........and I hope the guys that have had tranny trouble will weigh in and refresh our info. on these fast, powerful,great looking,heavy-duty framed bikes.I want one bad!But I can't pull the trigger `til I know if Avanti will take care of the problem.Their names are:Davel,Dick R.,Sean, and some others I forget.All had rear wheel lock-up.I asked them for the latest they've heard from Avanti or the dealers.Any thoughts?
Hey Don-Ohio, do you think the dealer will tell you the straight of it? Doug D.
I just cannot see there being no answer to the trany thing. The mopeds are nice and they are cheap for what you get and they do look sturdy. Somebody has to have a fix. It would really suck if the Avanti faulters because of a gear. I really might have considered some of them that have been sold on Ebay with the ending prices as low as they have been for a brand new one. With my luck, they will come out with a free fix for anyone who owns an Avanti the day after all of the good deals are gone and they start selling for the same as a Tomos or something.
i know at least one guy in the janus branch of moped army who's happy w/ his avanti.
also ... i think i remember reading that most of those problems were caused by people not putting oil in the gear casings. if that's the case, then it's not a really a problem at all for someone who's used to maintaining mopeds.
I don't know,Miguel.It just doesn't seem that simple to me.I'm very leery of a NEW `ped that locks up `cause it's low on oil and doesn't even give a tell-tale sound or whine.I will inquire as to this possibility `cause I know you're right that Avanti dealers have been remiss about filling the trannies correctly in SOME cases.I'll certainly let the forum know if I find out anything.Meanwhile,I'd hold off on buying one,myself.
yeah, i checked my gearbox and it had very little oil in it, so that's probably why it locked up. now I have to find out what broke in result of it not being lubricated.
can someone tell me what kind of oil I am supposed to put in the gearbox?? thanks alot
E-mail twein@bright.net `cause he's a dealer that's been thru this whole scenario with a kid named Sean from West Virginia.
The way I understood the problem it was a clutch washer(neoprene?)that was defective.I could see that heating up and failing.But it seems pretty chincy that running low on fluid would cause a full-fledged lock-up at 30+ mph.Hmmm?
i do know that running w/o gearbox oil in a minarelli engien will wreck the clutch. of course, it could be other things. but i remember reading (and have some confirmation above) that that was it.
the avanti is the new garelli ... so it should take the same, sae 30 motor oil (non-detergent). but if someone knows differently, let me know. check the owner's manual. it should say.
during the break-in period you should probably fill and then drain it after maybe a month or so and then refil it again. i refil mine at the stat of each riding season (sometimes twice a year).
Right,Miguel.But these are definitely different from a Minarelli or Franco-Morini,which are very similar.These expand a rubber washer like the Garelli of olden times,I think.That's how the starter clutch engages.I may e-mail twein@bright.net and ask Tony Weinfurtner about it.He's only 44 miles south of here at Ironton,OH.He's also a Tomos dealer.I've been meaning to `ped down there and see him,but I can 't pull some of those awesome hills on Rt.93.I may find a scenic route some other way,but it would be a long trip.I haven't as yet received any answer from Davel,Sean,or DickR. about their findings.
Guys,believe it or not,some dealer on e-bay e-mailed a reply to me sayin' he didn't believe there was ANY tranny problem on the Supersport.He said it was BS !! I told him in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that he'd better get rid of his stubborn attitude right now and investigate with an open mind.I told him people's lives could be at risk.He hasn't mailed back.I chewed him out pretty good for his `jar-headedness'.He deserved it,believe you me! I had brought it to his attention to help him also.What an INGRATE !
Don
I must have called or e-mailed the importer of my Avanti Supersport dozens of times. He has been unresponsive to the point where I am looking into legal action against him and J & J of Phoenix. I really love this bike, but the tranny rattling and vibration tells me something is seriously wrong. My Supersport is new and I have only 150 miles on it. I wish I could get a shop manual or at least the pages concerning the tranny. From what I have read recently suggests the washer problem and if I can't get them to honor the warrenty or legal action isn't practical ....I must repair it myself. If anyone has experience in the R and R of this washer please let me know.
