uh oh oh nooo...
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- batgirl101
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uh oh oh nooo...
riding back from Napa today on the freeway, Max started coughing, losing power. i pulled over just short of the exit, my friend on a Super 300 yelling *turn it off!!!* i didn't know gas was pouring out of the bottom somewhere, so i turned it off, walked it down the exit, called roadside assistance. that's all i can tell you, except Max is sitting in the parking lot of the Scooter Center until Tuesday when they open. and it's waaaaay past my bedtime..
- michelle_7728
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I am soooo sorry to hear that! I hope that it ends up being something simple, like maybe something just wasn't tightened down correctly from when the bike was prepped.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
Past bikes: 08' Genuine Buddy 125, '07 Yamaha Majesty 400, '07 Piaggio MP3 250, '08 Piaggio MP3 500, '08 Aprilia Scarabeo 500
Current bikes: Two '09 Genuine Buddy 125's
Current bikes: Two '09 Genuine Buddy 125's
- Raiderfn31
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- batgirl101
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pretty sure you're right--something popped off, could've been a bad scene on the freeway and all--my friend rode behind me and stopped cars from running me downmichelle_7728 wrote:I am soooo sorry to hear that! I hope that it ends up being something simple, like maybe something just wasn't tightened down correctly from when the bike was prepped.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
- batgirl101
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it's a sweet scoot alright, however i think it's unsuited for the way i like to ride--hard and fast, and a fair amount of freeway. i had been wot for at least an hour, and was uncomfortable on inclines where my speed dropped to an indicated 50. not only is it annoying, but dangerous when you've not enough power to maintain the speed limit, and there's no throttle left for emergency maneuvers.Raiderfn31 wrote:Glad youre ok. Hope it gets an easy fix. That is one sweet scoot.
- batgirl101
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Honestly, scooters under 200cc are pretty poorly suited for that kind of freeway riding. Aside from the power, most are light, narrow and have 10" wheels—perfect for in the city.batgirl101 wrote:it's a sweet scoot alright, however i think it's unsuited for the way i like to ride--hard and fast, and a fair amount of freeway. i had been wot for at least an hour, and was uncomfortable on inclines where my speed dropped to an indicated 50. not only is it annoying, but dangerous when you've not enough power to maintain the speed limit, and there's no throttle left for emergency maneuvers.Raiderfn31 wrote:Glad youre ok. Hope it gets an easy fix. That is one sweet scoot.
It's possible that you make have backed up gas into the evap system or overfilled and got gas in the airbox. Neither is a big deal. Both easily addressed.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- KRUSTYburger
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- michelle_7728
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I hear you. I used to have 2 Buddy's and I traded one and some $$ for a Yamaha Majesty 400 late last year. I loved that bike--lots of power, lots of storage and you sit upright. I traded it recently (and more $$ ) for a MP3 500, but I still miss the Majesty. I could be going 70 and it still had plenty of get up and go, immediately, when I gave it throttle. Well, the MP3 500 will do that too, but has a different feel...both are just fun bikes.batgirl101 wrote:it's a sweet scoot alright, however i think it's unsuited for the way i like to ride--hard and fast, and a fair amount of freeway. i had been wot for at least an hour, and was uncomfortable on inclines where my speed dropped to an indicated 50. not only is it annoying, but dangerous when you've not enough power to maintain the speed limit, and there's no throttle left for emergency maneuvers.Raiderfn31 wrote:Glad youre ok. Hope it gets an easy fix. That is one sweet scoot.
Anyhow, I know that there are lots of motorcycles out there that go faster than that, but for a scooter, that's pretty good.
But I can't discount Buddys either. They are just flat out fun to ride. My husband (on his Fly 150) and me on my Buddy 125 did our 3rd annual ride to Ilwaco earlier this month--about 180 miles one way, much of it on 55 mph semi-winding roads. What a blast!
Did you find out what was wrong with your scooter yet?
Past bikes: 08' Genuine Buddy 125, '07 Yamaha Majesty 400, '07 Piaggio MP3 250, '08 Piaggio MP3 500, '08 Aprilia Scarabeo 500
Current bikes: Two '09 Genuine Buddy 125's
Current bikes: Two '09 Genuine Buddy 125's
- desmolicious
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Doesn't sound like it. She mentioned she had been riding for an hour and suddenly the scoot lost power.ericalm wrote:
It's possible that you make have backed up gas into the evap system or overfilled and got gas in the airbox. Neither is a big deal. Both easily addressed.
