mik0

I've changed my exhaust with a QD ExBox, a ducc ee servo eliminator and a Bazzaz zfi to handle the new tune.

I originally opted for a Power Commander V for a 796 (Paid $450. For sale if anyones interested. $350+postage from Saigon Vietnam) but went instead with a Bazzaz zfi unit.

Since installing the new exhaust (even before tuning) and on the ride over to the workshop, I had noticed it has gotten a lot smoother now. (2270kms old) I guess it's due to getting rid of the exhaust valve and servo.

Run up on the dyno and got 76.93hp@rear wheel (with 6 week old fuel in the tank), up from 72.67 hp stock. My TQ curve is now very flat compared to stock.

There was a 795 with Termis, Bazzaz zfi (unsure if it had the A&N airfilter and Ducati retuned ecu) that was tuned, It cranked out 73.68hp. Not much more than stock.

Now its very responsive, The bogging down at lower rpm's isn't so noticeable though I usually leave it in 1-2nd gear when riding in the city (20-40kph)

Not too worried about getting it up into 6th gear, I just select the gear best suited for maintaining the RPM's the engine likes, It is a Ducati after all, Not a I4 Jap engine.

This new exhaust isn't for everyone. It is loud, almost to the point where its rude . There is no popping, no backfires of flames, just a rumble.

I've just put the DB Killer in tonight (round stainless disc to block off the lower exit hole on the exhaust) but with the kids upstairs sleeping I wasn't going to start it. I'll see how different it sounds in the morning.

When riding around I get a resonance in my helmet, but after a 40min ride there is no buzzing in my ears so I guess its just the frequency, not the volume.

I get a lot of people moving over for me and heads turning to look. Now there is nothing between the rear tyre hugger and under the seat, I need to do something about the rear indicators, They are sticking out like Prince Charles wingnut ears or kangaroo/dogs balls. Thinking along the lines of a combi brake light but still prefer dedicated indicators.

mik0, how is the back seat comfortable for the passenger?

have you tried with passenger?

My wife is shitscared of anything bigger than a 150cc, She's only been on it around the block, She found it ok I guess though the passenger do have a tendency to push up against the riders back and I end up sliding into the tank and crushing my balls. The seat has a slight curve to it but you can get other seats that can help stop you sliding. I put some Stomp Grip on the fuel tank sides so my knees have something to grip, This is a must have item I believe.

A few guys have been on tours with their miss's and they haven't had any complaints.

try doing a long press on the power button, then select Data Network Mode and make sure its off. This way it will only work as a telephone, no emails, internet etc.

I also had the same problem with my SGS2 constantly being online and using up my credits.

You can use additional bands if they are not enabled by entering *#2263# in the keypad.<br />Use the left button to bring up the menu to go back/end/key input/select/help.<br />

Do you mean you can change from 850mhz 3g band to 900mhz 3g band by doing this?

Would be great if you could change between these bands doing that or switching roms

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4472206

Just being able to select different bands in a UI doesn't necessarily mean you can use them. Someone needs to try both an AIS 3G SIM and a Truemove 3G SIM in an SGS2 to see if both work. I suspect that without flashing a new modem software package, the 9100T will work on Truemove (850 Mhz) and the 9100 will work on AIS (900 Mhz). And I'm not sure a new modem software package can re-program the baseband IC.

You can deselect every band and test them out 1 at a time.

If you don't get reception you can search for another network and see if it picks up any other carriers.

The software for the modem/phone can be updated via Odin. I've got a UK modem version running on mine (Bought in Oz, using it in Vietnam and Oz )

I've had my SGS2 for around 2weeks now.

I had bought the SGS the month previously when I was in transit in Changi on my way to Brisbane. The S2 is slimmer, lighter and blisteringly fast compared to my wifes "new" galaxy S.

I've put the updated gingerbread 2.3.4 on both, though the GS does have better battery life I'm still needing to charge the phones every night or 1.5 days if I'm playing with it (games, emails etc) otherwise its good for a couple days.

Running Darky's Rom, on both.

Downloaded a heap of apps using torrents.

You can use additional bands if they are not enabled by entering *#2263# in the keypad.

Use the left button to bring up the menu to go back/end/key input/select/help.

