How To Get A Non-Running Scooter to Dealership

[Kansas kymco]

They see non-Japanese scooters as internet junk - $800 delivered to your driveway in a box from china.
Stig

Stig I don't want anyone that ignorant working on my scooters or motorcycles.  I carry tow insurance in case I would break down away from town that covers any vehicles I drive.

I would suggest the OP purchase  tow insurance as well.

[Togger]

They see non-Japanese scooters as internet junk - $800 delivered to your driveway in a box from china.
Stig

What about Piaggio or other Italian makes? Are they junk to mechanics, too?

[Ruffus]

I would say the best scooter (through all brands) to me is the PAYED scooter, the one I can afford to tinker with. If something brakes, I'm able to buy spareparts (new or used) without breaking the bank.
All brands have their flaws.
Newer, bigger KYMCOs in unskilled hands (mechanics) are nearly as bad as  PIAGGIOs or MOTO GUZZIs were in the 70ies.
Of what help is it, if a so called brand dealer has a diagnostic tool in hands of an uninterested technician, whom I would not bother to call mechanic.
Just two examples:
1.) went to buy a belt for a LIKE 200i, here to a local brand dealer.
Guy got me a 6 year old belt for €52,- I refused.
I gave it back and the boss there told me seriousely, "..you know what, with belts is it like with good wine, they getting better by age".

2.) Went to s scooter workshop who does all brands to mount a new tire on a LIKEs rear rim. Brought the tire with me.
During mounting I asked the guy what for this red and yellow spots on this new tire are?
Answer: " ..this spots shows us for what speed range this tire is supposed to be".

And by chance he got it nearly to the lightest point close to the valve, so I didn't dig further.

These mechanics I should trust with my life and money spent for use- and mindless work ,  haa.

[randyo]

one of the reasons I have AAA RV option

[Tom Moy]

No problem in Canada as I am a member of CAA (American Automobile Association) with coverage of my Maxi scooter and Sidecar. I have had them tow my rrig to the dealer several times over the years. I am allowed 4 tows a year of up to 200 Km.
Thus I have never had a problem getting my bike towed to my dealer who is about 40 miles distance from my residence.
You should check with your local AAA to see if they have a similar program coverage.

Tom Moy from Ontario Canada

[randyo]

if you don't have AAA, maybe you know someone with AAA that is willing to call in the tow, I used AAA several times  , friends called in the tow for me, before I saw the advantage and subscribed to AAA myself, since, I have only used it once

[Kansas kymco]

if you don't have AAA, maybe you know someone with AAA that is willing to call in the tow, I used AAA several times  , friends called in the tow for me, before I saw the advantage and subscribed to AAA myself, since, I have only used it once

I use Good Sam ERS and have for many years,  have the Platinum plan that covers in vehicle I drive.  I'm extremely fortunate  that I've never had to use it in over a decade  despite driving old relics.

[melamap]

Hi Togger, I had the same problem to solve back in July 2021. Regular vehicle towing companies wanted at least $150 to tow 35- 40 miles one way. I then called a nearby Motorcycle Towing business that quoted about the same price or $0 if I had AAA motorcycle coverage.  Wow, so I purchased annual AAA motorcycle coverage for about $100 and within a week my 2013 Kymco Like 200i was towed to Powersports of Vallejo, CA a Kymco dealer and repair shop to replace a starter clutch. Replacing the starter clutch revealed a broken stator.  To date, getting my scooter towed has been the easiest part of the effort to get my scooter running.. 

It hasn’t been operational since November 2020, and is still at the repair shop awaiting the arrival of a stator.  Waited months for stator shipment to be unloaded from one of the hundreds of offshore container ships. Then sometime in early September Kymco USA received 30 stators. But then Kymco USA lost the dealers’ order. Then after the placement of a new order and (supposed) shipment to the repair shop, the stator is now considered lost in delivery to the dealer! Also, the Kymco dealer repair shop was never given tracking info on the delivery.

 I vacillate between feeling cursed and feeling optimistic that the universe is protecting me somehow. Sheesh. I hope your scooter repair experience is quicker and less frustrating than mine.

