I am as surprised as you are. Trust me. Actually I am downright shocked, but also so very happy.
Last night (Tuesday) I started with adjusting the motor drive chain. When I first installed it on the bike, we were about 2mm from being able to take the next link out, so I started with a ton of slop in the chain. I was running two chain tensioners, so this wasn’t a big deal, however the rear tensioner kept getting out of adjustment, because it is garbage, and the front, spring loaded, tensioner kept interfering with the pedals and fenders. Sigh. ANYWAY, after 25 miles I figure the chain had stretched enough to take a like out and BOY HAD IT. In fact I took two out with room to spare.
The upshot of this is I was able to delete the rear tensioner and just run the spring loaded one! Hooray!
Next I adjusted the carburetor. I had long suspected it was running super rich, mostly because the choke didn’t seem to do anything (it starts fine without the choke) and occasionally makes noise that sounds like “four stroking” at random throttle levels. To adjust the mix on the NT carb, you remove the throttle cable and adjust a c-clip which, apparently, makes it run leaner for reasons I don’t fully understand.
I took it out for a spin and the thing drove so much quieter for lack of the rear tensioner, though the front tensioner is still stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the choke was actually like... useful. So... success?
I’d mentioned in a previous post that I’d been persuaded by a concerned Oppo to drop $100+ on a new front wheel with machined sidewalls that were actually meant to be used with brakes. Having done so, the new wheel was in so I swapped the tire and tube over. I am happy to say...
...it is quite a bit worse. I mean the wobble from the terrible factory wheel is gone, but the brakes aren’t biting on the new wheel nearly as well as they were on the old. I still recognize the new one is superior, so I am going to guess either it needs cleaned, needs broken in, or the pads on contaminated. New pads are en route and I’ll give the rim a good cleaning (heyo) before I swap the new ones in.
After that I was going to take the angle grinder to the fender to better accommodate the tensioner and chain... but I couldn’t find it. It is probably hanging out with my 10mm socket.
Instead I took the Scoot out for a short ride to test the new wheel. And by “short” I mean “the weather was divine and it turned into a 5 mile jaunt where I never wanted to come home”. Say what you will about this thing, but it can eat the miles up... when it isn’t breaking down...
... which it...
DIDN’T!
It was AMAZING! I can see why (real) motorcyclists dig this. I wanted to scoot and keep scooting until I ran out of road or gas... and then keep going!
So yeah... I’m hooked. I’m very excited for George to get his going and this being a new thing for getting from A to B (because clearly when you have six cars to choose from adding bikes to the mix seems reasonable).
Sidenote: I was digging through all the crap the came with George’s bike and discovered that his rear light came with...
...FRICKIN LASER BEAMS.
So jelly.
Dog B not sure why daddy is taking pictures of him, for your time.
