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Post by rockynv on Jan 27, 2016 13:33:13 GMT -5
A stock 150 should quickly get to 40 usually by the time you've crossed a major intersection and by the end of the block you should be doing pretty close to 60. Has the run-in oil change been done yet? Maybe its running that slow because it still isn't broken in yet.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 27, 2016 13:04:53 GMT -5
They show the Cali 150 with White Walls:  If it was not for the Znen part of the equasion dealing with Lance was pretty good. The service tech who answered the phones and emails really seemed to care about the customers and was always pleasant and helpfull. When you own a Lance parts are just a phone call or email away. Owners manuals are available for download in PDF format so you can check out what your getting into before you buy. The only negative to me is the 620 miles between oil changes. If they could bring them in with a real oil filter with at least 3,000 miles scheduled between oil changes then I feel that they would be one of the better 150's out there and if the beefed them up to having a shock and rear spring on both sides of the bike then they would be amount the best. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 27, 2016 1:50:51 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 try not to do? Even with the impact wrench you still should use a locking tool to shield the crank or drive gears from the impacts while removing the nut. Most people however do not have the hand strength to hold the variator 100% securely and then there is the chance of repetitive injury to ones hand from holding against the impacts along with the danger of circulatory and nerve damage that is becoming so prevalent. So many young people are coming down with things like Reyes Syndrome and the like where the circulation shuts down to their extremities after a brief shock of cold such as from holding a soda can which sometimes requires being rushed to the emergency room due to the risk of stroke and these are all being traced back to improper use of equipment which subjects the user to vibrations such as impact wrenches, air chisels, sanders, grinders, blowers and weed trimmers especially if the user is not physically up to it which is sadly becoming the majority. Yes when putting things back together on the engine or transmission shafts you should use a locking tool and hand wrench. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 27, 2016 1:33:45 GMT -5
Went to ride and it poured on me went 300 feet maybe tomorrow  It warmed up past 40 degrees and then started raining which appears is going to last for the next three days. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 27, 2016 1:12:03 GMT -5
Lance dumped Znen back in 2009 and became the West Cost SYM Distributor. They have been redefining their product line since then over the past seven years however they still do not have anything over 150cc. Everything uses the SYM Ceramic Engine Technology. Briggs and Straton however was probably the earliest adapter of that infusing Silicon Ceramics into the Aluminum they cast their Kool Bore Engines from.
I can see the Cali Classic appealing to Leo or the similar Havana both of which appear based on the Boat Tailed Vintage:
PCH is interesting:
Cabo looks nice if you go off the beaten trail a lot although it is not truly an off road bike, still for riding in the country where there are chip or dirt roads it could be a very good choice:
The need to bring on at least one 300cc bike.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 26, 2016 1:20:59 GMT -5
Leo - It took me a year on the 150 to realize that it was not cutting it on the roads here in Tampa Bay especially with all the roads out being State Highways, Highway Causeways or Interstate Bridges just about any way you chose to ride. I did get my Lance 150 running optimally and it would do an honest 65 mph on flat roads as long as there was not a headwind or hill however that still eliminated it from heading out East on the Causeway or South on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Maintenance was more constant on the 150 running it on 45+ mph roads all the time too.
On the 250 it takes a while getting used to feathering the rear brake to make friction zone U-Turns but you learn and it becomes second nature however you need a bike that is reliable enough to instill confidence that its not going to stall while your half way through with the maneuver.
You can't do this ride over the Skyway on a 150 since you'd probably be down to 25 mph before you crested the top of the 300' high bridge where traffic generally flows at 65 to 70 mph.
I enjoy this ride back from Sarasota after sunset and have taken it many times on the Sport City 250. Sometimes I pass a few of these groups while I am doing it even despite my 250 lbs and being loaded with parcels from an outing at the outlet mall. Others on 250cc and sometimes even 600cc motorcycles have not been able to keep up with Aprilia climbing the Skyway. Torque, HP and Weight all come into play on the Skyway along with Aerodynamics. At 326 lbs the Sport City is a light 250 which gives it an edge over the 400+ lb 250cc and 500+ lb 600cc bikes. Saddle bags would also limit its ability to cut through the air as efficiently as it does.
