Week one on a Stella 4T (first ever scooter!)

natastical · Post by **natastical** » Fri May 11, 2012 11:04 pm

Hi all

Wanted to leave a note for all the noobz and people thinking about purchasing the Stella 4T.

I got my gorgeous 2tone about a month ago and was a little worried about how hard it was going to be having never ridden/driven a manual, or even a scooter before.

The Motorcycle course was really really good. I learnt on a motorbike (250cc) and by the end of the day and a half course i went from never having sat on a bike before to passing my test on a manual bike! Don't worry, you'll learn!

My first commute to and from work was good, though definitely a little embarrassing. The gears were so much touchier then the bike i learnt on, and i found the down shifting tough (and my bike made some scary noises!). I came onto the forum and read a thread that rolling the throttle when you down shift can help and it's been a lot smoother since then.

It's still a learning curve, and getting the confidence to shift to a higher gear to keep up the speed when i know we're going to come to a stop within 20 seconds (and thus having to downshift again) is something that will become a lot more natural over time.

Question for more experienced riders - will it damage my bike coming to a stop/start at a traffic light in 2nd gear the whole time? I'm finding Neutral to be a real pain in the arse (sticking when i think i'm in first) and it feels a lot nicer to ride in 2nd.

Thought I might update this thread every now and then when a new revelation dawns upon me that might help new riders, but that's all for now.

Bcon · Post by **Bcon** » Fri May 11, 2012 11:42 pm

First, Congratulations! Both on the new scoot and on taking the initiative to learn to ride.....

Downshifting smoothly will come, just as taking off did. A couple ways to reduce the jerkiness on downshifting: You can "rev match", which is blipping the throttle a bit when you downshift before you let the clutch back out so the engine speed matches the new gear. Second is "feathering" the clutch when you let it out, just like you do when you take off. Both are a learned art, and it will come.

Coming to a stop in second won't hurt anything, but in time you'll learn to get into first smoothly, and then into neutral if you want.

Have fun, and keep at it!

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Sat May 12, 2012 5:29 pm

Doesn't the 4T have a neutral light?

keith1295 · Post by **keith1295** » Sun May 13, 2012 12:11 am

Yeah, the 4t has a neutral light and there is a soft spot that you can feel when you hit neutral.. Just give it time and it will become second nature....

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Sun May 13, 2012 12:31 am

Congrats on passing the MSF course! It will serve you well for years to come. I had the same great sense of accomplishment going from having never ridden before to three days later passing the course on a motorcycle. A great feeling to be sure! There's nothing like looking fear in the eye and succeeding.

Just a thought, since your scooter is brand new there is a chance the clutch cable etc may have stretched some and be in need of minor adjustment. That could explain the difficulty you're having getting into neutral or certain gears. I know Eric had his adjusted a couple of times as it was breaking in so it might serve you well to have yours checked out.

Wonder · Post by **Wonder** » Sun May 13, 2012 4:10 pm

Yay fellow Stella owner! You will soon love to shift. I just bought my first scooter last Wednesday and I previously drove a motorcycle. The manual transmission was one of the things that drew me to the Stella. That, and the first time I saw a picture of one I squealed like a little girl. A week later I bought one.

Shifting will come as second nature. Though I've never ridden an automatic scooter, I think that, for me, manual transmissions are more fun.

As far as downshifting, I have never been one to use it, even with cars. I asked my dealer if he would recommend it and he said it would be fine to just put it in neutral and use the brakes to slow to a stop. The neutral light can be hard to see in direct sunlight so you'll be able to find it by touch with some practice. Just remember to always let the clutch out slowly, so if you aren't in neutral, you'll be able to tell and pull the clutch back in.

Leo 4Td · Post by **Leo 4Td** » Sun May 13, 2012 4:38 pm

I'm new too, after 100 miles it shifts so much easier,I don' if it is me get better or if the bike is broke in a little

Post by **ericalm** » Mon May 14, 2012 12:35 am

Skootz Kabootz wrote:I know Eric had his adjusted a couple of times as it was breaking in so it might serve you well to have yours checked out.

