Buddy 150 starting woes
Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:47 am
Reaching out to the collected wisdom and experience of the Genuine Buddy family for some guidance:
So my 2008 Italia with ~3K miles has started not starting. A dead battery I understand, although I keep this one on a tender, alternating weekly with the backup generator. It has never failed to hold a charge even after some untended weeks in the closed garage. I took the battery out and charged it directly, it had just enough strength to almost turn over the engine, then gave up. NAPA GS, comparable model to what is recommended. I can't decipher the code, but it may be only 2 years old.
However, when I go to kick start it, there seems to be a gap where the kick starter mechanism doesn't fully engage the gear inside (nomenclature is not clear to me). I can't seem to get a full throw with the lever, so it rarely starts this way. I don't recall this being an issue previously, but I've never had to use the kick starter much before this.
Aside from having the battery load tested and possibly replaced (planned for tomorrow), what is the likely issue with the kick starter? Do I need to visit my friendly neighborhood Buddy/Vespa/Ural dealer for a check-up? With pretty decent mechanical skills and appropriate tools, is this something I can visually assess myself?
Thank you,
Bob
So my 2008 Italia with ~3K miles has started not starting. A dead battery I understand, although I keep this one on a tender, alternating weekly with the backup generator. It has never failed to hold a charge even after some untended weeks in the closed garage. I took the battery out and charged it directly, it had just enough strength to almost turn over the engine, then gave up. NAPA GS, comparable model to what is recommended. I can't decipher the code, but it may be only 2 years old.
However, when I go to kick start it, there seems to be a gap where the kick starter mechanism doesn't fully engage the gear inside (nomenclature is not clear to me). I can't seem to get a full throw with the lever, so it rarely starts this way. I don't recall this being an issue previously, but I've never had to use the kick starter much before this.
Aside from having the battery load tested and possibly replaced (planned for tomorrow), what is the likely issue with the kick starter? Do I need to visit my friendly neighborhood Buddy/Vespa/Ural dealer for a check-up? With pretty decent mechanical skills and appropriate tools, is this something I can visually assess myself?
Thank you,
Bob