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-   -   Got a 2009 Yamaha Zuma, 125cc (https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/got-2009-yamaha-zuma-125cc-21086.html)

Kincurd 03-21-2012 07:44 PM

Got a 2009 Yamaha Zuma, 125cc
 
Feels good to finally be back on two wheels, after nearly 6 years.

I originally thought I might get a CF Moto, but procrastinated, and it looks like the that company makes a fine engine, but cuts corners elsewhere, like tires. Plus I couldn't find a local dealer or a place to work on my own bike (outside of routine oil changes).

So I went with the air-cooled, EFI'd Yamaha Zuma 125. I found one with 850 miles on it, and paid about 2k. I calculated, if I were to get 70mpg on it (it's rated at 89mpg), and the miles I drive to and from work, and even factoring in the average 45mpg I get with my 02 Corolla (slight mods and hypermiling), the Scooter would pay for itself in about 2 years.

I plan to modify it heavily down the line, but for the first couple years or so, it'll be pretty much stock.

Just changed the motor/tranny oil yesterday (not knowing when the original owner last changed it, if at all; engine oil was dark brown, tranny oil was murky gray/black), and drove to work today. Got a little stuck in traffic this morning unfortunately; fatal accident on the highway, affecting the street I drive to work. :( But other than that, so far, so good.

The ignition won't start unless I'm applying one of the breaks. I am not sure that this feature is disabled while I'm moving though. I plan to test it in the parking lot. Update: The 'Engine Stop' button is kind of a neutral button. Your engine remains on, but the transmission is disengaged from the throttle. I'll be using that a lot, going forward. You simply press the switch like you would your high/low beams (only it's on the right handle-bar) for neutral/in-gear. It works smoothly when you flip-it down to engine-on (in-gear) while coasting. Update II: Okay, well it's not true-neutral, it merely disables the 'in-gear' mode (whatever it's called) and still hurts your rolling resistance; but it's good to hit it if you're rolling up to a stop light, as it'll kill your engine when you're fully-stopped, then you can switch it back to engine on, and of course start when it's about to turn green.

I haven't been killing the engine at red lights or anything yet. I'm still getting more comfortable on the bike and just being on two wheels in general again. I had to overcome the urge to apply the rear break, thinking it was the non-existent clutch lever when I first test-rode it.

I've been doing a lot of zuma-themed sketching and planning for Eco mods down the line. Lower seat (placing gas tank where storage compartment is), Aero-shell, and oil cooler are all on the way... eventually. :thumbup:

gil 03-21-2012 10:12 PM

Interesting note on the neutral switch, i have never heard of that before. Are you sure it's not the kill switch that is on every scooter.


Gil

mechman600 03-21-2012 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gil (Post 294908)
Interesting note on the neutral switch, i have never heard of that before. Are you sure it's not the kill switch that is on every scooter.

Most (if not all) scooters have this safety feature. One brake needs to be applied before the starter will crank.

I had an older BW50 (almost the same as a Zuma 50). It was a 2-stroke and would do 42 mph stock. With higher primary gearing and 70cc big bore kit, it would do over 55 flat out. And over 60 when kneeling on the floor boards. It was surprisingly stable at that speed. And my fuel mileage increased substantially after the mods.

Kincurd 03-22-2012 12:10 AM

That's good that it's a standard feature.

In any case, when I found out how that switch works tonight, I was very happy.

I read that this model might have a rev limiter and that I can go down a hill and try and exceed 61mph to see if I can. If there's no rev limiter, it'll exceed 61mph fine.

Also, this one I bought already had the faulty '09 fuel pump fixed. Apparently, some of them had problems (like mine, before it was fixed by Yamaha).

3/22
Updated again. So it's not a true neutral, unfortunately. At lower speeds, coming to a stop, I can definitely feel the rolling resistance of the tranny. However, it's still useful for rolling up to a redlight and having it kill the engine as you come to a stop. I used that a couple times this morning.

So ultimately, I would like to switch it to a standard tranny, if possible. I'm sure there is a plethora of support for doing that, like with anything concerning the Zuma.

