First start of the season, no prep. By FACE PLANT FOR LIFE (Read 785 times)

[FACE PLANT FOR LIFE]

So we finally pulled my scooter out of storage today...six months in storage, just sitting there. Let's see how this "cheap" Chinese bike starts after 6 months of sitting and doing nothing

(the only thing I did before this first start was change the oil out, it had straight 40 in it when I stored it clean, and I had to put 10w-40 in it)



Not bad for a cheap Chinese bike that will always break down on you

[richardv]

Trouble maker

[jerryscript]

Somebody get that scooter a burger fast, it's been in hibernation, it's going to be hungry!

[FACE PLANT FOR LIFE]

Mar 15, 2015 19:15:54 GMT -6 jerryscript said:

Somebody get that scooter a burger fast, it's been in hibernation, it's going to be hungry!

I got it its burger. A good gallon of clean gas (the gas I had in the video was what it was stored with), tires up to pressure. And tomorrow I'll be finishing up by just pulling it apart and checking to make sure the carb is still good and tight, and all the bolts are in their places good. I took it for a preliminary spin and everything seems great actually, but I just want to be sure. The only thing I noticed is that the return spring on the kickstart rusted from being wet, because I washed it and didn't dry it properly before putting it away, so I just sprayed that with PB Blaster and I was golden..everything feels good on the bike so far.

During the preliminary ride though, I did think I heard a "whoosh.....whoosh" noise coming from the back wheel. Sounds like something might need lube...or a gear oil change.

I really don't know how people can diss these things. Get a bike either new or that was treated right, and you'll have lots of fun on a Chinese bike!! I saw that we recently lost someone's faith in Chinese bikes (ahem, rides a SYM ), and wish to bring them back. Come back to the dark side!

[Guitarman]

Whatchoo talkin 'bout Willis? I don't ride a SYM. I ride a HONDA.
And I have faith in Chino scoots, just not the freeway kind.

[cyborg]

The main reason Rich has gone rouge is a basic quality issue,,,he is a rare bird and rides long high speed runs for his commute,,,he's the ridingest guy on this forum,,,he just got the Sym and he's already at 11000 miles with narry a hickup,,,he rides more than me and i rode 320-350 days last year,,,but i have a short 6-8 mile commute one way on surface streets,,,,i probably could pull off owning a chinese scoot,,,,but Rich has a particular set of circumstances most of us don't face,,,the guy has ridden in weather that would send 99% of us running to the car,,,crazy high winds,,pouring rain ,,freezing cold ,,,,he's either the bravest or the dumbest mfer ,,,i'm surprised the cf moto lasted as long as it did,,,but he does crazy service intervals too and is constantly paying attention to the rides,,,then when the puma (the wifes ride) which gets very light duty,,took a sh!t on a joy ride,(2nd coil died),then developed a massive oil leak,,it pushed the poor slob over the edge,,,,when you have a wife that rides (lucky bastard),,and she says" i'm not gettin on that thing again",,,it's time for something new and then the deal he got on the new one,,,,BAM!!!,,, instant Sym family

[FACE PLANT FOR LIFE]

I guess I haven't had to do too much wrenching on my scooter, it's been reliable for me. But what exactly counts as a long trip here? I did regular 30 mile trips on my 50cc, WOT basically all the time, actually most of the 4900 miles on the bike are WOT, and no issues SO FAR. I take cRaZy care of it though, oil changes every 500 or so miles, gearbox oil changes every 2000, new spark plug every 3000, (on my second plug now), and I've put a new boot on (not that I've needed it). It's been pretty low cost for me.

[Guitarman]

I rode my 250 about 23 miles one way to work and back on the freeway daily and it simply couldn't handle it. That's a long ride. Not just because of the distance, but also the kind of riding you have to do. The freeway is pretty much the only option if I want to make it to work on time, so I wound up being overly brutal on mine.
What kind of road are you riding on?
Potholes? (They kill bikes)
Weather? (Takes a toll on both bike and rider)
Ducking and dodging cagers?

Even my Nighthawk needs more frequent oil changes because of the roughness of this particular ride. And I have to tighten things up once in a while. I'm under no illusions why my 250 couldn't handle it.
The state of Hawaii builds washboards into the main roads so that if you happen to be going over 50/55 on 2 wheels, over 55/60 on 4, your vehicle gets one hell of a beating. And the shorter your wheelbase, the worse it gets.

Rich dealt with weather I don't have to put up with. We had similar mileage runs, but he had a lot more to contend with. That's one of the reasons I became a member of this forum. Anyone that can keep a Chino running in those conditions gets a lot of respect from me. I've been riding a long time and a mechanic who actually understands why he tightens that bolt to x number of pounds is hard to come by. Rich, Pedro and yes, even that Alleycat racecar guy are all right on top of fixing bikes.

[Bashan]

I'm not a mf'er......I'm a fm'er......a futher mucker. Plant, I'm glad your bike started so easy after sitting. But I don't think that's an indicator of quality. The bike was simply sitting idle for a while. The components weren't being used so how could they fail? The fact that it started just means the battery was hot, the fuel delivery clear, and the plug was OK. That's all basic maintenance. Now put 10,000 trouble free miles on that thing and we'll talk. Ride a SYM for a while and you'll see what I'm talking about. I don't begrudge anybody's right to ride Chinese or look down on them because they do. I'm just saying it's not for me anymore.

[FACE PLANT FOR LIFE]

Mar 16, 2015 14:56:58 GMT -6 Bashan said:

I'm not a mf'er......I'm a fm'er......a futher mucker. Plant, I'm glad your bike started so easy after sitting. But I don't think that's an indicator of quality. The bike was simply sitting idle for a while. The components weren't being used so how could they fail? The fact that it started just means the battery was hot, the fuel delivery clear, and the plug was OK. That's all basic maintenance. Now put 10,000 trouble free miles on that thing and we'll talk. Ride a SYM for a while and you'll see what I'm talking about. I don't begrudge anybody's right to ride Chinese or look down on them because they do. I'm just saying it's not for me anymore.

Understood. I'll be going to put 5000 more miles on it right now with only basic maintenance and I'll get back with you when my wheels fall off