MoonKS
Member
Hi all,
I hit 500 miles on my 07 NE5 last night. I have some observations and some questions -
1. The only performance mod I have done is to widen the restrictor plate opening to just a hair under 18mm. I can do 40 on a windless day on the flat roads (all roads are flat in the part of KS I live in) - oh, I also drilled a 1/16 hole in the plastic center on the inside of the fuel cap.
2. She runs better when it is colder outside (early morn) or when she's only been running for a few miles. The hotter the engine gets the more sluggish she is from a dead stop. She really bogs down and slow from a stop - until I hit around 22 MPH at which time she seems to hit a power band and really takes off quite nicely.
3. Blue LocTite - LOCTITE...LOCTITE...LOCTITE - screws, nuts, bolts coming loose are no longer an issue - and the blue LocTite isn't hard to loosen if you need to do so.
4. Change that 40 wt. oil often during break-in. After the first 50 then every 100 miles after that - you will be amazed at how dirty the oil gets initially....
5. CLEAN OUT YOUR GAS TANK ASAP - my bike came from the dealer with about 1/4 tank of gas - so I stopped and filled up - and a few weeks later after another fill-up or two - I noticed the fuel filter was disgustingly dirty - lots of large particulate matter. I looked into the gas tank and I swear it looks like someone used it to brew ground coffee - I even found two strips white plastic floating in there about 1/4" wide by 2 inches long!
6. If you do any performance mods and get your Whizzer going faster than 30 - be ever mindful that your drum brakes, while good, aren't like disc brakes.
7. Brake cables stretch a bit when they are new - adjust your drum brake tension at the lever - nothing worse than having your brakes work only if the brake levers are squeezed all the way to the grips.
8. Replace your stock Whizzer tubes - get high quality thorn resistant tubes - and make sure you know how to change a tube/tire properly without pinching off a tube (getting a snakebite).
9. Check you fuel level often - the Whizzer gets such great mileage that I forgot the check the level once and literally ran out of gas about a block from a gas station - and pedaling a block on a 97lb. bike isn't all that fun - it could have been much worse if I were further away
10. Always remember to turn the fuel petcock to Off when you park for a while - it's gravity fed so leaving it open can flood the carb.
11. Conversely, remember you turned that blasted petcock off before you spend the next 15 minutes pedaling your butt off trying to figure out why it started fine and ran for 20 seconds and now it won't start!
12. Get a better quality spark plug. I got my NGK Iridium but I haven't installed it yet (waiting until break-in was over) - but it's going in tonight and I have heard nothing but rave reviews from the people on the forums.
13. If your local Whizzer dealer doesn't seem to care about an issue you are having with your Whizzer - call Whizzer directly (www.whizzerusa.com) - everyone there is helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and they have great customer service.
14. The Whizzer is no ordinary motor bike - in my humble opinion, you can get performance out of them (with modifications) that put them in the early motorcycle class.
15. BE ALERT - because no one else is. Never expect anyone to see you - always be prepared for a car door to open out of nowhere - always expect that little old lady to pull right out into your path - so stay alert.
16. Be prepared for a thousand questions - Every where I stop I get questions and great comments. I had an hour long conversation with an older Scottish gentleman and his wife about the Whizzer - he said he had one back in Scotland as a child - but the motor quit working so they took it off and he rode it like a bicycle everywhere. The conversation turned to old motorcycles (Vincent, Douglas, HD, Velocette and the like) and we exchanged numbers and now my wife and I have already gone out to dinner with them - Whizzers are instant friend makers!
As for questions -
1. I still have a new 26mm carb that I am thinking of putting on her - I am just new to mechanical engine work and a little intimidated. Do you think the performance increase (if done correctly) is worth the effort?
2. I want better performance from a stand still when the engine is hot - Do you think a copper head gasket will help with the heat? Should Quenton's mushroom lifters help in this area at all? Is this an easy self install? (I really wish I had an exploded view of the NE5 engine - or a set of photos. Heck, I'd even buy a bad NE5 engine setup just so I could have something to take apart and learn!
All in all I am very happy I did not go with another scooter and chose the Whizzer instead. It has been a very gratifying experience thus far. And a huge thanks to the folks here on the forum - your input has been invaluable.
