Buddy 50 wont kickstart after being shipped (by myself)

Louzhou · Post by **Louzhou** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 9:18 pm

I just bought a 2010 Buddy 50 with 525 miles on it. It kickstarts really well when I was buying, but due the size of my car I lay it down while I was taking it home... and after I get back to my house in an one-hour trip, I discover my scooter cannot kickstart (or Electric start as well).

So maybe something goes wrong after I lay it down? Fuel lines or carburetor? I really have no idea that moped cannot be laid down, and I am new to this field...

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:56 pm

Someone who knows what they are talking about will be along shortly to sort this out. Let me take this opportunity to welcome you to Modern Buddy.

P.S. I'm purely guessing, but one of the things you can easily check is the air filter. Do you know where that is? In the big black canister that sits on top of the motor? Open that up, pull the filter out and see if it's wet with gas. If it is, it's choking your motor so it can't breathe and won't run. This happens when scooters are laid over. Gas spills into a breather hose and down into that airbox where your air filter lives. As I say, I'm just guessing.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:12 am

Your engine is probably flooded with gas and as jrsjr said, the air filter element might be gas soaked too. Whenever you transport a scooter (or motorcycle, for that matter) on its side, all of the gas should be drained from the carburetor and fuel tank first, otherwise it spills into the engine in places you don't want it to be.
Remove the sparkplug and crankcase oil fill plug. Remove the air filter cover exposing the element to open air. Using the electric start, crank the engine over for a few seconds to help pump out excess gas. Let it sit this way in a well ventilated area (preferably in the sun) for a few hours. There's a good chance that the crankcase oil has gas mixed in it now so I highly recommend that you drain the crankcase oil and refill with fresh oil. Put everything back together and with luck, it should start right up.

Louzhou · Post by **Louzhou** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:31 am

jrsjr wrote:Someone who knows what they are talking about will be along shortly to sort this out. Let me take this opportunity to welcome you to Modern Buddy.

P.S. I'm purely guessing, but one of the things you can easily check is the air filter. Do you know where that is? In the big black canister that sits on top of the motor? Open that up, pull the filter out and see if it's wet with gas. If it is, it's choking your motor so it can't breathe and won't run. This happens when scooters are laid over. Gas spills into a breather hose and down into that airbox where your air filter lives. As I say, I'm just guessing.

Thank you for the advice! I laid the moped near a vent for several hours to let the gas volatilize, and working on it now.

Louzhou · Post by **Louzhou** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:36 am

babblefish wrote:Your engine is probably flooded with gas and as jrsjr said, the air filter element might be gas soaked too. Whenever you transport a scooter (or motorcycle, for that matter) on its side, all of the gas should be drained from the carburetor and fuel tank first, otherwise it spills into the engine in places you don't want it to be.
Remove the sparkplug and crankcase oil fill plug. Remove the air filter cover exposing the element to open air. Using the electric start, crank the engine over for a few seconds to help pump out excess gas. Let it sit this way in a well ventilated area (preferably in the sun) for a few hours. There's a good chance that the crankcase oil has gas mixed in it now so I highly recommend that you drain the crankcase oil and refill with fresh oil. Put everything back together and with luck, it should start right up.

Thanks for the advice! After putting the moped near the vent for several hours to let the gas gone and forced electric start several times to pump out the surplus gas, the moped finally start, in electronic!

But when running it chokes a little bit, I think it may still need some work in air filter and crankcase.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 1:41 am

Change the oil. If there's gas mixed with it, your engine won't get proper lubrication, plus it might be overfilled now. And, unless your Buddy has peddles on it, it's a scooter, not a moped...

sc00ter · Post by **sc00ter** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 2:09 am

Change engine oil? On a 50cc 2 stroke? If the air filter was wet and now dry, and it starts now, take it for a small ride. It just needs to clear its self out. I have had 2 strokes flood out (drop them or fall over in garage) and thats all I had to do to get it back to normal, just a ride. Let us know if that works, as if nothing was wrong before I dont think anything is wrong now-just flooded.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 2:41 am

Since 2 strokes are more or less banned in Calif, I assumed the Buddy 50 was a 4 stroke.

Actually, I had an attack of brain fart...

avescoots1134 · Post by **avescoots1134** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 11:34 pm

If it doesn't sort itself out after a few hours (evaporation), remove the spark plug and pass a lighter underneath to remove any excess fuel. Might be a good time to install a new one anyway. Should be fine

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Mon Sep 14, 2015 12:38 pm

Welcome to MB. The Buddy 50 is a great scooter! (not a moped!)