Symptoms of the Cold

[10gallonhat]

I tried to pose my question in the Bad Stator discussion, but I think it has since been lost in the commotion of that topic.

My Buddy is basically brand new and has never had any problems. I live in Minnesota and it is currently very COLD! I put SeaFoam in the tank (as per the instructions) and topped it off with gas. I started it last weekend to let it run for a while (it was very close to 0 degrees Fahrenheit).

The strange thing was it would idle ok - didn't really sound any different, maybe a little louder than normal, but any time I tried to give it a little throttle the engine would just kill. No sputtering really, it would just stop. It always started backup both from the Electric start and the Kick start - but I could never use the throttle.

Any ideas? Is this a symptom of the cold? Or, perhaps should I be looking at taking it in for a tune up?

[vitaminC]

I tried to pose my question in the Bad Stator discussion, but I think it has since been lost in the commotion of that topic.

My Buddy is basically brand new and has never had any problems. I live in Minnesota and it is currently very COLD! I put SeaFoam in the tank (as per the instructions) and topped it off with gas. I started it last weekend to let it run for a while (it was very close to 0 degrees Fahrenheit).

The strange thing was it would idle ok - didn't really sound any different, maybe a little louder than normal, but any time I tried to give it a little throttle the engine would just kill. No sputtering really, it would just stop. It always started backup both from the Electric start and the Kick start - but I could never use the throttle.

Any ideas? Is this a symptom of the cold? Or, perhaps should I be looking at taking it in for a tune up?

How long are you letting it warm up? Is it coming down off the automatic fast idle? My guess is that it's just not warm enough when you give it some throttle.

Sounds to me like it's saying it wants to go back under the covers!

Are you planning to ride it, or just starting it up to run it for a while? If you're not going to run it, it's better just to let it sit rather than start it occasionally just to circulate the juices. IMHO, you would be better with some Stabil and a battery tender instead...

[illnoise]

If you let it warm up a long time, is it better? Most motorcycles, especially older/simpler ones, take a pretty long time to warm up, and the colder it gets, the longer it takes. My wife's 70s Honda CB350 takes ages to warm up, even when it's nice out, it'll start fine but it's at least 5 minutes before you can turn off the autochoke and rev it evenly.

I'm not a big expert or anything, but if it's not that, it seems likely that ambient moisture/condensation could freeze up in your carburetor and block the tiny paths and channels that air and gas travel through. Especially if you're storing the scooter outside (as opposed to in a garage). Even if it's outside in a carport or something, you might want to put a cover over it to reduce moisture and condensation. I guess warming up would help with that, too.

That might all be stupid, though.
Bb.

[illnoise]

[IMHO, you would be better with some Stabil and a battery tender instead...

I think Stabil and Sea Foam are similar, but Scooterworks always recommends Sea Foam, they must have a deal or something. : )

The battery tender (not a charger!) is a must, even if you are starting it occasionally, it takes a long time for the battery to charge, and it's a waste of gas and a lot of pollution to let it run that long. They have little leads now that you can leave attached all the time and just plug your bike into the main unit when you park, which makes it a breeze. It costs as much as a battery and it'll make your battery last for years. (you need to keep topping off distilled water occasionally, if it's a wet battery, though, dunno what buddies have)

Bb.

[pocphil]

Carb freeze up is a real problem in colder temperatures. Some bikes actually have a liquid cooled (heated) carb for this exact reason.

Symptoms are a bike that will stall at lights etc. Usually you can fix the problem by simply increasing the idle or richening the mix a little bit.

Remember cold air is DENSE. It can have a tougher time mixing with the fuel.

[10gallonhat]

Ok - so it sounds like I don't have anything to worry about... just to cold. I am in the process of getting a Battery Tender to attach as well. I think will I just pick up the extra cigarette adapter cord since that seems to make it pretty mindless. Thanks for the input!