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Post by rockynv on Feb 1, 2016 13:57:03 GMT -5
JR - Unfortunately we know why and its because of people who won't follow directions. I had a quart bottle of 72% Chlorodane which you used a teaspoon full at a time and was going to last me many years however the brother-in-law waltzed into my garage and dumped the whole bottle into a 2 gallon sprayer and emptied it around his house in one sitting. Because of guys like that they reduced the max potency to 25% which still got abused and then they outlawed it all together. Dursbane and diazanone are now off the shelves to because of abusers using such stong concentrations that it was ending up in the aquifier before it could break down.
I'll try and keep better in mind the differences between the Piaggio engines and the Linhai/Yamaha however I really hoped that the gaps would be closing faster then they have been as time passes.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 31, 2016 12:30:04 GMT -5
That's impressive service on an old used lamp from the second hand store. Or is it new enough to be under warranty?
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Post by rockynv on Jan 31, 2016 12:26:29 GMT -5
Sport bike like performance from a scooter and rock solid reliability from the 2009 Aprilia Sport City 250. Stable even at expressway speeds, in wind storms or tropical rains. 465 lb capacity so it can deal with picking up a few bags of cement, fertilizer, topsoil, etc from the building supply. Full filtration and fuel injection. Comfortable on long interstate rides too having 15" metric cruiser/sport bike tires. Twin disk brakes up front and sized for a 500cc bike for phenomenal stopping ability. Parts are available in town from several sources.
The only negative are that it does not have a built in sport fairing so I had to buy a Puig and they discontinued the mounting access plates in the rear body for installing side cases like on the Scarabeo.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 31, 2016 12:01:47 GMT -5
JR,
I was hoping they had added filtration at least to the Yamaha engine by now especially as they keep bumping up the displacement. I am really spoiled now after the years on the Aprilia with the Piaggio engine.
Suppose that's the difference in getting a scooter built by an aircraft manufacturer as your main form of transportation. Already 30,000 miles on the bike with zero break downs with synthetic being the factory spec with 5 oil changes over the 30,000 miles so the costs are about the same as yours but still with a lower carbon footprint. The worlds manufacturers in general stopped using rubber seals that are not compliant with synthetic oil for the most part 30 or so years ago back in the early 1980's so its got to be a really bad situation to be getting a new engine today that's not compliant with synthetic.
Its not just Piaggio specifying synthetic, SYM specifies to use dino for break-in and switch to synthetic at the break-in oil change. Possibly for the ceramic cylinder.
Briggs lawn mower engines are better than most think. Briggs as it turns out is just about the largest manufacturer of high performance engines in the world. I would like to see what would happen if Briggs started making generic 150 to 500 cc CVT engines to use in scooters.
Here in Pinellas County the oil as weed killer can get you in serious trouble if the environmental officer catches you. Aside from the fine then there is the cleanup fees to pay which can be astronomical.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 30, 2016 14:56:27 GMT -5
when i first heard about the notorious valve stems i decided to check mine (a long time ago i might add). the rubber was all dry rotted and i bent the stem over to give it a thorough checking out. i was amazed the stem stayed in the wheel. i removed both wheels, tire and all, and drove them down to the local tire shop to get those stems replaced. about the engine oil, i used straight dino oil (valvoline 10W40), changed once a month. my engine took slightly less than a quart per change, so the cost was minimal. the final drive oil can go longer between changes because it doesn't collect combustion byproducts Change mine once or twice per year and over the year I end up with a lower carbon footprint and the cost is even lower than going with dino oil and a more constant monthly oil change schedule. The correct 4T Dino Oil to use in a motorbike or scooter is $3.97 per quart at Walmart with the 4T Synthetic selling at $8.47 per quart. If your bike has a real oil filter your cost per year is at the most basic level $3.97 times 13 since most bikes take a hair over a quart or $51.61 not counting tax, cleaning supplies, trips to dispose of the old oil, O-Rings, etc compared to $17.48 for a $34.13 basic savings not counting the money saved on the 11 additional oil plug