Modern Buddy

i now have 30k mi on my 06 blur 150 (when i was running her hard put about 8-10k a year). it has lost a significant amount of power, both top end and pulling away. i can't get much over 40mph and it takes like a minute to get to that (and not even close to that up hills, 10mph or so).

the belt is fine and has new rollers. replaced fuel filter. no smoke or anything like that. the engine oil/filter is new. bout time to change gear oil, tho.

i'm not mech inclined so my neighbor took out the carburetor, split it open, and cleaned it out w/ brake cleaner (or something like that). got on it and took off, ran like new, thought it was fixed. drove for a total of a couple of hours over next few days and then it was back to low power.

checked the compression, it was just a tad under normal (dont remember numbers) and my neighbor said that he thinks its not due to lack of compression. he suggested getting carb rebuld kit. i guess thats like the gasket, float, jet(s), etc. he's not sure cuz he has only worked on tractors, mowers, cars.

just thought i'd run it by the folks here. any ideas appreciated.

when was the last time you had the valves adjusted? That could explain the lower compression ,too.

thx viney. dude at local scooter shop (here in PA, not scooterworks in chicago where i used to live) said on those scooters the valves cant be adjusted, but i knew i read here on mb that they could. they've never been adjusted to my knowledge (unless they were on previous shop visits and they didnt tell me).

thats prob quite an ordeal to adjust, huh? had the blur strapped in a small uhaul trailer to move here, think that could have messed up the valves? bout 13 hr drive and we were driving pretty fast (bouncy).

The valves can most definitely be adjusted. The procedure is on the FAQs. Did the slow down occur when you changedthe rollers? The wrong weight or orientation can kill your acceleration.

nope, was hoping the rollers were the culprit, but no dice. i've seen worse but they did need changing.

Good point from lostmycage...Its easy to get the rollers in "backwards"

And def. get those valves adjusted...Its kinda tight to get in there, at least on a blur220 (never did a 150), but they are def. adjustable, and may have never been done. They just get tight over time and mileage ( the trip wouldn't bother them). If a valve is tight, it can cause a loss of power and is an easy fix. with that much mileage, do that NEXT!

remember, whether you do them, or a shop. The bike has to sit overnight so it is stone cold.

thx folks! the rollers were done by a trusted mechanic that has not done me wrong (so far). gonna check out the valve FAQ cuz i'll bet thats what it is.

could be a loose pipe, loose carb, loose head, blown seal or gasket, etc. Check all your bolts and manifolds for proper torque, and look for oil seeping from the cases. Check the pipe and airbox for air leaks, and look for cracked rubber in any hoses. I'd check all that before messing with valves, though as others have said, the valves are supposed to be set at the first service after run-in (not all dealers know that, but scooterworks woulda done it) and checked occasionally after that.

Is power weaker throughout the range, or just during acceleration, or just a loss of top speed?

minuteman wrote:thx folks! the rollers were done by a trusted mechanic that has not done me wrong (so far). gonna check out the valve FAQ cuz i'll bet thats what it is.

This isn't the same one that told you that the valves can't be adjusted, was it?

Even an experienced mechanic can loose the orientation of the rollers upon reassembly. It's a tight space and if you let loose pressure on the pulley and ramp, the rollers can slide and change orientation. A sideways roller will kill your performance.

Think back specifically, though. Did the change happen after the service where the rollers were changed? If you can give us a definitive point in time that corresponds to any changes, it'll be a lot easier to help you pinpoint your problem. If it happened after your trip, then I'd check things like the exhaust pipe gasket or the carb (which is mounted between to rubber ducts) or any other thing that could have jarred loose during the trip.

Valves definitely need to be looked at but I would also get a new clutch in there. Slow acceleration, not getting top speed. Also regreasing the rear pulley where the sliding pin is a good idea.

How does the bike sound when you are riding it? Does it rev high and go nowhere? Does it rev like normal and is slow?

How is fuel mileage?

thx folks. no, the rollers were not done by the mech that told me valves cant be adjusted. the low power existed before the rollers where changed and the new ones didnt make any difference. the scoot sounds normal (no revving nor running lower) and it is slow upon takeoff and all the way thereafter, so not just accel or top end but mid too.

when i get up to as fast as she'll go, i only have the throttle 3/4 or 2/3 open, opening it up any more doesnt make a difference.

maybe it is just something loose, seeing that when we cleaned out the carburetor she ran good for a few hours.

this is something curious - i messed around with the mixture screw (prob shouldnt have) and no matter which way i turned it, when i took off the bike wanted to go faster for a second or so but then dropped back down again.

oh, and spark plug is clean.

