Affy NoX - Solo Rider

An SLR is a good camera to have, and they make beautiful photos however I been missing a lot of shots lately due their bulky size makes it cumbersome to carry during rides or travelling abroad. Enough said, I can't afford to missed more shots. I love taking photos, this I do from the very early age. My first camera is a 35mm format plastic toy like camera with many light leaks that I bought for under RM 5.00 in the early seventies. It works but don't expect sharp and pretty photos, at that time it was Black & White a crappy black & white more like it. As times goes, and with scholarship I bought myself a Yashica FX-3 ... wooowwww.. my first SLR this was back in 81. This sample of FX-3 Super was a later addition that I am collecting. Its not as easy as today, with digital age where you can see what exactly you are shooting and read the Exif files to see and correct with software. Its a "Dog Eat Dog" world of photography where taking shot means your are going in...

Ever since Nicholas Tesla discovered the Alternating Current (AC) it was a fierce battle between him and Edison who "discovered" Direct Current. On scooter both exist harmoniously complementing each other. Scooter like any motor vehicle needs electrical power to make it work, at least to the ignition coil igniting the combustible mix or engine cranking during start. Basic electrical power supplied by battery, however this accumulator need recharging and if its left running an engine without very soon everything will come to a stop. To do this charging there is a Generator on board that runs by the engine to produces electric current. Big problem these are Alternators which produces AC and they run at a wild frequency of the engines speed, further to the problem its varies in output current and voltage by this engine speed too. Enter the world of Rectifier/Regulator, on most bike inclusive scooters this is the unit that will convert the AC to DC and at the same time regulate a...

Capacitive Discharge Ignition Units (CDI), these device store charge and let go at a "bang" , modern bikes and cars uses these to get better combustion and cleaner exhaust. It need more that CDI to do these anyway. Above SYM VTS 200 CDI, apart from having those Capacitive circuits it also have rev limiting built in, these to safe guard the engine from abuse and operates at a safer range to prolong engine life. This Standard CDI is about RM 140.00 a piece at the spare shop. There are after market replacement which sell for less, something like RM 50.00 on ebay. These work just as good. Or for the more adventurous and need the rev limiter removed, they could opt for the racing version averaging in price from RM 75.00 on ebay like below. Point to note before ordering these, make sure its suitable for your bike and the connector is the same. Below typical circuit diagram for a scooter, exact for the VTS 200 is similar however the colour coding of wire may be different. The racing...

When few of my friends told me that they are interested on a vacuum device that is installed on the SYM 250i eVo and not the VTS 200 to make it runs better, its struct my mind what the heck is that contraption. We did few mods on cars on the vacuum lines to the fuel pressure regulator delaying fuel pressure reduction after slamming the throttle, but that on EFI cars, on  normally aspirated bike.. hemmm lets see. Comparing the VTS 200 and the 250i Parts Catalogue I could not find anything that look like a device that could improve performance on the bike. Interesting, where do they get the idea that it would improve performance. So today, armed with my faithful Samsung Camera phone I decide to do a snoop on an installation in progress. Okay what they meant by "vacuum" is this "Breather Chamber Assembly" Part Number : 1738A-HMB-00 as photo below. It is actually a device that installed to those SYM to meet euro emission 4 standard, on the VTS 200 this device is not ins...

This is how you remove the instrument panel on SYM VTS 200. Tooling : Phillips Screw Driver Pre Condition : Front Fairing Removed.

This is how the fork can be lowered on the SYM VTS 200. Tooling : 14mm Socket Wrench. Pre Condition : Front Fairing Removed. Below photo shows a 250i that already has its fork lowered. Have a look carefully at the fork upper end, there is a grove exposed, this grove on the fork is for those screws. There are 2 grove on each fork upper end act as fork stopper and also they need to be align with the screw in order for the screws to make a clear matting with the thread on the fork clamp. Having the fork protruding upward, will make one of the grove expose and only the top screw engaged with the grove that was meant for the lower screw. This bring to question, what about the bottom screw, will it not be difficult to insert due to there is no grove left for it to make clearance. In my opinion it will be difficult to put in this lower screw, it will need some force to get it inserted. What will it do over a long period of time, any interference fit will cause material to weaken. It may not b...

How to remove the front fairing. Tools required : 5mm Allen Key,  Phillips Screw Driver and 10 mm socket wrench.

A gauge is only as good as the person that's reading it, there are a lot of report that this gauge is unreliable. Frankly I never experience any problem. Maybe I am one of those lucky few. Luck aside, let's me explain how the gauge is read, below is a gauge showing three bar in black. This bar represent quantity in the tank, however they does not necessarily mean that your fuel is at the top of that bar. Furthermore this reading also affected if you place the scooter on sidestand. The above example means the fuel condition could be at the top of the third bar or it could also be at just about to deplete the third bar. Trip meter showing 212km, so its just about to turn clear. You see these gauge will show full bar at any segment as long as there is fuel above its threshold limits. So when you see the third bar is full, this does not mean it at the top, it can be anywhere in between. The SYM VTS 200 fuel consumption is about 300 ~ 320 km average, however if you constantly do ful...

The SYM VTS 200 already has one power outlet located in the front lockable compartment, however I find it difficult to use and occasionally during GPS usage its intermittently powering of the unit due to vibration and being inside the compartment its difficult to get it to mate right. I decide to install another outlet below the instrument panel on the right hand side of the instruments. I bought a marine grade outlet from ebay, about RM 30.00 or 40.00 can't recall how much, but about that. I need to install the outlet just about here. Like so. To install this outlet, the front face of the VTS 200 need to be remove in order to get to the electrics and access for the socket installation. Below is a video of how to remove the front fairing. Any time working with electrics its best to disconnect the battery, the negative terminal disconnected will do the job. I am installing it below the instrument cluster on the right hand lower and a cut out done with a hole saw to allow socket inst...