O-Rings, cleaner/rags for 11 additional cleanups and 11 additional quarts of oil to dispose of along with the tire wear and fuel consumed disposing of all that oil not to mention lost time. That is using Valvoline however if you switch to MagTech 4T Full Synthetic which is also respectable your costs go down to $5.30 per quart for a $10.60 annual cost saving $41.01 per year over using dino oil. If you have multiple bike in your family this could multiply and end up saving a few hundred dollars every year lowering your carbon foot print by 40 or 50 quarts of oil each year. Then there is the savings on oil filters needing only 1 per year compared to 6 or 12 which can be another $30 to $60 per bike. It can end up being the best of both worlds becoming a better steward of the environment and saving money along with potentially have a longer lasting better running bike. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 30, 2016 14:28:53 GMT -5
The really gusty days are annoying. Those 40-45+mph wind gusts stop just as fast as they start. The wind comes from the right so you lean right, then it stops so your're back to square one (and hopefully not off the side of the road) again only to get another 40 mph wind gust 5 seconds later. It's days like that where I use extra caution as to who or what is coming up behind me and passing me---especially since some people pass way too close for comfort. Thankfully there aren't too many extremely gusty days per year by me. Most of those are predictable events if you pay attention to things. If the wind is blowing across the road and you are passed by a large vehicle then you will have the wind subside for a moment and come back. If you are having a constant side wind and are about to pass under a bridge, noise abatement wall. large building or stand of trees then the wind will stop and hit you again once you pass the obstruction. Grass in fields and the way tree tops are blowing will also tell you a good story. Pay attention also to high profile vehicles in front of you and if you see every one lean to the right or left when they pass the same spot in the road ahead of you then you already know there is a wind gust coming along with its severity and direction. Try not to be too stiff. Many when they over react to feeling a gust of wind tense up putting weight on the hand grip opposite the wind gust to push it forward however they end up putting more weight on that side and cause the bike to swerve in the same direction that the wind is blowing. With a little observation and practice compensating to wind shifts with loose hips most windy days will be non-events. Ride safe! |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 30, 2016 14:10:37 GMT -5
I have 3 trikes all same issues it is the nature of the beast with the 300 cc vibration it has to some degree. Heck my friends Harley trike shakes more so and his shake cost 36,000 and many tell you use lock tight on all assembly why to you think it's needed LOL I can only relay what almost 50 years of experience has taught me. Yes scooters vibrate however when they start breaking or dropping exhaust fasteners its very often high frequency or low frequency vibration at the root of it. You still need to validate that there is nothing going awry in the cvt especially since most of these bikes have no support bearing supporting the clutch shaft at the clutch bell. If you have a vibration that is loosening the exhaust you are prudent especially if you feel buzzing under your feet through the floorboards to check out inside your cvt case. Many times lock tight is needed because folks are curing symptoms and not getting down to the root cause such as reusing a crush nut instead of purchasing a new one, banging on a drive face cockeyed or violating the tensile strength of a fastener with an impact wrench, not replacing scored drive faces, leaving on a compromised belt that vibrated so badly that the composite weights on the clutch arms shattered, failing to grease the roller bearings that ride on the clutch shaft, replacing an out of balance clutch without repairing the bearing damage usually done to the input bearing on the gear case are a few examples of root causes for fasteners vibrating loose. You really want to get that as smooth running as possible so the only real vibration is the piston cycling up and down along with possibly some chain noise if the bike is so equipped., |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 30, 2016 12:45:11 GMT -5
On a bike designed to take advantage of it synthetic is the only way to go. I get 6,500 miles between oil changes on my bike using synthetic and at 30,000 miles mostly at 50 to 80+ mph only the headlight bulbs, tires, belt and rollers have needed changing.
Valve adjustments tend to be required less often when using a synthetic oil too and you do get a few more mph top end from some bikes when using it.
