Pause Before Start

[Stig / Major Tom]

Brake lever at rest holds in a plunger....pulling the brake levers releases that little plunger and contact continuity is made lighting the brake lights and completing starting electrical circuit.
The amount of force on the lever has no effect on that little plastic switch or its little springloaded plunger....it is all down to the spring of the plunger and quality of contact made or not made using the force of spring Iinside the switch.
Simply...the brake lever operstes a switch thst is either on...or off...depending on position of the brake lever. A very small movement of brake lever opens the plunger....completing the circuit to start and operate brake light.
Pretty sure....
Stig

[Stig / Major Tom]

It has been two yrs since I was hunting a gremlin in there.....but that is the way I remember things.( of course the switch had no bearing on my running issue)
Perhaps pulling both levers will give a better start.....two spotty contacts being as good as one good one ? Nah.
But brake lever force has 0 effect on that plunger....it is already open with a slight lever movement. ....and the lever is no longer causing it to move.
Stig

[TroutBum]

The starter switch safety on the brake lever does effect the flow of voltage. Try lightly engaging the lever and the results is a weak output of the starter motor torque. Not only that, but if you don't apply enough pressure the engine warning light will flash the code low voltage. This has happened to me. I immediately cleared the code and applied normal pressure and got the usual hesitation while turning over the motor. I quickly killed the engine and pressed even harder and there was no pause while turning over the motor. My guess is the surface area of the switch contact increase the further the switch contact travels through the contact point. This would explain the resistor like action I get from light to heavy engagement of the brake lever. All I know is the hesitation doesn't occur with a heavy engagement of the brake lever or when applying both levers with moderate pressure.

[Stig / Major Tom]

I thought this sounded familiar....
OK - troutbum has too much experience and too many miles with his scooter to disregard what he is saying ..."pull harder, starts better."
Two years ago....
http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=11117.msg112891#msg112891

I'll be hanged if I can figure why ....unless that switch's plunger is making spotty contact inside, or the lone screw is loose and switch is crooked. I do hear a click from both sides - and could not get it to play up no matter how lightly I pulled the levers tonight....and got no codes. It just started, or didn't if not pulled to the click. Pulling harder applies no pressure to any switch...it just releases a little plunger, "click", as the tab on the brake lever moves further away from the body of the switch..
Interesting
Stig

[TroutBum]

I would open the headset to spray electrical cleaner as I did years ago, but I'm concerned about breaking the plastic and especially now that it's older. For me applying more pressure does the trick. When I replace the brake fluid I'll spray the switch again with the cleaner. I wish we knew what exactly is going on.

Maybe a sticky topic at the top of this section where we can collect problems and solutions would be a nice thing to have.

[2wheelfun]

Clean the ground connector from batt to engines case so it's shiny and you could eat off it. Contact surface not what your eyeball sees. Clean the batt connections same way and see if there's any difference.

[TroutBum]

Clean the ground connector from batt to engines case so it's shiny and you could eat off it. Contact surface not what your eyeball sees. Clean the batt connections same way and see if there's any difference.

Did that when my starter acted intermittently. Discovered the bolt anchoring the electrical cable to the engine casing went missing. Cleaned with brass bush and denatured alcohol before applying dielectric grease and a drop of blue locktite. Hestitation still there.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Does a new LIKE 200i ever do this?
I have a big YUASA so it's not the battery.
Is our starter getting tired?....or something needing new lube?
No one posting "no start" with this.....so maybe an insignificant mechanical issue.
Stig

[2wheelfun]

My guess would be some where in the safety circuit there's corrosion on electrical contacts from use and arcing. Brake switch or a relay or other safety circuit. Been awhile since I had a scoot so I'm not sure of all the safety circuits.