kuro
Scoot Junior
Posts: 12
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Post by kuro on Oct 27, 2022 9:58:40 GMT -5
Hello everyone,
I found this forum after watching some 49ccscoot videos on Youtube, so I would like to introduce myself first.
My name is Timo , 34 years old and I'm from germany.
I started working on scooters around ~22 years ago, and have actually worked on them more or less profesionally for a few years after (and while) learning to be a mechanic (for cars officially, but the company I worked for had a bike branch and I spent more time there, mainly on 2 stroke scooters and later tuning - after my apprenticeship ended, I started working on scooters exclusively).
I myself used to own a CPI Hussar (a chinese brand that uses what we called "fake minarelli short" engines, also known as 1pe40qmb) that had been swapped to a MBK Nitro / Yamaha Aerox engine (one of the first ever to do that, as people thought the Minarelli long engines would actually be bad for handling etc, they thought the weelbase would change too much.) It had a self portet engine, Stage 6 Racing MK1, MHR Overrange, Italkit inner rotor, 24mm Mikuni TM, Yasuni C20 and lots more.. Was making around 21whp on good days without blocking the CVT, which was a lot back then.
After some "legal issues" and health issues I kind of lost interest or rather fun and stopped working on scooters alltogether and began working as a programmer.
Lately I have found myself being interested in scooters again, so I bought my "new" 1999 Piaggio NRG Extreme (yeah, they always had funny names. Dunno what's supposed to be extreme lol) in mint condition. I plan on keeping it on the lower end of tuning becaus I will ride it on the streets (riding tuned scooters is illegal here), but I plan to get an old friends project scooter that's been sitting for over 20 years in his garage to finish it. That is a Suzuki Katana R50 with modified frame to fit in a Minarelli engine. That will come after my garage is being built though, so it will take some time (just built a house and the garage is delayed due to materials missing).
My time ended before the really high end tuning parts like the Malossi (R)C1 and the billet engines became available. The only parts over 70cc available back then was an Italkit 75cc, which was more MidRace and the 1st gen 2Fast 80cc's, which were really hard to get and expensive compared to other high end cylinder kits. So seeing over 25hp on a engine that started as a 50cc was considered huge.
Yeah, that's all I guess.. I hope my english isn't too bad
Greetings
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Post by FrankenMech on Oct 27, 2022 14:51:42 GMT -5
 Your English is better than some of the people here so do not worry, Welcome.
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Post by aeroxbud on Oct 27, 2022 14:55:38 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum Timo.
The katana sounds very interesting as not a lot of parts available for the standard Suzuki engine.
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pili
Scoot Enthusiast
Posts: 220
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Post by pili on Oct 27, 2022 19:45:36 GMT -5
Welcome. As mentioned your English is exccellent. Europe sounds like scooter heaven. It's tougher here, especially in the midwest, to find rare scooters and engines like you mentioned.
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Post by geoffh on Oct 28, 2022 14:40:23 GMT -5
Time,welcome the forum,it,s quite easy to upgrade a standard 50cc into a ridable 60kph street ride,I prefer the stealth exhaust,s and some CVT work to get there,it all depends and what you want from your ride??.
Geoff
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Post by captincvmn on Oct 29, 2022 5:36:06 GMT -5
Welcome aboard the board try not to get bored.
