Performance/Racing Variator

[AKL_HBG]

de dee and ophelia.....Thanks!

[AKL_HBG]

Update:  I ordered a extractor socket on Amazon and it worked.  Although I had to hammer the socket onto the nut to securely fasten it until I removed it with the impact drill. (I tried it with a torch wrench first, but no luck)

Now I reassembled the scooter with the new polini variator (w 5 gram sliders) and Kevlar belt.  Still the take off from a dead stop and hill climbs are VERY poor.  It takes me forever to accelerate up to 15 MPH. 

Would putting on a pod filter or messing with the air intake help with acceleration??

THANKS!

[hypophthalmus]

I don't have any experience with 50cc scooters. But based on some of the responses as well as your comparison to your other 50cc scooter, I'm suspicious that something is wrong.

I would start troubleshooting or looking for restrictions (did you check for the throttle restriction that ophelia suggested could be there?) rather than throwing performance parts at it. Especially something that would change the air/fuel ratio and require additional tuning.

[AKL_HBG]

According to my dealer all restrictions have been removed.  The throttle seems fine and responds well once I accelerate above 15-20 MPH.  I will check the throttle cable at the handle and carb and see....

Thanks..

[Chris0381]

What Stig says about the holding tool is the best advice on this thread. 6 point sockets are a must and 12 points should be actually banned from this world.

Make sure you use the holding tool on a solid surface as it will dig into the grass. Its tricky to use. A big pair of vice grips should do it if you can stop the rotation properly. I would suggest a nut splitter but it could also damage the threads. You did put a tiny bit of grease on the threads so it can be properly torqued and easier to take back off ?

Also people that have installed upgraded variators also are posting about their shredded belts and the is no clear advice on using you stock boss or the boss that came with the variator.

Kymco new scooters (they have done away with the 2 strokes) are not highly regarded for speed and I would not buy one for that reason. You need an expert with all sorts of sources of aftermarket performance parts and knowledge to derestrict one. Kymco is really tightening the screws now on the ability to derestrict. Your dealer did what it could but has other scooters to care for and probably doesnt have to knowledge or resources to derestrict your scooter properly. You dealer is a Kymco dealer but doesn't specialize on just Kymco bikes and new models will throw them for a loop.

I cant say it is what it is but you need a person of higher knowledge, time, and resources to derestrict these new kymco 4 stroke scooters or to get in touch with another who has one and you can follow what he or she has done.

Juts realize by increasing RPMs and making the scooter go faster, you are increasing the stress of the internal engine components that they may not be designed to handle and can shorten their life. I just found this out after having a wrist pin bearing and clip failure after 8k miles. But that was a hard 8k I put on my bike in 4 years and cant fault Kymco and actually should praise the fact I got 8k mostly full throttle miles off the bike. I may detune it and throw in heavier sliders now that I have it back up and running.

My CV mods were new DR Pulley sliders and purple Malossi torque spring with a torsion controller and that was it and all I knew that would give better performance.

[ophelia]

Would putting on a pod filter or messing with the air intake help with acceleration??

Maybe, but not going to be the mega increase you are hoping for. Tuned right, it could help you with top speed and acceleration slightly if you've geared the bike to run at power peak rpm.

With no tuning, you probably make it harder to idle when the weather is cold. It's potentially harder to set a carburetor mixture too once you huck the stock airbox. Usually the engineers calibrate the intake and the carburetor for a certain amount of tumble and turbulence to help atomize the fuel during cold starts, idling, and low speed pickup. For the size of engine, the stock intake likely allows enough airflow to meet maximum power and usable range.

In the wet, you may even pick up too much water in your carburetor. We had to pull over once so our Ruckus ride leader could empty out his carburetor float bowl of excess water. You don't want to be that guy.

[Viper254]

Let us know how you get on with the variator. It doesn't sound like it's working as well as it should. I used to get a consistent 40mph on the flat from an aged GY6 Chinese scooter.

Rather than performance parts, I'd focus your initial efforts on getting the right rollers. It can make an enormous difference! I changed mine this morning and I've blown myself away...