Any Bad Experiences Scooter Shop Repairs & Maintenance?
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Any Bad Experiences Scooter Shop Repairs & Maintenance?
Hello Buddyland:
Anybody had a bad kind of experince at the Scooter Shop with repairs and maintenance? I am not asking you to name the shop, but such information will help educate the Buddyland and likely save Buddy owners from getting potentially ripped off.
IN my case if you seen my thread, a supposedly reputable Scooter shop in my town installed my Prima Big Bore Kit 161cc with the piston backwards. Since oil does not flow through the piston very well in backwards orientation, my scooter went from stock 59MPH indicated to 42MPH indicated. The shop refused to fix it when I took it back to them. A second shop fixed it. As I tried to collect from the first shop what the bill was from the second shop to fix the mistake by the first shop......first shop refused.
How dishonorable conduct on the first shop........bad.
Tell us your bad experience if you had one.
Thanks
Rick71454
Anybody had a bad kind of experince at the Scooter Shop with repairs and maintenance? I am not asking you to name the shop, but such information will help educate the Buddyland and likely save Buddy owners from getting potentially ripped off.
IN my case if you seen my thread, a supposedly reputable Scooter shop in my town installed my Prima Big Bore Kit 161cc with the piston backwards. Since oil does not flow through the piston very well in backwards orientation, my scooter went from stock 59MPH indicated to 42MPH indicated. The shop refused to fix it when I took it back to them. A second shop fixed it. As I tried to collect from the first shop what the bill was from the second shop to fix the mistake by the first shop......first shop refused.
How dishonorable conduct on the first shop........bad.
Tell us your bad experience if you had one.
Thanks
Rick71454
- Syd
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I'm not a certified mechanic, and I don't own a Buddy, but I'm pretty sure that in a 4T engine oil shouldn't flow through the piston at all. Could you have misunderstood the explanation?Since oil does not flow through the piston very well in backwards orientation
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Hello Syd:
Thanks for your response.
I am not a certified mechanic either, but I like to think that I am a reasonably intelligent person.
Oil does flow through the piston. I have seen the small holes, the small ports, which the oil flows through it upon my own visual inspection. There is friction between the piston rings and cyclinder wall, and all around in there. When the piston is installed backwards, the directional flow of the oil is incorrect, resulting in more internal engine friction, lower power, low speeds.
The first shop messed up big time by puting the piston in backwards. When the second shop turned the piston the other way, my Buddy did what it was supposed to do........stronger and faster than stock!
Thanks againg for asking....
rick71454
Thanks for your response.
I am not a certified mechanic either, but I like to think that I am a reasonably intelligent person.
Oil does flow through the piston. I have seen the small holes, the small ports, which the oil flows through it upon my own visual inspection. There is friction between the piston rings and cyclinder wall, and all around in there. When the piston is installed backwards, the directional flow of the oil is incorrect, resulting in more internal engine friction, lower power, low speeds.
The first shop messed up big time by puting the piston in backwards. When the second shop turned the piston the other way, my Buddy did what it was supposed to do........stronger and faster than stock!
Thanks againg for asking....
rick71454
- charlie55
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Not to be argumentative, but I've never heard of the oil flow through piston ports being orientation-dependent. In all the pistons I've worked with, the ports are arranged radially and symmetrically around the circumference of the piston (basically like portholes on a ship).
What would concern me about the piston being in backwards would be valve interference. I took a look at ScooterWorks' pictures of the the kit, and the piston has two indents in its top surface. These are to provide clearance when the valves are open. While I cannot be certain, they appear to be of different sizes (which makes sense since intakes and exhaust valves are usually of different diameters). Having the small indent under a large valve is not a good thing at all. However, if the first shop had put the piston 180 degrees off, you probably would have chewed the valve and/or piston to pieces in a matter of seconds.
Another possibility is that perhaps they meant that the rings were put in backwards, i.e., a solid ring was placed in the groove with the oil ports instead of the "corrugated" wiper ring that allows oil to pass.
Here again, I'm not questioning your intelligence. It's just that sometimes mechanics provide explanations that aren't 100% on target.
What would concern me about the piston being in backwards would be valve interference. I took a look at ScooterWorks' pictures of the the kit, and the piston has two indents in its top surface. These are to provide clearance when the valves are open. While I cannot be certain, they appear to be of different sizes (which makes sense since intakes and exhaust valves are usually of different diameters). Having the small indent under a large valve is not a good thing at all. However, if the first shop had put the piston 180 degrees off, you probably would have chewed the valve and/or piston to pieces in a matter of seconds.
Another possibility is that perhaps they meant that the rings were put in backwards, i.e., a solid ring was placed in the groove with the oil ports instead of the "corrugated" wiper ring that allows oil to pass.
Here again, I'm not questioning your intelligence. It's just that sometimes mechanics provide explanations that aren't 100% on target.
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Hello Buddyland:
Thanks for your responses.
