Pimp's Rowdy 150 - Page 3

Pimpwerx · 05-07-2012, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deezildennis

Hmmm..

There shouldn't be any need to mess with the clutch bell or the clutch shoes behind it with under 300 miles on it. I have well over 3000 on my rowdy and the clutch shoes look fine.

Your running issue sounds to me like a vapor lock in the tank brought on by a faulty gas cap that isn't allowing the tank to vent. And not a valve clearence issue especially with that few miles.

The 835 is the correct belt size for the rowdy. When I had mine in for the 2k checkup I asked to have them check the valve gap and it was in spec. I suggest not messing with them and make sure the tank is venting at the cap. Since the rowdy is on the heavy side of the 150cc bikes I also suggest keeping the heavy stock weights in the trans. I tried several different weights to just mess around and it didn't do anything.but affect the performance of the bike.

As for the hoses .. I left mine alone since they seem to function and be of good quality.

The cvt cover doesn't really need the gasket. But when I replaced my belt when it wasn't needed..... I just ran a thin bead of black silicone around the cover and slapped her back on.

I did away with my vented cvt cover and put the stocker back on since I ride mine rain or shine and big puddles of water tended to make the belt slip If water got into it. I have ran 100 plus miles in a day non stop and though the cover is hot the belt isn't affected that I can tell even with the wife sitting on the back with me. Never run with the cover off since it is a structural part of the case. Lots a of gy6 ruckus mod guys have cracked their case that way and its a sure fire Way to trash your block and causing a need for a new engine assembly.

To kickstart it, put the bike on the center stand and make sure the key is on and the run switch in on, flip out the kick peg, hold one of the brake handles in and kick the lever down in one fluid motion while standing faceing the rear of the bike and use your right foot. It'll start.

Find the vent hole for the cap and make sure it is venting. New caps can be had but yours is probably stopped up. My brand new triumph had the same issue so it does happen.

Sweet! I've heard the term vapor lock, but never knew what it was. Thanks for the explanation and the suggestion. I'm gonna get on it tomorrow morning. Also, thanks for the kick start instructions.

I'm only trying to find a way to remove the clutch nut because I know I'm gonna change that part eventually. I was just gonna take some stuff apart and see how it works.

I adjusted the valve gaps already. The intake was fine at .003, and I widened it to .004. The exhaust was less than, 003 (didn't mind measuring the specific gap), and I widened that out to .004. It's just a number I've seen used a lot online, so I figured what the hell.

The OEM hoses are fine, but I'd rather use clear polyurethane fuel line and silicone vacuum hose. I just hope I don't get something wrong because I'm trying to be too fancy.

I'll clear that vent hole and hopefully get the bike back up before I head out of town this weekend. I have a cover for the bike, btw. Nelson-Rigg. I like it. Waterproof and I can put it on the bike hot. I'll let you know if my running problems persist. PEACE.

deezildennis · 05-08-2012, 08:21 AM

You need to get a cheap electric impact wrench so you don't start breaking variator fins off and such. I think harbor freight has a 110 volt for $40 right now.

I have 3 different spring rates that I have messed with in my clutch and again I went back to the stock springs. I cannot stand loosing any take off power. I can blast off pretty quick and I hate really messing with anything that will screw with it..

I really tried to stick with the idea "if it ain't broke don't fix it" with my rowdy. Id like to do exhaust and carb rejett but the Damn thing runs so well that I am hesitant to do much more than maintenance..

Pimpwerx · 05-27-2012, 03:14 AM

Thanks for the update in your thread, deezildennis. I've had my Rowdy sitting in the shed, still apart for a month or so now. Weddings and job interviews and work have hampered my time to work on it. Oh...and lots of bad weather to even it all out. Either too hot or too wet. Indoor garages are a blessing if you have one...I don't.

