layed down my new scooter, need cosmetic repairs

[fangirl]

Okay, so... Yeah, I laid down my brand new scooter.  I was only going under 10mph, then stopped abruptly and it fell over on me.  The end of the left brake lever fell off and the headlight cover, front left panel, and topbox are scuffed up.  The scuffed up bits don't really bother me.  I won't replace them until I am sure that I'm a more skilled rider. 

I found a replacement left brake lever at http://www.racingplanetusa.com/xanario_search.php?query=brake+lever&sessID=009828c5644d7fd8706dc112e9487bcf&attrib[cat][0]=Kymco_Like+200i .  I don't have ANY experience with repair work, but it seems like this should be something that I could do myself.  Any input?

[TroutBum]

Sorry for your misfortune, fangirl. Replacing the lever is a simple process. Remove the brake lever pivot nut and bolt. Check that the master cylinder piston isn't damaged by looking for leaks at the piston cover. Use a small amount of general purpose grease on the brake lever pivot bolt. Less is best as grease collects grit that can wear down parts over time.

[big blue]

Oh crap! Sorry to hear about your fall. Yeah the lever is an easy fix. Keep the shiny side up.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Ouch!
Glad you're OK. Scooter parts are replaceable ~!
These scoots are heavy when they get tilted a bit.
I'm a little bigger than you so it hasn't gotten away from me (yet).

As for replacing the brake lever - I think you will need to remove the plastic covers from the handle bars to access that nut and bolt.I had to go this route to add brake fluid not so long ago and posted this how-to to remove those plastic panels.
I posted pictures and suggestions here for the removal process.

http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=9467.msg100404#msg100404

I think the nuts/bolts are hidden under the plastic - seems might be hard to get that bolt and nut in there without removing the plastic.
See pix here
Give us a shout if you need anything!
Safe riding!
Regards, Stig

[tclhb]

One tip I can give you. When riding at low speeds stay off the front brake. Use the rear brake only. If you are at a low speed and brake hard with the front and your steering is turned it will send your two wheeler over quick.

[tclhb]

If I'm in a parking lot for example I use the rear brake only. FYI, most of your stoping power is the front brake, so if you're going faster you want to use that too.

[kajungirl]

sorry to hear that. glad your ok 

[Vivo]

One tip I can give you. When riding at low speeds stay off the front brake. Use the rear brake only. If you are at a low speed and brake hard with the front and your steering is turned it will send your two wheeler over quick.

I did an experiment once to see how strong the front brakes of my super 8 is. ... Rode at around 20 mph and fully squeezed my front brake lever....  scoot immediately stopped without skiding... my butt skid from the seat hitting my helmet shield on the small windscreen... and sprained my right arm in the process of preventing my face from further hitting the speedometer... that sprain hurt for about 2 weeks.... well, at least I proved that the front brakes is strong...

Another experiment using both front and rear brakes... different results... forward force is almost
distributed between front and rear, and the scooter sort of "sat" down further rather than "bowing" ...

Experimenting using front, rear, combination is a good thing and only you will find the right braking style... Based on my experience, scooter braking is different from motorcycle braking... maybe because of the weight distribution thing... On a sportbike, using only the rear brake may lead to disaster...  When you brake with the rear brake, weight transfers forward and lightens up the rear, then your rear tire locks without you adding any braking...making your rear skid....

[91cavgt]

I know how you feel.  I dropped my brand new Like when it had less than 200 miles on it.  I decided at the last minute to turn down a road and as I was in the process of turning, I went over a thick mound of gravel.  Luckily I was going slow but I have some deep scratches in my lower left panel, and my kick stand is scratched up good too. 


It happens.  When you ride a 2 wheeler, it's not if you will lay it over but when you will lay it over. 


Learn from this and learn what you did wrong.  Learn how to properly brake (not only using the rear brakes when almost stopped) and this won't happen again.

[Momma bear]

Glad you're OK. I've seen replacement parts on eBay for the body . When you're ready this maybe an option. When I took the safety class with a group of friends one of them hit the throttle while breaking and went flying. Hey these things happen all part of the learning process. Continue to practice. Find a school parking lot on the weekend and go through drills. Things will become second nature to you. Don't let this discourage you. Good luck.

[McG]

I did something similar on the first day I had my scoot. I bent the brake lever a bit and scuffed up a few bits of the bike.  I will say that I have the blue-black cover and, I kid you not, Sharpie worked like a charm to cover the scuff marks on body panels.  I wouldn't use it for huge scuffs, but for smaller ones it worked like a charm.  You can see them unless you are at level with them.