There is a correct orientation for installing pistons. There is an arrow engraved into the medal, often on the top of the piston, that points to the exhaust port side of the engine. When a mechanic installs the piston with that arrow facing away from the exhaust port, that is wrong, and things can go wrong such in my case.
Someone else responded back to me saying that mechanics too often overfill the gear oil compartment. Then it leaks out and messes up the hind end of the scooter quicker than usual.
Anyone else had a bad experience in the shop?
Thanks
Rick71454
Thanks for your responses.
There is a correct orientation for installing pistons. There is an arrow engraved into the medal, often on the top of the piston, that points to the exhaust port side of the engine. When a mechanic installs the piston with that arrow facing away from the exhaust port, that is wrong, and things can go wrong such in my case.
Someone else responded back to me saying that mechanics too often overfill the gear oil compartment. Then it leaks out and messes up the hind end of the scooter quicker than usual.
Anyone else had a bad experience in the shop?
Thanks
Rick71454
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Not surprised
So you asked for people to share their horror stories and all you got was people picking apart your story. I'm not surprised.
I took my scooter to what is basically the only one around. I asked them to check everything on it and tell me what was going on with it. I told them to service it too. All they did was change the oil and see that a gasket was missing from the exhaust. Now this was my first scooter and it was a Chinese one so I assumed the valves needed to be checked, the timing needed to be checked, the electrics needed to be checked, and damn near everything else. They only changed my oil and the exhaust gasket that was missing was replaced and tire pressure was checked. That was over one hundred bucks. Seems like a rip off to me. Now I was still learning my scooter then and with in a week the tail light stopped working. Turns out the front brake light switch was broken the whole time and the shop didn't even check. The rear one was braking right after the check. The electric start stopped working as a result and then the kickstart return spring snapped. All right after the mechanic was supposed to check EVERYTHING. They told me the brakes were fine even though the back one squealed now I know that's normal but the front one made a noise like bending metal and something else and that should have raised an alarm for the mechanic. Also the scooter would never start and just idle. I had to rev it for a time before it would idle fine. They said nothing about that either.
So there is one story. They don't like Chinese scooter even though they sell Taiwanese scooters that are Chinese essentially. Considering the sticker on the underside is in Chinese I would believe they are a bit full of sh*t.
I took my scooter to what is basically the only one around. I asked them to check everything on it and tell me what was going on with it. I told them to service it too. All they did was change the oil and see that a gasket was missing from the exhaust. Now this was my first scooter and it was a Chinese one so I assumed the valves needed to be checked, the timing needed to be checked, the electrics needed to be checked, and damn near everything else. They only changed my oil and the exhaust gasket that was missing was replaced and tire pressure was checked. That was over one hundred bucks. Seems like a rip off to me. Now I was still learning my scooter then and with in a week the tail light stopped working. Turns out the front brake light switch was broken the whole time and the shop didn't even check. The rear one was braking right after the check. The electric start stopped working as a result and then the kickstart return spring snapped. All right after the mechanic was supposed to check EVERYTHING. They told me the brakes were fine even though the back one squealed now I know that's normal but the front one made a noise like bending metal and something else and that should have raised an alarm for the mechanic. Also the scooter would never start and just idle. I had to rev it for a time before it would idle fine. They said nothing about that either.
So there is one story. They don't like Chinese scooter even though they sell Taiwanese scooters that are Chinese essentially. Considering the sticker on the underside is in Chinese I would believe they are a bit full of sh*t.
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Re: Not surprised
So you speak English, you must be English, not American, right?NeoGenesisMax wrote:…They don't like Chinese scooter even though they sell Taiwanese scooters that are Chinese essentially. Considering the sticker on the underside is in Chinese I would believe they are a bit full of sh*t.…
2strokebuzz: When news breaks, we put it under a tarp in the garage.
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Rick,
I don't dispute the fact you found a incompetent repair shop and hopefully you paid for the service with a credit card.
If you did, dispute the service charge and what was required to make it right.......If you have some documentation from the shop that repaired it correctly the credit card company will reimburse you and handle the first shop.
Probably not a good idea to incite the forum about a legitimate or percieved bad experience......they come up without provocation.
Rob
I don't dispute the fact you found a incompetent repair shop and hopefully you paid for the service with a credit card.
If you did, dispute the service charge and what was required to make it right.......If you have some documentation from the shop that repaired it correctly the credit card company will reimburse you and handle the first shop.
Probably not a good idea to incite the forum about a legitimate or percieved bad experience......they come up without provocation.
Rob
Re: Not surprised
Taiwan and China are two different countries, with very different economies: one has a long history of mutual trade with other market-based countries, the other does not. Don't assume they're "essentially" the same just because the people look the same. On the whole there is a substantial difference in the quality of Taiwan-built and China-built motorbikes.NeoGenesisMax wrote:They don't like Chinese scooter even though they sell Taiwanese scooters that are Chinese essentially. Considering the sticker on the underside is in Chinese I would believe they are a bit full of sh*t.
