Kymco 200i 2018 Stalling Mid-Ride

[brooklyn435]

Looking for some advice/insight:

I'm a daily commuter from Brooklyn to Manhattan over the past few years, and make a 20 mile round trip currently every day. I have had a very rare occurrence, one of which happened this morning, and am looking for insight. An identical event has occurred with my engine dying and needing to be restarted mid-ride and it's happening on the highway as well which makes it much less exciting. This has only happened a couple of time, but I'm hoping to resolve so I don't have to deal with it.

Scooter Stats:

2018 Kymco Like 200i

ODO: 3,100 Miles

Engine/Trans Specs: 4 Stroke Single Cylinder 163cc, Fuel Injected with CVT Transmission



Event:

Has happened a few times to me over past year, always in the morning, always about 2 miles into my ride, and in the same spot on the highway.

-Leave House, Travel 0.5 miles to Highway at about 15-20mph in no traffic.

-Merge onto highway, full throttle up to 45-50mph for about 1 mile with light traffic.

-Hit bumper to bumper traffic merging onto main highway into city, and get into a stop/start varying traffic situation (typical Brooklyn rush hour traffic). I am probably going between 0-15mph and constant start / stop.

-As I am coasting along in this start/stop traffic at 5mph without any throttle whatsoever, the engine dies out. The first time this happened, I was a little concerned getting the scooter to turn back over and start, but in subsequent times I just need to hit the starter and the engine will start back up within about 5-10 seconds of realizing engine died out.

-Both times I resume my ride, and finish out the remaining 8 miles at a steady 20-55mph mixed highway/city with a few stops.

The engine never dies out like this in any other circumstance, and it's such a rare event that it's hard to pin down. Looking for some insight from you all, and would love to avoid this happening at a time when I need my engine on the highway.


Would love your advice.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Does the idle seem a little low, at times?

It seems too soon to need a valve adjustment.....not old enough for a rotting in-tank fuel line...….

I would purchase and install an NGK Iridium spark plug. About $8 from autoparts stores - may have to order it. They can get them overnight.
The idle speed cannot be adjusted - but this helped....I installed the Iridium plug and it raised my idle to a comforting tick-over while sitting in heavy traffic.
NGK CR7-HIX

The other two thoughts are fuel, and battery.
I use premium Shell, and EFI scoots like ours like a good healthy battery....with clean and snug terminal connections.

This issue must make for a very nervous ride in NYC !!

Keep us posted!

Stig

[brooklyn435]

Thanks Stig, I may try the new Spark Plug. Did it come pre-gapped?

Also, I read elsewhere on these forums about overfilling gas tank. I did fill up last night prior to my ride this morning, could it possibly be related?

[CROSSBOLT]

It may be a sticking fuel vent valve. Pop the gas cap off the next time it happens.

[Neil955i]

It may be a sticking fuel vent valve. Pop the gas cap off the next time it happens.

Never happened with my scooters, but that happened more than once on my old Triumph T595.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Stig / Major Tom]

Thanks Stig, I may try the new Spark Plug. Did it come pre-gapped?

Also, I read elsewhere on these forums about overfilling gas tank. I did fill up last night prior to my ride this morning, could it possibly be related?

Yes, Iridium plugs are pre-gapped - do not gap them.

If you've overfilled the tank the venting system may be flooded and not properly venting. After a run try cracking the gas cap open and listen for air being sucked into the tank. Obviously this experiment is going to be impossible with NYC gridlocked all around you.
There are two hoses up there by the neck of the tank. One is the overflow hose attached to a cup around the neck....it drains spilled gas out below the scooter.
The other is a vent hose, attached directly to neck of tank....it has a charcoal canister, some one-way valves and a 1/4 mile of mystery hoses. If you think you are experiencing vacuum locked fuel flow (from the in-tank fuel pump), I'd remove that hose from the neck of the tank....keep fuel level well below that open hole in the neck and see if an intermittent fuel starvation problem is solved.

If so, consider drilling tiny hole in the gas cap, or looking at the cap's gasket to see if there is a blockage there, or exploring the one-way valve in the vent line to see if you can dry it or get it working again when you suck or blow in it.

The tank atmosphere has to be able to inhale and exhale (from heat). we think.....

Stig

[fishcutter44]

Could the spark plug cap or the ground wire connection be an issue here? Seems to happen when the engine warms up.