My Zuma sucks............please help.

[m3ster]

Last week my Zuma was running perfectly. It accelerated into the powerband quickly, the clutch was engaging perfectly, the carb was tuned just right, everything seemed to be running perfect until...........................I was coming home from work last Thursday.

Here is the problem.

I had driven about 3 miles and I had 1 mile to go. At this point my acceleration seemed to quickly decrease. I could still accelerate into the powerband quickly, but one I got there my rpms would drop and I would accelerate super slow.

This is what I have done to remedy the problem.

I thought possibly the belt was slipping, so I called Erich and went and bought a kevlar belt. Well, no dice. I then thought that maybe it as the rollers. Erich and I had just put in some 6.5 g rollers that worked perfectly, and I wasn't sure why the roller would fail so quickly, but I was desperate. I put in the black rollers with the silver weights that came with the variator. At first they seemed to do the trick. My acceleration was very slow until I got into the powerband and then my scooter took off. After about 5 miles these rollers were doing the same thing as the previous rollers. I then had a hypothesis. When the scooter is cold I can accelerate just fine. Once the scooter has warmed up is when I get my acceleration problems. I tried my hypothesis and found it to be true.

I then decided to try the lightest rollers I had. When I boght my stage 2 kit I bought the really liight rollers that are colored orange. When I first installed my stage 2 they did not work too well, but I decided to give them a shot again. I put them in and they seemed to work very well......while the scooter was cold. Once the scooter warmed up they sucked.

I ended up mixing the orange and the silver rollers. The acceleration is really slow unil the powerband, and then it picks up a little. But the scooter never stays in the power band for more than a second, it just drops back down. I can still get up to ~45 mph, but is take FOREVER to get there.

Is my variator getting too hot? Is my variator a lemon? Please help.

[King Vino]

To me that sounds like one of two things, either there is an issue with the auto-choke, or your jet setting. When you went from Stage I to II did you upjet? Seeing how you said it is fine when the engine is cold it sounds like it is getting more gas, but as the engine warmed up the choke would stop down and let less gas in, so that's why I'm thinking it could be the choke or jet. Just a thought along different lines.

[XPS1210]

Is there any way to make the arreche carb work as a manual choke? instead of the auto choke as it is? I hate the auto choke...

Also I am upsizing my jet... It's got the 95 in it now and is running lean as hell from anything above idle...trying a 100 and a 105 to see if it works better...

3 weeks till they arrive and by then I can't legally ride on base anymore... So it might be till may when I can test the new jets...

Unless someone has a 100 and a 105 sitting around they can 1st class to me as soon as possible....

[King Vino]

A 105 on a Zuma!!! Damn! I've seen 105's on like Vespa PX's and Li 125's!!! Why can't you ride on post anymore?

[XPS1210]

the base closes riding on base on 1 september because people here aren't smart enough to stop riding when we start getting ice on the road... on rare occasion they can extend the no riding date if it's looking to be no freezing for a while...

the jet... i can't make it not grey... so it's got to be the jet... i had 95 in it... so i figured i'd get the next two higher and see what happened

[Lennox]

Jered, are you soley relying on plug chops to determin that you are lean?? Please try a tach!

[m3ster]

King Vino,

Interesting theory on the jet, I'll have to look into that. But, if it was the jet wouldn't I have been having problems all along?

M3ster

[Lennox]

choke.............try this.

do you have an open air filter? if so restrict it a little bit at a time and ride. does it improve??? if so you are not getting enough gas. This will confirm/deny choke/jet issue!



Masking tape around filter will restrict it ;)

[XPS1210]

I will try that but...

I'm sure that will show what I already know... More fuel is required...

Will advise when I get my main jets in... As I have no jet to install at all and am dead in the water!

Once again if anyone has a 100 or a 105 jet that they can spare... Please let me know... I'll paypal money to you for it... However I do have some on order but they will not be to me for at least 3 weeks...

[King Vino]

The jet could be, I don't have much time with stage III. The one thing I've learned from the year here is that almost every problem I've seen is always revolving around the same five or six things. jets, washers, choke, belt....

King Vino,

Interesting theory on the jet, I'll have to look into that. But, if it was the jet wouldn't I have been having problems all along?

M3ster

[Davey-boi]

Where did you get urs? Provo stopped sellin em.

[Lennox]

I got mine at Riva through my parts buddy. around 43-45 bucks. Check around, if you can't find for that price, I may be able to get that price for everyone+shipping from Florida.

[motosliders]

I'm assuming a 2C is what I need? (Vento 50)

[m3ster]

Well, I think Erich figured it out for me. But, of course the day that I am supposed to meet with Erich the scooter does a lot better.

Anyway, he thinks the the problem is with the variator. There is a insert in the middle of the variator that is pressed in and not supposed to come loose. Mine came loose. He says that my variator will be replaced under warranty, but he won't have any variators in until Thursday. Hopefully that is the problem becuase I am getting quite sick of my scooter. I told my wife the other day that the next bike we get will have a manual transmission.

[King Vino]

That's plausible. Scooters are fickle like that.

