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Post by rockynv on Apr 13, 2016 23:35:22 GMT -5
You need to get one with a progressive spring and a preload adjuster to allow more weight capacity or the air adjustable shock but then it can be cheaper to just sell the scoot and purchase a twin shock bike. The performance shocks usually are for adjusting the stiffness of the rebound/dampening or add bidirectional dampening and do little to add capacity. A higher capacity progressive spring is required to add weight (cargo/passenger) capacity. Single shock is basically a 50cc frame which they sometimes put a 150 into however it still has only 50cc weight capacity.
I took a passenger a few times on my Lance and it was bottoming out on every little deviation in the road. It would not clear a speed bump without dragging the frame for the center stand. I have the ability to weld up the frame reinforcements and make the bike capable of supporting two riders safely but after counting the cost it was just simpler and cheaper to vet out the right bike for the job and save up for it instead of pouring money into the Lance. I actually found out in the process of vetting things out that I did not have to save up and could afford the Aprilia right then and there with the incentives they were offering the day I walked into their dealership.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 13, 2016 23:19:58 GMT -5
This presentation is what first brought Brittany to my notice:
A local legend here got bumped at less than 25 mph 3 years ago while visiting relatives up north while riding his Big Scarabeo 500 GT and he did not come out of it as well. Open face 3/4 helmet, sturdy clothes but no gear. He will never ride again and realize his dream of following up his trip from Tampa to the Northern end of the Alcan and back on a scooter with a ride as far South as one can get with the goal being to see Cape Horn and the Straights of Magellan.
I can still see his foot split between the toes right up to the ankle when his below the ankle boots came off at low speed and he got caught by a sheet metal sign post.
This is what he was riding at the time (in silver). I find the seat is very comfortable.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 13, 2016 12:00:16 GMT -5
[/p] The ONLY seating position that looks WORSE than the crotch-rocket RIDER is that of the crotch-rocket PASSENGER...
But to each his/her own... That's what makes it a horse race!
Ride safe!
Leo [/quote] They really do look like they're just sort of perched hanging on the end of those bikes, don't they? I always worry if the driver takes off too fast, he might turn around at the next stop to find he's missing someone.  >'Kat[/quote][/p]
Kat,
Yeah, the passenger IS perched on the little pad on the end of the bike... foot-pegs at butt-level, knees in their own face... INCREDIBLY uncomfortable for anyone except a contortionist... LOL! Of course, I have not seen any 250 pound big-guy passengers on them. Only 5' 2"  -pound lettuce-eater girly gurlz who could likely hang by one finger for an hour in perfect comfort...
And, they're usually clad in only a bikini, or "Daisy Dukes" and shredded T-shirt... no helmet, glasses, shoes or brains. But they do look mighty good IF they manage to NOT kiss the asphalt in their semi-nude state... LOL!
Ride safe, and wear some clothes... Preferably "road-rash-proof"... LOL!
Leo
[/quote] Brittany Morrow: |
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Post by rockynv on Apr 12, 2016 23:06:13 GMT -5
After tearing down the body to see what kind of attachment the rear shock has at the top I found there is no spot on the frame for a second rear shock, the caliper for the rear disc brake and the muffler would be in the way if there WAS a spot on the frame... so to install a second rear shock doesn't seem to be in the picture for this scoot. Its a lot of work since you most times need to weld in a second mount on the frame and convert everything to support the second swing arm. The single shock 150 is limited by what the frame and engine mounts can take for an offsided load. At best your only going to gain the ability to turn a preload collar on a similar spring to what you already have for a small gain. Typically on a single shock 150 you are talking about a 220 lbs rider capacity while on a twin shock you can be getting almost double at 390. You do not get fully double to account for the heavier frame and the weight of the second swing arm, spring and shock. With an adjustable single shock you are not going to push that to 300+ lbs capacity safely and reliably but would probably be looking at maybe 250 lbs. The single shock bikes are for two 110 lb passengers riding double or maybe a full grown adult and a child. I looked into it but being a 250 lb Gorilla already 30 lbs over the capacity of the Lance it was never going to let me safely take a passenger without serious modification to make it a 2 rear shock bike. |
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Post by rockynv on Apr 11, 2016 21:02:01 GMT -5
I found the SilverWing way too top heavy compared to the BV500, BV350, Burgman 400/600 or Tmax.
The NC700 has the riders pegs so that they hit the back of your legs when stopped and with a 32 inch seat height its hard to straddle them while the CTX700 once you get used to the placement of the rear brake pedal is not bad.
Getting the same fuel economy as a 250cc scooter makes the BV350 and CTX700 tempting alternatives over the less fuel efficient SilverWing and other scooters over 300 cc that aren't quite as efficient.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 11, 2016 20:44:54 GMT -5
What sold me on the Sport City was the riding position. It is a little further back than the Scarabeo 500 and gives my arthritic knees a bit more space although to be fair the seat on my Lance Vintage 150 was not too far forward for me either although the handle bars were way too low and I am a 6' tall 250 lb gorilla who wears 37/38" sleeves when he can get them.
Buying a bike is like buying a suit and if you get one with a fit that's too far off its going to need some major alterations to make it right for you.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 11, 2016 4:28:52 GMT -5
Congrats!
