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Post by lunatuck on Sept 19, 2019 13:04:57 GMT -5
I'm just finishing the break in on my Tao Tao ATM50 post 50mm BBK. So far, I have upgraded the carb, CDI, air filter and motor.
So, I'd think the variator upgrade would be the next logical step, but I'm not unhappy with anything about the scooters acceleration. I really like the way it's pulling up hills and right off the line. I'm also happy with it's top end. So basically, I'd upgrade the variator if it would improve any of those without hindering any aspects. But, I'm feeling like I'd have to give up one for another. So I'm kinda thinking it's less of a priority then other aspects.
I'm wondering if a new performance exhaust would make more sense. Basically a global boost in powerband. Not a specific area in the power band I'm trying to improve. I'm also thinking it will help me tune, as I've always tuned mostly by ear.
Being one who hates upgrading unless I know exactly what I want to fix, variators are a tough one. Conventional wisdom may not apply.
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Post by Kenho21 on Sept 19, 2019 22:55:03 GMT -5
For a 4 stroke, I would definitely upgrade/tune the variator. Much more likely to get power gains as long as your exhaust isn’t extremely restrictive or something like that. With a properly tuned variator, you gain see significant gains across the board.
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Post by lunatuck on Sept 20, 2019 8:55:22 GMT -5
For a 4 stroke, I would definitely upgrade/tune the variator. Much more likely to get power gains as long as your exhaust isn’t extremely restrictive or something like that. With a properly tuned variator, you gain see significant gains across the board. Thx. I’m going to try the black marker test and see what I’m losing at the top end.
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Post by chehystpewpur on Sept 20, 2019 11:26:57 GMT -5
well for what its worth my experience in the 4t world is this many of the mods you do are going to reduce durability on the little guys and the more speed you suck out of them the faster they wear out. my stink involved goin almost all back to stock in the end because every time i rode it something broke and made me scramble to find another 2 stroke bike.
the a9 performance cam was the single best upgrade you can do to one as it makes you adjust the valves again and improves power and sound across the board along with get about 10-15 mph out of the bike with my skinny butt on there.
aftermarket variators tended to break alot for some reason for anyone i tried be it ncy or pfs hoca/voca brand and some fleabay specials. the stock ones didnt cause those issues. i also ha a random belt flipping issue with one of the variators i bought. it started on a ride to the parts store one day and i was about to head out over a like 10 mile long bridge that your not allowed to stop or pull over on. thankfully it happened before the bridge and not on it.
get a set of gears as it wont throw the motor off balance and youll be able to take advantage of the torque youve picked up with the bbk and keeps rpms down. 4t doesnt like to rev especially when you make the motor over square and it starts beating up the crank. the less violent piston acceleration and deceleration are the better the motor will fare. youll also use less fuel with a gear kit and its the only true way to squeeze more speed out of these things other than a 150cc swap or loading it into the back of a pickup truck. my 4t spent alot of time back there and its the fastest it ever went reliably.
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Post by lunatuck on Sept 20, 2019 12:26:51 GMT -5
well for what its worth my experience in the 4t world is this many of the mods you do are going to reduce durability on the little guys and the more speed you suck out of them the faster they wear out. my stink involved goin almost all back to stock in the end because every time i rode it something broke and made me scramble to find another 2 stroke bike. the a9 performance cam was the single best upgrade you can do to one as it makes you adjust the valves again and improves power and sound across the board along with get about 10-15 mph out of the bike with my skinny butt on there. aftermarket variators tended to break alot for some reason for anyone i tried be it ncy or pfs hoca/voca brand and some fleabay specials. the stock ones didnt cause those issues. i also ha a random belt flipping issue with one of the variators i bought. it started on a ride to the parts store one day and i was about to head out over a like 10 mile long bridge that your not allowed to stop or pull over on. thankfully it happened before the bridge and not on it. get a set of gears as it wont throw the motor off balance and youll be able to take advantage of the torque youve picked up with the bbk and keeps rpms down. 4t doesnt like to rev especially when you make the motor over square and it starts beating up the crank. the less violent piston acceleration and deceleration are the better the motor will fare. youll also use less fuel with a gear kit and its the only true way to squeeze more speed out of these things other than a 150cc swap or loading it into the back of a pickup truck. my 4t spent alot of time back there and its the fastest it ever went reliably. Thanks for the info. I have the sense with some of the “performance” parts, they aren’t the most durable. Most are the same price or only slightly higher then stock. The variator is one I assume can cause more issues then it solves. I will look into the cam and gears. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done so far, just have the urge to continue tinkering. I bought this 50% to ride, and 50% to tinker. It was either this or a used lambo. I can handle blowing this scoot up. Couldn’t handle blowing up a Lambo.
