Good to see you got it going !! Have a nice little collection there
Good to see you got it going !! Have a nice little collection there
I got back into bikes a few years ago, after a long illness put me off work for life. I tried a Honda Lead scooter (not bad) then a Kinetic GF170 (pretty damn good), then splurged for a
Honda CB400 Super Four.
For many reasons, I just couldn't get along with the CB400, despite finding it OK for a test ride. There seemed to be a disconnect between throttle and performance, I never got the power when I wanted it, then I got too much. It was a bit wobbly leaned over (or I was), there was just not the smoothness of performance and handling I wanted. Plus the width of the tank caused aches after a while, and the weight was a bit cumbersome at stops. In the end I sold it.
I next bought a Yamaha Scorpio. This was much better. For the mainly town running I do, this had much better throttle response (i.e. it did what I wanted it do, just when needed), the handling was much lighter and easier. It was just an all round handy, very enjoyable little bike to run around on. I changed the seat (Petone Upholsterers) who did a great job widening and firming up the sitzplatz, and added a SanRemo 35 litre top box from TSS Red Baron, with mounting bracket from CycleWorks, which took care of convenience. The only flaw was a bit of rust on the exhaust guard. They should have stuck with the stainless steel pipe.
Maybe it's advancing age, but life isn't eternal, and you have to get out of it what you can. I decided to upgrade only because it is a bit hard work riding at open road speeds in high winds, with car driving maniacs pushing you off the road if you don't maintain their 115 kph cruise speed. I realised I was sacrificing 80 mpg around town, 100 mpg at 100 kph, economy. Besides, I don't HAVE to have a 250!
Anyway, I tried out a Kawasaki W650 (nice engine, slightly unwieldy handling, too firm but uncontrolled suspension, slight handlebar buzz causing hand numbness), but ended up buying a Suzuki Freewind.
This is the one that had all the good qualities of the Scorpio (ultralight handling, predictable and sufficient throttle response), with more power, more speed, better ride and better seat. I get 60 mpg on average, which isn't bad, and have a lot of fun every time I ride. It does take longer to warm up, but the choke is right there in front of you, not tucked away invisibly like on the Scorpio. It's much older and with high kms, but they can take it, and it should do me for the foreseeable future. Plus I can see better over the traffic.
Always think about the role your bike will play, whether you really NEED that 100 hp headlong rush, and just how happy your bike makes you. Trying to muscle a heavy, fast machine might sound fun at the start of a long ride, but to be able to pilot a light bike instinctively leaves the rest of your mind to enjoy the ride.
I don't regret buying the Scorpio and if funds allowed I would still keep it. Around town it's all you need.
I recently brought a Yamaha Scorpio Z 2009, its a great bike, I use it to get to uni and back mostly but I recently rode it down from Auckland to Levin (bout 600km) which was a good ride.
I was wondering if anyone knew where you could buy aftermarket parts/accessories for these bikes in NZ?
Unfortunately there are no aftermarket accessories available in NZ, and forget about contacting that Tozzy guy from Indonesia in the first page of this thread [where the Scorpios are made, BTW]. He never answers emails [at least mine anyway]. There is a great range of accessories from him and other sellers in Indonesia but most if not al don't seem to ship overseas, though some Scorpio owners in Oz were able to get some.
You can get spares from wreckers here and new parts from dealers in NZ, that's about it. Great bike, strong and easy to handle and flick around, not that much power for the motorway above 110kph but ample for crusing round town or easy-going open road rides. It is definitely too light a bike for big heavy riders, but fine for average sized to small riders. Good seat height, although could do with a bit more padding for less sore bum on long rides. Original tyres are crap though, especially wet.
I was thinking a new exhaust for it and changing the handle bars. Looked online for exhausts but couldn't find anything in NZ. Haven't looked for handle bars yet. The only parts I could find online were replacement for the stock parts. Tho I was probably looking in the wrong place.
Also I found for the long rides on this bike it doesn't like much more than 100kph lol. So I just cruised down at around 100. Stopping regularly to stretch haha.
Handle bars? I fitted a Ventura bar last year and am very happy with it. I think it was a VH2/S
http://www.ventura-bike.com/products...bar/vh2~s.aspx
Compared with the standard item, it's a little lower (just the thing for Wellington winds) and without that funny pushing-the-wrists-inwards angle. I don't think it will rust as fast, either. But you do have to drill a couple of holes in the right place to locate the lever blocks, and this is a bit tricky to judge.
I wouldn't bother to change the exhaust for more noise ('cos it's actually quite noisy already, and I'm not that kind of bloke) or for more performance ('cos if I wanted performance I'd get a different bike). But I think in a couple more years I might have to change it when it rusts out. Which is a pity, as I've been told they cost $600 and now you tell me you can't get non-manufacturer products.
I've never gone long-distance on the Scorpio and I probably never will, though if there was a good reason to ride it to, say, Auckland, I wouldn't hesitate. But based on my experience from short motorway runs I think I would cruise at about 100. It'll certainly go faster, but it's starting to rev pretty hard.
I have a EN125 project bike in the garage at the moment. Just for a looksee I mocked up the bars on my scorpio, and they were about 5cm lower then the stockers and didn't change the hand angle much at all. Any bars would work really, as long as they have the same outer diameter*. If you hit up wreckers and the like, there should be something similar that you could stick on to get the result you want without paying through the nose.
*Although if you find bars you like but are too small for the risers, then you could always shim them. If too big then drill out the rises slightly
Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure.
The bikes pretty good for long distance but as you say it rev's to much for much more than 100kph. Those handlebars look pretty nice, might check some out.
As you say the bike is loud enough, was thinking of changing the exhaust merely to make it look more unlike other scorpio's. But I don't know if there is much point as I probably will sell the bike once I've got my full licence.
.
Crikey! I'd been riding my Scorpio the wrong way!
Go Scorpio Racer, go!
What are the two strip-like things sticking out from the rider's gloves?
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Your beliefs don't make you a better person, your behaviour does.
Do not attempt on factory tyres! They are made of nylon. They don't work.
The bikes in the video are fitted with Metzeler Lasertecs. They work well.
Antenna!
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