Power loss + gas pouring out of the bike = fuel line failure.
- ericalm
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Yeah, if it was really pouring, not dribbling out, then likely something else.
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- batgirl101
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michelle_7728 wrote:I hear you. I used to have 2 Buddy's and I traded one and some $$ for a Yamaha Majesty 400 late last year. I loved that bike--lots of power, lots of storage and you sit upright. I traded it recently (and more $$ ) for a MP3 500, but I still miss the Majesty. I could be going 70 and it still had plenty of get up and go, immediately, when I gave it throttle. Well, the MP3 500 will do that too, but has a different feel...both are just fun bikes.batgirl101 wrote:it's a sweet scoot alright, however i think it's unsuited for the way i like to ride--hard and fast, and a fair amount of freeway. i had been wot for at least an hour, and was uncomfortable on inclines where my speed dropped to an indicated 50. not only is it annoying, but dangerous when you've not enough power to maintain the speed limit, and there's no throttle left for emergency maneuvers.Raiderfn31 wrote:Glad youre ok. Hope it gets an easy fix. That is one sweet scoot.
Anyhow, I know that there are lots of motorcycles out there that go faster than that, but for a scooter, that's pretty good.
But I can't discount Buddys either. They are just flat out fun to ride. My husband (on his Fly 150) and me on my Buddy 125 did our 3rd annual ride to Ilwaco earlier this month--about 180 miles one way, much of it on 55 mph semi-winding roads. What a blast!
Did you find out what was wrong with your scooter yet?
i won't know until later today when the shop opens--i'll let you know what they find.
- batgirl101
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hey KrustyB---i'm thinking the 170i is fully capable of riding over an hour at wot-----i wouldn't have bought the scooter otherwise. i'd love to hear from others who have ridden the heck outta their scoots--esp. freeway riders.KRUSTYburger wrote:I've ridden my 125 WOT for 7 hours straight so it's probably not that...
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It's fully capable of that!batgirl101 wrote:hey KrustyB---i'm thinking the 170i is fully capable of riding over an hour at wot-----i wouldn't have bought the scooter otherwise. i'd love to hear from others who have ridden the heck outta their scoots--esp. freeway riders.KRUSTYburger wrote:I've ridden my 125 WOT for 7 hours straight so it's probably not that...
On the carbed models—and probably the 170i—if you're riding at WOT for a long time, it's best to stop every 100 miles or so to let it cool. You'll probably need to fuel up at similar intervals anyways. Also, if you're doing that kind of riding frequently, best to shorten the maintenance intervals. You will go through rollers, tires, etc. a lot faster.
I'd also upgrade the tires before you need to (ASAP!). The stock tires are great for commuting on surface streets and occasional blasts of high speed. For freeway riding, I HIGHLY recommend the Heidenau K61s. They handle much better at higher speeds than other tires their size and greatly improved the high speed stability and handling on my LX.
No matter what you do, you're still riding what will be the smallest, least visible vehicle on the freeway on 10" wheels. It may be capable, but they're not designed for this kind of riding. As posted elsewhere, it's akin to driving your car with the pedal floored all the time. Except in this case, your car is a 270lb. scooter. I'm not telling anyone what to do, just letting them know that your risks go up exponentially and the stresses and wear on your scooter are also maximized.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- batgirl101
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ericalm wrote:It's fully capable of that!batgirl101 wrote:hey KrustyB---i'm thinking the 170i is fully capable of riding over an hour at wot-----i wouldn't have bought the scooter otherwise. i'd love to hear from others who have ridden the heck outta their scoots--esp. freeway riders.KRUSTYburger wrote:I've ridden my 125 WOT for 7 hours straight so it's probably not that...
On the carbed models—and probably the 170i—if you're riding at WOT for a long time, it's best to stop every 100 miles or so to let it cool. You'll probably need to fuel up at similar intervals anyways. Also, if you're doing that kind of riding frequently, best to shorten the maintenance intervals. You will go through rollers, tires, etc. a lot faster.
I'd also upgrade the tires before you need to (ASAP!). The stock tires are great for commuting on surface streets and occasional blasts of high speed. For freeway riding, I HIGHLY recommend the Heidenau K61s. They handle much better at higher speeds than other tires their size and greatly improved the high speed stability and handling on my LX.
