It's Alive
Posted by Jim Zeiser on Friday, November 19, 2010
Last time I wrote about the acquisition of a pair of scooters, the Lance and the Honda. I'm happy to report that the Honda 250 is now running and I've even ridden it for about ten miles or so and it appears to be well on its way to recovery. It didn't start out looking so rosy. When I first started playing with it I hit a little roadblock. Somewhere in the starter button circuit something is amiss and the only way to start it is to jump the heavy cables at the starter solenoid. It appears that power isn't coming through the start button to the solenoid and I have to figure out where the break is or if another relay isn't working in the circuit.
I can get it to start but the first few times it ran for only a brief while and then died out. I'm guessing that there is/was crud in the carburetor or fuel line and it would gum up and starve out. I put fuel system cleaner in the tank and it appears to have worked as I'm able to run it as long as I wish and it doesn't starve out anymore. The more egregious problems came to light when I drained the rear gear and engine oil. Ever see an engine that spent time under water? This one must have. The rear gear oil came out muddy brown from rust and the engine oil contained grains of iron rust. It's actually a miracle it runs at all given the way it seems to be the victim of a flood or hurricane damage. I'm not a fan of Hondas but I've got to give it to them, this scooter is one tough critter.
In the meantime, I occasionally start the Lance and have plans to improve its condition further. It's too new, and only has about 950 miles, to let it stay running as strangely as it does.
I can get it to start but the first few times it ran for only a brief while and then died out. I'm guessing that there is/was crud in the carburetor or fuel line and it would gum up and starve out. I put fuel system cleaner in the tank and it appears to have worked as I'm able to run it as long as I wish and it doesn't starve out anymore. The more egregious problems came to light when I drained the rear gear and engine oil. Ever see an engine that spent time under water? This one must have. The rear gear oil came out muddy brown from rust and the engine oil contained grains of iron rust. It's actually a miracle it runs at all given the way it seems to be the victim of a flood or hurricane damage. I'm not a fan of Hondas but I've got to give it to them, this scooter is one tough critter.
In the meantime, I occasionally start the Lance and have plans to improve its condition further. It's too new, and only has about 950 miles, to let it stay running as strangely as it does.
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