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Topics - Portland Steve

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Super 8 150 / GY6 Variator Installed

« on: August 08, 2011, 03:24:38 PM »

I just installed a new NCY variator (for GY6 scooters) with 12 gram weights. Fits and works great.
I previously installed the Velocita clutch and 1500 rmp clutch spring.
All work well together. Very smooth off the start and seems to give more torque.
I have to be honest, torque and power gains with this 150 cc scooter are minimal, but I am pleased that I found good parts.
Check out MonsterGY6.com for clutch and variator parts as well as other engine bits that will fit the GY6 engine in your Super 8 150.
Now, the belt?

General Discussion / Hey Kymco! Listen Up!

« on: June 09, 2011, 03:23:41 PM »

Hey Kymco!

We like your scooters but getting parts is difficult and confusing.
It would save us all a lot of headaches if you would just post information on engine parts, where to get shop manuals, etc.
Make your products even better by offering good on-line support!

Cheers

Super 8 150 / Replacement clutch for Super 8 150

« on: June 06, 2011, 03:36:44 PM »

IT FITS!

I have been having trouble with my stock clutch. It seems that after 3000 miles the clutch was protesting by being grabby and jerky.
I tried cleaning the thing and roughing up the pads, but that only helped temporarily.
I did a little research and found a good price on clutches (Velocita Performance Clutch $42) for the GY6 (Monster GY6 parts), which Kymco uses for the engine and drive train for the Super 8. The clutch I received was blue and looked different that the picture, but as you will see below, this was not a problem.
Along with the clutch, I ordered the recommended yellow torque spring for $14.
The part came via FedEx this past Saturday in a nice compact box. This was less than a week after I placed the order with ground shipping.
I have had the belt cover and clutch off many times, so that was no problem. Getting the large nut off the clutch assembly was a little tricky.
I had to use two clamps to secure the thing to a post. I then was able to muscle off the nut with a pair of large pliers, which is not the right tool, but I don't have an adjustable wrench that large. In any case, it worked. Be careful here as the whole assembly is spring loaded and will come apart quickly.

I was worried that this would be the wrong part, but it fit perfectly! I needed my wife to screw on the nut as I held the assembly together, but it all went together well.
The whole job only took about an hour.

Let's face it, I was not hoping for my scooter to become a torque monster, and it didn't. What I did get was a nice smooth clutch feel, which is exactly what I wanted.
The better feel is more apparent when the bike is warmed up.

I was temped to get Monster GY6's "Power Pack 2", which includes the performance variator and weights. This probably would have increased torque a bit, but I am not complaining. Check out Monster GY6's hot rod scooters while you are looking at their website.

http://monstergy6.com/product_clutches.htm

Technical | How To / Belt Size for 2009 Super 8 150?

« on: May 25, 2011, 03:26:01 PM »

Anybody replace the belt on their Super 8 150?
I can't find the specs on the belt size anywhere, which is frustrating.
I have never had a bike that was so hard to find correct parts for.
It's a GY6 engine. No it isn't. Yes it is. Is it, or isn't it? It says Kymco GY6 on the engine case.
What about a shop manual? Here's one, oops that is for the 50 cc. Seriously.
I can't even find a direct line to Kymco parts that is of any use for the Super 8.

Anyway, bitching, Grrrr

Please let me know if you can spot the belt size for me.

Cheers

General Discussion / Peg dragger

« on: January 04, 2011, 09:23:29 PM »

I was riding my Super 8 the other day and was making a sharp left turn at the top of a hill.
The kick stand was up but hit the asphalt and made a loud scraping noise. There may have even been sparks.
I wobbled a bit but was able to get control quickly. There was no damage other than a scraped piece of metal at the kick stand.
Has anyone else had this happen?

Technical | How To / Super 8 150 belt change

« on: December 28, 2010, 06:19:44 PM »

Has anyone replaced the belt on a Super 8 150?
My belt has been slipping. It could be the clutch, but it sure feels like the belt is slapping around in there.
I have taken the case cover off and had a look. Some belt dust is all that I have seen.
I have been riding in the cold weather (30's to 40's) and wonder if the cold is having an effect.
What kind of impact wrench will do the job to remove the pulleys?
Can you recommend a belt that you know fits the Super 8 150?

