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earthbound14
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
Location: seoul
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 Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 3:52 am Post subject: motorcycle riders in Korea |
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It's hard to find info about riding in Korea, just thought I'd see if anyone was interested in a web site
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/kmrkorea/
for people who ride scooters or motorcycles here. find links and info for riding in Korea |
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cangel
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: Jeonju, S. Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 4:35 am Post subject: |
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I'm sittin' at the light on my hog (100cc scooter), and I notice that if I don't have the brakes on, the front end shakes and shimmies. When the brakes are engaged, it settles down nicely. Hmm, is this a major problem? Will it be costly to repair? I am also starting to have probems with the electric start. What's the solution and is it expensive?
Live to ride. Ride to live! |
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earthbound14
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 6:36 am Post subject: |
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| cangel wrote: |
I'm sittin' at the light on my hog (100cc scooter), and I notice that if I don't have the brakes on, the front end shakes and shimmies. When the brakes are engaged, it settles down nicely. Hmm, is this a major problem? Will it be costly to repair? I am also starting to have probems with the electric start. What's the solution and is it expensive?
Live to ride. Ride to live! |
Strange, it shakes when the brake is not engaged and while sitting at a light? or is this happening when you are riding? If it shimmies while you are braking, then it could be worn forks or warped disks or drums (depending on your brakes). If it shimmies all the time it could be the bearing in the wheel or the head set, or low oil in the fork. The headset could just be loose, this might appear to settle down while braking because the bike is pushing hard against the loose head set or bearings keeping them steady.
Have the front head set tightened (on a motorcycle it's called a triple crown) - the tube that connects your forks, through the frame to the hanlde bars. If this doesn't work, it might be bearings, there are bearing in the headset (as well as races - the surface the bearing move against) and bearing in your front wheel, they are not that expensive. A mechanic should be able to diagnose this for you.
If it has a wobble during braking or feels soft and dips (sometimes followed by a clunk as your forks bottom out) when you hit a bump while riding, have the forks (suspension) looked at. I don't know much about scooter forks, but I'm geussing they are similar to motorcycle forks. The forks might be low on oil due to blown seals. Usually if oil is low the forks dip and the bike feels wobbly or soft (pretty affordable to fix), if the forks have play in them (move forward and backward during braking) the tubes might be worn (there are two tubes that slide, the out side aluminum ones and the inside crome ones- they are expensive to replace). Springs can also be replaced (more expensive).
If the bike has a noticeable shimmy only during braking but behaves great the rest of the time, warped brake disks might be the problem.
Air pressure is another thing to look at (actually the first thing) if your tires are low, the bike will be wobbly all the time.
As for the starter, could be lots of things, first check the battery, Korean batteries don't last long (but they only cost 40,000). If the battery can hold a charge (basically if you have it charged at the mechanic and it's dead the next day without ever using the starter - the battery can't hold a charge), next check the alternator (the thing that charges the battery while you are riding) to make sure it is charging the battery - if your battery has been charged - the lights work,while the engine is not running, and it manages to start up for a few rides before being drained, then it might be the alternator. If all is well then it might be the starter. Price depends on the scooter you ride, a Korean brand should be pretty cheap to fix, while an import is more expensive. You ride a scooter though, so it's ment to be cheap, unless you're some gear head who has to tweek the hell out of his 125cc scooter until it costs 12 million (saw one once....) and do 115 KM/H instead of just 105.
hope this helps. |
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cangel
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: Jeonju, S. Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 6:46 am Post subject: |
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Geez man, yeah it helps but I wasn't really expecting anyone to put so much thought into my dilemma.
Yep, when the brakes are engaged, like sitting at a red light, the front end is smooth as silk, ok not quite silk... But when I release the brakes, it vibrates quite badly. Hmm, it's a mystery.
As for the starter, the battery seems fine-always quite strong. No problems with lights, horn or whatnot. Does a scooter have an electric starter or something that throws a spark to start it?
Anyway, it kick starts well, and rides well otherwise. Love to scoot around. Although I am sure I look like a fool with my Terminator sunglasses and fake bullet hole stickers on my helmet while scooting my big, white @ss around town... Woo Hoo |
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earthbound14
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 7:01 am Post subject: |
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the vibration is a bit odd. Try a mechanic.....
and scooters usually have electric starts.
ahh those Korean bullet holes.......and no guns on the streets. |
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USANAK
Joined: 15 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 10:59 pm Post subject: Thanks for the site |
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Great idea! Site just for motorbike riders in Korea.
Thanks for posting this, just joined.
USANAK |
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SeoulFinn
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Location: 1h from Seoul
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| Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 11:22 pm Post subject: |
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| cangel wrote: |
| Yep, when the brakes are engaged, like sitting at a red light, the front end is smooth as silk, ok not quite silk... But when I release the brakes, it vibrates quite badly. Hmm, it's a mystery. |
Sounds to me that your front tire might be loose! When you brake the front brake disk stabilizes the tire and therefore ends vibration. Dude, you better check if your front tire is just about to run off by itself after the next big bump on the road!
If this isn't it, the vibration might have something to do with the increased revs of your engine while not breaking. At least my scoot loses some revs when I engage brakes => the brake light is lit. Maybe the increased revs cause more vibration than the decreased ones? |
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cangel
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: Jeonju, S. Korea
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| Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, I'll bring it in the Kim Jong Il (yep, that's his real name) and have him take a look. Man that would suck to lose the front wheel... It would be funnier than shiit to see that video on YouTube but it would suck if it happened to you... |
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cangel
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: Jeonju, S. Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:36 am Post subject: |
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| This is a serious question for a friend... He wants to know where to buy riding pants. They don't have to be leather. He mentioned something about maybe a heavy nylon. Anyone know where or if you can get this in Korea? Is there a website? Cheers |
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thekingofdisco
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:54 am Post subject: |
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| Where does he live? Seoul? If so, go to itaewon mainstreet (maxler) other side of the road from macdonalds. Then goto Twaegero, loads of bike places there. |
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cangel
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: Jeonju, S. Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:27 am Post subject: |
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| Not Seoul, Jeonju... But thanks. |
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xtchr
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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