Modern Buddy

I just got my scooter out of storage after a long storage in a shed sharing
garden supplies. When cleaning out the air cleaner, battery compartment,
area beneath floor board found several pounds of grass seed jammed in by most likely more than one mouse. Long story short after regular spring time scooter maintenance in this area happy to say the scooter started. Then when tried the electic start a few times nothing. Was able to kick start and noticed more seed coming out the vent of the crankcase
as rev'ed the engine. Will plan on cleaning the crankcase now. Was able to get the starter unstuck with a tap of a screwdrive handle and ideas if the grass seed could have got the starter stuck or just from not being used for several years?

Probably just from sitting. The seeds you have to keep out of the airbox and intake tract. Next time try mothballs around the bike sometimes they help keep "em away.

Thanks Viney. Removed the bendix & starter cleaned them up from dust, seeds, metal parts, and electric contact. Blew out the slot the bendix sits in as well. Gave the starter a few more taps, applied dielectric grease put back seems to getting back to normal now. Thanks again.

Just saw the is thread! This has got to be one of the funniest (no, not really) scooter maintenance issues I've seen! Mice??? Who'd a thunk it!

The mice are very innovative. They also like to chew on the wiring.
Also found they built a very big nest under the bench seat of one of my vintage cars. Was told to remove the seat while winter storage since they like to find a place to nest in hiding. Also found grass seeds in the scooter tubing, hoses from air cleaner, engine to crankcase guess they thought it was like a scooter gerbil habitatrail for them. Goes with the territory of limited riding seasons in this region. Know how to plan for next storage
beside fuel system stabilizing.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Just saw the is thread! This has got to be one of the funniest (no, not really) scooter maintenance issues I've seen! Mice??? Who'd a thunk it!

This must have been 'The Winter of the Mouse'
Yesterday I took my lawn tractor out of the shed and yes, you guessed it! The mice STRUCK! After umpteen years of storing the tractor the same way every winter I have literally the same issues with my tractor as you had with your scooter!

Yes I have seen tonnes of mice storage issues this year too. More than in any other pat year.
Maybe mice are cyclic like rabbits?

How about a complete mouse Condo in a gsxr750 muffler...totally packed and cozy in there.

The best, was the cbr600 that just didn't run right...at LEAST a 3 lb. pile of corn in the airbox. Couldn't have fit another kernel in there if you tried

The gsxr muffler was in my shed in storage to be fair, but someone lived well thru the winter.