The language spoken in Taiwan is a dialect of one of the languages spoken in China, all of which are represented using the same written form. (That works because the written form isn't phonetic.) If you imagine that you can determine the quality of a motorcycle based on what writing system is used on its stickers, you are misinformed.
Last edited by TVB on Tue Oct 02, 2012 11:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Not surprised
NeoGenesisMax wrote:So you asked for people to share their horror stories and all you got was people picking apart your story. I'm not surprised.
I took my scooter to what is basically the only one around. I asked them to check everything on it and tell me what was going on with it. I told them to service it too. All they did was change the oil and see that a gasket was missing from the exhaust. Now this was my first scooter and it was a Chinese one so I assumed the valves needed to be checked, the timing needed to be checked, the electrics needed to be checked, and damn near everything else. They only changed my oil and the exhaust gasket that was missing was replaced and tire pressure was checked. That was over one hundred bucks. Seems like a rip off to me. Now I was still learning my scooter then and with in a week the tail light stopped working. Turns out the front brake light switch was broken the whole time and the shop didn't even check. The rear one was braking right after the check. The electric start stopped working as a result and then the kickstart return spring snapped. All right after the mechanic was supposed to check EVERYTHING. They told me the brakes were fine even though the back one squealed now I know that's normal but the front one made a noise like bending metal and something else and that should have raised an alarm for the mechanic. Also the scooter would never start and just idle. I had to rev it for a time before it would idle fine. They said nothing about that either.
So there is one story. They don't like Chinese scooter even though they sell Taiwanese scooters that are Chinese essentially. Considering the sticker on the underside is in Chinese I would believe they are a bit full of sh*t.
If I read this correctly, you had a bad experience when you took your scooter to a shop, that does not service your brand of scooter.
If that was the case, how could you expect them to know what things to check?
For example, if they don't have a manual, they wouldn't know the valve clearance specification......so, better to not do and not charge for something that likely would be incorrect.
You indicate a couple of failures shortly after it was returned to you.
What in the world makes you believe a mechanic can forsee a mechanical failure such as a starter or a spring that broke days after you picked it up?
If you think mechanics are clarvoyant, you will have nothing but trouble with mechanical services provided thruout your entire life.....be it a car, truck, scooter, or washing machine.
And lastly, Taiwan and China, as manufacturing nations, have entirely different approaches to vehicles.
Taiwan has embraced and closely followed the Japanese approach to quality and after sale support.
China subscribes to "There is no reason to make it anymore than Good Enouph" and, there is no part or service support.
Thats why they are so inexpensive.....ship it and forget it.....buyer beware.
Good luck,
Rob
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Hello Robbie:
Nice Idea, never thought about it, but I already let the matter go.
Hello Charlie55:
Thanks for your technical explanation and that is well taken by me.
Hey Buddyland;
I started this topic to learn more about what goes on and for everyone to be educated, beware, do it yourself, etc. Thanks for the responses, because I am learning lots.
Rick71454
Nice Idea, never thought about it, but I already let the matter go.
Hello Charlie55:
Thanks for your technical explanation and that is well taken by me.
Hey Buddyland;
I started this topic to learn more about what goes on and for everyone to be educated, beware, do it yourself, etc. Thanks for the responses, because I am learning lots.
Rick71454
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Re: Not surprised
Robbie wrote:
If I read this correctly, you had a bad experience when you took your scooter to a shop, that does not service your brand of scooter.
If that was the case, how could you expect them to know what things to check?
For example, if they don't have a manual, they wouldn't know the valve clearance specification......so, better to not do and not charge for something that likely would be incorrect.
You indicate a couple of failures shortly after it was returned to you.
What in the world makes you believe a mechanic can forsee a mechanical failure such as a starter or a spring that broke days after you picked it up?
If you think mechanics are clarvoyant, you will have nothing but trouble with mechanical services provided thruout your entire life.....be it a car, truck, scooter, or washing machine.
And lastly, Taiwan and China, as manufacturing nations, have entirely different approaches to vehicles.
Taiwan has embraced and closely followed the Japanese approach to quality and after sale support.
China subscribes to "There is no reason to make it anymore than Good Enouph" and, there is no part or service support.
Thats why they are so inexpensive.....ship it and forget it.....buyer beware.
Good luck,
Rob
Well they mostly work on Chinese scooter so yes they do know what they are and what to look at. They knew mine the second they saw it. They work on gy6 scooter every day. They have parts supplies and manuals that offer a general explanation but seeing as most scooters are very similar in the basic mechanics its not like it's guess work or anything.
Now to the Taiwanese thing. I have three friends from china. They have been here for 3,5, and 5 years. They all tell me that Taiwan is basically china number two. Many parts of Chinese culture permiate the country. Also many Chinese people work there etc... Now I know it's not china but its close enough that the people consider it the same.
