I scooped up a 2008 People 50 2T for $400 a month ago. It had about 1000 Klm on her but wasn't running. So before the owner had time to cool off on the sale I worked feverishly to get the machine to turn over and out the door. That's when my journey began.
Day One,
11:30pm: Battery Dead. Connected the starter right to sellers' roommates' car battery and cranked. No fire. Pulled the airbox and choked the hell out of the carb with my hand thereby soaking it with gas...sh** flooded.
12am: Almost a constant wirr of the Starter motor now. Seller tells me make it quick the roommates coming home. Spark? Pulled the seat and lo, CDI cable is broken? Well it goes to the plug anyway and it's broken I am f***ed.
12:30am: Roommates home and need a quick fix fast. I find a 2" wood screw in my tool bag cut the head off and twist those threads down the center of the CDI cable on both ends, shove it back on the plug, pinch the business end of the plug, crank and viola! It shocked the hell out of me.
Great news. I twisted the plug back in place (which incidentally has a stripped top that I cant get out of the boot) and gave the 50 one last crank. Fire.
1am: The people is running but I'm screwed for gas. I cant turn it off because the batteries dead (though the jump helped) and the compartments are all wide open. Damn. First things first, gasoline. I jump on the 50 and start off the the station that is thankfully 4 blocks away. Now, as I accelerated, the 50 started to really bog down. Oh sh**, don't die in this neighborhood my mind pounded. I just tickled throttle and thankfully made it to give her 1 gallon of premium. That will help right? Nope. The 50 is bogging down every time I lay into the throttle. This ride home is going to really suck, I thought. In my frustration I gave the bike a once over and realized I had made Ia slight error. No airbox. Luckly, my hand was enough to get back to the sellers house where a little ring at the door at 1:30am was enough to get into the garage to grab up the rest of the parts I neglected to install. Airbox, tools, and pride in tow I popped my Kymco cherry with a terrific ride home. Turns out this baby's already deregulated and the seller through in a helmet!
Day 8;
I am putting on the miles and putting off repairing my jankey fix of a week ago with no issue. Time for the long ride, 40 miles with an hour break in the middle. Everything's going smooth for me, these bikes are fun as hell! Then I notice something. From stop to full throttle the bike gives me a strange vibration for a couple of seconds before smoothing out to full speed. I am still accelerating but it seems like the start of a bigger issue, impossible to ignore.
Day 13;
I ignore the vibration and notice I've sank almost a whole quart of oil into her since the fill on the long ride. Damn that went fast. Stop at autozone on the way home and find a 2t oil that says its safe for oil fed bikes. Cool, I think. Helluva lot cheaper than the dealer. Hope it works out.
As a side note; the dealer in which this bike had been procured from has record of this machine being totaled. I mean absolutely f***ed. New fork, tires, plastic, rotors, some thieves had the ultimate joyride and beat the living hell out of it. Insurance paid nearly a grand to get it in the shape I found it.
Day 15;
Commuting on the Scoot durring a hot day with the Autozone oil. Still have the vibration but speeds are fine. Gets me to work fine, dies in front of my house. Bless you Kymco for building scooters that die in front of my house as soon as I let off the throttle. sh**. No time to troubleshoot, leaving town in an hour.
Day 23;
Back home and need to scoot. I pull the airbox and notice the grey Autozone oil on the back of my carb. Maybe that's normal. I clean the carb really well, lose a screw for this strange electronic piece that bolts onto it (electric choke?). One will suffice right?? I kiss on the gas line to be sure I have no fuel blockage, the gas flavor says all systems go, and it fires right up! Great acceleration, the Kymco lives!
Day 24;
The ride into work is fantastic. I have the strange vibration still but it runs man! But wait...what the hell. As I get into the higher speeds 45mph-50mph I get this "ting, ting ting" sound in my exhaust. (combustion in my exhaust pipe?) It goes away as I slow and comes right back when I am cruising at faster speeds. Sonova bitch.
So here I am. Sorry it took so long. What the hell should I do.
Problem 1 - Does the vibration on acceleration sound like the beginning of the end?
Problem 2 - Is ting ting exhaust sounds from my first carb job?
Problem 3 - Has the deregulation of the exhaust but higher end stress on the motor?
Problem 4 - Anybody have a service manual for this ride?
Problem 5 - I obviously need parts. Know of any cheap outlets?
Also, if I went the 72cc route, would it shorten the lifespan of the People 50 or would the machine so awesome I would be able to chew up any hill I wanted? Know of any good kits?
Thanks!
