Suzuki Info.."Murray" Moped, too

Reeperette /

Jul 04, 2000 06:26PM

Ok, i have a Suzuki Fa-50, not the very best of mopeds, but the price was right.

First off, the damn thing tends to seize at high throttle, oil injector is functioning perfectly and the mix is correct, and the plug is the correct type and has the tan color indicated by good mixture - so why the hell is it seizing ? i've no clue...any suggestions would be welcome.

Second, anyone know where i can get parts or service manuals for this POS ? - one of the rings is cracked as it is, and i am out of spares - looks prettymuch identical to a Tomos piston, but you cannot 'eyeball' cylinder tolerances.

Third - fair warning, if you get a chance to buy an Fa-50..don't.

No force on earth can keep the exhaust system bolts from rattling loose after about 5-10 miles, not washers and not thread-loc, i am considering drilling them out and retapping them for SAE thread, which might help a little bit.

Takeoff accelleration sucks completely, due to the unusual snowmobile-type transmission mounted to this engine, however, the plus side of that is a high top speed - IF you can keep it from seizing up completely when it gets there.

The Suspension and Electricals suck as well (6V systems as a whole, generally do), and should you need parts - you are up the creek, it seems.

That being said - Also....

Have a friend that got a moped called a "Murray" - right now it's mostly in a box in his garage and he wants to restore it..by all that i can tell it's really a Puch Maxi, the engine is for sure...so anyone know where under that name it might have been sold ?

Guys got a bunch of stuff to build them with, mostly Califo and Rizzata <sp>? parts...any preferences or suggestions there ?

RE: Suzuki Info.."Murray" Moped, too

leo /

Jul 08, 2000 06:02PM

hey man

i am at the library now and dont have access to a friends phone number

who has a couple of those lying around in his garage. he works on little

bikes like i do and he has some parts. e-mail later and ill give you his

numberReeperette wrote:

>

> Ok, i have a Suzuki Fa-50, not the very best of mopeds, but the

> price was right.

>

> First off, the damn thing tends to seize at high throttle, oil

> injector is functioning perfectly and the mix is correct, and

> the plug is the correct type and has the tan color indicated by

> good mixture - so why the hell is it seizing ? i've no

> clue...any suggestions would be welcome.

>

> Second, anyone know where i can get parts or service manuals

> for this POS ? - one of the rings is cracked as it is, and i am

> out of spares - looks prettymuch identical to a Tomos piston,

> but you cannot 'eyeball' cylinder tolerances.

>

> Third - fair warning, if you get a chance to buy an

> Fa-50..don't.

>

> No force on earth can keep the exhaust system bolts from

> rattling loose after about 5-10 miles, not washers and not

> thread-loc, i am considering drilling them out and retapping

> them for SAE thread, which might help a little bit.

>

> Takeoff accelleration sucks completely, due to the unusual

> snowmobile-type transmission mounted to this engine, however,

> the plus side of that is a high top speed - IF you can keep it

> from seizing up completely when it gets there.

>

> The Suspension and Electricals suck as well (6V systems as a

> whole, generally do), and should you need parts - you are up

> the creek, it seems.

>

> That being said - Also....

>

> Have a friend that got a moped called a "Murray" - right now

> it's mostly in a box in his garage and he wants to restore

> it..by all that i can tell it's really a Puch Maxi, the engine

> is for sure...so anyone know where under that name it might

> have been sold ?

>

> Guys got a bunch of stuff to build them with, mostly Califo and

> Rizzata <sp>? parts...any preferences or suggestions there ?

Help ----

Ryan Price /

Jul 09, 2000 01:03PM

ok - here is some info for ya. - -

I used to own an FA50 (1991 - last year they were produced) and I had the same "sieze up" problem with the engine. Here is a tip. A Brown spark plug is a sign of Not Enough Oil in the mixture. Thats what happened to mine, it ran out of oil, and I rode it for about 50 or so miles before It started siezing. What you might want to do is drain the oil tank on it, and manualy mix the oil and gas together. Your injector MIGHT be working, but not getting enough oil into the system. I would use a mixutre of 32;1 which is pretty standard. Now as for parts. Easy - go to your local Suzuki dealer, and dont let them tell you they dont have the parts, or that they cant get them. They are made brand new in Japan at the factory the FA50 is still availible in Japan, but not the US. You can get any little part your heart desires from new pistons, to new rubber mounts, to new Bolts for the Muffler.

Whats probably wrong with your muffler coming loose is that your threads are a little buggered up. Redrilling would work, also try putting some lock washers on them. shurg

Anyway - need any more info, let me know,

Ry

RE: Help ----

Reeperette /

Jul 09, 2000 10:51PM

Thanks bunches Ryan !

I think i might have to actually go as far as 25:1....because i did just that, emptied and pre-mixed at 32:1 and it's still doing the same thing.

As for the muffler, the big bugbear in the works was that main bolt on the right side, but after all of that, i used one of those metal strapping kits you use on auto exhaust systems, and went once around the pipe and spun it round the cargo rack twice and them bolted it there...that holds it up and keeps the bolts from coming loose so easily, especially when you coat them in threadloc and use lockwashers or daisy-rings.

(I suggest this trick to other Fa-50 owners too, it does work, even if it's not pretty)

Will try the suzuki dealers some more, but yeah, "we don't carry parts for it" is their official line right now.

Thanks again,

Ree.

RE: Help ----

Ryan Price /

Jul 10, 2000 02:18PM

Here is a tip for ya with the dealers. If they have the computer system - dont tell them moped, just say do you have parts for a Suzuki FA50? Thats what I finaly had to do. If THAT dosent work, tell them - hey they stoped making them in 1991, and I know you still carry parts for them, or at least can order them. Heck - I took my 1995 Kasea to the Suzuki dealer who SOLD it four years prior, and he told me they didnt have parts. I said - "Oh yah? Then how come I got a receipt from the lady I bought it that showes you serviced it in Aug?" THAT got a responce. They "Mysterously" found the parts book, and was able to order from then on I havent had problems with it.

On the Seizing problem. The only other sugestion I can think of is to replace the whole pison and ring assembly. Your piston is probably scored pretty bad by now (as it was on mine). Also - if you have a good (and I mean GOOD) motorcycle shop nearby - try them - see what they think.

Ry

RE: Suzuki Info.."Murray" Moped, too

Reeperette /

Jul 11, 2000 07:45PM

Done replaced it all, Everything but the four studs on up..stripped em from the parts bike.

One of the rings is cracked, but till i can hammer another set out of the Suzuki Dealer, we're kind of stuck on that issue.

They knew the Fa-50 was a moped, alas...i had indeed tried that old trick on them - the shop in Ann Arbor is a lil more friendly, even if the sales floor has almost nothing but Hondas on it. (and this is a Suzuki dealer !)

Have tried every cycle and machine shop in town, none of them have it, and no one has or is willing to admit to having machinery that could maybe bore it out 10-over (which might work with oversize rings...)

Also, there's the matter of getting a piston...even wiseco couldn't find one that'd fit - so, we will see in Ann Arbor this weekend.

Did fix the mixing problem, however - it went all the way to 20:1 before it would stop misbehaving.

The one good note about this bike is the high top speed, although i am still a bit leery of holding it there for any length of time.

Lil trick for anyone mixing 20:1 - too.

Get a 5 gallon gas can, and pour a whole quart of 2-cycle oil in the bottom, then fill it up- Bingo, five gallons of 20:1 pre-mix.

Easy as pie.

Thanks again for all the help, guys.

Ree.

MOPED ARMY

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