Anyway, I will be riding it in a day or two. Yesterday, the final piece of vacuum hose showed up, so I finished changing all the fuel line and vacuum hose (all but the fat ones). I cleaned the carb (unnecessary) and dropped in some 12g rollers so I have a mix of 12 and 17 in there for a weight of 14.5g. I assume my acceleration will improve to the detriment of top-speed. I'll see how I like it. I'm really just tinkering right now.

I do have an issue. That 835 belt is not going back on with the clutch still on there. I have to figure out how to either put it back on without removing the clutch bell, put on the 842 belt I ordered accidentally, but which looks too big for the stock variator, or find a reliable way to remove the clutch bell now. I think I'm gonna have to figure out how to remove that clutch bell.

I recharged the battery and hooked it up for a test. Started and idled easily.

I wasn't sure I had put it back together properly, but I did. One issue, though, is that when I had it disassembled, I loosened one of the wiring harnesses and as I was pushing the bike into the shed, they got caught under the back wheel and one of the wires was pulled-out. It came out of the loom, and it was connected to the tail assembly. I discovered it's the signal cable for the brake light, so now I'll have to open the loom up and trace back to its origin. That's a relatively easy fix. Live and learn. Don't push your bike with wires dangling off it.

One thing. I didn't get to look at it closely, but I think I saw air in the fuel lines when it was running. I put in translucent fuel line, and I'm glad I did. I can see all the fuel paths and see if any air is getting in. There shouldn't be air in the system after it's had a chance to idle for a little bit, right?

Anyway, put the belt and CVT cover back on, reconnect the signal wire for the brake light and then set the idle and fuel mixture. Then...I get to see if I've actually fixed the problem with loss of power. Either way, it's been pretty educational. Sorry for no pics. I've forgotten my camera each time, and my phone camera is not working properly right now. I'll snap a pic before I put the panels on so I can show what I've done. PEACE.

Pimpwerx · 06-07-2012, 04:18 PM

So deezildennis was spot-on with his diagnosis. My gas cap isn't venting properly. I called Motobuys to request a new gas cap. We'll see if that helps. In the meantime, I tried a couple fixes.

I looked online and people said I can drill my own vents. My gas cap has a rubber gasket, so they suggest drilling outside the gasket. I widened the two holes already there and added two more.

The red is the two holes I added. The blue are the original ones. I widened the two smaller ones. The yellow marks are where I drilled holes in the rubber gasket (just the gasket) today.

With just the red and blue done last night, I drove around about 20-30 miles and got maybe twice as far as I usually get before it would lose power and die on me. So I ended up having to remove the gas cap and restart the bike. As a result, I decided to add the holes to the gasket, which I've read works. I'll give it another test tonight, as I go out to watch the Heat game. If that doesn't work, my last resort will be to remove the rubber gasket altogether. I don't see its purpose other than keeping gas in the tank.

One other change I made was removing the locking bolt from the gas cap. I'm tired of having to take the key out of the ignition in order to remove the gas cap. It's a nuisance, especially when I'm troubleshooting this recent problem. The cap seals just fine without the bolt. All it required was me removing the two screws seen in the picture, popping the housing off, removing the bolt and putting it all back together. I hope this helps.

Everything else is fine. I still have to find a way to reconnect the wire for the tail light, that I popped loose. For now, it lights up, which is good enough for me. I pulled the loom off all the way to the gas tank and still no luck, so I might have to reroute that wire from the handles. That might wait for when I buy a new dash (looking at Trail Tech) and upgrade the electronics. PEACE.

EDIT: I took carb cleaner to it the same time I cleaned the carb. It didn't seem to do any good.

Bearcat · 06-12-2012, 12:29 PM

Great thread as I'm thinking of getting one of those clones.

Pimpwerx · 07-03-2012, 09:07 PM

I changed the gear oil and the engine oil today. 922 miles on the odometer. The gear oil was really grey and silty with metal shavings. Impressive given I have those magnetic bolts from the Prima kit. The engine oil was really dark, as well. I didn't do anything else particularly interesting. I didn't take pics, because I don't have a working camera right now.

