150cc Ice Bear Terifecta Trike

[OneLeggedRider]

Well today I put the $210 NCY Performance CVT kit on the Trike and learned a few things. The chattering was caused by flat spots on the roller weights that barely had 300 miles on them (china junk that should have lasted 3k miles).

This was a very tedious task, ever done a steering head bearing replacement? Now imagine over 100 and some ball bearings that are less than 1mm in diameter and trying to load them in the clutch spring carrier one by one and the only thing holding them in place is a thin layer of grease.

Well I got the performance kit all together and it worked flawlessly, except now it takes half throttle to get it moving. This is because the kit I ordered was for a scooter and not a Trike so it has 10 gram roller weights, and the Trike came with 14 gram weights. So now it's a tractor when it comes to climbing hills but I hate giving it that much throttle to take off.

Next dilemma, everyone says wedges are better than roller weights, but is a 14 gram wedge the same as a 14 gram roller weight? I love learning new things but this has been a trial by fire experience.

[wheelbender6]

The wedges, or sliders, are supposed to allow the cvt to give you a slightly lower (higher?) gear ratio, resulting in some increase in top speed. They dont claim to help on the lower end of the rpm range.
-I have read threads where the wedges are effective, and threads where they were not.
-I think it comes down to how well you tune your individual scoot to to compliment the wedges.

[OneLeggedRider]

Thanks to my friends at GY6 Performance and the fella that owns Parts For Scooters I now have a better understanding of what's going on. The performance clutch I installed came with red 2000rpm springs for hard launch racing, and being that the variator turns half the rpm of the engine (more or less) that's why I have to hit 4000rpm to get moving. So I have blue 1000rpm springs on the way that will bring it down to 2000rpm to get moving (similar to stock).

On to the variator. Both it and the new clutch bell housing are significantly lighter than stock and it has steeper ramps for quicker acceleration/engagement. The weights also affect top end speed at a given rpm (I lost 7mph but now it climbs hills like a tractor even with a passenger).

The kit came with 10gram roller weights and stock was 14gram, so the next conclusion is to order 14gram weights to regain my top speed, right? Not necessarily, due to the steeper ramps this will likely result in full variator engagement at a lower engine rpm and hurt my acceleration. Which means I'll probably be better off with 12 or 13gram roller weights. So it comes down to trial and error which should be fun because there's 10 bolts holding the cover on, and because it contributes to structural strength you can't run it with the cover off.

Oh well, gotta get it right I suppose.

[duck9191]

profile and balance of the weight has a lot to do engagement behavior too. ramp profile, tip vs root weight make for a lot of decisions lol.

[JerryHawk250]

I need to look into some of these mods for my daughters UTV. With the taller tires it lost some low end grunt. Sprocket change is out of the question as they are both at the max i can go for lower gear ratio.

[OneLeggedRider]

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

I need to look into some of these mods for my daughters UTV. With the taller tires it lost some low end grunt. Sprocket change is out of the question as they are both at the max i can go for lower gear ratio.

I'm pretty sure you can get away with just buying lighter roller weights ($20-$30). Weigh one of them and then go about 2 grams lighter. Or just take out every other one and see if that's too low.

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by OneLeggedRider

I'm pretty sure you can get away with just buying lighter roller weights ($20-$30). Weigh one of them and then go about 2 grams lighter. Or just take out every other one and see if that's too low.

I'll have to look into it. I own two GY6's. One is on a 6 years old ATV and the other 4 years old UTV. I never had to do anything with them but change the oil and brake pads so never taken one apart. lol The 4 wheeler runs like a scald ape and the UTV takes a little longer to get up to top speed with the bigger tires. I'll have to do my homework and fine tune the CVT for the bigger tires.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by OneLeggedRider

I'm pretty sure you can get away with just buying lighter roller weights ($20-$30). Weigh one of them and then go about 2 grams lighter. Or just take out every other one and see if that's too low.

Before doing anything, join this forum: https://49ccscoot.proboards.com/

Don't let the name fool you--all size engines are discussed and ALL brands are discussed. My guess the forum was set up to sort out the numerous Chinese scooters out there because so many people didn't understand one needs to properly maintain them. We are not quite as scooter 'hip' as they are on the scooter group.

[OneLeggedRider]

Well besides the blue 1000rpm clutch springs, I ordered 13gram Dr Pulley slider wedges. Alot of guys on GY6 Performance have my exact same NCY CVT setup and for my weight recommended them to get to 60mph+.

I spent a few hours on the bike this afternoon and I gotta say even though I don't care for the 4000rpm stall speed and lower ratio, I don't hate it. It reminds me of my old Malibu SS. When it does launch it's with a quickness (not common for a 150cc scooter) and accelerating on steep hills is an entirely new experience on this bike. But wound for sound I could only achieve 53mph whereas the stock setup would hit 59mph on the same straight stretch.

[wheelbender6]

Good looking Malibu!
I don't worry much about originality, numbers matching, etc (unless it is priced like an original)
I like a good "driver".
I don't want a car that is too original and too valuable to drive.

[OneLeggedRider]

Originally Posted by wheelbender6

Good looking Malibu!
I don't worry much about originality, numbers matching, etc (unless it is priced like an original)
I like a good "driver".
I don't want a car that is too original and too valuable to drive.

It was a relatively small car compared to some of the others I've had over the years, but Don Sr knew what he was doing. A built 383 stroker with 2200 stall converter, turbo 350 trans and posi rear end. It was kinda tricky taking off from a stoplight with a cop sitting at the intersection, but man was that thing fun. In our neighborhood there was a big Monte carlo, Elcamino, Cutlasses, Camaros, and a Mustang GT. That little Malibu spanked them all with the Mustang being it's only real competition. Ahh to be young and dumb again..

[minimac]

Following the progress!

[OneLeggedRider]

Took the Trike out for a few hours yesterday because it was sunny and 71° out. The recent performance gain is definitely because the engine is breaking in. I hadn't been paying attention to the milage and thought it was a lot higher but it's now at 418 miles. Cold it starts with just a quick press of a button, struggles for a few seconds and then idles wonderfully. The acceleration is amazing, and it's definitely pulling harder, accelerating on hills etc.

With the throttle slightly open it likes to toodle along at 40mph but is ready to quickly get you moving with just a little more throttle. I guess that's what I noticed most yesterday, I've got alot more midrange power and it doesn't take as much throttle to get there. The exhaust has also gotten noticeably louder which I don't care for, but all the aftermarket options are even louder and run about $250 - $300.

The rear differential is breaking in as well, it's easier to turn now and pulls less going down the road. The manufacturer fills it with a heavy grease that's so thick it feels and acts like a solid axe the first few hundred miles. Today I ordered a Niche gold X-ring 428 chain for it, the cheap stock chain is already shot and starting to wear the sprockets.

The best thing about yesterday's ride was all the cinders on the secondary paved roads. I know they can be a little scary on 2 wheels but with wide 50s on the back it turns it into a drift Trike, I was sideways and fish tailing several times and did a couple donuts at some intersections. Thank goodness it's got a low center of gravity lol.

Next on the list is rider comfort, I've got to put some highway pegs on it and add some foam to the seat. My backside is definitely a little sore today.

[JerryHawk250]

Trike looks good Frank. Yeah the weathers been nice hear too. I've been taking the Ghost to work all week. That will change by Sunday as the rain will be coming back and hang around for the week.

[OneLeggedRider]

I just realized I never set the clock on the gauge cluster lol.