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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 21, 2016 21:53:47 GMT -5
Well, boyz n' gurlz...
CAN a cheapie Chinese MOTORCYCLE make a COOL BOBBER?
The answer IS a resounding YEEESSSS!!! I only wish I had a picture to post.A good number of members here love the look of a bobber, or chopper, ME included. But they don't have the thousands of bucks or the skills to transform a Harley. The VERY cool bike I'm about to describe could probably be built for well under 3-grand!
Until today, I really thought any resemblance to a credible bobber required two cylinders, preferably in a "V" configuration. And... at LEAST 750cc displacement. I was WRONG!It finally stopped raining this afternoon, so I got old "Minnie Mouse" out from under her tarp and took a shakedown ride to try out the new front tire. I heard a STRANGE (but nice!) and LOUD bike roaring up behind me and only got a quick look as he blew by me. It was a single-cylinder which I thought might be Hardknock "Kikker". It was not.In a few seconds, I could see it was a run-of-the-mill generic Chinese 250, probably began life as a Lifan Internet buy. Clean and simple was the watchword... Peanut tank, drag-bars on dog-bones, small old-school headlight mounted above the bars... solo-seat on hairpins, bobbed rear fender likely made from a vintage Brit bike... Super-short coil-overs on the back (I suspect mountain-bicycle shocks) which should be adequate on the rear of a 250 pound stripped bike ... thin "runnin' rib" front tire and "car-type" wide rear. Tires were classic "yellowed" whitewalls, the whole bike was flat-black except for chrome rims and a few chrome engine pieces. The exhaust was straight-through big-diameter with a baloney-sliced megaphone. Now, it's not easy to actually get a 4-stroke to run right with a straight-pipe (yeah, I know Cadillac pulls it off but they're exotic and expensive!) but THIS one was tuned to perfection. It absolutely SCREAMED, with that SWEET cackle on deceleration! He was getting ALL that Chinese 250 had to give and then some. I was loafing along at 55 on the 45 speed-limit 4-lane and he was banging gears at around 9-grand and enjoying every rpm! He just hit top gear and I'd estimate doing about 80 and climbing... Obviously lost in memories of the sixties or seventies.
Old geezer too... Long ZZ-Top beard, raggedy, greasy shredded jeans, tattoos, Nazi helmet... Old, OLD school dinosaur enjoying his last days before extinction.
Point is this... THAT bike was a classic bobber as credible as a Harley, or one of the Yamaha 650 twin bobbers starting to appear. But THOSE bikes are hard to find, usually worn out and EXPENSIVE to buy, insure and customize. THIS Chinese 250 was probably $2,000 or less brand-new, and had less than another thousand bucks invested. The secret was PERFECT cosmetic design, and getting that little 15-incher to run like a bear. I don't think you'll find a cheaper "real motorcycle" than a Chinese 250 single. The clutch n' gears Chinese bikes seem to be less troublesome than the scooters, too. Amazingly, they CAN be turned into a really credible bobber, using the same techniques as you'd use on a Harley.
This one had it all, and, plenty of acceleration and top-speed too! My first love will always be stripped bobbers, but nowadays I'm totally addicted to twist n' go scoots with PLENTY of trunk-space for groceries... But... For all you chopper-jockey wannabes, take it from "The Old Chopper Guy" you CAN indeed make a GREAT, head-turning ride from a humble Chinese single 250! Yup!   
Whatever you ride, ENJOY the ride!!!Leo (AMAZED at how COOL that little bike was) in Texas __________________________________________________
Here's a pic off the Internet that "resembles" the one I saw. This is a Yamaha 500 single, but it will give a rough idea of what I'm talking about... |
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Long trip
by: oldchopperguy - Aug 21, 2016 21:04:53 GMT -5
Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 21, 2016 21:04:53 GMT -5
First I want to apologize for not responding sooner(getting ready for our trip and all.) I did some checking found the scoop both on amazon and ebay, but neither had the mesh inside like yours does, where did you get/make yours? other than that I think I have a handle of the scoop, and the sock is pretty straight forward. That is a pretty sweet looking ride. Do you still have the bike? Thank you everyone for all the info, it is going to be really helpful. I haven't checked, but usually the scoops come with the mesh installed. I got a chrome one with red anodized mesh to match up with the scooter. It's not really necessary, but is there because many riders cut out the stone-guard from the fan shroud. I did not, as it doesn't really cut the air flow much.
