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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 10, 2017 0:15:29 GMT -5
Great video!
I do love that pooch! What a great "saddle-pal"... The way you shoot these makes me feel like I'm riding with you. Very slick! Funny thing: it also reminds me of the only thing I don't really like about scooters... the SOUND... LOL! I guess I'll always miss that "potato-potato-potato" lope of a hot Harley with a full-on race cam and 13:1 compression... and the full-throttle thunder like a burst from a Browning .50 cal. But the easy riding, affordable price,  -mpg and cheap insurance makes up for it in spades! Come to think of it, I just was blessed with a MINT 2004 Honda Accord V6 from my daughter, and it goes like scalded dog (fastest, and QUIETEST car I've ever had) and it doesn't make any noise at all! ... Virtually SILENT... It's almost like driving an ELECTRIC car! Sound is NOT everything... LOL!Keep the vids coming!Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 10, 2017 0:04:57 GMT -5
Rockynv,
GREAT advice! Have a bone on The Old Chopper Guy! Yeah, with older scoots so affordable, it would likely be a better idea to just get a good-running one.
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 9, 2017 23:57:14 GMT -5
Dang! While I love the quality of Italian scoots, I'm not all that gaga over their styling... usually. But... THIS is one slick-looking ride. Looks to match the performance... SWEET!
Sounds like a winner!
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 9, 2017 23:46:33 GMT -5
THAT is probably TRUE... My old Kymco Grandvista 250 suffers from that syndrome even more than most. At first, I felt like my nose was against the windshield!
The original owner did oval-out the lumbar support mount holes for an extra 3/4" rearward position, and though small, it actually makes a noticeable difference. I've gotten used to it, and do like the support on my lower back. I'd like it better if it was 6" farther back though... LOL!
All the drawings in the Kymco manual showing a rider on the scoot, draw the rider to appear about five-feet tall, usually a girl, and her knees almost on the dashboard, leaning forward, with her face just off the windshield... Regardless of weight-distribution, I think Asian riders actually prefer an extreme FORWARD position as close to "over the front wheel" as possible. While American riders like an extreme REARWARD position, over the rear wheel, "Lazyboy recliner-chair" style.
After decades of riding choppers, I admit I got used to the recliner-lounge position and the Asian (ESPECIALLY Taiwanese, as opposed to Japanese scooters) "over the front wheel" design took a LOT of getting used to.
Fortunately, the old Kymco is such a great scooter in all other respects, I had the patience to get used to the weird riding position and now I really like it. Of course, I also am over six-feet tall, with short legs... A throwback to apes maybe... so my knees don't mash the dashboard, and when needed I can actually look OVER the tall Givi windshield.
The only negative aspect of the extreme forward seating position for me is in low-speed tight-maneuvers like "walking-speed" U-turns. It just feels totally "wrong:" and awkward. I could do those on a stretched Harley chopper in my sleep, but on the Kymco, I find myself putting both feet out and feeling like I just learned to ride yesterday... I feel like I'm just TOO far "up front" to have a natural sense of balance, and the scooter and I sort of "waddle".
This is another good reason NOT to buy before test-riding any bike...
Ride safe, and keep yer' nose off the windshield!
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 9, 2017 23:27:23 GMT -5
Sounds tougher than getting a straight answer from a politician... LOL!
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 8, 2017 21:49:00 GMT -5
Cheesh... What a GREAT looking ride. These "pseudo-Italian" looking 150's are my absolute favorites cosmetically.
HOW can a rider TRASH an engine so SOON in a new scoot? Oh well, if you could get it cheap (and with the trash motor it should be near free... LOL!) and install a new motor your son would be totally knocked out with such an upgrade from the 50cc!
I wonder if the owner bought it new, it had little oil from the factory (awful oil at that) and he just rode it and it blew. The new tire seems weird though... It didn't get ridden enough to wear out a tire...?
Lots of work, but certainly "doable" with just ordinary tools. It's a project for sure, but considering the bad motor, no matter how nice the rest of it looks not many buyers will be interested. I'd try to get it for less than $200. $500 is too close to getting a good running one.
If, and it's a big "IF"... you can get it for next to nothing, it might be the "ultimate" project build because it's in such good shape except for the engine.
My 2-cents worth...
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 8, 2017 0:05:27 GMT -5
Well... Ah, golly gee... Clowns usually aren't all THAT macho (though I see "Whizzo" DID wear a GUN...)... Hmmm... Wonder what today's politically-correct thought-police would think of THAT...? LOLOLOL!
