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Post by spunn on Jul 3, 2014 14:25:00 GMT -5
Ahh how I love this board, being I am not smart when it comes to my ride, the answers are a click away. So I have now be entitled with a wonderful job of reviewing training procedures for joint ops training. It's a honor to be a civilian contractor back in the game, and to be able to take life experience and help shape training programs that will fine tune the skills of today spec op soldiers. All that being said here is the deal. I drove my car up to Camp P for the first week, watched movies the whole way  Now, it was nice but man gas prices when you have a majesty sitting in the garage just didn't seem right. So I loaded the ol iphone with audio books and gym cloths and off I go. First week was a little sketchy but now I am one handed up and down the freeway. ( I love in San Diego we have the best carpool lanes that are free for motorcycles) Now, here is where I would like some advice, from mechanics and those whom just love to ride and have some knowledge. Oil changes.....how many miles on a Yamaha 400? I understand the principle but when all your riding is freeway does that make a difference like a car? Spark plug, how often? Yes I have the iridium NKG. Lights, I have H4 car style ones, is this something to change over a short period being they are on all the time? (I am not looking for the when it goes out change it response, but if there is a proper time frame recommended) Battery Tender Jr, I have one and its very easy to plug in every night and I do when I get home. Is this smart? Can it harm the battery? Wheel balancing, can they lose the balance that was placed with weight? Just take into a tire shop? Brakes, I can tell I need to look into my brakes and replace them, any recommendations? Is there a specific one that lasts longer, I am sure there is cost there. Thank you guys/ladys for all your help! |
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Post by shalomdawg on Jul 3, 2014 19:20:00 GMT -5
howdy, welcome to the forum. if you're looking for someone with a little knowledge---I have as little as anyone. do you have the service manual for the yammer? I , personally use full synthetic oil and will extend the oil change to twice recommended interval. especially if you are mostly freeway and not short stop and go in town stuff. my piaggio says 10,000 km between oil changes but I doubt the yammer goes that far. I plan to stay with the 10,000 on mine since I think that is plenty far.
tire balance can go away after some miles. my front has 10,600 miles on it and is showing some wear patterns which throws a little head shake into it at certain speeds. it's entirely an individual choice how much out of balance you will tolerate. I typically don't tolerate ANY but that's just me. I ride 300 miles plus some days and don't want the shaking which prematurely wears other components.
brakes, I use the one easiest to replace which is the front. I also use the front to equalize the wear front to back. i'm talking normal planned stops not brake test stops.
the battery tender. in summer weather riding as far as you do, I wouldn't do it though I doubt it will damage the battery. winter is a different story. or if your sound system draws heavily, or you have added lots of extra lights. again judgment call.
plug, I have heard that the iridium plug will not last as long as the standard plug. check it and make----a judgment call
lights. that's interesting because I think you can buy those that use the same power, mine 55 watts, but shine more brightly and don't last as long. like, 25% better light and 25% shorter life for example. mine has two 55 watt bulbs so I don't plan to replace till one goes out. one did last week but the other got me home. again-----judgment call.
lotsa miles and smiles to ya
ken
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Post by rockynv on Jul 4, 2014 7:44:30 GMT -5
Oil Changes - I would go by the book using the recommended weights of a Full Synthetic Motorcycle/Scooter Oil. (Don't cheat with automotive oils as they don't have the anti-coking or anti-foaming properties of a motorcycle oil)
Plug - Even with the Iridium Plug go by the book on checking it and replacement.
Lights - Sylvania/Osram XtraVision only cost a little more than the standard bulb but give out 2 to 3 times the amount of light. They last half as long as standard meaning 1 year instead of 2 years for me however as the rule of thumb is to replace headlamp bulbs annually as these new style bulbs start to loose brightness the moment you start using them the 1 year lifespan is not a big issue.
Battery Tender - If you are riding a few times a week you should not need one unless you need to replace the battery or there is something wrong with your bike.
Tires - If they start running out of balance then have them rebalanced. Most will never have to do this unless there is an event that causes the tire to wear unevenly or something is mechanically wrong with the bike. On the Majesty you are running radial tires and the Pirelli Diablo which is one of the matched size OEM tires for it and usually requires only 1/2 ounce or less of weight to balance them and then they most often stay true.
Brakes - Longer lasting pads can be a double edged sword as they can make the more expensive rotors wear out faster and may not stop as quickly. EBC or Ferodo non-asbestos pads are usually a good choice. Check the wear on what you have per the owners manual and replace when needed.
FILTERS - Check your filters more often especially the filter on the CVT case as this one can get impacted by road dust reducing the flow of cooling air causing your belt to fail prematurely. A little soap and water to clean rinsing well and patting dry with a towel is all it takes to keep the CVT and belt cool and happy.
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Post by wheelbender6 on Jul 4, 2014 15:14:15 GMT -5
I am not a maxi scooter rider, but there is one thing I hear regularly about freeway commuting on a scooter.
If you need to cruise at 75mph, get a scooter that will comfortably cruise at 75mph.
If you get a scoot that must be run wide open all the time to achieve your desired cruising speed, it will be less reliable. In particular, I've heard that the drive belt wears out much faster when the scooter must run wide open for a long time.
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Post by rockynv on Jul 4, 2014 21:52:54 GMT -5
I am not a maxi scooter rider, but there is one thing I hear regularly about freeway commuting on a scooter. If you need to cruise at 75mph, get a scooter that will comfortably cruise at 75mph. If you get a scoot that must be run wide open all the time to achieve your desired cruising speed, it will be less reliable. In particular, I've heard that the drive belt wears out much faster when the scooter must run wide open for a long time. Spun is on a Majesty 400 and I am on an Aprilia 250 with a 4 valve high compression engine. My belts last 12,500 miles and I run the Interstate very often. Even if you have a lesser bike many times it is the maintenance and cleaning of the CVT air filter that causes reduced belt life. If the filter is even slightly dirty you may not have enough airflow in the summer to cool the belt properly at high speed. This can migrate heat to the crankcase too and cause the engine to run hot and lean. It is all about maintaining the bike and a CVT needs to be clean and cool to give trouble free service. |
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Post by prodigit on Jul 5, 2014 1:55:36 GMT -5
The optimal ratio for a 250cc is 5k RPM at 50MPH (a 100:1 ratio of RPM over MPH).
You have a 400cc, so you could easily ride 50 MPH at (5 / 400 * 250 =) 3125RPM.
If you do mainly freeway, I would suggest to lower that number even more, when possible.
Usually on motorcycles it is possible to change the gearing upto 20% without problems.
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Post by rockynv on Jul 5, 2014 7:52:28 GMT -5
I have never hit the rev limit which is said to be 8,250 rpm on my Aprilia 250 even at  mph gps so it would have to hit it above that possibly at 100 mph so that would put it at around 4,000 rpm at 50 mph if the variator was closed completely at that speed. Its all very fluid and depends on the bore, stroke and compression ratio of the engine. A very high compression short stroke 250 is going to rev up to around 14,000 and top out around 150 mph. The Majesty 400 is going to be fine with scheduled maintenance and the fuel injected Aprilia 250 is doing fine after 23,000 miles riding at 50mph + daily and the interstate at 70+ on the weekends along with occasional weekdays. |
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mph gps so it would have to hit it above that possibly at 100 mph so that would put it at around 4,000 rpm at 50 mph if the variator was closed completely at that speed. Its all very fluid and depends on the bore, stroke and compression ratio of the engine. A very high compression short stroke 250 is going to rev up to around 14,000 and top out around 150 mph.