Maxi scooter tuning: Transmission

The majority of maxi scooters on the market are powered by large capacity four-stroke engines, so this makes tuning and improving the speed of the average maxi scooter a slightly different route in comparison to the smaller engine two-stroke scooters that most scooterists are familiar with.

We stock a range of big bore cylinder kits, camshafts, carbs etc. and, while these parts yield good peformance gains they're often expensive and fitting is usually out of the question for most resulting in a hefty labour bill too. We believe the most efficient and cost effective maxi scooter tuning solution is in the transmission setup. The key is to maximise the potential of each of the transmission components utilising the power of the engine and transferring it to the rear wheel.

Let’s take a look at what we think is the best and most cost effective route for you in terms of maxi scooter tuning:

The variator

The variator is the key on any automatic scooter, choosing the right variator and setting it up with the correct roller weights is absolutely crucial if you want your scooter to be fast and user friendly. Polini lead the market when it comes to maxi scooter variators.

With a patented lubrication system and a range of nine or twelve roller designs they give a vast improvement in acceleration and hill speed and they don’t start to lag once the temperature has built up. Polini variators are our personal preference for ease of setup and excellent performance gains.

The clutch and clutch bell

The clutch and clutch bell give really surprising effects on larger capacity four-stroke scooters. Choosing the biting point not only allows you to set off just as your engine is starting make its power, they can also give great increases in corner exit speeds.

We recommend the Polini two shoe clutches as they can be set up by anyone with a small amount of mechanical knowhow and they work great too. When combined with a Polini Evolution clutch bell temperatures are kept to a minimum right through the transmission range and this helps to reduce fade in acceleration which is often seen.

Drive belts

Drive belts are often overlooked when it comes to your transmission setup. With many riders not changing their drive belt for thousands of miles in order to get the most possible life from it, they are overlooking the fact that the pitch and width of the belt is changing as it wears. This can have a big effect on how your scooter holds its RPM and also at what point the belt reaches its maximum position on the variator. When fitting a new variator kit and setting it up to your engine we always recommend you do so with a new drive belt.

If you get the parts mentioned above working as they should, your bike will feel very different with all that power now on tap at the twist of the throttle. Not only does this make the ride more enjoyable, it can make for safer riding in most cases too.

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