I love the bike, and I can tell I'm getting more power from the engine. I haven't used my phone GPS to check the top speed, but it should be over 50mph easily now. I get a lot of comments out on the road. It doesn't matter if it's pedestrians or people in other cars. A lot of people ask me what kind of bike it is, and tell me they like it. The funniest comment I heard was from a guy in a moving truck who was talking to the person next to him. He said, "I don't know what the hell that is. I've never seen anything like that in my life." I LOL'd.

I don't regret getting it in red now. Black was my first choice, but this color looks the part. PEACE.

fullmetalscooter · 07-03-2012, 10:18 PM

Good thread and it's great you ve taken the time to really go through you new scooter so you don't end up going it's a peace of china crap. Look good. I wonder if the gears in the tranny are just not cut very well with the right tolerances which might be the reason for the metal shaving. Then again it might be just the bearing around the drive shaft or nothing at all. Even if the trans failed the parts are dirt cheap and easy to replace . The bearing is n't fun to replace with out a bearing puller and driver I think.

CaseyJones · 07-04-2012, 06:42 PM

Guess I'll jump in here with my own parallel review.

I've put about 1300 (Chinese-speedo) miles on my RucKlone. Meantime, sold the BMW; used the proceeds for a Burgman 650 and...(drum roll) a fer-real Big Ruckus!

It's been an interesting side-by-side. The PS250 just oozes quality; it's solid; stable; quiet. But it uses more gas than I expected (65 mpg) and...I can't put my finger on why; but the riding position is somewhat different and not as comfortable.

There are actual differences in the frame. The forward tubing that wraps around the instrument cluster, rises an inch higher on the Big Ruckus than on the Rowdy. That difference may also be reflected in the triple-tree.

I haven't measured to see what the seat height is, or seat-to-footrest distances and relationships. But I've been on both of them for extended times; the Rowdy is a perfect in-town ghetto cruiser; and the Big Ruckus perfect to go to work (radiator is shielded so driveway mud isn't a risk; other issues as well).

I was going to sell the Rowdy. Even had a buyer lined up for it; he's scrambling for the money ($900). But now I'm thinking....I just don't want to SELL!!

Not with 95 mpg and a relaxed rising position. Even the slow speed...ya get used to. Slower, on a naked bike, means less wind turbulence; less flapping of my double-chin. It's relaxing, unless traffic is heavy and impatient. I'm getting routes down, how to avoid.

But so far...with my two-scoot China experiment, this one's the winner. The Burgman clone has a rod journal knocking; it's probably a goner; but the Rowdy gy6 keeps on rolling.

wanna bECO · 07-04-2012, 11:00 PM

casey.... Pics or it didn't happen.

CaseyJones · 07-05-2012, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanna bECO

casey.... Pics or it didn't happen.

Have to wait a day or two. Busy tomorrow.

I'll have a class photo for ya...

CaseyJones · 07-08-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanna bECO

casey.... Pics or it didn't happen.

Got the bikes out...I use a storage unit as a garage, so it's not like I can just step out and snap.

Waiting to close on a home.

Anyway...

wanna bECO · 07-08-2012, 11:26 PM

Now you've done it, Now you've gone and made me really freakin jealous!!

deezildennis · 07-09-2012, 07:30 AM

Awesome set of bikes CJ!

I Think I Remember seeing a thread over at the BR forum showing how to take the BR seat hinge apart and relocating the slot for the angle of the seatback.

I Sometimes ride fake ruckus along with a local guy and his Real Ruck. He keeps telling me he is going to steal my seat and seat frame from me...

CJ is your Rucklone a ssr imported ZNEN bike? It looks like the older Tank warriors they used to sell?

CaseyJones · 07-09-2012, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deezildennis

Awesome set of bikes CJ!

I Think I Remember seeing a thread over at the BR forum showing how to take the BR seat hinge apart and relocating the slot for the angle of the seatback.

I Sometimes ride fake ruckus along with a local guy and his Real Ruck. He keeps telling me he is going to steal my seat and seat frame from me...

