Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Green is Having a Trouble

Monday, May 21, 2007, my scooter front light won't turn on, I tried short and long distant light, but it won't turn on. But when I press the passes swith button, the bulb suddenly on. I release the button, and the bulb turn off. So I should press the button continuously until I get home? Give me a break!

The sun is not friendly enough, because now is 6.00pm. I should pick up my wife, before its late. Phewf, I don't have any choise didn't I?

I turn my scooter on, and run along the street to pick up my wife. I keep pressing the pass button until we get home. My finger become numb by time we arrive at home.

After get some rest, I open my tool box and fixing my scooter. I think the switch had a problem, so I dismantle the handle bar front cover. I check the switching system. It seem alright, now I check the electricity. I open the shield from cover. Using AVOMeter, I test the cabling system. Yup, this good either. I check the bulb filament, the bulb filament is good either. Now, I'm confused with this situation.

It turn on when I press the passing button, but no sign if button short or long distant is pressed.

But the one, that make me more confused is the long distant light sign on the dashboard keep turn on in every situation. So, my conclution is, there is something wrong with the ground cabling. I check again the cabling system including the rectifier. But hopeless, I can not find whats wrong this. Now the time shown at 9.00pm, I can not continued my search. Hopeless indeed. My last conclution is I must change the bulb with the brand new one.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007, I buy a brand new bulb and replace it. I turn on my scooter and test it. If this is not the answer then I must check the electricity system again. I turn on the light switch system, and see the result. IT WORK! Damn, after a long night search, it only the bulb.

AFter an office hour, I turn on my scooter and run along the parking lane. But when I get out from the parking lane, my scooter suddenly shut off. Oh no, another problem. I tried to press the starter button again and again, but it is not help. I contact my wife to wait, because the scooter having a problem. I try to contact my mechanic friend but I'm running on low battery power. Why this is happen when I needed. I look forward to the power jack for charging my phone battery. After have enough power, I contact my friend. He agree to come, but he said, now he didn't brought any tools. So I must wait for him to get his tools. I tell to him where is my location now.

Very long time to wait, but my office friend accompanying me. Such a gret friend I have.

Now, he arrived. I said sorry to disturb him, and he said, "It's alright, he get used to it". I told to him about my scooter problem. Nervous about my scooter problem, what was it? He check the carburetor and clean it. and he check the spark plug cable. The spark was big enough. He plus the carburetor and turn on my scooter. Tada. My scooter is on, final check he tune my carburetor. Finished with that, we run along together until we separate on the 3 way street. I said thank you and take the right path to pick up my wife.

Thursday, May 24, 2007, I turn on my scooter in the morning before I go to the office. I headed to the road and run my scooter along the street. But after a couple of meter, my scooter suddenly switch off. What happen? I tried to turn it on again and again, but it won't start up. What should I do then? Lets wait for some time.

OK, its time to turn it again. And it can. I open the throttle carefully this time, I don't want it switch off again. I can go to the office without any problem. If the CDI is broken, then symptom is I can turn on my scooter for a couple of few meter and it turn off, and it happen again and again. That happen because the CDI is heated. But this is different, my scooter can run a long way to the office. May be the spark plug, because my friend told me that nothing wrong with the electricity. In the noon, I go to buy a new spark plug and replace the old one. The old one aged was about 30,000km, I never replace it since I buy this scooter.

Lets test it on this 3 days, if nothing wrong with it, then the solution must be the spark plug.

Sunday, May 27, 2007, I'm having the same problem with the last Thursday. Oh no, its not the right time, because I had to go to the church. I park my scooter again to the garage. This time, I don't want to try again. I will wait until the afternoon. Mean while I go get a rest to cooling down my mind. I will take the afternoon worship.

At 2.00pm, I dismantle my scooter body parts. I check the electricity. It alright, I tried to swap the CDI with the brand new one. The problem is still the same, so my CDI is still in a good shape. I check the spark cable, it good. OK, I unplug the carburetor and check it. I close the intake manifold with my hand and try to turn on my scooter. It start but only a second. I think the fuel is flooding the engine to much. So, I setup my carburetor with the factory standard.

Finished, I plug the carburetor again and turn on my scooter. Yeah, my scooter is on. Last one is setup the stationer. Done.

5.30pm, I go to the church without having any problem.

Monday, May 28, 2007, my scooter start in a very short time, and dead again. I check the carburetor again, and set the stationer a little bit high, and it start. I run my scooter to the office with a very high RPM on the stationer. At the traffic light, I must push the brake if I don't want it to run. After arrived at my wife office, I tried to lowering the stationer a little. And I run my scooter to the office, without any problem.

5:15pm, I turn my scooter to go home. This time my scooter is not having any problem, except this little to high stationer. I run my scooter to my wife office and lowering again the stationer at her office. I'm doing this in step by step, because I don't want my scooter dead again. And then we go home.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007, I'm lowering the stationer based on my feeling. I set to the right set for my riding style. Done. Then I run my scooter to the office without a problem. Hopefully, it keep runing on this way.

Monday, May 14, 2007

New Shock Absorber

Friday, May 11, 2007, I received a rear shock absorber from my friend. He gave it for me, because he didn't like it. He said it is like riding on a rock. This shock absorber is a stock version for Kymco Free Series type LX.

I look forward to it size. Hem, it diameter bigger 10mm than mine (EX). I measure the gap between my rear tire and the spring, it 3mm. Ups, with this such a close gap, I can not put the absorber into it. I must figure it how to plug it without some modification. Some of my friend added a ring to the axis. It is very risky, my life depend on it.

Oh I know, I got the idea, lets measure my front tire size. I am using 90/90-10 on the front and 100/90-10 on the rear. Front tire wide is 93mm and the rear is 101mm.

If I swap the tire, the gap will be bigger than before:
103mm - 97mm = 6mm

The new gap was: 6mm + 3mm = 9mm

Now I can plug the shock absorber into my scooter. Shock diameter difference is 10mm (5mm to the right and 5mm to the left), so with the new absorber the gap between my tire would be: 9mm - 5mm = 4mm.

OK, its time for the implementation. I said to the mechanic to do as I said.
1. Swap the tire
2. Unplug my stock absorber
3. Plug LX shock absorber

Done.

After finishing some paper. I turn on my scooter engine and start to ride. First impression is, my scooter is higher than before. I think its too higher. This LX shock absorber has 2cm lengthen than my scooter stock. The handling become a little hard. Because it differ now, the center of gravity of my scooter has move forward to the front. So I must change my riding style to handle my own scooter.

Lets test it on the real road condition.

I run my scooter to my home at Tangerang City. The path I choose has many type of road condition. It has a smooth and bumpy. Something strange I feel when I ride my scooter, I feel that I'm floating. I never feel such a thing like this when I ride my scooter.

Test on a smooth asphalt was great, the traction is bigger than the stock. When I cross the railway track, I test the rebound. The result is a little hard than my stock. But this absorber haven't reach it limit, so it can move to absorb the vibration. Not like my stock that has been reach it limit. My stock is more softer, but when I pass the railway track, it feel very hard, because the absorber axis has reach it limit and it hit the border.

Sunday, May 13, 2007, I test with my wife, how is the rebound if we ride on tandem. We run along the street and find a perfect place to test this shock absorber. The path only 10m length, but it very bumpy alright. I past it just as usual when I past this path. The rebound is very good when on tandem, not too soft, and not too hard. I like it very much.

I think I'm gonna love this shock absorber.