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Post by gethenet on May 10, 2014 23:46:37 GMT -5
I have been doing lots of reviews and have come to the mc-54-250. As all Chinese scooters I understand that certain things need to be " upgraded" can someone please share with me the things I need to change in order to feel comfortable leaving the driveway! i want to make sure I don't over look stuff that needs replaced, this is my first scooter, and I look forward to learning all there is to know to make the china scooter a good reliable means of transportation .
thanks much keith
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Post by alleyoop on May 11, 2014 19:11:43 GMT -5
Change the oil would be the first thing then check it over so that everything is nice and tight and not loose. Check the spark plug and change it if its a chinese plug. If If its a 2012+ they are pretty much in good shape really. They have good motors , one comes with a 244cc Vertical motor which has been around for DECADES and they just run and run, then you have the LINAHI motor which is Horizontial which has a few more hp. But they are both very good motors. Alleyoop
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Post by keltex78 on May 11, 2014 23:05:31 GMT -5
The headlights: My 'Roketa MC54b' turned out to be a Johnway YY250t, same bike, different brand. The factory 35W headlight bulbs are very weak. But, the headlight bucket is designed for H4-style automotive headlights. I replaced a lot of the lights, Tail/brake, license plate, running, and cluster lights with LEDs to reduce power consumption. I then swapped the headlights out with 45W H4 bulbs and it makes a huge difference. You will have to splice H4 connectors into the wiring harness but overall, it's an easy mod, and useful if you anticipate ever riding in dusk/dawn/night. Also brighter lights improve visibility to other drivers, so improve safety.
My bike had a good NGK plug so no problem there. Get a spare Gates belt, it's not a common size and you might have trouble finding one on short notice if you need it. Run the factory tires down, but you will enjoy the ride more once you get some quality replacements. My factory tires had a bit of a balance issue but it wasn't too bad; the aggresive tread caused more vibration on smooth roads at low speeds though. Trunk box too... the big factory box rattles horribly, and mine finally broke at the mounts. I bought the cheapest box I could find on eBay for $35 shipped and it's so much better. Opens and closes easier, no rattles, removeable, and actually holds my full face helmet.
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Post by gethenet on May 11, 2014 23:37:53 GMT -5
The headlights: My 'Roketa MC54b' turned out to be a Johnway YY250t, same bike, different brand. The factory 35W headlight bulbs are very weak. But, the headlight bucket is designed for H4-style automotive headlights. I replaced a lot of the lights, Tail/brake, license plate, running, and cluster lights with LEDs to reduce power consumption. I then swapped the headlights out with 45W H4 bulbs and it makes a huge difference. You will have to splice H4 connectors into the wiring harness but overall, it's an easy mod, and useful if you anticipate ever riding in dusk/dawn/night. Also brighter lights improve visibility to other drivers, so improve safety. My bike had a good NGK plug so no problem there. Get a spare Gates belt, it's not a common size and you might have trouble finding one on short notice if you need it. Run the factory tires down, but you will enjoy the ride more once you get some quality replacements. My factory tires had a bit of a balance issue but it wasn't too bad; the aggresive tread caused more vibration on smooth roads at low speeds though. Trunk box too... the big factory box rattles horribly, and mine finally broke at the mounts. I bought the cheapest box I could find on eBay for $35 shipped and it's so much better. Opens and closes easier, no rattles, removeable, and actually holds my full face helmet. Thanks for the info....I was reading your posts about your scooter. Sounds like you really liked it, until about 5000 miles huh? Do you believe that happened because if something you did or didn't do? Or just had a bad motor? Would you get another one? Thanks again
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Post by keltex78 on May 12, 2014 19:01:08 GMT -5
I think I just got a bad motor, but I'm still tearing it down to find out what the actual failure was. I changed the oil consistently...
Replacement though... I liked this one, but if I can't repair the motor economically, my preference would be to go with a bike with a higher displacement motor. I think the 250cc is working a bit too hard when consistently cruising at 60ish.
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Post by bnc on May 14, 2014 14:00:10 GMT -5
I picked up a used Honda Reflex for $1,200 with 20,000 miles on it and ABS. Now has 26,500. It has two headlights but both are 55 watt. A 35 watt headlight must be awfully dim. This is my first ABS equipped bike and it had a surprising side effect. My insurance dropped to $77/year from $98. Apparently the same bike without ABS is involved in about 37% more fatal accidents.
I had a 125 cc Yamaha with a vertical motor before but I went with the horizontal motor of the Reflex because it allows a lot of under seat storage which I did not have with the Yamaha.
The bike has been pretty problem free but for the need for a new drive belt. I have never owned a Chinese made bike so its hard for me to compare quality between Japan and China.
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Post by tipmoses on May 27, 2014 14:49:19 GMT -5
I bought a 250 cc reverse trike Roketa 2012 what a piece of chinese junk. The variator has been replaced twice and now it's acting up again. I've had nothing but problems with it. If I could turn back time I would have never bought it if I knew then what I know about them now.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2014 22:08:56 GMT -5
I own a 2008 and it still has the original drive belt on it and NEVER had a breakdown.
You get some good ones and you get some bad ones, I didn't.
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Post by richardthescooter1 on May 29, 2014 14:01:48 GMT -5
I own a 2008 MC-54-250B roketa scooter also, just replace my belt at almost 20,000 miles
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Post by ltdhpp on May 30, 2014 21:42:21 GMT -5
I picked up a used Honda Reflex for $1,200 with 20,000 miles on it and ABS. Now has 26,500. It has two headlights but both are 55 watt. A 35 watt headlight must be awfully dim. The bike has been pretty problem free but for the need for a new drive belt. I have never owned a Chinese made bike so its hard for me to compare quality between Japan and China. This. Instead of taking a gamble with your money (the odds are against you), you could get a used Reflex for LESS money after you factor in self-PDI supplies and the other upgrade-from-Chinese parts and other things you will be buying for it. A reflex has SO much more to offer, on top of Japanese quality. For the love of god, people need to start buying up all the Reflexes that the old folks are getting tired of. Mine was a 'got carried around on the back of a camper' queen before I got it at 6,000 miles. 10,000 now and only maintenance needs, and some body parts after KILLING a deer on it I HAVE owned two Chinese scooters, they were fun, GREAT learning experiences, but never again.
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