I just checked eBay, and you are right! I guess the screens weren't popular... You could easily get a piece of wire-mesh and cut it to a circle to fit inside, and paint it bright yellow, red, blue or flat-black, etc. to suit your taste, and keep it in place with a bead of silicone caulk. That's how my scoop was made from the factory.
As for "Old Blue", I only WISH I still had that magnificent old Hog... No, I sold it back around 1966. Only memories left.I just got a new front tire on my Kymco. The old one "decomposed" after only 1 1/2 seasons! Turned out it was an "antique" when installed... Something to remember: Check the date on any tire you install. They don't last forever! Safety first.Finally had a dry day in the middle of weeks of rain, and I got the old mouse out for a ride on the new tire. I'd almost forgotten how much fun "knuckles-in-the-wind" can be!Ride safe, and remember that the scoop will help some directly on the fan-cover, but for REAL (20-degree) oil-cooling, you will need to extend it out past the plastic and into the air... Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 19, 2016 22:30:59 GMT -5
I am running a Harley style Dunlop on the back and the Power Pure up front. Liked the more heavily chevroned tread patterns in the wet but when your a big body and a bit ham fisted on the brakes those chevrons tend to lean back and feather on the front edge while braking which changes the dynamics of the contact patch and leads to head shake even when not braking making tuning in the correct tire pressure on that style tire very important. You won't really notice it for a few thousand miles and if you don't adjust the pressure quickly the wear can become deep enough set that you'll have to live with it or replace the tire. Many go looking for rim, brake, fork of frame issues when its mostly just the result of running the front tire pressure a few psi too low for too long.
You said it, brother! Have a bone! Tire style and pressure make a WORLD of difference.My old Chinese 150 wore factory Kenda J-rated OEM cheapies and they were fine for six years. Not one complaint... Even then, there was no dry-rot or handling issues. But if they got below 34 pounds pressure, wobble developed. And of course, the old 150 wouldn't run faster than 55...
My Kymco had brand-new Kenda J-rated tires on her when delivered. Most folks think the J- speed rating is OK for 99% of riding. WRONG...
If I ever end up on another 150, I'd still fork over the few extra bucks for quality P-rated tires, well-balanced on it... The increase in ride and handling is worth it!With the J-rated Kendas, The Kymco's handling was SO bad, I almost tried to take the scoot back. Shake, high-speed wobble above 65 which is already over the 62-mph rating (and FORGET about going 75... LOL!) and an irritating "thumping" (like out-of-round) as I slowed down to around 20-mph. After installing the Michelin on the rear and the Shinko on the front (both 92-mph P-rated) all handling issues were gone... AMAZING the difference tires make! Of course, proper BALANCING is also a must, ESPECIALLY on small 12" rims. The old Kymco will now run smooth as a field-mouse backing into a pussy-willow from walking speed to  + downhill! Tires are a biggie on any bike, but I believe on SCOOTERS with smaller wheels they are even MORE critical to safety, AND to general riding pleasure. You are absolutely right about checking your TIRES before looking into frame, fork and suspension gremlins. They MIGHT exist, but check those tires first...Ride safe!Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 19, 2016 21:05:09 GMT -5
The Power Pure design is great for preventing head shake on the front wheel but this ability to prevent head shake also reduces its ability to handle wet roads. On the Shinko you may need to be careful with your tire pressures so the tread blocks do not feather due to squirm during hard braking which can become an issue with a big guy on a comparatively small bike. Sometimes just upping the front tires pressure 1 or 2 psi over whats on the tire placard mounted on the bike can help prevent this mind you as long as you do not exceed the MAX psi stamped on the tires side wall.
