New Buddy 150 - stalled while riding today - whats wrong?

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sotied
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Post by sotied »

*bump* important for people to know.

I assume this covers the 125s too?
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Post by ericalm »

sotied wrote:I assume this covers the 125s too?
Assume nothing. The issue is solely with he 150s, which have the metal gas tank. The '08 125s do not, but may get them in the future (which will be '10 unless there's a mid-year model change next year).
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Post by emoboy44 »

OK now I'm confused. I am picking up a pair of Buddy 50s today. The dealer will be drilling the caps for me. Is this necessary for the 50cc?
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Post by ericalm »

emoboy44 wrote:OK now I'm confused. I am picking up a pair of Buddy 50s today. The dealer will be drilling the caps for me. Is this necessary for the 50cc?
Ah, actually if you're getting the Italia 50s then it may be. I don't know if they have the metal tanks like the 150cc internationals.

Either way, won't hurt. I've yet to hear of this problem with a 50, but I don't think we have a lot of members with the '08 Italia 50s.
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Post by jfrost2 »

The 08 125's do have metal gas tanks, the fuel system is the same as the 150 which causes the vapor lock/stalling issues.
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Post by sbebenelli »

I've had my Italia for 3 weeks now. It's got 140 miles on it. I knew about the stalling and gas leaking problem before I bought it. I made sure I didn't over fill and and up till today I never had a problem. I went on a 20 mile ride and had 3/4 tank of fuel. When I pulled into the garage I smelled gas. Look and seen it running right on the exhaust. I removed the gas cap and heard pressure come out. I went right to the drill press and drilled 1/16 holes as others have. This confirms and proves you do not have to over fill the fuel to have this problem. Today is the hottest day of the year 90+ degrees.

This raises a couple questions for me.....

1. How in the world can something like this happen and not be known about before sending out a product for sale. Very little testing would show this problem.

2. Who would design the fuel overflow to pour right on the exhaust? My 12 year old would know better.
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sotied
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Post by sotied »

ericalm wrote:
sotied wrote:I assume this covers the 125s too?
Assume nothing. The issue is solely with he 150s, which have the metal gas tank. The '08 125s do not, but may get them in the future (which will be '10 unless there's a mid-year model change next year).
As noted, the 125s also have the metal gas tank for '08. And I could swear some of the people concerned about this listed their scoots as 125s.

Regardless, the drilling took care of any problem. I've not had gas drip or Scootle stall. I also take care not to fill above the collar.
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buddy 125 stalling

Post by birchbark38 »

Same thing happened to me-1st time it was my fault (although the dealer never told me) when I filled it to the rim-made a long, frustrating ride home. Yesterday, with tank 1/4 full again cutout 4 times, barely made it to work by openning gas tank and restarting. Got to work, went on this forum, saw the article about drilling the gas cap, did it and made it home (25 mile commute each way). I am off again this AM, hope this solved the problem.
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Re: Got Buddy back from the shop

Post by Drumwoulf »

ttreeinsea wrote:Hi all- Well, my '08 Buddy is back after dying on me and being sent into the shop. The mechanics drove it a few miles, and it sputtered and died on them, too. There was an incident with contaminated gas from Shell stations over Memorial Day Weekend in Seattle (that's where I filled up last- though my station wasn't one "on the bad list"). So, the mechanics cleaned out the gas tank thoroughly and filled it will new gas, then drove it around about 5 miles. It didn't die. I picked it up last night and drove it 20 miles today and *knock on wood* it hasn't crapped out on me again. FYI- the time it did die on me, the gas tank was between 1/4 and 1/2, so this whole "vapor lock" discussion (above) may apply to me as well. I'm hoping it was just a one time thing, though. The fact that others have been posting about similar issues makes me very skeptical that it was just "contaminated gas," however. But who knows...

Side issue- I notice that my Buddy smells very "hot" after I've been running it for a while, like something- fuel?- is burning. Anyone else having this issue?
I also got that weird burning odor when my '07 was new. The dealer explained that it was leftover gunk in the carb from shipping the bike... He also set the idle very high in the beginning to overcome this problem.

