Junior's scooter build By jrsride2002 (Read 2,188 times)

[jrsride2002]

Hey guys,

New member. Bought a scooter over the weekend. It's a mess. Doesn't run, no title, wrong parts everywhere, plenty ghetto rigging to make a redneck proud, it has wheels.... Truth be told, I couldn't be more excited!!

About me.
I started to get intrigued in automotive during high school. Restored a old hot rod during those years. I've been on dirt bikes since I was 7 years old, just never worked on them. After the hot rod, I bought my very own XR650L with 7 miles on the odometer. 85,000 miles later, I retired the old girl. Still have her in pieces laying about.
I'm a novice mechanic, at best. Probably not even that good. But I love to tool around, it's my happy place. So when I saw this scooter, it became another, new happy place.

The scooter history.
A local company, to Houston, used to sell and repair scooters. The owner has downsized to a one man show of online parts supply. During the company hay days, they bought and re-branded scooters. Mine is one of them. If not for being re-branded, you would recognize it as a Taotao Powermax with a 139qmb. Originally, as best I can tell, bought by some kid. He then sold it to whomever, without a title. And the cycle proceeds. When I got my hands on it. It was very easy to tell that this machine has been stolen in the past, AT LEAST ONCE.

Nearly all the panels are zip tied together. Self taping screws to hold the front clip together, as replacements to the original hardware. Interesting fuel line, and gas tank mods. More "creative" hardware replacements around the airbox. A drilled out ignition system, that didn't even have terminal connectors. Just wrapped the wiring around the posts, then used the nut to secure the wire down. A frozen kick starter. And a turn signal socket, as a gas cap... Redned Ingenuity at its finest. Had a Mopar/Chrysler badge on the socket. Part number lead me to a Jeep replacement part.
The best part was the lead between the starter motor, and the battery. That was how the started the engine.

My plan is simple. Make it work like it's supposed to, before modifying it. And AFTER I GET THE TITLE TAKEN CARE OF! I'm not spending anymore money on parts, until the title has been signed off on. That'll be a hassle.

Welcome to my build thread,
~ Junior

P.S.
Photos are post purchase, and after I've torn it apart. That was all me... Because it's going to happen at some point..

[czmdiver]

Welcome Junior..
Nice write up and pictures..
Looks like your going to have a whole lotto fun going on.
Theres some very good technical info here in the library that may help you.
Please keep us up to date on your build.
Cheers.

[jrsride2002]

Mar 20, 2018 5:50:40 GMT -6 czmdiver said:

Welcome Junior..
Nice write up and pictures..
Looks like your going to have a whole lotto fun going on.
Theres some very good technical info here in the library that may help you.
Please keep us up to date on your build.
Cheers.

Thanks for the Welcome!

Adding photos with Tapatalk, makes it easy. So I'll always be able to do that. And YES, lots of fun to be had for me.... most would poke this scooter with a stick, then walk away... but I like a challenge.

Just learned about the Variator. What a mind trip!! I don't like the trial and error idea with the weights. But it makes sense when it boils down to personal preferences. And finding my own happy place.
While I am a long way off from worrying about this sort of thing. In general, is it okay to run the RPM's to 7K?? I would think a sustained RPM like that would be damaging, down the line.

Also, how big of a deal is it to swap out the 50cc for a 150cc?? This scooter is baised off the Taotao, and they have ran both sizes. So I would think that it wouldn't be a big deal. But that is about wishful thinking, of a perfect world. I still have lots to do before even going to the drawing board for that swap.


So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it. - Willy Wonka

~ Junior

[cyborg]

Before you do anything or spend any kind of money at all do a title search then check how much back registration is due,,,you may be in for a bit of a surprise

[jrsride2002]

..... damn... didn't think about that...

I did obtain the current titled owner details. When I get home, I'll see if it shows last time it was registered.

Good call Cyborg and good looking out,
~ Junior

[jrsride2002]

Just called up on the registration. I've no problems, so long as no situations have been acquired.
Just normal fees.

~ Junior

[jrsride2002]

Hey guys,

Looking for some ideas.
I just bought a new stator, coil, plug and CDI.
While grounding the spark plug to the motor. Still had not spark.
I switched the kill switch(very sun bleached). No spark.
Tried a different ground location. No spark.
Please note. I am not using a battery and key. I don't have any. I am using my battery charger, directly to the starter. And to the starter relay.
What could I be missing?
I found a tutorial on YouTube, about using a multimeter. I did that on the old parts. Stator failed, as did the coil. Didn't check the CDI.

