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Post by phssthpok on Jul 7, 2014 21:18:55 GMT -5
So... first day's commute. I'm going to call it a 'qualified' quasi-success. The ride in to work was perfect... even stopping for gas, I made the trip in 1h2m. It was a touch chilly at the faster speeds (45+) but nothing worth stopping for. The trip home on the other hand... I got a little bit past half-way and the speed limit went from 45 to 55, so I upped the throttle to keep the pace. Shortly I noticed a loss of power... nothing *sounded* wrong...it just 'wouldn't go'. I pulled over on to the shoulder thinking it was simply overheating from the added strain of 55mph (temps were around  -ish), and that a short stint at lower speeds would cool things off. No joy. Slowing down just hastened the stall-out. I let it sit for a few minutes (while I stripped off all my gear....it's HOT out!), and then tried starting it up again. it took several kicks (remember.. my battery is toast) but it finally fired up and held an idle, so I started to get gear back on... then it died again. I finished gearing up and went to start it again, but the damned kick-starter shaft snapped off!  Yeah...I know.. they really aren't meant as a primary starting method, but I *do* have a battery en route (due Wed. or Thurs.) so I thought it would do fine for a few days. Guess not. Long story short..I pushed the bike for nigh two miles before throwing in the towel and calling someone. And wouldn't you know it, but a state trooper pulls up just as I connect the call. I told him what was up (toasted batt., snapped kicker) and posited that if he had some jumper cables I could probably get it started and be on my way. He offered a 'jump pack'. I said that'll work!" and set about removing the battery (it's so far gone that it would draw down the jump-pack voltage and prevent starting..I had to pull the cables off my battery and jump directly) Jump pack worked, and I set the idle to 2300 just to make sure it didn't idle down on me again while I geared up (again). Scoot ran without a hitch the rest of the way home (45 MPH zone), so I'm fair certain it was simply a matter of overheating when I pushed it up to 50-ish. Sadly, this means that I'll need to run the truck the rest of the week...  Addendum: Morning fill up stats to figure mileage for the test run on Friday: Gallons: 0.765  Miles: 67 (via chinometer odo) Google maps shows one way mileage as 32 exact, there's three miles difference.  MPG: 87.6 (rounded)  (83.66 if I use GE miles instead of the odo.) Cost: $2.80 ($3.65/gallon)  |
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Post by phssthpok on Jul 6, 2014 19:40:02 GMT -5
2008 Roketa MC-04  |
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Post by phssthpok on Jul 6, 2014 16:53:06 GMT -5
...I commence to commuting on the scoot. 32.5 miles one way with a pretty hefty hill (~500' elevation gain over 2 miles) about 3/4 of the way into the trip.  I've been wanting to do this for a while but didn't trust the scoot as I'd never really given it a proper shake down ride. However, I took a test ride of the route on Friday during mid-day heat (upper 70's/low 80's-ish) and it went off without a hitch. According to Google Maps, the route should take about 1h 5m-ish to travel (vs. my normal 40min-ish on the freeway). The trip out was marred by topping off the tank for mileage, and ( of course it would happen) getting stuck at a RR crossing ( ), but I made the return trip in just under an hour.  I have yet to top off the tank to get a proper mileage computation, but I made the full round trip (minus 2 miles to the gas station), and the gauge was just barely touching the red zone when I got home (about 4/5 tank used going by the gauge sweep). Given that the normal cost for my little (running like crap) truck is ~$15 and climbing (17 MPG on a good day for a 65 mile round trip), less than $3 for a round trip commute is worth adding an additional 20 minutes each way!  The other concern I had was my lunchbox/cooler. I didn't want to remove the rear trunk because the helmet will fit there, (whereas it will not fit the under seat compartment, and I needed the storage for my hard hat while riding too), but I feared strapping it to the seat in the pillion position would crowd me out. Not so. In fact, it was at JUST the right position/height to use as a seat-back for a more casual riding position. The hard edge of the cooler was an issue though, so I scrounged one of the second hand throw pillows from the camper to stuff under the bungee cords and it works perfectly.  |
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Post by phssthpok on Jul 5, 2014 9:16:28 GMT -5
I just finished reading this thread front to back...
Wow. Just....wow. There are none so blind as those who *will* not see...and most of those are blinded by their 'ego'. Rexxk is a shining example.
My advice to Rexxk (should he be reading this) is to first, slow down a touch, and add in some capitalization, spacing, proper punctuation, and a little bit of spell-check to your screeds. This would also be greatly aided by fully fleshed out (read: Complete) sentences, which would, at the very least, make your tirades more comprehensible.
Second; Check your Ego. What you perceived as insults, were in fact (to this third-person observer who has 'no dog in this hunt') people who were confused by your less-than-stellar communication skills. I am known among my friends as one who is able to decipher garbled text with relative ease, but my god... your wall-o-text screeds left me with headaches!
