My Buddy won't start - not even a kick

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bingetv
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My Buddy won't start - not even a kick

Post by bingetv »

I went out to ride the Buddy 125 yesterday and the start button did nothing. It's about 2 years old and has never given me any problems. So, I gave it a kick and it started right up. No problem. But then, a few hours later it didn't start again, and this time no amount of kicking would revive it. I kicked and kicked till my leg wouldn't take it any more, then I pushed it home.

It seems like this is a simple battery issue, but what I don't understand is why the second kicking didn't start it. Won't it start if you kick it even when the battery is dead?

Worst of all, the weather here is beautiful. I'm missing some great scooter-riding weather! Help is appreciated.

Thanks.
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peabody99
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Post by peabody99 »

I have found scooters with dead batteries are harder to kickstart-but have no explanation for this. So it is possible it is the battery
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Post by CWO4GUNNER »

Sounds like the battery. Sometimes as a batteries plates are shorting out and dieing there will not be enough charge to run the starter but enough for an easy kick start. Then once started the charge circuit finishes off the already sick battery, like trying to make a hart patient run a few miles during an attack. The batter just gives up it final charge regardless of the charge circuits efforts to revive it. If you have a 2nd scooter that works try swapping of jumping battery circuits without the dead one connected, just like jumping a battery but with the dead battery missing. If it starts right up with the starter you know your problem. To find out if you have a bad charging circuit disconnect the red battery terminal for a few second while the scooter is idling (running), if the scooter keeps running normally with the battery disconnected the charging circuit is probubly fine, but if it stalls then the is a problem somewhere in the charging circuit and may not be the batteries fault.
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bingetv
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Post by bingetv »

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately I don't have another scooter to use, so I'll have to roll the dice and buy a new battery.
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gearhead
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Post by gearhead »

if your starter button is not working, the fuse in the battery compartment may be blown. also, if the scooter isn't starting without kicking and your battery is fine, it may be your stator that has gone out.

good luck :)
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Post by jrsjr »

bingetv wrote:Thanks for the info! Unfortunately I don't have another scooter to use, so I'll have to roll the dice and buy a new battery.
You don't have to roll the dice at all. There are Batteries Plus stores all over the DC area. Pull your battery, take it to them, and ask them to test it. They have a machine that can totally scope out your battery in a few seconds. See this thread where one of the mods, jmazza talks about doing just that.
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Syd
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Post by Syd »

Kill switch? You wouldn't be the first (I have some, umm, personal experience with this, you might say).
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Post by chub1965 »

try simple stuff first,its almost always the spark-plug
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Post by Lotrat »

You can pick up a volt meter for under 5 bucks at Harbor Freight. They go on sale for $2.99 all the time. There are 3 stores in the DC area. It's a must have in my book.

The battery may be shot, but it may be low and just needs a charge. One of screw terminals could be loose. When you turn it key to on do the lights come on? When you hit the start button, does the starter spin or is it just dead?
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paikkylee
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Post by paikkylee »

Syd wrote:Kill switch? You wouldn't be the first (I have some, umm, personal experience with this, you might say).
You're not the only one... :oops:
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Post by PeteH »

Lotrat wrote:When you turn it key to on do the lights come on?
On 'newer' Buddys, the headlight doesn't come on until after the engine starts, which probably gives the starter a little help in low-battery conditions. This is true on my '09. Don't know when this changed.
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Post by Lotrat »

PeteH wrote:
Lotrat wrote:When you turn it key to on do the lights come on?
On 'newer' Buddys, the headlight doesn't come on until after the engine starts, which probably gives the starter a little help in low-battery conditions. This is true on my '09. Don't know when this changed.
Ah. Does anything light up? The Rattler display lights up, oil light turns on and then off. It's a sign of life before you hit the starter.
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Post by jmazza »

When my starter went bad recently, I thought for a while that I had bigger issues because "no amount of kicking would revive it." I put that in quotes because, in my situation, I found that for some reason I needed to try a little harder and with a bit different technique to get it kick started. I had always periodically kick started the bike just to make sure I could and it always started up in a few kicks. But with the dead starter (and I realize this could all be in my head but I'm throwing it out there with that warning anyway) it was near impossible to kick start until I started kicking down and forward rather than just down. After that I was able to kick start it (with the bad starter) as before- in no more than 3-4 tries.

