How to start scooter after long time?

Scooter repair guidebook

Engines will not start easily after sitting idle for a long time. It will be worse if it was not properly stored.

So following are some Step by step cleaning & inspecting processes for starting a motor scooter or bike after sitting idle for a long time. This is applicable for both 2stroke and 4 stroke engines.

Doing it step by step in the following way, will ensure a smooth starting & avoid problems getting worse.

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1) Put scooter on its center stand.

This will help you in easily accessing different parts of the scooter, cleaning & kick start.

2) Fill air in both tires.

While this is not that important step in getting the engine started, It is good to fill it with air before moving it around. You can find out if there is a puncher while doing other works.

3) Drain old fuel from fuel tank.

It is better to remove all existing fuel from the scooter before starting. This fuel can be used for other purposes. Also drain fuel from the lower part of carburetor by loosening its bottom valve.

4) Check air filter & intake tube for any small animal nest or dust.

When a vehicle is sitting idle for a long time, a few months or years, Many animals will find it as a comfortable place to set up their nest. In most cases, these animals will choose the air filter as their home.

If you try to start a scooter without cleaning this, it will get inside the engine. Here is how to clean/replace air filter.

So, inspect and clean air filter.

5) Recharge battery & check whether it is dead or not.

Some scooters will not start without a battery with enough power. If a battery was already in bad shape while storing the scooter, it should be recharged.

6) Check engine oil condition and level.

First, make sure the engine oil level is within the specified limit. Also, check the color of the oil & replace it if it is too dark in color.

7) Dry clean scooter with brushes, vacuum & air.

The scooter will accumulate a lot of dust if it was sitting for a while. Before using water to clean it, use a few brushes and clothes to dry clean it. You can also use a vacuum and air pressure to clean different parts of the vehicle.

8) Clean it with water.

After dry cleaning, wash it with soapy water. This will remove all dirt and oil.

9) Kick it without turning on ignition.

Before turning on the ignition, it is good to kick its pedal few times to create the vacuum. You can also feel the compression of the engine while doing this. Avoid this step if the kick starter is not present in the scooter.

10) Kick start the scooter with the key in turned on position.

Kick start or use the starter switch to start the scooter. Hopefully, it will start and your job is done. If scooter is not starting, You can do some troubleshooting like checking spark plug for spark & engine oil etc.