Electronics is the hardest subject for me...

ALSO, I need help identifying a mystery plug.
It is right next to the ignition key plug. But I have no more plugs dangling around.

I sprayed some PB blaster on the rusted screws holding the handle bar covers together(speedo housing?). I'll see if anything was just stuffed inside there. We'll give it a go tomorrow.

I'm just stumped on this spark issue,
~Junior

[cyborg]

Good ...the back fee thing can be a royal drag (ask me how I know),,,as far as the no lite thing I smell a bad ground,,,is the engine grounded well?

[solymar]

As far as the mystery plug, if your talking about the one with the clear cover on it, it’s most likely for an accessory the the bike wasn’t equipped with. My bike has one as well.

Solymar

[jrsride2002]

Mar 22, 2018 7:44:25 GMT -6 cyborg said:

Good ...the back fee thing can be a royal drag (ask me how I know),,,as far as the no lite thing I smell a bad ground,,,is the engine grounded well?

Yea. I've had some back registration woes, of my own.
The ground was good. I also briefly took a wire brush to it. I could give it a little more elbow grease, but I feel it is good.

Mar 22, 2018 11:05:11 GMT -6 solymar said:

As far as the mystery plug, if your talking about the one with the clear cover on it, it’s most likely for an accessory the the bike wasn’t equipped with. My bike has one as well.

Solymar

Thanks for the heads up with that one. I was referring to the plug with 9 wires. After laying in bed, playing on the phone. I think I've determined that it's the plug for the headlight harness.... I think. Broke out the PB blaster this morning, for the cluster cover screws. Should be apart when I attack it, when I get home.

A single Accessory wire.... might be put to use, for my USB port.... But that's pipeline dreamin.

Thanks for the responses guys,
~Junior

[jrsride2002]

Mar 22, 2018 7:44:25 GMT -6 cyborg said:

...as far as the no lite thing I smell a bad ground,,,is the engine grounded well?

SoI have re-inspected the engine gound. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is only one? Would it be the one off my valve cover?
I'm pretty sure that it is connected to the main grounding location. This is where the engine is hooked up, the battery, and a random ground running through the harness.

Well, the PB Blaster did what it does. But sometimes a project requires extreme measures. So I took a dremel to the screws(for the cluster cover) and then used a standard screw driver.
Turns out that all the electronics are still hooked up correctly(so it seems). So I'm going to try and find a wiring diagram for this thing. I want to know what that plug is for.
Now I said 9 wires. I actually counted it to be 8, plus the clear covered wire which is tethered to one of the 8. If I had to guess, that tethered line is some kind of indicator light lead... But I don't know. Electrical really is not my strong suit.

As always. Thanks in advance, for any responses! All responses are useful,
~Junior

[jrsride2002]

Just out of interest. I hooked my battery charger up to the valve cover engine ground bolt. I was able to still send current through the starter relay. So the ground is good. Still no spark.
My question is this. What else could be disrupting the electrical flow?
A new stator, coil, cdi, plug, and gounds. Everything should be running smoothly, right? What else is there?

Out of curiosity(because I am a dog guy), I pulled out the fly wheel. Took a wire brush to the magnet. In the hopes that the pick-up was not getting a pulse. Nothing changed.

I just don't know what I'm missing,
~ Junior

[cyborg]

Pickup coil ( Hall effect sensor) could be a dud,,,had a bunch of those been bad on the forums lately too

[jrsride2002]

Mar 22, 2018 22:37:46 GMT -6 cyborg said:

Pickup coil ( Hall effect sensor) could be a dud,,,had a bunch of those been bad on the forums lately too

I'll break out the multimeter, and youtube. Test it. Report back.

What about the starter? I know I'll need a new one at some point. It has that 'missing a tooth' / free spin to it, before it engages. Could it cause no spark?

~ Junior

[cyborg]

Electrical gremlins are a fukin pain in the balls I hate them especially when it's intermittent ,,but getting back to your conundrum ,I'd bet a few sheckles on the pickup coil,,,if it's not that then it's a wiring issue,,,we've also collectively seen pin terminals back out of their plastic coupling housing when pushed together ,,or it could be a bad wire,,,with these Chinese scoots it's the jokers wild as far as what can /will go wrong,,,I don't see the missing tooth on a starter being any part of this no fire deal,,,but I'd be changing it post haste so you don't tear up the ring gear,,,as a side note find the hot wire to the cdi and put a 12v jumper directly to that wire,,,,ingnition switch may be wonky and not energizing the cdi