Why I don't gruduate to a bigger scooter By 4950cycle (Read 891 times)

[4950cycle]

One of the main reasons I stay with my MP 250 A is I like the way the center of gravity is nice and low. The second reason is the total weight is managable. I would like to graduate to a Yamaha 400 scooter or a Forza to get more performance. But I don't want to get a heavier machine than I have right now. That is why I came to scooters from big 4 cylinder bikes in the first place. There are faster ,lighter scooters but like the Kymco City they are to small for my 6'3 frame. They have no leg room for anyone over 5'9 for God's sake. Does any of you guys an gals know the wet weight of my scooter or a Yama 400 ? Or do you have any Ideas based on what I have said ?

[cyborg]

You may want to give the Yamaha smax a try as well,,,it's a well sorted scoot (kymco made),,,under 200cc but has a larger frame and has a top speed of 80+mph and is light weight,,,a little pricey but HEY!! Worth every penny in my book

[jct842]

You won't like a 400cc Yamaha I can positively guarantee that. HAD one did that and got pictures. THE most uncomfortable scooter I have ever rode. I am 6'2 220 and there is no room for me on one. Most uncomfortable for a passenger too, real garbage passenger foot rests and terrible jar when hitting bumps. Both the Chinese 150cc scooter I had and the180cc Riva world's better riding, but neither suitable for riding double.

Do as I have done, switch to a dirt bike with street tires. The majesty had more power Than the 250 I ride today but I still can go as fast as I want (they say 80 or more is possible on a klx) the majesty came in at around 450lbs and the klx at 315 or so. I have purposely have laid the klx on its side to replace a spring under the oil filter and picked it back up with no problems. The majesty was never over that far and I know that if it were laid over it would take two of me to pick it up.

The ride on the klx is soft and like floating compared to the bump bump of the majesty. When you have close to a foot of suspension you can dial in all 4 shocks any way you want. (8-9 inches!) It seems like you are only leaning about half as far in a turn, and there are well grounded reasons for that. The fatter the front wheel the more you lean. The higher center of gravity the less effort to turn or Lean. Larger wheels also take less to lean. THERE IS A REASON CROTCH ROCKETS HAVE ALMOST AS MUCH GROUND CLEARANCE AS A DIRT BKKE! I still have the Dunlop 606 knobbies on and can feel the vibration and am wanting to get every bit of life out of them before switching to a milder tread.

[kz1000st]

You know, I've never understood the "Motorcycles are bigger and heavier" statement. A Suzuki 650 Burgman is 600 pounds, a 650 Kawasaki Versys about 450. The Suzuki 650 V Strom about the same. Yes, if you go with a Gold Wing, Metric Cruiser or Harley you're stuck with 700 pounds or more. There plenty of sensible bikes that can accommodate a big guy that don't weigh a lot.

[4950cycle]

Nov 10, 2016 18:11:19 GMT -6 jct842 said:

You won't like a 400cc Yamaha I can positively guarantee that. HAD one did that and got pictures. THE most uncomfortable scooter I have ever rode. I am 6'2 220 and there is no room for me on one. Most uncomfortable for a passenger too, real garbage passenger foot rests and terrible jar when hitting bumps. Both the Chinese 150cc scooter I had and the180cc Riva world's better riding, but neither suitable for riding double.

Do as I have done, switch to a dirt bike with street tires. The majesty had more power Than the 250 I ride today but I still can go as fast as I want (they say 80 or more is possible on a klx) the majesty came in at around 450lbs and the klx at 315 or so. I have purposely have laid the klx on its side to replace a spring under the oil filter and picked it back up with no problems. The majesty was never over that far and I know that if it were laid over it would take two of me to pick it up.

The ride on the klx is soft and like floating compared to the bump bump of the majesty. When you have close to a foot of suspension you can dial in all 4 shocks any way you want. (8-9 inches!) It seems like you are only leaning about half as far in a turn, and there are well grounded reasons for that. The fatter the front wheel the more you lean. The higher center of gravity the less effort to turn or Lean. Larger wheels also take less to lean. THERE IS A REASON CROTCH ROCKETS HAVE ALMOST AS MUCH GROUND CLEARANCE AS A DIRT BKKE! I still have the Dunlop 606 knobbies on and can feel the vibration and am wanting to get every bit of life out of them before switching to a milder tread.

You got me wanting to get a KLX 250 instead of a scooter. I want to get one and lower it, Make the swingarm longer and put a CVT on it. So I can have my cake and eat it too. What is the HP on a Kaw 250 single like yours ?

[4950cycle]

Nov 10, 2016 8:13:50 GMT -6 cyborg said:

You may want to give the Yamaha smax a try as well,,,it's a well sorted scoot (kymco made),,,under 200cc but has a larger frame and has a top speed of 80+mph and is light weight,,,a little pricey but HEY!! Worth every penny in my book

Will have to go check that out ! Never even heard of one ?

[jct842]

If you take a kxl and lower it you are going right back toward where you are.....bad handling. The manufacturers go to great lenghts to give us a bike that rides and handles well. I forgot about the mono shock instead of individuals on my kxl, but it is still fully adjustable for spring rates and for the oil valving firm to soft. Again adding a cvt would put you right back where you are now. The reason scooters ride like $hit is the cvt. when back wheel hits a tiny bump the whole motor/trans/wheel has to move and by the time that has happened you got whacked in the arse by it not moving and the bump is long gone.
The chinese and japs make dirt bikes that come with street tires and they are called motards. They are engineered to ride and handle right. There is nothing besides adjusting for your weight that will make them ride better. You are obsesed with "low center of gravity" and that is not making better handling. Light weight does though. Have said it before and will repeat, a dirt bike with its light weight and higher center of gravity is much easier to ride than a scooter with a heavy low center of gravity. When you lower a bike the good engineering the manufacture put in the bike goes out the window. I think a klx is around 18 hp which suits me just fine.

[jct842]

I think the only way you will be satisfied is to get on one and try it. If you are 6'3" some of the dirt bikes are actually going to be too short for you. Being able to flat foot a bike at a stop light only has an advantage in that if you want to stay stopped at the light all after noon!

Low with fat tires takes twice the effort to negotiate curves as does tall skinny tires. And the older I get the easier I look for.

[cyborg]

I'm 6 foot with long legs,,, like jct I graduated to a dr350 dualsport,,, I couldn't be happier,,,, and I swear I can rip the tight canyons quicker than half my ducatis,,,and at 230-240 lbs wet I throw that thing around like a bicycle,,, best $2000 I ever spent,,, got it for a grand and another in it to make it right,,, I've never looked back,,, although I did just get a 1984 BMW r80st for longer trips (372 original miles),,, the dr is the go to blaster

[jct842]

Got to thinking about some thing that is only common to the larger scooters....wind from the sides. You are going 65 70 or a bit more and pass a semi or have one pass from the opposite direction. (or just plain ordinary gusts) The first time it really hits you is hard to keep from crapting your pants. A low center of gravity means that the wind blasting you from the side will darn near tip you over. And then there are the windshields, big land sails... If you stop to think with all the weight down low it is very easy for a force to move you side ways. My majesty in the parking lot off the stands was very easy to tip sideways almost like it was a bicycle to a certain point. It seems the smaller scooters don't see this as bad. I believe your body weight puts the center of gravity higher up on a small one and is a bigger percentage of total weight than a 500 lb scooter with the same rider.

The biggest advantage with low center of gravity is when you are walking your machine into the garage in between 3 or 4 others/

The only thing to do with a side gust is do not react.....hang on and it will right itself.

[4950cycle]

What you said all makes for good logic to me jct .