Cagiva Planet

[GranDieu]

This is really a bodoh question but I would definitely feel better for asking it...

 

The Planet has 6 gears right? At what speeds are we supposed to shift up? All I have to go on is my knowledge of car gears which the rule of thumb says 2nd at 20km/h, 3rd at about 30-40 km/h, 4th from 40-80 km/h and 5th above 80 km/h. Does the same apply for bikes? If so, when does one use the 6th?

 

Friends who drive tell me to look at the tachometre when driving but bikes normally don't have that... all I have to go on is the engine sound and the level of vibration. Any advice?

[jagermeister]

mwahhahhaa.... finally i got my planet today!!...

 

Does any one have the contacts and addr of excel?

[jagermeister]

GranDieu,

 

The way you change is by feel..... no set rpm then up shift. I should think a 2-stroke can reach 7-12K rpm easily. I think planet can take high rpm.

 

So you want to chiong, just ram it then upshift when you "song" , make damn sure the engine has warmed up sufficiently before you do that...... else ride leisurely.

[jagermeister]

Yo GranDieu,

 

Where do you stay? Wanna meet up some weekend? I stay in the west.

 

Any planeters still hanging around this thread?

[skiner]

Hi guys,

 

Wanted to buy a Planet.

Know of any good bike to take over or anyone selling?

 

Thanks!

[jagermeister]

You wanna try this guy? Think is Damien, 96948758.

 

Red planet.

[jagermeister]

Minerva just got stocks for Planet air filters. Get it while stock last. Call before you go down....

[jagermeister]

Hi all planeters,

 

Not sure if you have this experience. Previously, when I did not have an air filter, the first 10-15 minutes of idling after starting was very very low rpm. If I do not give it gentle squeeze on the throttle, the engine will cut-off.

 

Today I just installed an air filter. After starting, the idling was very regular and then even after 10-15 minutes, the engine idle at a reasonable rpm with a beautiful note.

 

I guess the air filter must have restricted some air into the carbs and the fuel/air mix burns more cleanly. Previously, it must have choked with too much air....

 

Also with an air filter, I notice that my white smoke also reduced drastically...

[GranDieu]

Originally posted by jagermeister@Feb 5 2005, 10:21 AM

Yo GranDieu,

 

Where do you stay? Wanna meet up some weekend? I stay in the west.

 

Any planeters still hanging around this thread?

Hi jaegermeister,

 

Sorry for the late reply... was out of SG.

 

I live in the city, around the Rochor area. I would love to meet up with some fellow Planet riders... got so many questions

 

About my previous problems of not being able to start the bike, I think I have narrowed the cause down.

 

According to some overseas Planet/Mito riders, the battery only starts recharging at about 6000 RPM. I am quite the relaxed type of rider (read as: SLOW), plus the Planet is very anti-social at high RPMs, so I think what happened was that the battery wasn't charging at all or only a little bit.

 

When trying to restart, the battery probably has enough to power the lights but not enough to crank the motor. The solution at this LL point is to push start, then ram the bike a few rounds and hope the battery takes the charge this time.

 

My only problem now is... how to figure out how much is 6000 RPM? The Planet has no tacho...

 

p/s: Bloody fish, the bike died on me again today... I am fast becoming the push start specialist...

[jagermeister]

Yo GranDieu,

 

I thot ur starting problem lies with ur loose electric connection?

 

Mine initially have starting problem and keeping it idling as well.

 

So I apply choke before I start and push "zie" button....

 

After that I close the choke, and then squeeze the throttle a bit to let it rip for 1 sec or two.... switch on headlight and off i go. Never did let it warm up a bit. Of course the first 5 min I do not rev too high rpm.

 

Try it and see how.

 

On ur recharhing question.... Erm.... U can try to do e-way on Sundays 3rd gear at 80km/h..... I think it should be at 6K and above rpm liao...

 

[GranDieu]

Originally posted by jagermeister@Feb 13 2005, 12:01 PM

Yo GranDieu,

 

I thot ur starting problem lies with ur loose electric connection?

 

Mine initially have starting problem and keeping it idling as well.

 

So I apply choke before I start and push "zie" button....

 

After that I close the choke, and then squeeze the throttle a bit to let it rip for 1 sec or two.... switch on headlight and off i go. Never did let it warm up a bit. Of course the first 5 min I do not rev too high rpm.

 

Try it and see how.

 

On ur recharhing question.... Erm.... U can try to do e-way on Sundays 3rd gear at 80km/h..... I think it should be at 6K and above rpm liao...

 

Loose connections was what the mech (Fat Boy?) at Minerva told me. But since he tightened it and they are still tight, I think it has to do with battery drainage. My problem now and back then is exactly the same... press starter, got a feeble sound but no crank. Push start, ride for a while and see the lights getting dimmer.

 

I just had a look at the battery I have and its a piece of shi* from China... doesn't even have a brand. It might have nothing to do with the battery but I think I will change it... these funny brands, better don't trust.

