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Post by benhonda on Aug 19, 2019 13:50:49 GMT -5
I buy non running 50cc bikes from time to time to fix up and resell...sometimes I turn them into mini-bikes, sometimes I use the rear end to build a go kart trike.
Then this showed up for sale. I put in a low ball offer and was shot down, only to have the seller contact me 3 weeks later saying they would sell for slightly higher, so I figured it would be worth a shot.
$150...and only 177 miles on the clock! How you ask? Simply put, the owner received the bike but never a title. So it was never put on the road. It was driven around the neighborhood for a year or 2, then parked for 5 or 6 years...outside, without even a tarp. (what is wrong with people?)
Thus far, I can't get the starter motor to do anything. Not sure if the micro switch in the brake lever is working. Both brake master cylinders have cracked/dry rotted site glasses, so for now, no functioning brakes.
The seat release cable had broken, so that will need to be fixed.
I sprayed some starting fluid up the intake tube and she came to life with a couple of kicks.
It will have to be torn apart, the carb and fuel lines, hoses all replaced, gas tank cleaned out, new master cylinders and who knows what else...oh yeh, a battery and oil change.
Obviously I won't be putting it on the road either. I'm considering stripping the body/lights ect and making look like a naked scooter, kinda Ruckus style. And I may put a dirt bike tire on the rear for better off road traction. Not really sure how far I will go, might just end up getting it running and drive it as is.
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Post by iwannascoot on Aug 19, 2019 14:32:54 GMT -5
I like the front wheels on that.
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Post by jloi on Aug 19, 2019 14:44:48 GMT -5
Yeah baby, a naked Trike . That rear tail light assembly does look like a thruster tho.
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Post by benhonda on Aug 19, 2019 15:01:49 GMT -5
further diagnoses has revealed that the fuel tank outlet is totally clogged. I cant even my air compressor can't blow air through it. Must have been stored with very little fuel and all that is left is crude to block the outlet.
I used a test fuel tank, that showed that the fuel pump is also clogged.
Then I ran the line from the test tank direct to the carb, this allowed it to pop and sputter some times.
I got the starter motor working by bypassing the brake lever micro switch, which must be bad.
So I may end up going the route of removed all body panels, lights, anything not needed for offroad use, setup a motorcycle style gas tank, buy a new carb (I will try to clean the one on it but I don't see that workout out well)
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Post by jloi on Aug 19, 2019 15:34:35 GMT -5
Good job . Is this the nipple on bottom of tank?? temp fix?? small drill bit - drill thru crud ??
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Post by snaker on Aug 19, 2019 17:30:17 GMT -5
If you've got a fuel pump then I assume fuel doesn't gravity flow to the carb.
That's a good thing because it should have only been the fuel in the carb that evaporated up.
A lot better then a whole tank full slowly draining through the carb and accumulating crud.
Cool looking rig.
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Post by catchacuda on Aug 19, 2019 22:04:14 GMT -5
Very cool, I think it would look great without its clothes on.
I suddenly want to build a trike out of two scoots. Keep one front wheel and both engines and rear wheels hmmm
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Post by benhonda on Aug 20, 2019 14:31:45 GMT -5
I tried cleaning the carb, ran a test tank through the fuel pump and it actually isn't blocked.
Though it will only start and idle for 5-10 seconds. Pretty sure the carb still has a clog, not only would it only idle for a bit, if you tried to give it throttle it would die instantly.
I have a new carb on the way, along with 2 new brake master cylinders.
Trying to find a dirt bike tire for the rear might not work out. I've done it on a 50cc bike but i think that rim was 12'' and some 110cc bikes have them, but first look on amazon shows no 13'' diameter dirt bike tires.
In order to take it off road, I really wanted to increase the traction.
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Post by FrankenMech on Aug 21, 2019 17:25:25 GMT -5
Sorry to have to tell you this. I have a similar 50cc reverse trike made by dongfang. The front suspension will not take off-road use at all. I would scrap the scoot out. It is totally unsuitable for your intended use.
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Post by christopher on Aug 21, 2019 18:54:40 GMT -5
If it has been untitled for that long, apply for a title, you might have to bond it, to get a title I've done it in MN before.
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Post by benhonda on Aug 21, 2019 20:07:39 GMT -5
If it has been untitled for that long, apply for a title, you might have to bond it, to get a title I've done it in MN before. Im sure it could be done, I just have no desire to do so. Plus, it would have to then also pass inspection, not sure that it would, especially with whatever gas tank solution I come up with as the one in it is clogged up. |
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Post by benhonda on Aug 21, 2019 20:17:13 GMT -5
Sorry to have to tell you this. I have a similar 50cc reverse trike made by dongfang. The front suspension will not take off-road use at all. I would scrap the scoot out. It is totally unsuitable for your intended use. I don't expect it to go where an ATV or dirt bike would go, not only is the design more complicated than needed, it is also cheaply made. Though I do expect this one to be heavier duty than the 50cc version.
I got the new carb and front master cylinder put on today. Took it for a 5 minute test run around the neighborhood with a lawn mower gas tank and she ran decent. Bogs a tad if you are at a stop and punch it...might need a little tweaking on the carb settings.
I did drive it though a field at the end of my road, seems OK on mild off road stuff. I do feel like I want the seat height to be 2-3 inches lower but I'm not sure it would be worth the effort to make that happen.
I think I'm going to finish the brakes, mount a gas tank, mount the dual sport tire I bought for the rear and paint the plastics black.
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Post by FrankenMech on Aug 21, 2019 21:57:39 GMT -5
The frame and suspension for the dongfang 50cc and 150cc are the same except for the motor mounts. Dongfang seems to be the only factory that makes them although they were sold under several names by several distributors. The front suspension design is very weak in a couple places. It is just my opinion from having owned one that you are wasting money on a lost cause.
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Post by benhonda on Aug 21, 2019 22:45:28 GMT -5
The frame and suspension for the dongfang 50cc and 150cc are the same except for the motor mounts. Dongfang seems to be the only factory that makes them although they were sold under several names by several distributors. The front suspension design is very weak in a couple places. It is just my opinion from having owned one that you are wasting money on a lost cause. seems like the front end on mine would be too big for a 50cc bike, but I guess it would have been cheaper for them to use the same stuff for both bikes. What parts broke on yours? Did you ride yours off road, or did stuff break just from normal use? And did yours have high mileage? My bike has less than 200 miles on it, though having sat outside for 5-6 years hasn't done it any favors.
Honestly, I will probably drive it around my neighborhood, on some trails and at an event in an ATV part in october and then sell it.
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Post by FrankenMech on Aug 22, 2019 1:29:53 GMT -5
The front frame bent from normal street use. I never had it off road. I have 5,537Km on the scoot but the frame has been bent for some time. It is my opinion as an engineer that any sort of pounding on a trail would literally fold up parts of the front frame. Be careful if you ride it over rough terrain. Failure could be sudden and catastrophic. When the time comes I intend to just part mine out.
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