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Post by bobf on Dec 7, 2012 21:25:00 GMT -6
My daughter has a 1500 Kawasaki. She won't let me near it at all. But she did let my try to sit on it. Too tall, I could barely get my leg over the seat and sit on it. I'm 6'3" but a bit old now at 79. Getting off was worse. My daughter held her machine steady and I more or less dove off the other side and stumbled, off balance, across the garage till I grabbed a stair rail.
My scoot is a 2008 with a vertical engine of 244cc. It has a nice trunk that is big enough for my helmet and a few other small items. I like it well, use it when I can.
But I do remember the early days and how the Cushman could be undressed in just a few minutes. My scoot does take a while to take the puzzle covers off in the best sequence plus remember how they came off so I can put them back on.
My state M/C endorsement test was done on motor cycles. Nearly killed myself on the first bike I was assigned to. It was a tall cross over bike marked 240 and the brake was somehow tucked under the right peg. Was heading right at the instructor and did not get the brake to work as I should have so I grabbed the front brake handle real hard. The pavement came right up and smacked me hard. After that they had me ride a 125 motorcycle that had a real step on it brake pedal. Then things went a lot better. I did this endorsement test before I even ordered my scooter. I did not want to waste $2,000 for something I could not use. So I spent my $150 first.
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Post by bobf on Dec 7, 2012 12:12:54 GMT -6
Being an over the hill person, I would not want to ride this new machine at all. In fact I was disappointed when I bought my water cooled scooter as it no longer had the flat floor board for my feet or any packages I wished to load on it. I had imagined a milk carton strapped to the flat floor when I wanted to carry some things. Anyway, I was able to use the lower area to my advantage as I no longer need to step above my ability.
Contrary to the comments above, I would really like to have something more usable and less of the lookable concern. Problem with something? Flip a few latches and lift off the panels. Functional is my real concern. Glitter is for Hollywood.
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Post by bobf on Dec 6, 2012 21:19:43 GMT -6
That all depends on what you want to do.
If it is for engines go to the auto store and explain, the clerks can help you choose.
If for replacing the screws on the body as you rebuild the covers, just about any common RTV you can get in the drug store, WalMart, KMart, auto store will work. It is just to put a grabbing coat on the screw so they won't just back out from the vibration while riding.
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Post by bobf on Dec 4, 2012 19:45:31 GMT -6
A problem is that most nuts have a torque limit for them. Based on material and size. It is not necessary to drive all bolts with all the strength I have. If torque for the screw/nut is not known then use an appropriate sized tool for the job. If small in size maybe a nut driver, looks like a screw driver, would be enough. If larger then a short handled socket handle would be fine. If much large then a long handled socket handle would do the job. Just make things tight, not stressed.
That is my way of thinking these days. A few years back I decided to settle down and be a retiree so all my good torque wrenches went to my son and daughter. Compression tools went also. Now I have decided to have a scoot to use and work on so I do miss my better tools. Therefore I must make judgements for the proper hand tools to avoid breaking the bolts or stripping threads.
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Post by bobf on Nov 25, 2012 19:06:39 GMT -6
I agree with your post JR. Too much of this darned Politically Correct nonsense going around. If people act out of line and are an embarrassment to others, they need reprimanded openly. Some of these smart mouthed persons that go into public places and curse freely in front of all and especially the children, need to be stopped, not excused by the Politically Correct folks and that goes for the judges too.
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Post by bobf on Nov 24, 2012 20:36:23 GMT -6
I have been searching and ordering from the Wal Mart web for a couple years now. I have another item ready to order but will have to wait till I get some doctor stuff taken care of first. Often find that there are so many more items to choose from when browsing the web and the stores available stock keeps changing too.
I have my orders delivered to the store. They call me when it arrives and I have a time period, days, to make the pickup. I go as soon as I get called. But for me the store is only 2 miles away and I don't have to worry about a package on my porch if not home when delivered.
I go to the stores, see what is available and pricing, then cross check on the web for alternative items and pricing. Never go to the stores if there is a sale mob expected.
Once upon a time I worked at WalMart. I have had to work in those mob scenes. Never shop in one of those mobs. First as a clerk in a department but then moved to the door as a greeter and theft prevention. Back then we would often have the police come to pickup a person. I think these days they have really relaxed those theft prevention rules. Some stores have actually ended having greeters in the doorways. I felt like WalMart was a fair employer as I was already retired and half days was OK by me. I was hired at minimum wage and would periodically get a raise. So no complaints.
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Post by bobf on Nov 22, 2012 11:51:19 GMT -6
Thanks for your comment wolfhound. Could have answered sooner but was waiting for any good or bad comments on my solution to leaking gas. Doesn't look good for more feedback.
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Post by bobf on Nov 20, 2012 20:09:07 GMT -6
Latest effort was to fix the fuel sensor in the gas tank. No reason for me to worry about the coolant tank cap. That yellow puddle under the scoot was actually gas, not coolant leak.
I pulled the fuel sensor thinking it was the gasket. So I replaced the gasket. A second gasket was applied. Still leaking so I went to a motor cycle shop and asked if they could provide a good gasket. They said no but offered to sell me a new fuel sensor. I declined and left. After I got home I looked at my sensor and on the outside part there was a brownish looking fill around the wires. It was all wet and soft. It came out easily with a nudge from a screw driver. Under neath was a nice looking solid grey material that looked good. But it had a small leak along one edge. That explains the bright yellow color of the puddle and the yellow spots left after it dried. The brown material must have been made of melted sulfur poured into the cavity over the leaking first level of seal.
