|
|
Post by pistonguy on Jun 6, 2015 20:15:04 GMT -5
Chopperguy. well, well been thinking this same thought. Spent 20 years next door in keller, Texas Been riding for better than 40 years, rode Two Smokers into the  's, H-1's, RD's, My interest in these little gems started with my Scuba travel in third world countries. It was nothing to see a family of three or more scooting. I currently own a Sunny 150 and a late model CBR1k, one extreme to the other Ay? On my scoot I slow down and really enjoy the scenery and ride. on the CBR its all business. (at age 55). Im industry so I love the mods and the build. BTW were did you source that GY-6 header pipe? And I'm Hatin not being at TMS right now for the IRL race!!!!! |
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 6, 2015 23:47:53 GMT -5
As a newbie, I must tell you, this thread is what pushed me from "thinking getting a scooter" to "which scooter will I buy." I've had my Tao Tao Quantum 150 for about two weeks now. My very first scoot. I get a kick out of the surge as you go from stopped, up to speed, and the responsiveness of the twist. For me, this scoot has a solid feel that I was not expecting. The only depressing thing about it is putting it away for the night. Maybe some of this will wear off as time goes on, but somehow I doubt it! I thank all of you for this thread -- like I said above, it was the push I needed to go from thinking about a scooter to actually being on one.  Ride safe! John John,
I've been riding for more than a half-century... And, trust me, the fun never wears off... LOL!
The GY6 150's like yours are really the essence of scooting. The only reason I up-sized to a used 250 was the local roads and traffic changing radically, requiring 70 mph capability to avoid becoming "road kill". I think you'll enjoy many years on two wheels!
Be cautious while getting used to riding. Little things like angled railroad crossings, potholes, slippery spots from rain, oil, loose gravel AND of course, careless drivers can become "unpleasant" VERY quickly.
Just like firearms, chainsaws and such, bikes can be enormously enjoyable, and great transportation, but they can also hurt you if you're not alert. I've put around a million miles on bikes without major injury, so I can be pretty encouraging...  Enjoy that new 150, and ride safe!
And have a bone on the Old Chopper Guy...
Leo in Texas
|
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 6, 2015 23:59:11 GMT -5
Pistonguy,
Sounds like we think a lot alike... Only difference is that you're still young enough to climb aboard a big bike without arthritis giving you an argument... LOL! I've found step-through scoots are the ride for me nowadays...
The header I made for my old 150 came from a John Deere generator. I think most all Onan flathead 2-cylinder opposed generator engines use the same headers. They originally had a stub protruding through the flange to seat into the exhaust port in the block. I ground it off, and made the rest of the header from flex-exhaust tubing made for generator engines. It slips over the "stub" and I secured it with "Inferno" a high-temp manifold repair epoxy. It worked great, but now you can find factory-made stainless full-diameter headers which would be much easier to use.
Every stock GY6 header I've seen has been much smaller inside diameter than the exhaust port. Opening the header to full-size DOES improve the overall running and helps with tuning.
Welcome to the site!
Ride safe...
Leo in Texas
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 117
Likes: 9
Joined: Apr 5, 2013 0:43:47 GMT -5
|
Post by bvance554 on Jun 16, 2015 0:05:41 GMT -5
For me it is simply knowing I have a reliable ride sitting in the garage that I paid $800 for 4 years ago and still runs great..., and is fun to ride.
|
|
Sophomore Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 134
Likes: 6
Joined: Apr 3, 2013 19:46:08 GMT -5
|
Post by bigmac on Jun 16, 2015 1:34:46 GMT -5
Since getting my Yamaha Zuma 125, I've noticed the CVT really does appear to be the best aspect of scooters. I love the feeling of going seamlessly from 0 to 50 uphill in a few seconds by just twisting my wrist a little.
Unfortunately, very few people get it. I was with a friend once at a party. We were all outside in the driveway and my Zuma was parked there. My friend and I were looking at my Zuma when a friend of my friend walked over and said that he knows someone who wants to get a scooter. My friend knew the person he spoke of and replied, "Why does he want to get a scooter?" His friend then replied, "I don't know. He just wants one. He's wanted one for about two years now."