Also, although I've been killing the engine at long red-lights, I leave the key alone and so the headlight/taillights remain on. This might come back to bite me with the battery. Hopefully not.

bschloop 03-23-2012 06:37 AM

Is your Zuma considered a Motorcycle for registration, and insurance purposes? and does it keep up on the highway, and at what speeds?

Kincurd 03-23-2012 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bschloop (Post 295246)
Is your Zuma considered a Motorcycle for registration, and insurance purposes? and does it keep up on the highway, and at what speeds?

Yes it is. I had to register it Monday. Insurance for me cost about $100 per year, and Colorado kind of gouges me on registration. On the plus side, I got to lower the rate on my car's insurance, because I now get to honestly report significantly less miles-per-year on the car. So if you actually use the scooter a ton, it pays for itself easily (I didn't factor in the insurance savings when calculating the 2-yr deal).

Technically, I'm allowed to ride it on highways. There are road hog laws here that would prevent me from slowing down left lanes, where applicable. I bet I could go above 60 on a level road with maybe a slight lean forward (rider weight matters a lot, the smaller bike you get. I'm sitting at 150lbs, but I weighed 180+ a couple years ago; oh and any headwind will hurt it too).

But I'm simply not factoring in Highway speeds for my daily commute. It's hard on the bike to be at full throttle, and it's hard on gas. Plus, what little highway I have access to, has a steep incline for part of it, and I'd slow down significantly. To top it all off, there's a dam road that parallels the highway, has a 40mph speed limit, and is less congested, so I just use that.

All in all, the slower speed limit route to work costs me up to 15 minutes extra time, but can be as little as 5-10 minutes more, since the main route tends to clog up.

I am yet to find its top speed. I want to have plenty of room when I do. Maybe this weekend at night, or something. Some Zuma 125s are also equipped with a rev-limiter, that won't allow you to go above 60, even on an incline, so I plan to find out that, as well. There are ways around it if that's the case.

If you ever get a Zuma, you'll find there's a metric ton of support out there, both through other Zuma owners, and lots of aftermarket things. I probably won't delve -too- heavily into purpose built aftermarket stuff, but small things have already been suggested to me, including tweaking the gear ratio for hyper-miling (with consideration for pure hyper-miling, and a balanced MPG/Torque-focused compromise).

Ps. I don't know what MPG I'm getting yet. I've been riding it since Tuesday when I first topped it off. If I'm not mistaken, I'm doing pretty well, MPG-wise. I plan on having an open-side Dustbin style set-up for this bike and sitting lower, so MPG is only going to get better, I hope.

Update on MPG: Filled the tank and it looks like it's getting about 80.45 mpg. Not too shabby for my first tank, and still getting used to the route.

Update on Top Speed:
So my Zuma probably has a rev limiter of sorts, as most 09's apparently do. I went down a decent incline on the highway when hardly any cars were around, and the speedo capped at 59 or so. I was leaned in and everything. This isn't a set-back or anything though, as the rev-limiter is there to prevent the engine from exploding, and not necessarily about limiting speed. It just gives me more reason to install different gears down the road, for a more fuel efficient gear ratio and easy rpms in the 40s, etc. With proper aerodynamics, it shouldn't hurt me too much in headwinds or hills. Fortunately, there is a ton of support for aftermarket gear ratios and how to install them. I'm gonna need a little guidance from the Zuma experts, and 12 ton hydraulic press (it sounded expensive, but one can be had for about $100-$200.)

All in all, it's very good news, that I can tweak the CVT to my heart's content. I will probably do that rather than go the manual-swap route.

People routinely up their 125 Zumas to 155cc. I was just reading about Matsu's old Spud from the 1980s vetter challenges, and how he increased it to 185cc. I'm not sure I'll ever increase the displacement of the engine, but again, it's possible this would also help fuel efficiency and general practicality of the bike down the road.

bschloop 03-26-2012 06:24 AM

Great call on not taking the highway, I usually try to avoid them anyway. Just wondering, thanks.

Kincurd 03-26-2012 02:58 PM

Yeah, no problem.

