New Member, looking for some advice!

[DannyMoped07]

I currently drive a moped, 50cc, air cooled. However the thing's from 1978 and it's falling appart on me. Not only this, but parts are near impossible to find. I decided that a Scooter would be my best bet. Faster, more reliable, and has a bit higher weight capacity.
I've been looking at the Yamaha Zuma, and the Vino... I know, the Vino looks a little classy, but the Zuma has that sporty edge to it. I've done a lot of research on this site and on other sites and I've seen all the aftermarket support, and the cult following these little scooters have come to achieve.
I just cant decide on which one to get. I'm about 200lbs, about 6ft tall... so im kinda big. I know that provoscooter.com sells the Stage II upgrade kit with the 200lb rider option, which I would more than likely get, along with the Kevlar Belt, delta cluch, and Carbon Fiber valves...
I know it's all a matter of taste, but my over all question is which do you think is better for me? The Vino or the Zuma? Thanks a lot guys!
I'll also take any advice when getting new scooter... I know synthetic oil is my best bet... but anything else is helpful!!

[marylandmark]

That is it-

100% says ZUMA!

Well sort of..

I am the only 1 that has voted so far and I said ZUMA...

Close the poll- Zuma it is...

[King Vino]

LOL, looks like I voted for the Zuma by accident, so I had to change my vote.

[Lennox]

This is only my opinion.............

If you want an old looking scooter, get an old scooter......

I, of course, voted for the ZUMA. You can't go off road on a Vino! And whats up with the drum brakes in front???

Hoss

[King Vino]

The only issue with that is that not everyone wants to carry a tool kit around with them to service that 1967 Vespa GS or that Series 2, Li Lammy. As much as I love the old vintage, and would like to have that GP200, I'm not sure that I nor everyone else wants to give up the reliability of today's modern scooters.

[DannyMoped07]

Well, i read up somewhere, that the Zuma final gear ratio was lower than that of the Vino, giving it a slightly slower top speed. Is this true? and would that 99 dollar gear ratio kit fix that? I know that the Zuma's compression ratio is different... (7;3:1) where as the Vino's is 7;2:1, or vice-a-versa... does this affect performace?

Lol.. my big question... will a stock Zuma... with the Stage 2 kit with clutch, kevlar belt, carbonfiber reed valve, and 200lb option hit 50mph and rip a good long wheelie better than a Vino, and is it, in the end, more/as/less reliable?

[King Vino]

As an ex-cop, I'm going to pretend not to hear the wheelie remark. As for staging goes there are some issues with the Zuma's top end that most of our members along with Erich (the owner of both these forums and the store) are working out. As of this time the Vino staged is topping out a tad higher than the Zuma, especially on stage III, but if you're biggest debate is top end between the two bikes, my suggestion is to buy a Ninja 250. On here the the Zuma v. Vino debate is more over style and personal taste.

[DannyMoped07]

I understand the quirks... I didnt know, however that there is a stage 3 for these scooters. Does this include porting and other engine modification?
My main question, however, still isnt answered. Top speed with stage 2 set up, and reliablilty of the modded scoot. :)

[King Vino]

Top end is debatable, and everyone seems to have a differant opinion about it so I'm waiting until jered, and lennox chime in. They're the two main guys on here with the Zuma.

[DannyMoped07]

Cool beans, another quick question... I was reading up on the Stage IV setup for racing, and is says the motor is only good for 20 hours... How much of the dependability of my motor goes down with the stage II setup? will i need to replace my motor after 40, or 80 hours? (street driving, no shenanegans, and constant 40mph crusing)

[King Vino]

I've used the formula of losing 10% of motor life per stage. So your life is shortened by 20% at stage 2. Yamaha says the Zuma-Vino motor life is 8000 miles, but that's assuming you're really rough on it. Most folks on here run fully synthetic oil, regular service, upgrades, and a lot of personal work, so the numbers really don't mean all too much.

I've seen Vino's roll over 9999.9 and keep going. YMC is very conservative with their numbers, but if you want to go with YMC's numbers at stage 2 motor life would be good for 6400 miles give or take. Derestricting has no effect on engine life. Keep in mind that everyone has differant numebrs they rely on for service life.

[DannyMoped07]

I can see how that effects it, but I'm very knowledgeable with cars and small engines alike, so I wouldnt have any problems keep up the scoot. I just want to make sure that I dont end up building a money-pit. Know what i mean?

