Maintenance Record - VIN RFBT 9H154AB210136 - FEB 2011

[Yager200i]

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05 Aug 2013:
I ordered two sets of brake pads for front and rear:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM503194814P
D2Moto, Inc  Front & Rear Carbon Kevlar Brake Pads - 2010 Kymco Yager GT200i
Volar Motorsport VMFA197 brake pads
Sold by D2Moto Item # SPM503194814  Mfr. Model #2xVBP0573a

Description:
High Quality Kevlar Carbon Brake Pads
Kevlar brake pads are designed for high performance riding experience
Provide excellent stopping power without noise and rotor galling, even on polished rotors
Fingertip control and strong, predictable brake response
Kevlar brake pads provide exceptional stopping power with great durability under all riding condition
Material: Non-sintered / Organic
Quantity: 4 Pads per package
Position: Front and Rear
Fitment: 2010 Kymco Yager GT200i
Merchandise Subtotal   $35.00
Shipping/Handling   $5.99
Pre tax Subtotal   $40.99
Tax         $3.15
Total         $44.14

I ordered a replacement battery, an Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) type, to replace the lead-acid existing battery. The OEM battery is 2-1/2 years old, and has already burped acid all over, so I'm replacing it. It's due for replacement at the 7200 mile service anyway.
http://www.batterymart.com/c-kymco-gt-200i-sj40ab-scooter-battery.html
YT12A-BS AGM Maintenance Free Battery
BM Part #: YT12A-BS
Unit Price:         $59.95
Shipping: Ground Shipping   $0.00
Sales Tax         $0.00
Total:            $59.95

I ordered exhaust pipe wrap and high-temperature black paint:
http://www.thermotec.com/products/11031-generation-ii-copper-exhaust-insulating-header-wrap.html
http://www.thermotec.com/products/12001-hi-heat-coating.html
Part #   Item      Quantity   Price
11031   1" x 50' COPPER   1      USD$ 35.68
12001   COATING BLACK   1      USD$ 11.01
Estimated Shipping & Handling      USD$ 11.90
Total               USD$ 58.59
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08 Aug 2013:
The exhaust pipe wrap and high-temperature black paint arrived in the mail.
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10 Aug 2013:
The Kevlar Carbon brake pads arrived in the mail.
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12 Aug 2013:
I removed the exhaust pipe and muffler assembly from the bike, completely disassembled it, and cleaned up all the parts.

I wrapped the exhaust pipe with a very tight double layer of insulating wrap. I started by making one wrap as tight as I could at the exhaust flange end of the exhaust pipe, and secured that with a hose clamp. I then wrapped all the way down to where the exhaust pipe meets the muffler, being sure to pull it as tight as I possibly could. I then wrapped back the other direction, almost to the point I started. When I was finished, my fingers were coated with copper (the pipe wrap has copper infused in the material), I was pulling so tightly on the pipe wrap.

I loosened the hose clamp, snipped the pipe wrap, slid the hose clamp over the loose end of pipe wrap, and secured the hose clamp. Because of the double-wrap, I only had to use one hose clamp, which is out of sight underneath the engine. I didn't double wrap it all the way back to the exhaust flange, because I figured it'd be too tight a fit to get the nuts back on. I was right, it was already a tight fit with just one layer of pipe wrap on that section. So the pipe clamp and double-layered wrap is about 1 inch from the exhaust flange, just past the nuts that hold the exhaust pipe to the engine. That other 1 inch is single-layer wrapped.

I then painted the pipe wrap and muffler with the high temperature paint, giving the muffler three light coats, and giving the pipe wrap three heavy coats... the first being the heaviest coat since the paint soaked into the pipe wrap, then the other two coats to seal up the first coat after it'd dried.

I also painted that little curved heat shield on the exhaust pipe. I found that I've had the bike leaned over so far that the bottom of that heat shield had been scraped and flattened a bit... yeah, I tend to lean it way over. So to protect the metal from corrosion, I painted it, too.

After the paint had gotten dry enough to handle, I put it all back together. The company that makes the pipe wrap says it'll smoke for a while until the wrap bakes and cures... they weren't joking. I went on a high-speed freeway run on 280 South from Hickey Blvd. onramp to the Woodside Road exit, then stopped to see if it'd finished smoking... apparently it'd just started... there was smoke rolling off the pipe wrap like you can't believe. People probably thought there was something wrong with my bike. So, another high-speed run back up to the Hickey Blvd. exit, and a quick jaunt down El Camino real, and I pulled into a Walgreens parking lot, since they have good parking lot lighting... still smoking. So a run from there down El Camino Real onto the 380/280 interchange, onto 101 South, around the Airport Departures loop road, and back onto 101 North, back onto the 380/280 interchange, jump off at the Tanforan exit and back onto El Camino Real, and back to the Walgreens parking lot... finally, it'd stopped smoking. So I headed home.

When I shut down the bike, I noticed the muffler clicking a *lot* more as it cooled down, so most of that heat that had been lost to air rushing over the exhaust pipe was now being pushed out the tailpipe. I touched the insulation... it was too hot to hold immediately after turning off the engine, but you could touch it without instantly getting burned, as would happen with a naked exhaust pipe. After a couple minutes, you could hold your hand on the insulation, although the muffler was still clicking as it cooled.

Another odd little side effect, the engine now runs into the redline *way* too easily. I had to throttle back to about 3/4 throttle on my high-speed run to keep it at 8000 RPM and about 70 MPH on the flat. Even going up the hills, it maintained 65 MPH, although I had to go WOT. The O2 sensor being beneficially affected by the increased exhaust heat? The increased exhaust heat burning off built up carbon in the exhaust system, and allowing better breathing? The exhaust gasses not having the chance to cool down as much, and thereby maintaining high exit velocity, increasing exhaust scavenging? Not sure.
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[Yager200i]

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13 Aug 2013:
I did more of the 6000 mile service today. I inspected the brake system, suspension, tires, side stand safety switch, secondary air supply (smog) system, spark plug and checked the headlight aim.

The brake system inspection consisted of starting at the brake levers and going hand-over-hand down each brake line to the brake calipers, inspecting everything. Nothing was wrong here.

The suspension inspection consisted of checking the shocks for leakage, cleaning them up a bit, and checking bolt tightness. Nothing was wrong here, either.

The tires still look good. The light cut on the rear tire that I'd reported finding on 30 Dec 2011 has worn away. No other problems found.

The side stand safety switch inspection consisted of starting the bike, and extending the side stand to be sure it kills the engine. No problems here, either.

The secondary air supply system inspection consisted of checking the hoses and AICV (air injection control valve) solenoid for any damage. The AICV itself gets inspected and cleaned every time I take the valve cover off to adjust the valves, which I last did on 12 May 2013, so I know it's OK. Nothing was wrong here, either.

The spark plug still looks good. It's only got about 1500 miles on it, being installed on 18 Feb 2013 at 4548.6 miles.

