People 250 stalling

[jimk]

I've had a new-to-me 2007 People 250 for a few months now and finally getting some riding in. Last week I started having a little trouble starting it, the battery ran down, and I ended up buying a new battery (The original one made it 4 years). It starts now, but takes a little more coaxing with the throttle. But the past few days. I've had it stall out on me when slowing for stop signs or if I'm just sitting idling. It's pretty hot now, almost 90. Is that an issue. Or might I need a tune-up? It has 8,000 kms on it and the previous owner said he didn't have it tuned up last summer. It also looks like the "service'' indicator on the dash is red. Not sure what that means.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm just trying to get used to the bike and don't want to get stranded anywhere.

Thanks!

Jim

[jprestonian]

The service indicator is a mechanical reminder to change your oil. It rolls over every 2000km until reset (you reset it by pushing the ignition key into the slot on the backside of the headset). If you don't know much about the service history of the bike, go ahead and also change your gear oil, as well. Both are easily done at home with a few basic tools.

The stalling may be vapor lock. Try riding with the gas cap open, and see if the problem goes away. If so, you'll need to clean the vent on the gas cap. Otherwise, you might want to have a mechanic take a quick look at your carb, your fuel delivery system and filter and/or your air intake to determine the cause of the stalling.
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[jimk]

Thanks for the help. I just filled the tank today, but I'll check the cap. The former owner was a picky older gentleman who said he'd changed the oil just before putting it away last winter, so there's probably 100 miles on the oil. I don't recall the owner's manual being very helpful, but I'll look it over for the gear oil change instructions. I can call the dealer where the scoot was purchased and have them take a look ... but I bet they're pretty backed up with work right about now.

Thanks again. Is there a detailed service book on this that I can get my hands on?

[jimk]

It's not vapor lock anyway.

[jprestonian]

One doesn't know it isn't vapor lock until they try what I outlined, above (which happens to be the cheapest, easiest test one can do before taking other steps... and logic tells us that the simple, cheap stuff should come first on the troubleshooting list, does it not?).
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[jimk]

Of course you are right. I neglected to explain that I did as you suggested, started it and ran it with the gas cap open and it kept stalling. So I will call the mechanic today.

[jprestonian]

Aha!  That makes more sense.  :) 

Manual -- I think it's on scribd.com, and/or someone has posted a link to it here in this forum. If search doesn't yield either, PM or e-mail me and I'll try to get a copy to you.
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[jimk]

Found it, thanks. So is it as easy as this (from the manual)?

Lift up the seat and remove the inspection cover. Warm up the engine before this operation. Start the engine and connect a tachometer. Turn the throttle stop screw to obtain the specified idle speed. Idle Speed:1700±100rpm When the engine misses or run erratic, adjust the pilot screw.

I don't have a tach, but can I just adjust the pilot screw to raise the idle? Can't hurt anything, can it? I have an appt. to talk it to the Kymco mechanic a week from today, but if I can adjust myself ... They said it could very well just need an adjustment because of high humidity that came on recently.

[jprestonian]

Yes; if you only need to raise the idle, just loosen the screw that holds the plate into the bottom of the seat bucket, flip it back, and grab the thumbwheel and (while engine is running), crank it a little bit clockwise. Of course you don't need a tach, but resist the urge to set the idle too high. When the engine's warmed up, you don't want the back wheel to turn at idle; that'd be too high, but stalling or running rough would be too low, of course.

If you can't get a happy medium there, you might ask a mechanic to look for other issues.
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[jimk]

You are very helpful. I'll try that tonight and see if I can fix the issue myself. I'd hate to be off the road for a whole week. Thanks again. I sure appreciate it.

[TechGuy]

I would check your vacuum hoses.  You can easily check them if you take out the seat bucket. I know I have pinched them by over filling the bucket and then sitting on it.  The seat bucket removal is simple... remove the two nuts behind the battery box at back edge and then the two bolts in the from edge of lower section of the bucket





The "tee" at the front of the underseat area is where my hoses have been pinched twice. It would stall at every light and it stumbled at idle, it it idled at all.

[jprestonian]

That happened to me once, after a visit to the shop. The vacuum lines are supposed to be routed up underneath the frame where it is flattened out to keep them from being pinched between the seat bucket and the frame. Dang ol' sloppy mechanics. ;)
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