Buddy 50 starts w/kick but not starter

Discussion of the Genuine Buddy, Hooligan, Black Jack and other topics, both scooter related and not

Moderator: Modern Buddy Staff

Post Reply
PDXjack
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:35 pm

Buddy 50 starts w/kick but not starter

Post by PDXjack »

My wife’s 2018 Buddy 50 starts fine using the kick starter but will not fire if using the electric start. Battery is fully charged and cranks motor over fine. Any suggestions of where to start diagnosing this would be welcome.

jack
User avatar
Stanza
Member
Posts: 575
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:34 pm
Location: Chicago

Re: Buddy 50 starts w/kick but not starter

Post by Stanza »

That is bizarre....the buddy 50's party trick is that you can remove the battery entirely, and kick start the engine to have it run. The only thing the battery is responsible for, aside from horn and turn signals, is physically spinning the engine. The stator, while spinning, energizes the ignition system, independent of any battery power.

The only thing I can think of that might be a factor here, is if the battery isn't spinning the engine over fast enough, compared to your kick start. Have you tried a fresh battery, or an external jump? If that's not it, then you could be dealing with a few other problems, none of them fun.
WheelieDan
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2023 2:11 am

Re: Buddy 50 starts w/kick but not starter

Post by WheelieDan »

Did you ever resolve the issue? Mines doing the exact same thing.
User avatar
tenders
Member
Posts: 415
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2018 1:08 am
Location: NYC area

Re: Buddy 50 starts w/kick but not starter

Post by tenders »

These issues are almost always related to: weak battery with inadequate juice to properly spin the starter, failed starter relay, or diminished effectiveness of starter motor (worn brushes, failed windings, gunk in gear preventing proper engagement).

Step one would be to rule out the battery with a lithium jumpstart pack or a plain old-fashioned jumper cable to a car battery or similar.

If you think a car battery will be dangerous to the Buddy, summon an expert. You shouldn't be doing this yourself. There's been a lot of talk on this on the Buddy FB group. Like most FB functions, that group has so many complete idiots making stupid guesses about things that I find it practically useless.
sc00ter
Member
Posts: 1140
Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:17 pm
Location: Norfolk VA

Re: Buddy 50 starts w/kick but not starter

Post by sc00ter »

Every fall when the weather gets cooler we get the "My scooter is hard to start." questions. Pull the battery and have it tested at a Batteries Plus or a good motorcycle shop. The test is usually always free as well, or you can buy your own battery tester. I still need to get a battery tester myself.

Then, let us Buddy owners never forget, the D-Mod. I forgot the battery number (will try and look it up later unless someone else chimes in) but it lets us fit a larger battery with a easy modification that has a bit more cold cranking amps. I'll be doing this D-Mod when the time comes to replace my battery.

Finally, when it comes time to replace the battery, don't get the cheapest battery from a Amazon China vendor unless its quality has been confirmed by a real Buddy owner. But then again you can save some serious money, get a $15 dollar battery, and use the kick starter when it won't start! Oh, and Lithium batteries don't always do well in cold. Stick to a good old reliable AMG battery.
scootERIK
Member
Posts: 714
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:40 am
Location: Lake Geneva, WI

Re: Buddy 50 starts w/kick but not starter

Post by scootERIK »

sc00ter wrote: Sat Nov 04, 2023 12:42 pmThen, let us Buddy owners never forget, the D-Mod. I forgot the battery number (will try and look it up later unless someone else chimes in) but it lets us fit a larger battery with a easy modification that has a bit more cold cranking amps. I'll be doing this D-Mod when the time comes to replace my battery.
The Buddy 50 uses the 4L-BS, the Buddy 125-150-170 use the 7A-BS. Some owners manuals say the 125-150-170 use a 7l-BS but I think that is wrong but I don't know for sure.

The "D-Mod" uses a 9-BS battery - http://www.modernbuddy.com/forum/viewto ... =1&t=14379

Another option is the 10S-BS. It is about the same size as the 7A-BS but with a lot more cold cranking amps and a few more amp hours. Depending on brands it can have similar "power" to the 9-BS with no modifications. There are a few Modern Buddy members who recommend this battery.

With a Buddy 50 even just upgrading the battery to the 7A-BS is going to give you a lot more starting power.
Post Reply