16th Scooter Meeting 2012 in Akigase (Part II)

Moto Champ Magazine's 16th Scooter Meeting 2012 in Akigase featured a 1/32 mile shoot out.  Pros and amateurs alike were welcome to test their bikes and tuning skills down the track.  The entry fee was 5,000 yen (about $60).  Each competitor had five runs throughout the day.  Best time wins and featured in the next Moto Champ Magazine.

Overall it was a great event.  There were a lot of incredibly fast bikes.  And a few just for looks and fun.  I only wish that there were a similar event back in Hawaii.  We islanders need an outlet to exercise our speed demons and motor bike tuning skills.  Better a track than the local roads and freeways.

16th Scooter Meeting 2012 in Akigase (Part I)

Best Mag Ever!!

This is a two part series of an awesome scooter event I attended this past Veteran's Day weekend.  It was Moto Champ Magazine's 16th Scooter Meeting 2012 in Akigase, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.  If you remember from my previous post, Moto Champ is a magazine devoted to all kinds of motor bikes especially scooters like the Honda Monkey, Dio, Zoomer (Ruckus), and Yamaha Jog.  This event was one of many happenings Moto Champ Magazine sponsors throughout the year.  The 16th Scooter Meeting 2012 in Akigase featured a 1/32 mile shoot out as well as a skills course and parts swap meet.  Along with my moto-crazed friend Soma-san, we traveled about 2 hours to Saitama to see what it was all about.

For Otaku Use Only

Japan Street Legal

My Puch is finally Japan street legal!!  Got my Japanese license plate, insurance, and registration from the local city office this past week.  So get ready for the misadventures of Moped Luau in Japan!!

STAY TUNED!!

Kanji Plate desuyo!!

Puch ZA50 21 Tooth Sprocket Fit Up

I wanted to share my experiences on fitting up a 21 tooth front sprocket onto a ZA50 motor.  I know a lot of Hawaii tuners like GotRigid? been using them for years but I never got a chance to run them because they weren't as readily available back then as they are now.  I did some research on the normal forums and asked our local Puch community on methods used for fit up.  Here's my lessons learned:

Soma-san's Corner

The two-stroke obsession spans across the globe. When I moved to Japan, I met my friend Japanese Soma-san.  He is a fellow two-stoke head like me!!  Like most Japanese, he is crazy into his hobby.  He owns a good amount of bikes.  He has:  two Honda MB5s, a Honda MB8, a Suzuki Z, and Yamaha 250Z.  He has tons of parts.  He even has parts under is desk in the office.  When I say parts, I mean two engines, a frame, a fairing, a exhaust, etc.  This guys is crazy!!  Like me!!  I turned him on to Treatland USA and now he is straight up lost his mind!!

Honda MB5 in its natural habitat

Two-Stroke Tuner's Handbook

Feed Your Brain!!

Anyone who is serious about two-stroke tuning read or came across Gordon Jennings "Two-Stroke Tuner's Handbook".  Although it was originally published in 1973, a lot of the information still pertains today.  It's a extremely technical book.  I felt like I was reading my old college engineering books!!  If you didn't get a chance to read it or a lot of the stuff is just flying over your head as did mines, some section I thought worth reading were:

• Squish Bands
• Expansion Chamber
• Port Timing
• Cylinder Porting (Gorr) p.90
• Reed Valves
• Intake Port Shape
• Cylinder Scavenging
• Port-Edge Chamfers
• Subtleties p.121
• Carburetion, Ignition

Puch ZA50 Motor Case & Transmission Gaskets

Here are scanned copies of a case gasket and transmission cover gasket for the Puch ZA50 motor.  These gaskets are available at Treats or 1977 Mopeds.  If you don't what to any spend money or just too impatient for an order, you can download the PDF file here.  Print it onto your gasket material then cut out using a xacto knife and scissors.  The key to making these types of gaskets is to use the correct size paper hole punchers for the bolt holes.

Mr. Two-Stroke

“…You have to know what you are doing with a two stroke, you don’t with a four stroke.  With a two stroke you are doing it yourself, with a four stroke you buy the pistons, buy the cam shafts and just take it apart and put it back together.  There is less skill, it’s just fitting…”

An quote from an article featuring world renown two-stroke tuner Stan Stephens.  Read the whole article here.

Puch Second Run: Post Disaster

One step backward, two steps forward.  After the epic meltdown of my Powerdynamo stator coil, I installed a new one I ordered from TreatsHq (it came in less than a week).  I re-timed it and tuned the carb a little more.  Still need to continue tuning cause there still some dead spots in the powerband.  But its getting there:

Puch ZA50 Clutch Rebuild Part 2: Second Gear

My second gear clutch was surprisingly in great shape compared to my first gear clutch.  The clutch shoe lining were all intact and not cracked.  I previously lightened the shoes without taking them apart by drilling numerous holes via a drill press.  (Note:  Optimal location to lighten the clutch shoes is along the outer edge as shown below because it has the most "metal mass" that can be removed.  Also, you want to take out the most "metal mass" toward "that side" of the linkage hole pivot point to optimize the "lightening" effect on the clutch.   The outer edge of the pivot point has the most mass that produces the centrifugal force which the clutch shoes needs to generate to overcome the  centripetal force created by the clutch spring.  When this happens the clutch will engage.  Less mass on the shoes means you need more angular velocity to generate the centrifugal force.   Hence, the clutch shoes will engage at a higher RPM giving you that longer "stall".  Anyway, enough physics!!)  As I did with the first gear clutch, I banged out the linkages:

All blown up!!

Puch ZA50 Clutch Rebuild Part 1: First Gear

I was forced to rebuild my clutches after a total destruction of my first gear clutch shoes by my Gilardoni kit.

Puch ZA50 Clutch Installation Tool

Getting springs on a Puch ZA50 stock clutch isn't a walk in the park.  Many of us shy away from cutting or reinstalling new springs onto our clutches because of the difficulty and hassle to get them on.  But by doing either spring modification, it can greatly benefit a ZA50 motor's performance.  For a long time, I've been thinking of a way to easily reinstall springs onto these clutches.  I've been looking for a better way ever since I ruined the elasticity of my first springs by installing them with a bunch of screwdrivers.  In the past, we used a D-sized MagLite flashlights or a worn down skateboard wheel to get them on. But these methods usually meant more than one pair of hands to do it.  I've even saw someone use their bare hands to get them on.  Ouch!!  I just don't have that kind of hands!!  With a design in mind I had for years, I finally decided to try to make life easier for all us ZA50 modders: