idling issues?

[Whimscootie]

Hey Guys-
Quick question. I have been going over to my storage unit every other day and starting my Buddy up on the centerstand. It starts right up, runs fast alternating with slow, and then after about 5 minutes stops.

I also noticed that the rear wheel does not turn when it is running on the centerstand. Reason I mention this is that on my Ruckii and my Met, the rear wheen always rotated on the center stand.

Also the longer it idled the stronger and smoother it ran. They never stopped after warming up.

Is this normal Buddy idling behavior? I am concerned because I was hoping to keep my scoot running through the winter using this technique. I have never had to put my Hondas on a battery tender over the winter.

Thanks for any insights.

Oh, yeah, and when I throttled it blue smoke came out the exhaust and I am thinking I will do some seafoam later today. I think scoot sat for awhile at the seller's home, though on a battery tender.

[PeteH]

Yeah, if it sat for a while, then likely the jets may be a little gummed-up. A good slug of SeaFoam, maybe 2oz, will help dissolve the goo. Start it up, let it run for a few minutes in order to get some of the SeaFoam-enriched gas into the carb. But it's not a miracle worker- it may take a tankful of gas or two to get the maximum cleaning effect.

Don't freak out about the lack of rear-wheel spin. If the idle speed is a tad low, the CVT won't engage. My own only rotates when it's first started, then when the idle settles down, it sits still.

So see if the SeaFoam helps clean things out and the scoot doesn't die after warmup. Once fully warmed-up and running consistently, you can set the idle by adjusting the screw on the top side of the carb. There are threads in the Tech/FAQ sections as to how to do this. You don't need to tear the body panels off - there's a handy hatch in the bottom of the underseat storage.

[Whimscootie]

Thanks for the reply! It was very helpful.

I went back over and put about an oz of Sea Foam in her yesterday and let it idle then took it for about a 10 minute slow ride.

My intuitive feeling is that it needs to be ridden and "Sea Foamed" a bit like you said and a good bit of gas run through.

I am hoping to get over there every other day to start it up and maybe ride a short distance IF the weather cooperates here.

I noticed when it idles it runs at "full speed" and then plunges down to barely idling speed on varying cycles. It also died a few times after it seemed to be running steadily on the center stand.

Here's hoping it improves...

[BuddyRaton]

I would suggest doing a search on winterizing. Seafoam it, top off the tank to prevent condensation, get a battery tender and let it have a good winters nap.

Starting it every day for a couple of minutes is REALLY rough on any motor.

[Dooglas]

I have been going over to my storage unit every other day and starting my Buddy up on the centerstand.

Let's talk about what you are trying to accomplish by doing this. If this is a way to keep the battery charged - get a battery tender. The stator puts out very little current at idle so you are really doing this the hard way. If you believe this is helpful for the engine, I think a little reconsideration is in order on that count as well. Five minutes or less at idle means you are hardly even warming the engine up. That means you are going through all these many cold starts all winter long which is a high wear situation for an engine. I don't disagree with a couple rides or even starts and fast idles during winter storage to occasionally circulate oil through the engine but I would say that your approach is doing more harm than good. Fill the tank, treat it with Stabil or Seafoam, get a battery tender, and store the bike like the rest of us do. It actually works and I've got years of experience with many bikes to prove it.

[Whimscootie]

Thanks for the input. I don't have an electrical outlet at the storage unit so I would have to pull the battery and bring it home on the tender. I don't care to do that as I want to ride it thru the winter when I can.

I always kept full tanks on my Hondas and started them up and let them idle for 10-20 minutes or did a short ride when I could, at least 1 x a week, Nov - March. Never a problem. An occassional kickstart if real cold in the unheated garage.

I will keep all your comments in mind. Thanks!

[kmrcstintn]

mine does the same thin as the OP's...I simply restart it if it dies and blip the throttle a few times and it seems to stay lit after that;

I also bumped up my idle adjustment 1/8 of a turn after the engine warmed up the last time I started it to run new gas thru the carburetor...