The headlight aiming is a bit involved. First, you have to measure the height from the ground to the center of the headlight, with your tires fully inflated and you sitting on the bike... usually not something you can do with only one person, unless you get creative. I got a large piece of cardboard, tacked it to the wall, and drew marks on it in 1" increments from the floor up. Then I pushed the scooter until the front wheel was touching the cardboard, then turned on the high beam. Where the center of the beam was, I noted in my mind how many inches were indicated on the cardboard. Then I backed the bike up until the front wheel was a measured 20 feet away from where it was when touching the cardboard, and looked at where the center of the beam was again. It's supposed to be 1" lower for every 10' you back up, and it was ~2" lower, so my headlight is aligned.

Since I'm near 6,000 miles, I decided to replace the brake pads, which I'll do every 6,000 miles.... brake pads are cheap, and it's better to be safe than sorry.

I'd recently purchased 2 sets of Kevlar Carbon brake pads, enough to change the front and rear brake pads twice. The brake pads are made by Volar Motorsport, item number VMFA197.

Replacing the brake pads is ridiculously simple, and it's pretty much the same for front and back wheels... in fact, the front and back brakes use the same exact brake pads.

First, don't be alarmed by the funky fishy smell the new brake pads give off when you open the package... if you don't want your hands to stink for a day or so (even after washing your hands), wear gloves or use the Invisible Glove cream.

Loosen the two brake pad pins (the two hex-head bolts on the brake caliper), but don't remove them yet.... you want to do this first, because it's difficult to apply torque to these after the caliper has been removed from the bike.

Remove the hose clip (it fastens the brake line so it doesn't flop around as you're riding). This lets you move the caliper around more easily as you're changing the brake pads.

Remove the two caliper mounting bolts. Slide the whole caliper assembly off the brake rotor.

Use your hex wrench to completely unscrew the brake pad pins. Keep your thumb on the brake pads, as they might try to jump out as the pins are pulled through them and out.

You'll notice the brake pad pins have blue threadlocker on them to prevent them from coming loose. Clean the old threadlocker off the threads as best you can. Now would be a good time to clean the old threadlocker off the caliper mounting bolts, too.

Remove the old brake pads and inspect them and the rotor. I'll include my inspection report at the end of these instructions.

The brake caliper pistons (two small cylinders that push against the brake pads) will be extended a bit. Clean up the exposed edge of the pistons with a soft nylon brush and blow out any dust before pushing the pistons back in until they're flush with the caliper body. Just get your thumbs in there and push down on the edges of the piston. You'll have to push pretty hard, and they'll go in slowly, but they'll go. This is to give the new brake pads clearance to fit on the rotor.

Now is a good time to do a general cleanup of the caliper, the brake rotor, and any parts that you can't normally reach with the caliper installed on the bike.

Next, install the new brake pads. It's usually easiest to put the outside brake pad in (the one nearest the caliper pistons), then put the brake pad pins in just far enough to lock it in place. You'll have to push down on the brake pad to align the holes so the brake pad pins can slide through the brake pad. Then install the inside brake pad, pushing it down to align the holes as you push the brake pad pins through. Push the brake pad pins in as far as you can without having to thread them in.

Next, put a drop of blue threadlocker on the threads of the brake pad pins and screw them in, torquing them to 13 foot-pounds. Clean up any threadlocker that squishes out as you're screwing the brake pad pins in.

Now slide the whole assembly back onto the rotor, and use the top caliper mounting bolt to hold it in place. You don't have to torque it yet, just thread it in a bit to hold the caliper in place.

Next, put a drop of blue threadlocker on the other caliper mounting bolt, and put it into the bottom hole of the caliper mount. Don't torque it yet, just thread it in and hand snug it, so you can wiggle things a bit to get it all aligned.

Now take out the top caliper mounting bolt, apply a drop of blue threadlocker, put it back in, and hand snug it, as well.

Now torque both caliper mounting bolts to 19 foot-pounds. Clean up any threadlocker that squished out as you were screwing the caliper mounting bolts in.

Put the hose clip bolt back in and tighten it.

You're done with the first brake.

You may notice the first couple of times you pull on the brake lever, it'll have no resistance. That's because you pushed the caliper pistons in to give the new pads clearance to fit on the rotor. Give the brake lever a couple pumps, the caliper pistons will move out a bit, and you'll feel your usual resistance again.

Now do the other wheel, and you're done!

After you've pumped the brakes a few times to move the caliper pistons back out, you'll notice that when you spin the wheels, you can hear a slight dragging of the brakes on the rotor. This is normal. The wheel should still spin freely, it shouldn't bind, but the brake pads will lightly touch the rotor all the time.

As for my inspection report:
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For the old brake pads, I measured the following:
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The backing plate was 3.35 mm.

The thinnest (most worn) brake pad was 5.01 mm (not including the backing plate).

All the brake pads wore to within .04 mm of the same, so when I brake, I'm using front and rear brakes pretty much equally.

There was still 2.73 mm of wear left on the brake pads (determined by measuring the shallowest cut in the brake pads).
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For the new brake pads:
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The new brake pads have a slight thinner backing plate, at 3 mm.

The brake pads are 6 mm thick (not including the backing plate).

There is 4 mm of wear left on the brake pads (determined by measuring the shallowest cut in the brake pads).
=====

Both brake rotors were fine. The rear was almost a mirror finish, the front wasn't as polished, but there were no grooves or gouging, and neither one had any discernable wear.
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I took the scooter out for a test ride, testing each brake several times in our parking lot at low speed to be sure they were working properly before I hit the road. I rode to a large empty parking lot, and did ten medium-speed (25 MPH) and ten high-speed (50 MPH) near-stops (slowing to about 2-5 MPH, then riding in a big circle around the parking lot to let the rotors cool down before doing the next braking sequence) to bed the brake pads in. These new brake pads have got a lot of bite, even right out of the box, but it's very smooth and controllable. Time will tell how well they do in the wear department.

I still have to replace the fuel filter, bleed the brakes, replace the coolant, inspect the crankcase breather, and replace the variator rollers, and I'll be done with the 6000 mile service.
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13 Aug 2013 (cont.)
I ordered a set of six 20x15 (16 gram) Dr. Pulley slider weights from Buggy Parts NW.
https://www.buggypartsnw.com/home?page=shop.product_details&product_id=443
Dr. Pulley Slider Weight 20x15 for 125/150cc - 16g UNI-SR-20X15x6-16g
SubTotal:   $29.95
S&H:      $5.00
Tax Total :   $0.00
Total:      $34.95

And I ordered the Phoenix Systems Reverse Brake Bleeder Tool, Item #: 91083897
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Phoenix-Systems-Reverse-Brake-Bleeder-Tool,48050.html
Sub Total:   $84.99
Shipping:   $7.30
Tax:      $0.00
Total:      $92.29

I also created a nifty little device that makes reverse brake bleeding truly a one-man job. It clamps to the master cylinder, with a tube that dips down into the brake fluid. That tube runs to a glass jar with a sealable lid. Another tube runs out of that jar and into a special aquarium pump that can draw a suction. Now as I'm pumping brake fluid in at the brake caliper, I no longer have to monitor the master cylinder brake fluid level to be sure it doesn't overflow. As the master cylinder brake fluid level rises, the suction will pick up any brake fluid over whatever level I set, and deposit that brake fluid in the glass jar. See the attached picture. Yeah, it's rough-looking, but it'll do the job.