No matter what you do, you're still riding what will be the smallest, least visible vehicle on the freeway on 10" wheels. It may be capable, but they're not designed for this kind of riding. As posted elsewhere, it's akin to driving your car with the pedal floored all the time. Except in this case, your car is a 270lb. scooter. I'm not telling anyone what to do, just letting them know that your risks go up exponentially and the stresses and wear on your scooter are also maximized.
Eric, i appreciate the info, really i do. i've never had a scooter under 250cc, so i know little about what to expect. i just like it so much more than my GTV i'm willing it to be exactly what i want and need. we'll see how well that works for me
- batgirl101
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This warms my heart.batgirl101 wrote:i just like it so much more than my GTV
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- batgirl101
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yep, guess i got carried away he's got 940 miles on him, break in seems to go on forever, i'll take it easy from here on..desmolicious wrote:Your scoot is new, and needs to be broken in according to instructions in the owner's manual. Having it WOT for at least an hour is not a good idea for engine longevity.batgirl101 wrote: i had been wot for at least an hour,
- batgirl101
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BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:oh no! You've been inspiring me with all your stories about riding the heck out of the 101! I hope you get it fixed up and back out in no time.
hey BSFF--stay inspired, it was just a small glitch--i fully intend to continue my adventures, perhaps at a slightly slower pace for a while.
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Will you post this on ModernVespa? (kidding. mostly. kind of. unless you really want to. but you'll catch some serious heck. heh.)ericalm wrote:This warms my heart.batgirl101 wrote:i just like it so much more than my GTV
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- batgirl101
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hah! i rarely even look there anymore, but my MV friends who are my FB friends have heard so much about Max, there's no doubt as to who my fav isericalm wrote:Will you post this on ModernVespa? (kidding. mostly. kind of. unless you really want to. but you'll catch some serious heck. heh.)ericalm wrote:This warms my heart.batgirl101 wrote:i just like it so much more than my GTV
- pugbuddy
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Ditto. I've ridden my 125 the same way and never had an issue. My 170 had an issue on the way to NOLA but I think it's just because my Gremlin Bell failed.batgirl101 wrote:hey KrustyB---i'm thinking the 170i is fully capable of riding over an hour at wot-----i wouldn't have bought the scooter otherwise. i'd love to hear from others who have ridden the heck outta their scoots--esp. freeway riders.KRUSTYburger wrote:I've ridden my 125 WOT for 7 hours straight so it's probably not that...
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- batgirl101
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A FI system which has a pressurized side usually down stream from the gas tank doesn't take much of a bad seal or loosen connection to cause a fuel leak. A full proof pressure circuit is crucial in a FI system, one area manufacturers usually don't skimp on for obvious reasons. If gas was pouring out then subsided after shutting off the ignition, that is an indication that the leak is on the pressure side, probubly just a loose fitting or bad pressure line/hose/O-ring.
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- batgirl101
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if I'm understanding it correctly, there is a screw that connects the fuel hose to the injector. when it failed, the tech tightened the screw and used locktight on it. yesterday it failed again--the first ride after the fix i smelled gas but thought is was residual odor. when i got to work there was no leak, but upon leaving when i turned it on, gas came spilling out. the Scooter Center came right away and carted Max off. I'm curious as to what they find--and maybe I'm going to be super cautious for a while, sticking closer to home. but that would suck..CWO4GUNNER wrote:A FI system which has a pressurized side usually down stream from the gas tank doesn't take much of a bad seal or loosen connection to cause a fuel leak. A full proof pressure circuit is crucial in a FI system, one area manufacturers usually don't skimp on for obvious reasons. If gas was pouring out then subsided after shutting off the ignition, that is an indication that the leak is on the pressure side, probubly just a loose fitting or bad pressure line/hose/O-ring.
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BuddyLicious wrote:BatGirl,
I believe if your riding long periods all out a high quality synthetic oil is a good idea.Your engine will love you for it.
^^^ I"ll agree with that...Riding anything flat out for long periods of time is hard on it...So do all you can to keep it in top shop and synthetic will help a lot.
You can't drive your car WFO for an hour, so think about how hard that is on a scoots motor.
Glad to hear your shop is taking care of you , let us know
Speed is only a matter of money...How fast do you want to go?
- batgirl101
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thanks for the tip--i'll have the shop put synthetic in on the next service. regarding the leak, the shop doesn't know why it failed a second time-they put in a new fuel injection unit and i'll pick it up tomorrow. jeezus gawd i hope i don't kill this one tooviney266 wrote:BuddyLicious wrote:BatGirl,
I believe if your riding long periods all out a high quality synthetic oil is a good idea.Your engine will love you for it.
