Got her back Thursday morning and haven't stopped riding long enough to post the results of the upgrade...
I am seriously blown away by the improvement!!
I thought there may be some negligible difference in either top end speed or quickness of acceleration, but was completely caught off-guard by the increased acceleration AND top end speed!!
Before and after comparison:
AccelerationThen - It was mostly controled by engine speed (meaning the engine didn't really spool up until I was rolling along at maybe 20-25 mph). The clutch would engage pretty early in the throttle and we would build engine RPMs and speed together at a decent pace. It was fun... I would typically be a little quicker, or even with cars at the stoplight if we were front-row.
Now - Holy crap! Engine revs build immediately (I figure at least twice as much higher RPM per mph as before up to almost top speed) and now the scooter accelerates like the throttle is a rubber band. The engine jumps up in revs as soon as you twist, and then (almost immediately) the speed picks up faster and faster and faster and faster until the CVT catches up with the RPMs. This is ridiculous fun now!!! I mean, I am braking in places I normally never needed to in the parking lots I frequent every day at work and home. Those front row stoplight ‘races’ are no contest now unless someone really is wanting to race. I twist, and pull away at every single light now.
I actually pop the front wheel up from a dead stop. But I do ride from the passenger position and weigh 240 pounds. I have to lean forward from a dead stop to keep the front end down. We think this is more a function of the clutch fly-out springs (not replaced) “popping†the clutch and engaging quicker instead of slow and smooth. I like it. It stays.
There was a significant flat spot in acceleration if I was rolling along at 30-40 mph and hit the throttle - it would chug along up to speed as the engine RPMs increased…
This flat spot is completely gone – not moved up or down in the speedo somewhere – gone! I have tried roll-on pulls from every speed in 5 mph increments, and she pulls hard at every speed! Even when I’m doing 55 at half-throttle, I twist and have to lean forward!
Top SpeedThen - Top speed was regularly at about 61 mph +/- a few mph. Maybe get up to 63/64 on a really long straight. She seemed to have had a bit better top speed when I first picked her up. I recall being pretty impressed when she would get to almost 70 mph… I suppose time and wear probably sapped some of that out. I would occasionally go on the freeway if there was plenty of traffic to keep speeds below 55 mph. Posted speed around here is 65 mph, and there is no way I could keep up with the ‘normal’ 75 mph flow of non-rush hour traffic.
Now – I figured I would be disappointed in the top speed after getting such gains in acceleration. When I picked her up from the shop, I didn’t really have much opportunity to ‘get on it’ and stretch her legs out. Surface streets during rush hour… I did notice that I was now using the throttle for actual speed regulation instead of using it like an on/off switch. I would catch up to cars and have to cut back to half or even quarter throttle to stay at their speed of about 50-55 mph. Then I got closer to my office and a wide-open mile-long stretch… 73 MPH!!!! NOT downhill – NO tailwind! Just a long flat stretch and wide open throttle with me tucked in behind the windscreen like a retarded salt flats racer from the 40’s. Seventy-three friggin miles per hour?!?! OK, OK, I know – the speedo is inaccurate, so I do know I’m not actually doing 73. BUT, I am only comparing my own before and after speedo numbers. That’s about 9-10 mph faster! And it gets there sooner than it got to 61! That 63-64 mph from before was pushin’ it after about 2 miles of no stop flat-out straight. Now she just thrums right up to 72-73 mph without batting an eye.
I am completely thrilled with what The Urban Commuter hooked me up with, and am happy to pay them the retail instead of internet price to keep them in business. Probably only cost me 30-40 bucks more to shop with them than online anyway, and I like having a place I can walk into and talk to real people – no offense.
I would have done the work myself had I decide to ‘upgrade’ instead of breaking down only a mile from their shop. I could have gotten it done in my own timeframe and saved some cheddar, but, like I said, I like to support local shop owners when I can.
I didn’t buy from these sites, but here are the parts I used, with the exception of the clutch spring (I think it’s a Malossi, but would have to verify with Pat)
The belt is a Malossi Kevlar 795-19.8-30 for Kymco and Malaguti scooters.
The first place that popped up in my google search when I put in Malossi 795-19.8-30
http://www.monsterscooterparts.com/795-19-8-30-malossi-x-kevlar-cvt-belt-kymco-malaguti.htmlNaraku High Speed Variator Kit for Kymco 150
This comes with 10.3 and 11.5 gram rollers for use in the Kymco 150s. We have different final gearing requiring heavier weights.
Again, didn’t buy from this site, but this is what the shop got for me.
http://www.scootertronics.com/variatorkit2.html2000 RPM clutch spring put into my existing clutch which Pat said was still good and had no gloss on it.
For anyone who is skipping to the bottom because I friggin’ write too much:
GET THE NARAKU HIGH SPEED VARIATOR AND KEVLAR BELT WITH 2000 RMP CLUTCH SPRING.
It’s awesome.
Thanks!
--Kevin
Oh yeah, I did the brakes at the same time. EBC of course. Thank God I did! This thing hauls ass now!
!
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). Pat said the clutch still looked great, and just a new spring to match the variator would be best.