Jack was 100% Right By w650 (Read 1,600 times)

[w650]

The difference with Flyscooters was that their scooters weren't their own. All of them were sold by other companies. Fly sold the La Vie which GS Motoworks sold as the Carina. Both were even built by Znen and used the same parts as all GY6 versions. With CF Moto you're stuck. I have a stock of front brake pads for the Fashion against the day when they might not be available anymore. They might be the same as a Helix but I didn't take any chances. Imagine having to scrap a scooter because you wear out the pads and can't get brakes? As I said, most Helix parts bolt right up but there are subtle differences in some.

[JR]

Dec 10, 2015 3:42:37 GMT -6 w650 said:

The difference with Flyscooters was that their scooters weren't their own. All of them were sold by other companies. Fly sold the La Vie which GS Motoworks sold as the Carina. Both were even built by Znen and used the same parts as all GY6 versions. With CF Moto you're stuck. I have a stock of front brake pads for the Fashion against the day when they might not be available anymore. They might be the same as a Helix but I didn't take any chances. Imagine having to scrap a scooter because you wear out the pads and can't get brakes? As I said, most Helix parts bolt right up but there are subtle differences in some.

That would indeed be tough to let a scooter go to waste for something that simple. I know you take extremely good care of it but one just never knows what is going to happen. I had a friend way back in high school that used to buy old pickups and restore them for kicks and made a few bucks on the side doing it. He would go to shows, wrecking yards, estate sales, even got to bargaining with auto parts stores that had parts that had been on the shelf for years and years. He accumulated so many parts that he built a warehouse and a shop and started making a good living rebuilding old cars and pickups, he specialized in the old Studebakers and had parts no one else had. He retired a few years back a rich man, his two sons still do that work and he goes all over the country for them finding parts still to this day, heck he's the luckiest guy I know when it comes to finding things.

With a scooter like this or even old vintage motorcycles and scooters one could do the same thing, there are a few who rebuild vintage Cushmans today and they brig a premium price from collectors.

I believe if I had one of these scooters with the intent of riding it I would as you mentioned stockpile certain parts that wear out like brake pads, clutches, variators and even a roller set or sliders that fit? I might even buy a ring set for it and a gasket and oil seal set. One could keep their receipts and if they thought they wanted to sell it they could always get their money back upon selling it with a good stock of parts? In fact that would be a attractive thing to me if I knew I was buying a good scooter that is not longer being sold and parts aren't being made?

I was just looking on Ebay at some stuff and one might get a good deal on some of the things here listed especially on the ones listed as "OR BEST OFFER"   I've did well on Ebay with sales like this, if a seller isn't moving a item the best offer is attractive sometimes.


www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R7.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xcfmoto.TRS0&_nkw=cf+moto+250&_sacat=0


I know that's a good price on the water pump seal kit and clutch.

www.ebay.com/itm/2007-2011-CF-MOTO-V3-V5-Qlink-Legacy-250cc-Clutch-and-Flywheel-Assembly-NEW-/301820578186?hash=item4645e8898a:g:aNwAAOSw9mFWMQdO&vxp=mtr

www.ebay.com/itm/Water-Pump-Seal-Kit-CF150-CF250-1P58MJ-157MJ-172MM-CFMoto-Honda-US-Seller-/151838587230?hash=item235a48f95e:g:xXEAAOSwstxVYZNs&vxp=mtr




JR

[w650]

Fortunately since I have the CN-250 motor and that's the part that might need work. I had the starter motor let go and bought a replacement from Partsforscooters for $59. You know what the Honda Helix starter goes for? How about over $400!
I had the same thing happen with the Honda Nighthawk. The starter OEM is $334. I actually ordered it and returned it after finding a Chinese equivalent for $56 on Ebay. If the Fashion ever needs rings or guides it's gone. I paid $1200 for it and by my scale of dollars to miles it will have paid me back in 750 miles. After that repairs have to be based on some level headed thinking.
After all, now that winter is here there are some ridiculous bargains out there. The other day I saw a 2005 Burgman 650 with 67,000 miles for $1500 on Craigslist. I know that's a bunch of miles but it would give me $1500 worth of use in no time and after that....Who cares.

