Decided which Bike! By 89newbie (Read 1,747 times)

[89newbie]

OK back and forth between 150 and 250, worrying about house qualifications all the good stuff in life. Got the call today the bank accepted offer and approved us go to settlement in 38 days. Moving to Pa. Based on that I have backed off the 250 water cooled and sending the rest of the monies to Green Earth for the JCL150. Things I don't understand from the specs is it is 60 mph capable, while another bike with 13 inch wheels is 65 capable, and specs say rear drum but all the pic’s show disc. Have already bought new fuel filter and lines new battery and want to change all the bulbs I can to LED when assembling. I’m sure the stock headlights are inadequate so I need to do something with that also, but I’m a duf and can't find better headlight bulbs, but I’m sure I am not looking in the correct place. I wanted to add an oil cooler but from previous posts that’s a tap & die proposition and I really don’t want to pull a brand new engine. I did not order a trunk because the Chinese ones are small. I have a large Harley trunk from years gone by that will be great. If it last‘s some years Ill get training wheels. (Talked to a really old guy 78, at the gas station that put the training wheels on his Gold Wing because he is too weak to hold it up at stop lights). If any one has any ideas on lights or oil cooler or anything else let me know.

[turtle8]

Chinese scooter headlights are crap for the most part. When I had my 150cc, I ended up converting to and installing 35W H4 halogen bulbs. The wiring diagram showed 35W bulbs but what I pulled out were 18W incandescent bulbs. The new bulbs helped some, but the design of the reflector in the headlight assembly was so poor, the light just scattered.

Some on this forum swear buy HID conversions, but from what I've read it is technically illegal to install HIDs in reflectors not designed for them because they can dazzle oncoming motorists.

Thinking of converting to HID? www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

[13lky2]

I can link you a decent set of 35/35 bulbs I picked up once I get to the office.

[Cruiser]

That's an interesting link on HID conversion kits, turtle. From your personal experiences with trying to improve your lights, it sounds like there is no really satisfactory solution. Incandescents are too weak, halogens scatter too much due to poor reflector design, and ditto with HID's.

Headlights are used for two purposes - to see and to be seen. If you have a two headlight system with individually aimed headlights, then a compromise can sometimes work. I run one HID in the daytime. The scattering effect works real good in that I am seen by other drivers. Since it is daylight and the eyeballs are adjusted to daylight, this does not blind anyone. I have seen other bikes with HID's in the daytime and they do stand out without blinding unless they are grossly mis-aimed.

At night, I have my high beams set up to turn on the second HID which is aimed for distance versus the always on HID which is aimed like a normal low beam. Works pretty good.

As long as these scoots have inferior reflectors/lights I feel one should do the best for their own personal safety.

[turtle8]

I ran some auxiliary lights for a while. When I bought them they were labeled driving lights, but in reality, the beam pattern was more like a fog light. They were 55W H1 bulbs. My charging system wasn't up to the task and if I ran them all of the time, my battery would be drained. I had them bolted to a light bar which I in turn bolted to my front panel above the fender.

My final design idea is to go the local U-Pull-It yard to find some auxiliary, projector lamp assemblies set up for HID and mount them on a scooter.

I found this advanced how-to including some vacu-forming:
www.scootforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=108&t=499

[13lky2]

Here's what I moved to from the 25/25W that came in the bike.

HS BA20d 12V 35/35W Bulbs

www.chinesemotoparts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_110&products_id=2040

[mthomas]

Newbie,
Where are yinz moving to in Pa.?

[cookees]

Make sure your new scoot will be legit in PA.

Send me a PM with a VIN and I'll check it out for you.

So many people tried to "end run" Penn Dot by registering them in another state and then handing in that state's title to get a PA title, that they check all titles coming in from other states, and anything dated after 10/25/08 is subject to the same rules as a new one.

[89newbie]

May 24, 2011 19:46:56 GMT -6 13lky2 said:

I can link you a decent set of 35/35 bulbs I picked up once I get to the office.

Thanks Ill be looking for it !!

[ccprof]

Tell us where you're moving in PA. There are a number of us here.

[89newbie]

May 25, 2011 13:38:02 GMT -6 mthomas said:

Newbie,
Where are yinz moving to in Pa.?

LOL Yinz Tells me you are pure Pa. Rofl. We looked at so many, here is what I know north of Pittsburgh, hour or two. Far enough from Family to be Comfy, close enough to visit and be gone. I actually did not care it could have been Ohio or WV. She found it I negotiated it.

[89newbie]

May 25, 2011 6:14:43 GMT -6 13lky2 said:

Here's what I moved to from the 25/25W that came in the bike.

HS BA20d 12V 35/35W Bulbs

www.chinesemotoparts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_110&products_id=2040

Do these fit H4 application? Ill call them.

[89newbie]

May 25, 2011 18:37:10 GMT -6 cookees said:

Make sure your new scoot will be legit in PA.

Send me a PM with a VIN and I'll check it out for you.

So many people tried to "end run" Penn Dot by registering them in another state and then handing in that state's title to get a PA title, that they check all titles coming in from other states, and anything dated after 10/25/08 is subject to the same rules as a new one.

TRansilate this one please. What is Pa looking for? WHat does Legit mean? Bought two present bikes from dealer here had C.O. for both till we registered mine because of new laws. Should I contact seller of new buike and make sure it can be registered in PA?

[13lky2]

Those aren't H4, they are the B20 style for the 2 tab headlight. They do carry the H4's there though in the same wattage. They also have the normal 55/60W too, but those can be a risk if your light socket can't handle the heat and your charging system can't charge enough.

www.chinesemotoparts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_110&products_id=440

[89newbie]

May 26, 2011 6:21:37 GMT -6 13lky2 said:

Those aren't H4, they are the B20 style for the 2 tab headlight. They do carry the H4's there though in the same wattage. They also have the normal 55/60W too, but those can be a risk if your light socket can't handle the heat and your charging system can't charge enough. LOL light sockets. Plastic stuff. Old trick in mind here. In days of old when we did appartment and condo A/C and had a weak fuse box. To keep em running we took a piece of 1in plastic tubing popped a hole in the plenum and directed cold air on to the fuses as a temp fix till we got back with a new box. Bet outside aor ducted to the lights.

www.chinesemotoparts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_110&products_id=440