I'm looking for help on this before I take Tang off to the dealer. Here is the scenario:
Start Buddy up in the morning to go to work - No issues, starts right up.
Drive to work - about 6 mi. 3/4 of that on the Expressway WOT, the rest city streets. Again, no issues stalling or anything.
Park in the covered parking structure - Next to the Sports Bikes
Leave at 1:15 to take care of an errand.
Drain battery trying to start Tang. Try kick-starting her and do that for about 10 min.
After sweating like a pig trying to get her started, she finally starts.
Drive home with no issues.
This scenario keeps getting played out in various forms. The recurring thing is that each time Tang is acting like she's not getting ANY gas, and then... finally she gets gas and starts. I have drilled the gas cap, but I'm not sure that is the issue. If she had a fuel pump, I would say it's bad... but Buddy's don't have a fuel pump, yes?
Any advice on this one would be a big help!
Cheers,
C2
Last edited by C2 on Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'd say the battery's just not charging on your short ride, but if it's hard to kickstart, that's not it. You're holding the brake lever as you kickstart, right?
And flooding will do that, but generally that's just when you have a hard time starting hot. Flooding will evaporates if you're leaving it for a long time.
Are you sure it's not a Lambretta? Sounds like a Lambretta.
I wish these things had fuel taps.
Bb.
2strokebuzz: When news breaks, we put it under a tarp in the garage.
broke wrote:If the battery is dead dead dead, I believe it will suck a lot of the current that is supposed to generate your spark.
How old is your battery?
The battery is the stock Prima one that cam with it, so only about 1 year. And, the battery had a fresh charge on it. I tried the starter and it turned over and over and over and over and over until the battery started to wain.
Like I said, it's almost like it's not getting any fuel to the engine. But when it does start... she's fine.
Does not sound like a battery issue to me. nor does it sound like an evap system issue. I'd start with the basic fuel and ignition stuff. Is it actually getting fuel to the cylinder? Trying to electric start for an extended period should put a fair amount of gasoline fumes through the exhaust. Is it actually getting a spark? Connections tight, ground tight, etc? What is the appearance of the spark plug? A bunch of stuff to sort through but it is a basic process of elimination.
Update: The problem has become more than intermittent. In fact, I was stuck at work for an hour trying to get her to start. I've got an appointment to get her looked at this weekend @ San Jose Vespa, so if I learn the source of the problem.. I post it here.
You might have some crud in your fuel system. You could try adding a bit of seafoam to your gas, it can't hurt. I was having similar issues with my Vino, and a fresh tank of gas with a shot of seafoam did the trick for me.
This sounds exactly like what I went through. My 2009 Buddy only had 200 miles on it when it started being hard to start. Often requiring 10 - 15 kicks to get started after fruitlessly running down the battery. Dealer mechanic changed a fouled spark plug and I have had no problem in the 800 miles since. I found it hard to believe in a fouled spark plug with only 200 miles on a new scooter, but the mechanic blames low octane gas. I switched to premium. Apparently - issue resolved.
Why not want what you have? And not want what you don't have? It is so simple — you could be happy.
I had a similar problem with my Xciting 250 starts fine drive to work. Then when I got off it took 2 or 3 tries to get it started. I added sea foam.
So far no more problems. I also let it idle a bit when i get to work now before i shut it off.
MAJensen wrote: I also let it idle a bit when i get to work now before i shut it off.
I guess that MAY help (letting sediment in the gas settle and clear out of the idle jets while it's running?) but I don't think it's really necessary.
Older scooters and motorcycles had a fuel tap that could be shut off to let all gas run out of the carb, THAT made sure that the carb was cleared out, but just running more gas through it at idle is probably just wasting (a little) gas and creating (a little) exhaust.
Note that there are different passages through the carb for air and fuel, and at different revs, different passages are used. So dirty carb issues often just affect certian rev ranges, most commonly the idle range. But it's possible to have the bike running great at idle and stall at higher revs, or vice versa.
Bryan
2strokebuzz: When news breaks, we put it under a tarp in the garage.
MAJensen wrote:I had a similar problem with my Xciting 250 starts fine drive to work. Then when I got off it took 2 or 3 tries to get it started. I added sea foam.
So far no more problems. I also let it idle a bit when i get to work now before i shut it off.
I use a bit of Sea Foam every 3rd fill up.
The fact that when I finally DO get it started, it runs fine, is what's driving me the most crazy.