So when I get around to bleeding the brakes, I plan to use my suction device to suck out all the brake fluid from the master cylinder reservoir, then pump fresh brake fluid in at the calipers until it completely flushes out the old brake fluid. Then I'll carefully top off the master cylinder, and do a forward bleed by pumping the brake lever (with the bleeder hand pump reversed and hooked up to the caliper to act as a check valve so air can't get back into the brake line). In this way, I reverse bleed to force air up and out, then forward bleed to flush the master cylinder piston.
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14 Aug 2013:
I replaced the fuel filter, and inspected the crankcase breather.

This consisted of removing the seat, Met-In box and front panel under the seat. After those were removed, I put down a rag on top of the gas tank, then unscrewed the hose clamps for the old fuel filter, slipped it off, and dropped it into my oil drain pan while I hooked up the new filter and tightened the hose clamps. A quick wipe with a clean rag to get any spilled fuel, and the fuel filter was done.

Then I disconnected the crankcase breather tube, started the bike, and watched. If white smoke comes out at any time, it means the piston rings are worn, stuck or broken. If nothing comes out, it means the crankcase breather is clogged and needs cleaned. Fortunately, it's working just fine. I also drained the crankcase breather tube drain (that clear tube on the left side just ahead of the oil filter). A lot of water and one large chunk of white snot came out.

As I had already disassembled the Met-In box, I decided to take a peek in the battery compartment, since the battery had previously barfed battery acid all over. And sure enough, it did it again, just not as bad as last time. So I disassembled everything, washed it clean, and reassembled. I'm beginning to think the battery's doing that when I go into the extreme lean angles as I ride. As luck would have it, the new battery arrived later in the day, so I dropped the new battery in. The new battery is just a tiny fraction of an inch wider and taller than the old battery... it fits into the battery box with absolutely no room to spare. It's not so tight that you can't slide it back out, but it's exactly the same size as the inside dimensions of the battery box.

Oddly, the lumpy idle when cold and occasional hard starting (having to crank it for around 3 seconds, instead of instantly starting as it did when new) have gone away. I have a sneaking suspicion the old battery was failing, causing a lower-than-normal voltage, which made the charging circuitry try to charge it, which caused the battery to boil. Or it could be that I lean the bike until it scrapes. :)

I still have to replace the coolant, bleed the brakes, and replace the variator rollers, and I'll be done with the 6000 mile service.
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15 Aug 2013:
I replaced the coolant today. First, I had to figure out how to prevent the coolant from getting all over the insulation I'd just wrapped on the exhaust pipe. I got a plastic bag and tied it around the exhaust pipe, then stuffed the excess in between the engine and exhaust pipe. If you do this, be sure to remove the plastic bag when you're running the engine. You don't want to be scraping melted plastic off your exhaust pipe.

I drained the old coolant, flushed some distilled water through to get out as much of the old coolant as I could, filled with tap water, ran the bike for five minutes to circulate it, drained it, filled with distilled water, ran the bike for five minutes to circulate it, drained it, filled with Valvoline Zerex Asian Vehicle 50/50 Premix, ran the bike for five minutes to circulate it, drained it, then filled it again with Valvoline Zerex Asian Vehicle 50/50 Premix. Following the service manual instructions, I kept the radiator cap off each time and I snapped the throttle open a few times each time I ran the engine, to flush out any air bubbles.

All told, when I was finished, I had a gallon of old coolant, water and new coolant that'd been flushed through the system.

I also removed and washed out the overflow bottle. The hardest part was getting to it... you've got to remove the bottom Tupperware at the front to get to the overflow bottle, and it took me a while to figure out there's two screws, one on each side, hidden beneath the body panels directly behind what I was trying to take off. Bend those body panels out and down a bit, get your screwdriver in there and loosen the screws, and the Tupperware comes right off.

The old coolant had a thicker than water consistency and was a dark green. It was clean, though. The new coolant has the consistency of water, and is pink.

In another thread (http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=3649.0), I'd done a lot of research to find a coolant that would work with our scooters, and Zerex Asian Vehicle fits the bill.

After running the bike on the main stand long enough that I was satisfied there were no more bubbles in the system, I buttoned everything back up, and took it out for a test ride. I stuck within a couple miles of home on 35, 40 and 55 MPH roads, so if it overheated I could shut down and push it home. After 45 minutes of riding, it was still running fine, so I headed home.

I still have to bleed the brakes and replace the variator rollers, and I'll be done with the 6000 mile service.
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[Yager200i]

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16 Aug 2013:
The Dr. Pulley slider weights arrived in the mail.

The reverse brake bleeder tool arrived in the mail.
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18 Apr 2013:
I bought an 8" strap wrench, a huge Crescent wrench and a 300 ft-lb electric impact driver in preparation for taking apart the variator and clutch, and high-temperature synthetic grease (good for up to 600 F, usually used for greasing brake caliper pistons on disc brakes). My clutch has always had a high-pitched whistle when taking off from a stop under moderate throttle, but the past couple days, it's developed a subsequent "growl", so it goes "whistle, growl", then lockup. So I'm going to tear down the clutch, inspect it (replace if necessary), and take an emory cloth to the clutch pads and bell, clean things up, and lightly lubricate the moving parts with high-temperature synthetic grease.

I created a clutch spring compression tool, based upon the design found here:
http://www.scooterdoc.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=150cc&thread=2558

I modified the design a bit, using 2" corner brackets instead of 2-1/2", elongating the holes in the Q-clamps so they can adjust to fit on the clutch more easily and so putting the clutch into the device is easier. I also used metal spacers, and put spacers through the holes in the Q-clamps, as well. This let me tighten up the base so it was solid, but it lets the Q-clamps pivot and slide in and out a bit to adjust and get a firm grip on the clutch. For the clear stick-on bumpers that replace the yellow OEM pads, I had to glue them on... the sticky stuff on the clear rubber bumpers wasn't up to the task. I used some silicone caulk/glue that I had left over from my other Q-clamp project, the master cylinder suction device.

I got to the clutch and variator later in the day today. I installed the Dr. Pulley 20x15 16-gram sliders in the variator, being very careful to keep the ramp plate tight against the slider weights as I reassembled, so they couldn't drop out of position... the BuggyPartsNW owner told me that's one of the most common problems of installation, with the symptoms of it being higher than normal revs. I lightly greased the portion of the drive pulley boss that's not exposed to belt, and put a very thin film of high-temperature synthetic grease in the channels where the Dr. Pulley sliders move. This should make them move more easily.

For the clutch, it wasn't glazed. It was greased. Apparently the factory had over-greased the clutch bearings with grease that couldn't stand higher temperatures, it melted and gave the entire inside of the bell (and the clutch shoes) a nice light coat of grease. So I cleaned everything up, greased it with high-temp synthetic grease (guaranteed not to melt up to 600 F, so it's not going to be causing the same problems), took 200 grit emory cloth to the clutch shoes and bell to clean them up, then put everything back together.

