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Post by rockynv on Feb 16, 2017 11:30:09 GMT -5
I never saw anything really good come from these Private Equity take overs. There operating model is to flip companies to make a fast buck usually with a lot of harm to the workers. Wonder what company they took over that they want to merge with Henderson and then flip? Would be nice though if it was a sincere effort by a bike aficionado at Aaron, Bell International.
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Post by rockynv on Feb 16, 2017 11:19:01 GMT -5
Mahindra is a major player in India manufacturing cars, luxury vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and farm equipment and is trying to break into more than the farm equipment market in the US so this could get interesting.
I would hope to see another model to better compete with the 150cc to 200cc bikes in the near future.
They have a design center in Michigan and are vying for the US Postal Vehicle contract and are a serious contender for that one so if they win that and start manufacturing here we may see quite a few of their other vehicles sold here too.
Polaris is shuttering Victory which currently makes the Empulse Electric Superbike so hopefully they will find a way to keep that alive without Victory.
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Post by rockynv on Feb 16, 2017 10:57:00 GMT -5
The ability to consistently classify which are quality is the roll of the dice. Lance was quality until Znen then they became junk and now that they dumped Znen for Sym they are quality again however that does come at a price and still not a 100,000 mile bike.
I was just talking with a rider who has 150,000 (mostly Freeway) miles on his Sport City 250 and though its has been trouble free aside from regular oil, belt, roller, etc by the book maintenance he is concerned about pushing it to 200,000 miles or trading in for something newer even though he has had no problems with the bike. He bought his used for very cheep when it had around 30,000 miles on it so the economics of it all are stellar. On these Piaggio/Vespa/Aprilia bikes most issues are self inflicted however if you go by the book and resist tinkering along with "Bargain" supplies they will run well past 100,000 miles with few issues.
The only trouble I have had with mine was from putting a "Bargain" belt on it that turned out to be out of date old stock that should have been destroyed and dealing with the collateral damage from that. I will not go cheap on the belt again and will only purchase new fresh belts from known reputable dealers. When you see a "Real Bargain" on OEM belts too many times they were belts deemed too old to be used which were diverted by someone from being recycled and then sold as new on Ebay or some other venue. I won't blame Piaggio for that one and you won't fool me twice into falling into that trap.
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Post by rockynv on Feb 15, 2017 5:27:56 GMT -5
Well? The advice is?  Never mind - my phone was slow...  That's OK but "Keep your mind on your driving (riding), keep your hands on the wheel (handle bars) and keep your beady eyes on the road ahead" is still good advice today. Too many distracted drivers/riders out there in cages and on bikes. Around here there was a rash of crashes involving cars going over sidewalks 15 to 20 feet from the roadway due to distracted drivers on the phone with too many playing Pokémon Go. On workmates grandson is dead from one such driver and a friend is still in recovery from being dragged 30 feet off the side walk by another distracted driver. The second one likely will never fully recover and will be crippled for life and she was caring for her disabled husband. |
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Post by rockynv on Feb 14, 2017 12:42:31 GMT -5
I sure wish youtube gave slo-mo options. But playing-pausing, it appears like the kid was looking at the store/building--he was looking ahead of the van. And continued to look BACK at it after he'd passed (notice his mirror goes out of the camera's view) Whatever it was, he very definitely fixated on it. And paid for it. >'Kat This advice from when I was a kid still applies: |
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Post by rockynv on Feb 14, 2017 5:31:41 GMT -5
If your an occasional rider or just like to tinker rolling the dice on a Chinese bike can work out but for reliable 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year transportation they many times will cost more than a used or even new bike thats made of more sturdy materials.
Yes watch out for bikes with shims or you can end up with a bit of sticker shock the first time you have a valve adjustment done.
My boss put in free charging stations for electric cars this past September so I don't ride as much now since I no longer have to pay for fuel to drive to work after picking up for very low cost a used Nissan Plug In Electric Car that's almost as big as a CRV.
No gasoline, oil changes or mufflers to deal with. Braking is mostly from the regenerative system so the friction brakes last a very long time making scheduled maintenance an annual tire rotation and change of wiper blades along with a new cabin air filter. Battery is air cooled and made in Tennessee so it is not as dangerous as the Tesla battery and they are reused, once no longer fit for automotive use, as UPS batteries for Microwave Towers and to supplement the power grid reducing the use of backup generators.
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Post by rockynv on Feb 13, 2017 5:11:55 GMT -5
You need to take the MSF Course or whatever it equivalent is where you live regardless of what you ride and learn to ride by the look-ahead rules or you will crash like that.
Was it a wave or other gesture from the white truck on gawking at the pedestrian on the sidewalk? Turned up the volume as loud as I dared at this hour and heard no horn or yelling.
Still no reason to full turn your head while moving at speed in traffic. Obligatory shorts and such too.
