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Missouri
by: maxtera - Mar 22, 2018 20:05:06 GMT -5
Post by maxtera on Mar 22, 2018 20:05:06 GMT -5
Maxtera, I'm in Platte City, about 25 miles from KCMO.
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Post by maxtera on Mar 8, 2018 19:53:54 GMT -5
Thanks, that car is a 69 Cougar.
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Post by maxtera on Feb 27, 2018 19:30:03 GMT -5
I rode my new scooter to work today. It was cold and very windy, when I got there I felt like I had been sitting on ice as the wind went up my pants and cooled off my butt. My weight and the scooter combined are close to 900lbs but the wind bounced me around like I weighed nothing.
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Post by maxtera on Feb 27, 2018 19:13:09 GMT -5
I'm fairly new to riding scooters, I just went over a year in January. And me and my wife saw a white bike on the edge of someone's property and didn't exactly know what it was. I lost a friend and his wife several years ago to a speeding driver, in a motorcycle accident, where she was a passenger.
I'm very leery of my wife riding with me but I'm not the type who lets fear get the best of me. Well done for taking the time and effort to properly memorialize your friend.
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Post by maxtera on Feb 25, 2018 10:15:50 GMT -5
Here is my 2016 Burgman when I took it off the trailer and parked it in my garage.  |
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Post by maxtera on Feb 15, 2018 21:56:27 GMT -5
After a lot of looking and sitting on numerous scooters and even an automatic motorcycle. I did a test ride on a low mileage white 2013 Burgman 650, it had a ton of power but I just couldn't get past the color. I also had my eyes on a matte black 2016, 650 Executive and when I made up my mind that the 2013 wasn't for me I quickly jumped on the 2016. It has never been dropped, has low miles, 1,470 and comes with a spare screen. I got a great deal on it and I pick it up on Saturday. I can't wait to take it on my first ride, I already have plans to ride it on a few long distance trips. Now I just have to see if the wife will be on board.
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Post by maxtera on Nov 26, 2017 12:39:39 GMT -5
Hello all, I took my wife for a ride on the Reflex when we had an unexpected warm day & she loved it. The problem is that the Reflex can't comfortably carry our combined weight faster than 55 mph & it was very slow taking off from the stop lights. I already had my reservations about riding on the highway so the best solution would be to get a bigger bike.
My logic tells me to get a Honda Forza but I was surprised to find that they actually have less room than my current Reflex. Besides the Forza, I also looked at the Honda Silverwing, the Yamaha TMAX & I even considered getting an automatic motorcycle, the Honda Africa Twin. But I like the storage a scooter provides & the ease of the step thru, (it would take some time getting used to kicking my leg over a motorcycle).
I'm putting my Reflex on the market & plan on giving myself a new or used Burgman 650 Executive as a birthday present in February 2018. I've checked out a few YouTube videos to see what others think of them & for ideas as to what type of upgrades I'd need or want to make. So far all I've done is sat on the one they have at the dealer near me, because it hasn't been prepped yet. In the meantime I'm just watching rider/owner reviews & trying to get a feel for what they should be worth when I visit the dealership to make my purchase.
If anyone has any thoughts or insight I'm open to any & all words of advice.
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Post by maxtera on Oct 28, 2017 9:23:02 GMT -5
Hello all, I currently have a 2004 Honda Reflex that I've put a ton of money into to get it looking and riding like new and I absolutely love it. The problem is that I want to be able to ride on the highway with confidence and the Reflex can only muster about 65-70 miles per hour and then it has nothing left.
I found a 2014 Honda Forza with about 5k miles on it in Michigan, they're asking $2500 for it. I tried doing some research on them but what I found was conflicting about the top speed, resale price, and other things about the bike. Can anyone here who maybe owns one or knows something about them give me some particulars about the Forza? Thanks.
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Post by maxtera on Oct 13, 2017 23:45:44 GMT -5
In the event of that I should need to buy some parts for the scooter, do you guys have a recommendation for a site for me to order parts from? I'd prefer quality/tested parts over no-name but extremely cheap parts if possible since I really want to avoid the same feeling of spending money on parts and not actually fixing it like I did last time. I bought my parts from either Partzilla.com or BikeBandit.com, Partzilla is a little cheaper in price and they have free shipping when you spend $149 dollars. I had a 2007 Jonway and all of the body panels, the windshield, taillight assembly, luggage rack and even the foot pegs are interchangeable with the Honda Reflex. You can also try the Japanese company Webike, if you want to get Jonway parts specifically although I only bought my shorty windshield from them. |
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Post by maxtera on Oct 12, 2017 15:26:21 GMT -5
I'm by no means a mechanic, so choking the intake was not something I knew at the time, as a step to take in order to start my scooter. All I'm saying is that what he listed as the steps he took and the results he got were the exact same as mine. Luckily, I had a spare carb and when I put it on, my scooter started right away. To further confirm my results I bought a new SE valve and put it on the spare carb, with the hopes of selling it on eBay, when it didn't sell I decided to keep it. And the next time I had the scooter apart prior to my selling it I changed out the carburetor again and just as I suspected the scooter started up. So based on that, I deduced that the SE valve was bad. Some of my more mechanically informed scooter rider friends said that it could also be the stator but I was lucky and got it right, for my scooter, the first time. Good luck.
