(PT. 2) Assembly and FIRST RIDE of the most HATED scooter on the internet: Living with a Tao Tao

In my experience working as a technician in independent motorcycle shops I worked on everything from CVO Harley Davidsons to Honda CT90s. But there was one bike that always stood out with exceptionally poor quality. The Tao Tao 50cc GY6 (139QMB) scooter. And now I'm going to put this scooter to the test and find out if they really are little money pits, or if the issues with the bike are a result of the people who buy these kinds of scooters.

So I purchased a Tao Tao "Pony" ATM 50 and my plan is to make it my main means of transportation for 6 months. Yes from June 1st to January 1st this little scooter is going to be my daily driver. I'll be logging all of the miles, issues and expenses of keeping this scooter running in a log. Doing this will allow me to present a true cost of ownership at the end of this experiment.

The Tao Tao Pony 50 is based on the generic GY6 139QMB platform. They were sold under many different "Brand" names like Wolf, Bintelli, Fly, Rocketa, MotoBravo and Dongfang just to name a few. You may be riding one and not even know it!

In this "Unboxing video" I go through the steps it takes to get your scooter out of its crate and get it road ready. That means 3 basic steps: Uncrating, Assembly and initial set up (as per the PDI checklist)

Getting the scooter out of the crate was a little trickier than I am used to. I think this might have been my first all-steel crate. Normally the base of the crate is wood and there is room to put a flat jack under the scooter to lift the front out of its hold and install the front wheel. Because this crate was flat on the ground there really wasn't room for me to do that. I ended up just lifting it out of crate and setting it on its center stand. That really would have been easier if I had another technician to lend a hand.

The assembly process includes installing the front wheel, installing the headset or handlebar assembly, installing the top case, installing the mirrors, and the front panel. All the nuts and bolts needed to install these components on the bike were provided in a ziplock bag but there were no instructions on what went where or even a depiction of what the fasteners were.

The set up or PDI (pre delivery inspection) is the most crucial step in insuring your scooter will be reliable. The PDI is depicted on the "Pre Delivery Checksheet" that was stuffed into the owners manual. The check sheet has a list of around 30 items that need to be addressed before the scooter is ready to hit the road. The engine oil needs to be drained prior to starting the engine. The scooter's crank case is filled with SHIPPING OIL to protect against fires in shipping. It is still oil and slightly lubricous, but it is nowhere near the quality of oil needed for a long lasting engine. The valves need to be adjusted. I found the exhaust valve on my tao tao was set far too tight right out of the box. I'm actually not even sure if would have even started. The engine idle speed needs to be set to 1700 RPM +or- 100 RPM. I set my idle speed using my digital manometer. While checking the spark plug gap I found that the spark plug installed in my engine was an off-brand plug that I did not trust so I replaced it with an NGK CR7HSA.

The parts used in this video are:
Bel-Ray 10w40: https://amzn.to/3d623vR
Bel-Ray 80/90 Hypoid gear oil: https://amzn.to/2N3yFft
NGK CR7HSA spark plug: https://scooter911.com/shop/ngk-cr7hs...

I set the idle using this Digi Synch Manometer/Synchronizer: https://amzn.to/37B81nl

Follow my experiment in real time! Here is a link to my Tao Tao log/Health Report!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

If you want to keep up with this project between videos be sure to follow me on social media!

Instagram:   / garretseesingofficial  
Twitter: @SeesingGarret
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#TaoTao #Gy6 #Scooter