Last once again you peoe sit and pick apart posts rather than contribute. This was supposed to be a thread about bad experiences. So how about posting something along those lines rather than critiques of others posts.
Re: Not surprised
Taiwan split from China in 1949, when the Communist state of the People's Republic of China was established. The PRC government has never acknowledged that Taiwan is independent, and refers to it as just another province of the PRC. This is where your friends from China got their view of Taiwan: from state propaganda. They are misinformed. (You, however, have no such excuse.)NeoGenesisMax wrote:Now to the Taiwanese thing. I have three friends from china. They have been here for 3,5, and 5 years. They all tell me that Taiwan is basically china number two. Many parts of Chinese culture permiate the country. Also many Chinese people work there etc... Now I know it's not china but its close enough that the people consider it the same.
For the past 60+ years, Taiwan has continued to operate as a market economy, trading heavily with other countries, where its businesses have had to compete on both quality and price. The PRC has only in the past couple decades reversed its switch to all-state-owned manufacturing and begun permitting privately-run businesses to trade heavily with the West, using the country's much lower cost of living (cheap labor) to compete almost exclusively on price. They are not the same. (Look up "Cultural Revolution" - which happened in PRC, and didn't happen in Taiwan - if you want to learn more about the cultural differences between the two countries.)
Stop posting misinformed nonsense that needs to be corrected, and I'll stop picking it apart.Last once again you peoe sit and pick apart posts rather than contribute. This was supposed to be a thread about bad experiences. So how about posting something along those lines rather than critiques of others posts.
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Re: Not surprised
For the past 60+ years, Taiwan has continued to operate as a market economy, trading heavily with other countries, where its businesses have had to compete on both quality and price. The PRC has only in the past couple decades reversed its switch to all-state-owned manufacturing and begun permitting privately-run businesses to trade heavily with the West, using the country's much lower cost of living (cheap labor) to compete almost exclusively on price. They are not the same. (Look up "Cultural Revolution" - which happened in PRC, and didn't happen in Taiwan - if you want to learn more about the cultural differences between the two countries.)
Stop posting misinformed nonsense that needs to be corrected, and I'll stop picking it apart.[/quote]
Great story about your bad experience with scooter shops. You're ability to stay on point of this thread is appreciated. You didn't focus on parts of a story that didn't really matter too much or anything. Knowing that you totally didn't argue with somebody whom expressed an opinion (factually right or wrong) shows true character. I had looked forward to reading other peoples' experiences on this topic and am glad that others have joined in to share.
P.S. I am sorry if I have in any way been a disruptive influence in this thread.
Stop posting misinformed nonsense that needs to be corrected, and I'll stop picking it apart.[/quote]
Great story about your bad experience with scooter shops. You're ability to stay on point of this thread is appreciated. You didn't focus on parts of a story that didn't really matter too much or anything. Knowing that you totally didn't argue with somebody whom expressed an opinion (factually right or wrong) shows true character. I had looked forward to reading other peoples' experiences on this topic and am glad that others have joined in to share.
P.S. I am sorry if I have in any way been a disruptive influence in this thread.
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- LunaP
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I like your attitude. I, fortunately, live near one of the best Scooter shops in the country and have never had a bad experience; I'd recommend Scoot Richmond to anybody in a heartbeat. The owner is an awesome woman and the whole shop is friendly. They even help people find their scooters when they get stolen, and have helped the PD recover many scooters. Stellar service here in RVA.rick71454 wrote:Hello Buddyland:
I learned alot about China vs Taiwan Scooters.
Anyone have a negative experience with a scooter repair or maintenance?
This thread not meant to bash shops, mechanics, and countries.
We can all learn from your experience.
Thanks
Rick71454
- az_slynch
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Re: Not surprised
NeoGenesisMax wrote:Robbie wrote:
If I read this correctly, you had a bad experience when you took your scooter to a shop, that does not service your brand of scooter.
If that was the case, how could you expect them to know what things to check?
For example, if they don't have a manual, they wouldn't know the valve clearance specification......so, better to not do and not charge for something that likely would be incorrect.
You indicate a couple of failures shortly after it was returned to you.
What in the world makes you believe a mechanic can forsee a mechanical failure such as a starter or a spring that broke days after you picked it up?
If you think mechanics are clarvoyant, you will have nothing but trouble with mechanical services provided thruout your entire life.....be it a car, truck, scooter, or washing machine.
And lastly, Taiwan and China, as manufacturing nations, have entirely different approaches to vehicles.
Taiwan has embraced and closely followed the Japanese approach to quality and after sale support.
China subscribes to "There is no reason to make it anymore than Good Enouph" and, there is no part or service support.
Thats why they are so inexpensive.....ship it and forget it.....buyer beware.