After a while I experimented with the idle (as he showed me how to do), and the scoot started stalling after I ran it for a bit because the auto-choke would cut the idle down too low at a stoplight! Fiddling around, I now have the idle just right, so when it's running quick and the auto-choke does it's job and cuts the idle down at a stop, it's not enough to stall the bike...
I've also found that the idle on my scoot generally needs to be fine tuned differently for best running during warm months and cold ones...
Namaste,
~drummer~

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Sigh, me too

Post by bmaffitt »

OK, add me to the list of stalling 2008 Buddy 150s. My Pamplona only has 60 miles on it, on its first tank. I was driving it to work today and it died when I came to a stop at an intersection (on a hill). I waited about 5 minutes and it started again, then died again about a half mile away. I waited 5 minutes again, it started again and I got to work fine. I'll try the "premium" gas approach and see if it helps, but it sounds like I might want to track down and disconnect this mysterious hose, too. Is there a diagram for that in the manual? I left it at home, unfortunately.
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Oops

Post by bmaffitt »

I didn't read page 2 of this thread! I've drilled the gas cap and will report back if the problem is fixed. Otherwise, I'm having a blast!
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stalling on 150's

Post by jvjjr »

i don't understand why the only answer to this problem is drilling a hole in the gas cap?? this seems this would be a problem for 100% of the 150's. i got my buddy and immediately started having the the stalling problem. this is a major design flaw. i was so upset about my purchase b/c it was having problems and it was only 2 days old. why won't genuine act to fix the problem. my dealer did not mention one word about this problem. i have put the holes in the cap. i hope i don't have any more problems. the company needs a permanet fix.
2 weeks and 250 miles later: no more problems since the holes in the gas cap. this scooter is soo much fun.
Last edited by jvjjr on Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
bmaffitt
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I agree, but...

Post by bmaffitt »

...my dealer, who has sold many Buddys, said mine was the first that he had seen with the problem. It is possible that since most of his sales are in New York City, while I live upstate, perhaps some aspect of city driving reduces the problem. Or may be a new batch of gas caps fits tighter than the old, and contributes to the vapor lock. In either case, the drilling is an easy fix, and I have had no issues since I performed the operation a week ago. The dealer ha since confirmed that this is the recommended approach, and he is dealing directly with Genuine now about resolving the issue.
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Gasoline dripping on hot exhaust pipe

Post by rickko »

sbebenelli wrote:...Who would design the fuel overflow to pour right on the exhaust? My 12 year old would know better...
Actually its likely someone older than 12 designed it because they learned in their high school chemistry class that the ignition temperature of gasoline is around 500 degrees F. And, they likely know from research or experimentation that the Buddy exhaust pipe does not, can not, and will not reach that temperature. If it did, everything around it would be melting, including the tire!

It's doubtful in the worst of circumstances the Buddy exhaust pipe's external temperature will ever exceed 250 deg. F. (That's cold relative to gasoline ignition).

In fact because the Buddy engine is so small (one tiny spark plug) my guess is, the surface of the pipe/muffler doesn't get much over 170 F.

So, don't worry you and your 12-year old are safe should you spill some gas on your muffler at the gas station or a little drips onto it at any other time.

But if you need to worry about something, then what you SHOULD worry about is having a gas water heater in a closed garage and its pilot light goes out. Now you've got a gas fume situation that could easily be ignited by the smallest little spark.

