GILERARUNNER.8m.com

SERVICING TUNINGDE-RESTRICTINGMY RUNNERGALLERYTECH.SPECLINKSHISTORYPRICESNEWSFEATURES
PRODUCTSLIGHTER SIDENEW RUNNER

07/07/02: My Runner is alive again!! After nearly 2 months my Runner has been rebuilt after a transmission failure at 80mph destroyed the whole drive train including the crankshaft! It's been rebuilt with all Malossi  parts including new variator, belt, clutch, torque driver and a Malossi High primary compression race crank as well as a technigas race exhaust which I bought in Greece. Photos and a report on how its running soon. It still looks like I'll be getting a car later this year and keeping the Runner as my toy for weekends.

04/07/02: Just back from 2 weeks on the island of Zakynthos in Greece.  We had 4 blue/yellow Runner SP50's for the 2 weeks. Plenty of pics just uploaded to the features page and the gallery page.

28/05/02: Stoffi's garage also selling Runner trophy replica bodykits for all Runner models. The kit is fully painted but is without sponsor stickers and costs just EUR360(£200)! Not bad for every painted panel! Click here for a pic.

22/05/02::209cc kit for Runner VX/VXR 125/180 4-strokes now available online from Stoffis Garage in Austria. Watch out,the 4-strokes are catching up!  Click here for a pic of the kit.

13/05/02: Its been a few weeks since the noise in my transmission started. Since then my Runners been in with Paul Ryan MC who spent 3 days stripping the tnansmission out and checking everything. He said that although he could hear the noise he couldn't find anything causing it and when he put it all back together the noise was gone! So I took the bike home a couple of weeks ago and it was driving fine until yesterday. 80mph on the motorway and 'BANG' rear wheel locks sending me skidding across two lanes, although I managed to hold it I almost caused a lady in an Astra to hit the barrier. She was understanding though and eventually went on her way. I pushed my Runner off the motorway and took off the transmission cover. Smashed front pully, variator, belt snapped and the rear hub/gear cover was pulled open spilling the gearbox oil everywhere. I had it brought to Paul Ryan again to fix as I really couldn't be bothered to do it myself. Unfortuanatly I can see myself getting a car and leaving the Runner in the garage for sunny sundays very soon!

10/05/02: Recieved some  pics of the 'new' Runner. Very little difference really apart from a new range of colours, although if you look closer you can spot smoked light lenses a revised front panel and a completly different rear end. Don't know about anyone else but I think the dark green on the VX is sweet! Although Gilera seem to be still suffering from whatever illness it was that caused the Gilera Ice with the coloured wheels on some models. Click here to view. 

22/04/02: Scorpion have re-designed their new exhaust to combat the reliability problems they had with the original models. The new system for the Runner/Dragster 125/172/180 is still fully made of stainless steel which is perfect for our wet climate. Its going to be available from jasscooters, www.jasscooters.co.uk for £199 sterling (EUR330 approx) towards the end of May/ begining of June once they've finished a few rolling road tests. Methinks I'll get me one! Check out the photo of it here.

20/04/02: Left my Runner in to Paul Ryan MC first thing this morning and gave him a run down of the problem. He said I should give him a ring later today and he may even have it ready by this evening! Sweet. Won't be long now before the summer miles are being clocked up.

16/04/02: Well my problem still isn't sorted but it has been down graded from a bent crank. I spent last Friday running the bike up and down the street to try to hear the noise properly and I think it may be the secondary gear in the rear wheel hub. I couldn't be the crank or the bearings because the engine runs perfectly when idling and up to about 15mph, when the noise starts. I've booked the bike in to Paul Ryan Motorcycles to be fixed because I've completely lost the will to do it myself-I've had the engine and transmission out about six times in the last two weeks trying to find the problem! However having a sick bike doesn't mean I have to stop modifying it. I got hold of a neon string light kit from a car accessery place and fitted it in around the dials. So now I've got  trick VW style blue speedo, fuel and temp gauges. The bike going in to be fixed on Saturday and should be done middle of next week :) 

