Kickstarting secret, revealed!

[jfrost2]

I know many people here already know how to kick start the bike in 1-2 kicks, but many new owners here have no clue how to use the kick start lever. Seth at metro scooter showed me this method which is painless and simple.

Like many have said, push down lightly until you feel the lever cant be pushed down to easily anymore, usually it's just a light step on, you'll understand if you go out and try it.

Make sure both hands are on the handlebars and that the center stand is on, you could make a bad kick, lose your stability, and lay the bike down if the stand isnt on.

With both hands on the handle bars and the kickstart lever stepped till it's caught, quickly jump and force all your weight onto the lever in one quick motion. Jump and push all your weight on it, using your right foot to kick is the easiest. You can land on your left foot as you come down. If it worked, it should quickly have started up. If your kick wasnt fast or strong enough, the engine may turn over, but not fully start.

Jumping onto the kick start lever seems much easier than pushing down with your feet on the lever, the faster and stronger, the better.

[sailortot]

speaking of kickstarting...has anyone ever had the lever jammed shut due to rust? mine wont budge. any tips? maybe a can of wd-40?

[schroncc]

sailortot
My kickstart lever would make a really loud noise when I tried to start it, like metal scraping on metal. I just stopped using it for a while cause I was scared I was damaging something. Then when I changed my rollers I applied some clean grease into the kickstart gear teeth and now it works fine. I really dont think spraying the outside with WD-40 will work.

[robtaylor]

i am wondering if you must apply the brake like you do when you use the electric ignition?

[ScooterTrash]

i am wondering if you must apply the brake like you do when you use the electric ignition?

No

[Buddy_wannabe]

......, quickly jump and force all your weight onto the lever in one quick motion. Jump and push all your weight on it.....
Jumping onto the kick start lever seems much easier

I think if I did this my next move would be picking up the lever off the ground

PS. You cant kick start it unless it is on the center stand. The stand is in the way if it is up.

[jfrost2]

Oh, I worded it wrong, I meant for the center stand to be down, and holding the bike up.

[Ed Hit]

speaking of kickstarting...has anyone ever had the lever jammed shut due to rust? mine wont budge. any tips? maybe a can of wd-40?

Do you mean the lever that you stand on wont swing out? Or internally where the gears are?

If you just mean the lever wont swing out, don't try WD-40, try liquid wrench. WD- 40 will just sit on the outside of the rust, and unless you can work it in, (only if there is not too much rust) it wont work to lube it.

Liquid wrench or the like will get through the rust, you have to spray it on, then tap the frozen part to vibrate it in.

I can't remember the name of it right now, but there is a more powerful catalyst? now, that will work better...

[jmazza]

I don't know about this advice- maybe you don't weigh very much at all, but I don't think it would be very good to put all of my jumping weight on the kickstart shaft, and I only weigh about 160.

It takes a few times but mine has always started up with 'regular' kicking of the lever (after getting it to the catch point as you described).

[SScooterG]

PS. You cant kick start it unless it is on the center stand. The stand is in the way if it is up.

That's a downright lie! I kickstart mine while it's on the kickstand. Having on the centerstand causes it to rock back, so I hold the brake with my left hand, pull up on the back with my right hand, and kick as many times and as fast as I can (it takes me about 20 seconds to get it started...but like 15 kicks!) Sure, it's not the best way - but it works

[Sunil]

speaking of kickstarting...has anyone ever had the lever jammed shut due to rust? mine wont budge. any tips? maybe a can of wd-40?

WD-40 never really works for me. Use liquid wrench or tri-flow.

I wonder if its good practice to kick it now and then just to keep all the kick-start gears from drying out and rusting? I don't think that I have kick-started mine since I bought it.

[sailortot]

Do you mean the lever that you stand on wont swing out? Or internally where the gears are?

If you just mean the lever wont swing out, don't try WD-40, try liquid wrench. WD- 40 will just sit on the outside of the rust, and unless you can work it in, (only if there is not too much rust) it wont work to lube it.

the lever that is supposed to swing out is the part i was referring to. thanks for the tips.

[Kurzer]

I don't know about this advice- maybe you don't weigh very much at all, but I don't think it would be very good to put all of my jumping weight on the kickstart shaft, and I only weigh about 160.

It takes a few times but mine has always started up with 'regular' kicking of the lever (after getting it to the catch point as you described).

+1

I just got to the set point with a little pressure and push, it usually goes on the first try

[lou76]

side note: my kickstart became very sluggish and innefective after riding on dirt roads on and off during mummy mayhem this last week... i opened the cvt, removed and cleaned the air filter at the front of the cvt, removed the metal and paper covers from the kickstart assembly, and cleaned and greased the whole thing... much better... the only part that i did not remove completely was the shaft w/the spring...

[Buddy_wannabe]

PS. You cant kick start it unless it is on the center stand. The stand is in the way if it is up.

