Modern Vespa

Hi all,

For whatever reason my battery went flat after I left to go home from work and the kick start pedal (which I've never needed to use) pressed down and stayed there (no spring back) and I heard a ratchet sound. It didn't turn the engine over so something is wrong. Any ideas?

Thanks
Darren

the kickstart mechanism works via an engaging pinion which mates with the drive pulley. by the sound of it the engaging pinion has been stripped, either that or it wasn't reassembled properly the last time the transmission cover was taken off. in either case you'll need to take off the transmission cover to see what's going on.

for what it's worth, the ET4 kickstart isn't terribly reliable - some people have the knack, and can get it to work, but many people have difficulties with it. there is also a risk of cracking the transmission cover if you use it too energetically. i've come to regard mine as being for decorative purposes only, and keep a can of easy-start handy for those odd occasions when the engine needs a bit of help turning over.

What Genie said...

Also, the return spring may have broken. I don't know how common this is, except that it happened to me.

In any case, do-it-yourself-me decided that this was a job for a mechanic.

Thanks for the reply. The fact that the pedal doesn't spring back is an indication that something isn't right. Should I remove the four screws, take the plate off and have a look? What am I looking for?

What's a can of easy-start ?

Thanks
Darren

i think there are five or six screws that hold the transmission cover on. the kickstart lever has to come off first - just remove the pinchbolt and slide it off. you'll also need to unscrew the airbox and move it out of the way - there are two screws holding the airbox onto the body of the scoot, and about four more that hold the cover on top - you only need to remove the two that fasten it to the body.

easy-start is naphtha or napalm or something like that. it comes in a spray can - you just pop off the air duct at the back of the carb and shoot a short blast in there, replace the duct, and it should start right up.

I thought you meant the cover plate on the outside of the scooter?

If your battery is flat and kick pedal not working, how does spraying anything anywhere work?

At this point there's little to lose, I would think, by checking it out yourself.
Just watch out where the parts go, or fly off to.

At the best, maybe you can fix it yourself.

if you can't fix it or re-assemble it you can put the parts in a baggie, remove the kick-start lever, and contemplate whether or not to take it to a shop.

The scooter will work (assuming everything else is working) fine without it.

Many ET4 owners remove the kick-start on purpose anyway.

I reinstalled mine after several months without it because
1) I wanted to have it in case I needed it (yes, it's happened)
2) I think it looks cool.

Still, don't use it if you don't have to. I consider kick-starting my scooter as an emergency back-up.

PS: Whatever other failings I have, I do have the knack for kick-starting ET4's.
8)

ooops sorry momentary mental lapse - easy start will not work if the battery is flat