CJ is your Rucklone a ssr imported ZNEN bike? It looks like the older Tank warriors they used to sell?

The fake is a Znen - sold under its own name. I know SSR hypes them; but this one I bought from a brick-and-mortar.

It's actually been a good bike, for what it is. The biggest problem I have had is with the dealer...I've had it in twice now (once for a courtesy free oil change, first one; and once because the rear brake was hanging up)...

...and each time it comes back with fresh damage. First time he replaced the seat bottom improperly, not hooking the hooks. I sat on it, and the molded plastic hooks snapped off and jammed up into the padded bottom. It'll still latch on the nose; but there's no other anchor on it.

The other time...he left five bolts loose after adjusting the brakes. I lost one of them and had to walk the damn thing two miles home until I could find a wrench to tighten the bolts. IDIOT!

The bike itself...just goes and goes. Got 1300 miles on it.

I use it IN the city, when I'm going to be parking it where people will be. It's not that valuable. Heading out of town, or to work...I take the real BR; it's got the speed and it seems sturdy enough to deal with my jobsite.

deezildennis · 07-09-2012, 05:27 PM

Bummer about the seat. Will your local scooter shop take care of the seat? I have been very fortunate with my Dealer he has really taken care of me.

Your ZNEN is still a Nice looking bike as well as your BR. I am glad they are both working out for you.

And Good luck on closing on your new house!

07-03-2012, 10:18 PM	#37
fullmetalscooter Let me take this duck off Joined: Apr 2009 Location: BC Oddometer: 2,038	Good thread and it's great you ve taken the time to really go through you new scooter so you don't end up going it's a peace of china crap. Look good. I wonder if the gears in the tranny are just not cut very well with the right tolerances which might be the reason for the metal shaving. Then again it might be just the bearing around the drive shaft or nothing at all. Even if the trans failed the parts are dirt cheap and easy to replace . The bearing is n't fun to replace with out a bearing puller and driver I think. __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body,but rather to skid in sideways totally worn out shouting WHAT A RUSH, WHAT A RIDE. Got to go places to be, people to kill and far to many woman.

07-04-2012, 06:42 PM	#38
CaseyJones Ridin' that train Joined: Aug 2010 Location: Northern Wisconsin Oddometer: 537	Guess I'll jump in here with my own parallel review. I've put about 1300 (Chinese-speedo) miles on my RucKlone. Meantime, sold the BMW; used the proceeds for a Burgman 650 and...(drum roll) a fer-real Big Ruckus! It's been an interesting side-by-side. The PS250 just oozes quality; it's solid; stable; quiet. But it uses more gas than I expected (65 mpg) and...I can't put my finger on why; but the riding position is somewhat different and not as comfortable. There are actual differences in the frame. The forward tubing that wraps around the instrument cluster, rises an inch higher on the Big Ruckus than on the Rowdy. That difference may also be reflected in the triple-tree. I haven't measured to see what the seat height is, or seat-to-footrest distances and relationships. But I've been on both of them for extended times; the Rowdy is a perfect in-town ghetto cruiser; and the Big Ruckus perfect to go to work (radiator is shielded so driveway mud isn't a risk; other issues as well). I was going to sell the Rowdy. Even had a buyer lined up for it; he's scrambling for the money ($900). But now I'm thinking....I just don't want to SELL!! Not with 95 mpg and a relaxed rising position. Even the slow speed...ya get used to. Slower, on a naked bike, means less wind turbulence; less flapping of my double-chin. It's relaxing, unless traffic is heavy and impatient. I'm getting routes down, how to avoid. But so far...with my two-scoot China experiment, this one's the winner. The Burgman clone has a rod journal knocking; it's probably a goner; but the Rowdy gy6 keeps on rolling. __________________ 2007 Burgman 650 Executive...my last hurrah 2011 Xingyue XY300t-4 - Needs a new home 2011 Znen BigRuck clone...why'd I do it? 2005 Honda BigRuckus...The Last Word; the Armageddon AdventureRide.