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Post by maxtera on Oct 10, 2017 15:19:59 GMT -5
I say fix it. I had a 2007 Jonway and as you know they are a clone of the Honda Reflex. I had the same issue with mine when I first bought it in Feb 2017. I had did everything you mentioned and mine would turn over but not start. Frustrated, I put the spare carburetor on and it started. I later found out that the starter enrichment valve on the carburetor was the culprit. I had either replaced or checked out every electrical component except the SE valve and it was the bad part.
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Post by maxtera on Oct 1, 2017 16:51:04 GMT -5
I had to replace the engine in my 04 Reflex recently. The old engine had compression of 130psi & it couldn't move my 290lbs over the curb, I later found out that the compression should have been in the 228-230psi range. Which is what I have now with my replacement engine.
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Post by maxtera on Sept 28, 2017 21:25:42 GMT -5
A very sharp looking machine. (and of course, red bikes are aways faster!) I can relate, I did a ground up rebuild on a Znen 250 utilizing Honda parts to do it, and your right, OEM replacement parts ain't cheap. I did a second battery install as well. (who needs to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere because you wanted to hear some tunes?) But for $3600.00 you have something reliable, functional, and easy on the eyes that you know you can maintain yourself. Well done.  Thanks. I've always been sort of a tinkerer and getting to know this scooter intimately was real easy. Aside from the engine swap I don't think there's any job that would intimidate me now. Whenever I work on a project whether its one of my cars or the scooter, I make it a point to do something to it every day no matter how small a job it is. I found that this keeps me motivated and my projects don't get put on the back burner while I'm distracted doing something else. |
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Post by maxtera on Sept 28, 2017 21:16:40 GMT -5
Maxtera I think the drop in top speed may be due to the change in your windshield. I have a Givi D210ST that i put on my bike in the winter and the bike is faster. Aerodynamics is a big thing with these smaller engines. I think it is interesting that with the most weight in your variator, your RPMs were so high. I want to try some Dr. Pulley sliders, Probably 23 grams. That will hopefully keep me in the power band and give me top end too. Add to the fact that I'm 6'4", I do tend to catch a lot of wind when I ride. I really like the look with the short windshield so I'll just have to live with it. |
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Post by maxtera on Sept 27, 2017 18:13:01 GMT -5
Akais, I went on a quick ride today after work & this is what I discovered with the Big Ruckus variator. From a dead stop I gave it full throttle & my rpm's went up to 6500, when it changed gear the rpm's dropped to 5000 & my speed was roughly at 40mph & it steadily climbed from there. I went back to the stretch of road where I checked my top speed & this is what I found out. It was windy today but I managed to get to 70mph & my rpm's never got above 7500, I did this 4 times total each time with the same rpm result, although my speed fluctuated from 68.56, 68.72, 69.99 & finally 70.32 mph. Using this setup a few days earlier I managed to get to 74.55 mph & my mpg's averaged out to around 52.285. I've did my own tests & this is what I've found using various weights in my OE variator & in the Big Ruckus one. In my OE variator I put in 117grams, (21+18), that gave me a quick takeoff but my top end was 64.  mph & my rpm's were pegged at 8000. Next, I went to 126grams, (21+21), once again I had a quick takeoff & my top end was 68.62 mph & my rpm's were around 7500. My third test was with 147grams, (31+18), I had a fast takeoff & my top end was around 71mph, but the rpm's were in the red at 9000+. Finally I tried 138grams, (25+21), takeoff was decent but I could only get up to 64.56 mph & I had no power to pass anyone, & to make matters worse, I was low on coolant & due to me pushing the scooter real hard my temperature gauge got real hot & my rpm's were around 8000+ as well. I may try 150grams, (25+25) in the big Ruckus next since the scooter come stock with 156 but for now I'll just ride with what I currently have, 147grams, (31+18). I hope this helps you. |
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mph & my rpm's were pegged at 8000.