Modern Buddy

Getting my low beam fixed (goes off higher than second gear) and reported my problem with the starter (stuck relay?).

I also have been hearing a sound near the bottom and top of some gears- jingling/rattling sound like as if I have a set of keys in the motor going crazy. Not too familiar with the workings of the Stella, but if it was my old yamaha, I'd say it sounds like piston rings rattling. Does that indicate that she's not breaking in well? I'm worried.

If it always occurs at roughly the same rpm, it is likely to be something on the scooter body or chassis resonating in sympathy with the engine vibration. You might either have something loose, something (like a cable) hanging where it is loosely touching something else, or something rattling in the glove compartment.

I'd be very surprised if it is anything in the engine.

Appreciate the reassurance Dave! I hope you are right..

If mine didn't rattle I would wonder what just fell off.

it is likely to be something on the scooter body or chassis resonating in sympathy with the engine vibration

I've got this going on with my 2T. For me, it's the spring attached to the center stand and it didn't start making noise for nearly 3 years. Not a big deal for me......gives my Stella some personality.

Regarding your healight going out at higher gears, this is due to the fact that not enough space is present in the headset between the switch and the headlight. Thus by rotating the grip to shift, it wears out the cables until it chews through the insulation and causes them to short.
While she's there make sure they dremel out some extra space for it so you won't have the same problem pop up again.

lmyers wrote:If mine didn't rattle I would wonder what just fell off.

No joke. Between that rattle and my tool kit in the glove box, I'd be lost without all the noise.

Well, the rattle was nothing just as you all suspected. They even think it is the centerstand rattling- so I think someone here called it! (Keith!)

But there is another couple issues I wanted to get advice on.

1. Some electrical part (or the wiring itself) couldn't be gotten from Genuine at this time. I don't know if it was to the low beam or to the starter, but I will talk to them when I pick it up to find out. I was told that Genuine told them to just wire it (make it work!) for now, and then I will go back to change it when the parts come in. I'm OK with that since I need it back ASAP, and it seems that things are pretty well documented that whatever modification they are doing- It wasn't me. Should be fine with my warrantee if anything goes wrong.
Is my thinking ok with that or should I just let it wait in the shop for the Genuine article?

2. I'm being told my rear tire is pretty worn down already- not quite 2K miles. So for now the spare goes on, but I need to find what I'll be replacing them with eventually. Not partial to whitewalls on this scoot. I would like something pretty high quality but ideal for So Cal weather. I know there are a lot of threads on this subject, but I'd like to inquire Stella specific- and So Cal specific. I will not purposely ride in our rare bit of rain, so it needn't be all weather.

I immediately replaced the junk white walls with Michelin S83 tyres.
Much improved the ride and handling.

desmolicious wrote:I immediately replaced the junk white walls with Michelin S83 tyres.
Much improved the ride and handling.

Thanks Desmo, I'll go with those!

desmolicious wrote:I immediately replaced the junk white walls with Michelin S83 tyres.
Much improved the ride and handling.

Excellent tire! I'm running those on my scooter right now. But, to be honest by next spring I'm going to be switching them out for Continental Zippy 1's. They're a much more "streetable" performance pattern with far less tread line that fits my type of riding far better. In Phoenix, we don't get much rain at all and the streets are of pretty high quality compared to the rest of the US. So a tire with aggressive tread is good, but a more street oriented tire is even better since we have some nice smooth roads.

But, the S83 is an EXCELLENT all weather tire that is light years beyond the stock rubber and has decent durability for the performance you gain. Did I mention how much I dislike the factory crab tires on the Stella?

the zippy 1's are what came on my stella...granted i bought it second hand so the previous owner may have put those on it. =)

For now I just had them change the spare. I figure with money tight I may as well use it all up and then buy them to have put on with the next service.

I live out in the county and the roads here are pretty rough. Is there a preference between zippys and the S83 considering that, or would either do well?

My rear has perhaps 300 more miles to it (put 3100 miles on it) so it's coming off soon. I changed it at 2.5k miles when my original tire's tube died, so we swapped the original tire with the spare.
The front is still the original from 6600 miles ago, so probably going to change them at the same time.

Still completely unsure on what to get, I ran with the original maxxis so far and they were decent but I feel that my latest crash (skidded on wet cobblestones) might have been avoided with a grippier tire.

Considering putting the vee rubber winter tires on, at the very least for the back, but I can't find any info on how well they perform outside of winter as I do not want to spend 50some dollars on each tire only to have to swap them out as soon as it stops being cold.


By the way, I am reading that the michelin S1 has better grip than the S83, the latter being what comes stock on the PX, the former is seen as the natural upgrade from that.