^^^ I"ll agree with that...Riding anything flat out for long periods of time is hard on it...So do all you can to keep it in top shop and synthetic will help a lot.
You can't drive your car WFO for an hour, so think about how hard that is on a scoots motor.
Glad to hear your shop is taking care of you , let us know
- Raiderfn31
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batgirl101 wrote:well yes, i believe in the brand, and it's not my only scooter so i am cool about working the bugsRaiderfn31 wrote:Wow what luck. You seem to be keeping a cool head Batgirl, which is more than I could say for myself!!
St Tropex is kickin 70 and im lovn it
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- batgirl101
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what happened to your scoot on the way to Amerivespa?pugbuddy wrote:Ditto. I've ridden my 125 the same way and never had an issue. My 170 had an issue on the way to NOLA but I think it's just because my Gremlin Bell failed.batgirl101 wrote:hey KrustyB---i'm thinking the 170i is fully capable of riding over an hour at wot-----i wouldn't have bought the scooter otherwise. i'd love to hear from others who have ridden the heck outta their scoots--esp. freeway riders.KRUSTYburger wrote:I've ridden my 125 WOT for 7 hours straight so it's probably not that...
- redhandmoto
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I for one really appreciate your service as the unofficial PGO FI Unit Field Tester, batgirl101, and hope that you are out stress-testing the replacement unit right now. Your real-world experiences can only help PGO & Genuine dealers sort these things out. Would-be and hopeful 170i-ers everywhere thank you - hammer that throttle!batgirl101 wrote: regarding the leak, the shop doesn't know why it failed a second time-they put in a new fuel injection unit and i'll pick it up tomorrow. jeezus gawd i hope i don't kill this one too
honi soit qui mal y pense
- batgirl101
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my scooter shop told me the same thing! they said ride the hell out of it because it's the only way they're going to know where the issues (if any) will be. and for those of you who think i'm thrashing Max by going WOT and all--well i'm just following the advice of my dealerredhandmoto wrote:I for one really appreciate your service as the unofficial PGO FI Unit Field Tester, batgirl101, and hope that you are out stress-testing the replacement unit right now. Your real-world experiences can only help PGO & Genuine dealers sort these things out. Would-be and hopeful 170i-ers everywhere thank you - hammer that throttle!batgirl101 wrote: regarding the leak, the shop doesn't know why it failed a second time-they put in a new fuel injection unit and i'll pick it up tomorrow. jeezus gawd i hope i don't kill this one too
- desmolicious
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That's a really bad idea.batgirl101 wrote:my scooter shop told me the same thing! they said ride the hell out of it because it's the only way they're going to know where the issues (if any) will be. and for those of you who think i'm thrashing Max by going WOT and all--well i'm just following the advice of my dealer
Stop and think about this for a moment. The mfg recommends a break in period. Why is that?
Every moto/car/truck mfg recommends a break in period. Every single one.
Why is that?
You already have had two mechanical failures ignoring the break in period.
Yet you still are thrashing the crap out of your bike.
Your shop recommends this behaviour. What happens if you have a major mechanical failure out of warranty? Are you going to feel happy paying for that?
This is your bike. Why are you treating it like a rental vehicle? Ya think a local scooter shop -who wasn't able to fix your bike correctly the first time - has better engineers/mechanics than the mfg?
Show respect to your ride and it will treat you well. Don't, and well, look what's already happened. Twice.
- batgirl101
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Des--first of all we don't know if the failures had anything at all to do with riding WOT the 2 times that i did it. secondly, i ride my scooters hard--i take freeways to get to beautiful places where i can slow down and enjoy the roses, that doesn't mean i am disrespecting the machine, because i love my scoots. thirdly--my shop did not say specifically to ride WOT, that is my interpretation of * ride it hard* . during the first 500 miles i varied the rpm's after that i rode twice at WOT, did it damage the engine?--it doesn't appear so at this point. my first 2 scooters i followed the slow break in, with Max i asked several of the Bay Area's top mechanics, as well as several of the well known Cannonballers about how to break him in---without hesitation they all said the same thing which was* ride it like you stole it---ride it hard then harder etc..* so i did my homework and chose this path. lastly i'd like to add, several of my good friends have Buddy's--we've been riding together for years and they ride hard , just like me and have not damaged their scooters--and they did the break in the very same way. one more thing--we needn't agree about break in practices--there is and always has been 2 distinctly different trains of thought on the matter. and yes, clearly your post upset me--sorry if i went over board with my response.desmolicious wrote:That's a really bad idea.batgirl101 wrote:my scooter shop told me the same thing! they said ride the hell out of it because it's the only way they're going to know where the issues (if any) will be. and for those of you who think i'm thrashing Max by going WOT and all--well i'm just following the advice of my dealer
Stop and think about this for a moment. The mfg recommends a break in period. Why is that?