Anyway, being born and raised in Chicago, and growing up with (Kat, yes we ARE old) growing up with 1950's TV kid's shows featuring CAPTAIN VIDEO, CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT, PINKY LEE, SOUPY SALES, TWO-TON-BAKER, UNCLE JOHNNY COONS, GARFIELD GOOSE, RAY RAYNER (remember those AWFUL "Clutch Cargo" cartoons with human mouths on the static characters) and finally "LUNCHTIME LITTLE THEATER" all on WGN Channel 9... And yes, Bob Bell from Lunchtime Little Theater who became the consumate BOZO pictured in the post...
I think I was STILL enjoying the BOZO'S CIRCUS show when I first began riding my chopper... Yeah, we never grow up, do we...
So... Macho or not so much, I jus' GOTTA vote fer my homeboy, BOZO!
As a sad note, THOSE early kiddie shows were broadcast LIVE... so many of us little nippers were horrified to see "Pinky Lee" and "Aunt Dodie" from Lunchtime Little Theater pass on to their final reward LIVE on TV. EEEWWW! Is THAT creepy or WHAT?
Ah, the perils of LIVE broadcast TV...
Oh well, time for my nightly cup of Ovaltine... Got my "Little Orphan Annie" secret decoder and am ready for the next episode of "Captain Midnight"... Yup... Tut, have Icky fire up the Silver Dart... We have villains to chase!
Leo (feeling MIGHTY old) in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 7, 2017 23:41:57 GMT -5
Welcome to the site! Have a bone on The Old Chopper Guy for going for an engine swap!
I haven't worked on a 150 for years so my knowledge is not current, but PLEASE, others with more savvy please chime in here...
My only 150 was a 2007 Xingyue "Eagle" which is pretty much the "poster-child" for "generic Chinese 150"... It too had a rear disk-brake, and I remember it also had the drum-brake fitting cast into the LEFT side of the belt case like your new motor assembly. My DISK brake was on the RIGHT side, bolted to the wheel rim like the front disk. The rim would have to accept the disk. It seems likely you could either get a rear-rim with a drum, and use the drum-brake already on your motor, use your rear-rim which accepts a disk. Since your scoot already has a rear disk, it has the caliper ready to go, so I'd see if it's feasible to simply remove the shoes from your new one and bolt it up.
You're RIGHT about these things being "non-standard"... LOL! But... I'm betting you can put this new motor in your scoot and still use your factory disk-brake without too much modding. Hope so!
Please do keep us posted, as this may be an engine-replacement procedure others may want to do, should they find a similar engine assembly.
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
PS: If you can use your original caliper and disk, you might want to install new pads while it's apart. Mine wore thin, and suddenly the rear brake just stopped working with no warning! New pads fixed it. Apparently when the pads reach a certain wear-point, they just won't engage the disk anymore.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 5, 2017 22:09:04 GMT -5
Thanks one and all for the kind words! We REALLY needed another car but could not afford one at all... We never asked for help, but did a lot of praying. When Cyndi told us she wanted us to have her Christmas bonus to replace the car she gave us 11 years ago, we were totally knocked out! I didn't think a car THIS perfect could be found for under $7,000 but here she is! And, I didn't expect to find a truly honest used-car dealer either, but for anyone in Texas, I can recommend CRANSH AUTO SALES in Arlington. They specialize in CAR FAX certified one-owner cars with over 100K, and less than 200K miles. Seems most cars I found on the Internet that looked good were at that store! So, I checked out their site and after a visit and test-driving numerous cars the missus and I fell in love with this one! Initially I wanted a similar Accord V6 coupe with 6-speed manual tranny, but after driving it, I found my arthritic knees would not be a good mix with the hefty clutch... The salesman then dug this one out of the shop (it was just completed minutes before, and wasn't even listed on the Net yet!) and he picked us a winner! These are mid-mileage, accident-free "cream-puffs" and CRANCH has a huge shop (almost a factory) in which they totally refresh EVERYTHING that often needs replacement at the 100K mark... They pull the motors, fix anything leaking, replace all belts and hoses... water, power-steering, (especially those pricey Japanese timing belts...). They usually replace the front drive CVT axle joints, ball-joints, wheel-bearings, rotors, pads, filters, flush/service auto-trans... repair any interior issues, make sure all electronics are right... (this Accord has a wild dashboard, with dual climate-control, CD changer radio and such, ALL controllable from the STEERING WHEEL without looking at the dash.) And it all works perfectly. They make every effort to put the car on the lot in  % "as-new" condition. A really different concept from most stores. They place the boxes from all the replaced parts in the trunk with a list of work done, and all that replacement work is done whether it's actually needed or not... It's just part of their prep-routine. The original timing belt was in my trunk, and it showed NO visible wear, but had been installed at 60K miles. Same with the motor-mounts. The CVT joints had slight wear showing.
