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Post by bigmac on Aug 13, 2014 15:41:10 GMT -5
I made sure the timing was correct while reassembling. It worked fine for several months after the top end rebuild. Unless the flywheel has changed its position on the crankshaft, I don't know how the timing would have gotten off.
I tried loosening and tightening the valves, but no improvements were made. I also checked for vacuum leaks using propane gas but didn't find anything.
What I find most confusing is the way it reacts during start ups. It stalls at idle and won't start without some throttle given, so I'd assume it needs an idle speed adjustment. With the engine on and warmed up, I placed a clamp on the throttle so that it kept the engine on and at a normal idling speed. Once I shut it off, it wouldn't start up again. The flap in the carburetor is open the same amount as it was before, so I don't know why it doesn't start up and resume idling like it was just seconds earlier. Meanwhile, it seems like it's randomly not sparking as it attempts to start.
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Post by bigmac on Aug 10, 2014 17:31:48 GMT -5
I've left the motor completely stock. The only thing that has changed is my valve stems are a different length. I replaced the cylinder head while doing a top end rebuild, but the new head had 64mm valve stems installed into it instead of 69mm. I had to get new rocker arms to work with the shorter valves but besides that, everything else was compatible.
To set the valves I take the cover off, position the large hole in the camshaft gear so that it's facing outwards from the cylinder head while the two smaller holes in the camshaft gear are level with the cylinder head. Then I slid the feeler gauge between the adjustment screw on the rocker arm and the top of the valve stem to check the gap.
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Post by bigmac on Aug 10, 2014 14:57:15 GMT -5
After I put in a new CDI box, it shook badly while trying to start. I thought it was sparking before the piston fully compressed the air and gas or something. But then it started after a few tries. However, it still ran like before. So today I removed all the brittle plastic body panels so I could get the valve cover off. What a shocker, both valves are set EXACTLY as they were when I last set them, .003.
I will try them at .004 and .002 and see if it makes any difference. I doubt it will since I have tried every setting in the past and noticed no difference at all, aside the amount of tapping noise they make.
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Post by bigmac on Jul 25, 2014 15:56:06 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies. I had some Sea Foam in my gas tank and wanted to wait until my next fill up to see if it would run any differently before getting anything replaced. It still runs the same. I guess I'll start with a new CDI box.
I noticed today that I can actually feel slight power loss at times, even on flat roads. The problem seems to be getting worse.
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Post by bigmac on Jul 19, 2014 0:56:51 GMT -5
The engine (a 50cc gy6) has fuel and compression and a proper fuel/air mixture but the engine acts like it doesn't spark at times. The valves are set well (I can hear them ticking) and it runs and sounds normal when on the go. However, it's hard to start, stalls at an idle and bogs down and stalls while going up long hills.
It's like the ignition coil is off the plug half the time while starting, but will randomly begin to ignite the fuel, and eventually start. Once started, the engine will occasionally "hiccup", making a soft thump sound, as if the spark plug didn't go off correctly during the power stroke. I have to hold the throttle open a little to keep it from stalling because of this. Sometime when going down a hill with the throttle closed I'll hear a loud crack sound, like the fuel never ignited in the engine, causing a backfire. Sometimes when going up hill the engine bogs down and stalls and refuses to start for about 10 minuets. I will push the kick start lever by hand during those 10 minutes to see if the compression feels normal, and it always does.
I have already replaced the ignition coil and the plug. Is there anything else that could be causing a problem with spark? Maybe a bad CDI box or stator coil?
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Post by bigmac on Mar 26, 2014 13:38:39 GMT -5
I was at Roketa's website viewing pictures of their MC-54-250 and MC-54b-250. I noticed that the two versions have different speed gauges. The 54 has Km/h in large orange font and mph in small blue font and the 54b has it the other way around. MC-54-250:  MC-54b-250:  I'd assume the odometer on the MC-54-250 records distance traveled in kilometers and the MC-54b-250 in miles. I'm curious to know which of those speed gauges your Jonway has and whether it records distance traveled in kilometers or miles. |
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Post by bigmac on Mar 17, 2014 18:56:37 GMT -5
The website www.powerrideoutlet.com looks safe and professional to me, but is it? Has anyone here purchased from or know someone who has purchased from P.R.O. before and can tell me about the experience? Thanks, |
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Post by bigmac on Jan 9, 2014 1:44:29 GMT -5
I read the replies and watched about a dozen bike theft videos involving scooters and other types of motorcycles. Not much difference between them from what I observed, aside from being easier to move and load into a getaway vehicle. By what I've read and seen, I take it that the effort needed to steal a motorbike is similar regardless of its size, experienced thieves will get past almost any security devices, most thieves know beforehand where the bike is. Knowing this, I think my scooter is pretty safe.
My scooter is garaged at my house in the countryside. It's about as close as you can get to a crime free zone. Not often do I take my scooter to stores but when I do, it's on a random weekday at around noon, and so a thief could not figure out when it will be there. Mainly old people are out at this time, also. Most of the trouble makers are either still in school or bed.
