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Post by rockynv on Oct 10, 2015 1:29:16 GMT -5
I believe Aprilia came out ahead since they really didn't drop their pants as the expression goes and only gave Suzuki a few glimpses into their family secrets of engineering processes. Some companies when they get into a partnership do try to rape and pillage. Look at the Diesel Technology GM got when they partnered to sell Fiat cars in the 60's and 70's while they really drug Fiats reputation down with their poor service practices so that Fiat finally had to pull out of the country. GM only wanted the Ducato Diesel tech and did not have Fiat trained mechanics servicing the vehicles that they sold and did not provide the customer service required.
The Sava Diamond tire that I previously had on the front of the bike was wearing down and must have been down to the harder rubber that had been heated when they fused the treads to the core so even though is was not past the wear bars it slid badly. It was like I was on black ice for a moment and I went down hard and fast not even having a moment to try to shift my weight and recover.
Like you I am a bit too old to hoot nowadays but its nice to consider the possibilities. It also would be hard for me to chop up a Chesterfield for its drive train and not just restore it regardless of how beat up it may be. It's like Sammy Faine and Irving Kahl wrote "Dreams Are Like Wine".
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Post by rockynv on Oct 10, 2015 7:09:00 GMT -5
Here is how a Sport City 250 that has been Mallossi CVT Tuned does in Bracket Race against a Tuned GY6 150: www.facebook.com/trevormsilva/videos/10155918283170104/Kawasaki Z1000: www.facebook.com/imeltsteel/videos/10153520015729360/This Sport City 250 is consistently winning these events without a cylinder or head kit or remapping the ecu and just the CVT tuning. The sliders will give you a compromise on this without the high rev release clutch and all the expense. On the Sport City even with the stock head and cylinder you can up the regulator on the fuel pump, install a larger fuel injector and remap the ecu to up the rev limiter a few hundred and also richen up the idle and low end to enhance it off the line. The FatDuc intended for the Ducati bikes is plug and play to fatten up the fuel injection and gives a dramatic improvement off the line and in the low to mid powerband along with improving in town fuel economy. Combined with sliders the results may satisfy most riders. Total investment for the Sliders and FatDuc combined would be about $100. Aprilia's use of the same series of Ecu and Throttle Body on their Scooters and Sport Bikes as Ducati does gives one a range of tuning options to enhance performance without breaking the budget. |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 10, 2015 12:55:23 GMT -5
Rockynv,
YOU are opening eyes to the seldom seen world of ITALIAN power!
I can see how riders get as hooked on Italian bikes as drivers (well-heeled ones, at least) get hooked on Italian cars! The crossing over of performance tech and parts between the sport-bikes and scooters makes tweaking them almost irresistible...
Even back in the seventies I began to see the then-small, but super-loyal devotion the Italian bike riders had. Whether it was Ducati or Moto Guzzi motorcycles, or Vespa or Lambretta scooters... OR Ferrari or Maserati cars... Italian machinery fosters loyalty rivaled only by Harley Davidson. And it seems, for good reason.
The best part is that unlike the CARS, the Italian scooters remain AFFORDABLE!
Certain "things" always have an "aura" about them which draws a loyal following: Harley Davidson, Cigarette boats, collectible firearms, Rolex watches, etc. AND Italian rides... All part of the enjoyable side of life!
And, one's background makes no difference... You don't need to be Italian to enjoy pizza!
Ride safe!
Leo
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Post by ghcoe on Oct 10, 2015 20:36:39 GMT -5
Not sure if this guy is running sliders, but it always makes me giggle a bit. Especially when you hear the scooter over the high pitch wine of the other bikes.....
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Post by rockynv on Oct 11, 2015 7:58:11 GMT -5
Leo,
There is a certain spirit if you will that Italians put into their bikes and much of that pedigree is shared between all the two wheelers. MotoGuzzi is part of the Piaggio/Aprilia family while Ducati is the other family however Minareli is the fuel system family that most turn to for the Throttle Bodies and ECU making the major difference in tuning them just software.
The sliders help increase the range of operation of the sliding sheave so you get a lower initial gear range and taller high range with smoother operation in-between along with something more akin to a down shift when you lay on the throttle.
A plug in unit like the FatDuc limits you to just attenuating the loop from the oxygen sensor however for most street riders that is all we need to get off the line a bit faster to merge along with the potential to get better fuel economy and it is something I would like to do however the only thing holding me back is the knowledge of what it does and a basic diagram of how to make one of my own design for a fraction of the cost if I could locate the correct plugs and potting materials.
For those that don't recall - I really stumbled into all this as I knew I could not afford an Italian bike new off the showroom floor but I could not resist going in a taking a look see. I had just finished welding back together the muffler which had again rattled apart on my Lance along with replaced the broken clutch, scored variator, damaged Bando Belt and failed bearings in the gearbox and just prior had replaced another head that had cracked along with a failed ignition pickup and starter. When I walked in they were having a Spring Factory Incentive and the Sport City 250 was at the incentive price of $2,999 with a Factory Sponsored Financing Package. The 6' 6" 325 lb Finance Manager gave me the keys to his personal Sport City 250 which to this day is still his daily ride and let me take it for a spin since the dealership did not allow test rides and I was hooked. This man who is about my age is the Finance Manager for one of the largest dealerships in the US and can ride just about anything he wants and he has a Sport City 250 that he rides every day which just spoke volumes to me about the bike. I told him that I could not afford it though even at the incentive price and he offered that he thought I was mistaken and asked me to make him an offer. I told him my bike and $100 a month but it had to have a warranty that covered the entire loan period to which he said its a deal. The warranty was through Zuric and others who had to make use of them told me they never gave them a bit of trouble on any repairs. They had bought Yamaha or Honda's for more money than I paid for the Aprilia and they ended up with 125cc bikes while I got a 250 that only needed a fuel pump upgrade from a factory service bulletin which was done no questions asked. The bike paid for itself in fuel savings while the Lance was constantly nickle and diming me with regular breakdowns and twice monthly maintenance.
The icing on the cake is that I have a bike that I can take anywhere I want with no real concerns and with enough performance that many Sport or Street Riders who ride beside me for a while even on the interstate wave me to join them so that they are not riding alone. Most are shocked that its just a 250. Its not perfect by any means however it serves me well and has done everything I have asked of it with very minimal maintenance and now going on 30,000 miles carting my bulk around still is basically original aside from the sliders and extra spacer on the CVT Drive Boss.
I continue to be pleased with it and it beckons to be ridden for no reason but to just go for a ride.
Keep on Riding Safe!
Rocky
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