The way in which they spoke kind of bugged me. It was as if they were saying, "Why would he or anyone else want to get a crappy piece of junk scooter? He is stupid for wanting one of those things."
|
|
|
|
Post by geh3333 on Jun 16, 2015 6:13:46 GMT -5
Since getting my Yamaha Zuma 125, I've noticed the CVT really does appear to be the best aspect of scooters. I love the feeling of going seamlessly from 0 to 50 uphill in a few seconds by just twisting my wrist a little. Unfortunately, very few people get it. I was with a friend once at a party. We were all outside in the driveway and my Zuma was parked there. My friend and I were looking at my Zuma when a friend of my friend walked over and said that he knows someone who wants to get a scooter. My friend knew the person he spoke of and replied, "Why does he want to get a scooter?" His friend then replied, "I don't know. He just wants one. He's wanted one for about two years now." The way in which they spoke kind of bugged me. It was as if they were saying, "Why would he or anyone else want to get a crappy piece of junk scooter? He is stupid for wanting one of those things." People that do not own a scooter , have no idea how attached you become to it. Not just the riding but the tuning and modding. It almost becomes a cult atmosphere. |
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 16, 2015 18:14:55 GMT -5
Since getting my Yamaha Zuma 125, I've noticed the CVT really does appear to be the best aspect of scooters. I love the feeling of going seamlessly from 0 to 50 uphill in a few seconds by just twisting my wrist a little. Unfortunately, very few people get it. I was with a friend once at a party. We were all outside in the driveway and my Zuma was parked there. My friend and I were looking at my Zuma when a friend of my friend walked over and said that he knows someone who wants to get a scooter. My friend knew the person he spoke of and replied, "Why does he want to get a scooter?" His friend then replied, "I don't know. He just wants one. He's wanted one for about two years now." The way in which they spoke kind of bugged me. It was as if they were saying, "Why would he or anyone else want to get a crappy piece of junk scooter? He is stupid for wanting one of those things." People that do not own a scooter , have no idea how attached you become to it. Not just the riding but the tuning and modding. It almost becomes a cult atmosphere.
Absolutely!
Having been totally absorbed in the 1960's chopper culture, I can attest that the scooter culture is VERY similar... But a LOT more affordable... LOL! There are numerous "devices" that through their unique attraction create entire cultures: Cars, Motorcycles, scooters, boats, bicycles, firearms, computers, fishing tackle, cameras, model planes, and nowadays "drones"... the list is limitless. If a device is interesting, and can be modded, tweaked and enjoyed, it WILL develop a following...
Since my lifetime now has encompassed both the big-bike AND scooter world, I'm amazed at how VERY similar they are, yet usually appeal to radically-different riders. Personally, I'd enjoy riding a "nekkid" skelly scooter as much as a fire-breathing Harley chopper. I DEFINITELY enjoy riding my low-buck, used Kymco 250 every bit as much as riding a Harley bagger. The old Kymco actually is quicker 0-60 than my old 1970 Electra-Glide was, AND rides more solid and comfortable at 70!!! BEEN there, DONE that, got BOTH T-shirts...
I guess the step-through frame and CVT trannies just make the breeds TOO different to become one culture, but as for me, one's as good as the other. Maybe things are slowly changing after all... Lately I've fallen in with a couple groups of chopper-jockeys, and crotch-rocket boys for short runs. They get a kick out of an old geezer who can tell true stories from experience of the glory days of stone-age bikes a half-century ago. Could be scooters are finally "winning their spurs" in the world of two-wheels.  Hmmm... Come to think of it, we almost always had a couple of guys on Mustangs, and Cushman Eagles running with our Harleys, Indians, Truimphs and BSA's back in the day. Of course, even the immortal Cushman Eagle maxed out at a sedate 50 mph... But, THAT was usually fast enough on the truly AWFUL surface 2-lanes of the day. And keeping it "low and slow" saved a lot of wear and tear on our butts when riding hard-tail bobbers.
