Restrict Intake & Other Questions

Does any of you out there know if it’s possible to restrict the intake (and by extension, the injection of fuel) into a 150cc scooter so that it rides more economically? Restrictor plates?

My second question is: Is it better to buy a 10 to 12-year-old motorcycle (not scooter) for around $20-25,000 - or is it better to fork out around $10,000 more for one half that age? Does it make a difference in terms of reliability and constant replacing of parts?

Thanks!

Fuel Mileage
You are going to have to fabricate your own restrictor. This is as easy as duct taping over your airfilter or intake duct. You will then also have to rejet the carburetor or reprogram the electronic fuel injection. I doubt most scooters have an air intake/volume sensor, so they cannot automatically lean out the fuel mixture for the obstructed air intake. Unless you can do this in Taiwan, I doubt this kind of service can be performed proficiently in Taiwan given the horrible lack of technical expertise there (too rich and you negate your fuel savings, too lean and you will eat your engine).

Age
My rule of thumb is that rubber parts degrade at about 10 years (dependent on climate). This means seals, hoses, carburetor innards and piping are all on their last legs. At 10+ years, I’d say you’re looking at inevitable repairs. However, parts and labor are really cheap in Taiwan (compared to the west). But it’s hard to make a blanket statement. A tenderly cared-for 10+ year old, climate-controlled stored vehicle can be in incredible shape. A 10+ year old beater is usually just a money pit. You’re going to have to weigh the initial purchase price against expected repairs.

A 5 year-old vs. a 10 year-old. I’d lean towards the 5-year old, but it’s going to be dependent on the condition of the two bikes. Mileage, care, maintenance, etc.

Good luck!

Cool… thanks for the advice!

Regarding the intake, couldn’t I just adjust the idle knob or something? Y’know, that knob they adjust when checking if your scooter passes emissions? I think that’s in the carbeurator.

Cool… I guess I’d be going for the 5-year-old motorcycle, then! My last scooter was around 12… and oh man… it’s not even worth repairing.

Thanks!

Don’t buy a 10 to 12 year old motorcycle or scooter. If they want 25,000NT? hahahahaha Your asking for problems. You or might run into the following problems.
Valves will be dirty.
Piston rings will for sure have to be replaced.
Head gasket and oil pan gasket will for sure need to be replaced.
Crankshaft bearings replaced.

I would suggest spending 10 to 15,000 more for a newer bike. The other problem is people here tend to only bring there bike in when something goes wrong, very few bring it in for regular service. Like changing oil, plugs ect.

If you have the money i would also suggest you look for a more powerful bike than a 150cc. If you find a 500 or 750cc even if the bike is 10 years old it is more likely that the owner took much better care of it.

A friend of mine just bought a 1964 BMW R69 (kick start only) and paid 70,000NT. He bought it from a guy that lives next Zhongxiao Dunhua and the bike had not moved in 2 years, but when kept in his under ground parking. The only thing the bike needs is to be repainted, but everything else is fine.

[quote=“shawn_c”]Does any of you out there know if it’s possible to restrict the intake (and by extension, the injection of fuel) into a 150cc scooter so that it rides more economically? Restrictor plates?

My second question is: Is it better to buy a 10 to 12-year-old motorcycle (not scooter) for around $20-25,000 - or is it better to fork out around $10,000 more for one half that age? Does it make a difference in terms of reliability and constant replacing of parts?

Thanks![/quote]

I think you might find that restricting the intake won’t get you any better fuel economy. Your cylinder size is fixed, and your intake is designed to supply the cylinder with enough air to a matched fuel ratio. restricting your intake will choke the engine, causing more unburned fuel, and will put a drag on the piston intake stroke, reducing performance and fuel economy. Unless you perform a large modification, you should leave it as it is. The manufacturer has rather likely fiddled with it to make it as good as it can be. They know people want to save fuel and fuel injection models already do that. Don’t make further mods. Most professionals even can’t make engines more economical than they were when they left the factory.
The biggest difference you can make is reduce your total weight and adjust your riding style. Of course if you want to save maximum fuel, then purchase a geared motorcycle such as the SYM Wild Wolf, which I believe is the most fuel efficient 125cc on the market in Taiwan.

And by the way the best budget for a used bike is as much as it costs to get a good one. There are some really crap bikes out there for high prices and some good ones for low prices. It’s hard to say which is which, but go with something like an old Kymco Heroism if you want the cheapest bike to run. The parts are plentiful and very cheap. An entire plastic body for example costs around 1,500~2,000nt. I purchased an SYM Wild Wolf Commercial model for just 23,000 used and it runs brilliantly with a 1,500nt gear modification to lower engine revs and save lots more fuel than it already does. The parts for it are as cheap as can be found for any motorcycle as it has been in production since the twenties.