I started to have a problem with my '06 Kymco xciting 250. As the weather warmed up I noticed it more. If my scooter got up to full running temperature, I'd start having sluggish performance. I'd pull the throttle and it would lunge forward, stop accelerating, and then pick back up again. Bumper to bumper was the worst. Eventually the scooter would die. I topped off my coolant hoping that would help but it didn't seem to matter. I could go to work and back not problem, but say after work I tried to go to a shop, in teh rush hour it would start acting up after I went a few more miles than usual.
One day it was dieing so bad it stalled and I could barely restart it. I was just trying to limp home but every stop sign was too much for the motor to handle. Once i stopped it would die.
I pulled over and checked my oil. It was not even on the dipstick and I was only 400 some miles from my last change which I know I did correctly. I let it cool all the way down and shook it a bit to get some oil on the stick to just make sure there was ANY oil in the pan. Once I saw there was a decent amount of oil, just a bit low for the stick, I let it cool, started it, limped it home and did an oil change again.
After the change it ran better, but not great.
I read the manual to make sure I wasn't missing something with the oil change. Is there a filter I don't change? No, just a screen and I know all about that. Wrong oil? Check online, checked with my shop. Nope, I'm using their #1 recommended oil.
Then with the new oil I eventually had a rickety ride again on a hot day. It didn't die but it was really annoying.
I read the manual again and found the suggestion for 91 octane or higher fuel. Really? That's all I'm doing wrong? Surely that can't be it.
I topped off with Shell V-power 93 and now it runs like a different machine. It's smooth instead of so vib-ey, it doens't hesitate once it's warmed up. Now I can ride any distance with no issues and no thick traffic or high outside temperature has any effect whereas I used to start having the issues the second I hit start and stop traffic and then the longer it lasted, the higher the chance that I'd stall.
In the winter any gas would do and I'd get 58-60 MPGs and no running issues. Now with 93 octane I get 65 MPG's without even paying attention to how I ride and some of that is 2-up riding on my little motor whereas with my first few tanks I never did 2-up.
I did the math and by PAYING MORE for gas per the gallon, but getting about 6 more MPGs', I'm SAVING 25 cents per 100 miles. ($6.59 per 100mi with 87 VS $6.34 per 100mi with 93).
I guess they know what they are talking about when they suggest a higher octane rating. I just put regular in the first time I filled up, didn't have any problems and never thought about it until my engine start to scream for help.
I don't know if the newer fuel injected ones or if other Kymco's at all require higher grade fuel, but the difference in perforamance is amazing for me. When I let off the throttle with regular gas I'd have a kind of intense 'pull back' like I was engine braking. Now Its not as abrupt and not bad at all. That's probably where the extra 6 mpgs came from, extra coasting.
Can't beleive another 30 cents per gallon was all I needed to 'fix' that problem, and further more, I can't beleive that paying 30 cents per gallon more than before is actually saving me a little money.. I just never had a motor before that seemed to tell the difference between any grade. This one sure does! Anybody else have an issue like this?