Every moto/car/truck mfg recommends a break in period. Every single one.
Why is that?
You already have had two mechanical failures ignoring the break in period.
Yet you still are thrashing the crap out of your bike.
Your shop recommends this behaviour. What happens if you have a major mechanical failure out of warranty? Are you going to feel happy paying for that?
This is your bike. Why are you treating it like a rental vehicle? Ya think a local scooter shop -who wasn't able to fix your bike correctly the first time - has better engineers/mechanics than the mfg?
Show respect to your ride and it will treat you well. Don't, and well, look what's already happened. Twice.
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it's your scooter, ride like you want but also understand you're going against what the engineers and manufacture say is the best way to break it in. No one knows this scooter better than them.batgirl101 wrote:
Des--first of all we don't know if the failures had anything at all to do with riding WOT the 2 times that i did it. secondly, i ride my scooters hard--i take freeways to get to beautiful places where i can slow down and enjoy the roses, that doesn't mean i am disrespecting the machine, because i love my scoots. thirdly--my shop did not say specifically to ride WOT, that is my interpretation of * ride it hard* . during the first 500 miles i varied the rpm's after that i rode twice at WOT, did it damage the engine?--it doesn't appear so at this point. my first 2 scooters i followed the slow break in, with Max i asked several of the Bay Area's top mechanics, as well as several of the well known Cannonballers about how to break him in---without hesitation they all said the same thing which was* ride it like you stole it---ride it hard then harder etc..* so i did my homework and chose this path. lastly i'd like to add, several of my good friends have Buddy's--we've been riding together for years and they ride hard , just like me and have not damaged their scooters--and they did the break in the very same way. one more thing--we needn't agree about break in practices--there is and always has been 2 distinctly different trains of thought on the matter. and yes, clearly your post upset me--sorry if i went over board with my response.
I'm not sure about all your scooters but the 2 you've mentioned were designed to ride they way you do: big ruckus and gtv. 250cc can handle freeways and cruising at 70mph for long periods of time. that's NOT what a buddy was designed for. You've seen the limitations- slower up a hill and no extra throttle for evasive maneuvers. The buddy is the wrong scooter if you want to be riding freeways regularly.
That said, I've put 21,000 miles on my Buddy in 2 years. Over mountains, across deserts. All using the old highways or back roads. It takes some mapping and a whole lot longer to get to where you're going but i call it "scenic" It took 8hrs to scoot to LA because we had to AROUND Camp Pendleton. It was BEAUTIFUL!
Again, it's your scooter to do with what you want but if you ride it like a 250cc scooter it's will disappoint you often and seems like it breakdown a lot, too.
- Skootz Kabootz
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FWIW, if I don't take my Buddy for a good, long, aggressive (80+ miles) WOT run on a regular basis the performance suffers greatly. After a good long run like that (like the 200+ mile ride I did to Santa Barbara and back this past weekend) my scooter just comes alive and is responsive as heck. I think babying a scooter too much and never giving it a good workout is like turning your scooter into a couch potato. It will begin to lumber around. That said, I've done all my most ambitious riding after my scooter was broken in, starting at about 1500+ miles. That said too, when I broke it in I didn't baby it, I just constantly varied the throttle. But I was a new rider so the most aggressive speed I could muster back then was likely pretty tame compared to what I do now-a-days.
- redhandmoto
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Mmmmm, other reports have popped-up here-and-there about the possibility of heat/stress-related issues with PGO FI units, that PGO is aware of and has duplicated the problem, and is working on it.
batgirl01 is not having engine problems per se - she's having FI unit problems. We're seeing some talk about apparent heat-related issues with the Blur 220i which may also be EFI-related. FWIW, staff at my local dealer told me personally that PGO is "working on it."
Still, all this is anecdotal. The EFI problem - if there is one - is likely unrelated to break-in practices on the engine and one's feelings about her preferred method of riding and breaking-in are irrelevant to the matter.