I'd be comfortable on the highway if it could climb a slight hill at 70mph. Maybe someday, with the streamlining and changed gear ratios. We'll see. :D

Xringer 03-30-2012 08:44 PM

I kinda like the 2012 Yamaha Zuma 50F
 
A four-stroke seems like it's going to get some good MPG..
They claim it can get 132 MPG!

Since the reviews show this scooter is amazing on hills, I'm pretty sure it could
be a good way to run out to pick up a Pizza or small stuff at the local market.
(~4 miles round trip).

http://imageshand.yamahamotors.com/i...2&class=med640

2012 Yamaha Zuma 50F Home, information

If gas prices keep going up, I foresee a time when we have a situation where you can't even get gas without long lines etc..

Anybody test ride one of these yet??

Xringer 03-30-2012 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kincurd (Post 295858)
Yeah, no problem.

I'd be comfortable on the highway if it could climb a slight hill at 70mph. Maybe someday, with the streamlining and changed gear ratios. We'll see. :D


We have small hills all around us here, and low speed limits. I would love to get
a 125cc, but staying under 50cc saves a lot of headaches and expense.
Since a 50cc scooter is considered a Moped here, using it on the road
only requires buying a little license plate, and that's it.
The rules of the road for mopeds are a little strange, but seem like they might be pretty safe.

Kincurd 04-03-2012 10:54 AM

Yeah, out here, you would just need to register it I think and you can take it out on the road without any kind of plate. Any road where a bicycle is legal. Can also park it where the bikes park, unless it states otherwise.

I'm coming from riding a 500cc previously and already have my mc endorsed driver's license. For my commute, that extra bit of power suits me well for the 40mph Speed Limit spots, and crossing certain intersections.

Oh and the 50cc Zuma has been around for awhile. Hasn't changed much over the years. You'll find lots of support for it online.

Xringer 04-03-2012 11:50 AM

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this new model 50cc is the first 4-stroke.
So, there isn't going to be a ton of people riding them yet.
Plus, a lot of people aren't going to buy a 2012, if they can find a left-over or used 2-sroke.
They think a 4-stroke can't be hacked to get a lot of extra speed.
Whereas I am interested in being able to climb hills, and MPG of course.

Kinda funny, but I got interested in 50cc mopeds about 50 years ago.
Got my own in 1963. At the time, I would have loved a 250cc (like my brother had),
but in Bermuda, you had to be 21 for anything larger than 50cc.

Those black USN socks and while sneakers were cool back then.. :rolleyes:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ikes/GIsox.jpg

Kincurd 04-11-2012 02:04 PM

A lot of stock features on that scooter I'd prefer on a modern scooter. I think the closest you get are the scooters common in South and Southeast Asia.

So I've found there are fuel-tuning tools available for the EFI Zuma 125. Not sure just how useful that is to the MPG-minded, but in theory, it would allow you to tweak the fuel injection to force the bike to consume less fuel. Then again, maybe the tools only useful for adjusting the settings back to stock if they get out of whack, or adjusting them accordingly if you put on a 150cc.

I'll be looking into this more later. Definitely something to consider down the road. Along with the CVT swap and gearing/weights. A manual tranny swap is probably out of the question for me.

For now, my money has been going towards updated riding gear, as well as an aftermarket air-filter and magnetic drain-bolts. The only ecomod I really have under my belt with this bike is keeping the tires at 40psi (about the most they can hold. I tried giving them more but it settles back to 40 pretty quickly).

Still have some adjusting to do with the nut behind the handlebars as well as accurate MPG tracking. You'd be surprised how easily you can throw off your numbers when with different tank positions and pumps and a 1.6 gallon (6 liter) tank.

Xringer 04-12-2012 11:24 AM

Mpg
 
Those guys who reviewed the Zuma 50cc 4-stokers out in San Francisco had GPS units mounted on the handle bars.

I've used my GPS nav units to calibrate my SG2 in different cars.
It really helps to know if your factory odometer and MPH display is off a bit.
I've heard that some scooters readings are way off on MPH. Fast and slow.