07-04-2012, 11:00 PM	#39
wanna bECO Studly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2008 Location: Third stone from the sun Oddometer: 720	casey.... Pics or it didn't happen. __________________ Just cuz my bike is shiny, doesn't mean that I'm a hiny current stable '94 Harley .... a blue one '82 Honda passport '87 Honda spacy 250 And an E Bike 85 spacy 250 81 passport (in pieces, many parts for sale) The hit's just keep coming.. bought another 81 passport (11-28-09) http://tiny.cc/ITgetsBETTER

07-08-2012, 11:26 PM	#42
wanna bECO Studly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2008 Location: Third stone from the sun Oddometer: 720	Now you've done it, Now you've gone and made me really freakin jealous!! __________________ Just cuz my bike is shiny, doesn't mean that I'm a hiny current stable '94 Harley .... a blue one '82 Honda passport '87 Honda spacy 250 And an E Bike 85 spacy 250 81 passport (in pieces, many parts for sale) The hit's just keep coming.. bought another 81 passport (11-28-09) http://tiny.cc/ITgetsBETTER

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05-08-2012, 08:21 AM	#32
deezildennis Its a what? Joined: Jul 2007 Location: in the powa band Oddometer: 553	You need to get a cheap electric impact wrench so you don't start breaking variator fins off and such. I think harbor freight has a 110 volt for $40 right now. I have 3 different spring rates that I have messed with in my clutch and again I went back to the stock springs. I cannot stand loosing any take off power. I can blast off pretty quick and I hate really messing with anything that will screw with it.. I really tried to stick with the idea "if it ain't broke don't fix it" with my rowdy. Id like to do exhaust and carb rejett but the Damn thing runs so well that I am hesitant to do much more than maintenance..

05-27-2012, 03:14 AM	#33
Pimpwerx ^OP Adventurer Joined: Mar 2012 Oddometer: 22	Thanks for the update in your thread, deezildennis. I've had my Rowdy sitting in the shed, still apart for a month or so now. Weddings and job interviews and work have hampered my time to work on it. Oh...and lots of bad weather to even it all out. Either too hot or too wet. Indoor garages are a blessing if you have one...I don't. Anyway, I will be riding it in a day or two. Yesterday, the final piece of vacuum hose showed up, so I finished changing all the fuel line and vacuum hose (all but the fat ones). I cleaned the carb (unnecessary) and dropped in some 12g rollers so I have a mix of 12 and 17 in there for a weight of 14.5g. I assume my acceleration will improve to the detriment of top-speed. I'll see how I like it. I'm really just tinkering right now. I do have an issue. That 835 belt is not going back on with the clutch still on there. I have to figure out how to either put it back on without removing the clutch bell, put on the 842 belt I ordered accidentally, but which looks too big for the stock variator, or find a reliable way to remove the clutch bell now. I think I'm gonna have to figure out how to remove that clutch bell. I recharged the battery and hooked it up for a test. Started and idled easily. I wasn't sure I had put it back together properly, but I did. One issue, though, is that when I had it disassembled, I loosened one of the wiring harnesses and as I was pushing the bike into the shed, they got caught under the back wheel and one of the wires was pulled-out. It came out of the loom, and it was connected to the tail assembly. I discovered it's the signal cable for the brake light, so now I'll have to open the loom up and trace back to its origin. That's a relatively easy fix. Live and learn. Don't push your bike with wires dangling off it. One thing. I didn't get to look at it closely, but I think I saw air in the fuel lines when it was running. I put in translucent fuel line, and I'm glad I did. I can see all the fuel paths and see if any air is getting in. There shouldn't be air in the system after it's had a chance to idle for a little bit, right? Anyway, put the belt and CVT cover back on, reconnect the signal wire for the brake light and then set the idle and fuel mixture. Then...I get to see if I've actually fixed the problem with loss of power. Either way, it's been pretty educational. Sorry for no pics. I've forgotten my camera each time, and my phone camera is not working properly right now. I'll snap a pic before I put the panels on so I can show what I've done. PEACE.