To loosen the large nut on the clutch, you don't have to have a special socket or any special tools. First, make a mark with a felt-tip pen across the nut and clutch so you know where the nut was tightened to in the first place. Then all you need is a large enough Crescent wrench. Put the crescent wrench on the large nut, hold it all together in your hand with the large nut to your right and the Crescent wrench sticking out away from you, then bang the end of the Crescent wrench on the floor a couple times. The impact will loosen the nut. Then you compress the spring, and you can spin the nut off by hand. To reassemble, do the opposite... compress the clutch in your spring compression tool, spin the large nut on by hand as tight as you can, release your spring compression tool, then put the Crescent wrench on the large nut, with the nut to your left. Bang the end of the wrench on the floor until the marks line up again, then give it another couple whacks just to be sure. Low tech, but it works. And it's safer than trying to hit it with a 300 ft-lb. impact driver.


The belt showed no wear other than the edges of the belt nubs being worn to a round rather than sharp edge. The belt was the same width as the new belt I've got as a standby, and it showed nearly zero signs of wear, so I'll keep running the old belt.

The case interior had a light coating of dirt, dust and belt dust. I hit the motor side with a dry paint brush, and it whisked all of it out. For the cover, I ran water over it as I scrubbed it with a clean paintbrush until it was completely clean.

I took the bike out for a test ride, following the same route I'd taken when I had the exhaust pipe wrap to bake and cure.

The clutch starts engaging at 4500 RPM, pulls strong at 5000, and is fully engaged by 5500. I've been looking around for a different clutch that'll let me get a more solid hook up at a lower RPM. I'll let everyone know when I find it.

There's no more growl, and the whistle is so low it's usually drowned out by the exhaust, but if you start next to a concrete wall, you can still hear a very faint whistle.

The top end I'm not sure how to describe... it's faster, for sure... the hills that it would maintain 65 going up at WOT, it will now maintain 67. The engine seems to be at about the same RPM for any given speed, but I was cruising on the flat at 3/4 throttle doing about 77 MPH, and hit the rev limiter! I think a beefier clutch, lower clutch engagement speed, and slightly higher final gear would make it perfect.

I still have to bleed the brakes, and I'll be done with the 6000 mile service.
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19 Aug 2013:
I went to Gotelli Speed Shop around the corner and bought a 500 mL bottle of Motul DOT 5.1 Non-Silicone Base Low Viscosity Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid (DOT 3 and DOT 4 compatible).
http://www.motul.com/us/en-US/products/77

This brake fluid should be compatible with our DOT 4 brake systems. Although this brake fluid is mixable with DOT 4 brake fluids, I'll be sure to push the brake caliper pistons back to push out all the old fluid, and flush the lines and master cylinders well. I'll keep you apprised of how well this fluid works in our bikes.
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20 Aug 2013:
I got the brake bleeding done. It's as easy as they say it is, and ten times messier. The threads around the bleeder valves leak when they're loosened the 1/4 turn to allow fluid to be pumped... so there was a continual drip as I was reverse bleeding the system, until I got the bleeder valves closed again. Good thing I laid down a large, thick cardboard box to catch any drips. After I reverse bled, forward bled, then ensured the master cylinders were at a proper level, I buttoned it up, wiped up what I could off the bike with clean rags, then rolled it out to the parking lot and washed it down thoroughly. I did the same with the reverse bleeder tool, my master cylinder suction device, the 8mm wrench used to open and close the bleeder valves, and of course, my hands.

My master cylinder suction device has a hose that jams perfectly into the reverse bleeder tool's hose (the hose that has the hard rubber fitting that fits over the bleeder valves)... so when I was doing forward bleeding, the master cylinder suction device was at the caliper, sucking up the fluid that came out. If I'd only done a forward bleed, it would have been pretty clean... because of the suction on the bleeder valves, no brake fluid was able to leak out when forward bleeding. When I was doing reverse bleeding, the master cylinder suction device was sucking any extra brake fluid from the master cylinder reservoir. But the pressure of reverse bleeding makes the bleeder valve threads leak.

When I was done, I'd flushed about a quarter liter through each brake system, since I didn't want to save any of the new brake fluid for subsequent bleeds... it'd just sit around, sucking up water out of the air, going bad, for the next two years until the next time I bleed the brakes. So I decided to flush half the new fluid through the front, and half through the rear. I pushed the brake caliper pistons back to ensure as much old fluid as possible was out of them, suctioned the master cylinder reservoir dry using the master cylinder suction device, hooked up the reverse brake bleeder tool at the bleeder valve, pumped about 125 ml through from the caliper end, then 125 ml through using the brake lever to pump and filling the master cylinder by hand. When I was done, the master cylinder suction device had about 500 ml in it, minus the bit that had dripped out around the bleeder valve threads (about 5 ml each valve).

The master cylinder suction device worked beautifully. Exactly as I wanted it to, and there's even a bonus! I wanted to put the brake fluid back into the bottle, then take it to a garage nearby for recycling. Well, I put the hose of the master cylinder suction device into the (now empty) brake fluid bottle, changed the hose on the aquarium pump from the suction port to the discharge port, plugged it in, and it pressurized the master cylinder suction device, pushing the brake fluid into the bottle. The tiny amount left in the master cylinder suction device afterward was cleaned up with a clean rag, then by washing it out.

I didn't fill the master cylinder reservoirs up as full as they'd originally been... when I took the caps off, the master cylinder reservoirs were almost completely full, way above the top of the sight glass. I put just enough in so that there's a tiny bubble at the top of the sight glass when the handlebars are level. If you turn the handlebars full-lock to the right, the right-hand master cylinder reservoir shows mid-level on the sight glass. And same for the left-hand one, turning the handlebars full-lock left. If anyone knows of any problems in my doing this, please message me, but I can't think of any reason the master cylinder reservoirs would be as full as they were.

I didn't have any brake system compatible thread sealant this time around, but next time I bleed the brakes, I'll completely empty the system, take the bleeder valves completely out, and put some thread sealant on the threads to prevent them leaking when refilling the system.

The brake levers feel the same in that it takes the same bit of brake lever travel to initiate any given level of braking. In other words, I think I got all the air out of the system, it doesn't feel any more 'spongy' than before.

I took the bike out for a test ride, first riding on a flat road that was empty early in the morning (I work the night shift, so I'm up in the wee hours, and today's my day off), taking the bike up to 65 MPH, then applying the brakes successively harder each time to be sure the brakes will perform as expected. Then I went up a very long, very steep hill with only one stop sign near the middle of it, so I could coast down without needing the engine, so I could listen as the brakes were applied. The rear brake has no sound whatsoever. The front brake has a slight 'whizzing' sound as it's applied, but the sound doesn't vary as the brake pressure is varied. I believe after these new Carbon-Kevlar brake pads polish the front rotor more, that sound will go away.

Whew! Finally done with the entire 6000 mile service (actually, the battery's not due to be replaced until 7200 miles, and the brake fluid was scheduled for 7000 miles, but I had the time, the tools and the energy to get it done now). The final mileage after I'd done all the test rides was 5900.2, so I was even 100 miles early on this service. It's good to get all that out of the way. Most of the service points I'd never done on this bike, so it was a learning experience for me. I'm sure next time, I'll be able to do it more quickly, and with less mess, given the experience of this first time.