You are RIGHT! I love that Michelin (never tried it in rain before) and with so much "slick" tread with rain-grooves, it's a joy on pavement, and I expected it to be a tad squirrely on rainy/oily pavement. OOOHHH... Stay OUTTA that greezy CENTER of the lane!It WAS sorta fun though to be able to absolutely SMOKE (or should I say "steam") the Power Pure with a frisky twist of the mouse's ear... LOL! I used to ride bikes that could do THAT on DRY pavement... sigh...
The Shinko does indeed perform and wear much better when FULLY inflated. It's rated at 40 PSI max, but on "Minnie" it seems happiest at 36-38 pounds. Less than 36 pounds and it gets "soft" and a little shaky. Tracks swell with no shake when good and hard.I must admit I'm a sucker for that old-school block and groove street-tread too. It just fits the look of an outdated ride... It's SO fifties "Vespa-esque"...Looks good under my lite-up-goose! The Michelin is a great tire but looks too "modern" on the old girl... Since this Shinko is "fresh" and hopefully not near its "decomposition" stage, I'm looking forward to several good riding seasons... Ride safe... and enjoy steaming that rear meat on a rainy day!Leo |
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Long trip
by: oldchopperguy - Aug 18, 2016 20:22:42 GMT -5
Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 18, 2016 20:22:42 GMT -5
First thats a pretty nice looking scoot you have there. Just took a quick look at my wife's scoot, looks like it would only taker a few minutes to put the scoop on. how much was it? and it looks like it would keep the stater and all cooler. am I correct on that or not? and does it really help? thank you for all the info.
Thanks... It REALLY does work, ESPECIALLY when it's over 100-degrees as it's been here for weeks. (Of course now I enjoy the "luxury" of a water-cooled scoot... LOL!) I don't know if the scoop helps cool the stator, but I'm sure it must. These scooters don't usually have an actual oil-cooler unless the owner adds one.
The scoops are readily available on eBay (I just checked) for around $10. I first added just the scoop, which really does take only minutes. I checked the oil temp (meat thermometer in the fill-hole) without the scoop and it was something around 200-degrees (long time ago, memory is dim). Then I added the scoop and repeated my same ride. The oil was only a few degrees cooler. Then, I made my extension (from a piece of PVC pipe joint) and repeated the test. THIS time the oil was a full 20-degrees cooler! THAT is worthwhile. The extension gets the scoop out in the wind. Without it, the scoop is in the vortex of the lower plastics. Those PVC pipes and fittings are off-white, and I simply wrapped it with chrome trim-tape to blend it with the scoop, and the aftermarket chrome fan-shroud. Here are some pix from an old post...    The purple standoffs are made from knitting needles. They could be aluminum tubing or brass, but they are needed to keep from stressing the little mounting tabs on the plastic scoop. If you just used long screws, the scoop would crack and break in no time. I ran this scoop for 6-years with no problems! Getting the scoop "in the wind" makes a LOT of difference on really HOT days... I could not find pix of my sock-filter and CDI. Lost them in a long-forgotten computer crash, but those are pretty much "plug-'n-play" easy installations. Hope this might help! It's easier to do than it looks. Just bring your scoop with you to the home improvement store to get the PVC piece the right diameter. I do remember the pipe itself was too small diameter, and the female-to-female splice piece fit better. I also shortened it some, as it was too long as-is. Any questions, feel free to ask... That's what we're here for at "ItIsTheRide"...  Ride safe, and keep that oil cool! Leo in Texas _________________________________________ PS: The chrome fan-shroud looks REALLY great on a GY6. Ebay sells those too, sometimes as a "kit" with the scoop. However, they are BRITTLE STYRENE as opposed to the flexible plastic found on the black originals. I had to be VERY careful not to crack it. If you keep your black original shroud, it might look good to paint the extension dull-black instead of using the chrome tape. It's all personal preference... _________________________________________
PPS: Since you're fairly new to the site, here's a pic of my all-time favorite ride. It was many decades ago, when I was 16. I'll turn 70 in October... How the mighty have fallen... LOLOLOL! "Old Blue" pictured below was an ANIMAL! Good Lord, how I loved that old Hog... Too old and arthritic nowadays for such rides... I'm mighty happy scooters have come so far since 1962!