The cables stretch out and loosen over time, then they need to be adjusted. They're very much like a set of new guitar strings. (I knew a guy who would boil his bass strings to help break them in. I don't think it did a lick of good.)

My first 4T had all kinds of cable issues, but that was from being a demo bike and having the shifter abused by everyone who rode or sat on it. They were great once tightened up!

This is one of the first things I need to learn to do on the Stella.

Southerner · Post by **Southerner** » Mon May 14, 2012 11:02 am

More congratulations on passing the MSF! Don't worry, these issues will smooth out with experience.

I have to say that I think it would take me a bit to get the hang of shifting a Stella myself, what with the twist shifter and the clutch in one hand. It would be an adjustment for me.

Before I got my current bike, I was used to chain drive bikes and one could freely pedal downward when going to a stop. I quickly learned that it doesn't work that way with shaft drive bikes. You can only go down a couple and then you have to come to a stop and fiddle around for neutral. Even after all this years, neutral does seem to play hide & seek.

Tack One. · Post by **Tack One.** » Tue May 15, 2012 2:43 pm

come to a stop in first, not neutral. you can down shift by rolling the gears as you slow. if you see the stop coming well in advance you can slowly down shift by pulling the clutch and blipping the throttle to ease into the lower gear. I wouldn't use neutral ever when stopping. it's spotty on the stella, if you hit the handle bar it can jump into gear, and it isn't safe if you need to drive off suddenly.

roll into first as you come to a stop.

natastical · Post by **natastical** » Wed May 16, 2012 5:41 am

Thanks for all the input.

A week on, i'm still stopping and starting at traffic lights in second. I'm hardly using first gear at all. I just find traffic in LA so impatient and aggressive!
Cars overtaking you just to be in front of you, revving behind you at traffic lights...I like have the scooter all zippy in second gear ready to go at a light. Eat my dust, Audi!

Am i a terrible driver already?

Also, the phantom space between 3rd and 4th gear is horrible, it sounds like my gear box is going to fall out when i get stuck between them and am trying to get back into third. Crunnkk crunchhh crrhhhhh! Does this improve over time?

natastical · Post by **natastical** » Wed May 16, 2012 5:59 am

Oh, one more thing.

What does everyone else do with the thumb on their left hand when riding?

My instinct in to wrap it under the handle bar with my four fingers engaging the clutch when needed. I guess it feels more stable in turns gripping. Thing is, my thumb has been killing me. Any tips?

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed May 16, 2012 11:02 am

IMO, thumb wrapped under grip is correct....Most likely your hand is responding to a new job (twist shfting). I suspect the discomfort will ultimatly go away as you become accustomed to this motion.

Regarding the second gear startout.....this is really rough on the clutch.....you are likely forcing it to slip far more than it ever should, just as you would by starting out in a car in second.
The engine has enouph torque to tolerate it but the clutch service life will be shortened.....a lot.

The fourth gear business most likely is related to shift cable adjustment.
If a gear is partially engaged the gearbox will default to a 'false nuetral' upon clutch engagement to prevent gear damage......trouble is you now have a battle to get either third or fourth and it announcing its unhappiness (grind).

I recommend you force yourself to break the second gear start habit and stop by your dealer to have the shift cables adjusted as need be.

Good luck,
Rob

Tack One. · Post by **Tack One.** » Wed May 16, 2012 2:12 pm

practice shifting out of first faster. once you get used to it you can start in first and be out of it in 2 seconds, rather than reving all the way through the gear for 10 seconds before shifting. you'll get used to it being fast, and it's not unnatural. I think doing everything in second is a bad habit.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed May 16, 2012 3:16 pm

Practice, practice, practice.

But that phantom neutral can be adjusted. Get rid of it!

How are you beating Audis by starting in second?

Lokky · Post by **Lokky** » Wed May 16, 2012 4:05 pm

ericalm wrote: How are you beating Audis by starting in second?

I was about to ask, starting a stella in second only makes for a slow lumbering start unless you rev up pretty high first and even then you may as well have started in first.

natastical · Post by **natastical** » Wed May 16, 2012 4:24 pm

I may not be any faster in second, i think it's probably in my head.

Ok, this morning i forced myself to stop/start in first. I will break the habit.

