I've had five of the "engine outline" engine warning lights in my year-plus of stock-engined Blur SS 220i ownership and each time it has happened after brief highway travel. It seems to happen when the ambient temperature is over 80 degrees and when you are around 8000 RPM (or slightly above -- if your tach is working - see other post). As it's (finally) summer here in Michigan, the last four warning lights have happened within the last three weeks. Last week we found out that Genuine has sent a technical notice about this condition: the warning light, what it is measuring and what happens when it's activated.
On Saturday I was heading to my volunteer job at my dealer - Blackbeard Powersports in Clinton Township, Michigan. The temp was a perfect 80 degrees and I headed out onto my local superhighway (696) for the short jaunt to "Groesbeck Highway" (itself a 4-6 lane commuter road with many lights). I looked down at the Blur's clock as I entered 696. Almost exactly eight minutes later, and just as I was getting on the exit for Groesbeck, the engine warning light came on. I had purposely kept the RPMs at or below 8000 for the entire journey (easy because of traffic) and was clipping along at an indicated 73 - 75, probably about 64 to 69 real MPH, aided and abetted by the many elevations that the highway takes over other roads. I was definitely taking it as easy as I could in the 2nd rightmost lane of the highway.
I got the warning light and was already at the exit, so at the first traffic light I noticed the same elevated idle (3000) and popping/sputtering on throttle-off rolling up to the light that I had during the other recent examples of the overheat warning condition. Only after about five miles with a stoplight every half mile of Groesbeck did the idle drop back to about 2500, still elevated. I pulled into the shop parking lot and snapped a few pics, then shut it down and ran inside to get the "quick diagnostic tool" (the DIN dongle from Genuine/PGO). I quickly ran it through the diagnostic a couple of times and only got two short flashes on the engine lamp (which doubles as the test indicator when using the dongle). Nowhere in the directions for the dongle or the tech bulletin addressing the overheat issue does it mention two short flashes. The tech bulletin says that a short and long flash shows that the overheat sensor has been activated (as it should be), and also says that a ignition off will reset the indicator. Since one has to ignition off to insert the tool (under the seat) I don't know if it's possible to see the overheat error code at all. The bike "cooled down" in the baking heat all afternoon and I left around 3:15. I didn't take the highway home, but instead took a road that features long stretches between traffic lights. I wasn't taking it too easy and the light didn't come back on even though it was probably almost 90 degrees on the way home.
Without being "that guy", I'm pretty disappointed in Genuine/PGO right now. The tech bulletin says that this is a built-in overheat warning and that the symptoms that I and others are experiencing are "normal" for a scooter being operated at "maximum revs". I bought the top-of-the line Genuine scooter for it's dual nature - a sport-oriented scooter that has enough muscle to use for short stretches on the highway. I did not buy the Blur for the engine overheat light to come on with some fairly benign, normal use for eight minutes. I'm taking the scoot in for new tires this week and I'm going to instruct them to keep it until they can get Genuine to better explain: 1. Why this is happening under what I would call normal use? and 2. How they plan on rectifying the condition? I'm also wondering if we are going to see something similar on the new Buddy 170is now sitting at dealerships?
My other problem (the wandering idle) has been markedly better since I switched to 89 (mid-grade) gasoline, so I would imagine that is as good as that condition will get.
I'm disappointed that Genuine (and apparently PGO - the overheat programming is not addressed in their embarrassing owner's manual) didn't know that this "overheat" issue would occur, or that there is a changed engine performance parameter set (high idle, sputtering and apparently rev limit) when the overheat is detected. That this is being discovered in mostly cool Michigan (our forever winter has paid me back this year!), points to some sloppy programming/documentation or severe unpopularity of this scoot in Taiwan, where the temperatures seem much warmer (but with fewer superhighways for sure).
All this said, I still really enjoy my Blur as I think that it is a high performance scooter with an attractive and unique dual nature of speed and handling. It's too bad that that high performance apparently does not apply to even short highway commutes during the summer. Genuine, if you are reading this, please tell us how something like this happens, and what you expect us to do to help avoid the overheat engine warning light.
Lamp lit, revs high, highway travel trouble
Edit: Update
. Coming back from our camping rally was riding with one other scoot and some chase vehicles. 80 degrees, sunny but lots of coverage from trees on a two lane road. Going about 55-60 mph, until I was only going about 40mph. Damn. Let her cool down for about 30 mins and checked the oil. I was a little low but nothing drastic. Either way I added some to top it all the way off and to ensure temps stayed down. Got back on the road and scooted another 40 miles home. Really didn't expect this from this type of weather and from moderate speeds.