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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 10, 2016 16:12:01 GMT -5
Nice video!
It's good to see a genuine trip of some distance on a 150. And in "cool" weather too!
Personally I know nothing about the Honda PCX 150, but have heard a lot of good things about them. I imagine they have considerably more speed and road-capability than the typical "generic" 150's. It would be good if you could give a brief post on the capabilities of the PCX... Sort of a "road test write-up".
Could be, it is the scooter many might "upgrade" to from the typical Chinese 150. I know they are considerably more costly than the Chinese scoots, but Honda quality is tops. What I'm wondering is how much more performance it offers.
You seem to be able to run with most traffic, and that is not usually the case with lower-end 150's. A number of members might opt for a scoot like yours in lieu of a used 250 if it would meet their needs... Enquiring minds want to know... LOL! It would also be interesting for you to compare your PCX 150 with your Piaggio BV 250. The Italian scoots seem MUCH faster than their Asian counterparts. It would be most interesting to compare a high-performance Japanese 150 with a VERY high-performance Italian 250.
I haven't enjoyed much riding for a couple of weeks... Seems sunny, warm Dallas Texas has gotten some of your weather! 25 to 40-degrees and rain, with 40-mph winds. EEWWW! Should warm up to 70 tomorrow, so I'll dig the old mouse out from under the tarps. My feral-cat friends will have to move off the scoot's floor, and go under my soggy trailer-house for an afternoon... LOL! Ah, it's tough to be a cat... HeHeHe!
Keep up the swell vids!
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 10, 2016 15:49:05 GMT -5
Welcome to the site! Have a bone on the old chopper guy.
I rode big bikes for fifty years, but now at 70, arthritis keeps me from climbing on and off them. So, 7 years back, I discovered SCOOTERS all over again (for the FLAT FLOOR easy access). My first one was a Xingyue 150 virtually a copy or yours. I bought it new off the Internet and it also had plenty of issues.
Yours IS a challenge, but with some work, wiring and such, it will run for you... You'll find plenty of members here who can answer most any question.
When you get it running, RIDE SAFE!
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 8, 2016 20:14:39 GMT -5
JCL MP250A Lihai 257cc powered / Kymco is where I'm heading too. I want a Down town. Now, If I can just get the illfitting scooter to fit my 6'3 body comfortably once I land one. Theres a 2011 with 6000 on the clock for $2500 . And excellent silver paint. What do you guys think ? Little to old for the $ ?
I guess I'm the "resident used Kymco fan" these days... LOL!
A 2011 "Downtown" with only 6K miles for $2,500 sounds very good to me. And, with riding season over, and Christmas just around the corner, I'll bet you could snag it for $2K cash. A handful of 20 "dead Benjamins" is mighty tempting to someone trying to sell a scoot in the winter! My ride is a 2007 Grandvista, and the riding position is worse than the more contemporary "Downtown". Still and all, it only took a few days of riding to get used to it. If you slouch down a little against the lumbar support, you may find like I did that it's downright comfy! You WILL get used to the far-forward seating position.
These Kymco scoots appear to be nearly "bulletproof"... My well-used and much-loved "Minnie Mouse" Grandvista 250 is 10-years old, now with 18K miles on her. I've had her for 3 seasons and put on the last 3K miles myself.
The original owner used her for touring, loaded-down and 2-up with the wife. (He traded her on a new 300cc fuel-injected Kymco). He said the old girl's been from Canada to Mexico, and New York to Los Angeles... Only maintenance needed was done by my dealer before I bought her... Tires, brake-pads, belt, battery and muffler. Amazingly, even the SEAT-upholstery shows ZERO wear after all that use!!! The old gal is as reliable as the family car.
All hoses, CDI, coil, electrics, variator, clutch... everything original and still working fine. The "Darth Vader" digital dash all works as new, even the electric folding mirrors. The little 250 doesn't use a drop of coolant or oil and she'll still hit an honest 80-mph+ on the flat, and gives 70+ mpg. The final drive IS up-geared one tooth by the original owner who rode 99% freeway, which seems to make a little increase in top-speed and gas mileage. It doesn't seem to hurt acceleration any, and I love the great gas mileage.
