Downtown 250i cold start issue

[YUL713]

Hi everyone,

Since it is my first post and by way of introduction, I am from Mauritius and the proud owner of a Downtown 250i since October.

As from the moment I got the scooter I have always had a hard time with cold starts and always have to feather the throttle in the process. When the engine has been running for a while, no issues and it starts up just fine. The bike has 2500km on the clock now.

I have brought the bike a few time to the Kymco dealer and have had the MAF sensor changed, spark plug checked, idle speed checked, diag test machine found everything else ok. The problem however remains...

If anyone would have the faintest idea about what to look out for?

Thanks & Happy New Year!

YUL

[CROSSBOLT]

Try initializing: ignition off
Run/stop run
Open throttle to stop
Ignition on count 10 seconds, close throttle at 10 seconds
Ignition off

Then try to start, see what happens. Start should occur within two revolutions. Count seconds, "one thousand, two thousand, three thousand..." will be a lot closer than other count methods or use a watch/stop watch. This initializes the TPS and ISC so the mixture is correct at start. Throttle Position Sensor/Idle Speed Control

Tell us what happens. Downtown 250i? Dint know about that one!

[Stig / Major Tom]

Hard starting is also associated with incorrect valve lash settings. Have the valves been checked?
But surely, your mechanic has already thought of that?
Stig

[CROSSBOLT]

Look at Mauritius on Google Earth! I'm tellin' ya, we in the wrong spot! YUL, that island is beautiful!

[Stig / Major Tom]

Look at Mauritius on Google Earth! I'm tellin' ya, we in the wrong spot! YUL, that island is beautiful!

Yeah, wondered how the heck his scooter has a "cold" start!
Temps range from "hot to balmy"......poor fellow.

Stig

[CROSSBOLT]

Yeah, "cold start" ha, ha! Maybe a restaurant there has a big enough walk-in freezer....

[YUL713]

Hi Guys,

Thanks a lot for your replies. It is very true that the "cold start" issues could be re labelled mid-HOT start issues since we are now experience 34+ degrees Celsius everywhere around the island...

Karl, I have tried to initialise as recommended. I have had to do the procedure twice but on the second attempt, seems to work. However I am not home right now so I will only be able to give you a proper feedback in a couple of days.

Thank you all for your help. Will keep you posted.

Yannick

PS: Karl, the 250i is primarily intended for the Asian market. In Mauritius we have a (rather stupid) duty of 75% on motorcycles above 300cc. So the 350i is too expensive here and the agents that imports the bike prefers to order the 250i. We also have the AK550 on special order... but it would cost you approx. US$ 17K... 

[scooterfan]

Hard starting is also associated with incorrect valve lash settings. Have the valves been checked?
But surely, your mechanic has already thought of that?
Stig

Yul713, your "cold start" problem doesn't sound like a typical valve clearance problem, but whatever it's worth - I wouldn't hesitate to have a close look at the valve lash at your scooter. To my experience on other brands of engines, valve clearance adjustments as a first option to solve starting problems often  saved a lot of time and energy....

[CROSSBOLT]

Wish I would have thought of what Stig and Scooterfan said!

$17000 USD?! Yow!

[beermak]

Ak550 in argentina is 20.5k in cash and you add taxes and fees for almost 2k more!




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[YUL713]

Thanks guys! Will talk to the mechanic about the valve clearance setting and will let you know.
Wishing you all a happy new year with lots of fun rides!
Best
Yannick

[scooterfan]

Thanks guys! Will talk to the mechanic about the valve clearance setting and will let you know.

Best
Yannick

Good luck ! They will probably do valve clearance adjustment, get the scooter going - but then deny doing anything about valve clearances.
That's how dealers normally roll - they don't like customers telling them what's wrong.

Happy new year to you too !

[JJJoseph]

As from the moment I got the scooter I have always had a hard time with cold starts and always have to feather the throttle in the process.

Small engines are always hard to start when cold.  It's always been thus since the beginning of time.  After a few minutes they warm up and run fine for the rest of the day.  Don't worry about it.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Now fellas ....ease up on the dealers....and a 250 is not a small engine in the scooter world. Bazillions of us in the below-300cc scooter world are enjoying easy start EFI engines all over this planet. Talk to any LIKE200I owner about how their scooter leaps to life on a frigid day! My smaller Piaggio EFI'd engine does the same.
This 250i Kymco engine needs sorting by the dealer. Kymco engine issues are so rare the solution doesn't always leap to mind.
Just my take....
Stig

[YUL713]

Time for an update!

Tried the initialising procedure. It helps on the first start but then once the scooter has been put aside for a while the problem comes back again... strange!

Will definitely talk to the mechanics about the valve clearance and will let you know. Sorry for the (maybe stupid) question but how does a valve clearance issue affect the engine startup only when cold?

Thanks

Yannick