New Member, New Like, Break Me In Gently!

[scootartist]

Apologies in advance for this long message, but I'm a writer by trade, so I tend to babble on.... I recently put my Yamaha Vino down on asphalt (first tangent: is there an accident thread on this site? Genuine Buddy's forum has a fascinating accident thread that runs for 30+ pages).

I'm an old fart (mid 50s) and only got into riding scoots two years ago with the Vino and loved it. I fell once before (my fault, in the rain on a turn) but it was at slow speed. This recent accident was at 30 mph and due to a cager accelerating-braking-accelerating-braking into an intersection where I had no stop sign and he had one. I thought I was about to crash into his truck and braked too hard and down I went. Lots of road rash (but no broken bones) and a $900 repair bill on the Vino.

So I'm fixing and keeping the Vino, which only has 5k miles, and maybe I'll sell it down the line, but I realized I needed a safer scooter than my 2009 Vino with 10-inch wheels and rear drum brake. Enter the Like 200i with its dual disc brakes on 12-inch wheels. Bought a red one on sale ($2,489 OTD) primarily for those brakes! I pick it up tomorrow and I'm just about all healed up from the road rash.

My main question is how to break in the Like? As a voracious reader, I've already read hundreds of threads here, going back almost a year, and have seen a few posts about breaking in. I read that Yager200i recommends a hard break in: "Do a hard break-in. Don't baby the engine. You've got to get those rings to seal extremely well to get good compression." Stig stands by his by-the-book break in, following the manual precisely, which has given him 8,000+ miles of fairly carefree riding. (Second tangent: except for that maddening episode last year with his crappy dealer who didn't have the right diagnostic tool. First thing I asked my dealer; "Do you have the Kymco diagnostic tool?" They said they did and acted as if it was strange that I even had to ask, because of course what reputable Kymco dealer wouldn't?)

Like Stig, I've never been particularly mechanical in my past, but I'm very adept with tools and construction and so forth, so I think I'm going to attempt to do light maintenance work on the Like. So I can probably do those early oil changes that are so critical to break in. But do I really need to do a gear oil change at 50 miles, like Yager did? I figure I'll leave that up to the dealer, who has a very friendly mechanic that I got to know during two scooter rallys here in Memphis the past couple years.

Well I warned you I'd babble. Any assistance is greatly appreciated! 

[AMAC1680]

Ride it like you stole it.
Congrats thats a nice scoot, all the best with it.

AMAC

[Stig / Major Tom]

Oh for Pete's Sake AMAC!

Scootartist,
 I just came in to take a wee while changing my scooter oil (not the LIKE200iLX-with-chrome-crashbars-and-bigdam-EYEtalian-mirrors. ) and filter and saw this blasphemy by the aforementioned ~!!

Follow the book written by one of the fellows at KYMCO Taiwan (with the on-line English class 101, Free Trial) who designed and built our scoots. They do not want to hear from you for 2 years - hence the 2 yr warranty and the printed break in instructions.

Drive your new scoot per the manual - don't go showing off your new amazing brakes (they really are pretty darn good!! Hang ON when you give them the big squeeze or you'll go over the bars.) with those new pads and new nylon/plastic tires - or you might be in the body shop again. Scrub in the tires and brakes - but you knew this - and ease in the engine.

I've been told enough times (on enough scooter forums) to use the proper grade of very good non-synthetic oil until you get a few thousand miles on the engine....that I believe it. Helps mate the parts or some such...


Let your buddy change the gear oil - you do the engine oil, often - helps you two bond - and the plug and the valve checks. The LIKE is SO easy to work on these things really are considered light maintenance. (youtube video on the LIKE200i valve check by a Canadian who speaks pretty good English, eh?)
Snug things again after a couple of days - found nothing loose on mine, but some have. (muffler heat shield fittings?)

It's a great scooter!
The seat might be some kind of payback for WWII  (?), the tires in the wet can be an adventure (I went with City Grips from amazon for @$110) other than that it is a joy to live with. Your dealer probably leases the diagnostic tool from crossbolts Karl. This is good!

I do this a lot, so added a Bestem 929 case for the lights. THe LIKE has a wonderfully big tail light - another selling point for me.

OK, now I really have to go to the WC.
Stig

[TroutBum]

Scooartist,

I have had my Like for 3 years. I would follow the break-in procedure as described in the manual with the occasional WOT thrown in for the fun. I would also follow the service schedule. So far this has worked for me in the 10,000+ miles I have put on her. One thing to be aware of are loose bits. At the first oil change go around and tighten all the nuts, bolts and screws. Remove the seat pan and do the same in the engine compartment. I lost an air filter bolt and the bolt that anchors the electrical wire for the starter.

Most of all enjoy your new scooter. It's a great bike for the $.

[2wheelfun]

Your in your 50s like me, just drive it like you normally would and don't race it. WOT for any length of time is the only thing I wouldn't do during breakin. Keep to the KISS principle and enjoy riding it, not worrying about RPMs every damn minute..........remember new tires have a 100 mile breakin period and your brake pads. New brake pads will feel like they're fading until they get worn in. Couple of good fast hard stops will help that.

[LidoCA]

Scooartist,

I have had my Like for 3 years. I would follow the break-in procedure as described in the manual with the occasional WOT thrown in for the fun. I would also follow the service schedule. So far this has worked for me in the 10,000+ miles I have put on her. One thing to be aware of are loose bits. At the first oil change go around and tighten all the nuts, bolts and screws. Remove the seat pan and do the same in the engine compartment. I lost an air filter bolt and the bolt that anchors the electrical wire for the starter.

Most of all enjoy your new scooter. It's a great bike for the $.


 I agree with Stig and Trout. I followed the manual most of the time. I would speed it up on occasion to get the juices flowing. So far, so good. At 17 months and 6k miles, the engine runs well.