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Post by rockynv on Feb 13, 2017 4:56:29 GMT -5
I was strapped for cash and ended up even more strapped after dealing with the Znen. Three heads failed, bad gearbox, valve adjustments every month, oil changes twice a month, failed CDI, burnt out ignition pickup, defective clutch, weak variator worn out in 6,000 miles, 2 belts, failed muffler, headlamp burning out every 2 months, etc and the lost wages from being stuck on the side of the road and missing work on more than one occasion added up to costing more than just purchasing a new Aprilia when they were on sale for $2,999 at 0% interest. The Znen had 6,746.8 miles on it when I traded it in and cost me more than the past 30,000 miles on the Aprilia. The Znen kept taking back any savings I was getting by riding, to pay for parts, mechanics fees (needed a second opinion on all the head failures which ended up being poor quality casting) and time lost from work due to its poor quality.
The Znen ended up a wash with the savings from riding it for 6 months going towards keeping it running while the Aprilia after deducting tires and all maintenance that I have done on it since it was purchased 6 years ago has returned almost $20,000 in savings over driving my van according to the logs I maintain in an Excel Spreadsheet.
Some bikes use shims so I commented about them. The CF250 is not the only bike out there so you have to take them into account when making a general comment on eyeballing for valve adjustments. I will take that into account when considering a bike for purchase and will shy away from those that use valve shims.
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Post by rockynv on Feb 12, 2017 20:56:11 GMT -5
To set the timing chain back in place you need to find the True TDC. i think he can get it done by aligning the pickup on the stator with the rotor. but he would have to remove the valve cover to make sure he was at spark TDC. the CF250 doesn't use shims. both rocker arms are in the valve cover, and i haven't seen anything that looked like a shim. got ya beat, i've been wrenching on a chinese ride for about 5 or 6 years. i wouldn't trade that experience for anything. WAAAA, I WANT MY BIKE, I WANT MY BIKE [img style="max-width:100%;" src="[img style="max-width:100%;" src="  Quote the full text instead of taking it out of context please. The comment about valve shims was a secondary comment and that was lead into with "To adjust the valves I just eyeball for when max gap between the rockers and valve stems exists and set them to spec unless the engine uses valve shims. When shims are involved I will verify the timing mark as I hate working with shims and want to be as accurate as possible..." I've wrenched on Chinese bikes too and really enjoy the difference you experience when working on a well thought out finely machined bike regardless of where its made especially when the maker has many fine examples of properly maintained bikes on the road with well over 100,000 miles on them. The Znen I had was not one of the better examples and its an experience that I would like to forget since it was a constant exercise in throwing good money after bad. My bikes don't sit rotting away in the back yard they get maintained to keep them running well. If the unexpected happens they get diagnosed to determine the root cause and repaired otherwise ones back yard could end up with more bikes and cars in it than the driveway and garage. Even the lousy 2007/2008 Znen was put back into working order after the straw that broke the camels back and traded in on something more reliable. It was in as good working condition as was possible when I traded it in and more likely than not running better and more reliably than when it was new however not daily driver 1,000 miles per month reliable. |
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Post by rockynv on Feb 11, 2017 9:35:42 GMT -5
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Post by rockynv on Feb 11, 2017 9:04:06 GMT -5
Why can't you remove the timing check plug and use the timing marks? Its the easiest and most accurate way to go to pull the access plug on the flywheel cover and align the marks. have you tried this method? the timing hole is on the right side of the engine, but you must be on the left side to turn the crank. it was impossible for me. i got so fed up with it, i had to just "guess" when TDC was reached. i removed the plug, held my thumb over the hole, and turned the crank until i felt compression. i then gave the crank an extra 1/4 to 1/3 turn more. like i said, it's a guess, but apparently close enough to set the valves. if you ever do find the true TDC, then notch the end of the crank with a file. if setting the valves is your goal, then the following is even better: remove the valve cover. rotate crank until the rocker arms are on the low part of the cam (both rocker arms). replace valve cover. set valves. you don't need TDC, just make sure both valves are closed. To set the timing chain back in place you need to find the True TDC. I get it close based on feel and from the right side of the bike reach under to the socket wrench I leave hanging on the left side to more finely align it. 926 is installing a cam and needs to get the valve timing set. To adjust the valves I just eyeball for when max gap between the rockers and valve stems exists and set them to spec unless the engine uses valve shims. When shims are involved I will verify the timing mark as I hate working with shims and want to be as accurate as possible to ensure I won't be doing it again sooner than I want to. I really dislike valve shims which on some bikes can raise the cost of a valve adjustment by $100 if it has multiple cylinders. Been wrenching for over 50 years now so I am quite familiar with the process of how to get it done. |
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Post by rockynv on Feb 10, 2017 12:28:54 GMT -5
If the new one is only acid etched you may want to take steps to insure it stays permanent using a spring loaded center punch or an engraver.
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Post by rockynv on Feb 9, 2017 22:06:33 GMT -5
Or pull the head and scribe the TDC mark back where it belongs or get a timing wheel set on it and mark the flywheel. The link to the manual was to show where you needed to look to find any traces of the original mark if it was very faint and difficult to see. On your variation it could have been a light punch mark or acid etched.
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Post by rockynv on Feb 9, 2017 13:01:05 GMT -5
Did you miss putting the spring back on the slide diaphragm?
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Post by rockynv on Feb 9, 2017 5:21:58 GMT -5
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