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Post by upfartoolate on Mar 22, 2015 15:55:41 GMT -5
Hi, all. I just purchased six flush-mount 3-watt white LED lights. www.oznium.com/led-bolt They're the kind you drill a hole through the body and tighten the nut behind it. I intend to put them on the front of the bike and wire them into the high-beam, so they'll also flash on and off when my headlight modulator is activated, increasing my daytime conspicuity. They have a wide beam dispersion, almost 180 degrees. I'm trying to decide the best pattern to put them in. I want at least two of them angled toward the side of the bike, so cars pulling into the roadway from parking lots or side streets see me more easily. Not at a  degree angle to the bike's direction of travel, of course, but perhaps as much as 45 degrees. Here's a frontal shot of the Yager from a review at JustGottaScoot: www.justgottascoot.com/yager.htmwww.justgottascoot.com/images/YagerRadiatorDash.jpgI'm thinking right along that bottom section of the dark gray body panel, two toward the front, two at about halfway back. The remaining two pointing straight down to illuminate the wheel area so people know they're looking at a motorcycle and not a car with only one headlight. So, ideas for placing the six LEDS? |
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Post by wheelbender6 on Mar 22, 2015 17:56:35 GMT -5
I have seen them clamped to the fork legs. No drilling required.
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Post by lain on Mar 23, 2015 0:10:03 GMT -5
Put them everywhere, pointing in every direction you can see without turning around.
You'll never be hit because someone can't see you! And you'll see those small animals popping out of the potholes on the side of the road while you speed by. Get some nice 3M reflective pinstripe tape as well, get urself some nice stripes down the sides and middle. Makes you stand out at night AND day.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 23, 2015 11:57:21 GMT -5
Upfartoolate,
First, WELCOME TO THE SITE!
Your first idea sounds good. Lights ANYWHERE they can be seen are a good idea for safety. Just be sure you don't violate local lighting ordinances, or you may get some "unwanted" attention. In general, most jurisdictions allow only white or yellow lights facing forward, and only red or yellow lights facing rearward. No problem there.
However, SOME areas prohibit flashing lights of any kind, while others encourage the flashing headlights or running-lights. Just be sure before you complete your own installation.
And always ride "heads-up"... Most drivers honor your safety lighting, but some cretins see you a better-lit "target". Yeah, there ARE those types out there.
Deer, duck and pheasant have a regulated "season" but it's ALWAYS open-season on bikers.
Ride safe, and good luck on your lighting project! Please keep us posted.
Leo in Texas
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New Rider
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Posts: 43
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Joined: Mar 21, 2015 23:22:52 GMT -5
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Post by upfartoolate on Mar 24, 2015 13:03:26 GMT -5
Hi, oldchopperguy.
Actually, I was on the site back in 2011 when I was looking for a scooter to replace my ill-fated Tank 150 scooter, which was of such low quality that it literally fell apart after a mere 10,000 miles.
I ended up getting a 2010 Kymco Yager GT 200i (new, but it'd sat on the showroom floor for a year). It had 1 mile on it when I got it.
It's been an awesome bike, no problems whatsoever, a very strong engine. It's down right now for new hybrid ceramic bearings and taller rear gears. I'll hopefully have it back together and running within a month or so, depending upon how long it takes MicroBlue to get the rear gears micro-polished and tungsten-sulfide coated.
I can't tell you how many times my headlight modulator has saved me... it commands attention. Especially since I'd been running an ultra-bright headlight. You could see the flashing two blocks ahead on reflective signs during the day. Each headlight only lasted a year or so, but very bright.
I'll be putting a 30-watt LED headlight in it. Not as bright as the halogen that was in it (about 75% of the brightness), so I'm looking to increase my conspicuity with additional LEDs.
