I have ’09 Kymco Sting 50, The guy I bought it from admittedly stored it over the winter and didn’t drive it much before that(160 miles total).
So I feel safe to assume;
Battery was left in over the winter
Gas tank was never drained
Last time I drove it and attempted to start it the Oil light comes of But the electric starter fails, oil light goes off. It kick starts just fine though.
Until I can narrow down the issue how long is safe to continue to use the kick start?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d drain the gas tank, replace the battery and service the engine (new oil, oil filter, air filter, sparkplug and clean the carb). That way, you know that the correct procedures have been done and you know that there is the correct amount of oil in the engine
In addition, it may also be worth checking the tyres for damage/age/wear, the braking system so that they aren’t seized and work correctly and check the drivebelt for age/wear
Doing all of the above will make your scooter be in tip-top mechanical condition and will go a long way to making it provide you a reliable service. Plus, it’s always good to service a bike if it’s been stored before you got it, to be honest.
And to answer your other question. If you’re confident that you’ve serviced it correctly and replenished the fluids correctly, then using the kick start wont damage the bike. You could use it for years and years and it wont cause any damage. I suppose in the most extreme of cases the starter motor may seize from not being used, but that’s unlikely to happen. But, if it’s got an electric start optuion, then why not use it all the time?
–Mikey B–
Kick it all the way to the curb and let the garbage collector take it.
Kick starting was THE way to start before electrics. YOU will give out before you do any damage.
Remove batt and look at the sides, if you can see fluffy “SNOW” the battery is sulfated and needs replacing