It felt A LOT like it did at high altitude. I'm cruising a long one minute then the next my scooter is losing power and bucking and coughing.
I pulled over - very reminiscent of being on the side of the 395 at 7K ft near Tom's Lake this time 2 years ago only no daylight, no sag wagon bringing up the rear and no altitude to explain the behavior.
luckily my headlamp was still under my seat as there were no street lights where I was. I was in a bikelane on a curve that I had seen MANY cars ride through oblivious they were crossing the line on the curve so I was concerned a cage would hit me.
Checked my oil. fine. Checked my gas - no hiss when I opened my cap and plenty of gas in there.
Called EVERYONE I know in the area that knows scooters and one friend in Chicago, no one answered the phone
I started the scooter and noticed the back wheel wasn't spinning. The idle sounded fine just no spinning of the wheel. I turned that knobby that I know to tweak when I've seen my tire not spin before (assuming the brake is catching) NOTHING. I pull the throttle, it whirs, the exhaust coughs but my back wheel BARELY spins.
With no one answering the phone, I decide I best try to get her home. So I put on my hazards and stayed in the bike lane.
It felt like my clutch was having trouble catching. when it did, I'd buck forward and then it'd slip or something and just spin and I'd coast. It seemed like 1/4 or maybe that was 1/8th throttle was a sweet spot. It hummed along, granted only indicating 15mph, but it didn't cough or buck there.
Then I hit this hill. It's a 6% incline and I think I grabbed the throttle harder. I bucked and gasped up the hill. Once up top back to 1/8th throttle and pretty smooth, slow sailing. That worked until it didn't. I had to stop at 2 consecutive lights and just after the second the lights faded and she shut off but the hazards still blinked.
I got her started again with some coaxing. Well, I pulled the throttle and she wouldn't catch then suddenly she did so I let her idle.
Again, the idle sounded fine. Finally people started calling me. Waynerd came to my rescue from 40miles away. Still that took a couple of hours of on the side of the road all toll. I turned her off at some point just worried idling was hurting her but once I did, I never got her to turn over again.
Work is NUTS today so I can't even get it to the shop until later.
I'm hoping it's a clogged jet and that I did no harm pushing as hard as I did.
I have the performance transmission kit sitting in a box in my laundry room so I'm also ok with it being a failed transmission - I think -
I am just scared the big bore kit is the problem.... Who knows. I'm sick to my stomach thinking of life without big baby blue. I hope she can be fixed as the big girl she is and I don't have to go back to stock.