It's kind of insane how quickly you can build bad habits.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed May 16, 2012 4:57 pm

natastical wrote:It's kind of insane how quickly you can build bad habits.

So true. And now's the time to develop good ones. (You'll probably develop other bad ones over time; we all do!)

I carried over some bad habits from riding my Vespa LX to riding my Stella and as a result dropped it one night due to nothing but sloppiness and inattention.

Starting in first will get you going faster out of the gate. If you learn to start in second and give it a lot of throttle to get moving, you'll wind up popping wheelies when starting in first.

I used to play bass and was proficient enough at one point that I was playing with bands in decent-sized venues, etc. I was completely self-taught, though. While I could play well enough and had good instincts, I'd never say I was a good bassist and I had tons of bad habits. (These were really audible in the studio; you can get away with a lot more live.) It really hampered my playing and limited my songwriting abilities. And when I really had to stretch myself for a song, it probably took me longer to "get it" than if I'd had a more solid foundation.

On the scooter, you don't have the luxury of practicing for every situation you're confronted with. That solid foundation may someday save your hide!

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Wed May 16, 2012 5:08 pm

ericalm wrote:I used to play bass and was proficient enough at one point that I was playing with bands in decent-sized venues, etc. I was completely self-taught, though. While I could play well enough and had good instincts, I'd never say I was a good bassist and I had tons of bad habits. (These were really audible in the studio; you can get away with a lot more live.) It really hampered my playing and limited my songwriting abilities. And when I really had to stretch myself for a song, it probably took me longer to "get it" than if I'd had a more solid foundation.

On the scooter, you don't have the luxury of practicing for every situation you're confronted with. That solid foundation may someday save your hide!

Bass playing as it relates to scooter riding! I love it! (An MB first I believe

)

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Wed May 16, 2012 6:46 pm

Hehe. Wanna really expose your bad habits? Take up fretless.

(I have three.)

lorenajack · Post by **lorenajack** » Wed May 30, 2012 7:48 pm

When I come to a stop light I always shift into neutral watching when the "N" light comes on. That allows me to shift into 1st from a dead stop, or into 2nd if the light turns in my favor. On my Stella, it's not real easy to get it out of 2nd when stopped. Maybe an adjustment....dunno.....

rondothemidget · Post by **rondothemidget** » Thu May 31, 2012 11:54 pm

Shifting is one of the reasons I got the Stella. You'll drive like these guys after you get a few thousand miles of experience -
http://youtu.be/i3gtcDO1HhI

onedeed26 · Post by **onedeed26** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:43 am

Hey, I just bought a stella as well and have sort of been overwhelmed by shifting but i'm also constantly improving...... Thanks so much for posting this ..... you asked all the questions i've been asking motorcycle buddies, but didnt really know how to take their advice because stella is one of a kind. I never come straight out of a dead stop in to second.... but some times in round abouts i clutch to slow and remain in second..... Is there anything wrong with doing that??

Southerner · Post by **Southerner** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 12:26 pm

I don't know about scooter shifting in particular, but if anyone wants a smooth transition from a scoot to a MC, for instance, there is nothing better than a centrifugal clutch. I got started with it when when I was a kid with a Honda Mini-Trail. The best current example is probably the Symba. I don't know if Honda even makes one anymore.

Now, a classic shifty scoot, with the cable linkage to the shifter, it seems that would be something to keep in good adjustment to remove any "uncertainty" between the rider and the transmission. Like my experience with column shift cars.

But I hasten to note that I have yet to have the pleasure of riding a shifty scoot.

Post by **ericalm** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 1:57 pm

onedeed26 wrote:but some times in round abouts i clutch to slow and remain in second..... Is there anything wrong with doing that??

No, that's exactly what you should be doing!

I'm still learning the art of shifting through the twisties, which I can do but which has a rhythm and dynamic totally different from riding an auto scooter. It helps that the Stella isn't SO fast and powerful that I get myself into trouble.

Southerner wrote:I don't know if Honda even makes one anymore

They do, they just don't sell it in the US. The Cub/Supercub is the best-selling powered two wheeler of all time and remains very popular in some countries. Here, it's a novelty.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:27 am

There still is one auto clutch/shifter from Honda.