Next maintenance items (at 6200 miles):
Replace engine oil and filter
Clean engine oil filter screen
Replace gear oil
-----
22 Aug 2013:
My 40th fuel up. I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel. All my other fuel-ups had been at Costco, but this time I pulled into the Brentwood Service Station around the corner from home, since I was *really* low on fuel and wasn't sure if I'd make it to Costco.

Mileage:   5907.0 miles
Miles Ridden:   167.4 miles
Fuel:   2.528 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.839
Total Cost:   $9.70
Fuel Mileage:   66.22 MPG
-----

[Yager200i]

-----
13 Sep 2013:
My 41st fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel.

Mileage:   6058.1 miles
Miles Ridden:   151.1 miles
Fuel:   2.307 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.859
Total Cost:   $8.90
Fuel Mileage:   65.50 MPG
-----
24 Sep 2013:
I've heard very good things about LiquiMoly Ceratec oil additive, so I ordered a bottle from Amazon.com. The product costs $24.95, and $6.99 S&H.

According to my research, the proper proportion is 6% of total oil capacity, so I'll be adding 60 ml of Ceratec on each oil change. I'll also add 15 ml to the gear oil, since it's also compatible with gear oil. The bottle is 300 ml, so it'll be good for 4 oil changes, or 2400 miles, at my oil change interval. So it should last me about a year or so, at the rate I'm putting on mileage.

I purchased it from the Amazon.com reseller Auto Parts Distributors:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A2NN1TIF4PZ3TS
-----
25 Sep 2013:
I went out to the garage to leave for work, and the scooter wouldn't start. The starter wouldn't even kick the engine over. The battery was dead. I wasn't sure why, though, I've removed the Met-In box light, the seat was closed, the key was off, the bike is ridden daily so the battery never gets low, and it started and ran fine just 15 hours earlier.

The battery was down to 10.66 volts. I plugged in the Deltran Battery Tender Junior, and let it charge. After 5 hours, the battery tender indicated that the charge was complete, and my meter read 12.61 volts with the charger removed, so I turned the key on. The headlight was bright, so I thought I was in the clear... but when I tried to start it, I got the same thing, the starter motor ran, caught the Bendix gear, but didn't have the torque to spin the engine. I measured the battery voltage again, and after just two seconds of trying to start the bike, it was back down to 10.72 volts!

I still had the old battery, which had been sitting on a shelf for the 7 weeks or so since I'd swapped in this new battery. I jumpered it in parallel with the new battery, and the scooter started right up. So, it appears a cell in the new battery has failed.

I ordered a new battery of the same type from BatteryMart.com (where I also ordered the first battery), a UPG Adventure Power 42044 UT12A AGM (Advanced Glass Mat) Maintenance Free Battery, and had it shipped overnight. It cost me $59.95 for the battery, and $48.36 for the overnight delivery, but I need it as quickly as possible, since the bike's my daily driver.

BatteryMart.com's sending me a return label for the failed battery, and after testing to be sure it's actually failed, will refund the purchase price. And just in case this battery fails for some reason, I'm recording the email address to report the failure to, for the 1-year warranty: warranty (at) upgi.com
-----
26 Sep 2013:
The new battery arrived, and is now installed in the scooter.
-----
30 Sep 2013:
I received the LiquiMoly Ceratec in the mail. I'll add the appropriate amount on the next oil change. I plan to mix it in with the oil manually before putting it in the engine.
-----

[Yager200i]

-----
13 Oct 2013:
My 42nd fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel.

Mileage:   6226.6 miles
Miles Ridden:   168.5 miles
Fuel:   2.500 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.699
Total Cost:   $9.25
Fuel Mileage:   67.40 MPG

I'll change the gear oil, engine oil and oil filter tomorrow.
-----
14 Oct 2013:
I changed the gear oil, engine oil and oil filter today. Mileage: 6229.8

Engine oil - Royal Purple 15W-40 Fully Synthetic Motor Oil
Gear Oil - Royal Purple MaxGear With Synerlec 75W-140
Oil Filter - HighFlo HF562

The oil that came out was very dark (of course, it starts out a dark purple anyway), but it had almost no metal flakes in it... just a few tiny aluminum flakes. The oil strainer was clean, the oil filter was clean. The gear oil didn't have any metal flakes in it.

I put 60 ml of LiquiMoly Ceratec oil additive in the engine oil, and 15 ml in the gear oil. After changing the oil, I took the bike out for a high speed run for 20 miles or so, to be sure the LiquiMoly Ceratec oil additive was fully mixed with the oil and evenly distributed throughout the engine. I don't notice any difference yet, it'll take time for the ceramic to coat the engine internal surfaces.
-----

[Yager200i]

-----
03 Nov 2013:
My 43rd fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel from the San Bruno Shell station.

Mileage:   6372.1 miles
Miles Ridden:   145.5 miles
Fuel:   2.372 gallons
Price/Gal:   $4.279
Total Cost:   $10.15
Fuel Mileage:   61.34 MPG
-----
28 Nov 2013:
My 44th fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel from the Westborough Blvd. Kwik Serve station.

Mileage:   6520.1 miles
Miles Ridden:   148.0 miles
Fuel:   2.356 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.559
Total Cost:   $8.39
Fuel Mileage:   62.82 MPG

I performed the 6500 mile service when I got home from work today, which is checking the steering head bearing. There's no wobble or looseness, so all is well.

Next maintenance (at 6600 miles):
Inspect brake system
-----

[Yager200i]

22 Dec 2013:
-----
My 45th fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel from Costco.

Mileage:   6656.7 miles
Miles Ridden:   136.6 miles
Fuel:   2.322 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.359
Total Cost:   $7.80
Fuel Mileage:   58.83 MPG

The cold weather severely affects the fuel mileage of this bike, probably because I make short trips most of the time, and the bike isn't even fully warmed up for about half the trip, so it's still got the auto-enrichment on. I'm thinking of buying a timer and small block heater to warm the engine up before I ride.

I also performed the 6600 mile service today. The brake system is fine, but I notice the left brake fluid reservoir cover's paint is flaking off more and more... if you look closely, there's a tiny notch cut out of the brake fluid reservoir cover, to equalize pressure in the reservoir with ambient. Apparently the left brake fluid reservoir is flaking the paint off more because the handlebars lock to the left, and the brake fluid level in a locked-left handlebar position is nearer to that little vent notch, allowing vapors to escape and chew the paint up.

Next maintenance (at 6800 miles):
Replace engine oil and oil filter
Clean engine oil filter screen
Replace gear oil
-----

[Yager200i]

-----
07 Jan 2014:
I paid the DMV registration today:

Item Name:            Vehicle Registration Renewal
Make or Builder:         KYMCO
Year:               2010
License Plate or CF Number:      20M9828
Date and Time of Transaction:      01/07/2014 - 11:25:09 AM
Credit Card Authorization Number:   122559
Total Fee Paid:            $105.00
-----
12 Jan 2014:
My 46th fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel from Costco.

