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Bandit RC-150z Review

I don't post often. I'm alternately lazy and busy. But after revisiting this blog I notice a trend that I only seem to write when I have problems. This makes sense in the "no news is good news" sort of sense-making. However, I know that there isn't a lot out there regarding rider reviews of Chinese scoots, and more specifically the Bandit/Baron lines. I've had my gal over a year now, I've ridden her in Austin, Texas and San Francisco, CA. She's been my year-round commuter regardless of weather and it's about time I post my full and honest review for the edification of interested parties (ie: you).

I ordered my scooter April 24, 2007 from Bandit Motorsports. They didn't have any new ones in stock and were awaiting a shipment from their factory in China. There arrived in the States May 1, just in time for the Chinese Golden Week celebrations which kept the scooter from being released from customs until May 5th (a Saturday). Through all of this Jim of Bandit kept me informed and soothed. He explained everything and was utterly transparent which only cemented my high esteem of him as a businessman and a vendor. Bandit spent a hectic week checking the late container of scoots and matching them with orders.I received my scooter on the morning of May 16, 2007. She was well packed in a wooden crate and nestled in a metal frame. Once out of there, I hooked up the battery and put gas in her tank and she started right up.

For the next few months (my last in Austin) she took the brutal heat of a Texas summer without blinking an eye. I seemed to have fuel starvation issues and spent ages checking lines and calling Jim at Bandit. I know now that what I was experiencing was a combination of bad fuel (only use Premium!!!), a stuck fuel gauge float thingie and inclines thwarting the fuel tank design. This is what happened:

The fuel sensor was sticking at the 1/2way point in my tank when low, so I never knew how much fuel I had below half a tank. Not used to the tiny tank size (about a gallon) it didn't occur to me that I was so low. Since the fuel out is at the front of the tank, an incline would mean the fuel is in the back of the tank, never reaching the fuel-out opening. So my fuel starvation issues were really fuel starvation, but not because of the scooter. Add to that the fact that I was using low and mid-grade gas which GREATLY impacted performance and it's a recipe for disaster. It was user ignorance and I know to not go below half a tank now. I didn't realize this until I stripped her down in January 2008 (8 months later!) and saw the tank.

The up-side to the "fuel starvation" fiasco was that I became intimately familiar with the inner workings of my scooter. Considering no shop in San Francisco (except for the blessed Mr. Scooter in the Mission district) would touch her, this skill was invaluable. She's easy to work on and learn with. Another positive to my idiocy was that every time I tried another "fix" it only improved her performance and my knowledge of her. While the parts aren't top of the line Laguna Seca worthy, they work and will last a while. The body panels are cheap plastic and have a tendency to crack at stress points (such as where my left sissy-bar presses the plastic on hard bumps). I can care less about this since it contributed to her low price point and meant I wouldn't cry if I dropped her. I've personally dropped her once (from a standstill of all embarrassing things) but plenty of parallel parked cars have backed into her. This has resulted in: road rash on her right mirror, cowl edges and back fairings and two broken left mirrors (hint: turn the mirrorstems inward to protect them. You'll still be able to see and the handlebars keep them protected).

Since discovering I was the source of the fuel starvation problem, the only other problem I had was when my exhaust gasket wore through in March. My mechanic had a spare and fixed her in 20min. She starts right up every chilly, damp morning and stays cool even after going WOT for 30 minutes in the 100+ degree heat. Every few months I checked her fluids, made sure everything was seated and tightened nuts and screws (vibration over time will loosen them and I don't want to Loktite them down).

She's reliably taken me through downtown San Francisco rush hour traffic, up and down the length of Austin on Mopac (both busy and empty traffic), and all over the Marin headlands and coast. Topping out at tooth-rattling 60-65mph won't win any races, but she's happy at 45-55 and that's all I need in the city.

The good:

- CHEAP!!$!! She was cheap to buy and is cheap to feed, insure and park (free!). I have a rule of thumb for vehicles: $1000/year. The vehicle should last at least a year for every grand I drop on it. She's passed that mark and seems to have years left in her.

