KymcoForum.com

Scooters - 125 to 300 => LIKE 200i => Topic started by: flying old guy on June 14, 2020, 11:22:34 AM

Title: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 14, 2020, 11:22:34 AM
Hello! New to Kymco. Been riding 56 years and decided to go smaller. Just bought my 2nd scoot this week. 1st was a Yeager with 2k miles and very happy so I thought I would get another for my wife. Not so good! I picked up a 2018 Like200i with 213 miles so I did not even test ride before I bought it. Anyway, at any speed above 20mph thing shakes in the front end. It has original front tire, Kendra.  Everything seems tight. I pulled the front wheel and checked the balance and found it to be off by what I feel is a lot. I had to add 1 ounce of lead weight opposite of the valve stem. This helped some. next I tried different tire pressures and found 28lbs seems to work best, but still the bike does not ride smooth at all. If anyone has any ideas, Please help. If you would like to see the bike, I listed it on Craigslist in Maine! It's the red one. Just in case I can't straight it out. Would love to keep as my wife won't let go of the Yeager.
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: CROSSBOLT on June 14, 2020, 11:42:52 AM
Just to be clear, we have had both Yager and Like and, in my opinion, the world of difference in favor of the Yager!
Considering your riding experience, any chance the tire has a lump? The Like does have a harsh ride it seems but this is a road speed vibration, correct?
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 14, 2020, 11:52:58 AM
Thanks for the reply. To be honest I didn't check real close for any lumps. With that said, under 20mph it seems smooth riding. I 'll check that a bit closer. I guess I should not try to compare it to the Yeager, that one seems like a much better built bike. Thanks
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: CROSSBOLT on June 14, 2020, 01:22:19 PM
Don't know about better built but definitely built different with bigger OD wheels & tires and longer wheelbase.
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 14, 2020, 03:11:48 PM
If everything feels tight - and since it's a brand new scooter - how about putting on a nice set of Michelin City Grips for the Mrs.
Much better tire - and much safer in the wet.

Stick to the recommended tire pressures....25 front, 29 rear.
It rides like a scooter - and you can feel pretty much every extra pound of air you add above what is specified by Kymco!

We've had at least one LIKE owner with a poorly made Kenda. Dealer swapped them out - out of balance went away.

I'm in my 8th summer with a LIKE200i.

Stig
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 14, 2020, 06:55:04 PM
Ok , Thanks for the advise. Maybe it's just me. I moved down from a 400 Burgman. May just take some getting used to. I was so discouraged I listed it for sale after owning it for 2 days. Again, Thanks
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: CROSSBOLT on June 14, 2020, 07:15:07 PM
Ok , Thanks for the advise. Maybe it's just me. I moved down from a 400 Burgman. May just take some getting used to. I was so discouraged I listed it for sale after owning it for 2 days. Again, Thanks
1. I MUST hear the story of love affair with a Burg 400 going stale in two days! Only if you actually wanna tell that hangar story! No pressure, only if you really want to tell it.
2. "Flying Old Guy" has to have a story! I turned into one of those before '94 when I hung up my goggles after just 20 years. Turned into an old guy who used to fly, that is! Like #1, no pressure. Just curious. Start a new thread so I cant hijack this one! Har, har!
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 14, 2020, 07:38:37 PM
NO, I sold the Burgman after riding it for 2 years as it was starting to feel heavy. Then bought the 2 Kymco's. The Yeager was first. Had it for about a week and really liked it. So I thought I'll buy another and found the Like200i about 2 hours away with 213 miles on the clock. It looked so new that I handed over the $2k and loaded it on the trailer and took it home. As soon as I unloaded it my wife jumped on it and headed down the road. About 15 minuets later she returned and said that she was keeping the Yeager and I could have the Like. I took It down the road and within 100 yards I returned home and was not happy at all. That's when, as stated in previous post I found front tire was out of balance  and the shaking improved a little but not enough. within 2 days I put it up for sale on craigslist. I'm really don't want to give up on it and as I said maybe now it's just me. I may try to replace the front tire to see if it helps. I guess I was hoping it would ride just like the Yeager.
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: CROSSBOLT on June 14, 2020, 07:55:42 PM
Burg for two YEARS not two DAYS! Yeah, I get it! Heavy I have heard.
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 14, 2020, 08:19:54 PM
I bought a new Burgman 400.
Used to get a kick out of the guys on the Burgman forum complaining about the rough ride.

They need to ride a 250lb LIKE - to appreciate that their 489lb Burgmans were floating along like a Buick!

My advice to LIKE riders - Find the smoothest routes to and from your favorite riding destinations. Avoid crappy roads!
Or, buy a big wheel scooter.

Stig


Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 15, 2020, 12:18:16 AM
Great advise. I'm glad I found this forum.
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 17, 2020, 05:15:19 PM
I ordered a city grip tire for the front. Will see if it helps.
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 20, 2020, 11:26:22 PM
 UPDATE. Received my city grip front tire and put it on. WOW!! what a difference. So much smoother ride. Still rides like a small scooter but the shake is gone. I've used Kendra tires in the past and never had a problem. So my next move is to order a city grip for the rear.
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 21, 2020, 04:21:52 PM
UPDATE. Received my city grip front tire and put it on. WOW!! what a difference. So much smoother ride. Still rides like a small scooter but the shake is gone. I've used Kendra tires in the past and never had a problem. So my next move is to order a city grip for the rear.
Good choice.
I replaced the front City Grip on my LIKE200i, with another,  after 15,000+ miles & 7 summers because I got tired of looking at it. Still had good tread.
The rear went 6 years (12,000 miles), still with tread.

Riders of monsoons (Philippines) here advised me to dump the Kendas ASAP since I was regularly riding in the rain. I was, so I did after 400 miles.
Stig
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 21, 2020, 04:24:15 PM
Good choice.
I replaced the front City Grip on my LIKE200i, with another,  after 15,000+ miles & 7 summers because I got tired of looking at it. Still had good tread.
The rear went 6 years (12,000 miles), still with tread.

Riders of monsoons (Philippines) here advised me to dump the Kendas ASAP since I was regularly riding in the rain. I was, so I did after 400 miles.


We did, if memory serves, have a LIKE rider in Austria get a pair of bad Kendas on his scoot. Dealer replaced them.
Stig
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 21, 2020, 04:53:36 PM
I'm ordering another for the rear. I hope my Like and Yeager hold up as well as yours. I'll be honest I really never had any faith in the Kymco name. Not because of any problems. I just always thought of them as cheap Chinese disposable scoot that you see selling everywhere for less than $800 and last about 1000 miles before being parted out. I did make up a small windshield for the Like and tried posting a couple of pictures and instructions on how to build it for $20 or $30. Not fancy but it helps. The site says my pictures were too large so i'll try to get some help reducing them. Ernie
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: CROSSBOLT on June 21, 2020, 06:53:33 PM
Hooray! Not throwing stones or really complaining but this forum is tough about data size of pictures. I FINALLY, after much instruction, meditation with trial and error have found an app called "Lit photo" or something near that which resizes pictures which then will go on "attachments." Have not figured how to make nice, reasonable sized pics into the text area yet!

So happy the new tire got rid of the problem!

Kymco is often mistaken for chinese lower market quality but they are far from it as you are finding. They have a lot of Honda technology and a lot of Soichiro Honda philosophy in the actual product. They have huge problems with manuals, placards and a total blackout of tech training. This last sentence is pretty well covered by this forum since many on here have most of the systems figured out.
Title: Re: Shaky front wheel.
Post by: flying old guy on June 21, 2020, 07:03:41 PM
Well if that's the case, this must is the place to be!!!, Ernie