Mileage:   6800.8 miles
Miles Ridden:   144.1 miles
Fuel:   2.529 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.459
Total Cost:   $8.75
Fuel Mileage:   56.98 MPG

We've had a good number of cold days, it was taking the bike about 4 minutes to warm up enough that I noticed the radiator starting to feel warm. But it never really seems like the coolant gets hot. I'm assuming it should reach about 180 to 190 F, but I can hold my hand on the radiator at all times... so perhaps I've got a malfunctioning thermostat, keeping the engine too cool, affecting fuel mileage. I've got some temperature probes on order that'll allow me to monitor coolant temps, so I'll post if I find anything.
-----
13 Jan 2014:
I performed the 6800 mile service today, which consisted of:
Replace engine oil and oil filter
Clean engine oil filter screen
Replace gear oil

The drained engine oil was thicker than normal, and black as usual... the thickness probably a result of the LiquiMoly CeraTec oil additive I put in during the last oil change.
The drained gear oil was a pinkish, orangish color, again due to the LiquiMoly CeraTec I added (it's usually purple), but I didn't notice it being any thicker than the original gear oil.
The engine oil filter screen was clean, as was the oil filter.

There were NO flakes in either the engine oil or gear oil... I checked closely as I poured the drain pan out into the waste oil container... but there just were none. So the thicker gear oil fixed the problem of flakes of metal showing up there, and it appears the engine has fully broken in.

Engine oil - Royal Purple 15W-40 Fully Synthetic Motor Oil
Gear Oil - Royal Purple MaxGear With Synerlec 75W-140
Oil Filter - HighFlo HF562

I'm trying to find the Royal Purple 10W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil with Synerlec... apparently the Synerlec oil additive is better for non-roller cams like our bikes have. Kragen didn't have it, and it's not in their computer, so I can't even special order it from them. I'll look in Gotelli Speed Shop next, since they're only a block or so away.

I put 60 ml of LiquiMoly Ceratec oil additive in the engine oil, and 15 ml in the gear oil. After changing the oil, I took the bike out for a ride, to be sure the LiquiMoly Ceratec oil additive was fully mixed with the oil and evenly distributed throughout the engine. I notice the engine seemed peppier as compared to the drained oil.

When I first started it up to warm up the engine, the rear wheel spun a bit faster (about 2 RPM) (it always spins very slowly because of the friction of the extra-thick synthetic grease I used on the pulley boss of the clutch transmitting just enough power to the wheel drive gears to make the wheel tick over at about 1 RPM), so the friction in the gear train is lower, too.

Next maintenance (at 7000 miles):
Inspect radiator core
Inspect radiator cap
Replace brake fluid (already done at 5900.2 miles on 20 Aug 2013)
-----
17 Jan 2014:
I got the 2015 DMV sticker for the license plate today, and applied it.
-----
20 Jan 2014:
The weather was great today, so I washed the bike thoroughly. I removed the Met-In box and seat, used a sudsing cleaner that's designed to lift the dirt off and allow it to be rinsed away, and applied it to the entire bike, inside and out. It wasn't really dirty, but now it's as clean as new. I then applied a coat of wax to the Tupperware and buffed it, so now it's all shiny again.
-----
21 Jan 2014:
I ordered new tires for the scooter, in preparation for replacing them when needed. The front tire isn't showing much wear, but the rear tire is nearly worn to a slick in the center part of the tire, and you can tell that I've been leaning it a lot, as there's no chicken strip, and it's kind of chewed up at the tire edges.
I did a lot of research, and the Avon AM63 Viper Stryke seemed to be a good, long-wearing, high-grip tire.
I ordered one Avon AM63 Viper Stryke Scooter Rear Tire - 140/70-12 (65P) for $55.06, and one Avon AM63 Viper Stryke Scooter Front Tire - 120/70-13 (53P) for $48.05.
Tax was $8.25.
Total cost was $111.36.
I ordered them from jcmotors.com

JC Motors
16591 Noyes Ave.
Irvine, CA 92606
(800) 706-9476
-----
22 Jan 2014:
I received the rear tire from JC Motors. The shipper said they'd not put the apartment number on the destination address, so he was pretty much guessing as to where it went. Good thing he guessed right.

Unfortunately, the front tire didn't arrive yet... probably due to the apartment number not being put on the destination address... I'll call JC Motors when they open, and get it figured out.
-----
26 Jan 2014:
I took apart my helmet today to clean it... come to find out I have a Zeus GJ-803, made in May 2008 by Gao Jin Industrial Company in Taiwan. It was purchased in Taiwan when my wife took one of her trips there.

It looked like an old dog bed, there was so much hair in it. LOL

It had a few scratches and whorls in the face shield because when it rains, I use the thumb of my left glove as a wiper. I used toothpaste to polish out most of the scratches and whorls, so now the visor is much clearer to see through. If you do this, just get plain old white toothpaste with titanium dioxide in it... no colored jels, no flavor crystals, etc.

After I cleaned it thoroughly, used toothpaste to polish it, then rinsed it, I put a coat of wax on it, and buffed it. DO NOT use Rain-X... it'll make your polycarbonate face shield cloudy, and it's almost impossible to rectify after application of Rain-X. The wax works great... any speed above about 25 MPH, and the water rolls right off the face shield.
-----
28 Jan 2014:
I received the front tire from JC Motors.

I'm experiencing something weird with the bike... every once in a while, when I try to start it, the starter will spin, catch the Bendix gear, then lock up tight, as though the Bendix gear is damaged or the starter is getting worn. Letting off the starter button and trying again starts up as normal. So I'm going to order two new starter motors. One to replace the existing, one as a backup, since they're not making our bikes anymore, and I plan on keeping this bike for as long as I can find parts for it.
-----

[Yager200i]

-----
02 Feb 2014:
My 47th fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel from Brentwood Service Station.

Mileage:   6931.1 miles
Miles Ridden:   130.3 miles
Fuel:   2.367 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.739
Total Cost:   $8.85
Fuel Mileage:   55.05 MPG
-----
10 Feb 2014:
I performed the 7000 mile maintenance items today (6983.3 miles):
Inspect radiator core
Inspect radiator cap
Replace brake fluid (already done at 5900.2 miles on 20 Aug 2013)

The brake fluid I didn't mess with, since it'd already been changed recently. I did a cursory inspection of the radiator core by shining a bright spotlight down into the radiator... it still looks clean. The new Zerex Asian Vehicle coolant is much more transparent than the old coolant, making it easier to see in there.

The radiator cap is still in good condition, too. I've still got to find a tester for it.

Once I'm done with my microcontroller for the electric coolant pumps, I'll drain the coolant, pull off the hoses (since I'll be replacing them with new hoses to accommodate the two electric pumps), and do a full inspection of the radiator at that time.

Next maintenance (at 7200 miles):
Inspect brake system
Adjust valve clearance
Inspect battery
-----
25 Feb 2014:
My 48th fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel from San Bruno Shell Station.