[XPS1210]

I just got off the phone with moped hospital... Now My scooter is dead in the water... FREAKING MAIN JET!

Anyway, We talked for about 30 minutes and even though the zuma is not an over popular scooter there... He had some tips to try out and see if it helps out...

I have some roller I ordered when I bought my stage 2 kit... They are the orange/yellow ones which I believe are 4 gram... He said most of the scooters that they tune run a good 6 grams... The significance of this is the 2 gram difference could be keeping the belt from rising high enough on the variator...

Now My scooter is dead for now... So I can't test the theory as of now... So if one of you Mark? Might want to try changing the weights... He said to try running the 2 piece weights that came with the kit (which are supposed to be used for a tuning aid only, not as permenant weights... They wear fast!) and use 3 silver and 3 black weights (alternate the weights everyother one) This will be almot 6 grams... As you could imagine it will loose a little take off but should gain some top end...

He also said they have CDI's that will work on the zuma but it disables the kill switch on the throttle grip... Good and bad... but he has some available... However he said he didn't think that the ones he has would make much of a difference for top speed... So He said he saw no reason to spend the $76.00 he sells them for... There has been one on eBay for $45.00 (which includes shipping costs)... However I can't get the guy to reply to my inquires about the CDI unit, but in the past I bought my kevlar belt from him and had no issues...

I think I'd still like to get the CDI unit when Erich (provo) gets them in (today or friday and tehn a little testing time) to upgrade that parts as well...

As well as the upgear kit when the distributer finally gets their act togeather... malossi usa is kinda getting on my nerves... You'd think they would have better customer service...

Anyone else have thoughts on how to make the top end better on the Zuma? Seams that everyone I speak to about this says the ZUMA'S just BLOW when trying to upgrade... They have the same motor and stuff but don't want to go like the vino.... SO WTF! What did Yamaha do to this model... I want to know... So all you YAMAHA EMPLOYEES! Whats the secret?

I want a FREAKING VINO! Will my performance parts from my Zuma fit the Vino? Can I swap them? and put the old stuff back on the Zuma... 42 stock or 48 after a grand... I'll make the vino do 60 or better with the same parts...

CAN YOU TELL I'm JUST RANTING AND FRUSTERATED.... :mad: :mad:

[XPS1210]

I just got off the phone with all 5 dealers in alaska and no one stocks the Vino... So it's wait till spring and get one then...

However 2 of the 5 asked why I was so intent on getting a vino if I have a zuma...

I mentioned the speed limitation and the 2 I asked and discussed with have said they run them at 50-55 mph stock...

Now either 2 different dealers (over 200 miles apart) are full of BUTT JUICE or they somehow got a better batch of scooters... I know Mark and M3ster are all in the same boat as me with not being able to hit over 48ish...

So my question is WTF... GRRRRRRRRRRrr. How do you make the Zuma faster! I should be at the 60 range with the set up I have and M3ster as well with the stage 3... But... They just don't and won't go...

I even had a guy I chatted with on eBay who sold on and with minor mods (exhaust and reed valves, and not much else) and he swore with a GPS unit it went 62.... On flat ground...

So whats the secret? How the hell do I make it go? I'm so frusterated...

[marylandmark]

I am bone stock and will try to get a GPS reading here in the next few days if the frickin rain will stop.

I am pissed- you were my only hope bro! I was thinking if you can go 60+ there is no reason at all I can't get up to the mid-50's being a little more reliable and not have the "pushing the limit" tuning problems that happen when tuning every little .842309323 HP out of some thing.

I was looking to get my Zuma done and de-tune it (like taking a 1000 HP motor and making it 800 HP with the same parts so it is more reliable)

[Davey-boi]

Most of your zuma parts should fit the vino perfectly, such as the variator kit and belt. They are practically the same bike with the same engine. You might needa mod. some stuff (like the throttle cable) in order to put it on the vino. As for putting it back to stock form, I don't see why it can't be done. You did no major fabrication or anything like that.

[King Vino]

jered, what has Erich said about your top end?

[XPS1210]

not just erich, but all the scooter places don't know why it's not running faster... however no one really has much time with the zuma cause it's apparently not as popular as other models.. and not as many people upgrading them...

everyone is working on them but no one has an answer yet... hopefully the cdi erich got in will help out some... well see... if i can get it to a solid 55-60 i'll be happy...

[King Vino]

We'd sell three Zumas to every Vino, we had so much trouble gettign rid of the Vinos. but I can't see why there were issues. I recall they didn't appear too much differant when I worked on them.

[Whitey]

well my 2004 zuma will go 42mph on flat ground(gps elev900ft)
stock if tells you guys anything?

[XPS1210]

yeah... 42 -43 is what mine did... I'm read that everywhere and rarely hear otherwise...

Then you see the exception... of 50+ stock... and 60+ with only a cylinder and an exhaust upgrade...

I think that all the others are full of dog crap....

There is no possible way that there could be a stock zuma that hits 50+ maybe 50KMH.... Not MPh....

And as for a 60+ with the little mods mentioned... Got to be KPH as well... I think they must be crazy...