Thanks

General Discussion / Cold Weather Test

« on: November 24, 2010, 06:50:54 PM »

I'm sure there are folks who have ridden in colder weather, but here is my story.
I live and commute in Portland Oregon and it is usually fairly mild in the winters, but we do get our cold snaps.
It got down to 20 degrees for my ride to work this morning, down seven degrees from yesterday.
The roads are generally clear from my house to downtown.
My Super 8 started right up after being in a cold garage. I let it warm for a few minutes. It stalled when I first tried to give it the gas, but it started right up again.
The first few minutes were a little tough on the small engine as it gasped for warmth, but it kept running.
After about ten minutes, she was warm and running just fine.
I had my full winter gear on, including a balaclava head piece, so all was warm except for my finger tips, which got fairly frozen by the end of my fifteen minute ride.
I have to venture across the Steel bridge, which was a bit frosty. I just took my time and made my turns wide. I did not slip as far as I could tell, but I was ready to put my feet down to brace myself.
I arrived at the garage that I park at with a smile on my face, which would be completely invisible due to my full face helmet and ninja style head wrap. I was immediately greeted by a gal getting out of her car. Turns out she usually rides a fancy Harley Fat Boy to work and thought that I was kind of crazy for riding today.
Wish me luck in getting the scooter started after a day in the parking garage a below freezing temps.

Super 8 150 / Quick and dirty seat modification

« on: September 20, 2010, 08:35:04 PM »

I have been not happy with the seat on my Super 8, which is sad because the rest of it is quite good.
So, after some thought, I decided to add some padding to the thing.
I did not have acess to a camera at the time that I did this, so I have no photos.
This fix costs about $5.00, which includes only the price of 1" foam. You will need a thin screwdriver, pliers and a stapler with 1/4" staples.

One of my desires was to not do anything to the existing foam pad (plank is more like it).
I looked at getting seat pads, but the ones that I wanted are $100-$200.

First, remove the seat by loosening the two small nuts at the hinge of the seat. I recommend putting the nuts back on the exposed bolt threads to avoid loosing them.

If you want to do the whole seat, you will need to take the entire cover off.
If you only want to deal with your seat then just remove the front half of the staples that hold the vinyl on. Use the thin screwdriver to pry up the staples and then pull them out with the pliers. Be careful not to tear the vinyl.
Pull back the cover to expose the front part of the seat.

Cut a 12 inch by 12 inch square out of the 1" foam. The foam that I used is open-cell polyethylene, which is softer than the stock material.
This is the stuff used for foam mattresses. Is it the best choice? Maybe not, but it is easy to find and inexpensive.

Taper the corners to a shape that looks like a chair seat, or whatever you think will fit the base and your bottom.

Put the cushion on top of the lower part of the seat, where you sit. Roll the cover back over the foam, making sure that it stays in place.
I assume that you could use spray adhesive to fix the foam in place, but I want to be able to remove the foam in the future.

With a firm grip on the vinyl, pull the very front edge over so that you can staple it in place. The trick to stapling into hard plastic is to use a quality stapler, work on a firm surface and push hard with the palm of your hand while you pull the trigger with t he other. If you try to use staples larger than 1/4" , you may puncture the cover on the other side.
I then worked from the back to the front, adding staples every inch or so. You should keep looking at the other side to make sure that you are not making any ripples in the cover fabric. What is good is that the vinyl is very stretchy and you can work out most ripples or waves without too much effort.

Then you are done. Test your new, softer seat and be happy that you only spent a few bucks and a few hours to make a custom seat.
My ars feels better already.

Technical | How To / Super 8 150 suspension upgrade

« on: August 13, 2010, 05:34:30 PM »

I'm looking for better front forks and rear shock for the Super 8 150.
Currently, the ride is very harsh and I would like to see if I can improve it.
Has anyone had experience with after market suspension?

Thanks