Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Coming to a scrEEching halt !

That is exactly how it went down this evening while out for my nightly ride. I was traveling down Deleware Ave, along the river, and was coming up to my turn which is a left hand arrow off a 3 lane road. I was ahead of all the traffic except this one car in front one lane over as I was in the left most lane. I had to think that there was the possibility that this driver might turn left and did a quick mental note just in case. Well before I even had time to finish the scenario out in my head the driver, without signal swerved into my lane. I grabbed two big handfuls of brakes and laid down some rubber. I knew that just in case I was going to have to clear this car and being attentative to his maneuver I steered clear. In the end I was able to properly execute an emergency brake and swerve. I do have to plug the MSF course here as much of what they taught me as well as tips I learned from the Proficient Motorcycling book came into play in this situation. The reason I am writing to tell of this story is not to sell you on a course or book but just a note to ride heads up and think ahead. I recall from my Drivers Ed course back in high school that they tell you when going through a traffic light to pick a spot and go from there. Well I think that is analogous to my point in that you need to look ahead and observe the situation and know what your going to do just 'in case'.

Ride Hard, Ride Safe --> Keep it up & Use the rubbers!

Monday, May 22, 2006

Just what has PSF been up to lately?

Here are just some of the news coming hot of the press from PSF's homepage (click 'news'):

PSF initiates development of it's Strada RX260XP - 258cc liquid cooled scooter based on very successful RX150 model platform.


PSF receives first shipment of SuperStrada - 300cc liquid powered scooter.

PSF ships newly developed STRADA RX200HP - hybrid cooled 155cc scooter.


Qianjiang USA, Inc receives confirmation from EPA regarding passing all tests for 49.5cc 2 stroke engine.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Water-Cool Your GY6 Scoot

GY6 62mm WaterCooled Kit

Evidently this is a PFS kit and is available now for only $450 at MotoGino. Rumor has it that 'JavaRod' *might* be doing a review. As always stay tuned.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Super White 35w Bulbs Installed!

That's right folks the rain has finally stopped and I was able to get to work installing these super white 35w bulbs from Jiangwayne. This is the description on their site:

Pure white H4 Quartz Halogen bulb,
like HID lights which are closer to natural sunlight,
increased safety and improved night vision.

While a little pricey I will let you be the judge of them. I do have to admit I REALLY like the way they look. The stock bulbs don't necessarily glow that bright and have a real yellow tint to them. These bulbs have a clean 'crisp' look to them. Many of the "super white" bulbs you can purchase for automobiles aren't matched (in other words different tints) and look too blue (which is illegal). These look to be a perfect pair and don't have that over the top effect. Take a look at these pictures I shot:






* Please remember when handling halogen bulbs DO NOT touch the glass! *

Monday, May 15, 2006

Super White 35w bulbs have arrived.

The Super White 35w H4 bulbs from Scooter by jiangwayne.com have arrived. I hope to soon have these installed with side by side comparison photos vs. the stock 18w bulbs (pictured on left). Stay tuned!
I was really hoping to have these by this weekend and evidently I did and just didn't know it. While doing some work around the house today I came across this package which Fed-Ex had evidently 'kicked' into an obscure place. I will post a review and more details soon...

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Upgrade your gy6 scooter with the PFS oil cooler unit.

Introducing the PFS Performance, GY6 125/150cc Oil Cooler kit. Designed to provide oil cooling and lubrication to protect the cylinder kit during high speeds:

While this won't exactly turn your current gy6 into a Strada rx200hp it will get you closer. This unit installs behind your front wheel and essentially circulates the oil through the cooling element. The rx200hp has a similar setup but also has lines cut into the engine block. One cautionary note if you do go ahead with this upgrade is to check the connections for leaks tightening the bolts if necessary. If they aren't sealed and oil leaks out it could potentially get onto your tires or brakes.

