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Post by rockynv on Dec 15, 2015 4:58:12 GMT -5
Your goal seems to be better lighting and you seem to have met your goal. Good luck on regulator life. You removed about 60 watts of load and the regulator now needs to dissipate 60 more watts of heat to keep the voltage controlled. To appreciate the heat load added to the regulator, turn on a 60 watt incandescent bulb for five minutes and feel the heat. Good luck to you. My luck wasn't. Do you have a Burgman with the modern regulator or a Chinese Scooter that has the less reliable shunt-type regulators. One of the best upgrades one can do if the have a problematic shunt-type regulator when it keeps failing is to upgrade it to the more modern MOSFET type from say a Honda or Suzuki. The Shindengen FH012AA is the model that appears to be a popular choice for this upgrade. The stator should also run cooler with a MOSFET regulator and last longer as should the battery. |
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Post by rockynv on Dec 15, 2015 4:39:14 GMT -5
I use regular ole 87 from Chevron, works like a charm and I commute at least 115 miles a day Yes a fuel injected bike with computer feed back and knock sensors will do better on 87 than a carbureted bike with mid to high compression and no computerized systems to protect it. |
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Post by rockynv on Dec 14, 2015 5:05:24 GMT -5
Yet major European and Japanese bike builders still appear to aim for a mid 400 lb carrying capacity even for their 150cc scooters. The last time I checked even the 125 cc and possibly down to the 50 cc Ditec scooters from Aprilia had a 465 lb capacity no matter what part of the world they were destined for. The Adventure Touring Class of bikes needs to be heavy duty and have a bit more capacity to carry the weight of geared up riders and supplies for Adventure Riding and if they don't then they really aren't Adventure Bikes but just stylized bikes dressed up to look the part. |
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Post by rockynv on Dec 14, 2015 0:41:57 GMT -5
I wouldn't buy any 250cc motorcycle if I needed to do a lot of two-up riding. A 330 lb capacity bike regardless of the engine size is not that great for even a single geared up rider going on an adventure ride. I am a 250 lb rider and with my armored gear on for touring weigh in at close to 290 to 300 lbs leaving me with 30 to 40 lbs capacity for water, first aid/emergency supplies, rain suit, and changes of clothes. The capacity is just not there except for a few hours ride in the country but certainly not for any adventure riding. The premise is nice however there is not enough substance there for actually going out touring on your own unless you are of diminutive stature. If you are 150 lbs or below then this bike could work out nicely for adventure touring and it is a nice looking bike but not a serious contender for 6 foot plus tall riders who weigh in at over 200 lbs. |
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Post by rockynv on Dec 13, 2015 7:48:08 GMT -5
Still only a bike with a 330 lb capacity like a small scooter for $4,000 so mostly a bike for a youth but not a full grown adult so they do not compare with the competition. The RX3 price ranges from $4,000 to $7,000 which does put them in the same price range as the moderately larger bikes from the major brands however the RX3 has nowhere near to the same capacity. Apples and Oranges.
If you weigh only around 150 lbs it might be OK however if you weigh over 200 lbs and take a passenger you will be overloaded without having capacity for any gear. On a 330 lb capacity bike you can overload it more easily than you would think. Calculate in the riders weight, weight of the safety gear (armored adventure riding jacket, armored adventure riding pants, boots, gloves, helmet and such) along with drinking water, first aid supplies, tire patch kit, etc and a 200 lb rider can load up the bike past its max capacity very easily. Its one thing to ride in a sponsored event with a chase car carrying your supplies for you however on your own the bike needs to be able carry that load by itself.
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Post by rockynv on Dec 12, 2015 10:51:40 GMT -5
The CSC RX3 bike is on the heavy side, but comes with bags, wind protection and a 25 hp engine, costing around four grand. They are currently available. The CSC TT is more of a bare bones dual sport and can be pre-ordered for around 2 grand. The TT dual sport will not be delivered until spring. The RX3 has a lower seat height, making it a good ride for ladies too. The chinariders.net forum is probably the best place to get the latest info on owning and maintaining a CSC Zongshen motorcycle. A lot of guys on this forum own scoots and motorcycles, or owned motorcycles in the past. Yes heavy for the limited capacity and starting at $4,000 ranging up to $7,000. Two year warranty is appealing but for about what they are charging you can get a 300 to 500cc Adventure bike from a major manufacturer represented and serviced by a local dealership. CSC to me has generally been more advertising glitz then value. Yes they are decent bikes at California prices. How many other Chinese resellers do you actually see out there asking full MSRP though? Typically the bikes are sold at 1/2 to 2/3 the MSRP. |
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Post by rockynv on Dec 12, 2015 0:36:35 GMT -5
A bit limited with only 330 lbs load capacity. 460 lbs capacity is the norm for the Italian/European bikes of this class making taking a passenger or a few parcels more realistic. CSC has a pretty good reputation however those are listing for $4,000 to $7,000 which is a bit much for a 330 lb capacity bike and puts them in the price range of even a Honda CBX.