[King Vino]

Like I said I'm waiting until jered, and lennox chime in. They're the two main guys on here with the Zuma. I let them do the tech stuff, and I focus more on the board upkeep and promoting Provoscooter.com sales these days.

[Chreaus]

I own the Vino.
I bought, not knowing anything.
Didn't even know what the Zuma was untill i started to research the Vino.
I agree that it's personal choice if you choose the classic look over the street/sport look.

I like knowing that the upstage does affect some life.

:cool:

[Lennox]

Anytime you modify a 2 stroke you are are going to decrease its potential life span..... As long as jetting/carburation and compresion are carefuly though out in advance, the shortened life will be minimal. You will still be able to ride a reliable street machine.

If anyone wants the most reliable machine they can have.............DO NOT MOD THE SCOOT....stay stock......

[Zuma88]

i would agree. if you get a good 70cc kit and varaitor and clutch the life span dont go down but a little if at all, really the way to make to take down the life span is to put a high rpm pipe on. any time you increase the RPM's your life span go's down

[DannyMoped07]

So technically, a best-bet mod for good pickup and engine life would be to get an all-alluminum 70cc kit, upgraded plug, upgraded clutch, probaby upgrade the valve reeds because of the bigger CC, and keep my stock exhaust but just drill out the restrictor washer. That way, looks stock, sounds stock, but has more beef to it and can actually hit 45.

Sound good? ALSO... with the tecnomoto variator clutch upgrade... should I order a set of 4.0 weight roller weights for the Zuma? I hear that the lighter weight is better inthe ZUma for some reason.

[DannyMoped07]

Actually, i just read that the it's the lighter the better... is it the lighter the weights are, the faster it shifts? That's good for going fast and racing... but is that good for hills as well?

[marylandmark]

It doesn't really shift- the tranny is "on" all the time.

You can take off like a bat out of hell with lighter weights BUT you will be giving up top end. It is best for most people to try to balance the 2- getting up to a higher speed quicker.

Example: With lightest you can go 0-25MPH really quick, however 25 will be your top speed. The heaviest you will be able to hit 55MPH but will take you 1/2 hour to get there...

[King Vino]

Good explanation Mark.

[DannyMoped07]

Ok, that makes perfect sence. So, something around a 4 is a good mix then. Is that on a stock zuma, or highly modded one?

[Davey-boi]

It all depends on where you live, how much you way, and your riding style. A variator will come with three sets of wieghts, light, medium, and heavy. You have to tune it your desired style. Once you find the proper setup, then you can buy the actual rollers. Say your running good using a mix of lighter wieghts, by the 4.0gram set. Get it? Oh, and this all pertains to the performance variator!

Back to the question at hand... I'd get a vino (way cooler, faster, better on the streets, doesn't have those stupid bug eyes :eek: )

[Elliott]

[QUOTE=Davey-boi]It all depends on where you live, how much you way, and your riding style. A variator will come with three sets of wieghts, light, medium, and heavy. You have to tune it your desired style.

How Do You Tune it?

[Davey-boi]

Like Mark said... you can get your scoot to have awsome low-end power, which accelerates really fast but your top speed will be really slow with light roller wieghts installed (lighter the wieghts, faster the gears shift). Or you can have a bike with a huge top speed, but accelerates like a snail with heavy roller wieghts installed.

So to tune your scoot, all you have to do is find the right combo of wieghts for your conditions. For example, you live in San Francisco where there's tons of hills. Your gonna want to tune it so that your scoot has more torque and acceleration to get over those hills, so you'll wanna go with lighter wieghts. Goes for the riders wieght and riding style as well. If your on the chunky side, you'll wanna use lighter wieghts. Ect, ect, ect. Get it?

[Lennox]

Mark, and Davy... I beg to differ....

Yes light weights will scrub SOME top speed, but no more than 2-3 mph TOPS!! Once you get over about 3500-4000 rpm it doesn't mater how heavy/light your weights are, centripital force will still push them all the way out!

The roller weights are more important for torque and acceleration rather than top speed. Get it?

[Davey-boi]

Ohhh, you understood it the wrong way lennox. I think me and mark meant them as examples for newbies to grasp the concept. The figures given weren't actual ya know. But yea, your right.

[King Vino]

I seem to recall the gap was more like five or six mph on the Vino, and three or four for the Zuma, regardless, I think we've covered more than a wide range of topics on this thread.