Cheers!
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Post by ringdoc »

Id swear my dealer said that the gas cap I have was sent to him from guniune as a replacement. it has a small hole on the bottom side, but nothing in the top part where your thumb goes. I only have about 65 miles on mine. does anyone else have a small hole on the under side of the gas cap??
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Post by Shane Wilson »

The second hole on the replacement caps is found under the lip of the cap, not on the grip of the cap.
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Post by RonF »

ericalm wrote:
I just spoke with Phil McCaleb (owner of Genuine) about this. The issue is solely with the gas caps, not the tanks themselves. Genuine is sending out replacement gas caps to all dealers. They are also sending stickers warning riders not to overfill the tanks.
I contacted my dealer today to ask about getting a vented cap and he told me that Genuine was definitely not ever going to provide any gas cap replacements, and made some kind of condescending slur about information on the internet. :x

He said they will drill holes in my cap next time I go there, but I've already done that myself. Sounds like he doesn't know and/or doesn't want to bother finding out for sure to me.
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Post by rickko »

RonF wrote:
ericalm wrote:
I just spoke with Phil McCaleb (owner of Genuine) about this. The issue is solely with the gas caps, not the tanks themselves. Genuine is sending out replacement gas caps to all dealers. They are also sending stickers warning riders not to overfill the tanks.
I contacted my dealer today to ask about getting a vented cap and he told me that Genuine was definitely not ever going to provide any gas cap replacements, ...
This is frustrating to hear. You deserve a better response from your dealer.

Last night I listened to two hours of podcast interviews of Philip McCaleb, CEO of Genuine Scooters & ScooterWorks. He spent most of his conversation talking about how the customer comes first and how dedicated their organization is to building a good relationship with their customers and putting their needs as their highest priority.

He even said, "Write me. I read all emails."

Since Eric says Phil said they are sending out caps and your dealer doesn't want to research that for you, it seems this is a perfect situation to jump the chain-0f-command and bring your problem directly to Phil's attention via email. This is the email address he announced publicly on his podcast: philip@genuinescooters.com

I'd name the dealership by whom you are being stone-walled, the employee and your name and contact info.

If Phil is true to his word I'd expect you'll get a positive response very quickly.

Oh, if you haven't heard these somewhat interesting podcasts about the history of Scooterworks and Genuine Scooters, they are at: http://www.justgottascoot.com/genuine.htm

Good luck! Please let us know what kind of results you get.

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Post by ringdoc »

Shane Wilson wrote:The second hole on the replacement caps is found under the lip of the cap, not on the grip of the cap.


thanks shane, sounds like my dealer knew what he was talking about and I have a second hole under the lip of the cap
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Post by broke »

Count me in the masses of Buddy 125 owners who have experienced this problem.

Bought my ride on July 10th but dealer didn't warn about it.

First experienced it at about 200 mi. on odomoter and each time during the first real "stress" during a ride (45mph up a slight hill). Every single ride I could count on it occuring... 4 times in a row.

Through trial and error I figured out that letting the bike cool down always got me where I wanted to go, but was quite concerned... at least until I found this website! GREAT information! I drilled my cap like the photos and haven't had a stall since (another 100miles and lots of uphill 45mph driving). The vented cap is clearly plenty of a solution for me.

My dealer (VespaPortland.com) is currently out of stock of the replacement caps, but promised I could have one, but we both don't really see the need as the replacements do the same thing that the hand-modification does.

...I am curious about getting a little more oomph without the emission gizmo however :twisted: ... I may need to do a little tinkering around this weekend!
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gas cap is the solution

Post by baseballfan1977 »

my dealer gave me a vented gas cap for free. havent had a stalling problem since. Said it was common.
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running with the bulls
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Stalling out,

Post by running with the bulls »

At about 160 miles, with a quarter tank, driving at 35-40mph, I had a similar problem.

The scoot stalled out as if it were out of gas, and I pulled off and killed it before it stalled out.

I had assumed that there was some sort of gas reservoir that wasn't switched on or something, and I walked it to the nearest gas, (meeting some nice people on the way who wanted to know if I was selling it).

