My United Motors Xpeed 250i/Hyosung MS3 Experience

[harrywr2]

Dec 29, 2008, 9:21pm

Odometer passed 2000 miles...nothing really to report..put gas in it...hit the starter button...vroom...vroom. As it has a real oil filter...don't need to change the oil for another 1,500 miles. Yawn.

[harrywr2]

Mar 24, 2009, 10:07am

Was searching for a parts source for the valve shims. I'd rather not go the trouble of measuring the gap...taking off the camshafts..measuring the existing shim size and ordering the required new shim.

In any case...the part #'s for Valve Shims for a 2007 Suzuki RM-Z250 are the same as the Hyosung MS3/United Motors Xpeed.

[harrywr2]

Mar 28, 2009, 9:48am

2,404 miles. Stalled at the stoplight at the end of the I-90 offramp. The truly dreaded shim under bucket valve adjustment time has arrived.

[harrywr2]

Mar 28, 2009, 4:16pm

3/4th's the way thru with the valve adjustment. Decided it was probably safer/easier to remove one cam at a time...and pull the offending shims. The bucket over the shims was hard to get a grip on but I didn'twant to use pliers and score it. The intake and exhaust valves furthest from the cam chain were in spec. Turns out the shim from the exhaust was the perfect thickness to be used as the new shim for the intake.

While both cam's have alignment marks..the intake cam is the only one that clearly aligns with the cylinder head. The exhaust cam is 16 chain pins from the '3' mark on the intake cam to the '2' mark on the exhaust cam.

While I had the cams off I checked the torque on the cylinder head...managed to get a good half turn until the torque wrench read the specified torque on two of the bolts.

I didn't finish in time to go try and BS the Suzuki dealer into selling me a shim for an RZM-250.

[harrywr2]

Mar 31, 2009, 11:10am

Sent the Mrs's this morning to the local Suzuki dealer to get a valve shim for a 2007 RMZ 250. Which is just one of the models that the Xpeed valve shim part number matches...an AN650 Burgman also uses the same part number.

Apparently they don't stock any valve shims in stock. How they can do a valve adjustment in a timely manner is beyond me, since you have to remove the camshaft and measure the existing shim to determine what new shim you need.

They did however order one...it'll just be 5-7 business days.

[harrywr2]

Apr 3, 2009, 3:34pm

Shim arrived...got the bike all put back together. In hindsight the whole thing would have been less worrisome if I had marked the cams and chains with a sharpie prior to removing the change.

Intake on the left side is now .006 and exhaust .010. The right side is at .005 and .009. Bike started fine...smoke a little...but I suspect a little oil may have dripped on the exhaust. Let it idle for 10 minutes and the temp went only up to the second bar. Took it for a quick little 10 mile spin...no over heating, no check engine light, no performance problems and no stalling...so I'm pretty sure I got the cams alligned correctly.

For those that haven't seen shim and bucket. The shim goes on the top of the valve, then the bucket fits over the valve assembley and then the camshaft does it's thing by pressing on the bucket.

This picture has a shim, dime(for size) and the bucket.

[harrywr2]

Apr 4, 2009, 12:02pm

Got out onto I-90 today...got her up to 75 MPH on the GPS which is about all traffic and conditions would permit. Plenty of throttle left. Hit the off-ramp and didn't stall at the stop sign. Temp guage held steady at 2 bars. So the valve adjustment would appear to be a success.

[harrywr2]

Apr 22, 2009, 2:42pm

Bike stalled out yesterday. Arrrgghhh.....just did the valves so not that...check engine light isn't on. Idle had been a bit low. Owners manual says not to adjust. Tech manual says not to adjust it. Searched the internet for Hyosung and Stalling. Found one entry for a Hyosung 650 that said check the air filter and fuel filter. Fuel filter/screen is a pain to get to. So decided I'd go with checking the air filter.

Took the air filter out...sure enough...filthy. Cleaned it up...re-oiled it. Idle speed came up 150 RPM.