The Ideal Jacket

Previously I had featured a revolutionary new airbag jacket design (link). Well here we have another company marketing a similar product. I don't think either are for sale yet in the US but I have been told they could be here in as little as a month. Check it out for yourself:

The "Hit Air" jacket uses CE certified armor to protect the shoulders, elbows and the spine but most importantly, the "Hit Air" jacket also incorporates an air cushion system. In the event of an accident and a rider is thrown from the motorcycle, the air cushion instantly inflates (within 1/2 second) to protect the rider's body. Activation is simple and automatic. A coiled wire is attached to both the motorcycle and the jacket. Once the rider and the motorcycle are separated, the coiled wire pulls a "key" out of a gas release system and inert gas inflates the air cushion. The inflated jacket provides the necessary impact protection. After a few seconds the gas is automatically released through the gas release valve.

The "Hit Air" jacket with its instant activation is the ideal jacket for motorcyclists!

Link: (Hit-Air Airbag Jackets)

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Strada eurojet RX150i

Reposted from the Yahoo Vento Forum:

The Strada eurojet RX150i uses a completely different frame than the Triton. It's not even close! The entire frame was built from the ground up to accommodate a newer designed GY6 crankcase, cylinder and head. None of the parts from this engine will bolt up to the GY6 engine that most of you are accustomed too. The crankcase has more volume, the cylinder bolt spacing is wider, the head and valve cover is a new design with racing cam installed on the assembly line. Even the center stand and cooling fan are different!

We have been working on this model for the last 6 months including the new Hybrid Exhaust system that is standard on the bike. The exhaust has tuned baffles welded inside the expansion chamber that act as any other 4 stroke system would and was tuned using a dyno. It wasn't just thrown on the bike as bling! We had several requests for this look going back a year and finally had the engineers come up with a design that did not fall on it's face at 6000RPM which is what the original problem was with the Vento Phantom 2/4 stroke exhaust pipe.

Also the engine has more output then any other GY6 scooter from China today. You won't find this body design "NOT A TRITON" anywhere but on a Strada unless we license the design to other manufactures through Qianjiang Motorcycle Group, QJUSA and PSF-MotoStrada.

Another change was the air filter system which is mounted outside of the engine compartment and allows the carb to capture more air in a shorter distance verses the old accordion hose and filter that most of you are use too.

More new features include the Japanese style sportbike spot-beam using a magnified glass Lenz over the bulb for illumination which intensifies the light for better night driving. The lighting portion is regulated and will not dim as other models do when at idle. It uses the same 10 coil high output magneto as our Strada RX200HP.

There are dozens of improvements including a very simple one, more padding in the seat! This may seem silly but as most of you know the seats on most of the scooters that come out of China are of very poor quality. We had the factory add a few inches of padding for the heavy weight out there since it really makes a difference on those long rides even after it's broken in. If your not happy with the extra padding you could always take it to a upholstery shop and have them shave the foam down to fit your butt.

We are already working on modifying our HP150 Carbon Fiber exhaust system for those who want a different look and sound. Here's a picture of the RX150i in Silver with a modified header and pipe installed.

I could go on and on but I don't want to bore you.

If you have any further questions about the new (eurojet RX150i) by Strada you can contact the many dealers who advertise on this forum.

For those dealers who peruse this forum and may have any technical questions, please contact me directly.


Alan Leson - President

Power Sports Factory
6940 Central Highway
Pennsauken NJ 08109

Hours Monday-Friday 10-5 PM EST
Tel: 856-488-9333
Fax: 856-488-8077
Watts: 888-836-8662
STRADA Motorcycles and Scooters

www.powersportsfactory.com

How does the air induction on the rx200hp work?

I know its been a little slow so I thought I would taunt you with information on what makes this scooter so special. Hopefully you already have one of these scooters or maybe your stuck waiting but rest assured this blog will be here when you get back from riding.

This was posted last month by Bobby hopefully you caught it in the comments but if not here it is:

bobbydrums64 said...

I got some info on the Air Induction,
Air Induction Cylinder Head system Its main purpose is to filter and measure intake air flow into the engine. Air is filtered by the air cleaner which passes into the intake manifold. The throttle valve controls the volume of air entering into the engine based on the driver himself (herself).

From the Air Cleaner, the air flows through an Air Flow Meter, (air valve) to the intake chamber via the hose running to the intake Manifold to the cylinder. The air induction head system gives more power and more torque. Helps eliminate unmeasured air into the intake system and any deposit build up on the intake valves.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Just saying hi!

I stopped by the PSF store today and got to see the guys working on Ricks (Underground Race) scooter. They were installing a new engine with larger head and I believe they ported and polished it as well. I will have to ask Alan the details. It sounded awesome with the carbon fiber exaust. They also had a 'sick' 500cc kawasaki? atv there. The sound from this machine was menacing and the engine was beautiful. Anyways besides my brief visit not much else to report but did want to say hi to all my fellow enthusiasts.
( Here's another shot from the other day of me saying HI ! )

Monday, May 01, 2006

SS300 Test Ride

That's me riding the SS300 and giving it a big thumbs up!
This afternoon I had agreed to help a fellow scooterist out from the local scooter club getting his scooter inspected. He has a nice yellow Vento Triton and wanted to use it to take his motorcycle test tomorrow. I was a bit nervous as initially I thought he was driving it to the DMV as it requires going on the highway but luckily he has one of those nifty tilting tail-gate carriers. Now I was going to suggest we meet at the MotoStrada/PSF Store however they are closed on Mondays. So instead we met at Wal-Mart of all places. He got his scoot down and had it up and running in no time and we drove the short distance to the inspection station.

The nice thing about riding a scooter is that at the inspection station they have you pull right up between the cars and you get immediate assistance. They did however require he have 3 pieces of reflective tape on his helmet, as per the law, and luckily I had remember this and came prepared. After that it was just a matter of waiting for the computers to work and we were out of there.

While we were waiting I called up the PSF warehouse and got in touch with Alan there. When I last saw him at the store he had offered that I could stop by and see the new warehouse. He said it would be no problem if my buddy and I wanted to stop by so we did. There new warehouse is right next door to their other one but what they have managed to do in the new space is terrific. There is a nice showroom setup with a reception area and offices.

In back is a garage/work area with all sorts of neat projects. Soon they will be installing a dyno in an adjacent room. Large parts department with a maze of shelves. (They even had full stock of their ATV parts for models 2 years out of production.) Alas there were scooters towering above and beyond almost everywhere. I was told the other warehouse was just as crowded.

Alan was gracious enough to give us the tour and hang out with us for a bit. I know he is a very busy man so it was extra nice of him. I could tell my new friend had been bitten by the upgrade bug as Alan allowed me to test ride the new SS300. Let me tell you that thing is the Cadillac of scooters!

First to start the SS300 the kickstand has to be up, which I think makes good sense. Once started in ran smoothly and and was extremely quiet. I assume that is one advantage to a liquid cooled scooter. I took it for a spin and when I would come to a stop I would think the engine had cut off since I couldn't hear it. Its pretty fast although I didn't push it too hard as it had 6 miles and not enough road. Alan told me it would do 80 no problem and I believe him. Even at that speed I think it would be comfortable to ride. With its xtra big fitted seat, low ride, good suspension, and windscreen it felt just like being in a Caddy with the top down (so to speak). The braking felt very adaquet and the turn signals made a pleasant beep when engage.

Over all I was very impressed. Seems a little big for in the city unless you were to park it with the motorcycles and not the bicycles. The underseat storage was huge though! So that is definatly a benefit as my full face helmet fit fine with tons of left over space. If I had the money I probably would have purchased it to cruise interstate as well as to the shore on but its probably good I didn't. I do have my eye on it and since I plan to keep my rx200hp perhaps one day this would make a good second vehicle. Together that would still only be 4 wheels right...

Super White Headlight Update:

This is to let everyone know that the super white h4 bulbs are on their way and should be here in a weeks time. I look forward to installing them and will provide full details as well as pictures. So stay tuned!

Just how does a CVT transmission work?


One thing people regularly wonder about is how a CVT (Constant Variable Transmission) works. (If you are one of those people, you need to get a life!) CVTs are used mostly in scooters, like the 155cc Strada rx200hp. If you've ever been confused about that strange little transmission in your scooter, this should help clear things up a bit. (LINK)