I called the dealer, who said it might be vapor lock, but I'm not really sure. I've been afraid to take it down to a quarter tank since then.
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Post by Spinergy »

There are two potential problems here; actual vapor lock caused by overheating or vacuum lock from an improperly vented fuel tank. If the drilled gas cap hack works for you then it’s vacuum [not vapor] lock, by far the easier of the two to deal with. Tank drains down and a slight vacuum is created, there’s no fuel pump so gravity alone isn’t enough to pull air into the tank. Easy fix is to drill the gas cap, correct [emissions legal] fix is to re-design the evaporative recovery system so it doesn’t get clogged with gas. These problems are most certainly due to the “complex for a scoot” emissions system that’s been added to pass CARB certification.

True “vapor lock” is caused by overheating of the fuel system, usually the carb but occasionally a poorly routed metal fuel line. If the carb gets hot enough gas within it will start to boil and vaporize. The pressure created will cause the engine to flood out initially as raw gas already in the carb gets pushed into the intake under pressure, shortly after the engine will sputter and die from fuel starvation since positive pressure in the system [vapor lock] prevents new liquid fuel from entering the carb. What liquid fuel does come in flashes to vapor almost instantly perpetuating the problem. Let things cool down and it should self resolve. If true vapor lock keeps happening then there’s a design problem, notably inadequate air flow around the engine. If this is happening to your V8 hot rod there are all sorts of easy fixes; insulating carb spacers, heat shields, and reflective foil wrap for fuel lines. On a new scoot it’s a bit more tricky. You’re talking about a redesign of the cowling around the engine to allow better cooling or something equally not DIY or warranty friendly. Occasionally the root problem is ignition timing, which can have a big impact on engine/ exhaust temperature. You can’t really adjust that “as-is”, but several aftermarket suppliers sell CDI modules with adjustable timing.

Sooo... if the drill fix [or new factory vented cap] works then you’re all set. It was simple vacuum lock. If you still have problems, particularly after extended high speed driving or a long time in stop-n-go traffic, then it’s probably the old nemesis vapor lock. The symptoms of vapor lock are just like a clogged fuel filter or dirt in the carb, but will self resolve 99% of the time after the engine cools down. An actual physical blockage won’t simply go away. I've seen inexperienced mechanics keep blaming dirt/ clogs/ goo when the real problem is vapor lock from overheating.
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Post by MadgesBuddy »

This discussion thread has been very useful. I purchased a 2008 Buddy 125 the end of July and have had episodic problems with losing power esp. over 30 mph and hills. I've done the 500 mi service (things going great at that point except for 1st week few "losing power" moments at 35+ mph). Had the dealer look at it few weeks ago after consistent loss of power 35+.

Has been running great since they cleaned out filter, carb - until today...losing power after 5-10 miles followed pretty quickly by stalling while driving. Able to restart it after letting it sit few minutes. I'm not sure I'll be able to make the 45 mi trip to the dealer in this condition. It does add a fear factor of becoming stranded during a ride. pushing a scooter is not all that fun!

Disappointed that this is happening to such a new machine but there is some comfort in knowing it's not just me! I will try to keep it above half-a-tank and get it to the dealer. Thanks for all the posts! keep 'em coming
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Post by 5 bud7 »

Received a call wednesday from the buddy dealer that my 2007 buddy has been recalled and to bring it in for repairs. Went in today and they installed a new fueline with a round plastic unit on the end. It took about half hour to complete. My buddy is a 2007 italia 125 so it looks like all buddies were recalled. The also said they were recalling blurs.
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Post by newslinky »

Hmm I haven't heard about any Buddy recal. Eric anything on this?
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Post by MalindaKay »

RECALL?!?!?!
Scootalicious.
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Post by olhogrider »

5 bud7 wrote:Received a call wednesday from the buddy dealer that my 2007 buddy has been recalled and to bring it in for repairs. Went in today and they installed a new fueline with a round plastic unit on the end. It took about half hour to complete. My buddy is a 2007 italia 125 so it looks like all buddies were recalled. The also said they were recalling blurs.
Can you post a picture?
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Post by Lostmycage »

Odd about the Blurs... I just got back from seeing mine completely stripped apart and right behind the fuel tank is a nice white little relief tank specifically for Vapor lock prevention. I noticed it before when I was swapping out panels on it and installing the Nautilus horn as well, but you can really see it in all it's glory when your bike looks like it's prepped for a campfire spit.
Check out :arrow: Scoot Richmond's new site: My awesome local shop.
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Post by ericalm »

