Grand vista 250 slow as a pig

[GoVanGo]

So new to me 2004 GV 250 ,  did carb clean , new oil , new spark plug , new battery.drained gas tank.
Has 7000 miles , sat for last 1.5 years said the seller.

So I fire it up thing wont go over 57 mph.   My 125 Agility hits 54, so somethings wrong.
Also never rode a GV before but front end feels really sluggish, heavy is this normal for this scoot?
yes tire pressure is checked.   Dont notice any bearing issues , just feels heavy but then again
Im used to my 50 and 125.

Last thing , exhaust is shot and looking inside the baffle seems to be not centered.   And its loud really really loud.   I have a new exhaust coming and will have to weld it on with adaptors since its not OEM or direct fit .    Or maybe I open up the can and do a refill myself not sure yet.
But could the lack of some back pressure be enough to slow this thing down to under 60 mph?

[Ruffus]

Welcome!
First I would check gas cable for slack.
Then air induct off and have a run without.
Fuelfilter needs to be cleaned or new too.
Fuelpump and vacuum lines okay?
A look at my CVT and belt would be the next step.

For the front wheel: try a little bit.more pressure, about 3 bar, the have a ride, improved?
If not, most probably wheel bearings or upper central nut too loose.
Maybe give us a feedback to learn.

[GoVanGo]

Welcome!
First I would check gas cable for slack.
Then air induct off and have a run without.
Fuelfilter needs to be cleaned or new too.
Fuelpump and vacuum lines okay?
A look at my CVT and belt would be the next step.

For the front wheel: try a little bit.more pressure, about 3 bar, the have a ride, improved?
If not, most probably wheel bearings or upper central nut too loose.
Maybe give us a feedback to learn.

Sat will get new fuel filter,  pump is fine .    Forgot to mention checked belt still in good shape , actually was surprised by the lack of black dust in there.

I rechecked carb again today , no change but did up fuel mix screw a bit. 
So Im thinking fuel filter because it needs it anyway and maybe take the CDI off my Agility 125 and try it on this.    I know the 125 is AC CDI , not sure yet on the GV 250 but assuming its also AC.

[Ruffus]

Lack of dust within CVT housing is suspicious!
There might have been somebody in it, changed belt, rollers but wrong ones, messed with the clutch, etc.
Would be worth to check.

[GoVanGo]

Lack of dust within CVT housing is suspicious!
There might have been somebody in it, changed belt, rollers but wrong ones, messed with the clutch, etc.
Would be worth to check.

 
Ya it did seem odd . Fuel filter or pump was not an issue .  Didnt want to risk trying my 125 CDI on it so didnt go there.    This thing also has charging issues on top of all this so Im able to get my money back from the seller which is what I'm going do .   Hard pass at this point.
Thanks for input.

[stuo]

Greetings, Mr.Vango,

I hope you solve the problem(s) with your GV because I find the GV250 the perfect all around bike. Mine top out at 75 mph and are light enough for my 86 year old back to easily push around. I also like the retractable mirrors that allow me to squeeze through traffic in California, which is legal here. Mine have 12K and 22K miles on them and don't show any signs of old age yet. I didn't see black belt dust when I changed the belts and rollers, so perhaps the venting is good and this is normal for this model? I, too, had to replace the muffler on one of mine (the baffles were rattling around inside) but it didn't make any difference to the performance, and very little to the loudness. My GV's have a slightly loud bark even with good mufflers. I removed the lumbar supports, added a loud horn and a rear box, otherwise they are stock.

In addition to Ruffus's comprehensive list of possible solutions I would ask the seller if the bike had this lack of performance before it was parked and if not, assuming he's honest, then I'd look to all things fuel related. The three carbureted bikes I've rehabilitated after sitting more than a few months all had major fuel issues: rusty tank, clogged filter, gummed up carbs. I've had to re-clean a gummed up carb after failing on the first attempt. Did you soak it in carb cleaner overnight? Use high pressure air on passage ways? That varnish is tough to remove.