There was a 15 year old on the yahoo group (for zuma's) that wears that he can cruise at 80... same story... but he didn't know about the parts on his scooter... His answer was that someone else built it and he bought it that way... But is unwilling to meet anyone to show it off...


Get where I'm going... No one can go that fast... If so, show proof... Let one one the members... see it and tell your story as well... Ya know!

[m3ster]

Tonight I got my new variator from Erich. I installed it and can tell a little difference, but I still max out around 48. Erich said the CDI should come in on Monday, so I will try to get one Monday and report to you guys what I find.

I told my wife the other day that my next bike will be a manual. I am so sick of trying to tune the variator and all that crap. I'll probably get a road bike, maybe a BMW or a Honda.

Jered, I feel your pain. But, I have decided that after I test the CDI I am just going to try and enjoy my Zuma regardless of what the CDI does. I bought it to save on gas mileage and not put so many miles on my M3. I wasn't planning on modding it, but one thing led to another. As long as my Zuma runs well, I will be content.

[XPS1210]

yeah... I think I'm gonna just live with the Zuma... I'll probably wait till august next year to buy the vino so I don't have to have the extra weight when I move from alaska next year...

I still sould like to be able to do more but as you said... If 48's it then I guess I don't have much choice...

you know...

Hope the CDI works for us... :eek:

[King Vino]

Well no matter how fast my Vino goes it will never go as fast as my SCCA Stang went, so it's all moot! Hell my Sentra can take my Vino :p

[XPS1210]

well... I can take 90% of cars off the line, the line is not about speed or anything. It's all about reaction time!

It's amaizing to look in the rear view and see a fast car back there a ways due to them not paying attention at a light!

It amuses me!

[King Vino]

Yeah but as a racer, both track and drag, it's a moot argument, I take anything :) The biggest thing I hated going from drag to street was changing out the gears. The 410:1 suck for course, but do the job pretty good on the quarter. :p

[Davey-boi]

Hey jered, my question is why are you settling to "live with your zuma" as you put it I think? Stage 3 is supposed to make your scoot hit mid fifties to 60mph. If I spent over 1g on mods, I'd want them to perform as stated! You should deffinately talk to Erich and find out why they ain't working. I doubt it's just a zuma thing, and if it is, it should be posted that the figuers are lower for the zuma models. Anyway, hope your happy in the end.

[King Vino]

Part of it is Davey, he's got a bad jet that he's waiting on. I think once he rejets he'll be in better shape. The CDI should help a bit too. I suspect that jered's problems are only temporary.

[XPS1210]

What I mean by live with it... I can get what I can get out of it...

I changed reed valves as the original ones I had were not as quality as the ones I replaced them with...I think that the old reed valves might have been a restrictor instead of helping... I did stages 1-3 at the same time, so I have no idea what running with stock reed valves were like...

I also am working going up 1 more jet size... I'm running a hair lean IMO and want to adjust that some more... In addition I have raised the weight amount in the variator and also made "tread marks" on my variator to see how high my belt is running up the variator... I'm guessing for some reason (probably the exremely light weights I was using (around 3.5G) was keeping the variator from expanding all the way like it should have)... The marks are just permenent marker drawn n 4 lines from small to large on both variator pieces... If they all wear off then it's using the whole variator face, if not then I'll address that issue as it comes...

I think a big part might be the variator not moving enough to tighten and move the belt up... We'll see...

As mentioned several times I have the upgear kit coming as well and hope it will push a few more MPH out as well as improve acceleration due to less friction than the stock gearing...

Also the CDI when I finally get one going, I will have on one that will eliminate the rev limiter... Therefore taking the 9000 RPM cap (I've also read a lower number aroudn 7000 is where the zuma runs, not 100% on the currect RPMS) but will eliminate the limiter so the engine can run to max potential with th eupgrades I have on...

So, for now I'm going to live with my scoot being as it is and try and tune the bad boy into more top end and take off as I go... Big thing is on base where I live the max speed limit is 35mph... So It's not like I have to much to worry about needing the 60mph... Thats for when I go off base with it and it's really not an issue yet... Next summer (my season ends here sometime in september, due to alaska weather) I will try and break the sound barrier! Well at least the scooter speed barrier!

I'll keep you gusy informed of what going on... :D

[Davey-boi]

Ahhhhhhhh I see. Now I think you said that your not using your zuma right now right? Cuz your jet is too small and your waiting for the bigger size to come in. Since your not using your scoot, why not enlarge the jet yourself? Just take a small drill bit to it, this is how a lotta people do it. Beats waiting weeks for a bigger jet. Well, there's an idea... hope it helps! :D

[XPS1210]

well... I broke the 95 jet when I removed it from the carb... ratchet clipped and that was history...

I also had a 65 jet, which I used the smallest drill bit I had but it was probably more than 2 times the original hole... Just gets to much gas now and boggs out when I give it gas... Idles fine and starts to rev but when it hits much more then 1/4 turn it boggs..

Should have bought a tiny tiny drill bit but my bad...