I really love the "Downtown" Kymcos. My problem is at 70-years old, I have BAD arthritis and can't easily climb over the semi-hump of the Downtown. The stone-age, outdated FLAT-FLOOR Grandvista works perfectly for me...
Years and miles just don't seem to be a problem for Kymco scoots!I'd go for it...Ride safe!Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 8, 2016 19:32:35 GMT -5
Kat,
I wondered about "Topper" and "Silver" myself. It is possible, but I don't know. They surely looked alike! There weren't many years between the Hoppy and Ranger TV shows. Seems Cassidy started somewhere around 1946 when I was born, and the Lone Ranger started on TV in 1948 or 49. If the shows ran at the same time it's not likely they shared horses.
Those were some great days!
I always enjoyed the "Cisco Kid" too. I always loved "Pancho" and his "brain-dead, but still somehow common-sense wise" personality. When I was little, I thought I was named after Leo Carrillo (Pancho)... LOL! Those old stars of the "oaters" or "horse-operas" were pretty good role-models for us little nippers... at least most of them stayed outta rehab...
My own Missus did ride a horse to school through 8th grade, and I asked her what his name was. Now I'm sorry I did... She loved that horse, and now can not remember his name. Sad. But we're getting old, and I guess we're both doing well to remember our OWN names.
Ride safe!
Leo
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 8, 2016 19:08:10 GMT -5
Yeah, there ARE a LOT of sweet buys out there that don't cost $10-grand... even a LOT under... ESPECIALLY around Christmas! Wives do NOT want hubby's mind on buying a bike when she wants him concentrating on the family getting together. And even budget-minded buyers have their minds on everything but bikes as the riding season freezes over for months.
GREAT time to shop and buy though! I bought old Minnie Mouse in mid-December 3 years back!
Mrsunsett... I think I'd try for that TMAX if it's your dream bike! The seller might be pretty negotiable right now...
Ride safe!
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 7, 2016 20:53:28 GMT -5
Something for the "Old Chopper Guy"...  A 2009 Kymco Grand Vista has showed up on my local Craigslist! treasure.craigslist.org/mcy/5899114227.html Only 2 pics - and they are the same!  Curiously, all the scooters I put up on November 28th are still available...or at least, still up on Craigslist...
6K miles and $1,200! THAT is a deal in my book!I see some "nerf-marks" on the leg-shield from kissing the asphalt, but mine has that too... Still a really good buy... Mine's an '07 with currently 18K miles. Still rides like new, and doesn't use a drop of water or oil! These ARE "bulletproof". I'd recommend the Grandvista to anyone wanting a quality (but outdated) carbureted 250 for general riding. A well-worn, bone-stock decade-old GV will still usually top 70-mph and give 70mpg. That's pretty sweet for a low-buck scooter!Only caveat is you need to climb on and see if the slightly strange "Kymco cab-forward" riding position works for you, or else you'll need to mod the seat. usually removing the lumbar support is all that's needed for those who just can't abide their nose on the windshield.... LOL!
I think the skull on the windshield is a tad "outta character" on a GV... Painting the mouse-ear mirrors black, adding a black nose, whiskers and buck-teeth under the plastic might be more appropriate... EEEWWW!
When ya got a rodent face, might as well make the best of it!Thanks for posting! It should be a REALLY fine ride for somebody wanting to upgrade from a 50, or 150 for UNDER $1,500 out the door! This IS the season for great buys... Come spring, the price will go up a few hundred bucks...
Great example of the quality used stuff out there for the budget rider!Ride safe... Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 7, 2016 20:20:04 GMT -5
Oh say, talking Trigger and Buttercup--Roy and Dale's kids used to come into my Kinko's running the fan-newsletter. One day we got to talking. She said her Mom always said, "When Trigger died, he went to Heaven. When Buttercup died, he didn't." Apparently Buttercup was NOT the nicest horse out there! >'Kat, wondering which HORSE is machoiest--Silver, Scout, Diablo, or Toronado?
When Trigger died, he got stuffed and put in the Roy Rogers Museum... LOL! Dale used to joke that Roy wanted to be stuffed and put on Trigger's back when HE died... LOLOLOL! 
