Modern Vespa

Hi all! Quick backstory--had an '04 ET4 for about a month now. It'd sat in a shed for about 10 years prior to me getting it. I bought it with 1760 miles on it, just rolled 2000 miles. Starting yesterday, it doesn't want to start after sitting for a while. Been flawless up til now, and will start right back up when it's warm after riding. But flat out hard to start and won't idle when the engine is cold.

Carb is definitely clean (by Vespa service folks).
Has a new battery.
Has a new CDI (only mentioning it since it's electrical, prolly has nothing to do with anything).
Spark plug is original, I've not pulled it today, but was good and clean when I bought it and I presume the Vespa service guys didn't leave me with any adjustments to cause it to foul.


My thought is to replace the spark plug and see if it helps anything. Ambient temps in southeast Texas are in the upper 70's/low 80's F this week, so not cold-weather related. I give it the requisite two twists on the throttle before starting after sitting. I've searched here and on the web, but don't find anything that seems to fit my situation, any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help!

Edit--thought I'd add that I work less than a minute from the house. Should I find the long way to/from work to give her time to warm up? I try to stretch it out as I'm able, but can definitely extend the commute if such a short ride isn't good for it!

Dave

As far as I know the ET4 has an auto-choke. There's a simple electrical test for that, though I don't have a quick link handy. I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader. Good luck!

Thank you! I dreamt of an FZ6 for years, but am quite happy to be on any PTW the wife will allow me to have...and a Vespa no less!

The plot thickens...whilst at the liquor store this evening the guy in front of me mentions that a particular fueling station in town has water in the tanks and is working furiously to swap it out. Confirmed that with a quick drive by observation. All pumps closed and two fuel trucks there...I omitted the part of the story about fueling up yesterday. Been rain free here this week, so I didn't suspect that to be a possibility.

Remember kids, liquor may not solve all your problems, but it may help you troubleshoot a rough running Vespa if you're lucky. Will report back tomorrow after draining the tank and putting new fuel in.

Dave

Drained the tank this AM and put a gallon of fresh fuel in. Took the long way to the office-about 5 miles or so to try and burn off what was in the line & carb.

A little hesitation starting still present at lunch when I went about 20 miles or so mostly at WOT. This evening after work she started right up. Will report back with any new developments, but hoping all is right now. May be a lesson in not overlooking anything. I was ready to chase some ephemeral gremlin and suppose I'll be ready to if necessary, but sometimes the culprit may be the simplest.

Dave

Good troubleshooting and I hope this works out!

There's also a water remover product you might want to consider adding to your tank? Something like this: link