This car feels SO tight and true, it would pass for new. The steering wheel has ZERO play, and moving it 1/8-inch left or right moves the wheels left or right. The "pride-of-ownership" with this car (even that great leather smell) is identical to a brand-new one. They offer no warranty, but should the car exhibit problems after the sale, they will fix it at-cost, and their cost is less than half the "book-rate" for parts and labor. They also use factory OEM parts whenever possible. They do this work SO much in prep, that they can pull an engine/tranny, repair and replace, or totally rebuild the entire front end in less than an hour.
They do offer higher-mile, bargain-priced, clean but non-refurbed "AS-IS" cars under $4,000 but their bread and butter is the 110K to 150K miles totally refurbished mint models. I am MORE than impressed... They depend on volume, and repeat business to keep the lights on, and they do a very good job of it... And, they're located at the end of a "used-car strip" in Arlington with dozens of stores where you might get hepatitis from sitting on the furniture, and you need to count your fingers after shaking hands... HOW REFRESHING! And they keep the asking prices well below "retail". We only put about 1,000 miles a year on a car nowadays, so if I drive it until I'm 100, she'll have only around 140K miles... Then I can leave her to a great grand kid needing a vintage car that will FLY! (She IS surprisingly F-A-S-T!)... Faster than any muscle car from my youth!... 0-60 in 5.4 seconds by my stopwatch, and a LOT of gas-pedal left at 135-mph... THAT is MORE than fast enough for this old geezer!
Honda DOES make great products... I've had several Honda bikes over the years which I liked a lot, but I like this car even better! It spoils me... LOL!Ride safe one and all,Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 4, 2017 21:49:00 GMT -5
Sometimes... and more often now than we'd like, 2-wheels just won't work (like getting the missus to her never-ending doctor checkups). Our '89 Merc wagon died last year, and the old ' Honda Accord was getting downright "iffy" with idiot lights punctuating our trips, and a pint of power-steering fluid disappearing every 50 miles... That being said, our loving daughter-in-law (our son's widow) was moved to donate her hard-earned Christmas bonus to get a reliable car so we'd be safe and more likely to get where we were going... WOW! What a generous gift, and SO appreciated. She originally gave us the ' Honda 11 years ago, and little "Rhonda" the Honda served us faithfully for over a decade.
So, HERE is "Rhonda II"... And she is the BEST, and NICEST car We've ever owned, including brand-new Lincolns and Cadillacs from a more prosperous youth...
  
Here's Betty and the Old Chopper Guy after arriving in Houston...
"Rhonda II" is a 2004 Accord EX-L and is SO absolutely mint, she'd pass for a demo. Had her a month, and took a "shakedown cruise" to Houston for our Grandson's wedding. What a ride! 600 miles of nothing but smiles...You can't even tell that V6 motor is running at idle. She's got 114K miles on the clock, one-owner, garage-kept and not even a door-peck in her paint... Cosmetically perfect, new battery, timing belt, all belts and hoses, motor-mounts, CVT joints, shocks and ceramic brakes and rotors. Also, new Michelin speed-rated meats. On one especially "out in the boondocks" stretch of nowhere (no police, no humanity... no coyotes even...) as sparse traffic was running WAY over the century mark as country folk are wont to do... I pushed her to 135 and engaged the cruise-control... Not recommended, but I put 130 miles on those new Michelins in less than an hour... Tach only at 3,500 rpm, temp gauge in the "cool" range and running smooth as a Pullman express! As a safety check, I stopped and felt all-four tire-treads and wheel centers... Not even too hot to leave your hand on!
And she averaged 29-mpg for the whole trip! Mom and I are happy campers!She's as tight and solid as if she rolled off the line yesterday! No exaggeration. She's "As New". Back in the day, when we were prosperous, we sowed several cars into the lives of folks who needed cars and couldn't afford one. I guess the good Lord is letting us have a little of that same blessing back now that we're in that situation.
Anyway, a gift like this is very special. For a while, instead of looking for a reason to ride the scooter, I'll be looking for an excuse to use the car! Oh, yeah... But spring is near, and I'm still looking forward to putting plenty of miles on "Minnie Mouse". I dug the Mouse out last week, blew the cobwebs out on the highway and cleaned her up for the riding season... I just felt the need to tell my scooter pals when we got a blessing like this fabulous car... We wish such blessings on EACH and EVERY one of y'all too!Ride safe!Leo (and Betty) in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 28, 2017 21:08:25 GMT -5
I vaguely recall when these were "concepts" and apparently they are now being made.
