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Post by pmatulew on Aug 17, 2015 17:49:27 GMT -5
Guess I'm going to just have to bite the eggroll.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 17, 2015 17:38:09 GMT -5
I thought the point was that you didn't want to clutch anymore? No matter. Once it's in your blood there's no going back.
Long time Honda rider.
Honda motors (in whatever application) are nearly bullet proof so long as they are maintained properly. I wouldn't be worried about a Rebel motor at whatever mileage as long as the rest of the machine looked like it had been taken care of properly.
My wife had a mid '80's Rebel a few years back. Parallel twin is the same engine as the Twinstar and the 250 Nighthawk. Cheaper and easier to pluck an existing product out of the parts bin rather than engineer something new. Adequate power to keep up with normal car traffic but nothing crazy. I rode it a few times and it's geared short and has a governor set at 75mph. So, even wide open on the flats, that's all you're going to get. It was meant as an entry level bike, so mother Honda is just being nanny-ish. No particular quirks that I remember except that air cooled twins can be fussy to cold start. (Ours had a carburetor and choke).
If the cruiser style is your thing you could also take a look at the smaller Yamaha Virago's. I had a 700 for a while. They also make a 250 and a 500 class that look the same and have a chromy v-twin. They've got that nice blub blub sound. The 500 and 700 also come with a shaft drive. That's a double plus in the low maintenance category.
For me the laid back riding position was fine for putt putting around town, but for longer rides it just wasn't working. Too much wind load on the chest, arms and shoulders. Too much butt flattening in one position in that bucket seat. Just no good once we got out towards the 3 hour mark. My thinking is that fuel range in a peanut tank may not be that big of an issue because you'll be stopping to stretch achy bones anyway. Also the big wheel on the front doesn't carry much load and it's a bit skittish on gravel roads.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 16, 2015 11:46:23 GMT -5
My free two cents. On the open speed mountain roads you're describing, a "rounded up" 150 (or smaller) isn't going to be enough to keep from being a road hazard. You're going to have traffic stacked up behind you. The more displacement you are comfortable with, the better. Do seat test several models. The bigger chassis scoots tend to be wider so it's harder to straddle them and still get your feet down. I come from the short end of the family too so seat height is always an issue. If you can afford fuel injection, do it. No choke and no carburetor maintenance will make your life a lot easier. Plus those electronics will get the most power and fuel efficiency out of a given size engine. Gravel roads? Not a problem. Just relax on the grips a little and let the wheels track. Very gentle steering inputs. Also be really cautious with that front brake until you get to the blacktop.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 16, 2015 11:18:56 GMT -5
I've got one of these on the big bike. --> throttle lockThey are a little fiddly to setup because they slip in between the throttle grip and the switch housing. Once you get it set up it's fine. Awful nice on longer rides to be able to let go for a minute and shake it out. |
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 16, 2015 10:53:56 GMT -5
So, my new Prodigy variator didn't come with a bushing/boss. I guess they assume you will re-use your original. Unfortunately my original is part of the problem.
The bushing has a little rust on it and I think that is what wore out the bushing inside my variator housing. I can't see installing the old and suspect part in a new variator and wrecking that one too.
So where do I purchase just the bushing/boss? Not having a lot of luck searching the web so far. Looks to be the standard size. 15mm inside, a bit over 24 outside and a bit over 51 long.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 14, 2015 17:12:28 GMT -5
Defective? Worn out maybe?
My bushing and variator got so badly worn that that it just rattles around inside the hole. I thought the motor was sounding like it was ready to throw a rod until I pulled the variator off and the noise magically stopped.
My new variator kit just arrived today direct from Taiwan. Been out of commission for over a week. Hoping to be back on the road this weekend.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 9, 2015 8:28:43 GMT -5
Sometimes I think it's just a matter of setting an example. My little town has always had lots of big bikes (revered local dealer now gone), but has always been a scooter dessert. Low horsepower motors just not viable on the hills or the highway.
After I started using my scooter to commute in from the suburbs several days a week though, the number I see on a regular basis tripled. Large and small, guys and gals. Not necessarily new machines either, but even those forsaken little TaoTao's and Roketa's with the ripped seats and yellowed headlights that have been languishing in peoples backyards and storage sheds for years are getting put back in service. Hogs, rockets, Wings, and little nippers with duct taped plastic and chrome spiked license plate frames all parked in a row. It's a beautiful thing.
You zip around the streets in town and you see people look up and the light bulb goes on. "Why drive the car when I only live half a mile from where I want to go?" "Scooting can be fun/easy/safe/efficient/convenient!" I've even tossed my keys to a couple co-workers and the silly grin they come back with says it all.