5 bud7 wrote:Received a call wednesday from the buddy dealer that my 2007 buddy has been recalled and to bring it in for repairs. Went in today and they installed a new fueline with a round plastic unit on the end. It took about half hour to complete. My buddy is a 2007 italia 125 so it looks like all buddies were recalled. The also said they were recalling blurs.
There's no Buddy or other Genuine recall.
viewtopic.php?p=108505#108505
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Post by scoots4me »

Sorry to add to the bad news reports but I am officially having stalling issues now as well. I've got almost 300 miles on the scoot - that's it. A few days ago I stalled out 3 times on a long road. I thought I was maybe out of gas. I got some gas, headed to the dealer (ironically I was on my way there to get some gear anyway!) and the mechanic replaced my gas cap with one that has a little pre-drilled hole. Sadly, I've now stalled out once per day for the past 3 days. GEEZ. Guess I need to go back to the mechanic. Just thought I'd confirm that stalling issues are now in my life as well.
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Post by 5 bud7 »

How many pages of posts do you need to realize something is really wrong with these scooters. Anyone reading these posts would surely be scared away. you can lock the posts because they dont agree with your opinion but the problems dont go away.
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Post by Orange Guy »

5 bud7 wrote:How many pages of posts do you need to realize something is really wrong with these scooters.
You hear about the problems, but to say something is "really wrong with these scooters" is probably a stretch. I've about 3K miles and have had no problems. I bet an informal survey would show that there are far more trouble-free Buddys than ones with something "really wrong."
I suppose I should be upset, even feel violated, but I'm not. No, in fact, I think this is a friendly message, like "Hey, wanna play?" and yes I want to play. I really really do.

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Post by eldoroddo »

Orange Guy wrote:
5 bud7 wrote:How many pages of posts do you need to realize something is really wrong with these scooters.
You hear about the problems, but to say something is "really wrong with these scooters" is probably a stretch. I've about 3K miles and have had no problems. I bet an informal survey would show that there are far more trouble-free Buddys than ones with something "really wrong."
There IS something wrong if the stalling out CAN GET YOU KILLED.
By the way, I finally got the wife's 09 Pamplona last night. My California model does not have a drilled gas cap.
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Post by Orange Guy »

eldoroddo wrote:There IS something wrong if the stalling out CAN GET YOU KILLED.
Point taken. I was taking his "these scooters" to mean all Buddys. There is something really wrong with the ones stalling all the time. The thousands others? Not so much.
I suppose I should be upset, even feel violated, but I'm not. No, in fact, I think this is a friendly message, like "Hey, wanna play?" and yes I want to play. I really really do.

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Post by eldoroddo »

eldoroddo wrote:
Orange Guy wrote:
5 bud7 wrote:How many pages of posts do you need to realize something is really wrong with these scooters.
You hear about the problems, but to say something is "really wrong with these scooters" is probably a stretch. I've about 3K miles and have had no problems. I bet an informal survey would show that there are far more trouble-free Buddys than ones with something "really wrong."
There IS something wrong if the stalling out CAN GET YOU KILLED.
By the way, I finally got the wife's 09 Pamplona last night. My California model does not have a drilled gas cap.
And yes, it just spit gas out when I unscrewed it :roll:
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NO Ho Scotters in North Hollywood california

Post by Mike @ NoHo Scooters »

You are so right !! We have been telling ours Customers not to over fill the tanks because they will vapor lock and also will get a back fire a loud sound!!! So just remember you really don't have to fill your tank all the way your getting the best MPG for your money. Buddy's are a great bike to ride you take care of them and they we take any where you want to go!!! George from NOHO Scooters
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Post by eldoroddo »

Wow.
Talk about a thread back from the dead.
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Re: NO Ho Scotters in North Hollywood california

Post by ericalm »