That's a downright lie! ........

Soooorrrryyyyy I "lied" ...... I just know that on MY Buddy the kick start hits my center stand if the center stand is up ......

[SScooterG]

well on MY buddy, I can't kickstart it while it's on the centerstand! (but I think that's just because I'm scared it will tip back and fall over). My dealer kickstarted in on the side stand as well. I do have a 2008, but I don't think that was a change they made.

[jfrost2]

From a mechanical view point, the engine needs to warm up before riding. It makes the back tire spin slowly, and it usually stops spinning after warm up. With my body on the bike, the wheel's low power is enough to still push me. If you have the rear tire touching the ground during warm up, something very bad could happen.

I had to learn this the hard way after my bike decided to ride off without me while it was on the side stand, then it fell over.

[SScooterG]

I had to learn this the hard way after my bike decided to ride off without me while it was on the side stand, then it fell over.

That's very unfortunate! I keep mine on the center stand while starting electrically. Here's why:

The tire spins from revving the throttle during an electric start-up. When you kickstart, you don't throttle and the back tire doesn't spin. (By the time the engine has warmed up, the tire has slowed it's spinning due to Newton's law of friction...or whatever)

[jfrost2]

Actually I just kick started my bike to test this, the bike tire still spins.

When electrically starting, the electricity just does the kick for you, but internally. Theres no throttle unless you yourself rev it.

[SScooterG]

Usually, I end up revving it more than needed. My boyfriend and I tested this out the other day - He didn't understand why my tire was spinning so fast. We started it with minimum throttle spun and the tire spun slower and then we started it with a slight rev (which happens to me a lot ) and it spun very quickly.

So when I kickstart, were it on centerstand, the tire probably wouldn't spin very fast because I'm not accidently revving the engine. The tire would just slowly rotate.

But I trust you since you've had your scooter longer.

[Kurzer]

From a mechanical view point, the engine needs to warm up before riding. It makes the back tire spin slowly, and it usually stops spinning after warm up. With my body on the bike, the wheel's low power is enough to still push me. If you have the rear tire touching the ground during warm up, something very bad could happen.

I had to learn this the hard way after my bike decided to ride off without me while it was on the side stand, then it fell over.

That's the exact reason I swapped my stock headset out for a new one... I was putting on my gloves and heard a crash behind me... I was like WTF just happened, then my brain turned on and told me... I felt like an idiot

[lou76]

PS. You cant kick start it unless it is on the center stand. The stand is in the way if it is up.

That's a downright lie! ........

Soooorrrryyyyy I "lied" ...... I just know that on MY Buddy the kick start hits my center stand if the center stand is up ......

you can adjust the kickstart lever up a bit if you so desire... i did...

and if your back wheel is spinning that much while warming up, your idle is probably set a little high...

[jfrost2]

I'm wondering if the Px150/stella or other vespa kick starters would fit on the buddy? They all attach in the same method, but I dont have one physically, so I dont know if it would work or not.

[KRUSTYburger]

and if your back wheel is spinning that much while warming up, your idle is probably set a little high...

Mine just started spinning abnormally fast the last couple days. It's never done that before... It only happens when I go somewhere, turn it off for a little while (about 20-30 min), then start it back up again. I'm pretty sure my idle IS too high, how do I adjust that? Not sure that is the only problem, since it just started happening out of the blue and only does it sometimes...

[jfrost2]

The bike hasnt properly cooled down, and you living in florida where it's hot doesnt help either. Mine will spin fast if it didnt cool down properly and then was started up quickly again.

[jmazza]

and if your back wheel is spinning that much while warming up, your idle is probably set a little high...

Mine just started spinning abnormally fast the last couple days. It's never done that before... It only happens when I go somewhere, turn it off for a little while (about 20-30 min), then start it back up again. I'm pretty sure my idle IS too high, how do I adjust that? Not sure that is the only problem, since it just started happening out of the blue and only does it sometimes...

Yeah I wouldn't change the idle for this. Mine does this sometimes too, though I've never stopped to think if there was a pattern to it. As long as it settles down within a minute or two you're probably fine. If you adjust the idle lower, you'll end up stalling at lights (especially the ones where you run to hit the crosswalk button!!).

FYI, the idle is really easy to adjust. In the bottom of the pet carrier, there's a small square-ish panel. Remove it and there's a set screw that adjusts the idle. I'm sure there's a thread here with pics if you want to search it. But unless your idle is never settling down, don't mess with it.

[KRUSTYburger]

The idle does "settle" as you say, but it takes so long I usually end up leaving before it does... Also I tested it a while back and it will go down for about 30 sec or so, then go back up again. (the tire stays the same usually, but you can hear it in the engine). Maybe I'll adjust the idle just a bit to see if it is better. Do I turn it clockwise or counter-clockwise to lower? Also, do I do it while the engine is off or running? Thanks again!

[jmazza]

Adjusting the idle