Where I work it's also partly a matter of privilege. Cagers are required to park in the employee lot across town and use the company shuttle bus to the main campus. That adds at least 15 minutes to either end of the day. On the other hand the "cool kids" on two wheels are tacitly allowed to "squat" on a strip of median between the main buildings. Way more convenient to be able to park right outside the door. Especially if you need to run errands during the day.
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Post by pmatulew on Jul 30, 2015 11:40:59 GMT -5
Modern telescoping forks have their own set of issues.
The trailing link design works well enough for it's intended purpose. There are a bazillion Vespas tooling around with basically the same design. If it's working correctly it shouldn't be that big of an issue. You may want to check though that it is working correctly --> .
Those original plastic shocks on the other hand... I think when I looked at mine that there wasn't anything in there besides a spring. No damping or absorbing anything. Those Honda shocks might be a nice upgrade if you're having stability issues.
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Post by pmatulew on Jul 25, 2015 6:43:10 GMT -5
Good catch! Changing the studs wouldn't have been my first thought. But since he has to take it apart again, he might as well change them to be sure.
Also it wouldn't hurt to buy himself a small fine grain sharpening stone. Something about the size of a pack of gum. Then get in the habit of swishing that across the important mating surfaces before re-assembly. That's usually enough to catch any high spots or burrs around bolt holes and such.
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Post by pmatulew on Jul 17, 2015 13:07:20 GMT -5
Old thread but I'll add my 2 cents anyway.
The older ETON's are 2 stroke minarelli engines. Very well built Taiwanese chassis. The engines have a lot of go and can be tuned with a multitude of aftermarket parts.
The oil mixture pump is a relatively easy bolt on at the bottom. More than likely though, he ran it out of oil at some point (bad), and didn't know how to bleed it properly to get it going again.
2 strokes are a slightly different animal and the knowledge to operate them has unfortunately been forgotten by the current generation.
$350 would have been a very good deal if the motor ran okay otherwise.
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Post by pmatulew on May 4, 2015 12:06:52 GMT -5
Looks likes it's been dropped few times. No big deal. I figure on dropping my whale (ST1100) at least once a year. 800lbs comes down hard on the mirrors. A little fix up and you look to be good to go. Good shape for it's age otherwise. You'll be styling in no time. King of the road.  |
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Post by pmatulew on Oct 24, 2014 18:18:20 GMT -5
Do it right.
Time for a Heli-Coil
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Post by pmatulew on Oct 23, 2014 4:52:08 GMT -5
www.sena.com/ and www.cardosystems.com/scala-rider Both come in several different flavors. You should be able to find something that suits you. There's always the option of grabbing a second hand set off Ebay as well since folks tend to upgrade after a while. I have a set of high end Scala's. Not necessarily a good value for the price but they work well and have served us well. Being able to communicate, either rider to passenger or bike-to-bike adds a whole new dimension to riding. This summer we paired up with another couple and were chatting amongst the 4 of us. I've also been able to receive calls on my cell and have the person at the far end not be able to tell that I'm zooming down the highway. Technology can be pretty cool sometimes.
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Post by pmatulew on Oct 20, 2014 11:55:48 GMT -5
Without really bundling up to the point of being uncomfortable, I draw the line in the mid 40's for a short commute ride. I was able to ride one day last week, but the last few days we've been waking up to low 30's. This time of year the weather is a crapshoot. You just never know.
Once the roads roads start getting sloppy, (it's not uncommon to see snow by Halloween), we're pretty much done for the winter. You might get a nice clear day here or there to go out and scratch that itch. Otherwise it will be March or April before we can get out on a regular basis again.
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Post by pmatulew on Oct 19, 2014 8:02:30 GMT -5
I miss those old cars too... My old Pontiac Catalina with the blue crystal steering wheel and the red indian head high beam indicator, (with the high beam switch on the floor of course). As a stupid college kid we drove home from class with 8 people in the front seat one time.  And my 71 Eldorado. When I saw it on the lot with the 8.2 Liter side badge I just couldn't walk away. It used to get 11mpg. Period. Was always a sight when I rolled in to the marina with a 22 foot car towing an 18 foot boat.  Wait, what? The Taurus had a fold out table?!  I'm calling Subaru. I've been gypped! I bought a scooter just for fun and the stupid grin you get every time you ride one. I've got other transportation options. For my travel area the scooter is the least practical of the bunch. But when the weather is decent and I know I don't have to travel out of town that day, you'll find it parked outside my office. Those $5 fill-ups don't hurt either. Plus I got to learn a lot about CVT's along the way. |
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