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Post by Kenho21 on Sept 20, 2019 12:37:38 GMT -5
You were between a used Lambo and a scooter? That's interesting... wondering how nice of a scooter or how rough of a Lambo we're talking?
And while we're talking Lambo, buy good quality name brand parts and you'll have far less issues.
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Post by chehystpewpur on Sept 20, 2019 12:47:51 GMT -5
these are a cheap addiction but i would suggest getting a 2 stroke if you want to tinker. let the 4t be reliable and a toy to bomb around on. have the 2t be your weekend warrior and when it breaks or you need a this or that or a one a thems you still got good ole 4t to screw around on. if the 4t ever lets go stick a 150 on the back and swap your cam over. idk if the gears swap i dont think they will but hey who really needs to go faster than 60-65 on a small wheel bike. who really needs to go faster than 70-75 on a bike on the road?
you made the right choice not buying a lambo. most people would just make fun of you for driving it around and youll get way more love on a scoot especially if it has a curly 1 pipe like some people call it. doesnt matter where i go they all smirk at first then wanna know more. my bike looks like crap right now from it sitting and being stored for so long but it seriously breaks necks every time i take it out. everyone on big bikes try and show off for me and just look like morons cause its like an adult trying to flex on a child and then the child shows them up. or hangs right there with them. even people in cars will start hollerin and hootin when they realize ole scooty puff is pullin away from them at the lights and doesnt stop till the speed limit is met.
the other day i was at the gas station and someone kept eyein my bike and i went in to pay get gas then went back in to grab a few things and pulled up by the building and they went over and were walking around my bike and took off before i came out. i was hoping they didnt steal my helmet. i go to leave and realize it was one of my managers and throw my hands up at him and hes givin me the no hands i didnt do nuthin. open my mask and im like yo wth you doin man and he comes running over now that he knows its me and proceeds to ask me about it for 30 mins. hes in love with the thing but was rolling his eyes at me before when i was telling him about it thinking i was talking it up. he texted me a few times after i left freaking out cause it was way faster than i made it out to be and told me everyone at the gas station stopped what they were doin to watch that thing go when i left. yet they were laughing at us talking about it moments before.
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Post by lunatuck on Sept 20, 2019 13:06:58 GMT -5
You were between a used Lambo and a scooter? That's interesting... wondering how nice of a scooter or how rough of a Lambo we're talking? And while we're talking Lambo, buy good quality name brand parts and you'll have far less issues. I was shopping for something like a post 2004 Gallardo. Problem was, the more I looked, the more 15k clutches and 40k engine jobs I saw. Supercars are just huge bills. And with Chevy introducing the new Vette, I figured I’d wait and see. Plus, wifey got a fast car. So it keeps me happy. A scooter is a great way to save money through a midlife crisis.