Old Buttermilk got stuffed and ended up in Maine in a guy's weird but HUGE collection of taxidermy. Fortunately, Trigger, Buttermilk AND Bullet all ended up in the collection of RFD TV and are displayed throughout the year at rural events. Sadly, the Rogers Museum is no more, just a footnote in American entertainment history. "NELLYBELLE" Pat Brady's Jeep recently sold at auction to a MAJOR Roy Rogers collector, and will be driven daily on the job!!! THAT is REALLY cool!
"Machoest horse"? Hmmm... Now THERE is a subject deserving a whole thread of its own! As a die-hard fifties TV fan, I watched 'em all... And the HORSES were MAJOR stars! How many of those nags can you remember? I recall Roy Rogers' horse TRIGGER, Dale Evans had BUTTERMILK, and even Pat Brady rode "PHINNEAS" when he didn't drive NELLYBELLE the Jeep... Gene Autry's horse was CHAMPION, Cisco Kid's DIABLO, Annie Oakley's horse, TARGET, and Hopalong Cassidy (the ORIGINAL, very first TV cowboy!) rode "TOPPER". And, of course, SILVER and SCOUT. When John Hart replaced Clayton Moore for a season, he related how much he loved riding SILVER, and, that Silver and Scout did NOT get along well, causing numerous re-takes in the down and dirty fast production of the Lone Ranger series. You mentioned "TORONADO". My memory fails me, but was he Don Williams (Zorro)'s horse? Meeting the Ranger and Tonto (always, ALWAYS in character of course!) WAS a marvelous memory! I'll always remember with a chuckle how Tonto replied when I asked why he didn't wear a feather... He said "Tonto not wear feather". I said "on TV, Chingachgook wears a feather..." Tonto: "Chingachgook MOHICAN. Him wear feather. Tonto POTAWATOMY. Not wear feather." Hoo-Ha, WHAT a GUY! I believe he actually was a MOHAWK from Canada, but in one TV episode he identified himself as a Potawatomy... Silverheels was a name he got while boxing. I don't know his real name, but he was well-educated but seems he liked to stay in character in public. Cool guy! Me like Tonto plenty. Him fine role-model to papoose... and good friend to Kimosabe...
I wonder what kind of scooter or motorcycle "the Masked-Man and his faithful Indian Companion" would ride today? Hmmm... food for thought... I think the Ranger might ride a Harley knucklehead... Tonto? Absolutely, positively MUST ride an INDIAN SCOUT! Yup! I'm sure both Trigger and Buttermilk made it to Horsey-Heaven...probably Bullet, too.  Have a bone, and, ride safe!Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 7, 2016 19:27:13 GMT -5
Cool magazine! Lots of neat stuff out there even if much of it is not yet here in the USA. I do like that Shineray 400 Scrambler! Very British looking and would likely appeal to Americans who aren't looking for a superbike, or, who would like a nice compact ride to make into a bobber. Thanks for posting! Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 6, 2016 10:01:15 GMT -5
Gotta change my abstaining. I just learned Jim Croce did "You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with Slim." Always loved it since it mentions my fave Lone Ranger.
I gotta agree! Gee, somebody here that's a big Lone Ranger fan like me... When I was a little nipper around 1954... The high-point of the Lone Ranger series, Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels paid a visit to my grade school... Complete with Silver and Scout... WOW! Be still my adolescent beating heart!
They were magnificent, just like a kid would expect. They put on a trick-riding show in the school yard and then a fast-draw, gun-twirling and SHOOTING exhibition. Yeah, with LIVE AMMO and all... Then "Kimosabe" emptied those gleaming silver-plated Colt Peacemakers and passed them around for us wide-eyed, snot-nosed little buckaroos to handle and drool over. Of course, there were several sets of those iconic irons and holsters, since the ones used on TV got horribly abused... Yeah, silver and ivory still stirs happy childhood memories for the old chopper guy... Even if nowadays it may be stainless steel and stag.
Wonder what the far left would think of such wholesome, old-school all-American kiddie entertainment at school today?     Lately, I've been enthralled (much to the disdain of the Missus) that some satellite TV channels feature nearly 24/7 airing of the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and Lassie... C'mon, gurl... You know guys never grow up...and, YOU rode a HORSE to school in Maine through 8th grade... and YOU dis the masked-man and the "King of the Cowboys"? OK, so I've seen all episodes at least a hundred times...
