Massimo/MudStar MB200S review/ugrades

[LIVIT]

That worked out really nice. You may even be able to use a center fill gas tank with that much room.

Comparing engine space. The CT has more front too back, the MB has more top clearance and a whole lot less front to back. I did put a side fill on the WC223, but you are correct a center fill would work fine.

It’s not as quiet as stock but one bike I could only find an open header. I welded a 3/4 coupling to the end of the header and used a hot dog muffler on it. Didn’t make it quiet but at least 75% quieter than an open header!
you can trim quite a bit off the tav backing plate before it would effect anything

Ttks bud, I was wondering about, how trimming that plate would effect it. It's close, but not touching. The stock engine I took off the MB and put on my CT, I was wondering about how a hot dog muffler would sound. I know when I put the TAV on it with the riser, the stock exhaust is going too be an issue.

Did you need to make any modifications besides adding the riser plate?

Yw, nothing major, depending on how the riser plates lip in front clears the foot pegs brace. I did use a dremel tool too remove a little, off the lip.. That gave me a bit more room too slide it further forward. I would suggest getting one that's not painted, so if you do have to trim some your not dealing with matching paints etc... just clean it good and paint it with some etching primer.

 

[toomanytoys]

Not as quiet as stock. My daughters stock bike beside my modded bike you can’t here hears running because mine drowns it out. But open header is extremely loud, with cackled and back fires. I bet I would’ve loved it as a 10 year old but nearing 40 I’ll pass on all the noise.

 

[LIVIT]

Not as quiet as stock. My daughters stock bike beside my modded bike you can’t here hears running because mine drowns it out. But open header is extremely loud, with cackled and back fires. I bet I would’ve loved it as a 10 year old but nearing 40 I’ll pass on all the noise.

I hear ya on that one (Ha, sort of) after years of open header dragsters and 2 strokes. I'm 65 and like you, not wanting all that noise. Plus I'm going to be using the CT around my property as a hunting and utility bike. Don't want to chase everything off with excessive noise !! Plus living in the low lands of SC with all the dry kindling, spark arresting is a concern. Also you cannot not ride on any of the trails here with open headers.

 

[toomanytoys]

I hear ya on that one (Ha, sort of) after years of open header dragsters and 2 strokes. I'm 65 and like you, not wanting all that noise. Plus I'm going to be using the CT around my property as a hunting and utility bike. Don't want to chase everything off with excessive noise !! Plus living in the low lands of SC with all the dry kindling, spark arresting is a concern. Also you cannot not ride on any of the trails here with open headers.

I’m only nearing 40 but I’ve spent 21 years around loud mining machinery and tools. I’m over loud noises. And I was a complete moron and didn’t use hearing protection for 3/4 of that time and have the start of industrial hearing loss.

 

[Evilmacaw]

Hi,
New to the forum Old Rokon 2X2 rider among other bikes and i just picked up a new MB200S just yesterday ! Got it from TSC ,while at the store i opened the box to find the steel shipping cage in horrible shape ,no sign of damage to the box . Fortunately after the box cover was removed the bike was undamaged ! I carted it home with help that was going to help me assemble it but could not wait took me all of 1/2 hour to pull the cage and get it all assembled . Mine has the 196 cc F1 engine prick point stamped on the front face of the engine along with serial number .
I checked the oil and it came oiled already so i gassed it up with alcohol free backed out the stop screw 3 turns and fired it up ,letting it idle first for a while and off i went . Now i have not been on a bike in 10 years due to health issues and i live an unmaintained two track private road that is loose sand or wet deep sand and bone rattling rough ! When i saw the dual suspension i was Sold on owing one . My Rokon`s have zero suspension but the tires are 3 psi ..... However they are a far more complex to maintain and i wanted something more simple and more friendly to my 146 Lb bony butt ! The Rokon`s run on 28" high tires and i wanted more than the 15" that come on the Coleman`s ,so the Massimo MB 200S`s 19" tires i felt would better for my height 6' 1" and shrinking !

