Vehicles & Servicing Motorcycle Type and Dealer

Wow! Do they trailer it or just know an easy way to start without the key? Would a kill switch or fuel cutoff stop them as they couldn't drive it away? (while cheaper than loosing the bike p2,900 ain't nothin)

 

You push the XRM until it gets a bit of speed and pop it into first gear and its gonna run without the key. Unfortunately I had not locked the steering so this was easy to do. I was a bit overconfident in my surroundings. Now, whenever practical, I park with a parking attendant watching it.

 

Steve, I think you may be on the right track. I doubt that a 10% gear change will limit top speed at all because usually it is the power to push into the wind that limits top speed and not engine RPM with a small bike. You are also grabbing a bigger lever which works continuously at all RPM.

Except for racing application, I'm not a big fan of aftermarket exhaust. Engines make more power at all RPM with a certain amount of backpressure and there is a tipping point where too little pressure is counterproductive. I know one guy who brazed a washer in his aftermarket exhaust rather than put the stock back on to regain the backpressure and power. I think port matching with the stock exhaust might be better but you could always try that if the aftermarket exhaust doesn't suit you.

Airbox mod. Yes the airbox is restrictive by design. It limits the amount of power the engine can make so that Honda can keep their reliability reputation. You won't blow the engine on the stock bike with the entire family on it because the engine in stock trim has not the power to destroy itself because it is limited by exhaust and the airbox. That said, it is carbureted and carbs like a little bit of vacuum and it is easy to go too far on an airbox mod and make it run worse.

First step before I did anything to the airbox would be to up the jet size. I would buy the next 3 larger sizes as it is going to be a trial fit because no two engines are exactly the same. The engines are jetted for fuel economy and the stock jet probably works better at altitude than it does at sea level but if you let more air in, you are going to need more fuel to go with it or you are going to be too lean. I have a friend who just drills small 5/16 holes in the airbox that he can easily cover with a blob of epoxy putty so that if he goes too far he has a quick remedy.

If you look at some local bikes that have aftermarket exhaust, they have a build up of black soot in them, caked on. Likely way over jetted because that is all they know to do and if they didn't do it they would probably fry the engine. It is probably costing them some power, fuel milage and unnecessarily polluting. Possibly fouling out plugs also. Sometimes less is more. That is my peso.

Now for the fun part, to hard break in or to not hard break in. I am of the opinion that the hard break in is best to get everything seated well and really for the life of the engine. You only have seconds from the first time it is started before you need to put it under a hard load, drive it like you stole it for the best hard break in results. I have seen where people buy Suzuki Raiders one after the other selling their old barely used one because it doesn't run as well as someone else's because I believe they broke it in soft just putting around town.

I broke in my Suzuki GD110 on the highway and didn't get out of second gear until I had about 5 miles on it. Great little runner. I only picked it over the Honda because it had a beefed up transmission better for trike use and an actual oil filter. Ran quieter than my mothers sewing machine.

 

For short trips I will probably pick up something like Sym jet 100cc For Sale Philippines - Find 2nd Hand (Used) Sym jet 100cc On OLX

Then I can ride one of those two strokes everyone complains about.

 

And the million peso question is.... does anyone know a good mechanic that can help me walk the tightrope of intake/exhaust/jetting, and heck, throw on the rear sprocket while we are at it? I have searched and searched google and duckduckgo but can't really find info on any aftermarket parts and mods like I could when modifying vehicles back in the States.

 

I went looking for the parts sources I used to look at and it looks like a vast wasteland now. I can't find squat like I used to see in 2013. With this in mind, I would go talk to Low at Taco Tayo. He has a motorcycle repair shop also and I have spent some time there shooting the bull and talking motorcycles and modification.

 

Thought that was hilarious and shared with a Filipina. She said no problem, I just wear higher heels!!!!

 

I will do this, several people have made the same recommendation.

Isn't it crazy how hard it is to find info on the Internet? Strange.

 

One day Filipinos will get the hang of advertising on the net...other than facebook. If we were on fb we could probably find everything you want in no time. Jets are available at just about any parts store. Chain and gears? I dunno, you would think there would be something available because people will hang a sidecar on just about anything. Come to think of it, I wonder if one off a TMX155 would fit. You might measure the bolt pattern and offset for both if the place you are buying a motorcycle from has both.