new scoot

[Rosso Mandello]

This is my first experience with a scooter (they are not very popular yet here in North Texas). My '02 Zuma started out life as a pit bike of a friend of mine at the motorcycle races. I fell in love with the little bug eyed ******* so when the oppertunity came to trade an old mc trailer I was not using anymore for it, I did not hesitate. While it has only 350 miles on it, they have been HARD miles. Carting gear and bikers around, most of the time at full throttle, the poor little Zuma was certainly not broken in properly. It still seems to run strong for a stock 50cc. It tops out at about an indicated 40-42mph, and does some wicked burnouts if I lift the rear a little with my calves!!

Now you have the history so here are my questions...

It seems to me that it smokes more than it should. The tip of the pipe gets wet with oil. Not just black or sooty, but dripping wet. Is is normal to blow out this much oil, or is this possibly due to the hard running with no break in to speak of? Is there some way to adjust the oil injection pump or should I just deal with the smoke? I suppose too much oil is better than not enough... I have been using bel-ray si-7 synthetic, wich claims to "virtually eleminate exhaust smoke".

Any insight will be appriciated!

[King Vino]

Never seen dripping wet oil, but tu-stroke motor smoke extremely heavily, especially if you're use to four stroke motors. My Vino has some oil on the end but nowhere near dripping, maybe the Zuma guys know something, I don't do shop talk these days. Post traumatic Yamaha Mechanic Disorder!

[marylandmark]

440 miles on my 04 Zuma that has been rode pretty hard.

I have not really broke her in but not dogging the crap out of it like it is a pit bikes either. I have raced and been at tracks and they take a constant beating...

I have never seen dripping oil and she smokes when started or sitting idle for a bit just like any other 2 stroke.

Will keep an eye on mine-- haven't paid much attention to it. When I pull in the garage I put on a board so the stand doesn't scratch my garage floor and haven't seen any oil as of yet.

[XPS1210]

mine dripped oil when I shut it off and parked it in the garage, but litterally 1 or 2 drops...

Not a bunch.

The smoke... sounds like there might be to much oil getting to the thing... Or... god forbid, you have a liquid in the exhaust pipe...?

[Rosso Mandello]

I think there may be too much oil getting into it. I have some friends with Aprilia RS 250 race bikes, and none of them smoke nearly as much as my Zuma. When I take out the plug, it is dripping wet with oil. That can't be good can it? Is there any way to adjust the oil injection, or should I just clean the plug and live with it? I certainly do not want to starve it of oil...

[XPS1210]

it sounds like you need to play with your fuel mixute screw a little... I'm really suprized it's running if the plug's that wet...

Mine eats plugs when they are wet... They won't start after a few minutes of running.

[King Vino]

can't speak for the wet tail, but most larger bike owners and four stroke owners come in to shop all the time freaking out with their Zumas and Vinos because in comparison the amount of smoking coming out a 50cc bike scares them pretty bad. If it's over 60 degrees outside and you have that heavy white smoke for more than 15 minutes after starting then there could be an issue but even with the motor warmed up there will always be a good amount of it present when riding.

[Rosso Mandello]

Good news! I seem to have corrected the problem. I cleaned the plug and the pipe, and all seems normal now. Some unburned oil had collected in the pipe, and it would spray a little out when I rolled on the throttle. Once it got up to temperature, the oil would start burning off, causing exess smoke. Everything is all clean now, and the smoke is down to an acceptable level.

Could this have been caused by the abuse it suffered as a pit bike? Most of the running was without any warm up at all, and it was constantly full throttle and overloaded... Could this make excessive oil collect in the pipe?

Thanks!

[Zuma_Man]

LOL, you guys wanna talk about smoke? try driving my I-4 '92 mitsubishi mirage with 143,000 miles on it, LOL embarrassing, i'm always like LIGHT TURN GREEN! cause the smoke gets so bad I'm afraid I'll kill the other drivers around me, or a cop will pull me over, and nothing like waiting in a drive-thru at the window, hoping to G-D that they will give you your food already!