I was sixteen in that pic... Only photo of "Old Blue" and me that exists. I was 6'2" and 375 pounds then. Today, I'm 6'1" from compressed disks in my back from riding Old Blue. And a more "human" 230 pounds... Times change... I had the price of TWO nice houses in that bike, and made it ALL back with interest street-racing in one season... Yes, times change... |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 18, 2016 19:58:30 GMT -5
Got the new front Shinko...Well, I tried to sneak between rain-storms and almost succeeded...  I got to my dealer and he installed and balanced my new (actually NEW 2015 fresh this time) Shinko. Juan, the head service tech did the job as fast as humanly possible and I was on my way home (only five miles).
I made it half-way home before the sky opened up monsoon-style... So... Now I have TWO good reports to post!
First, the new Shinko has great manners on rain-soaked, oil-slicked tarmac. I truly HATE riding in rain, but no choice. My Michelin Power Pure rear tire which handles like a dream on dry road, IS a tad "slippery" on rain and oil, as any tire usually is. But, the Michelin has a sort of "grooved-slick tread which hydroplanes easily. On the other hand, the new Shinko with its old-school, block and groove street-tread gripped the slippery road much better. Chalk one up for the Shinko... But on dry stuff, the Michelin is a little better.
Second, the aftermarket GIVI windshield is fantastic. With all the scooter plastic below, and the big windshield above, so long as I could maintain 30-mph I stayed completely dry! I only got wet at the one red-light I caught. Two good reports all from one short ride... Pretty sweet! I hope I'll have no other noteworthy "events" to report on the new tire... LOL! Ride safe,Leo (doing my sun-dance for dry weather) in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 17, 2016 20:59:55 GMT -5
Quick note...
My new tire is in, and incredibly it has RAINED for a week, and more rain predicted for the NEXT WEEK!
It NEVER rains here in August... Cheesh!
The new tire is fresh, less than a year old. I'm anxious to get it on. Also, today I carefully re-checked the entire old tire. That 1999 must be the manufacturing date. It's the only changeable number on the tire, not in the permanent molding of the sidewall.
Also, I thought Shinko tires were made in China. Probably some are, but THIS one is proudly, prominently marked in the permanent sidewall mold "MADE IN KOREA"... As if NORTH KOREA doesn't even exist... That is cool.
I'll keep posting if the monsoon ever stops...
Leo
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Long trip
by: oldchopperguy - Aug 17, 2016 20:52:33 GMT -5
Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 17, 2016 20:52:33 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip. I was thinking of putting on one of those cone filters, but it doesn't sound like that would work either. Dans, The cone filter might work (run well) but it will be trashed by the cat-back brace above the filter. It must be a filter with flex to survive. I'll see if I can find a pic of mine showing the filter better. I tried EVERYTHING including a rubber hose between the carb and filter to place it more conveniently, but the engine would absolutely NOT run right with ANYTHING on the carb but the sock filter. Even a plain piece of hose with NOTHING else ruined the running. I'm an old Harley guy, and have never encountered anything like this, but these engines are much different from flatheads, pan-heads, etc. LOL!
Some will run fine with factory "tuba" intake and paper filter. Some will run fine with a better filter on a hose, placing it better, and some (like yours and mine) won't run with ANYTHING on the carb but a free-flowing filter mounted directly on the carb. Go figger...Ride safe!Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 16, 2016 21:55:24 GMT -5
While I have a dialog going here. my wife's scooter, (Dongfang 150cc) get it around 20mph is when it starts bogging down, it slowly gets worse until you hit about 40mph, and no matter what I do it just will not go any faster. I have thoroughly cleaned the carb, adjusted the a/f mixture, new spark plug. finally in frustration, I took off the air hose from the intake on the carb. It ran just fine, checked the air filter, it was clean, so I left the top off the air box and left the air filter out, hooked the hose back up, I was thinking it should run just as well as if the air hose was still disconnected. it didn't it went right back to no more than 40 mph and bogging down. Any help of this would be greatly appreciated.