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Post by lunatuck on Sept 20, 2019 13:12:11 GMT -5
these are a cheap addiction but i would suggest getting a 2 stroke if you want to tinker. let the 4t be reliable and a toy to bomb around on. have the 2t be your weekend warrior and when it breaks or you need a this or that or a one a thems you still got good ole 4t to screw around on. if the 4t ever lets go stick a 150 on the back and swap your cam over. idk if the gears swap i dont think they will but hey who really needs to go faster than 60-65 on a small wheel bike. who really needs to go faster than 70-75 on a bike on the road? you made the right choice not buying a lambo. most people would just make fun of you for driving it around and youll get way more love on a scoot especially if it has a curly 1 pipe like some people call it. doesnt matter where i go they all smirk at first then wanna know more. my bike looks like crap right now from it sitting and being stored for so long but it seriously breaks necks every time i take it out. everyone on big bikes try and show off for me and just look like morons cause its like an adult trying to flex on a child and then the child shows them up. or hangs right there with them. even people in cars will start hollerin and hootin when they realize ole scooty puff is pullin away from them at the lights and doesnt stop till the speed limit is met. the other day i was at the gas station and someone kept eyein my bike and i went in to pay get gas then went back in to grab a few things and pulled up by the building and they went over and were walking around my bike and took off before i came out. i was hoping they didnt steal my helmet. i go to leave and realize it was one of my managers and throw my hands up at him and hes givin me the no hands i didnt do nuthin. open my mask and im like yo wth you doin man and he comes running over now that he knows its me and proceeds to ask me about it for 30 mins. hes in love with the thing but was rolling his eyes at me before when i was telling him about it thinking i was talking it up. he texted me a few times after i left freaking out cause it was way faster than i made it out to be and told me everyone at the gas station stopped what they were doin to watch that thing go when i left. yet they were laughing at us talking about it moments before. I do have my eyes open for a 2 stroke. I’m much more familiar with those engines. I enjoy working on them more as well. Small changes make a big difference. This is my first 4 stroke engine rebuild. Tooled with a snowmobile a bit, but may sell that if we don’t get snow this year. That thing is fast! 500cc! I also have a 2t motorized bike hats pretty fun. It used to be faster then the scooter. Its not anylonger. But, its also not safe. Bike parts cant handle what I was doing. I basically replaced everything on the bike. But, I am digging this scooter. Took it to work, to the store, it just makes life more fun! Thats what I need right now.
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Post by chehystpewpur on Sept 20, 2019 13:25:47 GMT -5
i used to have a bmw 540 it was a 97-02 bodystyle. good reliable motor and trans and pretty slick looking car. 13's in the quarter mile and sounded amazing. great brakes but werent expensive safe in a crash and could pull over 1g going around a corner with sticky tires. and at any speed would fry them off. at 100 mph you could hit it and lay down a whole set of tires before you got traction. i paid 3800 bux about 7-8 years ago and they are cheaper now. some even come with a bulletproof 6 speed manual if you want a fiddle stick. drive.google.com/file/d/10pvsP_vtGaEt9oq2-ZHZB1la9GR4snot/view?usp=sharingi gave it up for my scoot and dont regret it but i will own another one again. they are one of the few good bmws and one of the last great ones. the newer ones are teh suck. and the pre 97 ones are teh suck as the bmw forums say. just saying you can get a great midlife crisis car that doesnt always need to be on the road for the low and use the money you saved for any repairs you may have in the future. most things you can do at home with some time. the parts werent expensive for it believe it or not and most costed less than the parts for the saturn i had which was my gas mileage car 45mpg. i sold it as the bmw got 30mpg on the highway and i stopped driving the saturn cause yeah its obvious. that beamer was on par with the new chevy ss when it came out 20 years later if that makes any sense and was more reliable looks way better and does have front brakes that cost 2 grand it was 200 bux for rotors and pads for the beamer. i had a friend that bought an ss and kept bragging and bragging and im like bro i had that way before you and its not costing a house payment and it took a year of showing him specs and facts that it was pretty much the same just way nicer. he finally sold the ss cause it was costing more than his house was. and admitted after test driving an old 540 that if he didnt work for chevy hed be out buying one right now.