I am in Florida so our 115 degree roadways can be a bit more brutal however the big clincher for me is that the manufacture specifies that synthetic is preferred for longest service life from the bike. I'll see at 50,000 and maybe 75,000 miles how that turns out.
Anyways if Jonway is machining the engines to tight specs then go synthetic if they have a real oil filter on that model. (I keep forgetting that some don't actually have an oil filter so the would see little benefit from the synthetic)
You'll go more miles between oil changes, minimize valve train wear, improve fuel economy and over the life of the bike your talking a few dollars a year difference in maintenance costs compared to potentially hundreds to over a thousand dollars saved. Yes its a roll of the dice but to many its worth it.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 29, 2016 13:13:56 GMT -5
I now have a greater respect for the Royal Enfields.
Check out this Republic Day video from India where their Border Security Forces showed us how to ride last January:
The BSF have some amazing riding skills I was really impressed with them and the bikes.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 29, 2016 13:09:53 GMT -5
Rockynv,
THAT'S more like it!
And, don't ya just LOVE those bars, headlight and gauges!
Leo I had the Znen version and yes I liked it and would probably have kept it if it were a solid reliable bike. If I had gotten the SYM version instead I might still be riding it. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 29, 2016 13:06:12 GMT -5
The way I look at things is it 100% failure proof are not like fasteners many thing you can't control. But in this case you can I live in country travel may miles on ruff roads not like many people who live in city and some times cell phone service is null. My wife and I go out in summer and rack up at lease 200 miles on each trike or more I just like nothing coming loose because of nuts or bolts more so on a long ride I'm out to enjoy not repair loose things LOL Only reason I posted about if some one had the problem this was a sure cure that's all. The company says they have a 100% non failure rate and that's good for me LOL Still vet out the root caust of the vibration. Yes locking fasteners are great however they do not eliminate the need to replace worn bearings and out of balance assemblies. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 28, 2016 13:33:07 GMT -5
Torque wrenches are relatively cheap now and you can go by the Honda specs or call the distributor. I have had very good support from Lance as far as specs and beyound even having them advise when the specs are too high so that they reccommend an alernate lighter setting. Between bikes, cars, industrial machinery and construction equipment I have been at this over 45 years.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 28, 2016 13:26:18 GMT -5
Most use crush washers or clutch nuts with the crush washers built in on the machined parts. They have to be installed with a torque wrench to set them properly and too tight or too loose will leave them prone to coming loose. The are considered one time fasteners, then you toss them and use a new one.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 28, 2016 5:03:36 GMT -5
Personally I see nothing wrong with *loosening* a variator nut with an impact even if you have the "right" tools. Isn't it only tighening that we should not to do? I am scared of not getting the nut on tight enough. I hand tightened them once, and my clutch came off. Did you tighten them to spec using a torque wrench? Be mindful that too tight can be much worse than too loose. Each fastener has a torque limit at which it starts to loose integrity and stretch which weakens it making it more prone to distorting, vibrating and snapping off when under a load. Once you have compromised a fastener by over tightening it or galling it then even when torqued correctly it may still continue to stretch. People view this as the nut coming unscrewed however many times it is the bolt itself elongating because its tensile strength has been compromised. You hear people complaining about nuts that came loose even though they used thread locker on them and in truth the nut may not be unscrewing but the bolt itself can be stretching. Some clutch nuts used to hold on variators and such are one time use and need to be replaced with new ones each time you remove them for service. A while ago I was looking at a pretty nice low mileage CPI motorcycle that had been compromised with an impact wrench when they put the variator back on and the end of the crankshaft had been stretched enough that it broke off on the first ride at over 45 mph. The crank shaft had to then be replaced. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 28, 2016 2:07:09 GMT -5
Many people have problems with exhausts and body fasteners coming loose on their scooters and resort to locking fasteners and such however you do need to examine the bike for CVT and Clutch issues causing high and low frequency vibrations that are many times the root cause of the problem. The locking fasteners will many times just mask the bigger problem which will still be there until the worn part causing the vibration finally fails.
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