The Honda Garage Sale event has had some bikes out there at very tempting prices. That's what I paid 5 years ago for my Sport City after I walked into a Piaggio dealer thinking even if I can't afford one I can at lease live vicariously and look only to find the Piaggio(Aprillia) for a few hundred more than the 250cc clone bikes being sold locally.
I was tempted by the 700 cc DCT Automatic motorcycles that some Honda dealers have listed at below $5,000 like the CTX700DCT.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 11, 2016 4:20:23 GMT -5
I have never bought a scooter sight unseen so I never have bought one setup for a short rider or child since that became obvious the moment I sat on a bike. This demonstrates the value of being able to walk into a dealership and play Goldilocks before buying a bike that is the correct size for you. If you purchase a short/small bike with a two passenger seat then logically the main riders position will be a bit cramped.
The Kymco MyRoad 700 is an example of this. Big bike setup for two without giving consideration to tall riders so the main riding position is too far forward for me. If I bought one I would have to have the set pan reshaped and extended to allow taking a passenger. Then the luggage rack would need to be extended to allow the use of the top case.
You do have to check out the details before potentially purchasing the wrong bike for you on-line. There is even a bike fit website that allows you to see how different bikes sit with different height riders on them to help you in choosing so you do not end up buying the wrong bike and then have to cobble the seat to make it tolerable.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 10, 2016 20:16:29 GMT -5
Started the first major repair in 30,000 miles on my Sport City. Belt shredded on the interstate where traffic was flowing at  + mph and the belt shards blew through the crankshaft seal behind the variator ramp plate pushing the seal inside the engine. The belt had less than 2,000 miles on it and failed 10,000+ miles too soon. Bought this belt local and found later on that the dealer had kept it on a hook for several years so it was dried out and sun damaged when he sold it to me. He is a nice guy but has no clue how sun and heat deteriorate rubber products when left exposed. He has a brand new Piaggio BV 350 that I thought was a used one its so sun faded with the aluminum cases all oxidized which he stores outside in a fenced in compound under an awning. Even has brown rot spots on the tires and he wants full new bike price for it. Tried to support a local business and it backfired on me. On the plus side the drive faces at 30,000 miles have much less wear on them (should be good for another 20,000 miles easily) than the ones I had to replace on my Lance 150 at 6,000 miles and the clutch pads along with clutch bell both look like new. Bottom line I have the new style seal plate on mine which you replace as a unit instead of replacing two seals and a chain tensioner on it but based on the year I purchased the three separate parts so I will be waiting for the new seals plate to come in. Thankfully you do not have to split the case to replace this seal or retrieve what got pushed inside the engine. Those Italians sure know how to build a scooter engine. |
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Post by rockynv on Apr 10, 2016 19:59:08 GMT -5
Its more so you are not pushing your passenger off the back of the bike along with to help you stay positioned and in control. Its a really bad thing to be sliding back on the seat and pushing your passenger off the back of the bike.
At interstate speeds its pretty miserable to be sliding back on the seat without the step there. I recently took a bike for a test drive which had a flat seat and to make matters worse they put some sort of silicone treatment on it to make it look newer. I was sliding forward at every stop and the wind kept sliding me back past the riders position whenever I got up to speed.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 9, 2016 7:18:27 GMT -5
Going up from the 12 gram rollers that came in the new variator to 13 or 14 may not be a bad idea however the 12 gram rollers in the Hoca that I put on my Lance Vintage made the variator more responsive to throttle changes and actually improved fuel economy, With weights that are too heavy the variator closes up too soon bogging the engine down causing low intake vacuum making it so fuel is not atomizing as finely which can drastically reduce your MPG.
In my case with a 250 lb rider 12 grams in a Hoca variator on a 150cc Lance Vintage ended up being the ideal combination.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 8, 2016 23:44:32 GMT -5
Sometimes despite your best efforts they still settle for a while especially if they have been running lean and hot in the past so keep an eye on them.
A few early oil changes may not be a bad idea if the oil looked particularly bad when you first got it.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 8, 2016 23:40:22 GMT -5
Usually your best bet is to install a right side swing arm extension and go dual shocks. Usually requires a new muffler and changing to the longer gearbox output shaft but putting the additional weight on the bike without supporting both ends of the rear axle on the GY6 150 is not the best approach. Yes I thought long and hard about this when I had the Lance Vintage.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 8, 2016 12:16:17 GMT -5
On the Lance sometimes the valves would need monthly adjustments. If I used regular gas they would sink into the head faster and require more frequent adjustments.
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Post by rockynv on Apr 8, 2016 4:08:04 GMT -5
It will get worse especially if the engine kicks back and tries to counter rotate occasionally while starting which is usually what causes the starter clutch to fail in the first place.
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-pound lettuce-eater girly gurlz who could likely hang by one finger for an hour in perfect comfort...
+ mph and the belt shards blew through the crankshaft seal behind the variator ramp plate pushing the seal inside the engine. The belt had less than 2,000 miles on it and failed 10,000+ miles too soon. Bought this belt local and found later on that the dealer had kept it on a hook for several years so it was dried out and sun damaged when he sold it to me. He is a nice guy but has no clue how sun and heat deteriorate rubber products when left exposed. He has a brand new Piaggio BV 350 that I thought was a used one its so sun faded with the aluminum cases all oxidized which he stores outside in a fenced in compound under an awning. Even has brown rot spots on the tires and he wants full new bike price for it. Tried to support a local business and it backfired on me.