Pause Before Start

[skipper20]

My '13 Like has 4300 miles on the clock. When I push the start button it starts to engage but there's a brief pause before the starter motor fully engages. It's like uh oh the battery has died but it's only a split second pause and then it fires right up. And I do keep it on a battery tender so the battery is fully charged. Is this an indication that something in the start system is starting to wear out or normal for a 4300 mile scooter? TIA,

Bill in Seattle

[jimmartinvtx]

skipper20. i have a Like 200 i 2012 with about the same amount of miles as your Like. I have noticed the same slight hesitation. it  has always started but still hesitates for that fraction of a second.   

[LidoCA]

That hesitation always comes with anticipation for that split second. Normal for my LIKE as well.

[TroutBum]

I have a 2012 Like and have the same hesitation especially on cold starts. A couple years ago I got a Yausa battery under warranty and still the hestitation continues. Once warmed up its not as pronounced, but it's still there. My guess is either the battery lacks the amps needed to spin the starter or the starter motor isn't fully capable of producing enough torque to compensate for the compression of the engine. Perhaps it's both the amps and motor.

Have you noticed if you squeeze a bit harder or apply both front and rear brakes it seems to lessen the hestitation?

[skipper20]

I have a 2012 Like and have the same hesitation especially on cold starts. A couple years ago I got a Yausa battery under warranty and still the hestitation continues. Once warmed up its not as pronounced, but it's still there. My guess is either the battery lacks the amps needed to spin the starter or the starter motor isn't fully capable of producing enough torque to compensate for the compression of the engine. Perhaps it's both the amps and motor.

Have you noticed if you squeeze a bit harder or apply both front and rear brakes it seems to lessen the hestitation?

Right now the scoot is strapped to the back of my Subaru getting rady to head south to Tucson but when I get there early next week, I'll try the hard squeeze and both brakes on procedure. I'll report back and thanks!

Bill in Seattle   

[vespbretta]

I´m also familiar with this behaviour. But I don´t notice it on every start. Just occasionally and rather rarely. I assume that the starter motor is a bit to weak to turn the engine over, when the piston has stopped at compression stroke. At least at the second starting attempt, the engine turned over and started each time quickly and easily so far.
That´s maybe also the reason why this engine has only 163cc. Maximum Tuning (big bore kit) possible on a based 125cc engine....

[Stig / Major Tom]

Interesting reading here......

This morning I rolled out the LIKE200i for the first time in weeks. Temps have been down to 4 F. on some nights.
Turned on the key, waited a few seconds for red light to go off - fuel pump still humming (does for some time), hit the starter and "bam!" Fired right up.
2 hours later, fully warmed engne - got that "grunt' then Start. Mine seems to do it only on a warm/hot start - and only rarely at that.
Using a bigger CCA YUASA battery - so it is not that. Always goes ahead and starts after that hesitation - so never worry about it.
This scooter starts much quicker than did my Forza or does my Burgman. Both of them turn over for a few seconds before starting. All 3 are EFI'd.
Stig

[ScooterLar]

My buddy's 2013 Like 200 did the same thing. Unfortunately, his bike was totaled in an accident a few months ago. The good thing is that it doesn't do it anymore 😜

[TroutBum]

Right now the scoot is strapped to the back of my Subaru getting rady to head south to Tucson but when I get there early next week, I'll try the hard squeeze and both brakes on procedure. I'll report back and thanks!

Bill in Seattle   

Please do. I'm curious if someone else notices a slight improvement when squeezing the brake lever a bit harder or when applying both brake levers at start up.

[big blue]

Like Stig I've found that I get that sort of hesitation in hot starts. In cold starts it always fires right up. I think it could be due to the "overcenter" phenomenon found in old British singles. They would fire up when on the choke when cold (with a lot of kicks) but when hot they could break your foot with kick-back it top center. Since the Like is a single cylinder and when hot gets a leaner mixture from the injector it kicks-back against the starter. Does that make any sense?

[TroutBum]

It's interesting that the hestitation is not the same for all of us. Some, like myself, find it more pronounced at cold starts while others at running temperature. And for some the hesitation occurs whenever they start their scooter.

I do recall one time when performing a cold start I barely squeezed the brake lever and the resulting hesitation was such that the engine warning light flashed. The code turned out to be weak voltage. After that I cleared the register and made sure to firmly engage the brake lever. No warning code after that in over a year, but the hesitation remains.

[skipper20]

Please do. I'm curious if someone else notices a slight improvement when squeezing the brake lever a bit harder or when applying both brake levers at start up.

That's the secret. No need to squeeze both levers. I squeezed the left brake lever a bit harder than usual and it fired right up with no hesitation whatsoever. I repeated the process 5-6 times throughout the morning and same results each time. Talk about an easy fix. I wish they were all like this!

Bill in Seattle but wintering in Tucson   
'13 Kymco Like 200i Red (AZ scoot)
'12 170i Genuine Buddy Italia

[NJrider]

Not sure if the squeezing the lever harder is all it takes, but that would be nice.  Have the same problem from time to time on my Vespa GTS, Kymco is new so I hope it would be a non issue for a while on it.

[Pome Deano]

I have a 2014 like 200i. It does the same thing i find if you wait for the red-light to turn of before hitting the button it starts no hesitation. Good luck n ride safe m8

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[TroutBum]

That's the secret. No need to squeeze both levers. I squeezed the left brake lever a bit harder than usual and it fired right up with no hesitation whatsoever. I repeated the process 5-6 times throughout the morning and same results each time. Talk about an easy fix. I wish they were all like this!

Bill in Seattle but wintering in Tucson   
'13 Kymco Like 200i Red (AZ scoot)
'12 170i Genuine Buddy Italia

The brake safety switch seems to act as a sort of resitor. The harder you press the less resistance on the flow of juice to the starter motor. Why it behaves like this I haven't a clue. I would think applying the brake would open the circuit To the starter motor not regulate the amount of voltage going to it.