Here is the one issue i came across on my three rides yesterday ,just as you start getting a little speed the engine vibrates the entire bike then smooths out as you go faster ......Remember i am just getting my "wheels" back and a slippery situation ....... I will stage 1 the bike but the vibration problem bugs me so i ordered a set of rubber 3/8" mount/bolt set to deal with the problem . Any one have an issue with raising the motor and removing the jack shaft plate rear mount bolt ?

 

[LIVIT]

Hi,
New to the forum .
I checked the oil and it came oiled already
Here is the one issue i came across on my three rides yesterday ,just as you start getting a little speed the engine vibrates the entire bike then smooths out as you go faster .... (Quote)

Welcome to the forum. Information is still limited on this mini. Your the third person, including me. The first thing I would suggest doing, is changing your oil, before you run it again. The oil in it is very low quality. Get some quality oil in it, I always add ZDDP to my oil. Both my minis vibrate and at around same rpm, the vibration is slightly more, then smooths out as rpm's increase. Look forward to hearing how the rubber dampners work. If the rear plate bolt your referring too is the one that mounts plate to frame. I put the engine off the MB and put it on my CT200U-EX with the jackshaft and a 60T Sprocket. Ran it 3 days, no probs, before I realized today that I had not used that mounting point. If your concerned about it, making an extension would be easy.

Did yours come with decal on engine of 7.5HP ?

 

[Evilmacaw]

LIVIT ,
Yes mine has the 7.5 HP sticker on the engine . I have only about a half hour on the engine so far ,i noticed the oil in it was a deep amber color ,so i hear you about the oil change before riding again .The ZDDP is not something i can get here in heartland FL unless it is available at an auto parts store ( NAPA ,Advance , Auto Zone or O` Rilly`s ). Ah so i am not the only one with the vibration problem ! It is a problem i have never encountered before .
The first thing i am going to do is add a spark plug Tac/hour meter to it as i have with all my small engine platforms ,for $13 bucks it is a smart investment to me at least so i know the RPM as i ride and am accurate with the maintenance periods .
I asked about the rear mounting because none of the other bikes have it but they are running a fixed rear tire not a swing arm and it may be necessary because of the changing angle of chain pull on the jack plate , my ability to fabricate is hampered for now because my lathe and wire welder were taken out in a Historical high pulse flood during Ian ! So for the time being i was going to use a pair of fender washers as a field expedient "fix" when i get the motor on the vibe isolators .......

I took 10" in the lower floor and all out buildings , all built above the max flood level known in 2001 when i built my retirement home ! Irma came close at 40" but passed under the one on piles ,out of the basement , two other out buildings and my neighbor`s mobile home frame but this time it was lapping at the bottom of her floor ....... We both live between the creek and it`s swash channel so pulse floods are normal but not on this scale ! And both of us are raised up well above grade ! Fortunately they last about 8-10 hours total before it goes back to "dry" . I and my forum name roomie a Huge Macaw live in a Swamp and Love it !

 

[LIVIT]

You can the get the Zinc additive ZDDP at most auto parts stores. I got mine at Advance. It would not take a lot to make a simple add on, without welding. Some narrow flat stock, drill and a couple of nuts and bolts. Never ridden a mini or kart with a single cylinder 4 stroke that does not vibrate some.

 

[LIVIT]

I finished getting the MB put back together and found some major issues with frame and swingarm. The frame is twisted, bent or shorter on one side. Bad enough, that this is what damaged the rim, tire etc too begin with. This had to of happened during manufacturing, my shipping container had no damage ! I noticed that a weld on the swingarm near axle mount is breaking and has a hole through it now. Dang it !!! It's out of alignment enough that the bike would never run straight, it would crab. Really disgusted.

I talked to Massimo CS this am. They are talking sending me a new bike or just refund me. Suppose to get back with me shortly. Not sure what I want too do now.

 

[LIVIT]

Pics of what I'm talking about. You can see hole in weld where paint came off. Someone at factory actually added washers to the chain tensioner and stripped some of the threads, trying to correct the alignment issue. Axle on drum side is back far as it can go and it's the opposite on Sprocket side. I did check engine plate alignment and its perfect. Prob starts from swingarm mount back.