Didn't know you were passing through VN, Should have stopped by and said Hi

Seen a nuovo with what I was told was a 19x kit.. It really flew but not what I would call stable.

Now a 200cc PCX would appeal !!

Most of the scoots need steering dampeners to try and keep them from wobbling too much. The larger SHi / PSi, Epicuro, etc types are heavy enough to be stable at speed.

I bought the miss's a new Yammy Luvias (Mio MX? in TLD?)

125cc, 4 valve head, new engine design, cylinder, eft etc.

Its got great zip even 2 up (140kgs)

I'll be looking for cyl upgrade in the near future.

My mech who plays with my Honda had upgraded a lot of MIO's to over 200cc, Some are close to 300cc. (illegal street drag bikes racing for $)

The amount of modifications avl for MIO's are amazing compared to Hondas.

Bus's, trucks, cars and some bikes have loud horns installed on them here in Saigon and all around Vietnam, Now it may be amusing to watch people getting scared by a very loud horn, just think about it if you are riding next to a vehicle and they hit their horn.

Recently there was a case of a mother who had stopped along the side of the street loosing control of her bike and her baby getting run over the truck after it blasted its horn behind her. Sadly the baby died.

I've been alongside a bus when the driver has blasted its horn, It was so loud I had a vibration inside my ear that upset my balance. This was with me wearing a fullface helmet so you can imagine the others out there wearing their little skull cap "helmets"

I felt like climbing into the bus and dragging the driver outside, putting his head next to the horn and giving it a blast and see how he likes it

No doubt that those here on TV who have loud horns use them in the way they were intended, not continuously blasting the horn in gridlock.

To the OP, That's quite rude of the 2 riders (regardless of the bikes they ride), First one being a dick and deliberately cutting you off and the second trying to intimidate you.

You should come ride in Vietnam, that crap happens every 10 seconds, just without the intimidation.

I was wondering how long until the Southpark Biker episode would make a appearance

http://www.thanhniennews.com/2010/Pages/20100926124900.aspx

Vietnams broke/bankrupt shipbuilder now making and selling Vespa LX lookalike scooters

Supposedly with Honda engine.

Vespa LX150

- Starting is hard unless you give it a little gas

This I have been told via Vespa forums this is to do with the jet in the carb.

Different country (usa/eu/Asia) have different jet sizes. I too give it a couple twists before and during starting.

Hmmm carburettor jets can be a serious difficult thing to fix on a Vespa LX150, especially because the in Thailand available Vespa LX150 doesn't have a carburettor.

:D

Italian made have carb as in the case of the little lady's.

I've got a Vespa/Piaggo shop about 50m from my house, I hate dealing with them as everything is too difficult and too much trouble. Though there always seem to be a lot of new (vn made) vespas getting repaired compared to older ones. Hope the trend doesn't continue elsewhere.

Vespa LX150

- Starting is hard unless you give it a little gas

This I have been told via Vespa forums this is to do with the jet in the carb.

Different country (usa/eu/Asia) have different jet sizes. I too give it a couple twists before and during starting.

underseat storage big enough for a full face helmet,

That lifts out for easy access to the engine.

Steel cage sounds interesting, is that a 3rd party item or an official Vespa accessory, do you have a picture?

Its sold at Vespa dealerships here in VN. Wifes one is stainless. these do come in handy however the bike still gets dinged up.

Heres a link to the pic. They call these "Crash Bars"

http://scootrs.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=1744

2 things I find strange and both are on the instrument cluster.

The digital clock is battery operated. From a small watch battery in the back of the instrument cluster. Replacing it is not that difficult if you know how to use a screwdriver.

The speedo needle rest on my wifes LX150 (Italian made, Not sure on the VN made ones) is located on the 10kph marking. Funny that your not moving yet the speedo is sitting on 10kph....

These are not a very "quick" accelerating bike well not compared to my PS150i

Changing out the CDI box with one that doesn't flatten out until higher up in the rpm range (something like a racing one) will give you a higher rev limit and higher top speed.

I've zipped upto 100kph no problems with my PS150i, Same engine, electrics, mechanical parts and suspension bar body and wheel/rim diameters of the SH150i...only to have my wife zoom past on her (italian made) Vespa LX150, A bit more throttle and I passed her, Didn't look at the speed as my eyes were watering too much.