[JR]

Dec 10, 2015 11:33:28 GMT -6 w650 said:

Fortunately since I have the CN-250 motor and that's the part that might need work. I had the starter motor let go and bought a replacement from Partsforscooters for $59. You know what the Honda Helix starter goes for? How about over $400!
I had the same thing happen with the Honda Nighthawk. The starter OEM is $334. I actually ordered it and returned it after finding a Chinese equivalent for $56 on Ebay. If the Fashion ever needs rings or guides it's gone. I paid $1200 for it and by my scale of dollars to miles it will have paid me back in 750 miles. After that repairs have to be based on some level headed thinking.
After all, now that winter is here there are some ridiculous bargains out there. The other day I saw a 2005 Burgman 650 with 67,000 miles for $1500 on Craigslist. I know that's a bunch of miles but it would give me $1500 worth of use in no time and after that....Who cares.

If she started having engine problems along the scale of burning oil a ring and gasket set is cheap, in fact you can replace the entire top end for under $200 with no sales tax or shipping. That's just simply jerking the old off and putting the new back on and presto, engine should be good for another 50K+ without blinking an eye.

www.ebay.com/itm/ENGINE-CYLINDER-REBUILD-KIT-JONWAY-YY250T-ROKETA-MC-54-CFMOTO-250-250CC-SCOOTER-/310827197082?hash=item485ebea29a:g:-FkAAOxygPtSti4W&vxp=mtr


I've noticed a lot of what I'm figuring is people parting them out with different engine parts and such. Like you said this time of the year things are cheaper.

[w650]

engine should be good for another 50K+ without blinking an eye.

Another 50k!!?? If I get 50k out of the original engine for what I paid it will receive a grand sendoff to the Bone Yard. Or I'll put it up on blocks as a Static Monument.

[JR]

Dec 11, 2015 7:52:31 GMT -6 w650 said:

engine should be good for another 50K+ without blinking an eye.

Another 50k!!?? If I get 50k out of the original engine for what I paid it will receive a grand sendoff to the Bone Yard. Or I'll put it up on blocks as a Static Monument.

KZ I didn't mean that in a bad way, I honestly believe you can get 50k out of the original engine as there are several guys listing the linhai at over 20k and still going. I believe this for several reasons.

Your climate isn't quite so hot, that's good for a engine
You will keep it serviced
You're not going to dog the engine and you like to ride this scooter in the open and on the interstate so the engine even at 60 to 70 mph isn't being stressed, high speeds isn't stress trying to reach high speeds in a split second is.
It's water cooled a plus for a 4 stroke engine.

I at the annual scooter show in Eureka Springs a few years back looked at 4 Helix scooters that all have over 75k on them with OEM engines and one with over 100k on it, seriously. One guy had put a trike kit on his and him and his wife rode that thing from Alabama to the show and it had a little over 70k on it.

It can be done.

JR

[w650]

I didn't take it in a bad way Jack. I am doing a combined fleet mileage of around 4,000 to 5,000 annually. The CF Moto is only collecting about 3,000 a year since I have so much stuff to play with. Now I have the big Kawasaki and the little Nighthawk to goof around on so I will be spreading mileage even thinner. If one of these kids doesn't start to use Sara's Rebel I'll have yet another vehicle to ride on. Given the fleet I have at the moment it will be about 16 years before I hit 50k. At which point it will be darn near an Antique.

I'm Facebook friends with a Helix owner and you know what? They may last a long time but what they won't tell you is how much fiddling they do. This guy was posting endless pictures of his scooter being "Maintained". Yes, he did over 10,000 miles this season but he was constantly lubing, greasing, replacing and adjusting things. He was even cleaning the dust out of his brake drum periodically. Don't get me started on the goings on in the Vespa forum. Those things are European Chinese scooters at five times the price.

Every month they report on another Vespa dealer going under. Right now there are more dealers selling Bintelli than there are Vespa dealer.

You know what's worse for me about CF Moto? I defended them. I said they had a plan. I was sure they were going to make even better scooters than the Jetmax and Charm. The NK 650 sells like hotcakes in the rest of the world. Then they turn around and dump the whole two wheeled line. Like I said, I might have bought the 650 street bike, now you couldn't give me one.