- The underseat has enough room for a half-helmet or a 6-pack and a burrito from Gordo’s.

- The trunk alone holds about 2-3 bags of groceries. Adding my Nelson-Rigg CL-1000 saddlebags and a backpack and I'm hauling over 10 bags on her.

- The performance upgrade modified the engine to allow it to 'breathe' easier by installing an aftermarket air-filter, re-jetting and tuning the carburetor and then opening the exhaust some to relieve the extra air pressure for more low to mid-range torque for better acceleration off the line. She can pass a 600cc race bike from a dead start for all of half a second, which is satisfying and also let’s me maneuver easier for dead-start lane-splitting. It was affordable and done before she got to me.

- She's a pack mule. She'll carry anything I can put on her including: a 6ft cat condo, 10+ bags of groceries, 6ft 3panel shoji screen, broken down computer desk, microwave, 3 duffelbags of laundry, and a 6ft tall fiancee.

The bad:

- The trunk she comes with is cheap plastic with no insulation and a pathetic foam bottom liner that doesn't stay put. It's basically a bare box and I have a bungee running from the handle of the trunk to the sissy bar because whenever something’s in it and I hit a bump, the trunk usually flies open. The locking mechanism inside is exposed so if something hits it she’ll say “ah”.

- The dials aren’t lit so you’re guessing your speed at night. I see they fixed this in the new models.

- While technically it has an alarm, I've never heard of anyone using it.

- The kick start can be a bitch. I've never started on the first, second, or fifth try.

- Because of the tiny scooter fuel tank, and where the fuel-out is on the tank, I feel uneasy below half a tank. I don't even know if this can be considered a bad since I haven't had issues since realizing this.

The ugly:

- The body panels are a bitch to seat correctly when reassembling.

- The trunk barely passes muster. It's just good enough to let me be lazy and not buy a nicer one.

- I have a personal problem with the "cup holder". Why, for Pete's sake, why?! It's senseless.

- Tiny scooter tires get pulled into the gaping cracks that festoon San Francisco streets.

- Only 1 shop in San Francisco will work on her. The others declare her as Chinese crap and won't even look at her for an oil change.

The specs: 2007 Bandit RC-150z

CVT Automatic transmission

Max Speed: 55-60 Mph (Based on load, I’ve gotten to 65 many times and weigh 125lb)

Max Load: 330 Lbs

Net Weight: 214 Lbs

Power Plant: 149cc 4-Stroke, Forced Air-Cooling

Max Power: 9.7 HP @ 8000 rpm

Max Torque: 8.4 Lb-ft @ 6000 rpm

Tire Size/Type: 3.50 x 10" Air Filled Tubeless on Alum Wheels

Brakes: Hydraulic Front ABS Disc / Rear Drum

Shocks: Dual-Front / Single-Rear Coil over Dampers

Engine Start: Electric or Kick

Fuel Economy: 65-85 mpg (city vs. country and I weight 123)

Fuel Capacity: 1.3 Gallons

Overall Dims: 74x34x43"

Wheelbase: 51"

Seat Height: 28"

Certifications: DOT Compliant / EPA / CARB approved.

Parts can be found here: http://bandit-motorsports.com/scooter-parts/rc-150z.html

Jim is my dealer, and while they are sometimes slow (sometimes very very slow), they’ll talk you through any repair and bend over backwards to help you.

I take her to Mr.Scooter (1776 Mission St, SF) and he’s always fast, fair, and thorough (took her there when my exhaust gasket died and for a few oil changes). I always look over mechanic’s work and I never find anything wrong after he works on her.

I am 5'8" and seat her comfortably. I weigh about 125lb and have no problems with dead-start performance and getting up to 60+mph. I park on sidewalks and against buildings and was never ticketed for doing so.

I love my little blue scooter and she exceeded my expectations.

I expected cheaply made but functional. She needed to last a year, which is when I expected to want a size upgrade (I do and will be buying my fiance's CFMoto/QLink V3 250cc auto-motorcycle). I expected to have to fix a variety of problems over that year, but that the problems would be fixable.