Good luck. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Stu

[GoVanGo]

Greetings, Mr.Vango,

I hope you solve the problem(s) with your GV because I find the GV250 the perfect all around bike. Mine top out at 75 mph and are light enough for my 86 year old back to easily push around. I also like the retractable mirrors that allow me to squeeze through traffic in California, which is legal here. Mine have 12K and 22K miles on them and don't show any signs of old age yet. I didn't see black belt dust when I changed the belts and rollers, so perhaps the venting is good and this is normal for this model? I, too, had to replace the muffler on one of mine (the baffles were rattling around inside) but it didn't make any difference to the performance, and very little to the loudness. My GV's have a slightly loud bark even with good mufflers. I removed the lumbar supports, added a loud horn and a rear box, otherwise they are stock.

In addition to Ruffus's comprehensive list of possible solutions I would ask the seller if the bike had this lack of performance before it was parked and if not, assuming he's honest, then I'd look to all things fuel related. The three carbureted bikes I've rehabilitated after sitting more than a few months all had major fuel issues: rusty tank, clogged filter, gummed up carbs. I've had to re-clean a gummed up carb after failing on the first attempt. Did you soak it in carb cleaner overnight? Use high pressure air on passage ways? That varnish is tough to remove.

Good luck. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Stu

  Hey stu,  nice that  you got 2 that work for you.   I'm in SF bay area how about you?
I sold this back to the guy , he got it from a auto auction so prior condition is unknown.   Turns out
it also was going to have near $1000.00 in back fees which also didnt add to my excitement to keeping this lol.     Anyhow I did 2 carb cleans , second one was very detailed,  tank was fine , air filter was fine , fuel filter and pump were fine .    Just ran like a slow pig like I said.  Very boat like and took forever to hit near 57 on a flat .   Ya it was puzzling but since sold back Im on to looking at other scoots.
I need a 250 something .   Looking at 2022 Burgman 200 , also looking at the BVs or even Kymco People.

[stuo]

Hey Van,

I'm in Seal Beach, next to Long Beach. I think you did good to get your money back. Could that pig of a bike have a burned out engine?

I had a Burgman 650 and it was a fine machine. Interestingly, that bike had retractable mirrors, too. It was too heavy for my bad back so I reluctantly sold it and got a Kymco Downtown 300i, which was OK when it ran but would die for no apparent reason, then start after a short wait. That scared me back to carbureted bikes because EFI is a mystery to me...hell, I learned to wrench on Model A Fords and repaired TV's when they had vacuum tubes. This newfangled high tech world is beyond my understanding.

Best wishes in your search for a new ride. All I know is...don't buy a Chinese bike, but you probably knew that already. Also, some so-called 200's are actually 160's. They love to round up, never down.The GV250 is 249cc's, which is forgivable. 

[GoVanGo]

Hey Van,

I'm in Seal Beach, next to Long Beach. I think you did good to get your money back. Could that pig of a bike have a burned out engine?

I had a Burgman 650 and it was a fine machine. Interestingly, that bike had retractable mirrors, too. It was too heavy for my bad back so I reluctantly sold it and got a Kymco Downtown 300i, which was OK when it ran but would die for no apparent reason, then start after a short wait. That scared me back to carbureted bikes because EFI is a mystery to me...hell, I learned to wrench on Model A Fords and repaired TV's when they had vacuum tubes. This newfangled high tech world is beyond my understanding.

Best wishes in your search for a new ride. All I know is...don't buy a Chinese bike, but you probably knew that already. Also, some so-called 200's are actually 160's. They love to round up, never down.The GV250 is 249cc's, which is forgivable.

I ended up buying a 2022 Burgman 200 , also goes 75 and not too bad on the weight.
I sat on a Burgman 400 and ya much heavier.   Sat on a BMW 650 and forget about it lol.