'Ped Wont Start

[Azmodeus]

Was in the mood to get my hair cut, so I thought I would go on my moped to get it done.
Got all my gear on, sat on the bike, tried to start it. Nothing.
Not unusual, as a lot of the time it has to be kick-started (not used enough to keep the battery at premium). Off the bike, on with the with the stand, kick-start out. Nothing.

Oh poo says I.

I wheeled it back into the driveway, and took all my gear off.
Tried the spark, and it was fairly black with petrol. So I assumed I had flooded it. Cleaned off the spark, and the spark-well, and let both the dry for 30 mins. Put it all back together, and it still wont work.
Im not experienced enough to start dissasembling parts, so I dont want to end up with the bike in bits just to see if something *could* be the problem.

Has anyone got any suggestions?

PS. Has got both oil and petrol, so thats not the problem

[M1ke]

Does the spark plug actually spark though? It could just need a new one (£4 from halfords)

[Azmodeus]

Aye, I did wonder about that.
Problem is, you need one hand on the back brake, and one on the throttle to start it, which leaves no hands to hold the plug against something.

[owdamer]

Did you remember to turn the ignition on?

[Azmodeus]

[dandit]

get a bit of string/selotape/gaffatape/cable tie to pull back brake then you have a hand free to push the starter and hold spark plug
____________________
WHAT DO YOU MEAN 100 MPH THATS IMPOSSIBLE I STILL HAD 3 GEARS TO GO OFFICER. Currently riding a naked cbr 600 and driving a 52 plate 2litre tdci mondeo

[Azmodeus]

Ive been told that I dont need to hold the brake/throttle just to get the plug to spark, so I tried it, and didnt get any sparking out of it.

But im getting pissy with it now, so im going to leave it until monday, when me dad comes round, and he can take a look at it. I might end up punching it otherwise

[RS1Banger]

remove plug,
cook the spark end in a gas flame,
stick it back in while it's warm,
try and start

repeat again with a splash of petrol down the plug hole

slap yourself for not getting a bike with gears that you could bump off

[AdamBoyle]

To check if your plugs working:

1) Remove plug cap
2) Undo your plug using whatever socket you have to...
3) Put plug back into plug cap and place sparking bit against the metal frame...
4) Try to start it, if the plug sparks adequately then its ok - If its weak then you've got a duff plug..

[Azmodeus]

[gammamanuk]

I have 2 immboliser units for sale if your interested and i dont want the world for them either!

[Azmodeus]

Well, ill wait and see what we can find out about it first.

[gammamanuk]

Okay mate if it turns out to be the immobiliser/CDi unit and you can get your old one off to check its same as the 2 i have here then i aint going to pull your arm off for one!

Good luck though the speedfight scooters are very good bikes, if its not sparking change the plug/plug cap, and trim a tiny little amount off the end of the plug lead and you should see fresh clean copper wire if you look down the center of it, screw it back into a new plug lead, they are only a couple of quid, and then a new plug, speedfights plugs are right behind the back wheel and they are prone to getting crap thrown at that area, i had some heavy rain down here and it mus have shorted mine out or something because it died on me 20 miles from home, and a ew plug and a spray of WD solved it

[Azmodeus]

Aye, I did think about the HT lead.
Me dad used to have an old Lambretta, and he said he changed the HT lead more times than he changed the plug!

Might be worth a go, but ill have to wait until Monday (and its pissing it down here now anyway, even if I thought I could do it on my own)

[Azmodeus]

Ok, bought a charger today and did the battery. Got some more oomph out of the starter button, but still wont fire.

Bought a new spark plug, put that in. Still nothing.

If we cant find anything obvious on monday, ill take it to a garage.

[Dom_]

Its a shame you cant bump start them.

If it is the immobiliser, cant you just take it out and leave it at that?

[Azmodeus]

That has been... discussed.
Its at the stage of wait-and-see at the moment. No news until Monday now.

Oh, and incase I'm not here tomorrow:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

[simon1221]

you er sort of can bump start it but ive only heard about it done once and you have about a 50 percent chance of falling off when it does

so i wouldnt recommend it, so dont try it either

[RS1Banger]

it's unlikely you would be able to bump start this type of automatic, as you push the ped, the outer part of the centrifugal clutch would spin, but that wouldn't turn an engine over.
I've stopped at the top of a big hill (Garrowby) on a Honda Vision, to let the clutch disengage, I then free-wheeled downhill straight off the clock, overtaking cars, the engine did not turn over.
I started the engine as I dropped below 45mph, still the ped free-wheeled, only when I revved the engine did the clutch grab.
When it did the back wheel skidded and the engine screamed as it was dragged instantly up to 40mph!

I did once bump off a Honda C50 auto, when that got up to 15mph it started ticking over, but it didn't like it, and they're a totally different 3-speed auto.

[simon1221]

i remember someone telling me about this on this forums, cant remember who it was

[Azmodeus]

Well, my dad has had a look at it, and he thinks its the carb float - which was "fixed" not 3 weeks ago.

So we phoned up colin Collins (place that "fixed" it before) and they have come to pick it up.

It should all be under warranty, so its just a case of waiting for them to fix it and deliver it back to me.

[Azmodeus]

Well, I phoned up Colin Collins today, to see how it was getting on, and he said it was ready yesterday, and that they had left a message on my machine.


Turn out the battery was knackered, wouldn't take a charge. I had to though - £66

I was very sceptical, because even if it was the battery, I should have been able to kick-start it.

I get there, and lo and behold, starts first time!
I mention the kick-start, and he said he didnt even know there was a problem with it. He kicks it over, works first time!

Sod's law.

Oh well, got my bike back, and thats all that matters.
Just need to wait for my transfers/exhaust cover/reflectors/handlebar grips and im all set