31/03/02: DOH!!!!! I think I've blown it, literally. After a stint on the motorway yesterday I noticed a noise and a vibration coming from the engine both of which get louder as the revs rise. Still had to make the 10 mile trip home but decided to take the surface streets but the problem just got worse. I'll bring it into work on tuesday and have a poke round and I hope its something in the transmission, althought the belt and outer front pully are both new, but I have a squidgy feeling in me waters that I may have bent the crank shaft!! If so, no Runner for a couple of weeks :( 

19/03/02: I've begun to write the TUNING  page which I hope will grow into a fully detailed guide to tuning your Runner. Check out the first parts to see what you think.

18/03/02: PM Tuning got back to me to say that the 4-pot caliper is only available for the runner 50 so they're are just sending me the oversized disk which still offers my much needed improvement in stopping. On a slightly angrier note, some F#*ker reversed into my Runner on saterday night  and drove off leaving it on the ground and leaving me with a big lump gone from just under the food board, a broken rear indicator lens, a damaged heat shield and half a tank of petrol in a puddle around the bike! : /

05/03/02: Not too much happening lately although the weather is finally starting to get better so I decided to repaint my exhaust wich was looking terrible after the winter. I have also ordered an oversized brake kit with 4-pot caliper! Should give mental stopping power. I also hear that LeoVinci are planning to make a ZX exhaust for the Runner 125/180 with a price expected to be around £100sterling. 

19/02/02: New performance parts for the Runner are always good. The latest is the Racing Delta Clutch from Malossi for the Runner 125/172/180. No exact stats yet but it should offer a marked increase in accelleration and when used with a Malossi multivar 2000 kit and belt should be excellent. Click here for pic.

18/02/02: I have to warn you that this is just a whisper going around, but it is said that Piaggio are contemplating fitting the 500cc engine from their X9 into the Runner or a new scooter of similar perportions! I'm listening out for more on what would, without doubt, be an absolute weapon  of a scooter.

17/02/02: Gilera have anounced a limited edition race replica Runner to celebrate Poggiali's victory in the 125cc world championships. The Runner comes with Gilera racing red paintwork, mock carbon fiber plastic instead of the usual grey and Poggiali's racing number 54 on its flanks. In my opinion its one of the best looking Runners available. On sale this month in limited numbers. Click here for a picture.

02/02/02: My focus is on another Runner at the moment. A friend of mine's Runner 125 which was stolen/recovered and has been sitting in the Bikeworld workshop for the last YEAR is my project for the next couple of weeks. It needs front panels, a full new lock set including block and switch and quite a bit of welding to the forward frame to repair but compared to the EUR1900 Bikworld quoted, which included an entire new frame, the EUR150 I'll be charging(EUR150 is the price for the parts needed!) sound pretty good. Got some of the parts today and the remainder should arrive next week and then she'll be back on the road.

31/01/02: I've been thinking of an exhaust for a while now and having heard a few dodgy stories about PM Tuning  exhausts I went looking elswere. I came accross the new Scorpion exhaust on jasscooters.co.uk Its a full stainless steel system for the Runner 125/172/180. I've sent a mail to jasscooters to find out the price and availability and should have one soon! Check out the pic in the 'PRODUCTS' section.

28/01/02: I've about 150 miles up on the 172 now and today I got to test it against its closest contender in the scooter world, a 180cc Runner. Well with 2hp more and my lower ratio 125cc gearing it wasn't actually that close, It was more the shrinking headlight in the mirror type of affair! Also, thanks to the 125 gearing, my runner now wheelies all by itself without any regard for rider OR pillion!! I hear alot of guys, most of whom ride much larger cc bikes, describing the 180 or 172 as 'fairly quick'. Well As someone who drives cars and a van during the day I can tell you the 172cc is an absolute Tarmac Terrorist which apears to have a built in urge to headbutt the horizon! 

