Modern Buddy

I was out on a good long ride today with the Buddy 125 when it just quit running. No pop or backfire, hesitation, nothing but stopped. I tried starting it a few times and got nothing. I sat there and puzzled over it a bit, talked to a nice fellow who was going to try to get it in the back of his truck, and about 10 minutes later I tried to start it and it lit right off and ran fine. So I kept going, and it did the same thing again a few miles down the road. After a few minutes it ran again. I am suspecting a clogged fuel filter that ran dry and eventually filled back up, though it seems like that wouldn't work with the vacuum petcock. I changed the filter when I finally got home, luckily didn't have to walk, and will try it again later and see what happens. Any other ideas? It seems if this was electrical I'd get some backfiring or rough running but there was none of that.

Sounds like it might be the stator. When mine failed it would die right when I let off the throttle, no pops or noise, it was as if you hit the kill switch. After a few minutes it would start back up and be fine for a few miles then die again. If it is the stator it will keep getting worse, it will start to die more often and not start back up as fast, also it will probably get harder to start even when cold until it won't start.

I have had the stator fail in different ways but if I remember right when it dies in the way you are describing when it finally gets bad enough that the engine won't run it will still have a spark but it will be weak.

Any chance you have a 2008 or 2009?

If not what year and how many miles.

I believe there is a way to diagnose if it is the stator with a multimeter, but I don't know how.

Thanks, I am wondering about that. I hope not but it is certainly possible. This one is a 2013.

If you do replace it I recommend the NCY stator 0900-1007 - https://www.scooterworks.com/products/n ... 5-wire-gy6
I have had two of them both have over 40,000 miles and still work(I think one has well over 60k on it.)

Had you just filled up with gas? Sounds like fuel system venting problem to me. Is your cap vented?

Thanks for the replies.
I have narrowed it down to the pickup coil, and have one on the way. Hopefully my diagnosis is correct. If the whole stator needs replacement, I'll use the one suggested. We'll see!