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Post by krylon80 on Nov 5, 2013 15:34:42 GMT -5
Hey all,
So I wanted to make sure that I took the necessary steps to prepare my '09 Zuma 50 for it's winter hibernation. Is there anything special I need to do prior to storage? During storage? After storage? This is my first winter with the scoot.
As for storage itself, indoor storage is not an option, so I've chosen a space that is outside, but sheltered like a car port. The scoot will be about 10 ft into a hallway of sorts. At the end of this hallway is an area that's more open, but also covered. The scoot itself will have an all-weather cover on it (as in the photo). Does this seem fine for a few months?
And finally, I know people with larger motorcycles remove their batteries and have them setup indoors connected to trickle chargers. Is this necessary with a scoot battery?
Thanks!
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 30, 2013 13:33:05 GMT -5
thanks for the suggestions guys! but is the correct Sea Foam i want to be using the one that i linked to? there were many options so i wasn't sure. thanks!
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 29, 2013 13:23:28 GMT -5
Hey All, I have a 2-stoke '09 Zuma with oil-injection. What's a good oil to use? The local scooter shop sells Maxima Scooter Pro 2T, which I've been told is good: www.maximausa.com/shopping/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=21. Another good but expensive suggestion was Motul 710: www.motul.com/us/en-US/products/38 Also, some have suggested using Sea Foam added to the gas tank to remove deposits. I went to the Sea Foam website and they have multiple products. Just wanted to make sure this was what people were referring to: seafoamsales.com/sea-foam-motor-treatment/ Thanks |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 25, 2013 10:22:57 GMT -5
Hey all, so I fired her up again his morning and let the engine warm up for about 15 minutes, then rode it medium-hard for about 4 miles and the smoke issue seems to have gone away. I'm guessing it was just deposits from sitting and/or working its way through the old gas. I'm still planning on hitting it with some Sea Foam though on fillups.
Incidentally I unintentionlly ran it dry so I guess I dont have to worry about draining the gas now. As for filling her back up, I checked to see if there were any places to get ethanol free gas near me and there weren't. Short of ethanol-free, would it be at all beneficial to get super premium gas (the expensive ) vs regular (the cheap )?
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 24, 2013 23:05:23 GMT -5
The 2T version ? If you yes they burn oil so they smoke , more so at start up . When I was a young teen I used any 2t oil and some would leave a com trail . The premium oils smoke at start up on a cold engine but hardly at all when warm yup, 2T. i realize that 2T's smoke a little bit and noticeably more than 4T but this level of smoke was absurd. it was like someone lit a smoke flair behind my bike. i intend to use premium oils. the engine was very cold, meaning it hadn't been started in a while (about a month) and it was about 45 degrees out. is that what you mean by "cold" or am i going to have to deal with this smoking issue every time i start her up every couple days or so? |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 24, 2013 23:01:27 GMT -5
You may want to drain and flush the fuel tank and put fresh fuel. Add the recommended amount of sea foam to the tank once filled freshly and it will likely all be good after that... yeah, some other people recommended using sea foam as well. i'll give that a shot. when you say "drain the tank" do you just mean run it until the gas runs out or actually open it and drain it out? |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 24, 2013 20:01:05 GMT -5
Just bought and '09 Zuma. Thing is in such good shape for it's age. Miles aren't crazy (500) but he babied this thing. Now I'm terrified the thing's just gonna completely fall apart, hahaha.
One thing he mentioned was that the scooter hadn't been started in about a month before I test rode it today and hadn't been started for three months before that, so it had been doing a lot of sitting. Are there things I should do to it given that it's sat for so long? I added some oil and some gas just incase, but I noticed that it was very, very smoky riding it. White to grey thick smoke. Could this just be an effect of it sitting or does it hint at a bigger problem?