Anyways, you might try making a test road-trip with a GPS recording your miles, starting right after you get a fill-up (on a flat surface).
And ending back at the same pump.. :D


So, now that the weather is getting a bit warmer, how much fun are you having on that new scooter?? :)

Kincurd 04-25-2012 03:21 PM

GPS is somewhere on my list. I think it'll be nice when I finally get me a smart-phone. Then I'll just dock the phone on the handlebars and use the GPS app for my speedo and such.

Adjusting the speedo is pretty straight forward on the Zuma 125, from what I gather.

Well, without GPS, still using my odometer, I just hit 100mpg this morning for my last tank. Definitely something for me to smile about, on a stock Zuma. :D Well it's mostly stock. I deleted the mirrors and added some blindspot mirrors in the handguards. Plan on adding more flat mirror surface somewhere in there as well. The mirrors are functional enough for my tastes. Check my blind spots, see nothing, look over my shoulder, good to go. I hate relying on mirrors, especially on a bike; but they're handy for checking before you look over your shoulder. See something in the mirror, don't bother looking over your shoulder; etc.

Xringer 04-25-2012 04:35 PM

I have a nice mirror on my bicycle, and I use it just like you said.
If I see anything back there, I know about what and where etc.
But if I see nothing, I still have to take that quick rubber-neck to make sure.

It's real nice for riding on narrow bike paths. It's a good heads-up when those dang
racing bikes come shooting up behind us going about 25! ;)
Many of the speed-boys yell, "On your left".. But some don't..

100 MPG sounds pretty dang good! I saw a 2-stroke 50cc Zuma in town today.
The owner says it's pretty fast and does very well on the hills.
He was a big guy and he was zipping right along, the last time I saw him..

Kincurd 04-25-2012 07:30 PM

Yeah, sounds about right. I think the shy people should at least have a bell on their bicycle (and use it).

Those helmet mirrors for bicycles are basically what I'm goin' for; if that size works for me, I'll just use the 'inspection' mirror tool, like the kind you get at the hardware store; to make something for the bike. That, and/or make my own mirrors with the cuttable-mirror sheets they sell at autoparts stores.

The 50cc just didn't factor into my considerations, when I put 30 miles on 5 days a week, just for the work commute. They'd be nifty for tiny little trips.

The 125cc Zuma is the perfect bike for my current work commute though.

And to answer your earlier question which I neglected in my last post, I have kind of taken this scooter for joy rides, of sorts, but haven't taken it offroad, yet. I'm not sure if there's any offroad places I could ride it too, whilst avoiding the highway. Haven't looked into it yet. I don't really see this scooter as much of a toy, but more of a mule.

100mpg, yeah. It brought a smile to my face to hit that magical number.

Route, weight, riding style, weather; all of them have a huge effect on MPG, moreso than it would with a car. According to all my tanks, I've got a total average of 96.4mpg right now. My first fill-up was on 3/20 though.

What seems to help, is when I really push the most miles that I can out of the tank. For one, I guess it makes it a tad lighter, but secondly, I tend to get really light on the throttle and hypermile even more than I normally would care to when I get on that orange empty square. Just a theory though.

Ps. I pump the tires up to 50psi now and they've been holding it for at least a week. I'll continue checking weekly; but it looks like I was able to break in the tires to my higher PSi needs, and it no longer deflates to 40psi. Perhaps also due to the warmer weather. Who knows!

Xringer 04-25-2012 08:32 PM

I once tried a helmet mounted mirror (it had good reviews), but found it was almost worthless, due to head motion.
For some reason (maybe my vertigo?) I couldn't get the amount of visual info, that I wanted.
Maybe if the aft field of view was larger or clearer, I would have been happy.
The other problem was, helmet mounted mirrors are easily knocked out of adjustment! :mad:
I think my wife felt I was wasting too much ride time tweaking the mirror.. :o


Our new bikes got some dirt bike style mirrors, that are larger than many,
have a good adjustment holding ability and give me a useful aft view.