Mike @ NoHo Scooters wrote:You are so right !! We have been telling ours Customers not to over fill the tanks because they will vapor lock and also will get a back fire a loud sound!!! So just remember you really don't have to fill your tank all the way your getting the best MPG for your money. Buddy's are a great bike to ride you take care of them and they we take any where you want to go!!! George from NOHO Scooters
George! You need your own account! :)
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Post by gearhead »

jfrost2 wrote:All gases are clean, it's just some burn provide more power when needed. Premium isnt going to add any HP or MPG if used in the buddy, it'll just add extra heat.
no extra heat
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stalled

Post by got2scoot »

once my buddy 150 stalled and it turned out i just hit the kill switch.
ha
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Re: stalled

Post by Angela »

got2scoot wrote:once my buddy 150 stalled and it turned out i just hit the kill switch.
ha
I did that at a stop sign recently. I laughed and laughed.
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Post by Cheshire »

My 125 will stall on me occasionally, but not at speed. I'll be pulling up to a stoplight or into a parking spot. Either the second I stop, or within a couple feet of where I'm stopping the engine will just cut out on me. Always starts right back up, but is a little puzzling. I'm usually riding either a bit aggressively or working the engine hard when it happens, so I think that's a factor. It's almost like the rpm's drop a little further than it meant to when I come down from speed. It sounds fine at idle other times, though. :?

I'm about due for an oil change soon. Will try to remember to mention it then.
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Skootz Kabootz
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Post by Skootz Kabootz »

Cheshire wrote:My 125 will stall on me occasionally, but not at speed. I'll be pulling up to a stoplight or into a parking spot. Either the second I stop, or within a couple feet of where I'm stopping the engine will just cut out on me. Always starts right back up, but is a little puzzling. I'm usually riding either a bit aggressively or working the engine hard when it happens, so I think that's a factor. It's almost like the rpm's drop a little further than it meant to when I come down from speed. It sounds fine at idle other times, though. :?

I'm about due for an oil change soon. Will try to remember to mention it then.
Same thing has happened to me a 3 - 4 times. Everything is fine, then poof, nada. No sputtering or anything, engine just stops running. But it always starts right back up again without issue like nothing is wrong. Just as if I had hit the kill switch (except I didn't). I thought maybe it was caused by an air bubble in the fuel line or something? Who knows. Any guesses anyone?
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ericalm
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Post by ericalm »

Skootz Kabootz wrote:
Cheshire wrote:My 125 will stall on me occasionally, but not at speed. I'll be pulling up to a stoplight or into a parking spot. Either the second I stop, or within a couple feet of where I'm stopping the engine will just cut out on me. Always starts right back up, but is a little puzzling. I'm usually riding either a bit aggressively or working the engine hard when it happens, so I think that's a factor. It's almost like the rpm's drop a little further than it meant to when I come down from speed. It sounds fine at idle other times, though. :?

I'm about due for an oil change soon. Will try to remember to mention it then.
Same thing has happened to me a 3 - 4 times. Everything is fine, then poof, nada. No sputtering or anything, engine just stops running. But it always starts right back up again without issue like nothing is wrong. Just as if I had hit the kill switch (except I didn't). I thought maybe it was caused by an air bubble in the fuel line or something? Who knows. Any guesses anyone?
Could be your idle is set just a tad too low. If that's the case, it may idle fine most of the time, but when coming down, dip low enough to stall.
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ericalm
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Post by ericalm »

Skootz Kabootz wrote:
Cheshire wrote:My 125 will stall on me occasionally, but not at speed. I'll be pulling up to a stoplight or into a parking spot. Either the second I stop, or within a couple feet of where I'm stopping the engine will just cut out on me. Always starts right back up, but is a little puzzling. I'm usually riding either a bit aggressively or working the engine hard when it happens, so I think that's a factor. It's almost like the rpm's drop a little further than it meant to when I come down from speed. It sounds fine at idle other times, though. :?