Mileage:   7079.1 miles
Miles Ridden:   148.0 miles
Fuel:   2.325 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.9999
Total Cost:   $9.30
Fuel Mileage:   63.66 MPG
-----

[Yager200i]

-----
10 Mar 2014:
I performed the 7200 mile service today:
Inspect brake system
Adjust valve clearance
Inspect battery

The brake system is in fine shape. The new brake pads, installed on 12 Aug 2013, are showing no signs of wear. The brake rotors are polished to a mirror finish. The brakes have amazing grab when it's dry out, but I notice it takes a bit more brake lever force to get the same grab when wet. The old brake pads had no difference between wet and dry.

The battery is in good shape. The battery box and its cover had a bit of dust in it, so I cleaned it out, but otherwise, everything's in order.

I adjusted the valve clearance. The intake valve was at 0.11 mm, the exhaust valve was at 0.1 mm. I wanted to test a theory of mine, so I set each valve to 0.09 mm, a bit tighter clearance than factory recommended. Upon firing it up, I noticed the valve clatter noise was somewhat reduced. On the road test, the engine lept to 9000 RPM and launched me to 75 MPH in short order. I had to throttle back to keep away from the rev limiter, on flat ground. It would have run a bit faster, but I was fighting a cross-wind of about 15 MPH coming at me from the right front at a 45 degree angle. It was also a warm and dry day, about 70 degrees. Generally the engine only wants to sing like this on a very cold and damp day. So it's running great.

I opted to rotate the engine into position for checking valve clearance by taking out the spark plug and using the starter to kick the engine over until the valves were in the correct position. It's easier than taking out that plug on the right side of the engine, and it gives me the chance to clean the spark plug. The plug had a bit of dark brown buildup on the exposed metal lip below its threads, but otherwise was clean. There's no evidence of running rich, or running too hot. The plug was gapped out of the box at 0.35 mm. The Yager service manual says the gap should be 0.9 mm. That seems excessive to me, but I'll open the gap up a bit.

While I had the valve cover off, I took apart and cleaned the AICV (air injection control valve).

I also discovered that I need to use spark plug indexing washers to correctly orient the spark plug so the spark gap is facing toward the intake valve... right now, when it's properly tightened, it's facing directly away from the intake valve, which shields the spark from the incoming fresh air/fuel mixture and makes igniting it more difficult. So I'll find some 12 mm plug indexing washers.

Next Maintenance (at 7400 miles):
Replace engine oil & filter
Clean / Inspect engine oil filter screen
Replace gear oil
-----
16 Mar 2014:
I finally got around to working on the Dr. Pulley sliders, to increase their weight.

My first stop was The Twilight Zone 'smoke shop' in San Bruno... I don't frequent these types of places, but they had a digital scale that is accurate to 1/100th of a gram, and I couldn't find it anywhere else local, so I bought it there. One interesting thing I learned there... a dollar bill in good condition weighs 1 gram.

My next stop was Kragen to pick up some Liquid Metal. While I was there, I also picked up a spark plug gapping tool, and some spark plug antiseize compound.

I removed the CVT cover and took apart the drive pulley assembly. I found that the two dowel pins on the CVT cover were slightly rusted. If you choose to keep using them, I recommend putting antiseize on them. The rear one came out, but the front one was stuck, necessitating removal with an EZ-Out. I didn't reinstall them, as they're not really needed. I'll need to re-tap the threads for the screw where the front dowel was, and get a longer screw, as those threads are now weak.

After cleaning everything up, I weighed the Dr. Pulley sliders.

1 - 15.96 grams
4 - 16.01 grams
1 - 16.04 grams

I also weighed the original roller weights, just for reference. They're ~17.5 grams.

I squirted Liquid Metal into the centers of the Dr. Pulley slider weights as they sat on the Liquid Metal cardboard display case, then slid each one off the side of the cardboard (to give a nice flat finish) and rotated them to horizontal so the Liquid Metal didn't ooze out, then weighed them and added or subtracted enough Liquid Metal to get them all to weigh 18.65 grams (plus or minus .01 grams).

After letting the Liquid Metal solidify for 5 hours, they were still mushy (normal 'dry time' is 3 hours, according to the Liquid Metal packaging), so I decided to put the sliders into the toaster oven to drive off the acetone. I heated the sliders to 200 F on a sheet of tinfoil, with the toaster oven door cracked open and all the windows in the house open so fumes didn't build up and explode. It worked, the Liquid Metal solidified completely in one hour.

I re-weighed the sliders, just to be sure they were still close in weight:
1 - 18.03 grams
3 - 18.05 grams
2 - 18.06 grams

So each slider had about 0.6 grams of acetone evaporated out of it as the Liquid Metal solidified.

I reapplied grease where it was needed, and reassembled everything.

I then removed the spark plug, gapped it to 0.9 mm, put spark plug antiseize compound on the spark plug threads, and reinstalled the spark plug.

Then I took the bike out for a test ride, which revealed that the bike's still got a lot of oomph in it, even with heavier weights. When I go WOT from a stop, the RPMs go to 7500 RPM and stay there until I reach full speed, but with the heavier weights, I don't go over the red line as easily. When I ride more gently, I'm getting from 5 to 10 MPH more speed for any given RPM, taking into consideration terrain. On uphills, it's about 5 MPH faster for any given RPM, for flats and downhills, it's about 10 MPH faster for any given RPM. So now I can cruise around town at 5000 to 6000 RPM, instead of 6000 to 7000 RPM.

I'm hoping this will increase my fuel mileage a bit. I believe I'll be ordering 20 gram slider weights, if I can find them. And I'll be looking into re-gearing the rear gears to give a slightly higher gear ratio. It'd be nice to cruise at 65 MPH at 6500 RPM, the torque peak for our engine, and hence the most fuel efficient RPM.
-----
18 Mar 2014:
Being essentially lazy, I got tired of pulling the plug on the crankcase breather hose and letting it drain every week. So, I rigged up a small plastic bottle to catch the drippings coming out of the tube.

The parts are scavenged from various household items... the bottle was cold medicine, it has mL gradations along the side, so I can track how much gunk comes out the crankcase breather over time. To get the label off, I soaked it in water for a few days, then ran the bottle under very hot water as I used my thumb to roll the gummy adhesive off. The entire pad of my thumb turned into a giant blister because I had to use so much force, but I got all the adhesive off.

The clear plastic part that's stuffed into the bottle was from an Envie de Neuf Clearlight Night Essence 0.2 Ounce cosmetics bottle my wife had... I had to work hard to get it into the bottle, but once in there, it locks in and provides an air-tight seal. I cut the tip off.

I cut back the crankcase air breather hose a bit so the bottle didn't hang so low. The tip of the clear plastic part fits tightly into the crankcase breather hose, plastic against plastic gives a lot of grip. I couldn't pull it apart without a lot of force and twisting.

I'll eventually get new crankcase breather hose, and a better bottle with an integrated top that plugs into the hose, and reroute the whole setup so it's near that little drip bowl at the back of the air cleaner. That way, I can check it, if it needs to be emptied, I'll just unscrew the bottle, dump it, screw it back on, and be done.

But the existing setup is good for a test run, just to be sure it works.
-----
19 Mar 2014:
Weird... suddenly, my fuel mileage shot up to the best it's ever been. All I did was start draining the crankcase breather on a regular basis, before I put the catch bottle on there. It might have been the valve adjustment, but I doubt .01 mm tighter valve lash would have that much of an effect.

The heavier variator weights couldn't have made much of an impact, given that I just changed them on the 16th of March. It has been warmer here lately, but I didn't think air temperature had *that* much of an effect.

I'm currently drawing up plans for an exhaust heat scavenging system that'll dump the exhaust heat into the coolant to warm the bike up quickly, and provide a warm-air intake. It'll have a Nitinol-actuated butterfly valve that opens if air temp is too high, to let in cool outside air, and a linkage that goes to a twist-grip on the left handlebar, so the rider can override the warm-air intake for maximum power. Since the air is pulled through the device because it's being sucked into the engine intake, there's no power required there. Because I'll be using Nitinol to actuate the butterfly valve, no power is required there, either. So it'll add a few pounds to the weight of the bike, but won't have any power drain on mechanical or electrical systems.

It'll provide a relatively constant temperature for the incoming air, will warm up the bike more quickly, and on really hot days, will act as a second radiator to get rid of coolant heat. It'll also have an integrated fuel preheater, to help with fuel vaporization to get a better burn and thereby increase fuel mileage.

It should provide a nice boost to fuel mileage.

My 49th fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel from Brentwood Service Station.

Mileage:   7252.0 miles
Miles Ridden:   172.9 miles
Fuel:   2.445 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.899
Total Cost:   $9.53
Fuel Mileage:   70.72 MPG
-----
28 Mar 2014:
I *finally* found where to order the Kymco Diagnostic Tool for our scooters! Come to find out, I'd been using the wrong part number...

The Chinese language version of the handheld diagnostic tool is 3620A-LEB2-900. This is almost impossible for US citizens to find (and I wouldn't have been able to read it anyway... although my wife would have).

But the English version of the tool is 3620A-LEB2-E00.

Once I found that, I found one right away on eBay, and ordered it. It was $136.57, including shipping, currency exchange, and currency exchange fee. The shipper is in South Africa. The shipment should arrive around 15 April 2014.

Order number: 2244-2100-2272-0889
Seller: umlungo (Alan R. Grace)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/umlungo
-----

[Yager200i]

-----
07 Apr 2014:
I performed the 7400 mile service today (mileage: 7366):
Replace engine oil and filter
Clean engine oil filter screen
Replace gear oil

Engine oil - Royal Purple 15W-40 Fully Synthetic Motor Oil
Gear Oil - Royal Purple MaxGear With Synerlec 75W-140
Oil Filter - HighFlo HF562

I put 60 ml of LiquiMoly Ceratec oil additive in the engine oil, and 15 ml in the gear oil. After changing the oil, I took the bike out for a ride (25 miles), to be sure the LiquiMoly Ceratec oil additive was fully mixed with the oil and evenly distributed throughout the engine.

Actually, I think I've been underestimating the amount of LiquiMoly Ceratec I've put in the engine oil and gear oil. It was supposed to last for 4 oil changes, and only lasted for 3. So I've actually been putting something like 75 ml in the engine oil, and 25 ml in the gear oil each time, instead of 60 ml and 15 ml.

The drained oil had 5 very small aluminum flecks in it, which I noticed as I poured the oil into the waste oil container.
-----
10 Apr 2014:
I received the handheld diagnostic tool that I'd ordered on the 28th of March, 2014.

So it took only 13 days to get here, 5 days sooner than expected... not bad, coming from Durban, South Africa.
-----
11 Apr 2014:
My 50th fuel up, I filled up with 87 AKI octane fuel from Costco.

Mileage:   7427.4 miles
Miles Ridden:   175.4 miles
Fuel:   2.527 gallons
Price/Gal:   $3.839
Total Cost:   $9.70
Fuel Mileage:   69.41 MPG

The Kymco Handheld Diagnostic tool doesn't come with a power supply, and I'm unsure what voltage it's supposed to run at. I tried 6 volts, and it didn't turn on. I tried 7.5 volts, and it turned on, but the screen was faint. I tried 9 volts, and it turns on, the screen is bright, and you can navigate the menus, but it doesn't connect to the ECU. I've sent an email to the eBay seller, asking if I should try 12 volts, or if that would damage the unit.

{EDIT 1}
Upon reading further, I found the service manual for the Kymco Xciting 400i... on page 7-48 it says this Handheld Diagnostic tool is supposed to be powered from the bike when it's plugged in... so I'll break out the voltmeter and test my ECU data connection plug for power.

{EDIT 2}
Upon testing the plug, I found it'd been affected by the battery acid leakage I'd experienced on 12 May 2013. I never realized it because I had no reason to take the cover off that plug, but the little connectors were eaten away and covered with dried battery acid.

So, I pulled the plug apart and went to Radio Shack to find replacement parts. I found a 9-pin serial port plug that had little metal pieces that were pretty close to what's in the Kymco plug.

I had to trim and shape the little metal pieces a bit, but after soldering everything up, putting the plug back together, and soldering the whole shebang to the wires on the bike, the Kymco Diagnostic Tool fired right up.

Unfortunately, you can't change any settings like fuel:air mixture or idle speed with this tool, but it's good for making sure the various sensors are working. One thing I noticed is that even after the engine reaches operating temperature, the O2 sensor heater stays on... not sure if it turns off once you're on the road, I just ran it on the stand.

I also found the DTC List had previous entries of 16 and 13... not sure what those are, I'll have to research it.

See attached pictures.
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18 Apr 2014:
Here's the Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) list (thanks goes to MotoRandy123 for posting this), for future reference:
1 P0217 Engine overheating
2 P0335 Encoder fault
3 P1120 TPI adaption fault
4 P1121 TPI range fault
5 P1122 TPI velocity fault
6 P0560 Battery voltage range fault
7 P0110 Air temperature sensor fault
8 P0410 Idle air bypass valve fault
9 P0505 Idle speed adaption fault
10 P0251 Fuel injector fault
11 P0350 Ignition fault
12 P0230 Fuel-pump relay fault
13 P0219 Engine max over-speed fault
14 P1560 Transducer power supply fault
15 P0700 CVT threshold exceeded fault
16 P0115 Engine temperature sensor fault
17 P1561 Temperature gauge fault
18 P0650 Check engine lamp fault
19 P1410 CO potentiometer fault
20 ?
21 P0105 Manifold pressure fault
22 P1110 Angle detect sensor fault
23 P0136 O2 sensor circuit malfunction
24 P0141 O2 heater/O2 sensor circuit malfunction
25 P0171 Close loop fault
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28 Apr 2014:
I performed the 7500 mile service today, which is cleaning and inspecting the spark plug. The bike seems to be running a tiny bit rich (at least when cold), as there's a bit of black or dark brown buildup on the flat part below the plug threads each time I clean it, and when I first start the bike, it just smells rich. I'll plug in my handheld diagnostic tool and check out the air to fuel ratio to see what's going on.
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[Yager200i]

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[Yager200i]

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[Yager200i]

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[Yager200i]

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