The scooter was received and assembled, now the long-awaited moment has finally come, to put the scooter into operation. The urge to put the key in the hole, press the button and listen to the purr of the engine is almost irresistible…

But it must be resisted. Although the above may sound ideal, it is not the case. Imagine a car that was parked for six months; it may not start on the first try. In this case we are talking about a scooter that can take 6 or more months standing still, in addition to having traveled by sea for 2 or 3 weeks; Carburetors love fresh, salty sea air.

This article is intended to guide first time scooter owners to properly start their scooter without breaking anything.

Rules:

1. If the scooter is 50 or 150cc, please do not try electric start; only on first boot

2. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to start the scooter

3. Avoid using a charger. The engine will recharge the battery when started. If a charger is used, make sure it is a motorcycle charger set at no more than 2 amps.

4. If the scooter is equipped with an alarm, do not attempt to activate the alarm or remote start until the scooter has started.

5. Buy the most expensive fuel and fill the gas tank to the top

6. Do not use any fuel additives or carburetor cleaning solutions

7. After the scooter starts, please be prepared to ride it for at least 15 minutes to charge the battery; letting the motor charge the battery is by far best.

Remember that a new battery is very fragile. If it burns out completely, it can be permanently damaged and damage other components such as the fuse, voltage regulator, and/or CDI unit. To protect the battery and other components, all 50cc and 150cc scooters should be started with the kick start first and then try the electric start a couple of times as described below.

Since most 250cc scooters do not have a kick start, 250cc scooter owners should follow the electric starting procedure.

Starting procedure:

1. Fill the gas tank to the top with the best gasoline available

2. Put the bike on the center stand

3. Check that the off switch is pointing towards the circle, not the X

4. If the scooter camera has remote control, please click UNLOCK twice consecutively

5. Turn the key to the on position

6. Full throttle and hold throttle open for 1 second, repeat 3 times

7. Deploy the kickstarter; gently push it down with your foot halfway

8. Let the kick come back up

9. Strike the kick starter briskly 3-4 times in a row making sure the starter motor goes all the way down and back up each time

10. Then keep accelerating all the way (step 6) and kicking all the way a few times (step 9)

11. Don’t accelerate while kicking

Test the electric start only AFTER you have attempted to start the bike as described above with the kick start.

Electric starting procedure:

1. Follow steps 1-6 of the above jump start procedure

2. Hold the rear brake

3. Gently twist the throttle to regain play; don’t speed up just keep the slack

4. Press the home button for 3 seconds and release

5. Throttle to full throttle and release, keep the throttle afloat.

6. Press the home button for 3 seconds and release

7. Let the electric starter cool down for 30-40 seconds and repeat the above steps one more time.

Overheating of the electric starter can also damage the scooter by blowing the starter, fuse and other electrical parts.

If the bike did not start, do not try the electric start procedure more than 2 times; instead, go back to the fast boot procedure and repeat it 2-3 times. It may take a few tries, most bikes start on the second or third try.

If all else fails:

Some scooters may have difficulty starting. This may be due to several factors. In 90% of cases, starting failure is due to insufficient or no fuel reaching the carburetor. The easiest way to check and cure this is to prime the carb manually:

1. Open the seat

2. Unscrew the carburettor access panel screw (usually a single screw)

3. Remove access panel and locate carburetor.

4. The top of the carb looks like a metal dome with 2 screws holding it down.

5. Remove the 2 screws from the top of the carburetor.

6. Put 3 to 4 tablespoons of gasoline directly into the carburetor

7. Replace the top of the carburettor and secure with the 2 screws.

8. Follow electric starting procedure only if it was not followed more than 3 times; otherwise get going

If the scooter does not start after the above, those with limited mechanical knowledge and those who know enough to be dangerous are advised to contact the technical support department of the scooter dealer where purchased or seek advice. of a professional motorcycle mechanic.