When it's all said and done though, at my age, I REALLY love the little "twist n' go" scoots. A couple times, I've traded off with a young buck and rode his crotch-rocket, and he rode "Minnie Mouse". He was actually amazed at how fast 19hp could actually be... I was amazed at just how fast 400 hp could be too!!! Woo-HOO! Tail-on-fire, eyeballs bounced off the back of my skull, warp-nine intergalactic-scare Darth Vader to wet his space-suit fast... But I'm too old and arthritic to ride with my chin on the tank and the handlebars down by the front axle. My back still hurts just thinking about it... (effortless WHEELIES and STOPPIES are fun, though!!!). Now, IF I was a couple decades YOUNGER, and WHOLE lot RICHER... The 700cc type scooters like the Kymco "MY ROAD" or the big Honda would be a MIGHTY tempting "twist n' go, way to go"... LOL!
So whatever you ride, thrash it through the switches, but keep it outta the ditches!
Leo (still twistin' n' goin') in Texas
|
|
|
|
Post by geh3333 on Jun 16, 2015 19:16:07 GMT -5
People that do not own a scooter , have no idea how attached you become to it. Not just the riding but the tuning and modding. It almost becomes a cult atmosphere.
Absolutely!
Having been totally absorbed in the 1960's chopper culture, I can attest that the scooter culture is VERY similar... But a LOT more affordable... LOL! There are numerous "devices" that through their unique attraction create entire cultures: Cars, Motorcycles, scooters, boats, bicycles, firearms, computers, fishing tackle, cameras, model planes, and nowadays "drones"... the list is limitless. If a device is interesting, and can be modded, tweaked and enjoyed, it WILL develop a following...
Since my lifetime now has encompassed both the big-bike AND scooter world, I'm amazed at how VERY similar they are, yet usually appeal to radically-different riders. Personally, I'd enjoy riding a "nekkid" skelly scooter as much as a fire-breathing Harley chopper. I DEFINITELY enjoy riding my low-buck, used Kymco 250 every bit as much as riding a Harley bagger. The old Kymco actually is quicker 0-60 than my old 1970 Electra-Glide was, AND rides more solid and comfortable at 70!!! BEEN there, DONE that, got BOTH T-shirts...
I guess the step-through frame and CVT trannies just make the breeds TOO different to become one culture, but as for me, one's as good as the other. Maybe things are slowly changing after all... Lately I've fallen in with a couple groups of chopper-jockeys, and crotch-rocket boys for short runs. They get a kick out of an old geezer who can tell true stories from experience of the glory days of stone-age bikes a half-century ago. Could be scooters are finally "winning their spurs" in the world of two-wheels. Hmmm... Come to think of it, we almost always had a couple of guys on Mustangs, and Cushman Eagles running with our Harleys, Indians, Truimphs and BSA's back in the day. Of course, even the immortal Cushman Eagle maxed out at a sedate 50 mph... But, THAT was usually fast enough on the truly AWFUL surface 2-lanes of the day. And keeping it "low and slow" saved a lot of wear and tear on our butts when riding hard-tail bobbers.
When it's all said and done though, at my age, I REALLY love the little "twist n' go" scoots. A couple times, I've traded off with a young buck and rode his crotch-rocket, and he rode "Minnie Mouse". He was actually amazed at how fast 19hp could actually be... I was amazed at just how fast 400 hp could be too!!! Woo-HOO! Tail-on-fire, eyeballs bounced off the back of my skull, warp-nine intergalactic-scare Darth Vader to wet his space-suit fast... But I'm too old and arthritic to ride with my chin on the tank and the handlebars down by the front axle. My back still hurts just thinking about it... (effortless WHEELIES and STOPPIES are fun, though!!!). Now, IF I was a couple decades YOUNGER, and WHOLE lot RICHER... The 700cc type scooters like the Kymco "MY ROAD" or the big Honda would be a MIGHTY tempting "twist n' go, way to go"... LOL!
So whatever you ride, thrash it through the switches, but keep it outta the ditches!
Leo (still twistin' n' goin') in Texas
Very nice ! |
|
's, H-1's, RD's,
