Scooter won't start on 1st try By beo111 (Read 898 times)

[beo111]

For some reason, my Roketa 150cc never starts on the first try. I'm happy that it does start eventually, but I still think it's unusual that now it takes 2 to 3 times to get it started. For the past week and a half I've had to give it a little throttle in order to start. When I hit the start button, it doesn't do anything for about 2 seconds then it fires up after the second or third time. So why would it take 2 seconds to react after hitting the start? When the engine is warm and I take a trip to the store, it fires right back up normally so I don't think it's the valves because they'd close after the engine is warm right?! Could my starter solenoid be going bad? By the way, I adjusted my valves last year (.004 and .005) and cleaned the carb this past Saturday. Any ideas?

[Alleyoop]

First thing on the list is Adjust your Valves, Top Intake to .004" and Bottom Exhaust to .005". Usually the Exhaust Valves on these engines tighten up until the Valves are well seated then they last a little longer not needing adjustment.

Also since you have to open the Throttle a little for it to start your Idle may be set to low. It should be set 1500-1800 wherever it idles the smoothest and your rear wheel is NOT spinning.
What your doing when you twist the throttle a little is more PILOT JET holes are being UNCOVERED to allow more fuel to be sucked out along with a little more air.

So it just could be Idle to Low and may need a Little richer setting 1/4 turn Counter Clockwise on the Fuel Ratio Screw.
Alleyoop

[beo111]

Ok thanks, I will try tomorrow.

[Bashan]

If your scooter starts after just a couple hits on the starter when it's cold that's perfectly normal. The vacuum fuel valve often takes a bit to get the gas flowing. The solenoid is a switch activated by another switch, if the bike turns it's working. Adjusting your valves is good thing to do as Alley said but I think you don't have anything to worry about.

[kz1000st]

cleaned the carb this past Saturday. Any ideas?


Why did you clean the carb? Did the problem start happening after you did that? If so, there's your answer. You probably annoyed it when you cleaned it and it needs time to recover. Try this. Turn on the key, count to ten-slowly. Then try to start it. If it works you probably stirred up something in your enrichener circuit and the carb will need some time to straighten itself out. Don't clean it again, it will be fine. Carbs are not meant to be touched. I've had countless bikes and scooters and I leave my carbs alone and they leave me alone.

[beo111]

The problem was happening before I cleaned the carb. I cleaned the carb because I left the gas in it all winter, from November to now. I figured the carb had some stale gas in it. I also have a Peace Sports 50cc that would start but once I gave it throttle it would die. Someone suggested that the carb needed to be cleaned on the 50cc which I did, and it works great now. I figured that my 150cc had sort of the same problem and most people always suggest that you clean the carb and adjust the valves when there are running problems.

Well I adjusted the valves yesterday. Top was still at .004 (so I didn't touch it) and bottom was completely closed! I adjusted the bottom to .005, now after putting everything back together and starting the engine, there's excessive tapping!!! Should I bring it down the bottom to .004?

[Bashan]

Yep, if after it warms up there's still tapping you need to close up the gap by .001 increments until it stops; some scooters can be quirky that way. Make sure your plug is in tight, it will make a tapping noise if it's a little loose. There's no hard and fast rules with these things. You think you know what to do because it worked once before on another bike and nada. You just keep checking things off the list until you hit the right button(s). It makes it both exasperating and gratifying.

[beo111]

Just to clarify, when you say make sure my plug is in tight, you mean the spark plug? If so, I'm always afraid to tighten it too much because I hear that it can easily be stripped out! If that happens I'm in trouble!!

[Bashan]

Yes, the spark plug, sorry, you're correct, there's all kinds of plugs. It is aluminum and you can strip the head but I found that it's not as easy to do as the conventional wisdom. There's torque values if you want to get the wrench out and strip enough plastic. What you can do is give it a good snug and then come back and give it another after you ride it a whiile. They can loosen up with heating and cooling. But it is true, if you go too far it's stripped and there's no unstripping. I guess I learned by tightening a little more each time until they didn't come loose and that's where I stop now. I really don't know how to describe it other than that. Did you get your valves to quiet down? I just went through that with my Pegasus, .05mm intake and .2mm exhaust.....good grief!