You should have yer' Trigger & Buttermilk fan-club membership revoked... LOL! Ah, I luv ya' anyway... Go enjoy a chick-flick. Now, if one must choose between the Ranger and Roy Rogers as to who is more macho... TOUGH CALL! Ride safe, and keep up yer' supply of silver bullets!Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 5, 2016 19:23:26 GMT -5
The low-end bike population IS dwindling... Bikes like the old Honda Rebel 250cc twin are few and far between. Even the 250cc scooter world is drying up. I've ridden most every big bike over the last half-century, and still consider my old 1968 Honda 305cc Super Hawk and Suzuki 250cc X6 Hustler among the most fun, most reliable and downright good rides I ever owned. That new Honda 300cc Rebel is sweet. I'd prefer the 500cc version though, just because I like a twin. As w650 said, most riders don't keep a 250 forever. The 250 is often an entry-level gateway to the big bikes. However, today I think a lot of riders WOULD hang onto a good small bike with little interest in up-sizing... Just enjoy what they have for what it is. Tastes and markets change, and not everyone buying a scooter or small motorcycle is looking to get into the big stuff. Some just want a good, affordable and reliable ride that gives great mileage and is affordable to insure... and maybe not so intimidating. I learned to ride when I was twelve (not a lot of emphasis on having a driver's license back then) on a grade-school pal's rusty 1950 Harley "74" Duo-Glide with kick-start, manual choke and spark-advance and foot-clutch and hand-shift... The combination of 1200cc, kick-start and 900 pounds was more than a little "intimidating" for this chubby 12-year-old. I was a tad wobbly for the first few miles, but once I got it up to 70mph, I was hooked on bikes... Dang, I STILL dislike those old Hogs with foot-clutches... LOL!All that said, there really should be some market for a no-frills 250-300cc basic ride for around $3K. Maybe not. I doubt if we'll see one any time soon... So... three cheers for the budget-priced USED stuff! Just my two-cents...Leo (still happy with my geriatric old 250) in Texas PS: If you want to see some cool mods and parts on 250's (and bigger) google bluecollarbobbers.com
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 5, 2016 0:05:18 GMT -5
Yes. Oldchopperguy was one of those leather clad rebels!
Although in that pic, I was in all denim for some reason... Not even wearing my colors. About 20 years back, I gave my genuine old-school horsehide Harley-Davidson leather jacket and colors to my Grandson. Cool vintage stuff (the American Pickers would love it)... "Prez" patch of Chicago Rolling Lords... The "1%" patch, various wings... and a sewed-on time slip from Oswego Dragway showing an ET of 10.9 seconds at 137-mph... Not quick as a new crotch-rocket, but back then, it was NUCLEAR for a street-driven bike. THOSE were the days... My school-days puppy-love, "Janice, the Flying Squirrel" (4' 6" and 76 pounds) once cranked off a 10.39 at 149-mph as I recall, on Old Blue... She did that stripped to her undies, laying flat on the tank, shifting no-clutch with her teensy left hand... Beat a factory-race 427 Comet winning a 2-grand side-bet in a match race. And yes, I did split the loot with her... I needed her light weight to ensure a win that my 375 pounds might not have allowed... LOL!
Cheesh could that gal RIDE!!! Made me feel a tad "wussy" that day!
The one thing I remember most about those outlaw biker days is that we looked pretty rough, but were really a friendly bunch. No dope, no drinking, no fighting except in last-ditch defense of life and limb... and we'd always stop to help anybody needing help with a broke-down vehicle... even the occasional motorcycle cop who put his Hog in the ditch... Yup!
Ride safe, and make memories... I won't be around forever. All too soon I'll be with my pals who went on before me... and we'll need a new old-philosopher" to spin new "old" memories to tell around the campfire... I think Heaven is going to be great... Lookin' forward to meeting David. The Good Book hints he was a biker: says "David's TRIUMPH could be heard throughout the land..." Of course, the apostles must have had a Honda... it says they all were in "one accord"... Me for Davy, I'll take the Triumph!
Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 3, 2016 23:22:06 GMT -5
Catman25,
Nice work! Have a bone! "Nekkid" skelly/Ruckus scoots are about as close to choppers as scooters usually get, and, I'm a BIG fan of choppers and bobbers. You got a nice look going there, and with the motor modded, it should go pretty well. If you haven't played with the CVT tranny yet, you may find you can also get some noticeable extra acceleration and top-speed with the right selection of SLIDERS to replace your rollers.
Looks like a great ride to enjoy!
Ride safe,
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 3, 2016 23:08:48 GMT -5
Yes. Rediculously expensive. I would love to see some of those features like that tilting engine hood trickle down to production scooters. Wheelbender6, ABSOLUTELY! Our scooters ARE pretty much "user-friendly" for maintenance, but a lift-up or lift-off rear-section would be GREAT! Would make tuning, changing plugs, air-filters, etc. SOOOO much easier! Great idea! |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 3, 2016 22:32:13 GMT -5
I'm 25, and I appreciate the perspective that your post has given me. It's always great to learn something new and how the things that are taken for granted now weren't always that way. Thanks, Cameron
Oh, to be 25 again and know what I know now...  Well, THAT won't happen, but it would be sweet! Too bad you missed the early days of no mufflers, no helmets, no insurance, no common sense, etc. Do your best to learn as much as you can, as fast as you can, and do your best with the wisdom you have. You're just getting started in life, but you'll be my age so quickly it will make you shake your head in disbelief. One great thing about bikes is that riders of all ages can enjoy the ride together.
Ride safe, live long and ENJOY the ride!Leo in Texas
PS: Here's the only surviving pic of me on "Old Blue" in 1962... Taken with my grade-school Kodak Brownie "Star Flex" camera... If you haven't seen it in other posts, you can see the marvelous toys we conjured up back in the day... I was sixteen and had double the price of a nice house in Old Blue... Paid it all off in one season street-racing for money... Ah, I was a VERY bad boy... HeHeHe...
With 13.5:1 compression and full-race cams, those "shotgun" straight-pipes had the sweetest sound this side of Heaven... At least to ME...  OK, for drivers BEHIND me, not so much.......  These days, old and arthritic, I've traded 250hp for 250cc and a flat-floor. Amazingly, my old Kymco is just as enjoyable on the highway as my old Harley baggers were, and a lot MORE fun in city traffic! In that pic, I was sixteen, 6' 2" and 375 pounds. Today, I'm 6' 1" (lost an inch from compressed disks caused by riding that hard-tail chopper "too much") and a more "human" 230 pounds. The easiest way to make your scoot FASTER is to LOSE WEIGHT... LOLOLOL! Old Blue weighed just under 400 pounds... Similar to MY weight then, and, similar to my Kymco 250. Just a little bit different "power to weight" ratio... Woo-HOO! |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Dec 3, 2016 22:15:33 GMT -5
True that. But we still have targets on our backs... which is amazing that the cagers still seem to find the mark sometimes without even trying... actually even while almost totally oblivious to the rider's presence. Ride safe always. I remember when my dad would take us romping through open fields on the Honda 300. Afterwords we'd pull the grass and weeds out of the chain guard and from around the axles. Good times. He eventually got one of those 750 4's with a Vetter windjammer fairing. Coolest bike on the block for a while. We do still have remnants of those targets on our backs, but not as bad as it was fifty years back... If you want to "sample" how it once was, just slap your Trump "Make America Great Again" sticker on your scoot's trunk next to a "Proud American Vet" sticker... You'll get an instant "crash-course" in ducking bumpers, buckshot and beer-bottles... And I well-remember those nice Windjammer fairings. My ex had one on a Honda 500cc 4-banger. I liked the fairing better than the bike. It had a lot of rpm, but little torque. It ALSO wore those EARLY Bridgestone tires that were SUCH hard rubber, they slid around on dry pavement like it was rain-slick. Those miserable tires put her (and me) in the ditch 4 or 5 times until I replaced them with better Pirelli meats! Now, the 750 was a whole different critter... ICONIC... The breakthrough that matured into the superbikes of today.
Leo (watchin' my "six") in Texas |
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