Al in Albuquerque

[abarrus]

Hi, All. My name's Al. I'm an Iraq war veteran, public servant, and a suburban husband and father. I spend most of my days riding a desk in downtown ABQ. I had to sell my a 2001 Jetta, and bought this 49cc TaoTao with the proceeds. I always thought motorcycles were dangerous and impractical, but it seems that I'm now a motorcyclist for practical reasons.

I do enjoy riding in the open air. However, it's very hot in Albuquerque right now. That part I don't like, but I think the cooler winter will be more manageable. I wear a backpack while I ride, and keep work clothes, my lunch, and laptop in there while I ride wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The photo below was taken a few days ago when I first bought the TaoTao during my lunch break. I'm getting a better helmet than the one in this photo.

I wouldn't mind getting more power out of this bike. In a car my commute is about 15 minutes using the interstate. With the scooter I get to work in 30 minutes, but going home is more like 40+ minutes.

I would like to find ways to shave down my commute time in the 49cc zone. I'm also trying to find ways to minimize risks. I know that insurance isn't required but I understand there are policies out there, as accidents do happen. I ordered an open face scooter helmet. I just think a closed face helmet would be too hot, and I'm prone to heat exhaustion, and that too can increase risks.

I bought this bike at the local scoot shop, so I have some community and help with maintenance, however I would like to connect with the national and international 49cc scoot crowds. I'm especially interested in learning how people have successfully modded this TaoTao.

Cheers. Any advice is appreciated.

-Al

[acvw74]

Hello and Welcome,
You found a great crowd here that are friendly and helpful.


First thing to consider for your commuter is reliability.

Make sure that ALL the fluids have been changed.
Change your vacuum and fuel lines.
Consider changing the vacuum fuel shut off to a manual.

Just a few thoughts that have been found to be weak links on these bikes.

You are going to find tons of info on performance improvement...from mild to wild...you will just need to pick your path.

[90GTVert]

Check into the insurance. You may be surprised how cheap it is.


The most common mod for these that really makes a difference is a big bore kit. The bigger you go, the more you risk premature engine failure. That said, I think a 72cc (47mm bore) kit is a good choice. More info in the link below and there are some discussion and polls in the 4T performance subforum. Actually, since you're new to scoots you may want to look over the whole FAQ section and see what you find useful.

www.49ccscoot.com/faq/whichkit.html
www.49ccscoot.com/faq/faq.html


I don't know the laws there, but you may be able to expedite your commute without even going faster. Sometimes scoots and/or motorcycles are allowed to ride in places that cars can't. For example, I can use the shoulder or bus/bike lane here. Most of the time that's no help in open areas, but in some places where there's traffic and a bus lane I can cruise past the cars stuck in gridlock. Some areas allow lane splitting, where you can ride between cars. That one I would not advise trying until you're used to the scooter and traffic on the scooter.

Try to stay alert to as much of your surroundings as possible. 2 wheels is a different experience. You can get motorcyclist's handbooks free online in PDF format. Your own state's MVA/DMV or whatever they call it may have them on their website. If not, the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) has them.

[geoffh]

Al I,m always curious how peeps get on after joining us,you,ve had a while to soak up the jillions of info on here,maybe you have more questions or need a short cut to enjoy your scoot.What is your top speed at the moment?

geoff

[jstich]

You have the same scoot as me. Same color even. Theres a post here warning us about the stock carbs being too lean.Its something to consider.Im getting a cheap aftermarket carb so I can change needle jet position and the main jet. Im loving mine, how do you like yours?