I'm taking the "Tao Tao Plunge"!
Jan 26, 2017 23:04:18 GMT -5
90GTVert, Senna1Rossi, and 1 more like this
Post by bluegoatwoods on Jan 26, 2017 23:04:18 GMT -5
I just placed the order about five minutes ago. Here's the scoot I bought:
www.powersportsmax.com/product_info.php/products_id/15467
I have a Kymco People 150 and my wife has a 50cc Honda Metropolitan. We went for 'name brands' because we're scooter newbies and wanted something that wouldn't require a whole lot of our attention. And the bikes are doing just fine.
But I was pretty certain that I'd buy another scooter for the 2017 riding season. For one thing, my wife needs more than 50ccs. She's doing okay and she's having fun. And the Metro really is a sweet little bike. But it kinda feels like a toy, too. Plus the fact that I want us to have some sort of spare for when one of our bikes needs service or repair. I'm willing to work on them myself. I'm kinda eager to do so, in fact. But I don't want to be rushed when I do it.
But over this past weekend I pulled my wheels. In order to get new tires put on it. This was a tear-down nearly as complete as the "Chinese Scooter Post Delivery Inspection" videos that our host, 90gtvert has posted. I had watched most of them once and thought, "I could do that". But I hadn't gotten around to trying it yet because we'd rather ride than take apart our bikes. But this tear-down went really smooth. The parts were 'intuitive'. If that's the right term. Re-assembly went even quicker because I was now familiar with the parts. I got the re-assembly done in about two and a half hours. And it could have been quicker if I'd wanted.
Now a couple of weeks ago I very nearly pulled the trigger on a Lance Cali Classic 125. I don't doubt that I would have been happy to have that bike, too. But this tire swap got me thinking about the less expensive scooters and the PDI videos. So I watched the videos again and started looking for cheaper scooters. There were several that tempted me. But this particular one looks like it really offers a lot of bang for the buck.
It'll be a sheer pleasure to tear that bike down. To put in good fuel lines. To make sure that the wiring is up to snuff. To un-tamper proof the carb and set the idle speed and fuel mixture right where I want it. And to do it with brand new components that aren't all dirty and worn is just icing on the cake.
I don't doubt that when it's all done the Metro will be the spare.
So thanks to Brent for going through the trouble of making these videos. To steal a line from J R R Tolkien, "Praise him with great praise!"
And I'm not just trying to be cute with that. He really does deserve gratitude for this. That knowledge is......if not priceless, then at least quite valuable. Plus he went to the trouble of producing it in a good video format. That takes effort.
So, Thank You 90GTvert! Your videos have given me the confidence to proceed and confidence in my own success. I can follow this trail.
One question comes to mind.
I'm sure that Tao Tao uses some fairly hardened steel and fasteners in critical spots. But I'm willing to bet they use the very cheapest stuff where they can get away with it. I'll also bet that I'll have a hard time finding torque specs for many of these fasteners. But that doesn't really worry me. I'll be able to estimate torque specs based on the thickness of the bolt in question and the threads and pitch.
I'm wondering, though, whether or not it would be a good idea to 'discount' any estimated torque value a bit based on the supposition that some of the steel might be less than stellar quality.
Any thoughts on that?
www.powersportsmax.com/product_info.php/products_id/15467
I have a Kymco People 150 and my wife has a 50cc Honda Metropolitan. We went for 'name brands' because we're scooter newbies and wanted something that wouldn't require a whole lot of our attention. And the bikes are doing just fine.
But I was pretty certain that I'd buy another scooter for the 2017 riding season. For one thing, my wife needs more than 50ccs. She's doing okay and she's having fun. And the Metro really is a sweet little bike. But it kinda feels like a toy, too. Plus the fact that I want us to have some sort of spare for when one of our bikes needs service or repair. I'm willing to work on them myself. I'm kinda eager to do so, in fact. But I don't want to be rushed when I do it.
But over this past weekend I pulled my wheels. In order to get new tires put on it. This was a tear-down nearly as complete as the "Chinese Scooter Post Delivery Inspection" videos that our host, 90gtvert has posted. I had watched most of them once and thought, "I could do that". But I hadn't gotten around to trying it yet because we'd rather ride than take apart our bikes. But this tear-down went really smooth. The parts were 'intuitive'. If that's the right term. Re-assembly went even quicker because I was now familiar with the parts. I got the re-assembly done in about two and a half hours. And it could have been quicker if I'd wanted.
Now a couple of weeks ago I very nearly pulled the trigger on a Lance Cali Classic 125. I don't doubt that I would have been happy to have that bike, too. But this tire swap got me thinking about the less expensive scooters and the PDI videos. So I watched the videos again and started looking for cheaper scooters. There were several that tempted me. But this particular one looks like it really offers a lot of bang for the buck.
It'll be a sheer pleasure to tear that bike down. To put in good fuel lines. To make sure that the wiring is up to snuff. To un-tamper proof the carb and set the idle speed and fuel mixture right where I want it. And to do it with brand new components that aren't all dirty and worn is just icing on the cake.
I don't doubt that when it's all done the Metro will be the spare.
So thanks to Brent for going through the trouble of making these videos. To steal a line from J R R Tolkien, "Praise him with great praise!"
And I'm not just trying to be cute with that. He really does deserve gratitude for this. That knowledge is......if not priceless, then at least quite valuable. Plus he went to the trouble of producing it in a good video format. That takes effort.
So, Thank You 90GTvert! Your videos have given me the confidence to proceed and confidence in my own success. I can follow this trail.
One question comes to mind.
I'm sure that Tao Tao uses some fairly hardened steel and fasteners in critical spots. But I'm willing to bet they use the very cheapest stuff where they can get away with it. I'll also bet that I'll have a hard time finding torque specs for many of these fasteners. But that doesn't really worry me. I'll be able to estimate torque specs based on the thickness of the bolt in question and the threads and pitch.
I'm wondering, though, whether or not it would be a good idea to 'discount' any estimated torque value a bit based on the supposition that some of the steel might be less than stellar quality.
Any thoughts on that?