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 Post subject: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 11:26 am 
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Diva
Diva
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 69
Location: Bloomington MN
Scooter: CF Moto Glory 150
Why do you want to join this forum?: Great info and great conversations about our scooter passion.
Noticed that when I'm going near the "wide open" speeds on my Glory 150 (around 60-65), there is an occassional cutting out or split second sputter, kinda like a misfire or bubble in the feul line. Has anyone had a prob like this ? My dealer said I could try changing the spark plug. Did that and it still happens. Any suggestions ?


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 1:25 pm 
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Diva
Diva

Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 10:17 am
Posts: 44
Location: S.W. Pennsylvania
Scooter: 2006 Yamaha Vino 125, 1981 Honda Passport 70, 1964 Honda Cub 50
If your scooter has a few thousand miles on it, it might be time to add a bit of fuel injection cleaner. I prefer Gumout brand, but most folks on this website seem to prefer Sea Foam. No idea why that happens to be, but I've been wrenching on engines of all kinds since I was a wee tot, and I know what I'm saying... ya' know what I'm saying?

Remember, one bottle of fuel injector cleaner treats 20 gallons of gasoline. Your scooter has a 1.58 gallon tank. Do the math according to the amount of cleaner in the bottle. DO NOT pour the entire bottle of fuel injection cleaner into your tank!

I recommend mixing the fuel injector cleaner in a portable gasoline can (the kind you use for your lawn mower, chain saw or baseball cannon) and then use that to fill your scooter's tank.

You'll have to use up an entire tank of fuel before you notice any significant change in the way your engine runs. While doing this, it's best to run it "wide open" as much as possible.


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 9:40 am 
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Diva
Diva
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 69
Location: Bloomington MN
Scooter: CF Moto Glory 150
Why do you want to join this forum?: Great info and great conversations about our scooter passion.
I've used the Seafoam since getting it, in every tank, amounts as specified. My dealer got me started on that with my previous scooter too. It may be something with the EFI or RPM limiters on this type of scooter. Considered the various filters but those were all cleaned or changed this spring before picking it up from dealer storage. Hoping to take it to the dealer this weekend. It's still under warranty so think I may want to take advantage of that. Thanks for your comments.


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 11:51 am 
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Diva
Diva

Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 10:17 am
Posts: 44
Location: S.W. Pennsylvania
Scooter: 2006 Yamaha Vino 125, 1981 Honda Passport 70, 1964 Honda Cub 50
OMG! You've been using Sea Foam in every tankful of fuel?!? That's not what that stuff is made for, ya' know... If your valves haven't already started to burn away (which could be causing the high-speed running irregularities), they likely will in the near future if you continue to add fuel system cleaner to every tankful of fuel.

Here's a re-hash, for everyone out there, of a previous mention I made concerning the use of fuel additives:

Fuel additives such as Gumout, Sea Foam, Lucas, etc., should be used SPARINGLY! You should only add these products to your gasoline every 3000 - 5000 miles, only if your engine seems to be running poorly, and then only in the recommended amounts. Too much of this stuff will destroy your valves, melt the crown of your piston, cause premature wear of the top piston ring (a.k.a. the compression ring) and cause pitting to occur on the cylinder walls of the engine.

Fuel additives were invented back in the 1930's, when engines were made of cast iron and had very low compression ratios, usually not higher than 7:1. Gasoline back then was of very poor quality, low octane, and was often contaminated with water or other unwanted substances, which necessitated the use of fuel additives.

Engines of today are primarily made of aluminum, and have much higher compression ratios, sometimes over 11:1, which causes much more heat to be created by the combustion of the fuel / air mixture. Their valves are made of alloys of steel and titanium. Aluminum reacts to many chemical compounds, especially when heat is added to the equation. The same goes for different steel alloys.

Introducing chemicals other than gasoline to the combustion chamber is risky at best. All of the different manufacturers of fuel additives have their own formulas for their particular products, but I don't recommend any of them to be used as a regular treatment for any modern engine running on what should always be high quality gasoline.

I've been a mechanic for many years, and I've seen the carnage that fuel additives can do to an engine. If your mechanic told you to use Sea Foam in every tankful of fuel, it's time to look for a new mechanic!

If you care about your scooter, just stick with quality gasoline of the highest octane possible. Shy away from no-name convenience store gasoline, and never use the low-octane cheapo stuff, even if you buy gas at a well known retailer.

And here's the rub...

When you buy gasoline, the first gallon or so out of the pump is exactly the same stuff as the guy before you bought. If he bought cheapo 87 octane, then you're getting a gallon of cheapo 87 octane whether you want it or not. The longer the hose is coming out of the pump, the more gasoline it contains, and that's what goes into your ride when you squeeze the pump handle. I suggest taking two 1 gallon gas cans to the gas station (it's best to use your car for doing this), and filling them both. Use the first can that's filled for your lawnmower (or whatever) and use the second can to fill your bike's gas tank. Either that, or try to always get behind somebody riding a Harley (those guys know what they're doing) or a high-performance car when you pull up to the pump. That way, you'll know that the gasoline in the pump-hose is the highest octane available, and you won't be putting crap-gas into your tank.

