'09 Kymco People 150 mechanical issue

[Eternal Nepatuna]

Kymco People 150 '09 / 238 lbs rider /

Pre issue it was riding at 50 mph to 63 mph (top speed on flat straights pre issue) and 50 mph up most hills (max rpm 9,400 pre issue)
(6,000 to 6,300 rpm currently) (40 mph to 48 mph currently)

We think it might be a CVT issue but me and my mechanic are working on it to see what the main issue might be.
This provided images are what the mechanic worked on and has done so far. Next we will see if it is in fact a CVT issue.
https://imgur.com/a/oobBb (apparently 900kb images are not usable here)

Any and all mechanical insight would be appreciated and will forward comments about it to my mechanic.

[de dee]

 if your belt is the same as mine scooter it is a Bando belt get a new belt and measure it against the old belt ,some belts are narrower then they should be, and can screw up every-thing,  even new belts,

[Eternal Nepatuna]

My mechanic gets the scooter back to be able to work on it tomorrow afternoon. The belt is close to new condition according to him but I will make sure he will do a comparison to other belts he has at the shop for wear and whatnot. The rollers (the things that expand in the cvt) are nubby and looked worn according to him which could also be a major factor in its severe reduction in total speed due to this issue. After a few days of riding it definitely feels like the engine is perfect and I can feel the cvt attempting to catch but has a very hard time and doesn't get to speed with the engine rpm's. Thanks for some insight and have a decent day.

[hypophthalmus]

Because of the lean reading on the spark plug (despite the dirty air filter) and the erratic behavior at high speed, you might also consider an inadequate fuel supply: fuel filter, carburetor float valve, fuel pump.

[hypophthalmus]

More thoughts:

I think a narrower belt would cause the engine to rev higher, not lower. And while worn rollers should definitely be replaced, I don't see how they could reduce engine rpms at top speed either.

[Eternal Nepatuna]

The engine itself is fine, stress tests on it were done without it connected to the CVT and he is going to get alot of replacement parts for it including but not limited to the rollers and anything else that is wrong with it.

[hypophthalmus]

I imagine with the CVT disconnected / no load, the rev limiter would kick in long before the fuel demand gets particularly high.

[Eternal Nepatuna]

When he gets the chance he should be doing some testing on the connection points between the cvt and the engine then he should be testing the individual parts before and after replacing any pieces as needed

[JJJoseph]

Kymco People 150 '09 / 238 lbs rider /

Pre issue it was riding at 50 mph to 63 mph (top speed on flat straights pre issue) and 50 mph up most hills (max rpm 9,400 pre issue)

9,400rpm is really screaming for a 150cc 4-stroke engine.  I'd think that 8,000rpm would be the absolute max before things started slowly coming apart.  If you've scorched some of the innards by hammering this thing relentlessly on highways, it would respond by slowing down over time in response to burned piston top or burned rings/valves.  I'm not saying this is what's happening, just put a compression check on your list of diagnostics.

[Eternal Nepatuna]

9,400rpm is really screaming for a 150cc 4-stroke engine.  I'd think that 8,000rpm would be the absolute max before things started slowly coming apart.  If you've scorched some of the innards by hammering this thing relentlessly on highways, it would respond by slowing down over time in response to burned piston top or burned rings/valves.  I'm not saying this is what's happening, just put a compression check on your list of diagnostics.

I usually cruise at 50 to 55 on the highways where I live, normally the rpm's match around 8,000 to 8,800 depending on different factors for those speeds like wind, straights and hills. The Max Speed I only get when traveling down massive hills on highways otherwise I get about a constant 50 to 55 even on steep hills

Forwarding this thread to my mechanic so he can see what other people think about potential issues with the thing. Thanks for some insight

[Stig / Major Tom]

Isn't red line @7500 RPM for this engine....9400 is surely a missprint? Must have meant 7400....but does an '09 People have a tach?


Stig

[Eternal Nepatuna]

Isn't red line @7500 RPM for this engine....9400 is surely a missprint? Must have meant 7400....but does an '09 People have a tach?


Stig

Yea I have a digital tachometer on it. The Previous owner put it on there and no not a misprint. 9,400 is the max that I have seen. you might be talking about limiter based max and I am decently sure that if it is supposed to be 7,500 then the limiter was cut by the previous owner.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Yea I have a digital tachometer on it. The Previous owner put it on there and no not a misprint. 9,400 is the max that I have seen. you might be talking about limiter based max and I am decently sure that if it is supposed to be 7,500 then the limiter was cut by the previous owner.

Wow. OK, 9400!
All the specs I could find .....never saw a 150 within 1800 of that figure.

Stig

[Eternal Nepatuna]

Wow. OK, 9400!
All the specs I could find .....never saw a 150 within 1800 of that figure.

Stig

The guy who owned it before me did modify the scooter so I am pretty sure that is his doing for the high rpm's. Am betting on the whole "removing the limiter" function, adjusting the cvt to better handle the newer power dynamic and adjusting the flow of air to deal with overheating. Otherwise the engine itself is vanilla with no aftermarket parts in it.