I can REALLY help you now! My Xingyue 150 suffered from the EXACT SAME problem. For reasons unknown to me, SOME of these scoots WILL NOT RUN CORRECTLY WITH THE FACTORY AIR-FILTER SETUP... Typical top speed of 40-45 with a sputtering, "bbbrrraaaappp" sound. Mine was one. I tried everything. It would run fine with NOTHING attached to the carb mouth. Even a short tube with no filter ruined the running. I finally got it right by installing a UNI "sock" filter DIRECTLY on the CARB-MOUTH with NO tube between it and the carb. My engine WOULD run right ONLY with a sock filter on the carb, or no filter at all (which is not a good idea... LOL!).
The sock filter will suffer a little from flexing against the "cat-back" cross-member, so I replaced it every season. WELL WORTH IT. Below is are photos of my old 150 showing a little of the sock-filter. 
In these old pix, you can see the sock filter showing. Also, you can see the 2-stroke "chamber" exhaust with 1" header and the cooling-fan scoop (extended into the air-stream). The sock filter got the engine running right, providing a top-speed of 55.
(With the UNI filter and free-flowing exhaust, I had to go one notch richer in the main jet, and tweak the carb needle to raise the slide a little quicker to prevent bogging.)The EXTENDED fan scoop lowered oil-temp by 20 degrees. (Just the scoop with no extension helped very little).
The large header (muffler type matters little, though the chamber pipe runs GREAT on a 4-stroke) smoothed out running and simplified tuning. You can also see the orange Bando coil (hooked to an iridium plug) which smoothed running and unseen is a "red" no-limit CDI. These cumulative changes smoothed running, eased tuning and vastly improved general riding, but did little to increase performance.
Finally, I experimented with the variator. I installed a Prodigy performance variator which by itself made little change. However, I played with ROLLER weights. 11-gram rollers gave strong acceleration, but a top-speed of 0nly 45-mph at a horrific 10K rpm. 12-gram rollers gave me a top-speed of 65 but NO acceleration or hill-climbing power. Lastly, a MIX of 3-ea. 11 and 3-ea. 12-gram rollers gave me good acceleration, AND a top speed of 62-mph on the level. "Lil' Bubba" would now cruise 55 on level road, no wind. With normal hills and a little wind, he'd still run over 50. That is as good performance as I would expect from a 150, and I loved that little scoot. That pipe sounded pretty sweet, too... LOL!
All mods were affordable and simple. The CDI was around $20 off eBay. Same for the Bando Japanese coil. The header and chamber pipe were only a few dollars from scrap sources. The fan scoop was around $10 with another $5 in parts for the extension. The variator was a tad pricey, but really not necessary. I'm sure the proper rollers would give similar performance in a stock variator.
Dr. Pulley SLIDERS would be even BETTER!Somewhere in the dark recesses of the site I have "how-to" posts on all these mods. They ARE simple stuff anyone can do, and make the best of a 150. Hope this may be helpful to you... Especially since you seem to have one of those scoots like mine, that will NOT run right with ANYTHING on the carb...
