Modern Buddy

Hey all,
My Buddy's rear wheel has a tendency to spin automatically when I start the engine. This is without even touching the throttle. Has this happened to anybody else? To be safe, I can start it while it is up on the stand so the rear wheel is elevated, but I wanted to see what others think in terms of fixing it, or dealing with it.

Thanks!

If you start it with the stand down does the bike take off? and does the idle sound high?

bakaracer wrote:If you start it with the stand down does the bike take off? and does the idle sound high?

If I start it with the stand down, the bike has a tendency to move. I counter-act it by holding the brake while starting it, just in case.

As for the idle sound, I would say it sounds normal, maybe slightly high though.

acLazer wrote:Hey all,
My Buddy's rear wheel has a tendency to spin automatically when I start the engine. This is without even touching the throttle. Has this happened to anybody else? To be safe, I can start it while it is up on the stand so the rear wheel is elevated, but I wanted to see what others think in terms of fixing it, or dealing with it.

Thanks!

It's normal.

Happens to me too. My mechanic said it was normal. There was a thread about this; maybe you can find it.

This isn't that unusual. Hopefully when the idle drops after the scooter warms up the wheel stops spinning.

Part of our prep is to adjust the carb mixture setting and idle speed so that this doesn't happen. Adjusting the idle low enough so that the wheel doesn't spin when cold while keeping the idle strong enough so that it doesn't stall out when warm can be kind of tricky, but it's almost always possible.

If the wheel's spinning hard enough that you feel the scooter trying to get away from you while stopped at a traffic light, you should take it in and get it adjusted. That can be a safety hazard.

It happens to everyone, but it is unusual for the bike to take off by itself if on the center stand. The wheel should be an inch or two above the ground, so the bike shouldnt be able to take off. Unless you mean the side stand, the bike should always be started on the center stand unless you are physically sitting on the bike.

Be sure to always start the scooter on the center stand, not the side stand. There have been several instances of scoots started on the sidestand getting away from owners and falling.

How fast is the wheel spinning? It could be your idle is too high. It should spin, just a little bit, when warmed up. When it's cold, the engine will run at higher RPMs for a bit after starting, so the wheel will spin faster, but you should be able to hear the engine slow once it starts to warm up.

Check this out:
topic4153.html

It's fairly normal and it's due to the autochoke. The engine idles high so that it can warm up faster. Just be sure to follow the advice already given in this thread. I think this happens more in colder weather. Does it do the same thing if you start it up after the engine's already warmed up?

If it's excessive, adjust the idle or better yet, have your shop look at it.

Yes, it spins fast when you start it in 25 degree weather-
and you should let the bike warm up anyway.

So start it, and then pop the seat (you can do that on a buddy while the engine is running), and do all your loading, brake and blinker checking and final dressing. Sit on it and think about your route and the likely hazards. By then the bike will be warmed up. Rock off the center stand and go.

I grab the rear brake just before I take it off the rear stand. I don't want to run the risk of the wheel catching and throwing me off balance when it comes down.

But that's just me being overly cautious I bet