Help with my 125 scooter (gets cold)

pennyshahin_2

Hi with this cold weather my bike gets cold and someimes is difficult to start in the mornings-it is in the communal bin shed so is undercover, but it does take a while to start , i am not a bike minded person so don't understand anything to technical- would putting a sock over the exhaust once it has cooled down be any good to stop cold air getting up it ?

Bob63

Cold air up the exhaust wouldn't be causing the poor starting so a sock won't do anything. Most likely your scooter isn't in the best state of tune so get it serviced and also consider a slightly thinner winter engine oil, which will help your engine much more when the engine is really cold. It could also be that your battery is on the way out. It would be worth checking if the bike starts from cold any easier when the battery is fully charged (by a battery charger).

ariba10

Every one is complaining of condensation at the moment, so it is possible that if the area you keep the scooter in is cold that could well contribute to your problem.

You could try putting an old coat or blanket over it.

Conor_3

pennyshahin wrote: »

Hi with this cold weather my bike gets cold and someimes is difficult to start in the mornings-it is in the communal bin shed so is undercover, but it does take a while to start , i am not a bike minded person so don't understand anything to technical- would putting a sock over the exhaust once it has cooled down be any good to stop cold air getting up it ?

Sock over the exhaust makes no difference. Get it serviced.

pogofish

Have you checked & gapped the plug/s recently? Dead easy to do yourself but a workshop will probably do it on the turn for a few quid.

If the plug has been in for any length of time, it may be coked-up (esp on 2-stroke machines), the electrode may be eroded & it might simply be better replacing the plug altogether. Personally I've always replaced my bike plugs annually by routine. It only costs a few quid & I've never had much of a problem with cold starting.

Again, the cold at this time of year is hard on your battery, so a regular charge-up with an auto or better still trickle (takes longer) charger will help to keep maximum sparking power in the system.

Another thing - you don't say how old your scooter is but battery life is an issue - You normally get 3-5 years reliable life (depends on machine/care level) from an average cell & if the battery is in that age range or older, just change it - again, a dealer will do it but it is dead easy to do yourself & you get plenty of perfectly cheap & adequate cells from discount firms online.

After that, spray as much of the electrics as you can get at with WD-40 or some other water repellant. Same for switches etc - It helps stop them freezing-up. Respray periodically/after a wash

Finally, a decent cover is a good investment. Helps keep the machine dry, clean & away from the prying eyes of theiving neds! Again discount firms are good but a blanket will be fine FTM & keep an eye-out on Lidl/Aldi's website in the spring. They usualy do a range of bike accessories & the covers in particular are very good value.

Remember to let the exhaust cool for a couple of mins before putting your cover on.