Although they're rare, I sometimes see other scooters in my area, and like mine and other motorcycles, they're usually in normal parking spots or alongside a curb. Only once I saw a scooter chained up around here. Ironically, it was outside of a police station. Maybe that one had been stolen and recovered by police. This state requires mopeds to be registered so my VIN is on record in my name. I know from experience that police here love to stop mopeds and check their registration.
My brother, father (who's in Arizona) and some other family members (who live in various places) have had motorcycles for years and never had one stolen. As far as I know, they only lock the steering when parking in public.
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Post by bigmac on Jan 6, 2014 20:53:40 GMT -5
For the first few months of owning a 50cc scooter I was worried about someone stealing it. I would park it up close to buildings that I was going into. But people would give me dirty looks for parking it near buildings. A 50cc scooter is considered a moped in my state, but apparently people find it wrong to park it like so because it doesn't look like a motorized bicycle. So I looked up the weight of my scooter and found that it's 210lbs. Also, unlike a bicycle, it's bulky and doesn't have many good spots to hold onto when lifting.
I have since been parking it like a full size motorcycle. People don't give me dirty looks anymore, nor care a parking spot is being used on a 50cc scooter. It's been left unchained among parked cars with few to no people around to witness it being stolen. As far as I know, no one has made an attempt to steal it and I feel quite sure that no one will bother to do so.
Yet, every time I go to a friend's house, I'll be told that I should put my scooter in the garage. If I don't put it in the garage, he will look outside every now and again to see if it's missing. One time three teenagers were walking by and he told me that I should get out there.
Certainly 50cc and 150cc scooters are smaller and lighter than most motorcycles, but still, I don't think they're really that easy to steal.
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Post by bigmac on Dec 31, 2013 14:50:24 GMT -5
I tried filling in the scratches with some shoe polish. It kind of worked, but still, the seat will never look quite right.
Maybe I'll get some vinyl sheets, preferable textured with little dots, and make a new seat cover. I can sew and have a sewing machine. With the right material, I could make a cover that would look just as the original did. But I don't know. It's probably not worth the trouble. Though it may be a fun project.
I'll post back if I decide to do it.
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Post by bigmac on Dec 14, 2013 19:58:20 GMT -5
I won't be riding for a long time. Nothing but snowy, icy, salty, and sandy roads here for the next four months. Best I can do is play Grand Theft Auto and ride around on the faggio (that's a scooter in the game).
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Post by bigmac on Dec 14, 2013 19:49:20 GMT -5
Aluminum foil will keep cats away? I know it's often used to keep animals out of gardens but I didn't know domestic house cats would stay away from it, as well.
I do have some mouse traps around.
About two years ago I got one of those liquid leather/vinyl repair kits. Had it sitting in my closet but I decided to take it out for this. Only problem is my seat is textured with hundreds of little circular depressions so the liquid tends to fill in the little holes, making the patched areas stand out some.
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Post by bigmac on Dec 11, 2013 19:21:41 GMT -5
I'm so worried about something like this happening again that I plan to put some kind of fencing or box around the whole scooter. I don't want them to even go near it anymore. I'd love to simply close the door to the basement, but their liter boxes are down there and I don't want to have them upstairs.
I was tempted to get a Piaggio during this past summer but now I'm so glad I didn't. It's impossible to keep things nice around pets.
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Post by bigmac on Dec 9, 2013 19:11:04 GMT -5
The surface felt too rough so I had to smooth it some. I used a super fine foam like sanding pad. The pad was gentle on it and got the scratches smooth to the touch. Took me about two hours to smooth all the claw marks. I wiped it down with a wet and soapy wash cloth afterwards.
The seat was dull looking in the areas that had been sanded but I shined it up with some car body scratch and scuff remover. Was a bit unsure if it would come out alright since this stuff was not meant to be used on vinyl.
The scratches are still visible but are much less noticeable now. I'm still working on it though.
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Post by bigmac on Dec 8, 2013 15:43:40 GMT -5
Be careful if you have cats (or perhaps even dogs too) and plan to cover your scooter for the winter. I put my scooter in the basement so it'd be warm and dry all winter. After a few days of being down there, I covered it with a nylon motorcycle cover. The very next day I found the cover half pulled off. The cover was still over the seat but when I lifted it I saw claw marks on my scooter's once mint condition vinyl seat.
I placed the cover on the floor and walked away to blow off some steam and found the cats playing on the cover when I returned. Whichever cat did the damage apparently wanted to play with the cover but damaged the seat (and cover) in the process.
Never had issues with pets clawing my scooter before so I'm sure it was because they wanted to play with the nylon cover.
Any pointers on repairing a vinyl seat would be great. I was thinking of gently sanding it with some fine sand paper. The scratches are not all the way through to the foam padding so hopefully I can just sand them smooth.
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