Here's my wife's bike. She really likes the mirror. Way better than our old ones.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...arperimage.jpg

~~~

Zuma brags about their dirt-bike 'looks', but not very many people take them off-road.
Like a Honda CRV, they aren't really made for that.

When I was a kid riding my 50cc moped, I liked going for joy rides.
Just the wind in your face and the scenery in Bermuda made it fun..
Plus, the speed limit was 20 MPH.. So you could actually speed on a 50cc.. :)
Getting up to 45 was a blast on those roads.
After two years, it took some getting used to being back on the right side of the road.. :eek:

Anyways, getting 90 or 100 MPG during a joy ride makes in more of a joy you can afford.. :)
(At least for now)!

Kincurd 04-27-2012 02:12 PM

There's people taking Zumas (or BWS 125s) offroad in Taiwan. They tend to redo the suspension and put in a new fork with a bigger front wheel though. (Also, probably an extra center frame brace) So yeah, not much stock Zuma 125s offroad.

I was thinking more or less taking it on dirt roads, no jumping or mud; if at all.

Good MPG is part of the fun. As Matsu said: Enjoy ride to try get low mileage result. Try many ways, but with fun!!

Going to do to some more tinkering. Lighter low-profile aluminum handlebars should be going on this weekend. I want to anodize them first, if I can manage it. I'm just using some aluminum tubing with 10-11-gauge wall thickness. It's pretty hefty but a 24" straight bar of it only weighs 300grams.

It's all baby steps at this point, but when I'm through with this bike, it'll be awesome. Lots more work will get done in the winter time.

Xringer 04-27-2012 03:03 PM

Unless that aluminum was a real good alloy, I would stick to the stock steel.

One day I while riding a nice smooth dirt trail down in Mexico, I looked back and the
wind took my sunglasses off..
While I was stopped to get my glasses, my buddies kept going..
I knew they were heading for another main road, but I didn't know the way.
There were way too many intersecting trails. I needed to spot those guys,
before I became extremely lost in an unfriendly area.

I was speeding to catch up. I was looking in the distance, but couldn't see them.
Suddenly, my Honda 90 hit a deep rut. It jarred the heck out of me.
I bounced a bit and my feet left the foot pegs.
In the next second, I realized that I was going right into a dry creek bed.
I think the vertical drop was about 2 feet. Without my feet on the pegs, it felt a lot like 4 feet!
When the bike hit the gravel, all my weight was on the handlebars.
The bolts holding the handlebars, weren't tight enough to keep the bars
from rotating downwards about 70 degrees.
Meaning that I couldn't do anything but brake and wait to slam into the
other side of the river bank.
It took me 20 minutes of grunting to pull those handlebars back up.
If they had been even slightly weak, I would have broke them during my crash landing..

I did have a chance to ride a big dragster once. Didn't do too well. 1/4 mile in 17 something.
But I clearly remember the miniature handle bars. It was a short aluminum tube, (thin walled)
and was so short, you would never think of using it on a highway.

Why did I get asked to drive a dragster? I had been sick that year and weighted only about 120 pounds.. :o

Kincurd 04-28-2012 01:27 AM

Oh man, that sounds horrible. I've heard of people dying from a slipped handlebar at the wrong time. But it's good you brought it up. I shouldn't just spew tidbits about using aluminum tubing as handle-bars, without explaining how I aim to do it right, afterall. I wouldn't want copycats to get hurt.

Bars-slipping: reminds me of the problems those ape-bars have. With all that leverage, users have a hell of a time keeping them tight. One trick that seemed prevalent in my searches, is using emery cloth to keep them from slipping. I never planned on using ape bars, but I figured, if I duplicate methods used to keep those gargantuan levers from leveraging out of place, I'll be set.

What I'll be using is seamless/drawn 6061 Aluminum. 6061 is the same grade alloy Easton uses for some of their lightweight bicycle handlebars; incidentally, motorcyclists have been known to use their bars in the past. It's between 10 and 11 gauge (1/8" wall thickness.); on top of that, it's flat/broomstick; so there won't be any slippy leverage.

I'll be knurling it and using the tried and true double emery cloth trick they use on ape bars, and stainless steel bolts that I can tighten like my life depended on it.