What's the insurance situation like mik0?

Regarding bikes/scooters or cars?

Cant comment regarding cars as I haven't bothered to drive one here, there are insurance companies here that I've heard about from other expats. Not sure of the policies or prices etc. Its hard to drive here due to the number of bikes and the street layout.

If you do get a car you are best getting a driver with it, saves you pulling your hair out and your nerves. You can get a lot of paperwork/phone calls done while sitting in a car here.

Regards to bikes usually who has the more expensive pays. However most accidents are a bump or jam on the front brakes and loose the front end and fall off, both parties just nod/smile/sorry and be on their way, others want to get compensated there and then for damage to their plastics, indicators etc. Usually costs around 50k-200k ( 80bt - 320bt)

is there a handbrake lever attached to the rear brake lever?

There is one on my bike. To activate you need to old the rear brake on then pull the lever, the brake lever will remain in a squeezed position. to remove the handbrake simply squeeze the rear brake lever and the handbrake lever will flick itself off.

What brake/s locked on? front/rear/both?

International Drivers Licences are NOT recognised in Vietnam.

Just to let you know.

Only Vietnamese Lic are recognised.

For bikes upto 50cc no lic is required.

50 - 175cc you will need a A1 class bike lic.

175cc+ you need to be a government worker, military, forestry, police worker. Basically almost impossible for a foreigner to be able to ride a "big bike" This is the A2 class

Cars 9 seater or max 3500kg B1 class.

This is my next upgrade

http://www.malossistore.be/Prodotto.aspx?type=M&MM=MO/HOPS150&C=3111588

180cc cyl upgrade.

There are plenty of cyl kits for the GY6 however the Hondas are liquid cooled, most of the big bore cyl kits (upto 200cc) are for air cooled, same with the 4 valve heads, these I have been told by my bike shop owner are not suitable.

The PCX has low friction coating on the bores and/or piston. If you change out the cyl and piston then you will loose the low friction coating (not sure if you will be able to tell the difference since its only 1 piston/cyl)

Here is the listed parts for the PCX

http://www.malossistore.be/famiglia2.aspx?MM=MO/HOPC125

As there is no sign of a cyl kit upgrade so I'm hesitant to say that the PS/SH/Dylan/@ GY6 150cc cyl will fit.

Has anyone changed the CDI out with a aftermarket module?

The factory CDI may have a built in revlimit / revcut. Aftermarket "racing' CDI's can raise your revlimit and you gain more top end kph

The lighter the roller/slider weights the faster your initial off the line acceleration at the cost of top speed. Finding a balance is the key.

I've got a PS150i Honda with the GY6 engine ( Same same as the PCX but different)

Bike/Scooter made by Honda Italy.

I've changed the variator, semi race clutch, clutch bell/drum, 9.5gr rollers, torque spring. This was a "kit" from Malossi. Also changed the belt to a Kevlar belt for peace of mind.

It all needed to be replaced as the clutch was worn down and glazed over, clutch bell was blued from the heat and variator was slightly warped.

Cost for this was US$650. Installed in 40min's.

Later I changed the std exhaust for a Carbon Fibre Yoshimura system.

This is the best bang for buck mod. Change out the exhaust. Gave more power than the transmission "supporting" mods. This cost me US$400. Had to get the shop to make up a custom silencer as its a racing muffler. The supplied silencer is still too loud.

The current setup is great for getting off the line. 0 - 60kph its a rocket, 40 - 60 its very quick to overtake cars,bikes.

I don't go more than 60kph due to the road conditions and other "idiots" who think they own the road but it gets up to 100kph no problems with a 100kg rider. Airblades, waves, SH150i,125cc PCX, 135 Hyate's, RGV's and Nuovo's get blown away, will be quicker if there was a lighter rider too.

Total US$1050 transmission and muffler supplied and fitted.

Not sure what a R-Box is (Variator as this holds the rollers?)

Putting in lighter rollers or sliders will give you off the line accel but low top speed, Heavier rollers will give you slow off the line accel but you gain possible mid - top end speed and accel (depending on how heavy)

You can also put stronger clutch springs so you need higher RPM before the clutch "bites"

As for changing the default Honda settings what do you mean by that?

