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Post by pmatulew on Aug 28, 2014 5:41:01 GMT -5
License: Most states require a motorcycle endorsement for anything larger than a 50cc/35mph two-wheeler. Not that we don't all know someone who has been riding around forever with just a regular car license. To be legal you still need to get that "M". Lessons: Motorcycle Safety Foundation Fees vary by state but the training you get is worth every penny. Otherwise, ask around at the local motorcycle shops. They will be able to point you in the right direction. Service: Honestly most car garages don't know diddly about bikes. Even less about scooters. The best choice is to do it yourself. Next best is to find a bike shop or a qualified shade tree person that is willing to work on a Chinese scooter. As for the particular scooter you're looking at, you should be able to find a tin plate on it somewhere that says where and by who it was manufactured. If you're not familiar with scooter mechanicals then you should find someone that is to go with you to check it out. |
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 25, 2014 17:00:21 GMT -5
That example is intended to be a two-stroke exhaust system. And as those engines suck and blow at the same time they benefit a great deal from the scavenging of a resonant exhaust. But that doesn't mean that you can't use the same principles on a four stroke motor with great success. Here is the link to post from OldChopperGuy that I remembered --> link  |
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 24, 2014 13:22:41 GMT -5
Supertrapp. --> link  With a small engine that runs best in a narrow rpm range like our CVT engines, ideally what want is a tuned length header, (appropriately sized, breathing through a straw is no good), that opens in to an expansion chamber and then necks down and exits to a sound suppressor. One of these goofy looking things -->  When you get the length and volume of system correct you hit a resonant frequency that matches the exhaust pulses coming out of the engine. Sort of like waves sloshing in a bath tub or a pool. Time the slosh just right and the push/pull will actually help draw more exhaust of out the cylinder. Longer length/more volume/lower rpm and vice versa with shorter/smaller/higher rpm. Wasn't it OldChopperGuy that had success with one of these system before he upsized? |
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 23, 2014 7:44:52 GMT -5
Definitely not that simple. He's not wrong though. And if he can back up his technique with real world before and after perfomance results, well then who am I to judge. There is lots of voodoo involved in the science of fluid dynamics.
His concept is dependent on where the fuel is coming from. With a top mounted carburetor or a single point throttle body assembly the fuel has to travel the length of the intake. Most modern cars have multi-point fuel injection where the fuel is added directly above the valve opening precisely for this reason. Also be aware that what he is doing applies only to the intake side. On the exhaust side you want to flow as much volume as possible.
If you have a spare head to play with and the time to experiment go for it. It appears that his fish scale cuts are just to anchor the epoxy in place. Personally I would never mess with the valve guides. That's just asking for trouble. The overall roughened surface may act as turbulators to help stir the mixture but in a cold motor it is just as likely to cause the fuel to condense along the way as there is more surface area to grab it.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 23, 2014 7:40:16 GMT -5
delete - double post
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 23, 2014 6:59:47 GMT -5
Me too. Is the plate itself thinner material? Or is it just shaped differently so that the overall dimensions change?
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 22, 2014 4:42:57 GMT -5
I think you're correct that the pin just holds the assembly together.
I haven't tried, but I would think that you should be able to knock the broken pin out with a hammer and a nail set (or whatever hard poker you have handy). Then you could pick up an appropriately sized roll pin at the hardware store and hammer it in there.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 21, 2014 20:48:36 GMT -5
If only it were just plastic...
Around here it's common road construction practice to spray glass beads into the wet marker paint. That's what gives it the shine in the headlights. Unfortunately it's also like spraying a zillion tiny ball bearings on the pavement.
Golden Rule: Stay Off The Paint!
Silver Rule: Stay Off The Tar Snakes!
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 20, 2014 17:34:12 GMT -5
Cubic Centimeters of displacement. The volume of air the piston (or pistons) suck in with each stroke. 1000cc = 1 liter
This is pretty common practice with scooter and motorcycle manufacturers. They tend to round up whatever the actual number is to the next higher class. (50, 125, 150, 180, 200, 225, 250)
Vespa 250 is really 244cc
Vespa 300 is really only 278cc
(They just feel bigger because of multiple valve and fuel injection)
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 20, 2014 17:25:00 GMT -5
Fuel pump, vacuum to fuel pump, and heat.
They don't like to run wide open. The vacuum is weakest there and the fuel pump is marginal to begin with,. Double check all of your vacuum lines. Consider replacing the pump. Also consider remounting the pump lower and closer to the fuel tank if it isn't already.
Heat is also an issue. Ambient temperature, working hard, plus running lean from the fuel pump.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 19, 2014 16:46:23 GMT -5
Slip the kick start lever in place and use that to jiggle things back and forth as you place the cover.
Start at 8:45
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 19, 2014 5:40:34 GMT -5
Yup, fake ABS. Real ABS requires a gear wheel or a magnetic toner ring and a wheel speed sensor and and a computer controlled master cylinder that has the capability to release the brake fluid pressure fifty times a second if it senses the wheel not turning the same speed as the other. None of which you're going to find on scooters at this price point.
Keep it simple. Pull that s!@# off there and connect the brake line direct. Then go through the rest of the checks to see whats' up. No reason for nearly new brakes to behave as you describe.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 19, 2014 5:25:31 GMT -5
The debris on the floor looks like rubber dust from the belt. Seems like a lot, but not extraordinary. It may be a little oily if the crankshaft seal is leaking. I concur that the broken spacer bushing looks like it came from the kick start assembly. Not sure why that was still floating around in there without a home. May be it was hiding in the hole inside the cover and got missed.
The partially stripped spline teeth inside the drive face are definitely where the metal shavings came from. That part will need to be replaced. If the remainder of the teeth fit the crankshaft splines properly, then I can only suppose that the drive face wasn't properly seated and torqued down against the variator bushing. On my 150 when re-installing the drive face I have to snug it down part way and then rotate the engine and snug it down again a couple times so the belt has a chance to settle evenly and the drive face seats correctly.
The transmission drain you'll just have to keep abusing until you get it loose. In the meantime old oil is less bad than no oil. Squirt some in the top hole until it starts to run out. Or make yourself a dipstick out of a piece of wire or a pipe cleaner to verify that there is at least something in there besides air.
The engine not starting is a separate issue. Those functions are all "inside the box" and not related to the transmission. It may be related to "intense procrastination" and lack of maintenance though. You'll need to start at the top and work your way down the normal list. Air? Gas? Spark? Compression? Valve clearance adjust?
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 18, 2014 5:45:11 GMT -5
Dirt road? I live there too.
Brake problems? Let me count the ways....
Check the brake lever for proper lubrication. The hinge pin and the lobe where it contacts the master cylinder piston. The chrome levers tend to wear on the back side and may need to be smoothed off. Check the master cylinder. When was the last time you changed the fluid? Brake fluid absorbs water over time and becomes corrosive. Check the brake pads to make sure they're not jammed somehow. That's less likely on a bike than a car, but you never know. Then check the pistons in the caliper. You should be able to push them back in the bores with your thumbs. They get crudded up on the outside from dirt and get crudded up on the inside from corrosion of the aluminum and galvanic action between the aluminum and the steel pistons. If they won't move freely then it's time to rebuild or replace the caliper assembly.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 13, 2014 17:22:36 GMT -5
It was an experiment after all. Not meant to last forever. And actually I gained top end. Running well below the power curve as it was, the engine would struggle to run up whatever gears are in there now. By tipping the balance point a little bit it is much more responsive.
With those results in hand I'm more inclined to invest in a heavier spring or the next step lighter sliders to achieve the same results from the other end of the teeter-totter.
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