I live in Oregon, which means it rains more often than it shines and occasionally we see snow that is poorly managed. I am planning to purchase the XB-610 model at the beginning of next month (woo student loans check!) and would like to know if it would fry if I rode it in the rain. I know the Lithium ones actually say waterproof, which leads me to wonder if it would be possible to weather-proof the 610, if it isn't already.
Also, on the topic of a (hopefully) fantastic purchase, would this seat a seven year old (50lbs) behind me (180lbs) very well?
Chinese scooters have something of a reputation for shorting their accessory systems in wet conditions. If the profit margin on the "mopeds" is lower than on the scooters, I'd be going over the thing with clear caulk and shrink tubing - after soldering most of the connections...
Liquid tape is also very useful for weather-proofing electrics. Amazon.com sells it.
Also I would go anywhere near snow on a powered two-wheeled vehicle. Slide-outs happen so fast.
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
"would" or "would not"?
Some motorcyclists seem able to handle themselves on the snow but it obviously takes special care.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
I do not yet have it, so perhaps the answer will become obvious once it is in my care, but I would rather ask a stupid question and receive an obvious answer than assume it is obvious and be wrong:
Is there anything that needs air? If so...
What parts would I need to seal, without risking sealing something that needs to get air in?
How do I ensure those parts aren't damaged, while getting proper ventilation?
I do not have very much electrical knowledge, aside from hobby-building computers and getting stuck tapes out of VCRs. I do have hopes of learning quite a bit with this purchase, though, and am glad to see there is an active forum involving it.
So far as I have been able to read, most of the wiring between the 600 and the 610 is similar or identical.
On another note: Also found Liquid Tape at Wal*Mart.
I or my wife have ridden the XB600 nearly every working day, year round, for the past two years. We have NEVER had a water related problem.
We keep the scoot under a waterproof tarp when it is not in use, and our worksite parking is covered.
There are a few qualifications, however:
The XB600 is lightly built, and the weight distribution is very rear-biased. This meas that handling in slick conditions (mud or slush) is marginal - both of us have dropped the scoot in slick conditions.
The head bearing tension is critical; without proper adjustment (with ANY looseness), it is likely to produce an aggressive shimmy that will leave you on the ground.
I think it would still be a good idea to waterproof whatever you can; there are a lot of critical connections in the splash zone in front of the rear wheel. I wold keep the controller itself outside of the waterproof connection zone - it needs exposure to keep from overheating. You can see some pix I took of my controller area at:
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa122/mf70/XB-600/
Mark