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Post by kraine on Jul 31, 2018 22:25:54 GMT -5
Hey guys new to the forums but figured i would throw my two cents in also, I purchased a cheap taotao 49cc scoot to get me the 2 miles to and from work, but am upgrading the carb, ordering a jet kit, taking it to a 47mm bbk, and upgrading the plug/coil/cdi not because I am unhappy with the performance, but because I want to learn to work on vehicles and figured a small easy to work on engine like this would make a great starting point, so even though I could have bought a 150cc for the price of my scoot and all the upgrades and had more power and better performance for me its more paying less than 1000$ for all the knowledge and experience that comes with installing a bbk and learning how the entire platform works together, how the weights of the cvt effect performance, how to tune a carb, how to work on a head carefully without risking my 10000$ suv, etc
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Post by 90GTVert on Aug 1, 2018 6:01:43 GMT -5
Welcome kraine! I worked on cars more before I had scooters, but I have learned more with scooters than I think I ever did with cars. Some of it won't apply across platforms, but some of it is universally good info/technique and I do think that scoots can be a practical way to start learning about basic mechanics at least. |
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\\-olf
Scoot Enthusiast
Iowa
Posts: 304
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Post by \\-olf on Aug 1, 2018 23:29:56 GMT -5
There's a huge difference between pulling a single aluminum cylinder head off a 49 cc scooter engine that can be completely replaced for about $50, and pulling the heavy cast iron heads off an older V8 pickup truck engine to remove the valves and machine them!
Some basics for practices might be interchangeable- hospital room cleanliness, organizing all bolts etc removed so they all go back exactly where they came from, torque wrench, proper tools- don't use vice grips or crescent wrenches to remove nuts or bolts use the correctly sized open or box wrench, things like this.
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Post by kraine on Aug 2, 2018 7:59:26 GMT -5
I am a complete noob Grease monkey, I just did my first solo vehicle maintenance ever, just basic oil, gear oil, and spark plug change, but in researching those things I've learned about oil weights and why they are important, the difference between conventional and synthetic oils, how to check and adjust the gap on a spark plug, and how to and install one without damaging the ceramic or over tightening it, I expect larger vehicle to be tougher and more complicated but still operate under the same basic principals suck squeeze bang blow
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Post by jwinn on Aug 2, 2018 8:47:52 GMT -5
Long story short, i broke my collar bone last december. A plate, nine screws and almost 5 months laid up, i got waaay behind on rent and bills. Back to work, i got tired of trying to get to work 15 miles away. So a 50cc scoot would allow me to get to work easier while paying it off and catching up on my bills.
Yeah, i don't need the motorcycle endorsement, although i passed the class, required here in FL, two weeks before i broke the bone. I will eventually get a motorcycle. But i will still ride my lil 50cc scoot cause it's so much fun to ride. IMO, more so than a clunky 150cc. And will also be looking to upgrade a few cc's so i don't have to tuck. My lower back will thank me for it.
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\\-olf
Scoot Enthusiast
Iowa
Posts: 304
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Post by \\-olf on Aug 5, 2018 11:44:23 GMT -5
I've learned about oil weights and why they are important, the difference between conventional and synthetic oils, I've always just used good quality 10w30 regular oil, usually Quaker State or Castrol in my TaoTao, it has over 6400 on the odometer now, the real key is not so much what brand, or what weight it is, it is to keep it CHANGED FREQUENTLY, especially if you do short trips and live in a cold climate area where it gets cold in the winter. Condensation forms and gets in the oil, and being there's only half a quart of oil in the crankcase it doesn't take much to foul the oil, just don't mix brands or weights up together! I worked for a guy who used to put in whatever oil was the cheapest in the new company delivery car, he even mixed weights and brands together if it needed a quart added and that's really bad! What weight oil you use is going to depend on your climate area just like with your car, 10w30 is a good middle of the road oil, despite the claims of changes to oils below 40 weight, it has not had any effect on my engine at all, that's why it has 6,400 on it since 2011, run year-round here in Iowa even when it's well below freezing. |
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\\-olf
Scoot Enthusiast
Iowa
Posts: 304
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Post by \\-olf on Aug 5, 2018 11:47:20 GMT -5
And will also be looking to upgrade a few cc's so i don't have to tuck. My lower back will thank me for it. A windshield can help, I noticed a definite difference when I added one, it directs the wind a lot more smoothly around you instead of letting it blast you directly and drag against your clothes etc. |
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Post by SMALL CC TEK on Aug 10, 2018 18:23:44 GMT -5
How about changing all the low quality rubber hoses with some Tygon hose or some thing comparable ! That way you wont get a fuel leak or Vacuum leak right off the bat , O a real plug like a NGK Dinso Autolite . Good Luck with the new Ride !
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wahlman
Scoot Enthusiast
Posts: 111
Location: Miami, Florida
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Post by wahlman on Aug 12, 2018 17:22:00 GMT -5
And will also be looking to upgrade a few cc's so i don't have to tuck. My lower back will thank me for it. A windshield can help, I noticed a definite difference when I added one, it directs the wind a lot more smoothly around you instead of letting it blast you directly and drag against your clothes etc. How did the windshield affect your overall mpg? Because on a 250cc motorcycle it makes a significant bad effect. With a full face helmet I am curious as to why people install windshields at all. |
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\\-olf
Scoot Enthusiast
Iowa
Posts: 304
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Post by \\-olf on Aug 13, 2018 0:43:21 GMT -5
How did the windshield affect your overall mpg? Because on a 250cc motorcycle it makes a significant bad effect. With a full face helmet I am curious as to why people install windshields at all. I never paid any attention to mpg, the claims the 49 cc scooter seller make of them getting 100+ mpg are ridiculous, I never got more than about 73 mpg and that was with extremely concious, easy riding at normal speeds, like I had an egg in my hand on the accelerator, and my weight being only 130#, no fast starts, coasting to stops etc. I did that fuelly fuel log thing up until about a year ago, it says my average mpg was 57, with a noticeable reduction in winter and increase in summer. A few times I had to estimate the amount of fuel added so the mpg's logged were a little off. I DID notice more power and speed with the windshield due to their being LESS wind resistance, the windshield is no taller or wider than your chest, but it's very smooth and more importantly- rounded, so the air is redirected out to the sides and up smoothly and with less resistance than it does hitting your rough, wrinkle filled clothing, sleeves etc. It also redirects BUGS up over your head much like the deals on the front of cars that do the same thing and keep bugs off the windshield. I couldnt say what effect there might be on a 250cc bike- you'd be going 65-70 mph anyway and the engine has plenty of power to overcome wind resistance that a puny 49cc engine doesn't have. I don't wear a full face helmet on a 49 cc scooter. imgur.com/a/3lzMTt3 |
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JT
Scoot Junior
Employed/self-employed
Posts: 6
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Post by JT on Aug 13, 2018 14:52:12 GMT -5
I got a black atm 50 a1. Never rode a scooter but no license needed and needed reliable transportation. Didn’t know anything about engines. Between the 49ccscoot channel on YouTube Ian’s a few others I would have been at the mercy of the scooter repair shops in my area. I had replaced/repaired carb, rear break cable,belt, kill switch & valve adjustments. It was a reliable and fun scooter by the time I sold it for $225 it topped out at 47mph. And no bbk. Just a good jetted carb and I took the box off it. I now have a Bintelli scorch . But if it wasn’t for the good ole taotao I would have never learned or experienced what I know now lol.
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