There are numerous 3-wheel contraptions out there, and many (like this) are really nice. There IS a market for such trikes, and "reverse trikes". Folks who just do NOT like "motorcycles" go for them since they have the appeal of old-school roadsters. Old geezers like me (but with MONEY) may go for them since they are "safer, like CARS" yet "fun like BIKES".
They are expensive, and have limited markets, but the market IS there. They DO have their place in the motorcycle world. Like 'em or not, they must be a HOOT to ride (or make that, DRIVE)... LOL!
Leo (gonna ride 2-wheels 'till I fall over) in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 27, 2017 20:46:21 GMT -5
Can't pick either one... a DEAD TIE!
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 24, 2017 2:25:00 GMT -5
Thank you, Leo! One of the things I told myself when I was figuring out what I wanted was that I wanted the liquid cooled engine, so you can imagine my surprise when the SYM HD200 fell in my lap. From my research, the Kymco and the SYM look like they offer similar options in the same pricing area. I couldn't find any dealers here (which is why I drove 2 hours to pick up the used one I found). I'm excited to get on and go so I can get to know this little gem and become more comfortable with her little quirks and such.
You're most welcome!
Your link shows it to have 15.5 hp... SWEET! She should be an even better performer than the Kymco People 200... And I was impressed with that one! I'd expect her to nearly equal most Chinese 250's for all-round performance, and with a more solid feel and better quality/reliability level.
I do believe you snagged a good one here!And yeah, you should be VERY selective letting anyone else ride it. No need to incur more repair-expense after getting a bargain when buying it... LOL! 
After riding smaller scoots, this one should feel like a Harley cruiser! I'm an old Hog jockey from the sixties, who has now re-discovered scooters in my old age, and really do like them. The size, affordability, ease of riding without shifting... All good things to this old geezer... Not to mention easy maintenance and MUCH better brakes than any of the big bikes of my youth...
It got up to a sunny  -degrees today!!! So... I couldn't resist digging old "Minnie Mouse" out from under her tarps, coaxing my feral-cat buddies off her floor and blowing the cobwebs out of her motor after a trip to the local car-wash... The old gal will still hit 80+, and on 12" wheels it's a great adventure! Well, not really. She actually runs as smooth as a road-bike (even BETTER at highway speed than my old 1970 Electra-Glide when new!) but it just SEEMS adventurous to hit 80 or so on a scooter... Yup!
Here's old "Minnie Mouse" last summer, before I put the light-up goose on her nose... The 1950's "Illuminated Swan" I found on eBay, and through recognizable damage, I am sure it is the SAME one I had on the hoods of a 1951 Ford, a 1950 Chevy and a1955 Chevy as a kid! Albeit with new Lucite repro wings, I simply couldn't resist getting it back on a ride again after more than a half-century... The saddlebags, wide-whites and fishtail exhaust prove you can get the old geezer out of the Harley, but you can't get the Harley out of the old geezer... Nope!  After checking out your link to the scooter, I'm positive you will be happy with your Taiwanese gem for many happy riding seasons to come!
As always, ride safe!Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 23, 2017 1:12:40 GMT -5
The only reason I would try to talk you out of it is so I could buy it myself. Try finding another Taiwanese 250cc scoot in good shape for that price. Ah, well... Yeah, what wheelbender6 said!!!  |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 23, 2017 1:06:11 GMT -5
Congrats! Looks like a swell scoot to ride most any place you want! Have a bone on The Old Chopper Guy!
I'm not familiar with that particular scooter, but it reminds me of the Kymco "People 200". I rode one of them as a loaner while my dealer changed out tires on my old Kymco Grandvista 250 and I was totally impressed! It was actually a 163cc air-cooled GY6 motor, not a true 200, but had all the performance one might expect from a 200cc. Plenty of acceleration, good hill-climbing and over 65-mph top speed with my 230 pounds aboard.
If yours is anything like that Kymco, it will be a real JOY to ride! You'll like the large wheels, too!
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
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-mpg and cheap insurance makes up for it in spades!
% "as-new" condition. A really different concept from most stores.
-degrees today!!! So... I couldn't resist digging old "Minnie Mouse" out from under her tarps, coaxing my feral-cat buddies off her floor and blowing the cobwebs out of her motor after a trip to the local car-wash... The old gal will still hit 80+, and on 12" wheels it's a great adventure! Well, not really. She actually runs as smooth as a road-bike (even BETTER at highway speed than my old 1970 Electra-Glide when new!) but it just SEEMS adventurous to hit 80 or so on a scooter... Yup!