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Post by scooter on Mar 24, 2015 19:09:48 GMT -5
Hi, oldchopperguy. Actually, I was on the site back in 2011 when I was looking for a scooter to replace my ill-fated Tank 150 scooter, which was of such low quality that it literally fell apart after a mere 10,000 miles. I ended up getting a 2010 Kymco Yager GT 200i (new, but it'd sat on the showroom floor for a year). It had 1 mile on it when I got it. It's been an awesome bike, no problems whatsoever, a very strong engine. It's down right now for new hybrid ceramic bearings and taller rear gears. I'll hopefully have it back together and running within a month or so, depending upon how long it takes MicroBlue to get the rear gears micro-polished and tungsten-sulfide coated. I can't tell you how many times my headlight modulator has saved me... it commands attention. Especially since I'd been running an ultra-bright headlight. You could see the flashing two blocks ahead on reflective signs during the day. Each headlight only lasted a year or so, but very bright. I'll be putting a 30-watt LED headlight in it. Not as bright as the halogen that was in it (about 75% of the brightness), so I'm looking to increase my conspicuity with additional LEDs. I want a modulator but I'm afraid it might be misunderstood seeing as there is no official blinking headlight language. "Look honey, he's flashing his lights to tell you to go ahead and pull out. How nice of him!"  |
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Post by scooter on Mar 24, 2015 19:18:59 GMT -5
Hi, all. I just purchased six flush-mount 3-watt white LED lights. www.oznium.com/led-bolt They're the kind you drill a hole through the body and tighten the nut behind it. I intend to put them on the front of the bike and wire them into the high-beam, so they'll also flash on and off when my headlight modulator is activated, increasing my daytime conspicuity. They have a wide beam dispersion, almost 180 degrees. I'm trying to decide the best pattern to put them in. I want at least two of them angled toward the side of the bike, so cars pulling into the roadway from parking lots or side streets see me more easily. Not at a degree angle to the bike's direction of travel, of course, but perhaps as much as 45 degrees. Here's a frontal shot of the Yager from a review at JustGottaScoot: www.justgottascoot.com/yager.htmwww.justgottascoot.com/images/YagerRadiatorDash.jpgI'm thinking right along that bottom section of the dark gray body panel, two toward the front, two at about halfway back. The remaining two pointing straight down to illuminate the wheel area so people know they're looking at a motorcycle and not a car with only one headlight. So, ideas for placing the six LEDS? I'm just starting on mine. After checking state statutes, I'm putting a few under the wheel wells and some strips in a few places. |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 24, 2015 21:33:57 GMT -5
Hey, that Kymco Yager is a GREAT scooter! You just NEVER see them. I don't know why... Same with the SYM scoots. The Yager is sort of an upgraded, modernized and FASTER scooter, replacing my old Grandvista.
I am completely sold on Kymco. My old GV is a 2007 with 15,000 miles on the clock. It is built like a fortress! The original owner drove it six years, usually "loaded-down and riding double" from "New York to California, and Canada to Mexico"... Whew!
He traded it in on a new Kymco fuel-injected 300. The only repairs needed on the old Grandvista were done by the dealer prior to me buying it. They were a new muffler, belt, brake pads, tires and battery. That is all...
All the hoses are still soft and like-new, as is all the wiring and plastic stuff. Even the wheel-bearings are like new. Even the "Darth Vader" digital dash all works properly! These Kymcos are made of GOOD stuff! I believe they are FULLY equal to, or better than any other brand, from any country.
The Yager, and the earlier "Bet n' Win" are rare rides, but VERY good ones. The old Bet n' Win is mechanically a sister to the Grandvista/Grand Dink (same 2-valve, carbureted workhorse 250 found in everybody's ATV...) but shorter and "sportier" while your Yager is quite up-to-date.
I don't know about the headlight modulator. I see them around here and they do command attention. I think they are sometimes mistaken for an emergency vehicle but that might not be a bad thing.
You're certainly on the right track for safety, and have a GREAT scooter!
Enjoy the ride, and ride safe!
Leo
PS: I read several reviews on this scoot, and everybody and their cat loves it! Around an actual 170cc but still hits better than 70 mph with great gas mileage! Who wouldn't love it? The thing that got me was that several test-reviewers loved the scoot, but thought it was UGLY.
UGLY? Good grief... What in heaven is UGLY about it??? It looks a little like the older Kymcos like my Grandvista, but maybe after Chip Foose cleaned up the design to bring it into modern times. Maybe some would like bigger wheels, but I like a scooter to look like a "proper" scooter with scooter wheels... Besides, I found the 12-inchers are just fine up to mph anyway!
See what you all think!
Personally, I think it looks great! |
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Post by upfartoolate on Mar 25, 2015 9:56:04 GMT -5
Actually, it'll do 79 MPH on a good day, right at the ragged edge of the rev limiter. On those rare days when everything is just right, it'll hit the rev limiter and the throttle's not even fully open. All the other days it'll do 75 MPH easily. On a really cold day with low humidity, it'll only do 73 MPH. Seems to run better on hot, humid days. The hotter it is out, the faster the bike wants to run.
With my taller rear gears, it'll top out at 94 MPH, but I'm not sure the engine's got the oomph to push it that fast until I get the aerodynamic body done. With the addition of the infinitely variable transmission, top speed will be around 107 MPH. I'll likely ride it at that speed just once, to ensure it can do it and remain stable, then ride at highways speeds forever after that, as the goal in my retrofitting the scooter is for ultra-high-fuel-efficiency, not speed.
The engine is essentially an over-bored GY6 150, bored out to 174.5cc... some of the parts are still stamped "GY6", in fact.
Yeah, after coming off that horrid Tank scooter, the Kymco Yager was a whole new world. I just wish they'd not discontinued the Yager. It apparently didn't sell well because some people got the notion that it's "ugly"... one guy said it's got "antitheft styling".
So yeah, my Tank Urban Racer was low, light, slick-looking, and I could toss it from scrape-to-scrape with almost no effort... but despite my anal retentive mechanical attention (I'm a mechanic, after all), that bike failed to thrive. Welds breaking, electrical shorts, warped brake disc (from the factory!), bent rear axle (from the factory!), etc.
Contrast that with the Yager... nothing. No problems. No breakdowns. No surprises. Just balls-out windrush as that tiny engine screamed.
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degree angle to the bike's direction of travel, of course, but perhaps as much as 45 degrees.