Someday when its nice maybe I'll take a dash cam video of a scooter ride on the Skyway. The mike is not shielded well so it tends to make for a noisy recording and the mount is not that great. Many don't understand why I like this bike so much until they've ridden it themselves or at least ridden along with me and then its quite an eye opener.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 26, 2016 0:38:03 GMT -5
Yellowscoot, Sounds like you got plenty of good advice on everything! GREAT! Yes, those crush-washers are really supposed to be replaced, but usually they will re-seal OK at least once... Especially if not fully loosened. Watch for leaks, but I don't think you'll have any. I personally do not know if the coil will work on the 250 or not. Some 250's use the same coils as the GY6 150's, but you need to be sure... I also used the orange coil on my old 150, with an iridium plug. It sped up my idle by 800 rpm and I actually had to adjust it back down a tad. Ran GREAT though! Smoother idle, slightly quicker pickup and easier tuning. Well, the 60 degree sunny day came and went without my getting enough chores done to ride... DANG! More good weather coming so they say... Ride safe, Leo If the crush washers were not over tightened originally then you may get away with reusing them two or maybe three times however once they have been crushed to the limit then the Fat Lady has Sung and its time to replace them. They are relatively inexpensive even for the Piaggio/Vespa engines so I generally get a small bag of them so I always will have spares if I can remember where I put them. Can't advise you on the GY6 coil in the bigger bike however it does need to match or be compatible with the CDI. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 26, 2016 0:24:53 GMT -5
I held out till 2pm then I had to turn on the air ,,,I went thru the winter of 77-78 in buffalo,,,finished up school and beat feet out of there as fast as I could go without being arrested,,,,, I did snow plowing then in Northern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire and it was a pain in the neck as kids would get a beater Jeep, Bronco or Scout and under bid you for the contract on a small business only to have the business owner call you at the first big storm to pull the kid out and clean up the mess he made along with free the stranded customers. Then they would expect a bargain rate. I would charge them by they hour including any time I had to wait for tow trucks to pull the plowed in cars out as I was not licensed or insured to tow cars. After I got my legs busted up in a ladder accident 9 years later that was the end of winter and me. I did not ride since there was a frost in Clearwater/Oldsmar and bridges icing early in the 30 something degree Monday morning however the evening commute was tempting me to put the top down on the Spider. Been having to run the heat the past few days here in Sunny Florida. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 25, 2016 14:35:48 GMT -5
I love to watch a good snowstorm. I just don't like the part when it sticks around and doesn't go away, as much as I used to. Here in northern Indiana there hasn't been much snow overall this year (so far), due to El Nino. I'm not complaining either after the last few years of sub-zero temps and above average snowfall that we had. It was in the lower 30s here today with clear roads. I took the scoot out for the first time since I broke my wrist. It felt good! So do I. I made a video of the one outside my front door the day I was having second thoughts about moving to Florida. It took 6 hours to dig out the moving van when I went to pick it up. I play it back every now and then when the family starts talking about how they miss the snow and how nice it was. It not a Norman Rockwell picture but more like an Edgar Allen Poe. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 24, 2016 23:35:02 GMT -5
I started out on a Motobecane Mobyete 49cc 2stroke over 40 years ago and after going as far as a Commando 850 have settled on the Aprilia 250 as my general go to bike for everything. Every now and then I am tempted with an Aprilia 500 or BV350 but so far the Aprilia Sport City 250 has been 30,000 miles of go anywhere very low to no maintenance fun. It has not needed any mods however I did put a Puig Sport Fairing and Dr Pulley sliders in it.
