Buddy 150 dead starter -- how to save some dough
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 10:04 pm
I don't treat my 2008 St. Tropez Buddy 150 very well. It's abused, ridden hard, forced to go out in the snow and blazing heat, and basically, looks like shite. But it tends to always start.
Last week he would make a whirring sound in the morning, a couple of kicks on the f'd up kickstarter (which needs to be taken apart and realigned), and it would start with the electric start. In the afternoon after work, same thing.
Got to the point where I ordered a new battery, even tho' the current one is new as of January 1014. Figured I haven't been giving Franz long rides; been doing that on the Elite 250 and the motos so maybe I burned through the battery quickly.
Replaced the battery on Thursday. Went to ride him this morning (Sunday). Same "whirl zap grrrr silence" sound.
"Shit shit shit, it's the starter! Gaaaah, it's always out of stock. Shit!"
That was what I yelled in the garage as the cheese was sitting in the driveway on the "lent to me Vespa GTS 300" that I was returning via letting the cheese ride it to Wil's place.
Kick, kick. Get Franz going. I'm furious. I knew all along it was the starter and I shouldn't have ordered a new battery for 60 bucks when the old one was fine.
Head on over to Wil's place to return the Vespa, with a million detours because, doh!, it's the Columbus Day Parade on Atwells.
Get home, pull the starter out, run some 400 grit sandpaper over vital parts, pop it back in, whirrrrrrrrrrrrls to life! Saved meself $149! And an extra battery that I can throw in the old Vespa P.
Hope this helps someone else save some dough.
Last week he would make a whirring sound in the morning, a couple of kicks on the f'd up kickstarter (which needs to be taken apart and realigned), and it would start with the electric start. In the afternoon after work, same thing.
Got to the point where I ordered a new battery, even tho' the current one is new as of January 1014. Figured I haven't been giving Franz long rides; been doing that on the Elite 250 and the motos so maybe I burned through the battery quickly.
Replaced the battery on Thursday. Went to ride him this morning (Sunday). Same "whirl zap grrrr silence" sound.
"Shit shit shit, it's the starter! Gaaaah, it's always out of stock. Shit!"
That was what I yelled in the garage as the cheese was sitting in the driveway on the "lent to me Vespa GTS 300" that I was returning via letting the cheese ride it to Wil's place.
Kick, kick. Get Franz going. I'm furious. I knew all along it was the starter and I shouldn't have ordered a new battery for 60 bucks when the old one was fine.
Head on over to Wil's place to return the Vespa, with a million detours because, doh!, it's the Columbus Day Parade on Atwells.
Get home, pull the starter out, run some 400 grit sandpaper over vital parts, pop it back in, whirrrrrrrrrrrrls to life! Saved meself $149! And an extra battery that I can throw in the old Vespa P.
Hope this helps someone else save some dough.