Modern Buddy

My 2014 Hooligan, with 1300 original miles, is only putting out about 12 - 12.5 volts which is not enough to keep the battery topped off. Is this a simple fix or am I going to need a new alternator? I purchased the scooter new in June, 2015 so it still has a few months warranty left. The nearest Genuine dealer is about 20 miles away from my house where the scooter is garaged. If I have to ride it in for warranty service, and I top the battery off with my Battery Tender, Jr. do you think there will be enough remaining charge in the battery to get me there safely? TIA,

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green

You rev the scooter and this is the reading you get? Start with the voltage regulator.

DeeDee wrote:You rev the scooter and this is the reading you get? Start with the voltage regulator.

Your machine has a electric fuel pump. Even fully charged, running on battery alone won't get you very far before the fuel pump exausts it.

Rob

DeeDee wrote:You rev the scooter and this is the reading you get? Start with the voltage regulator.

Yes, those are the readings I get. I don't have a Service Manual. What do I do with the voltage regulator and where is it located? TIA,

Bill in Seatlle

I had the same problem in my Roughhouse. I replaced the regulator and the battery charged just fine.

This is for a 170i. You would have to verify it fits your Holligan. Can't help you with the service manual or location.

http://www.scooterdynasty.com/voltagere ... buddy.aspx

DeeDee wrote:I had the same problem in my Roughhouse. I replaced the regulator and the battery charged just fine.

This is for a 170i. You would have to verify it fits your Holligan. Can't help you with the service manual or location.

http://www.scooterdynasty.com/voltagere ... buddy.aspx

Since it's the same 170i engine it's most likely the same regulator but at $100 a pop and not knowing how to get to it or if it really is the culprit, I'm going to use my remaining warranty and get it done right. But, thanks for your input.

Bill in Seattle

skipper20 wrote:My 2014 Hooligan, with 1300 original miles, is only putting out about 12 - 12.5 volts which is not enough to keep the battery topped off. Is this a simple fix or am I going to need a new alternator? I purchased the scooter new in June, 2015 so it still has a few months warranty left. The nearest Genuine dealer is about 20 miles away from my house where the scooter is garaged. If I have to ride it in for warranty service, and I top the battery off with my Battery Tender, Jr. do you think there will be enough remaining charge in the battery to get me there safely? TIA,

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green

Is this voltage reading with the engine at an idle, or is it with it reving at at least 2500 rpm? With the engine spinning at 2500 rpm or more, you should see around 13.5V. If you do see that amount of voltage, then chances are your battery needs replacing. I'm guessing it's a bad battery because for a 2014 scooter to have only 1300 miles tells me you hardly ever rode it which means it spent a lot of time just sitting - very bad for a battery.

babblefish wrote:

skipper20 wrote:My 2014 Hooligan, with 1300 original miles, is only putting out about 12 - 12.5 volts which is not enough to keep the battery topped off. Is this a simple fix or am I going to need a new alternator? I purchased the scooter new in June, 2015 so it still has a few months warranty left. The nearest Genuine dealer is about 20 miles away from my house where the scooter is garaged. If I have to ride it in for warranty service, and I top the battery off with my Battery Tender, Jr. do you think there will be enough remaining charge in the battery to get me there safely? TIA,

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green

Is this voltage reading with the engine at an idle, or is it with it reving at at least 2500 rpm? With the engine spinning at 2500 rpm or more, you should see around 13.5V. If you do see that amount of voltage, then chances are your battery needs replacing. I'm guessing it's a bad battery because for a 2014 scooter to have only 1300 miles tells me you hardly ever rode it which means it spent a lot of time just sitting - very bad for a battery.

I purchased the scooter new in June, 2015. I experienced the 12-12.5 volts at 2500-3000 rpm fast idle output in October, 2016 or 16 months later. The scooter had 1,200 miles on it at that time. That's an average of 75 miles a month riding. OK, that's low but it's not like I hardly ever rode it. I replaced the battery also in October, 2016 as a precaution. I still have the same 12 -12.5 volts fast idle output meaning my new battery is not getting charged either. My conclusion? It's a charging problem. Notwithstanding, since the scooter is still in warranty I'm going to let my Genuine dealer sort it out. Thanks for your input.

Bill in Seattle

My 2012 Buddy 170i puts out the same 12 - 12.5 volts at idle and revving the engine doesn't raise the output value.

It's been like this for at least 2 years. I first checked the charging voltage because I noticed the engine on my Buddy 125 was cranking over notable faster than the 170. For voltage comparison, the 125 puts out 13.5V at idle and 14.1 at 3000 RPM. My 170i was out of warranty when I noticed this, so I have been living with it.

It's been 2 years and 10,000 miles and so far the that battery has held up and I haven't had any starting problems. Although, I do ride 40 miles a day with only 1 or 2 restarts along the way, so battery has a fair bit of time to charge between draws.

skipper20 wrote:My 2014 Hooligan, with 1300 original miles, is only putting out about 12 - 12.5 volts which is not enough to keep the battery topped off. Is this a simple fix or am I going to need a new alternator? I purchased the scooter new in June, 2015 so it still has a few months warranty left. The nearest Genuine dealer is about 20 miles away from my house where the scooter is garaged. If I have to ride it in for warranty service, and I top the battery off with my Battery Tender, Jr. do you think there will be enough remaining charge in the battery to get me there safely? TIA,

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green

The problem seems to have resolved itself. A few minutes after I called the dealer to make a service appointment, I thought I'd better check the voltage output once more. At normal idle speed, my voltmeter showed 13-13.5 volts. Fast idle a bit over 14. Took the scooter out for a 12 mile RT ride. Checked it again after getting back and got essentially the same readings. Battery was fully topped off. Any ideas as to how my scooter seems to have repaired itself?

Bill in Seattle

Electical issues are always tricky. I'd check the stator and regulator for loose or corroded electrical connections for a start.