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Post by scooterb on Nov 7, 2013 9:34:43 GMT -5
I wanted to thank everyone for their assistance and provide an update on my journey. We managed to trailer the scooters from North Carolina to Utah and back. The trip was amazing and the scooters ran flawlessly. We logged about 500 miles while in Utah and visited Canyon Lands, Zion, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Monument Valley. We often used the scooters to access trail heads and a few times placed one scooter at the end of a trail so we would not have to hike back the same way we hiked in; of course this worked on only a few trails were roads were accessible on both sides. The scooters did ok ‘off-road’ on hard packed dirt but the washboards were brutal and deep sand posed a problem as well. We managed to navigate some pretty serious roads without issue but had problems on a paved road. There was a secondary road that we were turning onto and both were paved but the rain had washed gravel into the road and left a few inches of dirt and debris. Unfortunately we approached this transition with a little too much speed, my wife was in front and as she navigated the turn the front wheel washed out from underneath her. I was using poor judgment and was following way too close. By the time I realized what was happening I didn’t have time to react properly and next thing you know we are both picking ourselves off the ground. I have ridden motorcycles my entire life and have never dumped a motorcycle, until now. I was fine but my wife banged up her knee and hands. Even with gloves and jeans on she had a little road rash. The scooters got a little banged up as well but we dusted ourselves off and continued on…. We encountered only one ‘problem’ with the scooters and it was to be expected. The carbs were tuned at ~750ft above sea level, any time the scooters got over 9000ft they didn’t run too well. I packed the necessary tools on the scooters so if necessary I could make adjustments. I decided just to deal with the lack of power as it only really happened once on our trip. All in all I would say it was worth the expense of the scooters and time it took to prep them for the trip. It offered a very unique experience and viewpoint; not to mention it was much easier to navigate some of the more crowded parks on the scooter rather than the RV. Here are a few pictures…..         |
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Post by scooterb on Oct 2, 2013 13:26:31 GMT -5
Thanks!
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Post by scooterb on Oct 1, 2013 13:27:59 GMT -5
So.... We are scheduled to head out on Friday. Our plan was to visit 5 national parks over a 3 week period. I sure hope the government shutdown is resolved quickly or we won't be seeing any of the national parks.  |
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Post by scooterb on Oct 1, 2013 13:26:16 GMT -5
If somehow the lack of venting does over come your float (unlikely but...) it is a bigger deal than described above. Gasoline will flood into your engine and you will end up with it in your oil. You don't want that. Why not cap it and look for a vented gas cap? I don't think the check valve will cause an issue but I may look for a vented cap when we get back.....  |
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Post by scooterb on Sept 30, 2013 12:10:46 GMT -5
Only a few more days until we pack up the scooters and head out on our road trip. I think I got them where they need to be for the trip. I have the gas vent line zip tied up in the frame but I made the mistake of over filling my tank and when it splashed around it came out the vent. I was thinking I would put a check valve inline so that air could get into the tank when the gas drained into the carb but the check valve would not allow fuel to spill out. But then I was thinking.... what would happen when the sun heats the tank and the gas expands. With the check valve in place it would cause the tank to become pressurized. Would this be enough pressure to force the carb needle open and flood the carb? I assume the gas cap is not vented…. Any thoughts?  |
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Post by scooterb on Sept 27, 2013 13:02:16 GMT -5
chris9183, did you get this resolved?
What was the issue?
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Post by scooterb on Sept 25, 2013 13:29:45 GMT -5
It took me 1 1/2 years to finally get the title for my TaoTao....... Wow I am glad mine didn't take that long! I ran into an issue similar to yours with a trailer I wanted to title that the previous owner never did.... Usually I go to the DMV and the people behind the counter are extremely rude. But this time, all three I encountered were very friendly. I know the people they deal with on a daily basis, including myself, can get pretty frustrating. |
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Post by scooterb on Sept 25, 2013 9:33:43 GMT -5
One of the two scooters has a vibration in the steering only when coasting. It doesn't feel like a wheel out of balance but rather a pulsation from the brake rotor. Upon visible inspection it seems to be straight but if I lift the front week and spin it there is one spot that contacts the brake bad. I think this is causing my vibration.