Good luck,
Rob
Well they mostly work on Chinese scooter so yes they do know what they are and what to look at. They knew mine the second they saw it. They work on gy6 scooter every day. They have parts supplies and manuals that offer a general explanation but seeing as most scooters are very similar in the basic mechanics its not like it's guess work or anything.
Now to the Taiwanese thing. I have three friends from china. They have been here for 3,5, and 5 years. They all tell me that Taiwan is basically china number two. Many parts of Chinese culture permiate the country. Also many Chinese people work there etc... Now I know it's not china but its close enough that the people consider it the same.
Last once again you peoe sit and pick apart posts rather than contribute. This was supposed to be a thread about bad experiences. So how about posting something along those lines rather than critiques of others posts.
No they don't work mostly on Chinese scooters, they work MAINLY on the brands they sell. However they will service them since they are just about the only scooter shop in town. They survived the onslaught from a few years ago, in which about 8 or 9 scooter shops popped up, selling low quality scoots. Then those overnight scooter stores folded up, and left their customers out of luck. Now those customers have to find a way or a shop to work on the scoots.
Besides how are they suppose to respond when someone goes in and says CHECK EVERYTHING and tell me what wrong with it?
I think that would cost more than you paid for the scooter itself!
FYI, when I get my Buddy or SYM serviced...it's usually same day. I've been a customer for 5 years and have bought 4 scooters from them. So yes you can call it bias. But you should also call it truthful.
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Don't get me wrong
Don't get me wrong I like them and support them fully. Can people get to posting stories of bad experiences?
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Hello Buddyland:
IN reference to what NeoGenesisMax just said .........
When I started this thread, I wanted people to share bad experiences when their scooters were serviced in a shop. My intent is to educate, and inform the those who love to ride scooters, what to be aware of, so that when you take your scooter in, you know what to ask for, expect, and get back. Maybe you will learn enough from someone elses mistake and or issue, such that it motivates you to do the repair maintenance yourself, and save money.
Thanks
Rick71454
IN reference to what NeoGenesisMax just said .........
When I started this thread, I wanted people to share bad experiences when their scooters were serviced in a shop. My intent is to educate, and inform the those who love to ride scooters, what to be aware of, so that when you take your scooter in, you know what to ask for, expect, and get back. Maybe you will learn enough from someone elses mistake and or issue, such that it motivates you to do the repair maintenance yourself, and save money.
Thanks
Rick71454
- JHScoot
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pretty sure these could be considered a couple of experiences which together = bad. but i did not consider 'em so
took scooter in for engine work under warranty. scoot comes back with cracked black trim. such a good job was done otherwise i did not mention it, however. the scoot was gone 10 weeks and i was happy to have it back
the next time at the same shop.....rear tire swap. all went great but a week later i hear a big noise coming from my scooter. someone honks to get my attention, i safely pull off onto a side street and fear the worst as the big grinding / scraping / banging noise never quit, and my varying throttle while turning off left me feeling the scooter was lurching to and fro
but turns out nothing was wrong with the scooter, the rear fender simply came unbolted and destroyed itself scraping against my brand new rear tire. but i like the scoot better that way so the offending too loose or too tight bolt issue never came up with the shop
i will mention it next time i go in, however. not in a "better not happen again" way, but just a fyi. because otherwise i have liked the service and staff. i'd rather have a good relationship with a shop then bitch about some broken plastic
took scooter in for engine work under warranty. scoot comes back with cracked black trim. such a good job was done otherwise i did not mention it, however. the scoot was gone 10 weeks and i was happy to have it back

the next time at the same shop.....rear tire swap. all went great but a week later i hear a big noise coming from my scooter. someone honks to get my attention, i safely pull off onto a side street and fear the worst as the big grinding / scraping / banging noise never quit, and my varying throttle while turning off left me feeling the scooter was lurching to and fro
but turns out nothing was wrong with the scooter, the rear fender simply came unbolted and destroyed itself scraping against my brand new rear tire. but i like the scoot better that way so the offending too loose or too tight bolt issue never came up with the shop
i will mention it next time i go in, however. not in a "better not happen again" way, but just a fyi. because otherwise i have liked the service and staff. i'd rather have a good relationship with a shop then bitch about some broken plastic
Riding is riding
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Couldn't you have that all fixed for free? Wouldn't the warranty cover it? What work did you have done that took that long I mean in that time couldn't you have dissassbled the whole scoot and rebuilt it?JHScoot wrote:pretty sure these could be considered a couple of experiences which together = bad. but i did not consider 'em so
took scooter in for engine work under warranty. scoot comes back with cracked black trim. such a good job was done otherwise i did not mention it, however. the scoot was gone 10 weeks and i was happy to have it back
the next time at the same shop.....rear tire swap. all went great but a week later i hear a big noise coming from my scooter. someone honks to get my attention, i safely pull off onto a side street and fear the worst as the big grinding / scraping / banging noise never quit, and my varying throttle while turning off left me feeling the scooter was lurching to and fro
but turns out nothing was wrong with the scooter, the rear fender simply came unbolted and destroyed itself scraping against my brand new rear tire. but i like the scoot better that way so the offending too loose or too tight bolt issue never came up with the shop
i will mention it next time i go in, however. not in a "better not happen again" way, but just a fyi. because otherwise i have liked the service and staff. i'd rather have a good relationship with a shop then bitch about some broken plastic
- JHScoot
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^ scooter engine blew at 2400 miles and i could not get it to the selling dealer. so it sat at the local dealer for almost a month with nothing done to it while they waited on Kymco for approval to start work. some mix-ups happened which delayed work so i had to work that out, and then in the final two weeks the shop found it needed an additional part that took a couple more weeks to arrive. they changed everything in the engine except the cases and such
it was a long period but i was injured for 6 weeks and could not ride, anyway. so the wait wasn't so bad.