Yes to a certain extent there is no replacement for displacement for that magical balance of curb weight, torque and hp.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 24, 2016 23:21:19 GMT -5
It's good to live in Texas.  Florida, too... Ditto. Just replaced my Silver Ignitor Jacket from Leather Up with a new one and with the liner the 40 degree weather has been tolerable on my commute. Added their grey/silver over pants and life is good here in the dead of winter. A plastic bag as a bib under the jacket front takes care of any wind that seeps through the zipper. Demon gloves from Cycle Gear with a bit of waterproof boot spray on the backs makes them just fine. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 24, 2016 23:15:01 GMT -5
With a well behaved 250 I am comfortable riding 5 hours out for a 4 hour outing at my destination and then a 5 hour ride home at the end of the day. Have had up to a 700 mile day on the interstate with the Aprilia. Getting caught in a Tropical Storm after midnight while out on the Interstate is interesting however with fresh tires the bike handles it very well.
When on vacation taking a full day ride to go exploring is a activity that starts at 4:00 AM and ends at around Midnight and can involve 5 or 6 fill ups. Would like to ride the full length of the Keys or possibly take the Lincoln Highway from east to west and back again before I get too old.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 23, 2016 16:03:55 GMT -5
Is the regular maintenance as expensive on the Aprilia Shiver as the Ducati Monster? Valve adjustment intervals and costs prevent a lot of people from buying the Ducatis. My daily commute involves so many traffic light stops, that I would look for something with a CVT like the Mana or a DCT Honda. Aprilia is considered by many to be the Honda of Italian motorcycles. Parts are fairly reasonable and available through your local dealer or AF1 Racing online. If you do your own maintenance then the cost difference will be very minimal if there is any difference at all between them and a Japanese bike. More bang for your buck from Aprilia. For a while Suzuki was providing Aprilia with engine castings in trade for Aprilia assistance with tuning the Suzuki engines. Aprilia really pushed the envelope when they took the Suzuki 250 and made a 150+ mph screamer with it in their 250cc Chesterfield. That being said many Aprilias use the same valve buckets and adjustment procedure as most Japanese bikes so cost of paying a shop to do the work should be similar. |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 23, 2016 10:56:34 GMT -5
I have ridden in groups with the Boulevard 650 and 850 while on the Aprilia 250 and it got a bit frustrating after a while listening to the clunky transmissions shifting and dealing with the gas fumes along with having to hold back on the throttle. The Boulevard 850 riders were the ones most prone to sliding off the road more than likely due to the harder tires they were using to offset the wear from the extra weight. When the roads got interesting that was when things got the worst as they could not attack the corners on a twisty road on those bikes like the Aprilia can. Got a bit tiring watching the slow motion slides as the 850's went off the road and the group would have to stop while they got it back on the road. If I got a motorcycle it would have to perform at least as well as the 250 cc scooter I am already riding which will do 0 to 50 crossing an intersection. I do at times regret not getting an Aprilia Mana 850 with the ECVT when they were on factory incentive for around $5,000 for the naked. Currently the $6,995 Aprilia Shiver would be the entry level Sporty Bike to look at if you weren't set on a Classic Cruiser.  ecotbinventory.com/listing/2015-aprilia-shiver-750-red/ |
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Post by rockynv on Jan 23, 2016 10:30:30 GMT -5
The complete Buzetti kit for the Vespa/Piaggio/Aprilia 250 is less than $50 and the tools for doing the work on a Chinese scooter are pretty much universal costing even less and work well enough.
I have had both and just kept the Aprilia since wrenching on the Lance was cutting down on riding time.
I can honestly say now that in almost 5 years of near to daily riding year round on the Aprilia that it has used much less fuel and cost me overall much less to maintain (belts, oil changes, valve adjustments, head replacements [multiple], clutch, variator, bearings, muffler, ignition, etc failures on the Lance) than it did owning the Lance for a year. Aside from normal belt, roller and tire changes every 12,000 miles and oil changes every 6,000 miles its been 30,000 trouble free miles without a single breakdown. Oh I did finally have to buy a new battery last month and the last time I checked the valves they did not need any adjustment making it so they have been checked twice so far and only needed adjusting once.
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