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Post by rockynv on Dec 12, 2015 0:08:51 GMT -5
Just got scooter number 3 it's a 300 and that's big enough. No maxi scooters for me as they are heavier than motorcycles plus I don't ride on interstates except in my car Don't take a BV500 or BV350 out for a test ride as they are pretty close in configuration to the Tall Rider 300 and lighter than the Japanese Maxi Scooters. The 300 is interstate capable already however as I have mentioned in the past with all the low mileage (translates to low priced yet almost new) BV500's being traded around here for the newer BV350 I could be tempted to snap one up. You do not really notice the extra 100 lbs of the BV500 compared to the Sport City 250 and the 39 HP nicely makes up for the additional weight. I am supposed to be wheel chair bound by now however can easily handle the BV350 and BV500 with no problems while the Burgman, Majesty.and T-Max are difficult however the Honda Silverwing was the worst with a 541 lb curb weight its 215 lbs heavier than my Sport City and very top heavy. For kicks and grins I still from time to time go out and play Goldi Locks to vet out a replacement for my Sport City since it has about 30,000 miles on it already and I know that at around 50,000 to 75,000 miles its going to be showing its age so if deal presents itself while the bike is still running like new I may just trade up a little. |
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Post by rockynv on Dec 10, 2015 1:44:59 GMT -5
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Post by rockynv on Dec 10, 2015 1:37:35 GMT -5
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Post by rockynv on Dec 9, 2015 5:16:41 GMT -5
Not an air cooled GY6 150. BZ169MM indicates its a 2002 Benzhou 250cc water cooled bike.
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Post by rockynv on Dec 8, 2015 5:15:40 GMT -5
The Bando Branded one I dealt with was hands down the worst and most abrasive however it could have been a fake or even made with some old steel tire belting. The sides snagged at you and felt like small needles,
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Post by rockynv on Dec 8, 2015 0:32:53 GMT -5
I am too cheap to replace a good variator so they are ready to give up the ghost when I do so a new drive face is required. If they are already showing even the beginnings of grooving and the surfaces have already started to wear and arc why put a new flat true varitor face paired with an old drive face that's no longer perfectly flat. I think the reason I've never had any grooves " or even any hint of grooves " after 20k + miles , is because the ncy finless drive face I used was made much better then the stock type drive faces. I did run my first koso variator for nearly 3 years with no grooves. Considering all the 125-150cc gy6 koso variators are all fake junk , I'm surprised it didn't show any type of hard wearing from the gates aramid belts. Some may think that if they eyeball things and do not use a steel rule to check the drive faces. What may look good the the eye can still be rippled, dished, arced, wavy and way out of spec when examined with a steel straight edge. Gates Aramid is good while Kevlar belts especially the cheap stiff ones with raw cord at the surface ready to grind drive faces away is very bad. Yes the softer bargain and fake drive faces will wear faster. |
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Post by rockynv on Dec 7, 2015 1:13:21 GMT -5
I am too cheap to replace a good variator so they are ready to give up the ghost when I do so a new drive face is required. If they are already showing even the beginnings of grooving and the surfaces have already started to wear and arc why put a new flat true varitor face paired with an old drive face that's no longer perfectly flat.
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Post by rockynv on Dec 7, 2015 0:57:08 GMT -5
Randy went with aluminum for a Flash Gordon look and he only makes a handful of them custom order with each one being unique. All done and told the aluminum adds about 20 to 40 lbs to the bike which is why he uses the Piaggio bikes since they are rated for 465 lbs of rider, parcels, etc.
He's made a Decoliner Motorhome, Decopod (2 wheels on the BV250), TriPod(3 wheels on MP3 250), Harley, Jet Car, Pissed Off Pete, Etc, etc. It takes a lot of work to hand form the aluminum and polish it into the rolling art he creates.
Decoliner:
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