 

[cyborg]

Jim you're turning into a regular jay Leno with this collection you got going!!!!!! lol

[cyborg]

As far as the Vespa crowd goes we beat this up & back several times,,, too much dough for what you get,,, I can think if a lot of other ways to spend $4-5 grand ,,, and on top if it all they run engines made in Taiwan,,,not thats a bad thing,,,I'd have another vespa,,, or another stella,,, gently used on craigslist,,, thoroughly pleased with the Stella so I'd have another,, a 2t if I can find one,,, I got shouted down on mv,,,, just a tad snooty for my taste,,,, there are a few nice people on there ,,but I don't need the ageda ,, or the attitude,,

[JR]

Dec 11, 2015 17:53:07 GMT -6 w650 said:

I didn't take it in a bad way Jack. I am doing a combined fleet mileage of around 4,000 to 5,000 annually. The CF Moto is only collecting about 3,000 a year since I have so much stuff to play with. Now I have the big Kawasaki and the little Nighthawk to goof around on so I will be spreading mileage even thinner. If one of these kids doesn't start to use Sara's Rebel I'll have yet another vehicle to ride on. Given the fleet I have at the moment it will be about 16 years before I hit 50k. At which point it will be darn near an Antique.

I'm Facebook friends with a Helix owner and you know what? They may last a long time but what they won't tell you is how much fiddling they do. This guy was posting endless pictures of his scooter being "Maintained". Yes, he did over 10,000 miles this season but he was constantly lubing, greasing, replacing and adjusting things. He was even cleaning the dust out of his brake drum periodically. Don't get me started on the goings on in the Vespa forum. Those things are European Chinese scooters at five times the price.

Every month they report on another Vespa dealer going under. Right now there are more dealers selling Bintelli than there are Vespa dealer.

You know what's worse for me about CF Moto? I defended them. I said they had a plan. I was sure they were going to make even better scooters than the Jetmax and Charm. The NK 650 sells like hotcakes in the rest of the world. Then they turn around and dump the whole two wheeled line. Like I said, I might have bought the 650 street bike, now you couldn't give me one.

 

I call greasing and lubing general PM and IMO some people go overboard. Not saying be lax in doing good PM but changing the gear oil on every oil change especially when one is using quality oil is not necessary. As far as the vertical engine goes the valve adjustment isn't near as often or critical as the sister engine the linhai.

Ya know some people just like to tinker with things too.

[w650]

I know I'm in the minority here but I think a good, synthetic rear end oil should last at least a few thousand miles or more. Rear drive cars used 85W-90 for years. I know my parents didn't change it every thousand miles either.

[flyangler]

CFMoto is making bikes for KTM and selling their own brand in other parts of the world, the U.S is a very small part of the motorcycle and scooter world and lets face it they haven't been well represented here.

[w650]

Oh contraire. BMW, Triumph and Ducati consider the US market a key element to their worldwide success. The Big Four didn't get big by ignoring the US. Genuine and SYM are making bikes for one simple reason. Not all new scooter owners dream of owning a Silver Wing or Burgman. The allure of a bike is pretty powerful and CF Moto could have cashed in big time with the NK 650 and TR 650 Sport Tourer. The US guys may make a lot of money with ATVs but they will regret this decision when everyone else cashes in. Bikes are making a slow recovery and SYM has the power to build bigger and better yet.

www.motorcycle-usa.com/2015/11/article/mic-report-motorcycle-sales-up-through-september-2015/

[jct842]

I know if I was looking for an atv I would want to think I would be able to buy parts a few years down The line. The generic chinese seem to fit in right there as well as the big names but with cf's past performance I don't believe there is going to be much to expect out of them.....they may decide to drop atv's in favor of zero turn lawn mowers or some thing else with less gov. regulations to conform to.

They remind me of the scooter sales that popped up around 2008 with all their promises and warrantee's that would hang up the phone as soon as your check cleared. (And used caller ID to keep from answering the phone when you called with a problem) I hope soon they go belly up too.

[richardv]

One thing that will come with the ATVs will be the loss of places to ride them. So get and enjoy one now. The motorcycles can still be used on the roads.