You want more torque and top speed, thats going to change Hondas "default settings"

When the clutch bites/friction point, cruising rpm, that will change with changing the rollers.

As my bike is now the cruising rpm is slightly higher, fuel economy is still roughly the same but out on the highway its far nicer and responsive to ride, not to mention the burbles and pops as you come off the throttle

miko;

A bit of advice.....try putting Vaseline (or the local equivalent) in the bulb sockets. It's hydrophobic and won't short everything out too boot. Basically just stuff the socket 1/2-2/3 full of the goop and screw the bulb in.

Cheers for the tip, I'll put some in next time I have to open the covers up. I suppose you can use it for wiring plugs too?

Here in Vietnam the locally made Vespas have a bad reputation. Well anything made locally ends up with a bad rep. Even the Airblades made in TLD are more desirable and expensive than the locally made ones.

My wife has a LX150. This is a couple yrs old. Last of the made in Italy ones.

We've had this for over 2yrs now.

These (even second hand) sometimes sell for more than the VN made ones. These are more "fashionable" than the locally made.

My wife's friends have had some problems mechanically with the new Vespas. The engine's sound like they are going to fall appart, some clutch issues.

Having said that the Italian made one is not without fault.

There is always water getting into the rear transaxle possibly via the dipstick. I've tried replacing the O ring, teflon tape on the threads. The Piaggo mechanics tell me that its normal. To me that's not normal. I tell the wife to stop riding in puddles.

Some Vespas have a hard time starting, this is due to the smaller jet in the carby. Changing this out with a larger jet solves this problem.

When starting it makes a horrible metallic grinding/clashing sound...Thats normal...its a Vespa

The rear wheel gets a wobble from the axel and needs to be repaired.

The kick start is next to useless, unless the bike is warmed up, then it will start, apart from that it gives my wife and anyone else around great amusement.

They don't have what the newer honda's have regarding the dual braking. If you hit the rear brakes on a new honda both front and real brakes will come on. Vespa's have one lever per brake.

Opening up the instrument cluster is quite easy, except for the screw under the headlight. If you drop that inbetween the front panels then you have to remove the glovebox panel, the foot rest platform in order to get to the lost screw.

Some corrosion will present itself on the microswitch's for the brake lights. I've had to remove them a few times, clean the green crap off and shine it up, then screw the plug back in to get the brake light working. Seems mostly on the right hand side.

They are a steel bodied bike so they are quite a heavy bike. 100+kg's.

Great to change directions on, stable at slow (10-20kph) speeds and depending on the weight of the rider 100kph+ top speed.

Large cargo hold under the seat. You can get easy access to the engine by simply removing the storage container.

Bigger area around your feet, there is also a retractable plastic hook at the front of the seat for holding bags, helmets etc.

I have a english bulldog who loves going for rides with me, My honda PS150i is too narrow for his shoulders.

Removing the sparkplug is a right PITA, you need a sparkplug socket and ratchet.

They don't like getting wet too much, wifes one's been stalled on the side of the road several times after a monsoon downpour and riding along flooded streets.

Modification wise you can get bigger jets for the carb, change the roller weights, clutch's and bells are all avalible.

Get the steel "cage" to protect your Vespa is you do get one, Well worth it with the idiots who crash into you (Well here its money well spent) also gives you a place to tie your dog's leash onto when your taking it out for a ride.

All in all its a great little run around. Wife's been to Vung Tau and back to Saigon a couple times with no problems appart from the 3 punctures in 15min's of leaving Saigon.

Good fuel economy, lack of a trip meter can be overlooked along with the clock that runs of a battery that needs replacing every couple yrs.

The best in my opinion, and I have tried them all, is the Saigon Indian Street on 73 Mac Thi Buoi Street (between Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue in District 1). It is on the first floor and a little difficult to find. If you come from Dong Khoi, it is ca. 20 meters down the road on your left.

I use the money changer opposite that (the one with the nice rolex's and Panerais) Better rates than banks and gold shops (imo)

I always seen the Indian shop and wondered what its like.

I'll have to drop in and have a feed next time.