Going to keep them as short as possible, end-to-end. I'm starting with a 26" (requires some turn signal moving or aftermarket signals) bar, which I've confirmed with a loose fit, is long enough. Any length I can trim, I will; as long as I still have it symmetrical on both sides, while also keeping the full turning radius. I'm also using a 30mm riser for it (a broomstick needs at least some extra clearance for this bike; consensus in the Zuma world is a 1" riser does the trick).

A bit of silicone caulk for the grips will act as grease to slip them on, and then cure into glue to help keep them on. Truth be told, I already did a dry-run with one of the grips on the aluminum bar; taking it off took some real effort. The silicone isn't there so much to keep grips on, but weather-seal it and keep them from slipping if the bar gets wet.

All in all, I think this is calculated to be safe and is a baby-step towards more serious eco-modding in the future.

I also plan on moving things around and sitting lower and more comfortably, but that mod's probably going to wait until winter.

Parts list summary:

7/8" outside diameter, .125" thickness - 6061 Seamless/Drawn Aluminum Tubing
Emery cloth
Silicone Caulk
Tusk Handlebar Riser Kit 7/8" Bars 30mm

I think that covers everything.

Xringer 04-28-2012 10:25 AM

I've had loose grips a few times on bikes. No fun when they slide off!

The stock grips on my new bike have a manufacturing defect,
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...LandRgrips.jpg
so I'm getting some bolt-on grips!

ERGON GP1-S Mountain Bike Bicycle Handlebar Grips NEW | eBay

I didn't like the way the stock grips slowly rotated during a ride..
Doesn't instill confidence.

The liner inside my old Bell brain bucket had gone bad.
Instead of buying the $15 replacement liner kit (foam with velcro on one side),
I blew $22.99 on a new helmet.. :) Like the fit better too.

Bern Macon Summer EPS Helmet (Ebay)..
http://shop.wl33.com/wp-content/uplo...atte-white.jpg

Now, I'm ready for the summer!! :)

Xringer 04-28-2012 02:23 PM

Don't know if these grips would be good on a motorbike, but they sure are nice on my bicycle.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...s/gripping.jpg

Before I started installing these, I found my shifter and brakes were too close to my hands..
I had left them in the 'factory' installed positions.
Now, I've moved them in towards the middle a bit and they are much easier to grab.. :)

Varn 04-30-2012 09:43 AM

Here was my zuma
http://www.veloliner.com/zuma50/ufos.JPG

I am not a scooter rider so my wife took it over and returned the bodywork to stock. She did rebuild the 50 with a 70 kit

http://www.veloliner.com/zuma50/zooma70.JPG

Xringer 04-30-2012 10:02 AM

When you had that big aero-nose on it, what was the change in MPG?
That thing looks like it would be funky in a crosswind..

Varn 04-30-2012 10:55 AM

I never measured the mpg with it. If you look at the photo you can see the aero seat I had on it. One of the reasons that the seat is so high is the large bucket under it. If you take off the body work you can mount a seat several inches lower. In my case the stock handlebars were at shoulder height.

I originally had planned to make a coroplast body behind the nose.

Xringer 04-30-2012 11:06 AM

"handlebars were at shoulder height".. Which makes me wonder how you could see the roadway?
To avoid things like potholes..

Kincurd 04-30-2012 11:29 AM

I think handlebar grips are still pretty universal Xringer. They're all meant to go on 7/8" grip areas; except on a motorcycle on the right-hand side, it has to fit over a slightly bigger circumference for the throttle. My only problem with those bolt-ons you got would be the throttle; might be weird to use even if I made it work. They make some some kind of after market quarter-turn throttle I could use, though; so I don't have to turn it quite as much.

I like where you were going with that Zuma, Varn. Looks like you never got to finish it before passing it on.

I plan to sit lower in my bike when the time comes. I was thinking I'd have to move the gas tank to sit as low as I would like. If I can at least sit a bit lower by removing the panels as you said, that's better than nothing.

Well my new handle-bar install went well. I did a lot more work than I had to over the weekend. Ended up taking off the front panel and headlights and putting it all back together. After that, I installed the 26" broomstick. Had to mount the turn-signal lights on top of the handguard bracket to make room. I bought longer bolts this morning on the way to work (stainless steel allen butten head) so I can put the handguards back on along with the new turn signal mount.

Plan to get some signals that look better in the future.


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