So, I guess my point is that for some reason - be it mechanical or psychological - I lost the ability to kickstart my bike and went through all these thoughts of battery, engine problems, etc. when all the time it was kick-able and I just had a bad starter.

So, yes, take the battery to Batteries Plus and have them run all their tests on it. They can test more than a simple volt meter can (though that's a good thing to check first). If the battery tests good, hold off on a new one. And give kick starting another try - make sure you "prime it" and then kick down and forward. It seems that the kick start is very finicky as to technique.

Again, just an idea and good luck with it!
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Post by ericalm »

paikkylee wrote:
Syd wrote:Kill switch? You wouldn't be the first (I have some, umm, personal experience with this, you might say).
You're not the only one... :oops:
Heh heh heh. A couple days ago, hanging out at my local shop, a new Buddy owner called and couldn't get their scoot started. While someone patiently walked them through how to start it, those of us standing around the counter were whispering, "Bet the kill switch is on!" As it was.

New riders do this all the time!
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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Post by CWO4GUNNER »

What is scary is when you are on an interstate trip and somewhere along the line your tired-gloved-hand unknowingly strikes the kill switch and the bike stalls and rolls to a stop on some lonely highway. Frantically your mind is racing what is wrong! Fuels OK, lights work, but started is dead. Finally you glance over at the kill switch with a rush of hope, relief, and thankfulness. :lol:
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Post by ericalm »

CWO4GUNNER wrote:What is scary is when you are on an interstate trip and somewhere along the line your tired-gloved-hand unknowingly strikes the kill switch and the bike stalls and rolls to a stop on some lonely highway. Frantically your mind is racing what is wrong! Fuels OK, lights work, but started is dead. Finally you glance over at the kill switch with a rush of hope, relief, and thankfulness. :lol:
The kill switch on my Vespa is where the turn signal is on my Stella. Hilarity ensues.
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Post by rsrider »

Have your tried waving a gun over your head and threatening it?

seriously, I keep an extra battery around for the scoot. Which means I don't ride it enough. :(

Speaking of kill switch....my so called friend hit his on his Hardley one time and we spent a good half hour kicking that pig over till I remembered to check the switch. doh!!!
Using the internet for evil since 1994.
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Post by michelle_7728 »

PeteH wrote:
Lotrat wrote:When you turn it key to on do the lights come on?
On 'newer' Buddys, the headlight doesn't come on until after the engine starts, which probably gives the starter a little help in low-battery conditions. This is true on my '09. Don't know when this changed.
The headlight doesn't come on, but the deadlights on the '09 Buddy (if you have them activated) do. Granted, they may not draw the amps the headlight does...
Past bikes: 08' Genuine Buddy 125, '07 Yamaha Majesty 400, '07 Piaggio MP3 250, '08 Piaggio MP3 500, '08 Aprilia Scarabeo 500
Current bikes: Two '09 Genuine Buddy 125's
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Post by thankyou »

Came to this forum when my Roughouse died and wouldn't restart even with the kick. I bought it last year when my son's car died and, just starting a new job after being unemployed for a while, he couldn't get a loan for a scooter, much less a car. I tried co-signing on a loan for him, but he hadn't been back at work long enough, so I just called the dealer and put it on a credit card. Now he's back on his feet and has given me the scooter.

I stopped to talk to a neighbor and the motor died. I tried several things, but no luck. Came here and figured out it was the kill switch. Must have accidentally hit it while standing there. Didn't even know it had a kill switch.

No doubt my son still has the owner's manual, but the online PDF didn't help a lot. It was you folks here. Thanks.
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Post by VinylDoctor »

thankyou wrote:Came to this forum when my Roughouse died and wouldn't restart even with the kick. I bought it last year when my son's car died and, just starting a new job after being unemployed for a while, he couldn't get a loan for a scooter, much less a car. I tried co-signing on a loan for him, but he hadn't been back at work long enough, so I just called the dealer and put it on a credit card. Now he's back on his feet and has given me the scooter.

I stopped to talk to a neighbor and the motor died. I tried several things, but no luck. Came here and figured out it was the kill switch. Must have accidentally hit it while standing there. Didn't even know it had a kill switch.

No doubt my son still has the owner's manual, but the online PDF didn't help a lot. It was you folks here. Thanks.
you would be surprised how many dont know there is a off switch.
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