Scooterotica

Am expecting a bit of insurance money soon as some kind lady totalled my 125 honda and nearly made me a write off too, i suppose what will be spare which i didnt expect will be about £900 having decided against another comuting "bike".

the iron barrel topic made me think of seeing what you guys think re options for a 1978 150 gp sil (one that didnt see the delights of india, was made for import), with slighly tuned 175 top end. 28mm del.phbh, 16x46 the rest normal. NK exhaust, front damping, uprated forks and disk brake. The engine had been cleaned up and checked over by a very kind and knowledgeable Bristol chap Also had the new chain guides. The crank and conrod are standard early SIL. oh had a px early beedspeed flywheel electronic ignition which adds to the speed a fair bit.

QUESTION: I dont have the time i used to, so is it going to be more viable to get a tuner to work on what's already there or get a kit and still get a decent tuner to work on this? Options PPPPLLLLease and suggestions of anybody who does this and does it well (thanks Martin btw i havent contacted those guys yet but will)

PS. I dont want to go the wrong way and throw good money after bad. Just want a reliable, faster but not to the point of it nipping all the time.

I really would appreciate your advice and what options i have. Also, what i could collect in the meantime (eg as some kind "knowledgeable" chap on here suggested a Jap conrod)

If you go through all the posts on the forums most of any kit will have had a blow up or seize... If its mechanicle it can and will break... Just try and lessen the chances of it letting go, by fitting what is the best available within your budjet...

Myself, for smiles per mile and lowest cost, its a stage 4 Indian barrel with an Asso piston, one thats been well sorted by the likes of Harry barlow, MB or Sean Brady, etc, etc... One of these well set up with a jap conrod conversion for reliability, a good exhaust and carb, and a decent cylinderhead, will normally cover several years of rallys without too much trouble or cost.... just keep the barrel timings conservative and accept that it can reliably do about 60mph in most conditions and might top out at about 65-70 in the right conditions..... To try and get another 10 mph will probably cost a Thousand pounds or more, and it will probably be apart the first time it goes on a run...

charlie edmonds performance tuning

using the AF 175 kit as a start.............with extra tuning etc............
and built properly..........and geared properly............with LI 150 gearbox,16 tooth front sprocket,lightened flywheel,ported crankcase,........30mm delorto........scoot RS pipe/or sterling...............
we are seeing now approx 75/80mph tops..........and reliably..............

Charlie Edmund's name has came up quite a lot with scooterists around where I live. Would an AF 175 kit be that much different to what i have - beedspeed stage 4 175, though dont know about the stage 4 ahem?

Thanks ppl for the advice, I really value as much as possible so I make the right decision, i have made too many wrong ones in the past.

Wouldnt I be better aiming for a 185 or similar than the AF175?

Overall, I do want speed and would like to keep up when I go out with ppl on TS1's though i know it wont be near that speed, i just dont want to continued embarrassment of - we've lost Drew again.

But I would rather have reliability that something that will just go really fast and then die and cost me more £££. I am in Kettering, a lot say Replay Scooters in Rothwell are good, havent been going long but the owner has a good rep, that said i dont mind sending the engine off to someone who is v.good, reliable and value for money (Knowledge has kindly given me a few contacts, but anyone in Northants area may be better in terms of taking the scoot for them to see first).

Q: Is a kit worth getting, eg Imola, RB20?


i Wld have thought i have the basics eg carb, exhaust, disk brake (though i am sure some will say that doesnt matter), uprated front suspension and R1 for the rear. My only fear is the scootrs Stainless tubeless. Though they argue none of theirs have cracked, it's Sterling's. Having heard a lot of the bad things about stainless for 2 stroke I changed my SS Scootrs to an NK which i can change to a TS1 fit should it be needed, and its mild steel.

if getting barrel, piston etc is going to be just as good as a kit, then if anyone can say what parts (i know a 110 conrod is going to be needed either way).


Does the Li gearing matter that much, what will happen with what i have, too revvy? - where would the gain be as opposed to the GP Mk1 which I thought was pretty much the same as the Italian version - probaly heard wrong though (this is the one before they changed it to the vijay versions) - given that http://www.afrayspeed.co.uk/online_catalogue/rb/rb.html on their spec it was saying a 150 GP engine??? I take it the Li will be a smoother ride - or is there more to it?

druist wrote:
Q: Is a kit worth getting, eg Imola, RB20?

Does the Li gearing matter that much, what will happen with what i have, too revvy? - where would the gain be as opposed to the GP Mk1 which I thought was pretty much the same as the Italian version - probaly heard wrong though (this is the one before they changed it to the vijay versions) - given that http://www.afrayspeed.co.uk/online_catalogue/rb/rb.html on their spec it was saying a 150 GP engine??? I take it the Li will be a smoother ride - or is there more to it?

I run an Imola (li125) and have no complaints, originally I thought it too revvy but once you get used to it, it's more fun than you have had for a long time.. Another benefit is the lack of running-in time. It's also very economical ( as long as you aren't blasting down the Motorway), I get 80-90mpg using JL3, 30 PHBH and original gearing. I wouldn't worry about gearing for now, see how it rides first.

You need to ask yourself what you want to use it for, commuting, club rideouts, Sunday riding, Rally transport, Motorway mile eater, balls out racer. They're all different and all need different set up requirements.

A good old Suzi 185 conversion is good if you can find one and depends who has done it aswel.In scootering a few months ago,that setup performed well and had a fat power curve and would rev on well.I run one for years done by R.S Tuning and it was kin brilliant and so reliable.
Old but still a usable kit that should last and i never nipped it up even though you could take it to 9000rpm.

corrado wrote:You need to ask yourself what you want to use it for, commuting, club rideouts, Sunday riding, Rally transport, Motorway mile eater, balls out racer. They're all different and all need different set up requirements.

My use is perhaps 14miles in one go (eg to work) 30 miles a day, on country roads and also A14 for a few miles. So town, country - not particularly distance. Quick pickup speed but not intending to go to rallys on it, given how i have used it in the past 3 yrs.

Speed and reliability over a short distance would be the criteria. Anyone??

druist wrote:
Speed and reliability

Computer says no.