Stories about the bulletproof reliability and longevity of carefully broken-in carbed Buddys are great to hear, but also irrelevant here. These are new bikes not yet subjected to wide use. Nothing shakes a new product down like actual use; use is where the theoretical becomes real, where many problems with components first appear, and where solutions are developed. Honda, the King of Reliability, has been through the same drill countless times (and yes, even with the Big Ruckus. Full details available on inquiry).
There doesn't seem to be anything fatal here. I have every confidence that PGO will solve the thing in good order, and all will be revealed. Meanwhile, criticism of batgirl's break-in has pretty much got nothing to do with it.
batgirl01 is not having engine problems per se - she's having FI unit problems. We're seeing some talk about apparent heat-related issues with the Blur 220i which may also be EFI-related. FWIW, staff at my local dealer told me personally that PGO is "working on it."
Still, all this is anecdotal. The EFI problem - if there is one - is likely unrelated to break-in practices on the engine and one's feelings about her preferred method of riding and breaking-in are irrelevant to the matter.
Stories about the bulletproof reliability and longevity of carefully broken-in carbed Buddys are great to hear, but also irrelevant here. These are new bikes not yet subjected to wide use. Nothing shakes a new product down like actual use; use is where the theoretical becomes real, where many problems with components first appear, and where solutions are developed. Honda, the King of Reliability, has been through the same drill countless times (and yes, even with the Big Ruckus. Full details available on inquiry).
There doesn't seem to be anything fatal here. I have every confidence that PGO will solve the thing in good order, and all will be revealed. Meanwhile, criticism of batgirl's break-in has pretty much got nothing to do with it.
honi soit qui mal y pense
- ericalm
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It may not, but extended periods of WOT riding on a brand new scoot is exactly what new owners are not supposed to do. There are a lot of disagreements about break in procedure, but the one constant is that owners should vary the RPMs and not ride at full throttle/max RPMs for long periods.redhandmoto wrote:Meanwhile, criticism of batgirl's break-in has pretty much got nothing to do with it.
It's nothing personal or "blaming the owner"; others should know that the manufacturer and most dealers advise against doing this.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- batgirl101
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- Location: San Francisco
yep jij---i know the limits of Max, having tried the uphill freeway situations was not fun. No doubt i will continue to hop on the freeway, but perhaps for shorter distances. i've got nearly 50,000 beautiful miles under my belt, and i'm grateful to have discovered such a lovely way to spend my time. Despite taking some heavy handed flak for my choices, i will continue to post about my experiences on Max, both in order that others may learn from it and ..well, just because i'm having SO much funjijifer wrote:it's your scooter, ride like you want but also understand you're going against what the engineers and manufacture say is the best way to break it in. No one knows this scooter better than them.batgirl101 wrote:
Des--first of all we don't know if the failures had anything at all to do with riding WOT the 2 times that i did it. secondly, i ride my scooters hard--i take freeways to get to beautiful places where i can slow down and enjoy the roses, that doesn't mean i am disrespecting the machine, because i love my scoots. thirdly--my shop did not say specifically to ride WOT, that is my interpretation of * ride it hard* . during the first 500 miles i varied the rpm's after that i rode twice at WOT, did it damage the engine?--it doesn't appear so at this point. my first 2 scooters i followed the slow break in, with Max i asked several of the Bay Area's top mechanics, as well as several of the well known Cannonballers about how to break him in---without hesitation they all said the same thing which was* ride it like you stole it---ride it hard then harder etc..* so i did my homework and chose this path. lastly i'd like to add, several of my good friends have Buddy's--we've been riding together for years and they ride hard , just like me and have not damaged their scooters--and they did the break in the very same way. one more thing--we needn't agree about break in practices--there is and always has been 2 distinctly different trains of thought on the matter. and yes, clearly your post upset me--sorry if i went over board with my response.
I'm not sure about all your scooters but the 2 you've mentioned were designed to ride they way you do: big ruckus and gtv. 250cc can handle freeways and cruising at 70mph for long periods of time. that's NOT what a buddy was designed for. You've seen the limitations- slower up a hill and no extra throttle for evasive maneuvers. The buddy is the wrong scooter if you want to be riding freeways regularly.
That said, I've put 21,000 miles on my Buddy in 2 years. Over mountains, across deserts. All using the old highways or back roads. It takes some mapping and a whole lot longer to get to where you're going but i call it "scenic" It took 8hrs to scoot to LA because we had to AROUND Camp Pendleton. It was BEAUTIFUL!
Again, it's your scooter to do with what you want but if you ride it like a 250cc scooter it's will disappoint you often and seems like it breakdown a lot, too.
- desmolicious
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