2023 scooter cannonball

[lewtwo]

I try to follow Quasimotard because he is from Houston. He is on a Honda PCX150 (scooter #103) and is a 'youngster' by my standards. He had to replace his variator today and is getting a very late start.

klaviator:
I lived in Birmingham (a bit south of you) when I ran a newspaper route on the Honda 50 Cub.

[klaviator]

I try to follow Quasimotard because he is from Houston. He is on a Honda PCX150 (scooter #103) and is a 'youngster' by my standards. He had to replace his variator today and is getting a very late start.

klaviator:
I lived in Birmingham (a bit south of you) when I ran a newspaper route on the Honda 50 Cub.

I had a newspaper route when I was young.  I did iy on foot.

Back then a lot of kids in the neighborhood had those lawnmower engine powered minibikes.  I wanted one but my parents wouldn't let me get one. 

[Neil955i]

I drove an original beatle.  I read a real newspaper.  I never rode a Honda 50 Super Cub but I learned to ride on a Sears 106.  I had no idea who Orphan Annie was.

+1 - except I’ve ridden a cub, but not a Sears 😂

[GoVanGo]

I havent kept up after day 5 of this.
Day 5 had like 120 drop outs ,  4 or 5 crashes , 1 had to be airlifted out .
1 guy on a Honda had rear tire blow out and then crashed in a guard rail, broken ribs , internal bleeding.
And hes not the air lifted one !

Ya this wont be anything I will be doing soon.
Then again just riding local is dangerous but add to that the fatigue of riding for hours day after day , more chanced of wrecks for sure.

[lewtwo]

Ya this wont be anything I will be doing soon.
Then again just riding local is dangerous but add to that the fatigue of riding for hours day after day , more chanced of wrecks for sure.

They are on their way to Rome, Georgia today. Yesterday a fellow hit a deer and broke his collarbone. Pretty well messed up his bike as well.

[lewtwo]

@023 Cannonball Rider Number 57 is Kevin Lean from North Carolina (aka mrklean). He is riding a 2018 Kymco Like 150i.

https://scootercannonball.com/rider/57

[GoVanGo]

@023 Cannonball Rider Number 57 is Kevin Lean from North Carolina (aka mrklean). He is riding a 2018 Kymco Like 150i.

https://scootercannonball.com/rider/57

And still in the running? Wow I couldnt deal with the suspension on my 200i going in my back roads today.  And thats just 5 miles

Been watching Quasi's 5 hr vespa engine swap in the parking garage now

[GoVanGo]

dang quasi ate gravel at 25mph at the end.
YOu got to watch gravel, heck I get nervous just seeing random pebbles in the road.

[klaviator]

I spent the day on Saturday watching the cannonball riders come by and riding part of the route.  It was a very interesting day.  I'll post more details and pics later when I have some time. 

Here are the scooters for the top 20 finishers:

1. Smax
2. Smax
3. Burgman 200
4. Super Cub
5. Burgman 200
6. ADV150
7. ADV150
8. ADV150
9. SMAX
10. SH150
11. ADV150
12. BUDDY KICK 125
13. GTS300 (2012)
14. ADV150
15. GT200
16. ??
17. HELIX
18. GTS300 (2010)
19. BURGMAN200
20. GTS300 (2010)

A scooters handicap is determined by its engine displacement and its age.  Look list above and it is mostly 200cc and less.  The larger scooters that finished well were all over 10 years old.  For a new GTS300 to place well would require a really high average speed that just wouldn't be safe. 

[lewtwo]

And still in the running?

Yep and the Like 150i finished the rally.

Been watching Quasi's 5 hr vespa engine swap in the parking garage now

FrankenVespa lives ! He finished as well.
I suggested that they change his official number to "69/8" or maybe "69.8"

Wow I couldnt deal with the suspension on my 200i going in my back roads today.  And thats just 5 miles

Ich spreche weder Deutsch noch Tagalog.
However this video seems to imply some parts from a Honda PCX 160 can be used for a Like 150i ... including the shocks. He recommends YSS 365mm Shocks. Might work for the 200 as well.



