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We've had a couple 80 degree F days here, so I think people are pulling their scooters out of winter storage. Then they have to take the scooter in to get carbs de-gummed / new batteries / etc., because they just forgot about their scooter over the winter. That's my guess, anyway. The Pacific NW is a great place to be on 2 wheels -- nearby coastline you can access on backroads, nearby mountains with nice backroads, etc. Lots of roads along winding rivers with elevation changes, forests, it's really a good place to be. In the city, it's easy parking / getting around cars in the parking garages / dealing with traffic.

In the past few weeks, I'm starting to see a bunch of old geared Vespas hitting the road. It's nice to have the company out there! Last time I rode an old Vespa, a '65 Allstate 125cc, the big end bearing seized. That was pretty exciting. Mechanic said it's just a known weak point, a ticking time bomb. I pulled the cylinder, expecting the piston to be welded to it a bit -- it came out easy and both piston and cylinder (and rings) looked great. That's when I knew it was seized inside the motor in a place I didn't feel comfortable getting to. Anyway, long story short: it's nice to ride a fuel injected, disc braked, Kymco Like! For dependability. That Allstate was awesome for fun factor. It was a buddy's -- since the seize happened on my watch, I paid for all the parts to fix it, I think he's going to pay labor. Point being: maintenance on the Like seems like a snap. I really like these reasonably sized air-cooled motors.

Underneath the right cowl, my date of manufacture ACTUALLY says: July, 2015. I guess my VIN decoding trick didn't work! G typically refers to a year ending in 6, at the VIN's 10th spot. Maybe it just means it's a 2016 model year. But she was definitely born in China in July, 2015.

Nice work, NJrider. Doing your own work helps you get to know your scooter so much better! My dealer really pushed for me to bring the bike back to them for the first service, but I'm glad I did it on my own. Plus, this is a pretty busy time of year for most scooter shops -- who knows when they would have been able to get to it?

Thanks Vespbretta, Stig, and TroutBum! What a wealth of information in your replies. I really appreciate it. I grew up on a 2-stroke Kawasaki 125cc (and there's a '65 Allstate in my garage), and had to clean the plug regularly. But on 4-strokes? I replace really nice looking plugs. Except on my Honda car at 100,000 miles, those were tired. 

Sheesh Stig, that's a good point too! This is the first engine I've been able to check valves on WITHOUT being basically required to remove the spark plug. With bigger jugs, I don't even bother trying to set valves without removing the plug, as there's too much compression with the plug in. This engine is so small, good natured and tractable that it wasn't a problem.

The owner's manual calls for plug replacement every 3,000 miles, removal and cleaning every 1,200. That seems like a pretty often plug change! How long can you "set it and forget it" with an iridium plug? 10k? I'd still check for tightness occasionally -- I had a CB450 loosen a plug on her own once.

I've looked at your signature line, Stig, as a great example of what I can do if I ever need more power on this thing. Iridium plug and Dr. Pulley's seems like a fast combo.

Stig, thanks for the idea about a rag to cover the battery, I hadn't thought of that! And also thanks for letting me know bolts seem very tight on new vehicles. It's nuts. (Thanks! I'll be here all week, please tip your server). Same seems to be true if you take your car to a Jiffy Lube type place. The main reason I don't go there is: I won't be able to get the bolts / filters loose next time without a breaker bar and 3 Hail Marys.

My experience is: up to 50 mph, she's happy. She'll go faster than that, but she's not happy.

Serviced regularly. New tires, new rear brakes. Valves never adjusted.  If valves need adjustment, would that only make it run poorly, or would it cause damage to the engine?   

         Thanks

Valves left too tight (they tend to tighten, especially exhaust valves, with use as the valve material seats) can lead to quiet running (a loud tappet is a happy tappet) and make your bike eat the valve (major engine overhaul). Leaving them too loose is less likely a problem, but can lead to excessive wear on the valve train. I wouldn't walk away from a good deal on a Like. I would just do the valve adjustment when I got the bike home and it cooled down overnight. Easy to get to the valves. There's only two of them.