I did check the difference in chain tension during swing arm and shock travel. The tension changed very little. So having to use a chain tensioner may not be needed. Will not really know until, some serious riding is done. It will be a few weeks before I get a new bike too start all over with again, if I go that route. Really considering just getting my money back at the moment !!!

 

[Evilmacaw]

LIVIT,
I called Massimo Tech and they told me the oil in it was shipping oil and to drain it out post haste ,it was a full 500ml worth with the normal break in teeny tiny sparkles . I asked if i could use Valvoline ATV/UTV 15w-40 and he said Oh yes it was better than 10w-40 ! Filled it and went out on a full to the stop run and the vibration did not happen ..... Thanks for the heads up on the ZDDP source !

Sucks you got a bad swing arm ! I would have them send you a new bike because it does make a difference on a "Corn Cobb" road like mine ,in just over 1/2 hour i have beat it pretty hard already and i like the suspension ...... Mine is the worst road in the entire county bar None ,not USPS or county garbage pick up will come out here wet or dry LOL but UPS , FedEx and DHL do .

I too am waiting for a call back from them about the no longer needed vibe fix and if it would void my warranty .
I also told them how mangled the shipping cage was with no exterior damage to the cover box and yet the welds all held and the every part of the bike was undamaged !
He told me it is so new a product he had to ask about the rear jack plate mount bolt importance ......

I looked at the Trailmaster MB200-2 and it has a round tube swing arm that is not to my taste for what is going to happen to the bike ...
I can not wait until they get spares in specifically the swing arm assembly cause a spare is going to to be modified for the ebay mini tracks and a dump bed for my neighbor lady to move dirt and being a "three wheeler" she can not fall over . It will be rigged with the drive chain to a forward/neutral/reverse gear box , then to the rear axle sprocket and extended way out Muw HA HA HA HA hahahahahaha !!!
Far easier than building from scratch and swap-able , the nice thing is all the weight will be on the track axle and not on the suspension of the bike !

 

[creia]

Pics of what I'm talking about. You can see hole in weld where paint came off. Someone at factory actually added washers to the chain tensioner and stripped some of the threads, trying to correct the alignment issue. Axle on drum side is back far as it can go and it's the opposite on Sprocket side. I did check engine plate alignment and its perfect. Prob starts from swingarm mount back.

I did check the difference in chain tension during swing arm and shock travel. The tension changed very little. So having to use a chain tensioner may not be needed. Will not really know until, some serious riding is done. It will be a few weeks before I get a new bike too start all over with again, if I go that route. Really considering just getting my money back at the moment !!!

You are to be commended in your very thoughtful and detailed review of this bike. You will undoubtedly help others here in their decision to buy (or NOT to buy!) this bike. That being said, the photos you posted on the swing arm are all really crappy and out of focus. It is hard to see anything you are talking about.
Michael

 

[LIVIT]

I know it was just shipping oil. That's why I said change it ! I would be cautious on what I'm saying to them at Massimo about mods, it states right in the warranty "That any mods will void warranty" If you read all that I've posted you will see it's way more than just the swingarm. Tire was warped, rim, axle, sprocket and chain were damaged. Shipping container had no damage, so all this very apparently occurred with them.

Just changing oil, stopped the vibration ? That's strange !! I only run oil designed specifically for small performance engines. Amsoil, Tillotson, Maxima etc... tech at EC Carbs told me Mobil 1 is good too. I only use 10w30.

 

[LIVIT]

You are to be commended in your very thoughtful and detailed review of this bike. You will undoubtedly help others here in their decision to buy (or NOT to buy!) this bike. That being said, the photos you posted on the swing arm are all really crappy and out of focus. It is hard to see anything you are talking about.
Michael

Tks brother, yeah my camera don't like getting up that close, but you can see very clearly the hole in weld in first pic. This new issue along with what I've already dealt with. Has really given me a bad tude towards it.