If your scooter's gas tank only holds 1 gallon, you can press the 93 octane button on the pump, but you're actually getting a tank-full of crap-gas if that's what the guy before you bought. And you're paying maybe 40 cents more for it, too.

Bet'cha never even thought about that.

Okay, now it's time for a beer...


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 8:47 pm 
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Diva
Diva
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 69
Location: Bloomington MN
Scooter: CF Moto Glory 150
Why do you want to join this forum?: Great info and great conversations about our scooter passion.
Wow !! That's a lot of great info foamynozzle ! Hope I haven't done some real damage yet. Only been putting 1 1/2 oz. or a bit less in each 1.9 gallon tank so may be ok for now. I'll have to ask my dealer if we misunderstood his instruction. You also make a good point about the leftover gas in the hose from the guy before. Thankfully we always fill a 5 gallon gas can for the scooter AFTER we fill our own car and generally at one of 2 stations we frequent. That way we do know what was left in the hose, or not.


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 8:51 pm 
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Diva
Diva
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 69
Location: Bloomington MN
Scooter: CF Moto Glory 150
Why do you want to join this forum?: Great info and great conversations about our scooter passion.
Oh...and in the highest octane of course :) Thanks again foamynozzle.


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 8:40 am 
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Diva
Diva

Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 10:17 am
Posts: 44
Location: S.W. Pennsylvania
Scooter: 2006 Yamaha Vino 125, 1981 Honda Passport 70, 1964 Honda Cub 50
Anytime, Woodstock!

The main reason I enjoy this website is because it gives me the chance to help others who might not be as knowledgeable to keep their scooters on the road. Also, if somebody knows a bit about how their scooter operates, they have less of a chance of being ripped-off by a mechanic.

One other thing I didn't mention in my last posting - I've worked at more than a few motorcycle, automobile & boat dealerships as a mechanic, and most of the "mechanics" working there know little more than how to swap out parts. When it comes to actually diagnosing a problem, they don't have a clue, and often cause more problems by tinkering with things that are not causing a problem in the first place. Some customers have ended up paying for a whole new engine, when the problem was something as simple as a fuel-delivery problem. Stuff like that happens all the time.


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 10:51 pm 
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Diva
Diva
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 69
Location: Bloomington MN
Scooter: CF Moto Glory 150
Why do you want to join this forum?: Great info and great conversations about our scooter passion.
I hear you ! We had a car problem diagnosed that would have required a big assembly replacement costing around $1000. So, we took it to the shop of a friend (not located close enough to be our "regular" spot) and told him about it. He checked it over, took the assembly apart and fixed the small area for $90 !!! He said just what you did. The other shop was just going to replace it all because they didn't know how to do the smaller issue diagnosis. Consequently, we've been putting more miles on the cars to take them to his shop more often now! I appreciate people like him and you.


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:08 pm 
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Diva
Diva
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 69
Location: Bloomington MN
Scooter: CF Moto Glory 150
Why do you want to join this forum?: Great info and great conversations about our scooter passion.
Ok, here's the lowdown...it had nothing to do with the jets, additives, feul filter, air filter, etc. I simply need a BIGGER c.c. engine and until then, need to quite cranking it all the way open. I was just hitting the RPM limiter ! Oh DUH !! ](*,) ...do I feel silly or what ?!


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:50 pm 
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Super Diva
Super Diva
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Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:29 pm
Posts: 201
Location: Central and North FLorida
Scooter: 2003 Honda Reflex 250cc
I was just hitting the RPM limiter ! Oh DUH !!

It's all good, we all live and learn as we go along and no harm done so no need to beat yourself up! If your maxing the speed for your scoot now, you are surely going to need a bigger scoot SOON!!! :D Your gonna need a big yeller REFLEX!!! Hehehe

_________________
~Riding Miss Daisy~

"Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it."


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 11:50 pm 
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Queen Diva
Queen Diva
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Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:38 pm
Posts: 591
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Scooter: 1st scoot - Keeway Arn 150 - soon for sale
New scoot - Silverwing 600ABS
My 150 has also been doing the little spit-sputter at top speed! Almost like the spark plug is missing, just noticeable when you ride, not in the speedo ....I've also tried the fuel additive (sparingly, according to my scoot mechanic's instruction) and it doesn't seem to help much. Just backing off the full roll of the throttle seems to make it behave normally :(

I already KNOW I need (WANT!!!!!) a bigger scoot .... I LOVED my Swing until I crashed him .... but until I can afford another Silverwing, I am riding the %^&* outta the 150 Keeway (will roll over 10K miles this week!!) when it's not 100 degrees!!!

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Lovin' it!!


As you go to bed tonight, will Someone upstairs say you've won another tomorrow by what you've done today? - Harry H. Browne


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 Post subject: Re: Cutting out at top end speeds
 Post Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 11:09 pm 
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Diva
Diva
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Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 69
Location: Bloomington MN
Scooter: CF Moto Glory 150
Why do you want to join this forum?: Great info and great conversations about our scooter passion.
I would LOVE a Reflex or Swing !! Are you ready to sell Miss Daisy yet ? :D tee hee


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