 

I am thinking of going down to Excel to do a full service + change tyres + change battery. Have you tried them and if yes, are they any good? Previous posts said the expert mech there had left so I am really torn between going to Minerva and getting chopped or going to Excel since I intend to get my tyres and battery there.

 

In the meantime, I got myself a voltmetre so will do some of the electrical tests described by the gurus here and see what turns up.

 

And as an aside, I came across a much easier method for push starting. Use 2nd instead of 1st gear... I find that I need to run less... like I said, fast becoming push start specialist liao

[jagermeister]

hi,

 

i have no experience with excel or minerva services as yet. only visited minerva parts dept.

 

I also changed my tyres from a neighbourhood shop in AMK. Services lkinda okay lah... not as pro as I would like... So no comment.

 

Tyres, I think mine costs 270 for front and rear. Batts? I heard the AMK shop charges 50-60..... thereabouts.

 

It looks like ur starting problem is more serious than thought earlier.

 

Good luck man! Thanks for the push-start tip....... might need it someday... u never know what will happen with a 7 yr old bike...

 

Cheers! I'm out.

[GranDieu]

God!!!! I so want to kick myself!!!

 

Remember all my starter problems? Well, it appears to be cause by DIRTY CONNECTIONS. Yes.... all that push starting because I 'thought' (I think, I thought, who confirm???) the battery spoil, rectifier spoil, everything spoil but the connections are clean.

 

I happened to come across a bottle of cheapo contact cleaner and decided to give it a shot and turns out that I should have tried the most basic of remedies... my advice if you have any electrical problems would be:

 

1) Check for loose connections

 

2) Clean your contacts

[jagermeister]

Okay man... chill...

 

So what is the contact cleaner brand?

 

which connectors did you exactly sprayed those cleaners into to clean up?

 

Cheers! and Happy biking

[jonathan543]

hi guys... sorry dun have time to read all the posts in this thread... i'm pretty torn between aprilia rs125 & cagiva planet... how much does it costs roughly? left one or two yrs fine with me wor...

[jagermeister]

You wanna try this guy? Think is Damien, 96948758.

 

Red planet.

 

Think he posted in the classisifed section in Singaporebikes.... think he is quoting 1.9k or something.

[GranDieu]

Originally posted by jagermeister@Feb 15 2005, 08:03 PM

Okay man... chill...

 

So what is the contact cleaner brand?

 

which connectors did you exactly sprayed those cleaners into to clean up?

 

Cheers! and Happy biking

The contact cleaner is called 'Super Jackie: Spray 60'. I got it at Cold Storage for about $5. The size is slightly smaller than a standard can of WD40. The brand sounds like something from Taiwan or China but its really American, if you believe the can label.... LOL But it works so I have no complaints.

 

These are the connectors I cleaned:

 

1) Both fuses (pull them out and wipe them down)

 

2) The starter and indicator lights relays (those 2 square things just above and behind your battery; pull off the plugs connected and one has a 2 pin and the other has a 4 pin connectors. Wipe them down too and when plugging back, you should hear and feel a solid 'click'.)

 

3) Rectifier (black hex shaped object bolted down, just underneath the seat. Has a longish plug with 2 catches at the side and 4 wires leading out. Press down on the catches and slowly unplug as it can be tight and you don't want to break it. You should see 4 or 5 metal connectors. Wipe them down.)

 

4) Starter relay motor (Stand behind your bike and look at the battery. The motor is a small, roundish device on the left, slightly behind the battery. You should be able to see a metallic part showing. Go to the left of your bike and squat down. There is 3 cables going in, 2 with rubber coverings and the 3rd without. The 3rd cable is also the one in the centre. Pull it out, apply cleaner on a cotton bud and push into the cavity where the plug goes in and clean the 2 pin connectors inside.)

 

After doing the above, all my electrical systems show a marked improvement in performance. Even cranking the bike now seems to be faster i.e. no choke needed. I think this cleaning should be done once every 2 weeks or so as a preventive maintenance.

 

Hope this is of help to newbie riders like myself!

[GranDieu]

Originally posted by jonathan543@Feb 15 2005, 11:20 PM

hi guys... sorry dun have time to read all the posts in this thread... i'm pretty torn between aprilia rs125 & cagiva planet... how much does it costs roughly? left one or two yrs fine with me wor...

When I was looking for my bike, I too wanted either a RS125 or Planet. Both should cost in the region of between $2K to high end of $3K, depending on the age of the bike and condition. Some offer less than $2K but the condition is usually quite worn, with 6 or 7 different owners and probably quite a bit of chassis damage.

 

Most of the bikes in this price range are about 5-6 yrs old. I remember seeing a 1 yr old RS125 being advertised here in the classifieds. The owner bought it brand new I think but he was asking for $8K negotiable

 

If you are looking to buy from a shop, you should add another $500-$1K to the price you will get from a private seller. I don't really recommend shops though since you are paying a premium for nothing as they don't really do up the bike for you and their assurances of warranty is mostly hot air. Of course, I am just generalising as it differs from shop to shop.

