Solo 154 FD Review

[Deleted Member 4613]

Check this out. The user does not like the Solo 154 engine and recommends
the Zenoah G43L:

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I've never cared for friction drives. I wear my tires out quick enough from the bottom side. I don't need to wear it out twice as fast from the bottom side and top side lol. Mike I like your alternative for friction drive users. Then add in a triple chainring up front with a rear derailleur and you have more pedal assist options.

 

[darwin]

Dunno to me the jury is still out. He doesn't seem to know a lot about the motor. It purred while idling. Does it cut out, stall or what? Is it lacking power? What oil mix is he using? Need way more info before I'd diss it. No doubt the Z is a great motor.

 

[CENTURION]

I have the 142 2.5 HP, and in the beginning I too could not get it to run properly. That sponge in the vent hose clogs up, so I removed it. Took the non adjustable Walbro carb off and cleaned it, and got rid of the air cleaner, now it's a powerhouse. I have had it up to 33 MPH. The mid-range is great on these, mine still bogs a little at wide open ( I think the wheel is out running the drive and engine). I believe these were on a line of fishing ice augers? The real problem is the fuel consumption, that .7 liter tank only gets about 4 miles on mine. The Stanton drive is really nice, I may get another with the Honda engine

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I have the 142 2.5 HP, and in the beginning I too could not get it to run properly. That sponge in the vent hose clogs up, so I removed it. Took the non adjustable Walbro carb off and cleaned it, and got rid of the air cleaner, now it's a powerhouse. I have had it up to 33 MPH. The mid-range is great on these, mine still bogs a little at wide open ( I think the wheel is out running the drive and engine). I believe these were on a line of fishing ice augers? The real problem is the fuel consumption, that .7 liter tank only gets about 4 miles on mine. The Stanton drive is really nice, I may get another with the Honda engine

That sponge in the vent hose is a filter to remove exhaust gases, allowing the oil to act as a cooling system. On my RS35 the recommended oil change is every 50 hours of use. However I change mine every 25 hours of use. My engine is 12 years old and has 4450 hours on it.

 

[CENTURION]

On these Solo 2 stroke engines, that filter is just on the end of a hose that runs in the tank up the filler neck, to vent the tank. If it's restricted in any way the engine dies. The effect was immediate when I removed it, it will also fragment and little pieces will end up in the carb. These engines will run, and they are powerful. I had luck with removing/disassembling and cleaning the carb, removing the tank vent filter, and removing the air filter. I feel his frustration, it sucked out of the box.

 

[Deleted Member 4613]

Could be he should join this forum and get some needed advice.
You guys are extremely helpful. I bet you could get his
engine running. On FD tire wear, they say it's possible to
get 1,000 miles on Maxxis Hookworm tires, which seem
perfect for FD. One more point, I posted how to mod the
Huasheng 142F for more power, and now it's the most
powerful motor I have which I mated to an EZ q-matic
tranny.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

On these Solo 2 stroke engines, that filter is just on the end of a hose that runs in the tank up the filler neck, to vent the tank. If it's restricted in any way the engine dies. The effect was immediate when I removed it, it will also fragment and little pieces will end up in the carb. These engines will run, and they are powerful. I had luck with removing/disassembling and cleaning the carb, removing the tank vent filter, and removing the air filter. I feel his frustration, it sucked out of the box.

When you said 142 I thought you were talking about a 4 stroke.

 

[Deleted Member 4613]

Yes.

 

[darwin]

Mike, this is just my 2c. FD is a great simple, reliable ride for a hobbyist in good weather. You can't beat the price to make a motorized ride out of a bicycle. Less moving parts, easy to install etc.. Yes it does wear the rear tire prematurely and it slips in wet weather hence the good weather suggestion. Just pure fun and a blast to feel like a kid again. Tire pressure and roller pressure on the tire are very important issues to make the tire last as long as possible, never start out with the throttle. always peddle a few feet then throttle it to keep the roller from rolling on a tire at rest. Bike tires are relatively cheap in the overall picture.