Ride safe, and stuff that scoot SOMEWHERE in the truck for your trip, for sure! Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 15, 2016 16:02:16 GMT -5
4950cycle,FINALLY... Someone with the exact same problem as me... LOL!  I have an old 2007 Kymco Grandvista 250 which I absolutely LOVE... except I too could use 5 more mph top end... Or more accurately, 5-mph more CRUISING speed.Apparently the old Grandvistas are fairly "frisky" for single-cam, carbureted 250's (even though the factory specs show only 67-mph top-speed). The GV sites relate that most will top 70 with a 200 pound rider. "Minnie Mouse" as I call her has had a one-tooth up change to the final drive, done by the previous owner back in 2008. She currently tops out at an honest 80-mph on level ground. However, "real world" CRUISING performance, including hills, wind, etc. limit her to a realistic cruise of 68-70-mph, leaving just a tiny bit of throttle left. On local freeways here, you absolutely MUST be able to cruise 75-mph minimum to be safe ( would be much better, but not realistic for a 250 except maybe ITALIAN ones...). If you need near -cruise, you need a bigger bike... LOL! And, like you, I'm five short...I experimented with my original Chinese 150 and found the variator IS the main secret to improved performance. I installed a performance variator (which by itself did little or nothing...). Then, I played with roller weights. THAT did the trick. 11 gram rollers gave me terrific acceleration, but a useless top-speed of 45 at a screaming 10K rpm. 12 gram rollers gave me a great 65-mph top-speed, but ZERO acceleration and hill climbing. A mix of 3 ea. 11, and 3 ea. 12 gram rollers was perfect, giving me decent acceleration and a top-speed of 62-mph. I'm sure a 250 will respond in like manner, only more forgiving due to double the horsepower and torque of a 150. Upping your final drive is not the easiest thing to do, and I'm not sure how much more top-end you'll get. I'm told my Kymco seems to have gained around 5-mph, but that may or may not be the case. I wouldn't mod the engine. They put out good power for their size already.
I would try changing the rollers to Dr. Pulley SLIDERS for sure! I am going to do that myself, but health issues may keep me from doing it this season. The sliders allow the variator to FULLY close for highest top speed, and FULLY open for fastest acceleration. I've heard nothing but RAVE revues of the sliders in all displacement sizes. Several site members have upgraded to Dr. Pulley sliders in their 150 and 250 scoots, with AMAZING improvement. Getting the proper weight is the secret. As recommended in previous replies, I'd check with Dr. Pulley for advice. Most think 1 gram lighter than factory rollers. My "gut" feeling is to use the same weight sliders as factory rollers since the sliders ALSO increase acceleration, but I'm no expert. My old 250 drives just about "perfect" as-is, since I don't run freeways too often. It's just that even at 70-mph I'm a "rolling road-block" incurring the common honking, "getting the bird" and the occasional beer can tossed at me by passing traffic. Seventy-five seems to be the magic speed to be "accepted". And to cruise 75, I'm going to have to try sliders...
SURELY sliders are THE easiest and most affordable way to upgrade your performance.Please keep us posted, and best wishes. I'm betting the right weight SLIDERS will give you that elusive extra-five! Ride safe,Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 14, 2016 22:30:29 GMT -5
Wheelbender6 has a good point... But it's worth trying to clean the carb yourself.It's quite easy to remove the carb on these, and often you can get spray-carb-cleaner into most of the places necessary to clean it out. As for a drain-screw, it's likely metric, and a substitute could be found at a home-improvement store. One relatively rare problem I had on my Chinese 150 was the original fuel lines "decomposing" from the inside, filling the passages in the carb with crud so badly I never did get it right. I replaced the carb with a OEM style Mikuni carb off eBay for about $40. I also replaced all the fuel lines!I also replaced the vacuum fuel petcock with a manual one for a Briggs & Stratton mower, and plugged the vacuum line. This ensured no loss of fuel-flow at open throttle, due to loss of vacuum. Just a precaution, easy to do with the lines off...
Please note: The fact your scoot SHUT OFF completely almost sounds like an electrical issue. Trust me, I learned WAY more about Chinese scoots than I ever wanted too... LOL! Electric issues I encountered with mine included BOTH the CDI and COIL going bad simultaneously!!! You can get decent CDI's and coils pretty cheap off eBay if needed, and they are easy "plug-n'-play" to install. You can check for spark by pulling the plug and grounding it to the engine and cranking, to see if it sparks. You can also spray a bit of starting fluid into the carb and see if it fires.