06-07-2012, 04:18 PM	#34
Pimpwerx ^OP Adventurer Joined: Mar 2012 Oddometer: 22	So deezildennis was spot-on with his diagnosis. My gas cap isn't venting properly. I called Motobuys to request a new gas cap. We'll see if that helps. In the meantime, I tried a couple fixes. I looked online and people said I can drill my own vents. My gas cap has a rubber gasket, so they suggest drilling outside the gasket. I widened the two holes already there and added two more. The red is the two holes I added. The blue are the original ones. I widened the two smaller ones. The yellow marks are where I drilled holes in the rubber gasket (just the gasket) today. With just the red and blue done last night, I drove around about 20-30 miles and got maybe twice as far as I usually get before it would lose power and die on me. So I ended up having to remove the gas cap and restart the bike. As a result, I decided to add the holes to the gasket, which I've read works. I'll give it another test tonight, as I go out to watch the Heat game. If that doesn't work, my last resort will be to remove the rubber gasket altogether. I don't see its purpose other than keeping gas in the tank. One other change I made was removing the locking bolt from the gas cap. I'm tired of having to take the key out of the ignition in order to remove the gas cap. It's a nuisance, especially when I'm troubleshooting this recent problem. The cap seals just fine without the bolt. All it required was me removing the two screws seen in the picture, popping the housing off, removing the bolt and putting it all back together. I hope this helps. Everything else is fine. I still have to find a way to reconnect the wire for the tail light, that I popped loose. For now, it lights up, which is good enough for me. I pulled the loom off all the way to the gas tank and still no luck, so I might have to reroute that wire from the handles. That might wait for when I buy a new dash (looking at Trail Tech) and upgrade the electronics. PEACE. EDIT: I took carb cleaner to it the same time I cleaned the carb. It didn't seem to do any good.

06-12-2012, 12:29 PM	#35
Bearcat burg1 Joined: Aug 2009 Location: Delaware/Florida/Pa Oddometer: 87	Great thread as I'm thinking of getting one of those clones.

07-03-2012, 09:07 PM	#36
Pimpwerx ^OP Adventurer Joined: Mar 2012 Oddometer: 22	I changed the gear oil and the engine oil today. 922 miles on the odometer. The gear oil was really grey and silty with metal shavings. Impressive given I have those magnetic bolts from the Prima kit. The engine oil was really dark, as well. I didn't do anything else particularly interesting. I didn't take pics, because I don't have a working camera right now. I love the bike, and I can tell I'm getting more power from the engine. I haven't used my phone GPS to check the top speed, but it should be over 50mph easily now. I get a lot of comments out on the road. It doesn't matter if it's pedestrians or people in other cars. A lot of people ask me what kind of bike it is, and tell me they like it. The funniest comment I heard was from a guy in a moving truck who was talking to the person next to him. He said, "I don't know what the hell that is. I've never seen anything like that in my life." I LOL'd. I don't regret getting it in red now. Black was my first choice, but this color looks the part. PEACE.

07-09-2012, 07:30 AM	#43
deezildennis Its a what? Joined: Jul 2007 Location: in the powa band Oddometer: 553	Awesome set of bikes CJ! I Think I Remember seeing a thread over at the BR forum showing how to take the BR seat hinge apart and relocating the slot for the angle of the seatback. I Sometimes ride fake ruckus along with a local guy and his Real Ruck. He keeps telling me he is going to steal my seat and seat frame from me... CJ is your Rucklone a ssr imported ZNEN bike? It looks like the older Tank warriors they used to sell?

07-09-2012, 05:27 PM	#45
deezildennis Its a what? Joined: Jul 2007 Location: in the powa band Oddometer: 553	Bummer about the seat. Will your local scooter shop take care of the seat? I have been very fortunate with my Dealer he has really taken care of me. Your ZNEN is still a Nice looking bike as well as your BR. I am glad they are both working out for you. And Good luck on closing on your new house!