Modern Vespa

Saturday I drove my truck to Atlanta in the rain. Sunday I washed my winter jacket so couldn't ride until it dried out over night. Went out this morning and my key button would not unlock the pet carrier. Thoughts of " @$#% something drained my battery ". Put the key in, turned it on, the bike lit up and the starter worked. Stopped the engine and the key worked to open the seat so I could get my gloves and ride in the rain to work.

Now I rember seeing a post here that if you don't ride it for a couple days it goes into a sleep mode until the key is turned on. If not for reading all the posts here I would have been calling the dealer to see what is wrong. It was a new experience for me.

LOL - that just goes to show how much you ride my friend! I would guess most of us are used to it going to sleep after a couple days... Normally I'm on mine every chance I get but there are spells that the world conspires against it. Like yesterday - it was freaking GORGEOUS here. No chance to ride - all I got to put on my Cortech bags and that was all the scooter time I got... sigh...

Yeah I noticed that before too and just assumed that something must time out or something and then it was confirmed in some thread here too.

Also on page 23 of your owner's manual. It says seven days (as do the 400 and 500 manuals), but that doesn't correspond to my experience.

Nope - me neither - I've had as little as two days. Also - I was putting my new saddlebags on and used the remote to open the seat. About an hour later I went out to open and I had to turn the switch on. i mentioned that because apparently *only* power cycling the switch will reset the timer - using the remote does not affect that.

As long as the immobilizer light is flashing the remote will work, and mine seems to flash for about 48 hours. After that I have to use the key mechanically in the lock to open the seat, or turn the ignition on and off and reset the immobilizer - then the remote works again. Not sure if this is how all Mp3 models function, but mine is consistent.

Owner's manual? We don't need no stinking owner's manual...we got MV!

I was wondering about this: glad it's not just me!

I find this *@!$ing annoying on Monday mornings after garaging the scoot over the weekend. So I don't stress the electrics I've taking to stuffing my bag through the trunk... I wonder if this can be fixed/reprogrammed?

But you have to put the key in the ignition anyways, right? So push and turn the key and unlock the seat.

dang that was way too easy.

The shortest path is usually the correct path. Or at least the easiest.

As an aside for kein... The under-seat lamp and red indicator light on the dash are tied into the microswitch under the front of the seat - which presses down and turns the indicator and lamp off by just setting the seat down without latching it. I leave it this way, especially with the battery tender cable attached since it just drapes thru the open seat cover... but it occurs to me that since the microswitch is turned off so easily and the seat requires a press down to latch, just leave the seat unlatched but closed if the scoot is in the garage, and it will be that way a week or two later when you want easy access. I actually put a toggle switch on my under-seat lamp quite a while ago anyway so I don't worry about leaving the seat fully or partially open (well, in the garage that is...).

+1

(Don't let Jimc read this post. )

That is a 500 solution. On a 400 or 250 it will open the rear pet carrier.

Well how about that! I would find it annoying as well then!

EDIT: Still though, if you are going anywhere, or even just wanting under the seat, you will have the key and you are putting the key in the ignition, so flip it on and bring it to life - w/o starting the engine yet - and the remote should function...

I read all the posts in the "Consumer Reports" thread and the warnings on sarcasim being missed in written forums and the solution of using emocons to help folks see the sarcasim. That advice failed for me here.

The event and my first reaction to it were real. I used 4 emocons in my post attempting to poke fun at those who do not ride daily. I had no idea the path the thread would take with so many replies on how to recognize and deal with the situation. Perhaps some unforseen value?

I guess the discusion was good afterall and be warned that emocons are not full proof in getting your true intent understood.

Then again someone in my older generation may just not be skilled in their use.