Modern Vespa

So I learned the hard way that pedestrians don't see scooters and a guy walked out right in front of me. I was rounding a corner and braked to avoid hitting him and wiped out. Miracle that I and the bike are fine-- just minor scrapes on the mirror. But now, hours later, it still won;t start. None of the repair places are open tomorrow-- do you know of anything I can try in the meantime? Thanks!!

Oh, its a 2003 ET4 by the way and I just got it

Did you ride away after coming off or did you have to push it home?

You might have bumped the kill switch.

doubt there would be a kill switch on a '03. probably need to wring out the air-filter, check the spark plug as well.

The air filter might be full of gas from lying on its side, thus starving your engine of any oxygen. Open up the black box on the left lower side of your scooter and squeeze out excess gasoline that might be there. Hopefully it is something simple like that.

A 2003 ET4 will have a kill switch in the US of A (is that where you are?).

Check it first. Otherwise, do to what Benito said. Even if the kill switch solution works, you still may want to check for gas in the filter.

And then let us know what's up.

Yes, I live in Texas, and there is a kill switch. How would I solve a problem with that? I am currently trying the air filter solution, and I'll let you know how that goes in a while...

They were simply suggesting that you may have bumped the kill switch to the off position, preventing you from starting the scooter. As unusual as that may sound, it does happen.

Also keep in mind that it is very difficult to diagnose mechanical problems over the internet. You haven't provided much information as to what you have tried, and the result. Or, what exactly "still won't start" means (does nothing happen? Does the engine turn over but not catch? Does it start, but not idle? You get the idea). What has been suggested are the two most obvious, and easiest to correct, starting places to help you.

Yay! Yeah, it was turning over but not catching, like you said. I actually turn off the kill switch every time I get off the bike, so that shouldn't have been a problem, and is why I asked if there really could've been a problem with it. I wrung out and rinsed the air filter which was dripping with gas. Now it's starting up just fine. Thanks for all your help!

I'm glad all is well.

Regarding the kill switch: Sometimes it gets switched off in a drop...that's about it. It doesn't necessarily get mechanically broken or anything.

But before the adrenalin shakes wear off (and occasionally long after), people sometimes overlook the obvious: like a kill switch that got turned off.

It happens, believe me, it happens.

There are two sorts of people, those who have forgotten the kill-switch, and those who will. I'm certainly in the first category - muffs don't help here.

glad to hear you got it working. Same thing happened to me. Set the bike down, hard to start and then stalled and then wouldn't start all. Did what you did and ta da!