Proud owner of 2012 DT300i

[Tundrite]

I am new to the forum and riding on two wheels. I love my Burnt Orange Maxi-Scoot, but have no idea how to take care of it, how to wash it, where to keep it. Any information, links for add-ons, how-tos are welcomed since this is a new world to me. If there are any Kymco riders in the NW Houston area please chime in.

[Cortez]

If you don't have a picture, you don't have a bike.
That simple.

Also, the answers re maintenance are to be found in your user's manual.
Hopefully.

[subwoffer]

I am new to the forum and riding on two wheels. I love my Burnt Orange Maxi-Scoot, but have no idea how to take care of it, how to wash it, where to keep it. Any information, links for add-ons, how-tos are welcomed since this is a new world to me. If there are any Kymco riders in the NW Houston area please chime in.

the replies to your questions can be written on infinite number of pages .
and lesson number 1 with new bike :

* how to wash scooter . ( google.com)
*where to keep scooter . ( google.com)
*how to's scooter (google.com)
and etc

[bdrannik]

Hello Tundrite,

Welcome to the forums..  The two replies to your first message here seemed somewhat, to put it a little bluntly, cold and unwelcoming <grin>.  I am quite new here myself - only a few weeks - and have discovered something on this site.  While there is often not a lot of tolerance for folks asking questions that have been answered many times before, or could have been very easily found with some searching, there is also a lot of good info to be found here.

Hopefully you will stick around and try to meet some of the other Kymco folks.  You will find that it is quite a diverse group with people posting from all around the world as you will notice many referencing their speed in kilometers per hour, measurements in metric units, etc.

I also ride a Downtown 300i myself, a 2011 in the Pearl White color.

A suggestion that I would make (to both you and others on the site) would be to put at least your geographical area and scooter model in your profile.  That way if you have a question folks can best answer it...  For example if someone has a question about the electrical system some of the wiring is different for the same scooter sold in the USA vs other areas of the world - such as we have the front turn signals in the mirrors instead of the headlight housing and they have ABS brakes and we do not.

Have a good day,

Brent

[Tundrite]

Thanks for the welcome,

Again, thanks for the heads up on searching, which I have done, but really have no luck on specific answers. I washed the bike down as I would my car, and it seems to be ok. I am storing it in my garage now that I cleared a spot for it. I still am searching for details on proper maintenance, and even though I have looked at the owners manual, there really isn't much information out there for novice owners. If there is a more US directed forum for Kymco owners please point me in the right direction, again my search skills must really suck since I haven't found much on the DT300.

I will work on getting all the details in my profile soon, but I now have a more pressing matter. I managed to somehow kill my battery and I am not sure how to recharge it. Can I give it a jump from a car or do I have to buy some sort of trickle charger?

[bdrannik]

I managed to somehow kill my battery and I am not sure how to recharge it. Can I give it a jump from a car or do I have to buy some sort of trickle charger?

Leaving the key left in the on position would obviously kill the battery but I'd take a guess that possibly the seat was not latched down tight.

If the "Met-In" indicator on the instrument cluster is lit it means that the seat is not latched tight and the light will be on inside the storage area which will eventually bring the battery down.   On my Downtown I sometimes have to close the seat somewhat firmly for it to latch tight.

Although you could technically jump start it with a car it would be quite hard on the charging system to bring it up from completely dead once you have disconnected the car from the battery.  It's designed more to replace what has been taken out during normal use.

I would buy a small cheap charger with a 2-amp setting and leave it for five to six hours.

Section 4 (Maintenance) in the owners manual starts on page 27 and covers:

-What parts to Clean, Replace, Adjust, and Lubricate and at what intervals.
-How to check the oil level.
-Recommended oil type.
-How to change the oil.
-Type of transmission fluid.
-How to drain and change transmission fluid.
-How to change air filter.
-How to check for correct throttle free-play.
-Correct spark plug type.
-Correct spark plug gap.
-Location of cooling tank.
-How to check for correct coolant level.
-Side stand ignition interlock function check.
-How to check brake fluid level.
-Correct brake fluid type.
-How to adjust brake lever distance from handlebars.
-How to check brake pad wear.
-Fuse size ratings.
-Correct tire pressures solo and with passenger.
-Recommended method/products to clean windshield.

