blur holding back

[zizybalubah]

I heard that if you overfill the engine oil it is possible it will somehow get in the cardboard air filter. is this true? i was checking the oil w/ dipstick and i put a bit it and there was only a small amount left in the bottle. so, i went ahead and finished off the bottle. more came out than i expected. did i screw up?

since i did that the blur has had some issues with power, and even shut down on me twice. when it shut down, i let it sit a minute and it started up but still wasn't quite up to full power. the air filter was pretty black in some areas. compressed air didnt clean it at all. mind you, i just used a can of compressed air (like for computer dust), not an air compessor machine. i tried the brush attachment on vacuum cleaner, did nothing. i then used a toothbrush w/ a bit of dish detergent and that cleaned it a bit, but not like new. i thoroughly dried the filter (and i do mean thoroughly). havent had chance to put it back in scoot and ride it.

anyone know of better way to clean it? i'd like to replace it, ideally, but have no idea where to get replacement. i guess the actual cardboard could be taken out of the plastic filter plate, but i dont think its meant to be removed.

all comments welcome!

[Lostmycage]

Over filling the engine can cause symptoms similar to vapor lock: loss of power, and stalling. Run the engine so it's warm then get an oil syringe and remove oil until it's around half on the dipstick (half to full mark). Do a little at a time. Run the engine for a minute and recheck.

You don't want to use an air compressor unless you have the psi set kinda low, otherwise you could blow a hole in the filter. A little dirty is ok. Compressed air (for electronics) is ok, just make sure you blow from the engine side and not the intake side (blow against the direction the air moves during normal operation, blowing the other way will lodge any loose dirt further into the filter).

You should be able to get a replacement from your dealer or scooterworks. For the hassle of cleaning it, it's probably best to just get a new one, easier at least.

Now get that thing back on the road!

[zizybalubah]

thx lostcage. it needed an oil change anyway so i went ahead and did it, and made extra sure i didn't overfill it. i've had a slow leak in back tire, so haven't had chance to see if the oil thing cleared up. i can't find tires ANYWHERE, all on back order. I'm jonesing, haven't ridden in 3 days! AAHHH!!!

[Lostmycage]

Ouch. If there's tread left on the tires, check them over to see if they're salvageable. Mix a little bit of soapy water and put it on the tire and fill the tire up. If there's a leak, you'll see bubbles. Check the valve stem, this is the most common place for a tire to leak. If it's just the valve, you can easily tighten it up. Again, this is assuming the tire has tread and isn't dry-rotted.

Good luck!

[zizybalubah]

the treads still ok, but not great (had it since dec 07 and will prob put around 10,000 BDUs on it by end of this year). actually had a nail in it for a while and then had it plugged 2 months ago. i used water and it is the plug leaking. so i guess i'll see if the plug can be replaced for now. just got 2 new tires on ebay tonight, should be here next week. needless to say, i'm psyched!

[Lostmycage]

My understanding is that on 2 wheels, a plug should be looked at as a temporary solution. On a car, you can be a little more trusting as a flat at speed just means it'll not respond as well and you'll have to pull over. On two wheels if it fails... well that's just bad.

It's good that you found some new tires. Mind posting a link? I'm curious if you went with the stock Maxxis or opted for something a little different. I'm also curious about the price.

Sounds like you're on the road to... getting back on the road (?).

Let us know how it turns out.

[zizybalubah]

yeah i knew i shouldnt be riding on a plug, took my chances.

i couldnt find maxxis tires anywhere, and the only ones i did find were out of stock michelins. except here, they're Innova brand i think:

http://search.ebay.com/scooter-tires_eB ... sacatZ6000

scroll down 30 or so items on page, "tire closeout". here's their site, but not as cheap:

http://shop.desser.com/IW_Products.m4p. ... TEM_SUBMIT

i couldnt find 120s anywhere, only 130s, so front a back will have to be those.

[Lostmycage]

I've heard speculation that 130 front and 140 rear might help the ride, odo/speedo accuracy, and just be more readily available; but I haven't seen where anyone's tried it yet.

Let us know if your speedo/odo seem more accurate after the switch.

I've heard good things about the Michellins.

[zizybalubah]

couldnt find 140s in stock either, so i'll keep my 120 front and replace my bad 130 rear w/ new 130. if i do put 130 on front ,as well, i'll let you know if it affects speedo or odo.

know where i can find walkthrough of taking tire off bike? i'm not the most mechanically inclined so guess i'd better take it to shop. would it require machine to break bead and get tire off rim, or could it be done by hand?

[Lostmycage]

http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic32420

There's some specialized tools there but the poster takes a great deal of care to avoid damaging the rim and then balancing the tire.

If you doubt your abilities, I'd just suggest taking it into a shop and maybe asking if you can watch the process. A proper shop with the right tools shouldn't take more than maybe 15 minutes to swap the rubber. They should also be able to balance it for you, which I'd highly suggest as this can really make the ride smooth, especially at speed.

[zizybalubah]

gonna stick w/ shop when the tires come in. i don't want to buy the tools and i'm a bit nervous about doing it.

so, should i specifically ask them to balance the tire when they swap the rubber? I'll prob go to scooterworks here in chicago. I have been dealing w/ them for years and am not quite so confident in their service thoroughness. so, i doubt they would balance the wheel on their own, only if i asked. and even then, who knows.

btw, i dont want to start a conversation about people's experiences at scooterworks, but i do have my own opinions/experience bout the place.

later!

[Lostmycage]

If in doubt, ask. You're the customer, if you're paying for a service, shouldn't you have every right to getting it?

If you doubt the place you're going to, Scooterworks or not, go to a different shop. If it were something more specific to your vehicle, I'd say take it to the dealer. It's a tire, though. Ask around for motorcycle friendly tire shops and see if you can find any recommendations. Never be afraid to ask for a service that you're paying for. Unbalanced tires give an awful ride. I'm not savvy with motorcycle tires and their balance issues, but the same principle should still apply. It can be a safety concern if they're that far off balance. I suspect that motorcycle tires are made with a bit more attention to detail though. Might not be an issue at all (read: cycle tires and rims might come well balanced in the first place) but there's still the valve stem and any oddities in the brake disk.

Bottom line: specify if you have to. If your shop is doing everything correctly, they won't have any issues showing you what they've done.