the trim fixed? nah the first time it was very minor. the fender coming off? well that happened a week after the tire swap so who knows what they would have said about that? and as said i like it better without the fender so i'm good with it all
it was a long period but i was injured for 6 weeks and could not ride, anyway. so the wait wasn't so bad.
the trim fixed? nah the first time it was very minor. the fender coming off? well that happened a week after the tire swap so who knows what they would have said about that? and as said i like it better without the fender so i'm good with it all
Riding is riding
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- Member
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:41 am
- Location: Overland Park, KS
How did you blow such a young motor?JHScoot wrote:^ scooter engine blew at 2400 miles and i could not get it to the selling dealer. so it sat at the local dealer for almost a month with nothing done to it while they waited on Kymco for approval to start work. some mix-ups happened which delayed work so i had to work that out, and then in the final two weeks the shop found it needed an additional part that took a couple more weeks to arrive. they changed everything in the engine except the cases and such
it was a long period but i was injured for 6 weeks and could not ride, anyway. so the wait wasn't so bad.
the trim fixed? nah the first time it was very minor. the fender coming off? well that happened a week after the tire swap so who knows what they would have said about that? and as said i like it better without the fender so i'm good with it all
- charlie55
- Member
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:47 pm
- Location: New Jersey
My bad experience goes back to my Blur days and the dealer (thankfully now out of business) who prepped it. The guy was used to dealing with Vespas, and it was standard practice to fill them with gear oil until it came out of the fill opening. However, with Blurs (and other Genuines) you only fill a specified amount, no more. The upshot is that he used the "Vespa" method and the excess gear oil sprayed out of the weep (overflow) hole, coated my tire, and contributed to a nasty slide and wipeout.
Not wanting to ever put myself at the mercy of another incompetent, I made it a point to learn enough and gather enough tools so that I'd be able to do everything myself. Did so with the Blur, the Helix, and now the CB and I don't regret my decision for a moment.
Not wanting to ever put myself at the mercy of another incompetent, I made it a point to learn enough and gather enough tools so that I'd be able to do everything myself. Did so with the Blur, the Helix, and now the CB and I don't regret my decision for a moment.
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- Member
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:13 pm
- Location: portland, oregon
Hello Buddyland:
As you may know my story, a shop recently botched the install of a Prima Big Bore Kit 161cc in my Buddy 125.
The second shop fixed the first shop botched job. He also found my carburetor rubber diaphragm on top of the carb not positioned right under that black plastic cap. This allowed a huge vaccum.
Today, I found the black plastic cap to the carb diaphragm had fallen out of position. Fortunately, the screw that came loose lodge down in a hard to reach space. I used one of those magnetic rods to get the screw out. Once I put the screw back in and tightened up that black cap, the scooter ran fine.
Without my recent experience and what I learn from Buddyland, I would have taken my scooter in for a potential third screwup by another shop.
"YOU NEED A NEW ENGINE!!"
"NO SIR, I JUST PUT THE SCREW BACK IN"
Rick71454
As you may know my story, a shop recently botched the install of a Prima Big Bore Kit 161cc in my Buddy 125.
The second shop fixed the first shop botched job. He also found my carburetor rubber diaphragm on top of the carb not positioned right under that black plastic cap. This allowed a huge vaccum.
Today, I found the black plastic cap to the carb diaphragm had fallen out of position. Fortunately, the screw that came loose lodge down in a hard to reach space. I used one of those magnetic rods to get the screw out. Once I put the screw back in and tightened up that black cap, the scooter ran fine.
Without my recent experience and what I learn from Buddyland, I would have taken my scooter in for a potential third screwup by another shop.
"YOU NEED A NEW ENGINE!!"
