GrandVista not starting need advice

[yahooie]

If anyone has advice please help.  I recently bought a 2006 with 2300 miles on it down in Florida.  The person that I bought it from said it was sitting for a while and wouldn't start but she took it to her local shop where they serviced it and it was running fine.  When cold the bike had issues stalling unless I would give it gas and let off and on the gas for a little bit revving it up.  I called the dealer that serviced it and he said the bike just needed to be ridden.  Well I have put about 1500 miles on it and it was running fine but still had the same issue.  I downloaded the manual to change out the oil which I had and put in the 15w 40 that it suggests.  I haven't changed out the gear oil as I haven't been able to find the SAE90 but have since through reading the forums found that I can use other weights 75w 90 or another similar.  When checking the air filter I had noticed that there was oil not in the filter but in the box around it and in the intake behind the filter.  I don't think that is a good thing by the way.  I cleaned it up with a rag and closed it all up.  Bike was running fine but still had the starting issue.  This evening on my way home I got about a mile and it stalled at a light and will not start.  I plan on taking it to a shop to look at but if there might be something that you all can suggest that I look at to see if I can get it running to avoid having to rent a trailer, your advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Rianna]

Hi, yahooie. So...it was running and then you closed up something? and it stalled??

[TechGuy]

I would guess the first shop is not the place to take it.  I am going to suggest you have the carb cleaned.  You could try using SeaFoam... but I am going to guess a proper carb-off-the-bike, remove-both-jets cleaning would get you better performance.

When the bike sat for several month or longer, the gas/ethanol mixture we get in the US now separates and a rather stubborn varnish collects in the carb of smaller engines. This is why the dealer suggested "just ride it".  If you ride it, the gas will eventually clean out the varnish. But if it not ridden enough or the jets are plugged too much, they never get clean enough for the bike to run well. This suggestion also works better for larger jets in larger carbs.. like in Harleys. Your scooter is using one half or less the gas with an engine 1/4 or 1/8 the engine size (in cc)

[yahooie]

Update - First shop replaced the plug and it still wouldn't start, cleaned the carb nothing. Replaced the CDI and it started but quit after a few minutes.  They thought the timing might be off. Sent it to their other shop. Where they said the compression was weak only 55lbs???  Ended up having to take the engine apart.  It has been three weeks now.  They just told me today that they found a cracked piston head. Part is on order and have to wait another week for them to get the part and put it in and test to see if it holds compression.  Sigh....

[MaryK]

Too bad it sounds like a major repair.  I hope you get it running for the spring.

Scoot safely,

[yahooie]

Got the bike back today.  Almost $1000.00

[TechGuy]

sorry to hear about your big bill... but now you can ride.

[allenquach]

Why don't you get a manual, tools, and order parts online to mess with it. It's fun and educated thought.

Here is the link for parts: http://kymcopartsonline.com/catalog/