Now... My FAVORITE... (and yes, I've done it)... Check to see if you accidentally engaged your KILL SWITCH... Every time I opened the seat on my Chinese 150, it pushed the kill-switch.  Also be sure you're engaging a brake lever while cranking. And be sure your side stand is all the way up. Most scoots have a safety interlock preventing STARTING even though cranking with at least one brake lever (usually left/rear so your right hand is free) engaged, and the side-stand retracted.
Don't forget to check that pesky KILL SWITCH either... LOL! I've even had my sleeve push it on my Kymco 250, leaning on the bars at a red-light! ......Duh.... 
Hope this may help.Ride safe, Leo in Texas
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Long trip
by: oldchopperguy - Aug 14, 2016 22:06:54 GMT -5
Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 14, 2016 22:06:54 GMT -5
Me and the wife talked about it last night, and decided that it would probably be best to leave my scoot at home, take my pickup and park it in the overflow. I'll still post picks though if you want. I know what wot is but not wfo.
How 'bout putting the scooter in the pickup? Then, you'll have the best of both worlds, having your scooter at the site!
Just a thought...Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 14, 2016 22:02:28 GMT -5
Welcome to the site!
It does sound like you may be running lean. Do as wheelbender6 recommends and you can see by the sparkplug condition. The fact that it ran OK at first is puzzling. It is possible with a very low-restriction exhaust that it will pop some upon deceleration.
If your plug shows that nice tan color, you may have to try some other things. If the plug is too white, you will need to install a richer jet. These carbs usually have a low, and high-speed jet. Usually only the high-speed jet needs to be changed. Getting the carb just right sometimes requires quite a bit of tuning.
Keep us posted and if you can't get it right, somebody here will surely be able to help.
Ride safe,
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 13, 2016 22:24:16 GMT -5
Checked the "freshness" date on my front tire which split open... 1999... The danged new tire sat in the warehouse for 16 years before it went on my scoot... CHEESH!
From now on, I will be careful to have "fresh" tires. Live and learn... Leo in Texas
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Long trip
by: oldchopperguy - Aug 13, 2016 22:06:49 GMT -5
Post by oldchopperguy on Aug 13, 2016 22:06:49 GMT -5
Thanks for tha advice. one of my sons will be riding with me so with wot I might get 50-55. is running wot that distance going to be ok?
Riding 2-up at WOT for over an hour is really pushing the envelope. A lot depends on the combined rider/passenger weight and the temperature. I'd be comfortable running 45, maybe 50 IF the outside temp was below 80-degrees. However with a passenger aboard, and hills, you will be using the scoot pretty hard. Not knowing the type of roads you'll be using, there are a lot of variables. Limited-access freeways are virtually out-of-the-question for any 150 even without a passenger. My water-cooled 250 is "marginal" on the freeway with just me aboard and it has 20hp.
I would honestly try to find a route that allows 45-mph steady running. At least that leaves you just a teensy bit of power left for hills. If you must run WOT at least close the throttle for a few seconds regularly to pull some oil up to the top-end, and, take a rest every 20 miles or so and let the scoot cool down. With care, you should be OK, but remember you're riding in a manner better served by a 300cc or larger, or a cruiser motorcycle. The 150cc scoots can do a lot, and take some occasional abuse, but with a passenger, you are pushing it some. If at all possible, try to use a route that allows 45-mph running. Then, you're not straining the scoot too hard. On very windy days, and very hilly terrain, I did run my Chinese 150 WOT for a few miles at a time, never 2-up (I weigh 230) but not more than 5 miles without slowing to cool it off. So I can't say for sure how one would hold up running WOT loaded down two-up for over an hour. They're just not designed for THAT heavy use. If you can find a route where you can stay below 50-mph, there should be no problem at all. Just my opinion...Ride safe, Leo |
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+ downhill!
would be much better, but not realistic for a 250 except maybe ITALIAN ones...). If you need near