Do you typically run Seafoam or another fuel system cleaner? Techron is a good value for a full clean, but don't use very much for your one gallon of gas.

yeah, i ran a tank w/ seafoam.

ok...haven't taken the time to read all thru the posts, but I had this issue last spring after an oil change at a dealer. Basically they put in too much oil. After we dumped some out, it was back to its old self. Your problem is probably something much more involved, but thought I'd throw that out there.

minuteman wrote:yeah, i ran a tank w/ seafoam.

It probably takes at least five tanks full to clean the carb. Keep it up.

actually, i did overfill the oil shortly before my issues w/ her but i took a little out and she ran a bit better before my most recent problems. thought i read somewhere that over filling the oil can back it out to the air filter so i cleaned the filter w/ soap water and let dry real good. what else can happen when over filling?

wow, didnt know it might take that many tanks w/ seafoam, but she rides so slow that i can't really ride her to go through that many tanks.

after 2 shops, $1K+, and well over combined 10hrs labor my 06 blur is cruisin again! turns out it was the spring on the carburetor valve slider thingy, make any sense to you folks? they put a custom one on and i went from 2hp back up to normal (9/10hp is it?). Whew!!!

Makes sense... sorta, but how did it get messed up in the first place. Unless someone was playing with it, there's very little chance that that spring can fail.

i don't think anyone had access to mess w/ it. u don't think the spring could experience wear over the 30,000 miles i put on her in a 3 year period?

I've spent the last four months trying to get my 2007 Blur to turn over. I finally brought it to a shop. The mechanic got to run by replacing the vacuum operating fuel pump (http://www.scootercatalog.com/vacuum-op ... 150cc.html). I was ecstatic until I rode it. It's like I'm riding a 50cc scooter. My RPMs max out at 5800 and my speed maxes out at 40mph.
Is it possible that this is happening because the mechanic didn't use a factory part? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Kyle

shnikies wrote:I've spent the last four months trying to get my 2007 Blur to turn over. I finally brought it to a shop. The mechanic got to run by replacing the vacuum operating fuel pump (http://www.scootercatalog.com/vacuum-op ... 150cc.html). I was ecstatic until I rode it. It's like I'm riding a 50cc scooter. My RPMs max out at 5800 and my speed maxes out at 40mph.
Is it possible that this is happening because the mechanic didn't use a factory part? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Kyle

As you appear to live in Chicago - why not go to Scooterworks and have them check it out? http://scooterworkschicago.com/contacts/

I have had problems with them. I don't want to go into specifics. I also can't afford it.

I think it's an adjustment screw on the carb. I was tinkering with it when I was trying to get it to start. Does anybody have the directions for setting it correctly?

shnikies wrote:I have had problems with them. I don't want to go into specifics. I also can't afford it.

I think it's an adjustment screw on the carb. I was tinkering with it when I was trying to get it to start. Does anybody have the directions for setting it correctly?

That is a shame. Too bad you won't elaborate so others can be aware of their practices.

I did not purchase my Blur from Scooterworks. I purchased it from somebody who did and then decided to not keep it after putting 25 miles onto the scoot. So, I have never dealt with their sales department.

The first problem I had with their service department was small but small things tend to bother me. I brought my scooter in for the 500(?) mile tuneup. They charged me for disposing of the old oil. I've never heard of charging for disposing of oil since there are companies that pay for it because it's recyclable. Not to mention, there are plenty of shops that will take it for free. Maybe I'm wrong. This was before I knew how simple oil changes are and now do them myself.

Then when I couldn't get my Blur to run this season, I finally decided to throw in the towel and bring it to Scooterworks. I called to make sure they had room in their garage and they said they did. I rented a Uhaul and brought it over on a Friday last month. I called the following Wednesday for an update and I was told they would get it to it at the end of the week. I called the Wednesday after that to see what was happening and I was told they hadn't gotten to it yet and their "only mechanic who specializes in Asian bikes" is on vacation and will not return until the following week. I could no longer believe a word they told me and the fact they have ONE mechanic that works on the type of bike they sell and would also let him or her go on vacation in the middle of the summer is absurd. I went back the next day, picked up my bike and rolled it 1.2 miles to Second City Scooters. Their main mechanic called me 6 hours later and left a detailed message about what he thought was wrong and had it running a week later.

It is currently underpowered, but I believe it's because I messed with the fuel screw. I'm going to take a look in a little bit but if anybody knows the default amount of turns that would be helpful. Otherwise, I'll start with 2 turns and work from there.

I think that the standard starting point is 2 to 2.5 turns out. Make sure that you are getting a full 'pull' on the throttle cable as well, as you seem to have a interesting lack of symptoms for something major. Keep at it!

The idle mixture screw will not have much effect on overall power. I would first verify the throttle is actually opening 100%.

It's running a little bit better because there was too much engine oil (about 200 ml too much).

Thanks for the replies. I was wondering about the throttle cable. How do I tell if I'm getting full pull? If I'm not, can I fix it or is it something I'll need a mechanic for?