Modern Buddy

Well, my 2009 Buddy 125 has a hard start/cold idle issue, so I replaced the auto bystarter this morning. She still has the same issue even with the new bystarter. I know the problem is with the choke circuit because if I re-route the air intake hose and block the opening with my hand, it will fire right up and idle as long as I keep my hand there. Once it warms up (with my hand there), she'll idle fine when I remove my hand. I've cleaned the slow idle jet twice to be sure, so I know it's clean. I don't mind "manually choking" her, but I'd still like to get to the bottom of this problem. Any ideas?

Thanks!!!

My 09 Buddy 125 is also hard to start but it settles into idle fine after a few seconds. My prior 08 125 Buddy did almost the same thing (hard start with rough idle) and we rebuilt the carb and changed the float, and it started up/idled great after that. Friend swears its the ethanol that caused the float to "warp" if you will. Scooter Works sells a carb rebuild kit for cheap-thats what Im doing to the 09 this week along with a major 10,000 mile super tune-up.Others will tell you to change the spark plug, sometimes that works wonders all by itself-my 09 has the original plug still in it.

Side note worth mentioning is I despise working on carbs, but the nearest shop that I would trust with the job is 100 miles away and I dont feel like lugging the Buddy all the way out there. Time for me to man up and deal with it I guess. I miss EFI sometimes.

OK, bystarters usually fail such that they never cut off the extra fuel in the enrichment circuit. This results in a permanently rich condition. You appear to have the exact opposite problem, i.e., running too lean when cold. Since you've already replaced the bystarter, then something else is blocking the enrichment circuit. Have you tried cleaning out the circuit's inlet, outlet, and passages, as well as the port that the bystarter's plunger controls?

Sounds like you have a dirty carb. It's not getting enough fuel.

I'm assuming that you've checked to make sure the bystarter is actually getting power?

I have not done this. I guess this will be the next thing I do. Thanks!

charlie55 wrote:Have you tried cleaning out the circuit's inlet, outlet, and passages, as well as the port that the bystarter's plunger controls?

How long has the scooter sat without running?

The bike sat for at least 2 years before I got it a few weeks ago. It is a 2009 model that was bought new in late 2011. It only has 172 miles on it, so I'm assuming most of that mileage was from when she first purchased it. I've already run a half a can of Seafoam in it when I got it. For sitting as long as it did, the carb was surprisingly clean when I took the bowl off.

avescoots1134 wrote:How long has the scooter sat without running?

Did you remove the jets and clean them out? There's yer problem!

Jets were removed and cleaned already.