Kymco Like 200i Power loss

[marcohildebrandt]

Would like some advice on power loss issue. Kymco Like 200i 163cc fuel injected model purchased new 2015 in Australia. It now has 9300km on clock (January 2020) with one drive belt change at 8000km. Scheduled services by Kymco authorised dealer I purchased from on Gold Coast.

From new I could sit at 90-100km/h and stay ahead of cars from lights. Around 8000km started to have issues with loss of power. About same time had issues with drive belt slippage and replaced by Kymco authorised dealer I purchased from. He though power issue related to drive belt and to wait for new one to wear in.

Drive belt has worn in but still have issues with power loss. Dealer can't find any issues. Symptoms; power ok until throttle reaches around 60-70% travel, any further and I lose power. Top speed now only 70-80km/h if I am lucky on a straight flat section of road. Also sometimes more so in winter, after starting and first time accelerating the motor stutters. If you release throttle and accelerate and repeat a few times it clears. (winter in Brisbane is not that cold, around 10-15 degrees Celsius min temps at night).

I have done the usual, checked for kinked fuel lines, changed spark plug myself and oil. All cables/electrics look secure. Always use premium 98 octane fuel and good quality oil and standard spark plug as per user manual. Only thing I found was a battery with fluid level at about half way and white powder on top of lead plates. After topping up and charge voltage OK and keeping charge OK.

I would appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance, Marco

[Stig / Major Tom]

Good morning Marco, and welcome to the forum.
Greetings from a fellow LIKE200I owner - have the valves been checked in your routine servicing?
Although, with the stumble and loss of top end - sounds like it might be a fueling problem, (ecu/throttle body , fuel pump, injector)
But certainly valves need to be removed from the equation.
Are you getting any blinks from self diag codes with key on?
I'll do more reading and report back.
We'll get it sorted!
Stig

[Stig / Major Tom]

Ok, couple of easy things to rule out:
Valves adjusted?
Air filter clean? (this scoot keeps them very clean - but don't know your riding conditions )
Fuel cap vent hole clogged?

Does your dealer have Kymco diagnostic tool?
This tool can diagnose faulty timing...which is not adjustable. ...requires new/used  ECU.

Stig

[Stig / Major Tom]

What would you think about replacing that 5yr old battery. EFI scoots like a healthy battery.
Stig

[DanH]

I am an owner of a Like 200i in the US (San Diego). I bought the service manual from Amazon (10 US) and will look for things that might help. The first one that caught my eye is an engine compression test. Here's a snippet from the manual:

[DanH]

Here's a snippet from the manual for potential causes of a poorly running engine:

[marcohildebrandt]

Thank you everyone for your advice🙂 , I will go armed with it back to the dealer.
Stig, no blinks from light.

I'm a nurse and can fix people but motors are a bit beyond me😖😜
I will replace the battery as per your (Stig's) comment, makes sense and check vent hole, guess a blocked life support ventilator tube would have the same effect on a patient 😜

[DanH]

Good luck, Marco. On a personal note, the brush fires in Australia are getting a lot of play on US news and social madia. I hope you and your family are all clear. If your dealer fixes the problem, I hope you report the results here.

[marcohildebrandt]

Thank you DanH, we are ok now near Brisbane the fires went through us in September and November, never seen anything like it in my life.
I will definitely post the solution, the least I can do in return for your support

[Stig / Major Tom]

Yes, really sad business about the fires. The people,  their homes and those helpless animals.

Stig

[marcohildebrandt]

Update:
 checked fuel cap breather hole was ok
Replaced battery, some improvement, can now do 80-90km/h (50-56 miles/h) but still have intermittent power loss especially at higher speeds and up hills, so will have other items looked at by dealer that were recommended here.

Thank you so much everyone’s help

[MJR]

I'd suspect a partially blocked exhaust/muffler. Had a Xciting for someone and I experienced a loss of power. The dealer started with the drive belt and CVT parts also the finally replaced the muffler due to a broken baffle inside. I'm not sure if it fixed the problem as it doesn't have current registration so I can't ride it to see.

[marcohildebrandt]

Hi MJR
My exhaust is more noisy since the loss of power but the dealer didn't think it was an issue at the time, a genuine exhaust is around $AU2000 or $AU300 plus on ebay non standard. Thank for your advice, will have the fuel system and valves checked and if not resolved then head down the exhaust path

[CROSSBOLT]

Update:
 checked fuel cap breather hole was ok
Replaced battery, some improvement, can now do 80-90km/h (50-56 miles/h) but still have intermittent power loss especially at higher speeds and up hills, so will have other items looked at by dealer that were recommended here.

Thank you so much everyone’s help

Meaning the "breather hole" visible when you remove the cap? That hole leads to the vacuum operated vent valve that sticks shut and causes problems like you describe. That "breather hole" is about 1/8 inch in diameter, right?

[JJJoseph]

This is a common problem with Kymco 200i (fuel injected) scooters.  You can read about many of them here on KymcoForum. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do since the problem can't be diagnosed.  It's kind of sad to read all the desperate suggestions like valve clearance adjustments, plugged exhaust, or blocked breather caps.  This is a chronic Kymco failing.  There is no support for Kymco F/I scooters from the factory or distributor. There's nothing that can be done except to scrap the machine and buy a different make that is supported by dealer diagnostics. I've heard that the basic engine is quite excellent and can be sold to Honda Ruckus drivers who then convert the engine to a carbureted version.  The rest of the Kymco can usually be sold for scrap.  It might be useful to hear from Kymco owners who have managed to convert their 200i machines to carbureted models, which would solve the problem completely.