So..how great is a Torque Converter gonna be?

[JonnyReb]

Just picked up my very first Minibike about a week ago, a Coleman CT200U with the 196cc clone motor. Is a far cry from my last trail bike, a Honda 200XR but i have still enjoyed putting it through its paces and running the trails behind the house. I realized i'm not an "instant" convert to these little bikes though, having 0 suspension and smaller tires, no transmission and a short wheelbase means i creep over the obstacles i used to leap, is a different kind of offroad challenge for sure.

As i read more about these little bikes i realized that much improvement can be had by the addition of a TAV unit instead of the stock clutch, but the cost is about the same as i have in the whole bike, is it worth the 200.00 to add one of these units to this bike? What performance characteristics (low end especially) will i see by the addition of the comet setup? Would one of the ebay clones for 100.00 work about as well? Will the clattering takeoffs and jerky hill climbing performance improve considerably?

Look forward to the replies folks, thanks! J.

 

[buckeye]

I have bikes with and without.
With is great for what you are doing. Great low end torque.
You would see a immediate improvement.
And yes, the clanking and clanging should be gone.:thumbsup:

 

[125ccCrazy]

this will work fine Mini Bike Torque Converter 3 4" for 40 41 35 Replaces Comet 30 218353 TAV2 | eBay

 

[JonnyReb]

I have bikes with and without.
With is great for what you are doing. Great low end torque.
You would see a immediate improvement.
And yes, the clanking and clanging should be gone.:thumbsup:

Thank you Sir! Btw ..that clanking and clanging is normal i guess?

Losing that is almost worth 200.00 in itself, plus perfomance benefits too? I'm almost sold.

Surprisingly (to me) the clone motor runs smooth as any Briggs i ever had, starts on the first pull (since i got good gas in it) and makes excellent smooth power. Took me a couple rides to figure out it was that darned clutch making all the racket...

 

[JonnyReb]

this will work fine Mini Bike Torque Converter 3 4" for 40 41 35 Replaces Comet 30 218353 TAV2 | eBay

Thanks very much, really will? Any other parts needed? Thanks! :freakout:

 

[125ccCrazy]

Thanks very much, really will? Any other parts needed? Thanks! :freakout:

maybe invest in a good Comet belt but other than that its a direct bolt on.. you will have to shorten the chain..

 

[Harleys Papa]

You may have to cut one of the ribs off the back of the driven end to clear the head on the clone :shrug:

 

[JonnyReb]

Thats great to know, Thanks fellas. I will kick it all around over the next day or two as to which unit to buy..but look forward to seeing the difference it makes.

The 6.5 motor gives a surprising amount of power, getting it all to the ground efficiently is the trick i guess.

 

[massacre]

I love the TAV on my Manco it really wakes up the bike, both down low and up top.

 

[JonnyReb]

A low end climbing gear would be awesome..so it starts moving at low rpm and smoothly gives power as needed? No jerking or slipping?

Do these tav or TC units make any noise at all? Just the spooling up of the belt? That would be awesome as i love the sound of a thumper..or a lawn mower engine in good tune is fine too, Slipping drive units not so much

 

[massacre]

Yes the power on mine is smooth and quiet.

 

[JonnyReb]

Thats awesome :thumbsup: Gotta have one.

 

[Ramrod Hare]

I love my TAV. I bought one of the $100 :chinese:kits and it works great. The belt that came with it was even a nice belt. The belt is where you don't want to try and go too cheap, It really makes a world of difference. As far as sound goes, There is a bit of a "bell ringing" sound, when the belt is just spinning on the bushing when it's not engaged, but I tend to be one of those people who hears every little sound a machine makes. ut: From a dead stop, I have lots of power, even with my 300+ pounds on it. For an average or smaller person, I can see it being more than they would be prepared for, since most people hear "Mini-bike" and think "toy", until it dumps them off the back.:biggrin:
I've had 4 wheelers, dirt bikes, and street bikes and the only thing I miss is the rear suspension. Back on topic though... When I was running a clutch, I loved the sound of the engine when it topped out, right before the gov. kicked in. With the TAV, I reach "scary-fast" before the engine ever revs that high. I ended up setting my driven spring in the last hole, to get more low end and slow it down a bit, now it doesn't hit over-drive in the space I have (I need a longer straightaway), but it's still hitting 40mph from a dead stop on a 150ft run.:laugh:

 

[deejaaa]

my TAV brought a 30 mph bike to a 50 mph. i have a real Comet belt now and it is flawless. i have to let it down and full throttle about halfway through my runs though. guess the springs need adjustment.