What I got was a little workhorse. The parts aren't top of the line, but they're hardly crap. She's only had 1 problem outside of eventual wear and tear, and that turned out to be me. She does everything I ask of her and more. I'm buying the V3 because it's being sold to me for a ridiculous price, but I have no room to keep 2 bikes. I don't even consider moving to the 250cc an upgrade since I'll be trading all that storage space and the freedom to park anywhere I can fit. Sure I get larger tires, but someone's gonna be pissed if I hook up to a fence. I can go further afield, but I'll be losing my insanely good gas gas mileage by a bit and my insurance goes up.

She's a good scooter. Performs as well as any other on the street for a fraction of the price.

I am God

The last straw broke this morning. After a veritable monsoon from Thursday to Sunday, I expected my scooter to refuse to start. To my amazement, she purred right up, so off I head to work on a beautiful Monday morning full of insane commuters. About a quarter of the way, she dies. I can handle this, it's a problem that's haunted me since I got it. When she gets close to half a tank she acts like she's empty. The dealer and I have troubleshooted everything over the past 6 months, and he's sending me a free fuel pump to see if that doesn't fix things. Usually I can wait a few minutes and I can head to the nearest gas station to top off and be on my merry little way. But her tank was full this time, and she didn't start after the few minutes. After 10 minutes I had enough. I called work to say I was not coming in. I looked daggers at the scooter and got on the #5 Fulton bus back home. I hate the bus.

Once home, I armed myself with a full tool arsenal and bussed back. On a whim, I tried to start her...
... and she purred.

Not this time, bitch. I have declared a holy war against my fuel problem. That's right: jihad.

I rode her home and skinned her alive. The intricacies of the body panels tried to break my mind. It was like trying to disassemble an iguana, one scale at a time. Every time I thought I was making progress, I saw another piece I had to remove first.

After stripping the panels off, I drained the gas tank and removed the fuel lines, one by one, looking and blowing through them to remove any blockages. I even blew into the gas tank to ensure the line out was clear. I removed the carburetor, opened the float bowl, and checked for any blockages. I jiggled the floats to make sure they weren't stuck. I removed the air filter and made sure they were clean. I reassembled the carb. I checked the spark plug, removing and inspecting it. I changed the oil while I was at it. I put my fuel system back together again, rerouting for better feed.

I put the panels back on. It was like trying to put petals back on a rose. Dave had to come down to hold and help at the last. But finally she's done, she runs. 10am to 7pm. Any blockages she might have had are removed. The true test will be to see if she can go below the half-tank mark.

When I came back in, I saw my hands were black with grease, oil, and dirt. I had filthy streaks over my face, not quite Al Jolson-style. When I showered a river of black ran from me. I scrubbed myself raw, but my knuckles still seem dark.

A few weeks ago I installed after-market front blinkers (which required me to disassemble the cowling panels), realign the headlight, and install the left brake housing.

I am now sincerely of the opinion that I can take that bitch down to the frame and rebuild her again. I have won. I am GOD!

I'm also hungry and have ordered sushi delivery from my favorite joint. Hooray for my excellent mechanical skills. Hurrah for keen spatial relations abilities. Huzzah for a kickass set of tools. Hurray for delicious sushi delivery.

I rule.

Soft back break fix

I want to first apologize for posting while drunk on sake, but I wanted to post this before I forgot again.

Recently I've noticed that my back brakes (that's the left hand squeezer) has been getting awful soft lately. I could have the darned thing completely compressed and barely slow down.

Well, since some jerk had knocked my baby over, breaking off a mirror at the point of connection with the handlebars the morning beforehand, I decided to give Bandit a call.

I ordered my new brake housing thingy and told them about my squishy problem. The fix was simple, fast, and easy.

On the down side, they don't have the housing bit and are now on the search for it. I can wait, the mirror's in my trunk.

So the fix:

Look at the back tire of the scooter on the "driver's side". Attached to the drive chain housing is a little dingus. Bear with me. You're looking for a tube inside of a long spring. It's connected through a brassy piece and held in place by a strange looking nut on the end. That's your back brake tension line thing. Push the brassy thing toward the front of the scooter. Don't go nuts, just enough to release the tension.

