Author Topic: 10 days of not fiddling w/a scooter was killing me, so........  (Read 1644 times)

Stig / Major Tom

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I took dozens of photos of scooters while in Florida for several days - but just looking at them ....and checking the nuts and valves on them just ain't the same. I couldn't always find the owner - so you just can't start touching people's scoots. They come out of Crabby Bill's shrimp emporium and find you checking their valve lash --- they're gonna take it the wrong way.

So, I stiffled.....until I got home to my Like 200i LX.
With a bit over 1100 miles on my LIKE 200i, while eating my 7 peanuts on the SouthWest 7-something-de-7 airliner last evening, I decided I might be a mature enough scooterling to try again the Iridium NGK spark plug.
At o'dark thiry this morning I had the Iridium plug back in there  along with the newly arrived oil dip-stick-thing (the dealer stripped the plastic threads on the other one) - making me afraid to check my oil - but I did anyway. (also found my belt cover gasket had arrived, along with my $19 impact wrench from Harbor Freight in a massive box - thought I'd bought a full dining room set by mistake~!)
OK, off we went thru the State Park. 45 mins later my suspicions were confirmed: 
My 2012 LIKE 200i LX likes the NGK Iridium spark plug.
Findings:
#1) Idle is smoother, less burble
#2) Idle speed increased a bit
#3) Seems smoother when accelerating and driving.
#4) I'm going to learn to get off the throttle sooner for stops.

Sure would like to hear from other Like owners who have newly tried this plug change.
Like Bob Dylan said -"The sun ain't yellow, it's chicken!"
And neither am I~!
« Last Edit: June 29, 2013, 01:35:35 AM by Stig »
Boston Strong
Rural Ohio

And, I'm feeling a little peculiar.

claynine

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Re: 10 days of not fiddling w/a scooter was killing me, so........
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2013, 09:38:19 PM »
All this talk of Iridium plugs makes me want to try them myself.  My Like 200i idles and starts perfect but around mid range it seems to...kinda hesitate...like it can't decide if it wants to slow down or go faster.  I will pick up one of those fancy plugs and give it a try.  Mine has 460 miles on it now.  It's starting to loosen up more.  I will post when I have a few miles on the  Iridium.  Thanks for your posts.

tclhb

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Re: 10 days of not fiddling w/a scooter was killing me, so........
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2013, 12:22:47 AM »
I enjoy maximum engine braking too much to sacrifice any. If you guys get that worked out I might try a different plug. I did get a replacement copper plug already from Kymco Perts Monster Stig. That's the place you recommended to me I believe. I got a valve cover gasket, and an air filter too.
Tom. Huntington Beach, California

MotoRandy123

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Re: 10 days of not fiddling w/a scooter was killing me, so........
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2013, 12:02:07 PM »
When you said the engine braking was better with the stock one I took my
iridium out and went back to stock. It does brake better but felt to me like
it was always braking even with the throttle on! It feels free'er with the iridium
so I went back to that one. The only problem I have is sometimes it seems to
float at 4000 RPM's and not come back to idle when I let off the gas. Using the
brakes will slow it down but I'm not sure why it does that. It did it with both plugs
though so it's not the iridium doing it. Might be a loose intake or something.
2012 Yager GT 200I - Southern NH

Stig / Major Tom

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Re: 10 days of not fiddling w/a scooter was killing me, so........
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2013, 04:01:31 PM »
When you said the engine braking was better with the stock one I took my
iridium out and went back to stock. It does brake better but felt to me like
it was always braking even with the throttle on! It feels free'er with the iridium
so I went back to that one. The only problem I have is sometimes it seems to
float at 4000 RPM's and not come back to idle when I let off the gas. Using the
brakes will slow it down but I'm not sure why it does that. It did it with both plugs
though so it's not the iridium doing it. Might be a loose intake or something.

I was going to ask how the deuce you knew you were floating at 4000 RPM -ah, you have something with a tach (a Yager....wonder what that translates to in Taiwan) I may go out and remove the tach from my Jetta before I send it to the breakers (or sell it on www.thesamba.com -BIG VW site) it's one of the few parts that still works (speedo quit 8 yrs ago)(engine still runs like a Swiss vw- everything else getting spooky)
I put another 2 hrs of riding on the Iridium plug this morning - OK, I'm getting off the throttle plenty early - and it's working out fine. Still seems smoother, and a bit higher idle. With your tach did you notice an increase in idle speed?
Boston Strong
Rural Ohio

And, I'm feeling a little peculiar.

Stig / Major Tom

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Re: 10 days of not fiddling w/a scooter was killing me, so........
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2013, 04:11:35 PM »
All this talk of Iridium plugs makes me want to try them myself.  My Like 200i idles and starts perfect but around mid range it seems to...kinda hesitate...like it can't decide if it wants to slow down or go faster.  I will pick up one of those fancy plugs and give it a try.  Mine has 460 miles on it now.  It's starting to loosen up more.  I will post when I have a few miles on the  Iridium.  Thanks for your posts.


That hesitation is not your engine faltering......it is your common sense kicking in when you're flying down the road, at your age, on 12" tires!
Boston Strong
Rural Ohio

And, I'm feeling a little peculiar.

de-dee

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Re: 10 days of not fiddling w/a scooter was killing me, so........
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2013, 11:04:53 PM »
   I ride a 300i downtown  when I put a iridium plug in I had no change in rpm.  at idle,   but it sure ran smoother,.  is it from more miles , and breaking in, or just the plug,  it is still getting smoother it seems, and im over 33.000 km. thats just over 20,600 miles,.  something opened up in the muffler,. and it makes a little more noise,. sounds good to me,  it could be my hearing is getting better,  ha ha,.  I dont ride with my hearing aids,. the wind would drive me nuts, I tryed it once and that was enough,

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