I'm about due for an oil change soon. Will try to remember to mention it then.
Same thing has happened to me a 3 - 4 times. Everything is fine, then poof, nada. No sputtering or anything, engine just stops running. But it always starts right back up again without issue like nothing is wrong. Just as if I had hit the kill switch (except I didn't). I thought maybe it was caused by an air bubble in the fuel line or something? Who knows. Any guesses anyone?
Could be your idle is set just a tad too low. If that's the case, it may idle fine most of the time, but when coming down, dip low enough to stall.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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Post by broke »

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Same thing has happened to me a 3 - 4 times. Everything is fine, then poof, nada. No sputtering or anything, engine just stops running. But it always starts right back up again without issue like nothing is wrong. Just as if I had hit the kill switch (except I didn't). I thought maybe it was caused by an air bubble in the fuel line or something? Who knows. Any guesses anyone?
Yours could be a regulator / electric problem. We've had posts of confirmed Regulator failures and confirmed loose connector caused problems on Buddys.
Cheshire wrote:My 125 will stall on me occasionally, but not at speed. I'll be pulling up to a stoplight or into a parking spot. Either the second I stop, or within a couple feet of where I'm stopping the engine will just cut out on me. Always starts right back up, but is a little puzzling. I'm usually riding either a bit aggressively or working the engine hard when it happens, so I think that's a factor. It's almost like the rpm's drop a little further than it meant to when I come down from speed. It sounds fine at idle other times, though. :?

I'm about due for an oil change soon. Will try to remember to mention it then.
This doesn't sound electrical as it coincides with engine RPMs... this sounds like a air or fuel starvation issue. Check your air filter, check your idle setting, try to run some carb cleaner with your fuel...
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Gas cap?

Post by frankly »

I just bought a used 2008 Buddy Italia 150. I spoke with the seller and he had what sounds like the same problem. He took it into a local and reputable shop in OK City where the guys promptly drilled a small hole (1/16th inch) in the top of the gas cap. He says that was the trick. The company had been supplied with the wrong caps a while ago. I assume a vacuum was created and prevented the gas from doing its job.

Maybe this helps. I hope so.
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Re: Gas cap?

Post by ericalm »

frankly wrote:I just bought a used 2008 Buddy Italia 150. I spoke with the seller and he had what sounds like the same problem. He took it into a local and reputable shop in OK City where the guys promptly drilled a small hole (1/16th inch) in the top of the gas cap. He says that was the trick. The company had been supplied with the wrong caps a while ago. I assume a vacuum was created and prevented the gas from doing its job.

Maybe this helps. I hope so.
Congrats on the Buddy!

This is the famous (well, around here anyways) '08 Buddy 150 vapor lock problem. The OK dealer did the right thing! The '08 150s had new metal tanks and changes had been made to the CA-mandatory vapor recovery system. Basically, this caused gas to go where it shouldn't, cutting off air to the engine and causing a stall. Even with the fixes, overfilling the tank can do this.
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Re: Gas cap?

Post by Skootz Kabootz »

ericalm wrote:
frankly wrote:I just bought a used 2008 Buddy Italia 150. I spoke with the seller and he had what sounds like the same problem. He took it into a local and reputable shop in OK City where the guys promptly drilled a small hole (1/16th inch) in the top of the gas cap. He says that was the trick. The company had been supplied with the wrong caps a while ago. I assume a vacuum was created and prevented the gas from doing its job.

Maybe this helps. I hope so.
Congrats on the Buddy!

This is the famous (well, around here anyways) '08 Buddy 150 vapor lock problem. The OK dealer did the right thing! The '08 150s had new metal tanks and changes had been made to the CA-mandatory vapor recovery system. Basically, this caused gas to go where it shouldn't, cutting off air to the engine and causing a stall. Even with the fixes, overfilling the tank can do this.
Happens to me and I have a drilled gas cap. Just leave about an inch to spare when filling up and you should be fine. I may be getting a replacement vapor recovery system from Genuine. Is so, I'll let you know how it works...
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