trouble shoot help needed, speed hicups.

wrightwinger · Post by **wrightwinger** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 7:37 pm

Ive just heard from my genuine dealer, no help.

For a year now my buddy 170i after warm up, will feel momentary lapses in power at speed, a hiccup, or a beltslip maybe.
when it started it was at speeds over 60mph
the problem progressed and started happening at lower speeds
soon it was 55
then 50
and now 45.

my fear is an overworn belt.

i dont know anything about belts so i brought it in.
they cannot reproduce the problem that i experience daily.
(though they didn't look at the belt).

any suggestions for me, or for me to tell them what to look at?

(i have about 5800 miles on it).

az_slynch · Post by **az_slynch** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:34 pm

Off the cuff, I'd think the issue would have more to do with a gradual restriction in fuel delivery, a loose plug boot or plug wire, or perhaps a problem with the stator/pulser assembly.

Does it happen regularly at or above the specified speed, or is it very intermittent? Has the bike ever had a new spark plug? Do you run any additives in your fuel?

Belt slippage usually occurs on takeoff and includes squeeling sounds. At your mileage, there is still life left in the belt so I'd be reluctant to blame it.

SeanF · Post by **SeanF** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 2:50 am

Some theories:

Possible too little fuel: The gas tank vent could be partially clogged. As the fuel drains into the carb, air can't enter the tank fast enough to replace the draining fuel, so the carb is temporarily starved. Would be most prevalent at wide throttle openings, and become more pronounced as the level of fuel in the tank decreases. Less likely because I think it would be accompanied by backfiring.

Possibly too much fuel: The main jet may be slowly unscrewing itself. This actually happened to me on my vintage carb'ed Guzzi and resulted in symptoms similar to those you describe. Unlikely but possible. Here's a carb diagram if you want to go there.

I will shy away from an electrical cause, but only because the symptoms seem to be happening more frequently at slower speeds as time progresses. But I've been wrong before.

It would be fairly easy to check the belt. But the scoot on its centerstand. There are about 6 bolts holding the CVT cover on; use an 8mm socket to remove them. Be careful of the gasket when removing the cover. You can measure the width of the belt and check for cracks, glazed sections, etc.

Good luck, and please let us know what you find.

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 4:07 am

170 i is fuel injected, so that rules out any jetting issues. I would try to determine if it was electrical first. Replace the spark plug and make sure you have a good tight connection on the plug cap. That is an easy thing. The only way to tell if its a belt is to pull the cover and have a look at the belt and rollers, just to be sure. Or even just replace the belt while in there and see if that is it. It is tough to find intermittent problems. Don't be afraid to replace a suspect part , a long as it isn't too pricey. You can keep the old belt as a spare. If the problem goes away then throw the old belt away.

SeanF · Post by **SeanF** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 4:28 am

D'oh!

I knew the 170 was injected...

As for chasing intermittent electrical issues, if you can find a friend with a good running 170 and swap out one part at a time, you might be able to pinpoint the cause.

Throwback7R · Post by **Throwback7R** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 1:52 pm

with 5800 miles and at speed. i would go with rollers and belt .. could be clutch slipping.. I would look at the cvt first .

easy · Post by **easy** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:43 pm

At 6000 miles if nothing has been replaced I'd go thru and replace rollers belt also spark plug to the coil and keep the old parts as spares. It's a good ideal to make the changes one at a time if your doing it.

wrightwinger · Post by **wrightwinger** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 8:05 pm

Thanks everyone. I will post an update when it is figured out.

wrightwinger · Post by **wrightwinger** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:56 am

Thanks Ya'll, the sparkplug was replaced and some valves adjusted, and it runs just fine again.

rick71454 · Post by **rick71454** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 5:53 am

Hello WrightWinger:BuddyLand

I am glad you got the problem fixed. I have dealt with spark plug and valves on my Buddy 125 and got it running better like you just did.

As for drive belts, they last longer than the poplular recommended change at 10,000 miles, and what some people might think. I changed mine at 11,000 miles. I compared the old one next to the new one, hardly any difference if at all. After a few hundred miles on the new belt, I realized the old drive belt is still good, so I am glad I save it.

Rick71454

Modern Buddy

trouble shoot help needed, speed hicups.

trouble shoot help needed, speed hicups.

Thanks

Thanks ya'll