Now turn the nut. Remember: rightie tightie, leftie loosey. Turn a few rotations, check the brake grip, adjust as needed.

I've recycled an old photo, circling the nut in question:


Now the nut is a funny shaped thing and not meant to sit any old way. It's shaped like this:

So don't get finicky about where it site.

Gonna finish my sake now. Adios!

What I've Learned

I don't really have anything to say about my Bandit per se, but thought I'd give any scooterists a heads up before moving to San Francisco.

1) Get full gear- You may never get to go faster than 40 mph, which could give some a sense of security, but it's friggin COLD in this city! My Joe Rocket Ballistic 5.0 pants are invaluable for keeping my thighs from freezing, as well as protecting my knees from hitting my cowling when I hit a hard pothole. They're also great for keeping me dry when I sit on my mist-dampened seat in the morning. My full face Shark helmet keeps the bits of gravel out of my cheek-flesh. My Frank Thomas Jacket keeps the chill fog off of me. I need to upgrade my gloves because my fingers are numb by the time I get home in the evenings.

2) Saddlebags and bungees are your friends- This city is kind of a pain in the butt to get around in. Streets mysteriously turn into one-ways (going the wrong way) and there's the ever present chill. Having saddlebags allows me to: have my kungfu gear at the ready after work, get groceries on the way home, stash my gear when I go into a place. The bungees are perfect for those constant sidewalk find (see previous posts for examples).

3) 150cc is enough, but you'll always want more power- these hills are steep, and while I can climb them just fine, there's no oomph. Maybe in a few years I'll get a 250cc.

4) There's a LOT of potholes- I normally don't like the look of the bigger diameter tires, but they'd definately come in handy when traversing a pothole that could hold a child's swimming pool. As it is, my swerving is now top notch.

5) Know where the gas stations are- because they're often hidden or clustered far from each other. It's kind of panic inducing to run out of gas and have no idea where the nearest one may be when you're on your way to work. I keep about $2 in change under the seat for emergencies.

6) You'll probably want a scooter cover- with fog as thick as shag carpeting every night, you're pretty much guaranteed a dripping wet scooter in the morning. I'm not taking artistic license: my scooter is literally WET every morning. Water pools in the butt-scopp of my seat, the grooves in the floorboards, and in my readouts. If I smack little Gumi, water will rain off of her. I don't have a cover (yet) so I'm glad of my water/wind-proof pants and the rag I keep under the seat. I'm starting to get rust, though, and I'm not sure if I can "repair" that.

Saddlebags

These are the saddlebags that I got from NewEnough.com:



They're surprisingly large! I keep the stiffening bottoms out of them so I don't have to take up as much room when they're empty (Gumiho already has a large enough ass). They hang from the bottom of the seat to an inch or so below the body and their length covers the entire wheel bulge. About 3 plastic grocery bags fit in each bag. They have powerful velcro top straps so I can adjust them to contour to her body. The bottom tie downs are attached to the passenger footpeg at the front and go underneath the panel to the frame for the back straps. I have to push down a bit to get the under-seat to shut, but it's a trivial thing. They also have a foamy sheeting so her body won't get scratched up by the cortech fabric.

Lookie what I can do!

That is a 5+ foot tall, brand new kitty condo. I drove it through slow neighborhood streets, maxing out at about 15mph across 17 blocks and one seriously steep hill. Had some funny looks, but my fella on his CFMoto V3 was behind me, keeping an eye on the balance, and defencing me from approaching cars.

So far this is the largest thing I've hauled: Japanese Shoji screen, computer desk, 10 bags of groceries, and now a kitty condo. Gumiho's quite the little pack-mule! In recognition of her hard working nature, I bought some saddlebags off of NewEnough.com for her (see the reflection by my knee?) for a mere $70. I can now store my riding gear AND kungfu gear on her, and still have room for books and lunch!

And yes, the cats do seem to like their new kitty condo.