Also, I resent those people who suggest that if anything goes wrong with your Avanit....it's your own fault.
thanks to all the moped guys for posting and keeping all of us informed.
Dick,
Sorry, I can't help, but I'm sure someone else can. You may want to search for Avanti and lockup, I recall a moped dealer posting on this subject. He may be able to help.
Meanwhile....
> Also, I resent those people who suggest that if anything goes wrong with your
> Avanit....it's your own fault.
Of course it's your fault, if you had not ridden it, this would never have happened. : )
Ron
Well...As far as my (Multiple lockups on the way home) experience....It did happen a day after I had gotten my Supersport back from engine mods so it's not entirely out of the question they did not have something put back together right in my case (Not the case of the others lockups though)...And for the question of oil...Yes...There was oil in the tranny of sufficient quantity...Straight 30Weight is was is called for by Avanti...
Right,Dick! Keep us informed as it could be very dangerous on wet roads or on downhill turns.I'm thinking it might be a `batch' problem.You know,like a certain shift of a certain factory received bad washers or a batch of bad washers or possibly they were assembled incorrectly.BUT the problem is there and if I hear anything I'll let you know,man!I'm just glad when I got full rear wheel lock-up the other day I was only going 20 on a slight curve on dry road in town.That was due to my assembling the brakes wrong months ago on my Sebring.
It's pointing me toward either a bad assembly line or a bad run of washers,Dave I.What do you suspect?Personally,I don't like the thought of rubber or neoprene in a hot tranny with gear oil.Seems like a poor set-up to me.Seals in general fail often enough,let alone a spacer which I assume has direct side pressure exerted on it.
Hey Don, I have been following these post, sounds like a poor setup, mabe to absorbe tranne noise, like the Tomos used metal shims/washers to stabalize there gears, but has a "built-in" whine, If you buy one, I would concider changing the rubber bushings.... Doug D. (VA)
............don't worry about ME buyin' one `cause I ain't got money to throw away on an unproven set-up.I like the looks of them and their big,tough set-up,but I'm not gonna `guinea-pig' for Avanti dealers.It probably is a rubber washer defect,but I AIN'T takin' the chance.They've gotta convince me it's solved first.
Mine was filled by the guys at minitrailbikes.com, and they checked, rechecked and test rode my bike before releasing it to me. I think the dealer makes a big difference in the product. I bought my last moped, a Puch Korado from steve's moped, and while the bike was good, I was somewhat peeved by their treatment of customers. I bought this bike at mini trail bikes, and it is doing well. If the tranny was low upon shipping, they surely filled it up. I also drained and refilled my tranny after breakin with ATF fluid, and she is running great. My Avanti was stolen, crashed at least twice and recovered within the first month of me owning it, and it is still holding up after I replaced the locks, gas cap and head tube bearings, and unbent the pedals and touched up the paint. My only complaint is the slow acceleration and poor hillclimbing when going up steep mountains, which I have in my area. A few engine mods should fix that tho.
Finally!!!!!!! I got my Avanti AutoPower repaired under warranty. The only way this could happin was with a little luck. I came across a really nice fellow who knows his stuff and cares about his customers........Hopefully this concept will catch on. He has a small dealership he operates from his home in Barstow, CA. Best prices, and service with a smile.
David Rosse
Family Fun Machines
Barstow, CA
760-256-5986
Tomos, Avanti, Hero Majestic
That's great to hear,Dick! Now are you certain it won't recur?What did this dealer say?Thanks!
No I'm not sure, but I understand this was a batch problem. Dispite the delays I had in getting it fixed, this is a fine, well built moped and it's fast. While I was waiting for the repair, the dealer gave me a brochure of the new Tomos Revival......and they look HOT.
Okay,Dave!That's great! I may buy one yet.In other words,the problem may have been isolated to a few score or a few hundred `peds and you just happened to get the lemon parts,right?You don't think it was a lack of putting enough tranny oil in then,as was previously thought by some?Also,I like the Tomos Revival but it's no bigger than a regular Tomos is it?Quite a bit smaller than the Supersport?Thanks!
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