I was wanting too truly show others what this new full suspension mini was about. I still think the design concept is great and so is the price. But I'm really questioning the overall quality now. Maybe the brand name on the tires "JunKat" should of been my first warning

 

[Evilmacaw]

LIVIT ,
I did not know it was just shipping oil ,i have not gotten a "wet" new motor before all have been dry from Kohler CS6`s to Honda`s GX 200`s .....
The mods proposed were to deal with the vibe problem and the tech knew it !
Just finished getting the Tac/Hour meter installed ,it is a simple wrap around the spark plug wire and adjust the number of wraps for correct RPM reading . LOL it was not easy to find 2) 6-32 short screws , the tap and drill in the flood mess but it now nicely mounted to the handle bar top caps and Runleader (tm) brand fits right between the the flange bolts of the clamps ! The wire i wrapped around the throttle cable all the way back to the plug wire before wrapping the plug wire ,a nice neat install .

 

[LIVIT]

I had originally gotten a Runleader that had tach/temp/runtime/ temp and rpm too high warning. So I could closely monitor my New Wildcat 223 on my CT200. It was defective, so I got this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GS2HZ7G?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 it just has tach and runtime and is inexpensive $13. I got another for the MB, sure glad I had not mounted it yet. I mounted mine to the faux tank and routed wire in and out of tank straight down too the plug wire. Was going to do same on MB. Would not surprise me if all these type items were made in the same place in China.

 

[Evilmacaw]

LIVIT,
Nice unit , the no battery is cool with no buttons either but i ride at night so the Runleader has the back light for that ! I got a second run/kill switch that i am going to hook up to the head light so i can shut it off during the day so i do not kill the bulb . I will not even have to splice in just crimp a male and female spade lug on the ends and make the connection at the rectifier block . Makes reverting to original a plug and play !

 

[LIVIT]

Posting pics and links, of what your doing and using, really helps others. Did not think about it not being back lit. Not a big concern. I will not be doing much night riding. I was planning on doing same with my light on CT.

If I get another MB, plans were. Take off headlight and faux tank. Get a real tank, crossbar, mount a tool bag to crossbar and number plate.

 

[Evilmacaw]

LIVIT,
I am a Refusenik !! I Refuse to carry my "life" in my pocket ! I Refuse to be tracked every where i go or have been ,as a result i Refuse to own a cell .
Each picture contains meta data that allows geo location of where that picture was taken ( Ask the Ukrainian`s how useful it is .....) !
If you had done what i have in my life the habits of Op Sec are burned deeply into your very being and it is a habit that can not be shed even in retirement . I live in a 5 county area known as "spookville" where members of my community chose to retire in vast numbers . Members of my community retire but are still "on call" for life and None own a cell !! We carry "old" tech updated Issued pager`s instead (because a signal is sent out but Nothing pings a tower back ) ! If you run an IP trace on me it will not show where i am in reality by over 100 miles . Get the "picture " ?

After i put my bike together and gave it the day time test runs the headlight was fitted with an IR filter .... That is why the audible frame vibration i experienced before i changed the oil were so concerning !!! Oh you can still hear the putt putt of the engine but that will be dealt with . My Rokon was so quite i scared more than a few neighbors in the Daytime , only my greeting could be heard and they would whip around to find me sitting on a so i was given the nickname "The Ghost " ! LOL it does not hurt at 43 i turned full white hair/beard and sport them long !!

Links no problem i will try to remember to post them !

 

[LIVIT]

There is regular cameras to take pics with other than a cell. I'm former Special forces anti Terrorism specialist and did same in Federal Law Enforcement after Military. So I have an above normal understanding of what your talking about. If your so concerned about being tracked, then being online is really not a good idea for you. The only picture I want too get or care about is showing what your doing on this particular mini.

Update: Massimo wants to send me a new Bike. So it starts all over again !!! I asked them to just send me a new swingarm and 1 chain tensioner. I did ask if my warranty would start all over again. If it does not, them I'm going to just get my money back and move on too something else.