how to Fix It - part 3
Adding auxiliary lights to your Scooter
Disc Brakes
Though disc brakes rely on the same basic principles to slow a vehicle (friction and heat), their design is far superior to that of drum brakes. Instead of housing the major components within a metal drum, disc brakes use a slim rotor and small caliper to halt wheel movement.
Within the caliper are two brake pads, one on each side of the rotor, that clamp together when the brake pedal is pressed. Once again, fluid is used to transfer the movement of the brake pedal into the movement of the brake pads.
But unlike drum brakes, which allow heat to build up inside the drum during heavy braking, the rotor used in disc brakes is fully exposed to outside air. This exposure works to constantly cool the rotor, greatly reducing its tendency to overheat or cause fading. Not surprisingly, it was under racing circumstances that the weaknesses of drum brakes and the strengths of disc brakes were first illustrated. Racers with disc brake systems could carry their speed "deeper" into a corner and apply greater braking force at the last possible second without overheating the components. Eventually, as with so many other automotive advances, this technology filtered down to the cars, motorcycle, gas scooters driven by everyday people on public roads.
When it comes to adding lights to a scooter, there are three questions to answer:
Is there any point?
Can your alternator/battery handle the extra load?
Is it legal?
What's the point?
There are two reasonable reasons for adding extra lights to a scooter. The first is to be seen and the second is to see better. If you just want to be seen, you don't need high power lights. You can buy strips of LEDs which are easy to attach and which typically draw only a small amount of power. A 10-light strip might draw about 300mA (1/3 amp) at 12v. You can get red LEDs for the back, or amber LEDs for the front and/or side of the scooter.
A second reason for adding lights is in order to see better. The standard headlight on many scooters is somewhat feeble and some auxiliary lighting can be quite useful at night. A light powerful enough to help with night driving will probably draw quite a lot of power. A 55W light, which is the smallest likely to be of much use) draws around 4 amps.
Back in the 1960s and 70s in the UK it was the fashion to add lots of lights and mirrors to scooters for decorative purposes. Thankfully that era is pretty much over!
Can you handle the extra electrical load?
Scooters don't usually have a very high capacity alternator/magneto and the battery is typically quite small, with something like a 5 Amp.Hour rating. On many scooters the headlights run directly off the alternator/magneto, while turn signals and the brake light (plus any "running lights") operate off the battery. The alternator/magneto also charges the battery of course. Adding extra load could run the battery down if the alternator/magneto can't supply enough current to run the lights, plus replace any charge drawn off the battery.
I have fitted a 55W light to my scooter which draws its power from the battery. It doesn't seem to run the battery down while the engine is running at normal riding speeds, though I haven't run it for more than about 1 hour.
Is it legal?
Every jurisdiction (state or local) seems to have their own rules and regulations about vehicle lighting. Many state the acceptable colors (white or amber visible from the front, red or amber visible from the rear). Some regulate the number of "headlights", some regulate "driving lights" and some regulate "fog lights". Regulations can include maximum power, whether the auxiliary lights can be on when the headlights are on, some regulate the mounting position. There are usually rules about aiming lights so that they do not dazzle oncoming traffic. Generally there is a ban on using blue lights and generally there are regulations about whether lights must be continuous or not (flashing lights). In some states, the use of "fog lights" when there is no fog is an offense. There's no single set of rules that covers everyone so all I can suggest is that you do a "Google" search for lighting regulations in your state.
Troubleshooting - Scooter won't run (cont.)
If you can't find any timing marks for TDC you can rotate the engine clockwise the cam lobe is about 180 degrees away from the rocker arm. This means that the clearance between the rocker arm and the valve should be at it's maximum and you should be able to wriggle the rocker arm back and forth a bit (that's the clearance). You can also remove the spark plug, put a straw into the cylinder and rotate the engine until you feel the piston is at its maximum height both valves are fully closed (note that there are two position in a 4-stroke engine at which the piston is at it's maximum height in the cylinder. Be sure you get the right one). Once you're at TDC, loosen the locking nut and adjust the clearance using a set of feeler gauges. When you have it set correctly, tighten down on the lock nut, and re-check it. Now do the same thing again for the other valve. For most 150cc GY6 engines the clearance should be around .004", but check your manual. For 50cc engines I've seen .002" recommended.
Brake technology, just like suspension technology and fuel-system technology, has come a long way in recent years. What began in the '60s as a serious attempt to provide adequate braking for performance cars has ended in an industry where brakes range from supremely adequate to downright phenomenal. The introduction of components like carbon fiber, sintered metal and lightweight steel, along with the adoption of ABS, have all contributed to reduced stopping distances and generally safer vehicles (though ABS continues to provide controversy).
One of the first steps taken to improve braking came in the early '70s when manufacturers, on a widespread scale, switched from drum to disc brakes. Since the majority of a vehicle's stopping power is contained in the front wheels, only the front brakes were upgraded to disc during much of this period.
Why are disc brakes better than drum and how much, if any, loss of braking occurs when using rear drum brakes on a scooter? That's what we're going to find out in this edition.