[JJJoseph]

Your dealership seems to be a little bit spoiled, being so picky.
Or is it a lack of confidence to their own capabilities?

Don't be quick to condemn!  This is SOP in North America.  The problem is that you need brand-specific diagnostic tools to service fuel-injected machines.  Kymco doesn't provide the tools to non-Kymco dealers or to owners. You have to trailer/tow your machine to a dealer.  You can't rent a trailer for your Kia since your Kia is not certified to pull a trailer, and U-Haul for example, won't rent a trailer to you for that reason.

FWIW, this is the main reason I won't buy a fuel-injected Kymco.  A carbureted scooter can be serviced independently, but a fuel-injected machine has to go to a dealer.

[Togger]

Don't be quick to condemn!  This is SOP in North America.  The problem is that you need brand-specific diagnostic tools to service fuel-injected machines.  Kymco doesn't provide the tools to non-Kymco dealers or to owners. You have to trailer/tow your machine to a dealer.  You can't rent a trailer for your Kia since your Kia is not certified to pull a trailer, and U-Haul for example, won't rent a trailer to you for that reason.

FWIW, this is the main reason I won't buy a fuel-injected Kymco.  A carbureted scooter can be serviced independently, but a fuel-injected machine has to go to a dealer.

That's not my experience. I have a carbureted Kymco and no one will touch it. I even offered to remove my carb from my scooter and bring it into a Vespa dealer and they won't go for it. I wonder if I took it to them and told them it was from a Vespa or Piaggio. Would they work on it then?

[JJJoseph]

That's not my experience. I have a carbureted Kymco and no one will touch it. I even offered to remove my carb from my scooter and bring it into a Vespa dealer and they won't go for it. I wonder if I took it to them and told them it was from a Vespa or Piaggio. Would they work on it then?

No, your Kymco has a "Kymco" brand carburetor (see attached photo), not a "Vespa" carb.  And, yes, a Vespa/Piaggio  dealer won't service a Kymco carburetor.  You can also take the carb off yourself and take it to a Kymco dealer.  Or you can look for a local multi-brand motorcycle repair shop that services any and all "vintage" machines.  However, searching for parts takes time and costs money. It's often much cheaper - and easier - to buy a replacement carb online. I replaced the above Kymco carb with a Keihin carb from China for about $35 including shipping.

[Iahawk]

I will still suggest taking it apart and cleaning it yourself. what do you have to lose?

If you're not willing...can you take it to a small engine repair shop? An outdoor power equipment dealer? Cleaning carbs is not rocket science!

Assuming you aren't missing parts and don't have a torn diaphragm all you need to do is clean your main and slow jet and spray out all the passages you can find. even if you are missing parts you should be able to order OEM parts from a Kymco dealer.

Worst case is you do what JJJ suggested and buy a generic replacement from Amazon. I'd still open up and clean a cheap Chinese carb before I used it...but that's just me..

[Ruffus]

@JJJ, even if you have EFI, all data about failure codes are available. Just read the blibs out manually.
But for carbs, pls read
https://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=31762.0

[JJJoseph]

@JJJ, even if you have EFI, all data about failure codes are available. Just read the blibs out manually.

Ruffus, my thoughts exactly on the carb replacement. Works for me exactly as you say.  But there's thousands of codes on a modern F/I motorcycle. How do you read the diagnostic codes without a factory OBD connector, not to mention some kind of digital display? 

[souzamoto]

Don't be quick to condemn!  This is SOP in North America.  The problem is that you need brand-specific diagnostic tools to service fuel-injected machines.  Kymco doesn't provide the tools to non-Kymco dealers or to owners. You have to trailer/tow your machine to a dealer.  You can't rent a trailer for your Kia since your Kia is not certified to pull a trailer, and U-Haul for example, won't rent a trailer to you for that reason.

FWIW, this is the main reason I won't buy a fuel-injected Kymco.  A carbureted scooter can be serviced independently, but a fuel-injected machine has to go to a dealer.

Not true. Any customer can go to a Kymco dealer and order the diagnostic tool. 3620A-LEB2-E00. About $200.00 USD
CJS