Post by midtempo on Jan 27, 2011 11:27:44 GMT -5
I have a vexing problem with my Piaggio Fly 50. I bought it the day after Christmas and it has just about never run well. Here's what it does:
Upon starting up, it needs to warm up for at least 15 minutes to even run passably on the road. When first riding, it will often run more slowly than even a bicycle - opening the throttle makes just about no difference. Once it's thoroughly warmed up, it can accelerate up to 15 mph just fine, then it plateaus and starts "chugging" cyclicly. In other words, it will accelerate, then back off, then accelerate, start putting, over and over. Even while cruising it will do this. In this fashion it will SLOWLY accelerate to about 25 mph with difficulty if always operating under WOT.
Lately, this problem has been getting worse, and along with it, it has become more difficult to start it. I have to try to turn it over about 4-12 times before it will stay running. Lately it won't even start at all.
There was one sunny Sunday when it was around 35F when I started it up and it ran beautifully. I was easily able to cruise down roads at 30-35 mph, climb up hills (although it slowed down the way a 50cc scooter would expect to), and it ran consistently and smoothly. On my way home after the engine had cooled off about 3 hours later, it went back to running the crappy way it usually has. It was a fluke, but I KNOW it can run well if whatever is preventing it from doing so is fixed.
The battery is fine, trust me. I have cleaned the carburetor THREE TIMES - once by the dealer and twice by me. I am convinced that the main jet and idle jet are clear, as brake cleaner will spray through each of them consistently. I am not POSITIVE that the carburetor is absolutely clean, but I am pretty sure at this point. In any event, the carburetor would not be the source of difficulty starting, would it?
I have also replaced the spark plug, which looked normal when I replaced it. The air filter was supposedly replaced at about 5,000 miles - in now has 5,800 - but I haven't looked at that. Again, would a clogged air filter be the source of starting difficulties?
I have been told these scooters frequently have an ignition coil unit that frequently fails. I have bought a new one but haven't installed it. I did take out the old unit and have a voltmeter and have tested both the old and new units. The only meaningful resistances I was able to get from each of them were about "350 ohms" between the first and second wires. But the resistances on both units registered the same. I have not yet installed the new unit on my scooter, but if I do, I can't return it if it's not the problem. The damn thing cost $72. But my other choice at this point is renting a U-Haul AGAIN and delivering it to a scooter garage. The garage says the problem I am describing is probably not electrical because, if the igntion coil is failing, it's an either/or proposition they say: either the bike runs or it does not. I am not sure I believe that.
I would also like to add that the idle is now too low when standing and it will frequently stall if I do not open the throttle when idling. I did NOT mess with the idle adjustment on the carburetor.
What the hell is the problem with my bike? I would especially like to know from any other Fly owners out there, if anyone reading this is one. Thank you for reading this detailed post.
Upon starting up, it needs to warm up for at least 15 minutes to even run passably on the road. When first riding, it will often run more slowly than even a bicycle - opening the throttle makes just about no difference. Once it's thoroughly warmed up, it can accelerate up to 15 mph just fine, then it plateaus and starts "chugging" cyclicly. In other words, it will accelerate, then back off, then accelerate, start putting, over and over. Even while cruising it will do this. In this fashion it will SLOWLY accelerate to about 25 mph with difficulty if always operating under WOT.
Lately, this problem has been getting worse, and along with it, it has become more difficult to start it. I have to try to turn it over about 4-12 times before it will stay running. Lately it won't even start at all.
There was one sunny Sunday when it was around 35F when I started it up and it ran beautifully. I was easily able to cruise down roads at 30-35 mph, climb up hills (although it slowed down the way a 50cc scooter would expect to), and it ran consistently and smoothly. On my way home after the engine had cooled off about 3 hours later, it went back to running the crappy way it usually has. It was a fluke, but I KNOW it can run well if whatever is preventing it from doing so is fixed.
The battery is fine, trust me. I have cleaned the carburetor THREE TIMES - once by the dealer and twice by me. I am convinced that the main jet and idle jet are clear, as brake cleaner will spray through each of them consistently. I am not POSITIVE that the carburetor is absolutely clean, but I am pretty sure at this point. In any event, the carburetor would not be the source of difficulty starting, would it?
I have also replaced the spark plug, which looked normal when I replaced it. The air filter was supposedly replaced at about 5,000 miles - in now has 5,800 - but I haven't looked at that. Again, would a clogged air filter be the source of starting difficulties?
I have been told these scooters frequently have an ignition coil unit that frequently fails. I have bought a new one but haven't installed it. I did take out the old unit and have a voltmeter and have tested both the old and new units. The only meaningful resistances I was able to get from each of them were about "350 ohms" between the first and second wires. But the resistances on both units registered the same. I have not yet installed the new unit on my scooter, but if I do, I can't return it if it's not the problem. The damn thing cost $72. But my other choice at this point is renting a U-Haul AGAIN and delivering it to a scooter garage. The garage says the problem I am describing is probably not electrical because, if the igntion coil is failing, it's an either/or proposition they say: either the bike runs or it does not. I am not sure I believe that.
I would also like to add that the idle is now too low when standing and it will frequently stall if I do not open the throttle when idling. I did NOT mess with the idle adjustment on the carburetor.
What the hell is the problem with my bike? I would especially like to know from any other Fly owners out there, if anyone reading this is one. Thank you for reading this detailed post.