Friction and Heat
Before you can appreciate the difference between drum and disc brakes, you have to understand the common principles that both systems use when stopping a car: friction and heat. By applying resistance, or friction, to a turning wheel, a vehicle's brakes cause the wheel to slow down and eventually stop, creating heat as a byproduct. The rate at which a wheel can be slowed depends on several factors including vehicle weight, braking force and total braking surface area. It also depends heavily on how well a brake system converts wheel movement into heat (by way of friction) and, subsequently, how quickly this heat is removed from the brake components. This is where the difference between drum brakes and disc brakes becomes pronounced.
Drum Brakes
Early automotive brake systems, after the era of hand levers of course, used a drum design at all four wheels. They were called drum brakes because the components were housed in a round drum that rotated along with the wheel. Inside was a set of shoes that, when the brake pedal was pressed, would force the shoes against the drum and slow the wheel. Fluid was used to transfer the movement of the brake pedal into the movement of the brake shoes, while the shoes themselves were made of a heat-resistant friction material similar to that used on clutch plates.
This basic design proved capable under most circumstances, but it had one major flaw. Under high braking conditions, like descending a steep hill with a heavy load or repeated high-speed slow downs, drum brakes would often fade and lose effectiveness. Usually this fading was the result of too much heat build-up within the drum. Remember that the principle of braking involves turning kinetic energy (wheel movement) into thermal energy (heat). For this reason, drum brakes can only operate as long as they can absorb the heat generated by slowing a vehicle's wheels. Once the brake components themselves become saturated with heat, they lose the ability to halt a vehicle, which can be somewhat disconcerting to the vehicle's operator.
It may be of more use to have a light with a relatively wide beam which can illuminate the area directly ahead of the scooter than a narrow beam that illuminates the road 1/2 mile ahead. Such a long distance spotlight could dazzle oncoming traffic and may be illegal, especially if it's on all the time.
So called "driving lights" tend to have long distance, narrow beams, while "fog lights" often have a wider light spread and may be more useful on a scooter at lower speeds.
Again note that some lights may be sold as being "for off-road use only", which is to say that they may not be strictly legal for road use in all states.
There are lots of uses for a 12v power outlet on your scooter. For example:
Charging or powering a cell phone
Powering a GPS unit
Powering a Radar detector
Powering an electric tire inflator
Powering an auxiliary light
Charging your scooter battery
Powering heated gloves
Adding a 12v power outlet isn't difficult at all. You can find one at places like eBay or Amazon.com. What you'll usually get is a 12v socket (also known as a "cigarette lighter" socket) with an attached inline fuse. If it doesn't come with a fuse, it's a good idea to add one. To mount the outlet you'll usually have to make a hole about 1" in diameter somewhere on the scooter. I've seen them installed inside the "glove box", though that would mean you'd need to open the "glove box" to get access to it. On my scooter I installed it just below the front of the seat. There's an access panel below it which allow you to get at the spark plug and valve cover, and that also allows access to the back of the power socket for easy wiring.
The socket can get its power from any 12v line. You can pick one that's activated by the ignition switch, or you can do what I did and connect it directly to the battery (via a fuse of course) so that you have power available at all times, not just when the ignition is turned on.
Most motorcycle batteries have a capacity in the 3-7 amp.hour range, so you can't draw a huge amount of power from them. My outlet is fused at 8 amps, which is enough for a 55W auxiliary light (which draws about 4 amps) or a tire inflater (typically 2-3 amps), heated gloves (typically 1-2 amps) and more than enough for any electronic gadget such as a radar detector or GPS unit (typically well under 1 amp). Don't try drawing huge amounts of power though. The battery is quite small and could run down quite quickly if the engine isn't running to recharge it. Even if the engine is running you could strain the alternator (generator) if you try to draw too much power.
Installation of a 12v outlet is simple. The one I added mounted in a 1" diameter hole. I cut it out with a hole saw and smoothed the edges with a file. Since you're likely to be cutting the hole in plastic, this isn't a lot of work. The negative (black) lead connects to the chassis of the scooter. The red lead connects to the fuse and the fuse connects to the positive (+) terminal of the battery. Make sure the wires are secured using nylon cable ties so that they don't get caught up in any of the scooter's moving parts and they don't rub against any hot parts of the engine which could melt the insulation on the wires and cause a short circuit.
As I mentioned above, as well as using the 12v outlet to power external equipment, you can also use it to charge the battery. On my scooter it's not easy to get direct access to the battery terminals. You have to remove the "floor mat" and then remove a door to expose the battery connections. With the 12v outlet wired directly to the battery (via an 8 amp fuse in my case), you can simply attach a 12v plug to the charger (mine came with one) and plug it into the 12v outlet. For most scooter and motorcycle batteries a charger of 2 amps or less is fine. I use my charger to keep my battery in good condition over the winter when the scooter sits in the garage for weeks at a time waiting for a day that's warm and dry enough to ride!
I also use the outlet to power a 12v tire inflator. The battery has plenty of power to inflate both the front and rear tires from 0 to 32 psi. After inflating both tires the scooter started right up, so there's no danger of running the battery down in normal use. Having the outlet available makes topping up the tires a simple job, and if it's easy to do you are more likely to do it.
Adding an auxiliary power outlet to your Scooter
Brakes: Drum vs. Disc Why are disc brakes better than drum? how much, if any, loss of braking occurs when using rear drum brakes on a gas scooters? That's what we're going to find out in this edition.
Adding auxiliary lights to your Scooter
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