot of mechanics out of work! Zorg explains how destruction leads to creation(unfortunately cannot embed this video) Hear ya go Jerry. [Smile] |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 15, 2014 13:46:23 GMT -5
It was actually Znen that killed Lances reputation especially in 2007/2008 when the most trouble prone Znen hit the markets. Znen then started to market themselves directly as Puma and Lance dropped Znen to distance themselves from it and went with Sym to rebuild their reputation. I happened to get one of the 2007 trouble years bikes. Even Lance warned me that the Znen engines were particularly troublesome with soft castings leading to cracked heads and cylinders.
Word of caution on distributing Piaggio/Aprilia/Vespa shop manuals. The digital copies carry a $7 to $10 fee on every copy distributed. Even if you make them available at no charge you may still be held liable to pay the royalties to Piaggio for every copy downloaded.
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Post by 2wheelfun on Jan 15, 2014 14:54:06 GMT -5
A lot of folks even former auto techs do not like to work on stuff unless it's broke. Not everyone's 1st love is being greasy in the shop.
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