From what I can tell there is little difference between the Kyco Models and the Generic Chinese scoots other than plastic, branding and price. The running gear (drive train, frame, forks) seems to be the same.

[NorWeWa]

I was impressed that the Honda Super Cub managed to hold onto the 4th place finish, and I believe the Honda CT125 also made it to the finish line. 

Art 

[klaviator]

From what I can tell there is little difference between the Kyco Models and the Generic Chinese scoots other than plastic, branding and price. The running gear (drive train, frame, forks) seems to be the same.

There is a big difference.   The Like 150i for example uses a fuel injected 4 valve motor that I don't think you will find on any of the Chinese brands.  Kymco's quality is higher than most of the Chinese scooters but the quality of the Chinese brands vary greatly.  The Like 150i also uses Bosch ABS which you won't find on any of the cheap Chinese models.  Most of the Chinese scooters still have carburetors. 

[klaviator]

Back to the cannonball.

On Saturday I hit the road around 6:30 so I could intercept the first rider that went by.  The days leg started in Blytheville Arkansas. and would be coming through North of me starting around 8:30.  I rode to Lynnville, TN and figured I'd have to wait a while.



I checked the tracker and it looked like I would have to wait a while.  I was caught by surprise when #555 on a Burgman200 came riding by.



I raced to get my gear on and catch him at a checkpoint a couple of miles down the road.  I did catch him as he was doing something on his phone.  They have to stop, take a pic and submit it on the cannonball app.



I asked if he minded me following him for a while and he didn't.  It was a real challenge staying with him on TN129.



he was hitting 75 and not slowing much for the curves.  Then the route went of on a narrow, rough road with blind hills and curves.  I wasn't comfortable riding that fast on that road so he pulled away.  Then we went through a small town and on to another "goat trail" road.  He lost me at that point and I slowed down and rode to Lynchburg which was the next checkpoint.  There were a number of us there to watch the riders come through.

[lewtwo]

There is a big difference.   The Like 150i for example uses a fuel injected 4 valve motor that I don't think you will find on any of the Chinese brands.  Kymco's quality is higher than most of the Chinese scooters but the quality of the Chinese brands vary greatly.  The Like 150i also uses Bosch ABS which you won't find on any of the cheap Chinese models.  Most of the Chinese scooters still have carburetors.

You are not keeping up. The newer Chinese 150 Scooters have the very same 4 valve head, bore and stroke cylinder and fuel body electronic fuel injection. Kymco's Chinese Quality control is sh** ... just look at their service manual for the Like 150i. The Chinese are experts at making things cheaper ... not better. Their electronic parts list does not cover half their product line.

'LiveWire' seems to have taken over the Kymco USA business line(a Harley Davidson electric motorcycle SPAC spinoff). The Kymco US Website no longer even lists their current models .... all they have is some marketing propaganda videos. God only knows how that will work out.

Who told you the Bosch made their ABS system? I would not believe that until I see documentation from Bosch verifying it.

[klaviator]

You are not keeping up. The newer Chinese 150 Scooters have the very same 4 valve head, bore and stroke cylinder and fuel body electronic fuel injection. Kymco's Chinese Quality control is sh** ... just look at their service manual for the Like 150i. The Chinese are experts at making things cheaper ... not better. Their electronic parts list does not cover half their product line.

'LiveWire' seems to have taken over the Kymco USA business line(a Harley Davidson electric motorcycle SPAC spinoff). The Kymco US Website no longer even lists their current models .... all they have is some marketing propaganda videos. God only knows how that will work out.

Who told you the Bosch made their ABS system? I would not believe that until I see documentation from Bosch verifying it.

China makes a range of stuff from cheap junk to some pretty good stuff.  What is being sold around here varies greatly.  Most still has carburetors.  A friend bought a Lifan KPV 150 which a aimed at the Honda ADV 150.  I had a chance to ride it.  In some ways it is better than the ADV 150 but the overall quality and fit and finish is still behind Honda.  Still, its a great scooter for the price.  I think my friend paid around 3K OTD for it.  It does have a 4 valve head and EFI.  I wouldn't trade my ADV150 for it but its a nice scooter.