 

If you are looking for the Planet, you might want to try going to the agent (Minerva) at Jalan Besar and leaving your contact details with them. The lady manager (I think her name is Mary?) is quite friendly and will refer you to any potential Planet sellers so its another source of contact.

 

Good luck in your bike hunt!

[jagermeister]

Originally posted by GranDieu@Feb 16 2005, 01:01 PM

The contact cleaner is called 'Super Jackie: Spray 60'. I got it at Cold Storage for about $5. The size is slightly smaller than a standard can of WD40. The brand sounds like something from Taiwan or China but its really American, if you believe the can label.... LOL But it works so I have no complaints.

 

These are the connectors I cleaned:

 

1) Both fuses (pull them out and wipe them down)

 

2) The starter and indicator lights relays (those 2 square things just above and behind your battery; pull off the plugs connected and one has a 2 pin and the other has a 4 pin connectors. Wipe them down too and when plugging back, you should hear and feel a solid 'click'.)

 

3) Rectifier (black hex shaped object bolted down, just underneath the seat. Has a longish plug with 2 catches at the side and 4 wires leading out. Press down on the catches and slowly unplug as it can be tight and you don't want to break it. You should see 4 or 5 metal connectors. Wipe them down.)

 

4) Starter relay motor (Stand behind your bike and look at the battery. The motor is a small, roundish device on the left, slightly behind the battery. You should be able to see a metallic part showing. Go to the left of your bike and squat down. There is 3 cables going in, 2 with rubber coverings and the 3rd without. The 3rd cable is also the one in the centre. Pull it out, apply cleaner on a cotton bud and push into the cavity where the plug goes in and clean the 2 pin connectors inside.)

 

After doing the above, all my electrical systems show a marked improvement in performance. Even cranking the bike now seems to be faster i.e. no choke needed. I think this cleaning should be done once every 2 weeks or so as a preventive maintenance.

 

Hope this is of help to newbie riders like myself!

Woah! Dat's a long list of connectors to clean. 8O

 

Thanks for the information. I will try out ur method and see if I can start without choke in the morning. Most of the cold starts I did were with choke.

[jagermeister]

Hello all,

 

The Mito manual says that we need to top up gear/transmission oil when its low.

 

Qn: What is the type of oil available for this? Is this the so called 4T oil that are available in Singapore?

[jonathan543]

great! thanks guys! failed my tp juz yest...

anyway i'll be reading up more on planets & work more ot to save up $$$ heheheh..

i read up dat rs125 have those power valves dat keep breaking... does planet have them? hows the fuel consumption rate? i juz saw a planet parked at ntu few weeks back when i cycled past... fell in love with the oversized fuel tank & the cute backside heheh ... how does a pillion passenger sit comfortably? the pillion seat looks as if it juz curve down wor....

[jagermeister]

Yes. Planet also has the power valve, I think its called CTS valve.

 

I have ridden it only a few times. So no comments on the fuel consumption. My wife mention the pillon seat is quite comfortable. Except that the seating position is high. Same like most bikes, I think. Another planet rider told me that if the pillon is of bigger size, then maybe the rear seat space is just enough for him/her.

 

Its the design and curves that draws me to the planet... no explaining why.

[jonathan543]

cool! guess planet is the closest thing i can get to owning a ducati monster heheh... anyway wad kinda of things dat will break & need to change in time? for rs125 seemed dat the power valve keep breaking... does planet have this kinda problem? does the planet have electrical problems & faults like rs125? read up mostly due to the recitifier spoilt in time & had difficulty in charging the battery...

[GranDieu]

Originally posted by jonathan543@Feb 19 2005, 12:12 AM

cool! guess planet is the closest thing i can get to owning a ducati monster heheh... anyway wad kinda of things dat will break & need to change in time? for rs125 seemed dat the power valve keep breaking... does planet have this kinda problem? does the planet have electrical problems & faults like rs125? read up mostly due to the recitifier spoilt in time & had difficulty in charging the battery...

As far as I know, nothing is really breakable on the Planet. There have been other owners who had to change their piston rings (and their piston too since it comes as a set) but that is generally quite rare. I think a fair statement would be that the Planet don't normally c**k up but when it does, it is usually something big.

 

Electrical systems wise, my personal encounter is with loose and/or dirty connections. The Planet sounds and vibrates like a Honda Cub so connections can come loose easily. One must also take care to clean the electrical connections to prevent any need to push start when you are in a hot carpark. But both are pretty small issues, fairly easily preventable.

 

The biggest problem as a new Planet owner faced by me is finding a cheap and good mech. Posters in this thread used to frequent Excel but it seems the genius mech there had left for parts unknown. Going back to Minerva is an option but a full service would cost about $200+ IF nothing big broke. On top of all these, the Planet is quite an uncommon bike in SG and most motorshops cannot gurantee they won't screw up your bike while doing a full service. You might just want to pay more at Minerva for the peace of mind but $200+ every 3 months is not easy to stomach.

[jonathan543]

wow... $200 for service charge nia? woohoo... any planet guru here in the forum? lolx