I have used special RTV silicon gasket maker for oil seals to replace the over patch. So far OK. But if it shows any sign of leaking again it will mean buy a new fuel tank sensor. It appears to have prices from $20 to $40 depending on the dealer. Right now I am waiting for some reaction to the new seal. Two days with a full tank and no leak yet.
The sealant was Permatex Ultra Black. Anyone know of problems with this for sealing gas tanks? If known problems exist I will just go ahead and order a new fuel sensor and have it on hand.
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Post by bobf on Nov 16, 2012 14:11:13 GMT -6
Safety in crashes is why I resist this modern effort to reduce the size of our cars. I have always liked the full size cars that most companies put out. Ford, GM, Chrylser all put out full size cars that got some very good safety reports in the insurance companies crash tests. Now for lower gas usage those larger and very safe cars are being dropped to the next lower level. Unfortunately those lower levels of cars don't provide the same safety that the larger cars did. Even though the smaller size cars like Tempo, Sable, get good reports on the crash tests they come out to be less safe than the Marquee or Lincoln full size cars did. Those cars were measured in their class but not compared size by size. All were reported as is, that is all. The larger cars had better weight and that helps when in a two car crash with lighter weight vehicles. There is a bit more room in the larger cars which means the passengers have and extra moment to slow down before hitting the door or roof or seat ahead. If the crash is of a truck then the wheels may just climb over the smaller cars and crush everything but with the taller full size cars that may not be possible.
To me safety is all relative. Good for one incident and bad for another. Reducing our car sizes for gas consumption is a joke as safety is then reduced. Which is worse, paying more for gas or getting killed because the car is smaller in size and weight?
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Post by bobf on Nov 15, 2012 18:14:45 GMT -6
Is there a way to change the speedometer from MPH to KPH?
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Post by bobf on Nov 13, 2012 16:06:57 GMT -6
Right on that idea. My friend in high school had a Cushman and it was very easy to remove it's one piece housing over the engine. I don't remember for sure but I think it was a total of four bolts.
Another friend had a Salsbury. I don't remember ever seeing it opened up but it looked like some thing pretty simple to do.
Today we seem to be caught up into the styling is more important than function mode.
What I drove back then was the Whizzer engine on my bicycle. I probably should have kept it. They charge a lot more for the most recent versions. I think I only paid about $89.00 for my Whizzer kit.
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Post by bobf on Nov 13, 2012 12:45:00 GMT -6
All covers off again. Found gas leaking from the fuel gauge entry port. Will take the gauge off again, clean up the area, return gauge with new gasket. That should stop the gas smell in the garage.
For the overflow bottle cap I think I was off on the wrong path. I was looking for a sealing type of cap or plug. Probably the wrong thing to do on the overflow tank. It is an escape are for expanded coolant and should not be pressurized. Also, as the engine and radiator cools the coolant is expected to return to the radiator and be ready for the next running. So we don't want a tight cap on the overflow bottle as that would create a vacuum when the coolant cools. No flow back to the radiator.
So now I will just want to have a cap to stop spilling when driving. So how does my theory sound?
Have not found any cracks in the bottle so far. Have filled it and will watch for leaks. I may just have to order a new bottle to replace this one as tearing all the covers off is not something I want to do often. This is my third tear down in 80 miles of riding.
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Post by bobf on Nov 12, 2012 15:46:44 GMT -6
Well, it now looks like I will have to take the covers off once again. This will be the third time and I only have 79 miles on it for two years I have owned the machine. Between several health issues and the nasty winters in Colorado and the extreme heat of summer in Arizona, I just don't get much time riding.
But since the other day when I was trying to get the overflow bottle cap off with a pry bar and then trying to get it back on I think I may have split the bottle somewhere. I won't know till I get the covers off and take a look. I now get puddles of coolant under the scoot.
At least it is cooler now in Arizona and I should not have too much heat to worry about as I tear the scoot apart. In addition to finding the coolant leak I need to take another look at the gas gauge. It was not working when I bought the scoot new, so I fixed it and it would rise and fall correctly. Now it just stays at half tank even when filled. I just filled it and it did not rise.
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Post by bobf on Nov 11, 2012 16:43:56 GMT -6
Thanks JR. Never thought of looking in an auto department. All my radiator caps have been turn tops, never had one of the flip lock types. Looks almost like the thermos bottle caps I was talking about above. Next I go measure the hole to find a size to look for.
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Post by bobf on Nov 11, 2012 15:21:28 GMT -6
YY 250T MC 54 250 with Honda clone engine. 2008 version.
Today I had to get a good lever to force my coolant recovery bottle cap off. It is so shrunk that it is near impossible to get off and I don't think I will ever get it to go back on.
Any ideas on what to use to replace the original cap. Any kind of cap that can snap on or off without needing tools. Not opened that often but it would be nice to be able to do it without pry bar to remove and mallet to install.
Probably something workable from WalMart or other general store source?
I remember that once there were expandable caps for thermos bottles. Push into place then fold down the lever to expand the seal. Opposite to remove by raising the lever to release the clamping actions. Just not sure how well they do on a hot radiator situation or if they still make that kind of cap any more. Any good workable ideas appreciated.
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