"NO SIR, I JUST PUT THE SCREW BACK IN"
Rick71454
- JHScoot
- Member
- Posts: 2745
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:05 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
dunno? one night i was out riding and heard a "pop." i lost power for several seconds and then it went back to normal except for a strange rumbling sound. the scoot was still under warranty so i made calls to have it checked out. on my way to the dealer (i was riding as the scoot was running fine and the dealer just 4 miles away) it "popped" again but this time with oil coming out the rear of the cvt case, and the scoot completely diedNeoGenesisMax wrote:How did you blow such a young motor?JHScoot wrote:^ scooter engine blew at 2400 miles and i could not get it to the selling dealer. so it sat at the local dealer for almost a month with nothing done to it while they waited on Kymco for approval to start work. some mix-ups happened which delayed work so i had to work that out, and then in the final two weeks the shop found it needed an additional part that took a couple more weeks to arrive. they changed everything in the engine except the cases and such
it was a long period but i was injured for 6 weeks and could not ride, anyway. so the wait wasn't so bad.
the trim fixed? nah the first time it was very minor. the fender coming off? well that happened a week after the tire swap so who knows what they would have said about that? and as said i like it better without the fender so i'm good with it all
what happened? idk? the shop did not know, exactly. they said everything was just tore up in there. or as the service manager said "it looked like it was nuclear grenaded."
Riding is riding
- skully93
- Member
- Posts: 2597
- Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:54 pm
- Location: Denver CO
My local shop has been great. I have learned to follow up on my own when I've ordered something, and they did get the wrong belt for my kymco 250.
However, it took me 2 days to find the RIGHT belt, even with teh googles, so I'm not going to fault them for giving me an off the shelf belt that said "kymco 250" on it. Turns out it went to a friend that could use it, yay!
Other than the minor hiccup they've been great, even going so far as to save me $$ here and there when they didn't have to.
However, it took me 2 days to find the RIGHT belt, even with teh googles, so I'm not going to fault them for giving me an off the shelf belt that said "kymco 250" on it. Turns out it went to a friend that could use it, yay!
Other than the minor hiccup they've been great, even going so far as to save me $$ here and there when they didn't have to.
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- Member
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:31 pm
- Location: Las Vegas, Nv
something broke off and had sex with your scooter.skully93 wrote:My local shop has been great. I have learned to follow up on my own when I've ordered something, and they did get the wrong belt for my kymco 250.
However, it took me 2 days to find the RIGHT belt, even with teh googles, so I'm not going to fault them for giving me an off the shelf belt that said "kymco 250" on it. Turns out it went to a friend that could use it, yay!
Other than the minor hiccup they've been great, even going so far as to save me $$ here and there when they didn't have to.
cause now it's screwed.
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- Member
- Posts: 660
- Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:55 am
- Location: kansas city mo
- ericalm
- Site Admin
- Posts: 16842
- Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:01 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Contact:
Have you seen any blow with so few miles due to a manufacturer error or part failure? Someone would be hard-pressed to find a single report on MB of something like that happening in which the cause couldn't be traced to something the owner or a mechanic did to the scooter, such as failing to torque the oil filter.lovemysan wrote: Then again I see a lot of buddy's that get blown up as well.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- JHScoot
- Member
- Posts: 2745
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:05 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
when this happened to my engine i did not come up with any Kymco models doing the same in google searches. at least A125's. i don't think much came up about out and out engine failure, period. unless high mileage. i just wanted to know if any had similar experience, what it could be, and what course to take? but not much if anything related came up over the entire internet. at least my internet
Buddy? only thing i ever remember reading about were some crankshaft issues on a few or another. again, just read it somewhere. who knows, though? i think these scooters seem durable, myself

Buddy? only thing i ever remember reading about were some crankshaft issues on a few or another. again, just read it somewhere. who knows, though? i think these scooters seem durable, myself
Riding is riding
- avonpirate
- Member
- Posts: 209
- Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:31 pm
- Location: Vail Valley, CO
- Contact:
I think that the charge of $52.00 for postage and handling from a well known provider of accessories and hugs is exploitation of a fan base. Ski boots ship ground UPS for no more than $20 and they weight 10+ lbs. Skis ship at about the same cost and they are EXTREMELY oversized. $52 for a ground package weighing 5lbs ... I'm not getting a 'warm and fuzzy'feeling, and ..... Gag me with a 'Hug."
- ericalm
- Site Admin
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For what?avonpirate wrote:I think that the charge of $52.00 for postage and handling from a well known provider of accessories and hugs is exploitation of a fan base. Ski boots ship ground UPS for no more than $20 and they weight 10+ lbs. Skis ship at about the same cost and they are EXTREMELY oversized. $52 for a ground package weighing 5lbs ... I'm not getting a 'warm and fuzzy'feeling, and ..... Gag me with a 'Hug."
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- avonpirate
- Member
- Posts: 209
- Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:31 pm
- Location: Vail Valley, CO
- Contact:
Eric asked: For what?
body parts no longer than 30" each, brake handle, exhaust cover, airfilter, oil filter, 2 stickers. Weight of the package 5.3 lbs.
I did not experience the opening of the box. So I am assuming that there were plastic air pillows included to stop rattling, or some sort of packing material.
