Let the questions begin... By mthomas (Read 2,317 times)

[mthomas]

So I bought the 250 I have been looking at. The PO was dumb as nails and could not give me and answer about how it quit running. The battery was pretty dead when I looked at it but it did spin over twice so I know it was not siezed. I trickle charged the battery which was new in March overnight and it again turned over twice and quit, now just clicks. Does this sound like a bad ground or bad battery short of pulling it out and taking it to a battery place and having it checked?

[Alleyoop]

mthomas,
Sure sounds like a bad battery, if it turned it over a couple of times and then quit on you.
Alleyoop

[kz1000st]

Second the bad battery idea. It should have turned over numerous times, then slowed down and then clicked. It sounds like yours just lost its charge way too quickly.

[mthomas]

So I charged it with a charger I have at home at 1.0 amps and got the volts up to about 17. I put it back in the 250 and it turned over two or three times then quit. I took out the battery and put it in my 150 and it started. Also, when I turn the key on, the lights come on before I hit the starter, is that right? I am starting to think the wire is loose on the starter or the starter is bad. The PO although did not tell me much did say that he had a guy look at it and he, "jiggled" a wire and it started. I left the battery in the 150 because I put it up for sale and I want it to start if someone comes to look at it.

[kz1000st]

Time to do the "eliminate the solenoid" maneuver. Go to the solenoid, put a screwdriver across the plus and minus wires to the starter and see what happens. If the starter spins and it starts you have other problems. There will be sparks but hang in there. If the starter gives up then you have to check the wires on the starter or it's bad. I jam a philips head screwdriver between the two cables. Works like a charm.

[mthomas]

Well I had to push it out to my shed as my garage is starting to look like Joe's bike shop and the wife is ready to strangle me. I am charging the battery from the 150 the same way. This weekend, I am going to take the battery out to the shed and put it in. I am then going to pull the plug and turn the motor over. In theory, pulling the plug out will eliminate the compression and allow it to spin over better. That should tell me quite a bit. If that doesn't work, I will try the solenoid trick although the PO says that is a new solenoid.

[mthomas]

So I dug out the starter today and it was FULL of an oily grease. The brushes were shot and wore down to the nib. I cleaned it up best I could and put it back in but it was not much better. Also, the starter switch stopped working. I can short the solenoid and it will try and turn over but the switch will not work so I think the solenoid is also bad. I am also going to buy a new battery. Once I get a new battery, solenoid and starter, it should turn over like crazy. I ultimately think the carb is plugged and the PO tried to start the bike over and over again and not only killed the starter but the battery.

[tvnacman]

mth , what did you pay for the scooter

[zugzug]

The brush dust can make it look like a big mess inside the starter, esp if you have a lil moisture or if they put a lil too much grease in it at the factory. I've rebuilt a few M/C starters but as cheap as the scoot starters are I would just buy a new one. Im not even sure if they sell brush kits for the scoot starters.

There is a seal on the starter and I guess its possible to get some blowby if its bad but I have never seen it happen. Usually its either moisture mixed in with the brush dust or the starter gets so hot that the lil bit of grease on each end melts and gets into the other areas. Main cause is either sitting alot in the first case, and overcranking in the second. They are usually related. The bike/scoot sits for a while, then wont start because of bad fuel issues or dead/weak battery. So they overcharge the battery, crank n crank on the starter until it goes dead again and then usually hook it up to a running car at which time the burn the starter out trying to get it to run and many times fry the other electical components. Then they give up and put it on craigs list or ebay. I've bought lots of old bikes over the years (sometimes I like to tinker wif them) and probably 80% the previous owner has done this.

[tvnacman]

I have asprin , where to find the headaches

Zug say hi to elmo for me !

[mthomas]

Well first of all, I paid $375 for the scoot knowing full well it did not run and I would have to do some work on it. I truly believe to PO who was dumb as nails, spun it over and over until it cooked the starter. The bike is an 08 and only has 2641 miles so the starter should not be worn like that with normal use. The brushes were nubs and that reduces the comm pressure and loses torque. I thought about getting a brush kit for it, if they even sell them but the comm looked bad too from spinning so much which means I would have to get it turned also. I think it is just easier and better to get a new one. With a new battery, starter and solenoid, I should be able to eliminate most electrical issues. I can't troubleshoot the starting issue if I can't get it turning over so that is my first goal.

Looking forward to riding a 250 as I have only ridden a 150. It will be a nice bike hen I am done with it, unfortunately, it is 16 degrees today so I am only tinkering in the garage for now until it warms up a bit. I am trying to put myself in a better position for spring to be closer to having it run so I can tweak it up.

I have to research and find a good price on the parts and with not NEEDING them now, I have that luxury. I would also like to pull off the case and see what is going on there even though it is a real bugger to access the motor.

[tvnacman]

if it has a kick starter your in a great place, what I would do is check for spark. then adjust the valves ( this may have been the original problem or enrichener) put a new plug in it let the vac line suck some gas in see if you can get it to sputter or even start . one of my 150's does not start well with electric , but it kicks nice.
John

[mthomas]

No kick starter. Thought about the valves but got to get it turning first. The plug looked pretty good as I pulled it out. I pulled the plug to reduce the compression. It still struggled to turn over which told me to look at the starter.

[tvnacman]

thats an expensive starter
clean up the starter put it back in , adjust the valves , charge the battery , be sure the bowl on the carb is full of FRESH GAS (suck the vac lines) dump a table spoon of gas in the mouth of the carb, and hit it the starter , you got to get it to sputter

[swh22]

sounds like a relative of my Redstreak 250!!! lol!!!