It is called the CRF 50.
This is a non street legal version of the original Mini-Trail 50 that was introduced in 1968.

Talk about design amoritization eh?

Rob

natastical · Post by **natastical** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 8:18 pm

[quote="onedeed26"]Hey, I just bought a stella as well and have sort of been overwhelmed by shifting but i'm also constantly improving...... Thanks so much for posting this ..... you asked all the questions i've been asking motorcycle buddies, but didnt really know how to take their advice because stella is one of a kind. I never come straight out of a dead stop in to second.... but some times in round abouts i clutch to slow and remain in second..... Is there anything wrong with doing that??[/quote]

Hey! I'm glad it helped! I've been riding mine solidly now for 3 months and it's all a lot better.

She's still got a lot of weird teething issues that i've read will be fixed in her first check up (500 miles - i'm at 400 right now) like stalling randomly at sudden stops (stop and go traffic in LA proves difficult to judge a proper slow down at times, especially if you're behind an SUV and can't see anything!). My automatic start button doesn't work anymore (kickstart only) and neither do my blinkers. I forced myself to use first at every stop and start, and it was hard but i eventually got myself into the habit!

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:01 pm

natastical wrote:
onedeed26 wrote:Hey, I just bought a stella as well and have sort of been overwhelmed by shifting but i'm also constantly improving...... Thanks so much for posting this ..... you asked all the questions i've been asking motorcycle buddies, but didnt really know how to take their advice because stella is one of a kind. I never come straight out of a dead stop in to second.... but some times in round abouts i clutch to slow and remain in second..... Is there anything wrong with doing that??
Hey! I'm glad it helped! I've been riding mine solidly now for 3 months and it's all a lot better.

She's still got a lot of weird teething issues that i've read will be fixed in her first check up (500 miles - i'm at 400 right now) like stalling randomly at sudden stops (stop and go traffic in LA proves difficult to judge a proper slow down at times, especially if you're behind an SUV and can't see anything!). My automatic start button doesn't work anymore (kickstart only) and neither do my blinkers. I forced myself to use first at every stop and start, and it was hard but i eventually got myself into the habit!

Your fuse has failed......thats why the blinkers and starter wont work.
You must remove the spare tire to get to it.....it calls for a 8 amp but I think that that is at the ragged edge of being too low.
Mine failed and I replaced it with a AGC 10 letters being the length of the assembly the 10 being ten amps.
My fuse failed within the first few hundred miles.....its replacement now has almost 2000 on it with no issues.....actually I think the blinkers are brighter now.....just my opinion though....no basis in fact.

Good luck,
Rob

SockyTX · Post by **SockyTX** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:53 pm

I just got a new job that is 5 miles form my house. I debated a few options but as soon as I laid eyes on the two-tone Stella my mind was made up. Plus it was my birthday and my wife wanted to treat me. Inside a week of seeing the Stella I bought her. Exactly 1 week ago I took her on the maiden voyage from the dealer to her new home. I completed the MSF Basic Rider Course and got a motorcycle endorsement on my license. I have already put 110 miles on it in a week. I love it. Shared some of the same trepidation as others with regards to the manual transmission but aside from a few missed gears it hasn't given me any trouble.

I made a video to celebrate my Stella 4T, it can be viewed through the link below:

http://youtu.be/AL_eDyx-BpQ

Next week I start my new job and will be mingling with commuter traffic. I have done a few trial runs on the route but not in morning/afternoon commute traffic.

Wish me luck.

-SockyTX

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:17 pm

Congrats and nice video as well.
Slick color combo.....really reinforces the retro theme IMO.

Observation....the tool kit sits verticle with the spring holding it against the right side of the storage box.
I've decided the not so flush fitting turn signal housings add to its character.

Your accessory selection works well with the blue/cream combination.

Well done!

Have fun out there,
Rob

Modern Buddy

Week one on a Stella 4T (first ever scooter!)

Week one on a Stella 4T (first ever scooter!)

hoorayy

Re: hoorayy

Re: hoorayy

Re: hoorayy

1 week into owning my new Stella 4T