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 23, 2013 13:28:17 GMT -5
I'm getting a 50cc. I intend to mod it so I'd need a scooter that can be modded fairly easily (i.e. availability and cost of mod parts). I rode off-road dirtbikes for years, and have also been riding scooters here and there for years. I'm not concerned. |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 22, 2013 23:07:07 GMT -5
Every Honda I ever had from moped , motorcycles to cars and lawnmowers loved me as was very reliable . If you go beyond moped speeds which vary state to state you could get pulled for going too fast . I doubt any cops could tell if you had a BBK but I have read where people got their scoot impounded and the cops sent it to a scooter shop to see if it is 49cc . A buddy got 1,700 in fines for riding a 150cc with a moped tag , no license or insurance and failing to register it . Yeah, Honda builds a good machine, that's for sure. Riding a 150cc with a moped tag is just stupid. That's like trying to rob a bank with a plastic gun...painted orange. Committing a robbery with a plastic gun that looks real though? People pull that off all the time. For the record, I don't intend to create some monster. I'll pop the restrictors off and if that seems to be good enough, I'll stop there. If not, maybe BBK it to 70cc. That's about it. |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 22, 2013 22:58:39 GMT -5
I must have missed something?  This thread started out as "we need a small scoot to save money" and in three pages turned in to "I'm going to get the fastest thing that falls under the legal limit and then mod the heck out of it so it performs like a bigger machine" Someone I used to know called that "stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime". Just saying.... I must have missed saying those things ... "Hey All, I'm new to the world of scooters and this forum and I was hoping there were some out there who could help a guy out with some advice. My girlfriend and I live in Boston and after not having any motorized vehicles for years, we're contemplating getting a scooter. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has created two vehicle classes for scooters: up to 50cc engine, up to 30mph top speed="Moped"; over 50cc, over 30mph="Limited Use Vehicle (LUV)". Many people prefer to get Moped-classified scooters because you don't have to pay for insurance, license plates, titles or inspections, and you can ride in bicycle lanes. An LUV-classified scooter requires all of this and you cannot ride in bicycle lanes. We would prefer a Moped-classified scooter as we'd rather not deal with any of the additional bureaucracy or costs of operating an LUV-classified scooter. Our concern is that while most of the time there will be one rider, we would like to get a scooter that could also accommodate two riders and we weren't sure if there are any 50cc scooters that were capable. We are both smaller than average, mind you (I'm 5'8" 150lbs, she's 5'0" 120lbs). Thanks!" |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 22, 2013 22:53:57 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, skuttadawg. The 10" wheels is the single thing I like least about the Roughhouse, but when I took it for a spin they felt good and stable. They're wide at least. I just came across a used '09 Zuma 50 2-stroke with 500mi for $1,500. I really hope I can go test it out. May go for that over the brand new Roughhouse. There's just a certain piece of mind you get with a new vehicle though that you just don't get with used. I'm also going to test the Motard in the next day or two, though I've been told parts and mods will really hit your wallet hard with the Aprilias. LOL, that first Honda reminds me of the little robot server dude from Flight of the Navigator  ...  |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 22, 2013 22:44:16 GMT -5
Chinese scooters are like anything else, There is DECENT quality, and there is POOR quality. I had(and still do) a BAJAsc50 which is the same as a vento r3i. I put 16000 miles on that little machine. I never modified it in any way. Of course I only had a passenger on it a handfull of times. It NEVER gave me any major problems. The main reason I retired it is because it had a quingjang motor.(basically a 2 stroke case with a 4 stroke top end.)It became impossible to get parts for. I then by chance came upon my current scooter, The Jonway. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of it.Dual shocks ,Dual disc brakes,Hoses were decent, Body panels secured well etc. In fact, I was afraid I would ruin it by modding it, So I bought a new qmb139, Modded that and swapped engines. This way, I still have the original intact motor. I am very happy with it so far, and altogether, I have around $12-$1500.00 total invested.Not all chinese scooters are total junk. So far, I've had good luck. If you take care of anything, It lasts longer. While this is likely true, the hit-miss-nature of the Chinese scoots just scares me off. Plus, if I'm willing to spend somewhere in the ballpark of $1,500-$2,000, why not try to go for Taiwanese, Japanese or even Italian? |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 22, 2013 22:39:36 GMT -5
Remember that being caught with an unregistered modded scoot that no longer meets the requirement of "no bureaucracy" can set you up for serious expenses/losses and stick you right in the middle of some bureaucracy. people do this constantly in Boston. cops couldn't care less unless you're driving like a maniac (which in all honesty, tends to go pretty unnoticed here too). and how exactly would one "get caught" having a modded scoot? |
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 22, 2013 14:52:39 GMT -5
Just read that if you want solid acceleration or are riding 2-up on a 50cc, you really want a 2 stroke. Looks like that eliminates the Zuma (at least the 2013 model I found). I would need to find a pre-2012 to get a 2 stroke.
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Post by krylon80 on Oct 22, 2013 13:28:28 GMT -5
I test rode the Roughhouse R50, Lance (SYM) PCH50 and the SYM Jet 50 Evo this morning. The PCH50 is definitely a step down from the other two in terms of build quality, bells & whistles and pickup, and the price reflects that ($1,500 vs $2,000). It's also the only 4-stroke of the bunch and the most expensive to derestrict. Between the Roughhouse R50 and the SYM Jet 50 Evo (both I confirmed were made in Taiwan, not China), I'm leaning towards the Roughhouse. The salesman told me it'll ultimately have more power off the line and a higher top speed once derestricted (really only a concern for some expected 2-up riding), plus there were multiple smaller characteristics that I liked better (bigger seat for 2-up, gas tank up high instead of down low, etc).
Generally speaking, how does the RH rate in terms of modding? Like if I wanted to install a BBK, for example. What about general reliability, availability and price of replacement parts, etc?
I am still considering the used Zuma 50 just because I've heard it's a better bike overall than most of these others I've been testing which are a bit cheaper and not made in Japan. But I've also heard that now the Zuma isn't even made in Japan (or at least certain models aren't). Is this accurate? How would you compare a Zuma 50 to the RH (both unrestricted) in terms of general quality and performance?
Also, I can test drive a Tomos Twister 50 on Saturday, but it's a little out of my way. If it is a significant downgrade from either the RH or the Zuma, I don't think I'll be happy with it. Should I even bother?
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