Regards,
Matthew
I hit 500 miles on my 07 NE5 last night. I have some observations and some questions -
1. The only performance mod I have done is to widen the restrictor plate opening to just a hair under 18mm. I can do 40 on a windless day on the flat roads (all roads are flat in the part of KS I live in) - oh, I also drilled a 1/16 hole in the plastic center on the inside of the fuel cap.
2. She runs better when it is colder outside (early morn) or when she's only been running for a few miles. The hotter the engine gets the more sluggish she is from a dead stop. She really bogs down and slow from a stop - until I hit around 22 MPH at which time she seems to hit a power band and really takes off quite nicely.
3. Blue LocTite - LOCTITE...LOCTITE...LOCTITE - screws, nuts, bolts coming loose are no longer an issue - and the blue LocTite isn't hard to loosen if you need to do so.
4. Change that 40 wt. oil often during break-in. After the first 50 then every 100 miles after that - you will be amazed at how dirty the oil gets initially....
5. CLEAN OUT YOUR GAS TANK ASAP - my bike came from the dealer with about 1/4 tank of gas - so I stopped and filled up - and a few weeks later after another fill-up or two - I noticed the fuel filter was disgustingly dirty - lots of large particulate matter. I looked into the gas tank and I swear it looks like someone used it to brew ground coffee - I even found two strips white plastic floating in there about 1/4" wide by 2 inches long!
6. If you do any performance mods and get your Whizzer going faster than 30 - be ever mindful that your drum brakes, while good, aren't like disc brakes.
7. Brake cables stretch a bit when they are new - adjust your drum brake tension at the lever - nothing worse than having your brakes work only if the brake levers are squeezed all the way to the grips.
8. Replace your stock Whizzer tubes - get high quality thorn resistant tubes - and make sure you know how to change a tube/tire properly without pinching off a tube (getting a snakebite).
9. Check you fuel level often - the Whizzer gets such great mileage that I forgot the check the level once and literally ran out of gas about a block from a gas station - and pedaling a block on a 97lb. bike isn't all that fun - it could have been much worse if I were further away
10. Always remember to turn the fuel petcock to Off when you park for a while - it's gravity fed so leaving it open can flood the carb.
11. Conversely, remember you turned that blasted petcock off before you spend the next 15 minutes pedaling your butt off trying to figure out why it started fine and ran for 20 seconds and now it won't start!
12. Get a better quality spark plug. I got my NGK Iridium but I haven't installed it yet (waiting until break-in was over) - but it's going in tonight and I have heard nothing but rave reviews from the people on the forums.
13. If your local Whizzer dealer doesn't seem to care about an issue you are having with your Whizzer - call Whizzer directly (www.whizzerusa.com) - everyone there is helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and they have great customer service.
14. The Whizzer is no ordinary motor bike - in my humble opinion, you can get performance out of them (with modifications) that put them in the early motorcycle class.
15. BE ALERT - because no one else is. Never expect anyone to see you - always be prepared for a car door to open out of nowhere - always expect that little old lady to pull right out into your path - so stay alert.
16. Be prepared for a thousand questions - Every where I stop I get questions and great comments. I had an hour long conversation with an older Scottish gentleman and his wife about the Whizzer - he said he had one back in Scotland as a child - but the motor quit working so they took it off and he rode it like a bicycle everywhere. The conversation turned to old motorcycles (Vincent, Douglas, HD, Velocette and the like) and we exchanged numbers and now my wife and I have already gone out to dinner with them - Whizzers are instant friend makers!
As for questions -
1. I still have a new 26mm carb that I am thinking of putting on her - I am just new to mechanical engine work and a little intimidated. Do you think the performance increase (if done correctly) is worth the effort?
2. I want better performance from a stand still when the engine is hot - Do you think a copper head gasket will help with the heat? Should Quenton's mushroom lifters help in this area at all? Is this an easy self install? (I really wish I had an exploded view of the NE5 engine - or a set of photos. Heck, I'd even buy a bad NE5 engine setup just so I could have something to take apart and learn!
All in all I am very happy I did not go with another scooter and chose the Whizzer instead. It has been a very gratifying experience thus far. And a huge thanks to the folks here on the forum - your input has been invaluable.
Regards,
Matthew