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Post by Kenho21 on Sept 20, 2019 13:26:37 GMT -5
Yeah, best upgrade you can get is a 2 stroke lol. You won't look back.
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Post by lunatuck on Sept 20, 2019 13:34:13 GMT -5
i used to have a bmw 540 it was a 97-02 bodystyle. good reliable motor and trans and pretty slick looking car. 13's in the quarter mile and sounded amazing. great brakes but werent expensive safe in a crash and could pull over 1g going around a corner with sticky tires. and at any speed would fry them off. at 100 mph you could hit it and lay down a whole set of tires before you got traction. i paid 3800 bux about 7-8 years ago and they are cheaper now. some even come with a bulletproof 6 speed manual if you want a fiddle stick. drive.google.com/file/d/10pvsP_vtGaEt9oq2-ZHZB1la9GR4snot/view?usp=sharingi gave it up for my scoot and dont regret it but i will own another one again. they are one of the few good bmws and one of the last great ones. the newer ones are teh suck. and the pre 97 ones are teh suck as the bmw forums say. just saying you can get a great midlife crisis car that doesnt always need to be on the road for the low and use the money you saved for any repairs you may have in the future. most things you can do at home with some time. the parts werent expensive for it believe it or not and most costed less than the parts for the saturn i had which was my gas mileage car 45mpg. i sold it as the bmw got 30mpg on the highway and i stopped driving the saturn cause yeah its obvious. that beamer was on par with the new chevy ss when it came out 20 years later if that makes any sense and was more reliable looks way better and does have front brakes that cost 2 grand it was 200 bux for rotors and pads for the beamer. i had a friend that bought an ss and kept bragging and bragging and im like bro i had that way before you and its not costing a house payment and it took a year of showing him specs and facts that it was pretty much the same just way nicer. he finally sold the ss cause it was costing more than his house was. and admitted after test driving an old 540 that if he didnt work for chevy hed be out buying one right now. My mother bought a Mercedes SL 550 a few years ago. Fun, but not so fast. Probably 0-60 in 5s. But, my dad wrecked it last month. He was extremely lucky. Top down and hit in the driver door by a jeep going 45mph. No skid marks. A few cuts and bruises, but it easily could’ve been much worse. So were all looking for a new family “fun” car. And we share garages, so its like a car buffet. Wifey just got a GLC amg. 0-60 in 4.3s and really fun to drive. More fun then the SL was. Handles almost as well. But it feels a little bit practical. My kids can fit in there. Lol. Thats good and bad. I’m intrigued by the new Vette though. They’re making the Italians sweat.
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Post by chehystpewpur on Sept 20, 2019 13:35:38 GMT -5
my old snowmobile was the safest fun i ever had period but only good for 3-5 months. it was technically my stepdads but broke his tailbone so couldnt ride ever again. skidoo 670 rotax bambardier he had it built and was making 240hp but was too much for him to ride in the trails so had it toned down to around 200hp and it was disgusting. had to take the studded track off because he couldnt keep the front end down at any speed. topped out around 130 mph with skinny ole me on it and with a wore out track for safety could easily hit 130 in less than 1/8 mile. nothing haunts my dreams like the scream of the twin cylinders banshee wail at wide open through the woods. getting goosebumps thinking about it and a lump in my pants. cleaning out the pole barn one summer and he let me take it around the field 1 time after i begged and offered anything to feel it with traction. chores for a month and all the mowing. 1/4 throttle was terrifying and i could barely hold on. i hit it full throttle 1 time and instantly brought it back and went inside. i dont ever want to feel anything like that again. there is such a thing as too much and lets just say too much needed some multiplication to explain this
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Post by Kenho21 on Sept 20, 2019 13:38:08 GMT -5
Get an Ariel Atom
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Post by Kenho21 on Sept 20, 2019 13:39:01 GMT -5
That's what my girlfriend and I are getting when she graduates...
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