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Post by phssthpok on Jun 2, 2014 12:27:13 GMT -5
Where, other than the over-priced Roketa website, can I get a wheel that fits? Going on the presumption that you mean the actual WHEEL (rim) and not the tire, I'm only finding two sources for 'new' replacement parts. (I haven't shopped Ebay, Amazon, or anything similar, though none of those returned a hit in a search). the actual Mfg. part number for the rear wheel is: MC-54B-250-03-48. As i said...I found two sources. One is rather overpriced as you mentioned ($231 + Shipping). The other one seems quite reasonable ($110 + Shipping). But here's the kicker: They are both the same company! There will be a few more hoops to jump through to buy from the cheaper storefront...they want you to 'create an account'. The decision is yours as to whether the $120 savings is worth the extra effort!  |
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Post by phssthpok on Jun 1, 2014 21:52:00 GMT -5
...I'd like to be able to get just that double elbow piece without the added turbine-looking-led-filter. ... universal fit, some customization required. OEM intake manifold is 30mm on the carburetor side which translates to 1.18xxx inches. You might have to cut a slit in the end of the pipe to reduce the diameter to fit. |
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Post by phssthpok on May 28, 2014 7:19:21 GMT -5
...and in case you are wondering just *HOW* the length of intake runner could possible have that much effect on your air/fuel charge, but only manifesting at a certain RPM: www.allpar.com/mopar/sonoramic.html (pertinent info about halfway down beginning under the blue block of text, though the whole article is interesting). If you are inclined, you might even consider doing some experimentation with different lengths of runner to 'fine tune' your optimal desired RPM power point. |
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Post by phssthpok on May 27, 2014 21:59:50 GMT -5
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Post by phssthpok on May 22, 2014 10:31:24 GMT -5
[snip] Either throttle adjust is to low & stalls or to high & clutch is always engaged. There's no in between...[snip] Not having any tach numbers (RPM) to go off of, I'll presume that means everything is functioning properly (no air leaks, etc.) and 'too low' is lower than the manual prescribes for idle speed. If not then you need to check for an air/fuel issue that's preventing you from turning the idle down to where it needs to be. Based on your claim that "I do find there is considerable more power @ the jump since it's ready to go", I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the idle is significantly higher than recommended, which would indicate there *is* an A/F issue that needs to be addressed. Alternatively, if you like your idle turned up that far (for the 'take off power'), you might consider installing stronger clutch arm springs. Stronger springs will prevent the arms from swinging out to engage the clutch bell until higher RPM's are achieved. However, this would be a 'band-aid' approach if there is an A/F issue as I suspect. |
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Post by phssthpok on May 21, 2014 8:18:30 GMT -5
I swear I must be psychic...I was just perusing E-Bay yesterday looking for 'HEY! Pay attention!' lighting solutions. My initial idea was a very small amber strobe underneath the trunk. Not something big enough or aimed to 'blind' but just enough to catch they eye in a 'that's not normal...INVESTIGATE!' kinda way. I came across a listing for this:  I was thinking one up front, one in back, but then I started thinking about legalities of color and/or flashing. Some places it would be 'OK', others not so much. A little more perusing and I found this:  This solves the color dilemma (for the rear at least) and also looks small and easy enough to mount onto the trunk lid. If I understand the description correctly, all 12 LEDs 'strobe' when the brakes are applied. |
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Post by phssthpok on May 18, 2014 12:37:09 GMT -5
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Post by phssthpok on May 18, 2014 12:32:10 GMT -5
You are not the only one confused. When I tore into my CVT, I weighed the rollers. They *all* came back at 12.8g with minor wear just beginning to show (so I'm presuming a 13g initial weight). I can't imagine an 18g weight in a 150cc engine. Something that heavy would probably be trying to close the variator at idle and REALLY kill the bottom end acceleration.  |
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Post by phssthpok on May 17, 2014 10:20:14 GMT -5
I'll agree that the primary issue is probably with the variator*, I'm willing to bet that, based on the heat discoloration on the clutch bell, the clutch pads (and possibly the bell itself) are now glazed beyond serviceability.
*I'm noting however, that with the wheel in contact with the ground, the clutch is unable to spin preventing us from seeing whether or not the clutch/variator even attempt to open/close. Perhaps you could film another short clip with the scoot up on the center stand for better analysis.
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Post by phssthpok on May 14, 2014 20:29:16 GMT -5
Huh... first I've ever heard of them.... Learn something new every day! |
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Post by phssthpok on May 14, 2014 9:18:21 GMT -5
I presume by TTO you mean 'Total Time Operated(ing)', like an 'hours' meter found on an aircraft, or heavy equipment (where there's no way to accurately measure use through distance). If I'm not mistaken those are called ' Hobbs Meters' (don't ask me why) and they are generally run off a 12v electric current. When the ignition is on or, (generally in the case of diesel) the engine is running and turning an alternator/dynamo, the meter runs, marking elapsed time. |
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-ish), and that a short stint at lower speeds would cool things off. No joy. Slowing down just hastened the stall-out.