I’m not sure how legal scooter tuning is here in Pennsylvania. My license is not for motorcycle and my scooter being titled under 50cc makes me legal. Now it had a 70cc kit which fouls the title/registration and also makes me illegal to operate. As far as the legality of mods? 🤷♂️
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Post by 90GTVert on Oct 29, 2022 6:32:00 GMT -5
Welcome kuro! After some "legal issues" and health issues I kind of lost interest or rather fun and stopped working on scooters... I plan on keeping it on the lower end of tuning becaus I will ride it on the streets (riding tuned scooters is illegal here) I’m not sure how legal scooter tuning is here in Pennsylvania. My license is not for motorcycle and my scooter being titled nder 50cc makes me legal. Now it had a 70cc kit which fouls the title/registration and also makes me illegal to operate. As far as the legality of mods? 🤷♂️ Legal or not, I think enforcement is the big issue. Most of us (probably none of us) in the US have to deal with what some other areas of the world do for scooter regulation and enforcement. A lot of Europeans comment on my car show vids after watching Ryan and I ride heavily tuned two-strokes and tell what are basically horror stories IMO of enforcement there and the same things have been shared on the forum. After watching one person in Europe with an RC-One build, I noticed how much he emphasized that his tuned scoot was transported to a private area in a van and never on a roadway. It appeared to be either someone that has been in trouble before or knows that he would be at risk for even saying he's been on public roads with a tuned scoot. |
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kuro
Scoot Junior
Posts: 12
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Post by kuro on Oct 29, 2022 7:42:35 GMT -5
Hi guys! Thanks for the warm welcome. Yes, enforcement is the big issue here, and you really get in trouble if you get caught.. For example you will most probably loose your drivers license (even the ones that have nothing to do with scooters or bikes, namely your car license), you will get sued for tax fraud, riding without insurance and registry, riding without license (if you don't have a bike license, we are allowed to actually ride 50cc scooters with special 50cc license at 16 or with car license at 18).. It will cost a lot and depending on your age and record can get you in even more trouble like unpaid public work (clean streets etc). Or even jail (don't know of any case, highly unlikely but it is possible in theory). It used to be more lax back when I used to ride scooters over 10 years ago.. Cops sometimes stopped me with 70cc sport setup and illegal visual tuning and let me off the hook when I promised to bring it back to stock condition.. But these days, cops here will impound your car if it is lowered by 1 inch too much.. So yeah.. No letting off the hook any more. Although to be fair, with the later "high end" setup they wouldn't have let me off the hook even back then.. So the Katana will become a pure fun project which will probably not be driven much, except I can make a deal with someone who has a big open private space - which is also very rare in germany compared to some places in the US.. Nonetheless I am excited about it, because I will just go nuts with it and won't care about cops etc. And if it ends up in my room as a pure showcase item that's ok too.. The NRG on the other hand... I started ordering parts. Including a Yasuni R (which is legal if I keep the choke (? don't know the english word. A ring that basically cuts power). A bigger carb and some small stuff. A 70cc is in consideration.. Not too sure about it yet though.. I also have a modded CDI which can be programmed to run only 50kph by cutting rpm.. But it cuts spark so not a good solution imo. Still can't get my head around how clean the NRG is.. Not a single scratch, no greyed out plastics.. Almost like new. You don't see these conditions over here, because most sporty looking scooters had teens as previous owners, and we all know how they care for their stuff    |
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Post by 90GTVert on Oct 29, 2022 10:34:08 GMT -5
The NRG on the other hand... I started ordering parts. Including a Yasuni R (which is legal if I keep the choke (? don't know the english word. A ring that basically cuts power). A bigger carb and some small stuff. A 70cc is in consideration.. Not too sure about it yet though.. I also have a modded CDI which can be programmed to run only 50kph by cutting rpm.. But it cuts spark so not a good solution imo. We commonly call those "chokes" restrictors here, since it is a restriction in the pipe and output. I know they sell homologated versions, but it surprises me that they are even allowed in such a strict area. I thought the police there were well aware of limiters, which I'd think makes it tough to be of any use. |
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kuro
Scoot Junior
Posts: 12
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Post by kuro on Oct 30, 2022 7:53:29 GMT -5
Thanks, yes, restrictors was the word I was looking for. Yes they are allowed if homologated, but with those restrictors they are actually mostly worse than the stock exhaust performance wise..
And yes, the police is aware of those limiters.. I just hope that since i'm a bit older they may not look as close as they do with younger people.. And if they don't find the limiter and didn't actually stop you doing over 50kph they shouldn't have enough proof to impound the scooter for further investigation.. There are limiters which activate with remote, magnets or even a code you put in with the brake handle to deactivate.. If they stop you doing 90kph, you are screwed either way...
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kuro
Scoot Junior
Posts: 12
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Post by kuro on Nov 11, 2022 7:05:55 GMT -5
Just in case you were wondering: This is how the restrictors in a Yasuni R look like. Most homologated versions are restricted similar to this. Some only have one restrictor, some have 2.   |
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Post by 90GTVert on Nov 11, 2022 20:02:50 GMT -5
If you ask me, it's the restrictors that should be illegal.
"Hello? Police? I'd like to report an attempted theft. Someone tried to steal my horsepower."
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sinfull
Scoot Enthusiast
Posts: 353
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Post by sinfull on Dec 3, 2022 22:03:57 GMT -5
Lol
You European do make me jealous though. Here us small bike riders are the serious minority. Hard to find almost anyone else who rides small. Would love to actually ride down the street with a bunch of other 50cc 2 strokes
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