Took the bike out to my favorite test area...68 MPH followed by a hard stop...good to go. Go up the side of the mountain 10% grade...got to 62 MPH before I chickened out(Speed limit is 40) and let off the throttle. Engine braked all the way back down the mountain...no stall at the bottom. Got out onto I-90 and cranked it to 75 MPH before hitting the off ramp...didn't stall at the end of the off ramp.

Hopefully I got it this time.

Rule #1 of scooters mechanics...its always something simple that you overlooked.

[harrywr2]

Apr 24, 2009, 2:59pm

After the stalling nonsense I decided it was time to take the bike out and give it a proper thrashing/beating/whose in charge.
85 Miles one way to stevens pass...then 85 miles home.

Was a bit chilly when I got there. But no stalling, no hesitating...no whining about "its cold up here" .

The bike just did as it was told...GPS says I hit 79.7 somewhere along the way.(wasn't on the way back)

[harrywr2]

Apr 28, 2009, 12:07pm

Finally decided my plan of action on the front shocks. They seem a bit mushy to me and the previous owner lived on a cobblestone street.

I probably should just take them off, inspect them and put new fork oil. I've never played with shocks before however...so I really wouldn't know what I was looking for without something to compare them to...sooner or later shocks need replacing on any bike....so I decided I would just get a new pair...and if it turns out the existing ones just needed fork oil I will have a spare set..

I ordered from www.richardhyosunggvgt.com in Korea on Sunday night...by last night they were sitting in US Customs in LA.


Now if I can just figure what the Equivalent Fork Oil weight is for Tellus #22 Hydraulic Oil I'll be in business. I tried finding some Tellus #22 Hydraulic Oil. The local bulldozer repair shop offered to special order me a 5 gallon bucket for just $180.

[harrywr2]

Apr 29, 2009, 7:19am

I found the Fork Oil....WooHoo...from the makers of Liquid Wrench no less.

Liquid Wrench Hydraulic Jack Oil....ISO Grade #22...MSRP $6 a quart.

www.gunk.com/prodinfo/M3312.pdf

[harrywr2]

Apr 29, 2009, 10:49am

Shocks showed up...along with a 2 foot x 3 foot 'Gift' calender from S&T Motors.

[harrywr2]

Apr 29, 2009, 4:44pm

Installed the new shocks installed.

Had to buy a set of metric allen wrench sockets. Everything but the axle and the shock cap bolts was a metric allen head nut.

Turns out the new shocks shipped with fork oil in them.

Took about an hour to get the old shocks off and new shocks on. Then is took another 45 minutes to check the torque on the shock cap bolts as the only way to get a torque wrench on them is to take off the front cowling.

Took the bike out for a bit of a test ride...seemed smoother but headed to the park for a bit of 'emergency stop' practice. Managed to momentarily lock the front wheel without the 'clunk' I had been hearing previously on a hard stop.

[harrywr2]

Apr 30, 2009, 2:55pm

Managed to do my Snoqualmie pass run today. Cross winds were as expected...breezy. The road is also torn up from all the trucks running chains in the winter, full of frost heaves etc... Except for one small section I managed to hold 60+ MPH on the way down. Way up was all 60 - 75 MPH depending on how tight the turns were and how much wind was blowing.

It's cold up there...

[harrywr2]

May 4, 2009, 2:40pm

I had an itch to visit Mt Rainer...was 68 miles to the front gate...which was closed:(
I road from Enumclaw on 410. There is only 1 'town', Greenwater for the 35 or so miles from Enumclaw to the Mt Rainer Front Gate. The 'town' consists of a 2 pump gas station, a general store, a gift shop and a restaurant. Not so much as a stop sign or blinking yellow light. Gassing up in Enumclaw is a good idea. Managed to get 83 MPG on the trip.

Speed limit varies from 45-55, most of the road is two lane, gently winding. A couple of sections could use some repair.