23/01/02: Finally, Its done. The scooter I once said I'd never bother tuning has finally been fitted with a Malossi 172cc kit. I started it yesterday in work but unfortunatly customers kept interrupting me :) so I didn't get it finished. But today, Frankenstien style(my battery was flat so I had to jump it off our van) it rumbles to life. Left it running for about an hour and so far I've been taking it slow.  I'll be posting some reports and pics soon.

16/01/02: Still waiting for my 172cc kit to arrive! On the way home from work yesterday whilst making rapid progress through rush hour traffic I clouted 'white van man's' mirror with my own. Resulting in slightly more abuse then normal from him and a broken mirror for me. Doh! And as an extra kick in the twig 'n' giggleberries every shop I called only had left side mirrors in stock. Eventually found one and exchanged EUR31 for a shiny new mirror.

13/01/02: Winter always puts a bit of a downer on scootering and as such I've just been using my Runner for getting in and out of work. But in the last week the weather has been mild and the modifying bug has taken hold again! I cut out the air vents from the side pods and replaced them with silver racing mesh and more importantly I've finally ordered a Malossi 172cc kit which should be here next week. Fitting the kit along with the bits and peices I have fitted already will give about 22hp at the flywheel(approx. 18hp at the rear wheel) which will be a huge improvement on the present 16hp(11.5). A well spent EUR249 from Scooter-Attack in Germany. I should be fitting it next Saturday and will be posting some pics soon.

8/12/01: I've managed to chew up the Malossi kevlar belt I got in Greece this summer already so I thought I would try Jack Nolan Motorcycles in Dublin to see if they had one. They are a Malossi tech. centre but they only really specialise in 50cc so I was surprised to find that they had one. IR£47.50 was exchanged for the belt and I'll probabley fit it during the week. 

17/11/01: I was sent some pics on the Brand new Gilera motorbike, the Supersport 600. So now for those of you who what something faster then your Runner you can still get a Gilera! Click here to view the pics.

14/11/01: I haven't been up to much with my Runner apart from whizzing in and out of work. The size 100 main jet has improved the pick up at low speed which is what I hoped. I have a major service planned for this weekend, replacing the oil pump belt, decarbonising the cylinder head, replacing the head gasket and renewing the fork oil and seals. So an early start on Saturday! I also have a new set of Conti zippy 1's on order from Germany. They're badly needed as my rear Bridgstone Hoop is almost slick!

7/11/01: Yesterday I finally recieved my new Malossi filter. Its the same as the one I had before but I wasn't taking any chances with it falling off this time(see 22/10/01 and 2/11/01) so I put screws through the inlet tube to keep it where it should be. I also decided to leave the size 100 main jet in place to see if there is any difference to the 95 I was running before. So far I've only been in and out to work so I haven't really had a chance to test it, although if the weather keeps up the way it is I won't be able to test it till next summer.

2/11/01: Who would have thought that an air filter could cause so many problems? PM Tuning said thay wouldn't have the Malossi filter for a couple of weeks so I got the new Doppler air system filter. I was impressed with how it ran and how much quieter it was-untill it broke off its mounting the next day while on my way home from work and got run over by a car-again!. Thats two is as many weeks!! 'We don't know weather or not you fitted it correctly' was the responce from PM when I rang them-not pleased but I decided to get another Malossi filter, the same as I had before seeing as it stayed on for 10 months as opposed to 10 hours! 

22/10/01: It seems that every weekend lately has been spent fixing things that break on my Runner during the week! This weekend I took a trip up to drogheda on Saturday and when I got back I noticed that I had sprung a leak in one of the fuel lines going to the carb. Then worse still I got some K&N air filter oil as my filter was letting in a little to much dirt. Afterwards myself and my mate Rob were heading to another friends 20th birthday when Rob suddenly noticed that my filter was gone! Went back along the road and found the remains of the filter having been run over by a car. Seemingly the oil had gotten onto the filter mounting and loosened it up. So at the moment I just have the foam tied over the intake to the carb which should be ok until I get a new one from PM Tuning.  

paul_loughnane@e-merge.ie