Modern Buddy

hello everyone!

i love this forum and have been reading a lot but not participating much... until now.

i got a like-new 09 Buddy 125 in September with 800 miles on it at a sick price ($1200!), and have since put 900 more on it because I'm obsessed with it! i'm even riding through this weird hot-and-cold NYC winter. my commute consists of riding back and forth from Brooklyn to Manhattan over the Williamsburg Bridge- sometimes twice a day, depending on appointments for work. once in Manhattan I ride all over to different appointments. having a scooter has changed my life and it is super convenient. i have drank the koolaid and can never go back.

HOWEVER.

back in early october it stalled going over the bridge. i usually get up to between 45-60mph and this is the top speed in my commute. there's no shoulder but i managed to "paddle" myself to a pull-off area. i tried starting it a few times, both manually and with the kickstart, to no avail. i called the shop (Vespa Soho/carbon negative), and magically, after talking to them for 5 more minutes, it started back up on it's own. i rode it to the shop, and they checked it out and found "nothing" wrong with it. they drained the gas tank in case it was that. i was suspicious but hopeful. i began using premium fuel and thought that made it run smoother and didn't have any more issues for a while.

then this past week it happened again- it stalled on the bridge while getting up to speed. twice. both times in a lane where i couldn't pull off. it was scary, the bridge is basically like a highway. both times it started back up with the manual start after being off for 5-10 minutes.

i have put out a call to Scooter Bottega since carbon negative is expensive and i've heard good things about them. haven't heard back yet and i want to be informed before talk to them and bring it in as they work more on vespas and european models than on Buddys.

also, i recently put a friend of mine on the back of the scooter and rode over the bridge and around Brooklyn with her. i felt it straining and it obviously needed more gas to pull twice the weight but it didn't sputter or anything. maybe this did something?

the days i stalled were very cold (around 30, felt colder with the wind). that may also be an issue.

possible issues/solutions i have read about in the forums already are:

-vapor lock. while i haven't drilled holes in the gas cap, i have been leaving it loose since the first recent stall early last week. the second time this week when it stalled, i removed the (loosened) cap and didn't not hear a "sucking" noise that i read would indicate vapor lock, so i suspect that is not the problem.

-overfilling. i think this is related to vapor lock. the first time it stalled, it was pretty full, so i thought it might be that, which is why i started loosening the cap and kept riding hoping that would fix it. the second time it was 1/4 full so i don't think it's this.

-using Seafoam to clear out the lines. probably a good idea. can someone explain in more detail what this does and if i should be doing it regularly?

-filling up at the same gas station. i have some suspicions about a certain gas station i used to fill up before the issues started happening. i have since filled up at the one i use more regularly, but the issues continued (i filled up there between the first and second stall). what does bad or diluted gas do that messes things up? can something as simple as this cause stalling at high speeds? i hope this is the only issue. that would be amazing.

-using premium fuel. i know this is a point of debate but i am happy to pay an extra few cents if it keeps things running smoothly. i started using premium after the first stall in october and maybe it's all in my mind, but i did feel like it was running smoother so i plan to continue this. without starting a war, any thoughts on this as it relates to my issue?

stuff it could be that i can't fix myself:
-stator/pickup coil
-spark plug cap
-air filter/airbox
-fuel clog of some sort

thoughts? comments? any advice is appreciated. thanks for sharing your knowledge

My wild guess (since it was (mostly) sitting for two plus years)? Dump some Seafoam or similar and run it to clean out the residual gunk in the main jet.

I work on cars and it sounds like the carb is freezing up. As cold air moves through the carb it will form ice in the carb. Let it sit for a few minutes and the ice will melt and the engine will run. This will happen on longer runs. Stop and go traffic lets enough heat get to the carb that it doesn't freeze. Cars have a hot air intake system to help this problem.

I would second the seafoam treatment. It will help get water out of the fuel system. Cheap and easy. I would be thinking electrical but you are running in cold weather

I would say, "hey, there's a problem and you get to go on an adventure figuring out the solution!"... but this isn't your weekend "toy", it's your sole mode of transportation! I'm right there with you, and I know the feeling - it's absolutely frustrating.

I can tell you that you are doing the right things. Keep eliminating possibilities until it's A)solved, or B)solvable by a dealer.

For me, it was replacing the stator. That was AFTER drilling holes in the gas cap, removing the EVAP system, buying premium, running seafoam through multiple tanks, taking the whole dang carb out and cleaning it, replacing the spark plug, and finally saying "screw it" and bringing it to a shop. They tried cleaning the carb, too, but the issue was the blasted stator... and after they replaced it, NO MO PROBLEMS. Mind you, my problems weren't at wide open throttle.... so you might find a different solution (and save some DOUGH, too, with luck!)

phatch wrote:For me, it was replacing the stator.

That's what I was thinking sincie it would be running hot at WFO. That's when a lot of electrical problems occur. There is a way to check the condition of the stator without just replacing

Thanks for the tips. it has been prohibitively cold ("feels like" 5 degrees!) so I haven't ridden this week.

I plan on buying some Seafoam today and trying that before bringing it into the shop. I will plan on riding in the one lane on the bridge that has a pull-off until I feel secure that I won't stall again. I'll keep you updated!

smartestartist wrote:Thanks for the tips. it has been prohibitively cold ("feels like" 5 degrees!) so I haven't ridden this week.

I plan on buying some Seafoam today and trying that before bringing it into the shop. I will plan on riding in the one lane on the bridge that has a pull-off until I feel secure that I won't stall again. I'll keep you updated!

I had issues some time ago with engine stalling at just under 40 mph. This was right when stations were changing over from winter to summer gas. Something clogged up the carbon. Per Dr. Mark my mechanic I used Seafoam and kept riding. I have a 150cc bike and it would not go any faster than 35 mph. Was driving me nunts. Eventually my scooter made some rude noises and all of sudden it was back to its old self. Since that time I got into a habbit of treating all gas with seafoam the first month I start riding just in case it is old winter gas and I periodically use Seafoam throughout the riding season just to clean out the Carbs. I don't know if it helps. I have not had any issues since. Maybe it was just bad batch of gasoline.

Can't say enough about SeaFoam. I use this religiously, a heavy does 1 st fill up & then every 2nd or 3rd fill up throughout the season. Remember we have crap ethanol gas, that sucks in water & SeaFoam alleviates that situation, as well as cleaning the gunk from the carb parts.

If you have the ability I would do a carb tear down & cleaning, get the goop out of the float & off the needle. clean out the jets too.

BuddyRaton wrote:There is a way to check the condition of the stator

Guidelines . . trigger coil resource . . eBay.
Replacement GY6 CDI & ignition coil (check if CDI connectors have square or rounded corners).