What maintenance did you need help with that is not covered in the manual?   I'll help you the best I can along with others I'm sure.

You will not find anything "Downtown specific" in regards to washing as there is really nothing any different about washing a Downtown versus any other scooter or motorcycle.  You don't spray with high pressure - use a light misting spray, stay away from electronics, don't spray into holes/gaps in the bodywork, etc.  Any info found with a Google search about how to wash a scooter or motorcycle will apply to the Downtown as well.

And lastly about your comment looking for sites with more "US directed forum" info I did a LOT of web searching before coming to this site and found it to be the best collection of Downtown knowledge, at least in the English language.

Have a good day,

Brent

[racewalker]

Thanks for the welcome,

I will work on getting all the details in my profile soon, but I now have a more pressing matter. I managed to somehow kill my battery and I am not sure how to recharge it. Can I give it a jump from a car or do I have to buy some sort of trickle charger?

You will need a 10 MM socket.You need to remove the seat (2 nuts hold the support and 2 hold the hinge for the seat. Next you need to remove the plastic under the seat, 2 nuts and 2 bolts on the bottom. after that you will see the battery box by the tail light.
I would pick up a battery tender while you have the system open and install the pigtail wire so you can charge the battery with out taking anything off in the future. Most bike shops sell them.
I will see if I can get you a couple of pictures on how to do it.

[bdrannik]

Thanks Racewalker for the additional info for him - I had to run for a bit and was in a hurry to get my reply sent before I had to go..

Not sure if he would need a battery tender unless up north and it sits for a long time in the cold - mine has sat for 7-8 weeks and always started fine.

[racewalker]

The idea behind it is to have the pig tail coming out by the shock or under the seat to hook up for charging. What if the seat doesn't latch again.

[bdrannik]

The idea behind it is to have the pig tail coming out by the shock or under the seat to hook up for charging. What if the seat doesn't latch again.

That's why you check the cluster after closing the seat to make sure the Met-In light is not on.. <grin> 
The Met-In indicator lights even if the key is turned off..

[Tundrite]

Photo, so it did happen.  
Also, I ended up replacing the battery with this one from O'reilly auto parts. Super Start - Power Sport AGM Battery
Part # ETZ10S. Live and learn I guess. I do think it was the seat not latched down all the way. I disconnected the storage light in case I don't latch it down correctly again, besides it doesn't seem to provide much light anyway.

[Cortez]

You gotta press on both sides of the seat, and you'll hear 2 clicks.
The indicator on the dash works for me, but if I were a woman, I'd probably disconnect the light too.
 

[Tundrite]

I am definitely Not a woman, but like I said, it provides no real benefit to me since the light is placed very low and not very bright. I have found that after removing the seat to change the battery, that it may have been out of alignment, since now it clicks evenly and unlocks easily.

Looking now for some cargo space, looking at the Givi boxes. Going to the dealer Friday to lay hands on them.

[Vivo]

Nice picture sir! By the way, were you on top of something while taking the picture?

Is the storage light LED? You can use super bright LEDs instead. Gives you brighter light when needed. And besides, it consumes very very small amount of power. It will take a long time before your battery gets drained.

[Cortez]

I am definitely Not a woman, but like I said, it provides no real benefit to me since the light is placed very low and not very bright. I have found that after removing the seat to change the battery, that it may have been out of alignment, since now it clicks evenly and unlocks easily.

Adjustment of the seat latching mechanism is one of the checkpoints for every regular maintenance checkpoint.
So it IS something that will (with time) need to be adjusted to work properly.

The light in the seat may save you some trouble, but I wouldn't walk away if the dash had the red met in box indicator
showing that the seat is partially (or fully) open. It's just wrong. Givi? Nah, overpriced. Check Kappa and SHAD.