When 'Leather Up' sends me a larger heavier package, to my home, not to a business address @ $40 less there is an adminstrative problem at 'HUGS.' Either they have not examined their relationship with UPS and negotiated a contract similiar to other retailers or, IMHO, the assumption is that I am a CHUMP.
body parts no longer than 30" each, brake handle, exhaust cover, airfilter, oil filter, 2 stickers. Weight of the package 5.3 lbs.
I did not experience the opening of the box. So I am assuming that there were plastic air pillows included to stop rattling, or some sort of packing material.
When 'Leather Up' sends me a larger heavier package, to my home, not to a business address @ $40 less there is an adminstrative problem at 'HUGS.' Either they have not examined their relationship with UPS and negotiated a contract similiar to other retailers or, IMHO, the assumption is that I am a CHUMP.
- BuddyLicious
- Member
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- Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 1:29 pm
- Location: Murray,Kentucky
- ericalm
- Site Admin
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- Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:01 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Contact:
Did you call them? This doesn't sound right.avonpirate wrote:Eric asked: For what?
body parts no longer than 30" each, brake handle, exhaust cover, airfilter, oil filter, 2 stickers. Weight of the package 5.3 lbs.
I did not experience the opening of the box. So I am assuming that there were plastic air pillows included to stop rattling, or some sort of packing material.
When 'Leather Up' sends me a larger heavier package, to my home, not to a business address @ $40 less there is an adminstrative problem at 'HUGS.' Either they have not examined their relationship with UPS and negotiated a contract similiar to other retailers or, IMHO, the assumption is that I am a CHUMP.
I assume you're talking about Scooterworks, right? Scooterworks and Genuine aren't the same company anymore. I've placed many orders and the shipping has been reasonable. Was there no shipping estimate when you placed the order?
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- avonpirate
- Member
- Posts: 209
- Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:31 pm
- Location: Vail Valley, CO
- Contact:
You know Eric, I've had some second thoughts about what I experienced after the discussion on Facebook, and my experience. I have no idea about the personal integrity of the local shop I was using. If you remember way back when... he was very negative about scooters, scooter manufacturing, yada, yada, I did everything I could to help him in what he saw as a strange land: I did research printed repai manuals, printed replacement part mock ups. On top of all this I took a 12 pack of beer everytime I visited so it was a more pleasant experience for him. I do not know what Hugs charged him for the pieces, but he sold them to me at a Keystoned price of what I could locate online, and glared at me when I questioned his pricing. Thinking this through last night, I realized that perhaps he 'doubled +' the shipping as well, and perhaps I have been unfair as I did not see the invoice. In the future, I will need to use another mechanic. I have one for routine work that I have not yet learned to do myself, but this was an insurance issue.I assume you're talking about Scooterworks, right? Scooterworks and Genuine aren't the same company anymore. I've placed many orders and the shipping has been reasonable. Was there no shipping estimate when you placed the order?
Also: I do not want to feel badly that I own one of them /?``$ scooters. It has been a 5 day process for me to arrive at this point. And I think I'll buy myself a 12 pack to celebrate my acceptance,
- charlie55
- Member
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:47 pm
- Location: New Jersey
How about working up an order on the Scooterworks web site and getting the shipping estimate there? That'd tell you for sure who's jacking the shipping charges. Also, were the parts shipped UPS Ground? If not, the rates tend to skyrocket when you get into the 2nd and Next Day Air categories. (Also raises the possibility that the shop ordered ground delivery, but charged for a more expensive method.)avonpirate wrote:You know Eric, I've had some second thoughts about what I experienced after the discussion on Facebook, and my experience. I have no idea about the personal integrity of the local shop I was using. If you remember way back when... he was very negative about scooters, scooter manufacturing, yada, yada, I did everything I could to help him in what he saw as a strange land: I did research printed repai manuals, printed replacement part mock ups. On top of all this I took a 12 pack of beer everytime I visited so it was a more pleasant experience for him. I do not know what Hugs charged him for the pieces, but he sold them to me at a Keystoned price of what I could locate online, and glared at me when I questioned his pricing. Thinking this through last night, I realized that perhaps he 'doubled +' the shipping as well, and perhaps I have been unfair as I did not see the invoice. In the future, I will need to use another mechanic. I have one for routine work that I have not yet learned to do myself, but this was an insurance issue.I assume you're talking about Scooterworks, right? Scooterworks and Genuine aren't the same company anymore. I've placed many orders and the shipping has been reasonable. Was there no shipping estimate when you placed the order?
Also: I do not want to feel badly that I own one of them /?``$ scooters. It has been a 5 day process for me to arrive at this point. And I think I'll buy myself a 12 pack to celebrate my acceptance,
- ericalm
- Site Admin
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- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Contact:
Uhh… yeah, that's bullshit. Dealers should not be charging you shipping for parts they get wholesale. MMMMMAYYYYBE if it's some kind of special order, but if so, not some jacked up amount. And they should let you know about it beforehand.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…