I plan to get my dial indicator gauge and see how much it is off but just have not had time.
Any suggustions?
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Post by scooterb on Sept 25, 2013 9:26:56 GMT -5
The seller of the CDIs is sending a new one, no issues and easy transaction. I can't say I really notice a difference with the new CDI but at least I have a backup now in case one ever fails.
After 3 trips to the DMV and a few calls to the dealer, I finally got my scooters tagged! The first DMV rep told me I did not need to tag my scooter and that they don't title them either. After explaining to her that was true for scooters 50cc or less this scooter is 150cc. Then a few attempts to get my paperwork in order and a few trips to the DMV I was good to go.
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Post by scooterb on Sept 22, 2013 15:04:56 GMT -5
Okay just checked the battery...got a constant 12.6 volt reading from it, so the battery isn't the culprit. Definitely wiring. Guess I'm gonna have to start taking some plastic off and examining some wires. What is the voltage of the battery when you try to start it? It is possible the battery shows 12v but does not have the amps to start the scooter. I think if you take it a local auto parts store they will test it for free… |
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Post by scooterb on Sept 21, 2013 17:51:06 GMT -5
So I got two orange CDIs and they arrived today… One of the two is dead on arrival. Time to see if the eBay seller has any support after the sale. And I am sure they will make me pay return shipping. |
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Post by scooterb on Sept 21, 2013 17:48:10 GMT -5
how about checking the battery do you know if its charged I agree.... Check the battery. The noise you hear is the relay switching rapidly because the battery doesn't have enough juice. |
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Post by scooterb on Sept 20, 2013 13:29:30 GMT -5
It seems like the metal bends, it's pretty thin stuff. It did help when I turned the rods so that they are as front to back as you can get them, so that the rod takes most of the load. I really couldn't get the bolts tight enough when the rods pointed to the side. I see what you mean.... I should have done it that way too but it would cover my disc brake cover.... which I really won't need to access. And it would have required me bending the support rod/bolt for the windshield which I didn't want to do until I knew what angle I would want the windshield to be.... I guess time will tell but I am sure I will end up moving it, removing it, or tweaking it a little. |
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Post by scooterb on Sept 20, 2013 11:08:35 GMT -5
I've got that same windshield on my TaoTao. The mounting hardware is kinda flimsy and the brackets bend at speed. It's ok, but, I have to push it back-up straight evry once in a while. I was a little worried about that... I have not ridden it since I put it on but plan to this weekend. Does the metal bend or is it the nuts that don't hold it securely? If it are the nuts and bolts I am hoping the locking nut and thread locker will fix that.
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Post by scooterb on Sept 20, 2013 10:35:01 GMT -5
Well as much as I dislike the looks of a windshield on a scooter.... I added one anyway. The bugs at night are ridiculous around here.... And since we will be scootin' in temperatures in the 40s I am hoping it will deflect some of the cold air at 50mph. I ordered the cheapest windshield I could find ($25 each/shipped) since I don't think it will be on there for too long... At least through our trip.... I ordered them from "globalmotorimports" on eBay and the seller was extremely helpful. They shipped really fast and I had a damaged part and they shipped it out same day; no problem.  When I ordered them I saw the blue logo on the windshield and was hoping it was just a sticker... It wasn't.... oh, well The screen was coming in contact with my mirrors and the front plastics... So I used some leftover vacuum hose. Cut it down the middle and super clued it to the windshield. Worked great. This should also help with vibration noise when it contacts the plastic at speed. I also used nylon nuts instead of the nuts provided with the windshield so hopefully it will stay snug and not move under the force of the wind.    |
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