Gas Scooter Maintenance

Proper scooter maintenance is crucial to getting the most out of your scooter. The following instructions are universal and can be utilized on all makes of scooters.

You must check every nut and bolt for tightness before every ride. Nuts & bolts will vibrate loose and should be checked often. Purchacing a bottle of thread locker (Loc-Tight) at your local hardware store and applied to the threads is highly recommended.

If you have any questions regarding the maintenance of your scooter, please contact us at sales@RAEEnterprises.com

Furthermore we remind scooter enthusiasts that although gas scooters are toys, they can be dangerous if not respected. Please follow safe riding practices and ALWAYS wear protective gear.

The following subjects are addressed in Maintenance.

*        Fuel and Oil mixture

*        Spark Plug

*        Air Filter

*        Chain

*        Tires

*        Throttle

*        Brakes

*        Carburetor
 

Fuel and Oil mixture

Your scooter uses a 2-stroke engine for power. A two-stroke engine was chosen for it's excellent power to weight ratio. A two-stroke engine does not require that you ever change the oil, however it does require that you mix quality grade 2-stroke oil with the gasoline prior to filling your scooters gas tank. This ensures that your engine will remain lubricated and give you reliable service.

To accomplish this you can buy 2-stroke oil at almost any auto parts store or hardware store. The oil and gas are the mixed together in a separate container before filling the scooter. The mixture should be done at a 25:1 ratio (See ratio chart below). Mixing the gas and oil too lean can cause the engine to run too hot resulting in permanent engine damage. Mixing the gas and oil too rich will cause decreased performance and result in a fouled spark plug. By strictly following the 25:1 ratio you can be assured maximum performance from your scooter.

Spark Plug

The spark plug is a crucial and vulnerable part on your two-stroke engine. Your spark plug can be located on the top of the engine under the protective rubber boot. Your scooter comes with a tool kit containing a spark plug wrench for easy removal.
 
The spark plug must be clean, and must be replaced promptly when signs of wear begin to show. The  condition of the spark plug can tell you a lot about how your motor is running. The spark plug should be a light brown or golden color. If the electrode is white, that can be a sign that your scooter is running too hot. This can be a result of either running too lean (See the Carburetor section), or that the fuel and oil mixture is too lean (See the Fuel and Oil mixture section). If you are running your scooter too rich then your spark plug may be black, covered with gas, oil, or carbon.

Another common problem is that the spark plug gets clogged up with carbon and/or oil and "fouls". This should be checked by assuring the electrode has a clean gap of . 023 in. If you are having a problem with fouling, just be sure that the gap, as shown to the right, is clean and free of obstruction, A small piece of fine grit sandpaper usually works well for this. New spark plugs can be purchased from us on our parts page, or at almost any local hardware or auto parts store.

Air Filter

The air filter is used to clean the air going into the engine. Periodic cleaning of this filter is recommended to protect your gas scooter engine against the damaging effects of dirt and abrasive particulates. Your air filter can be located on the front of the engine and the protective cover can be removed with one screw.

When the protective cover is removed the air filter is revealed. You can also see the small workings of the choke and butterfly valve.

The filter should be free from dirt and grease and appear clean. If there are contaminants on the filter it can be cleaned in a container of gasoline. Allow the filter to dry before re-installing it into your gas scooter.

Chain

The chain on your scooter should be lubricated before every ride. The chain should also be checked for tightness on a regular basis. If the chain is too loose a popping sound can be heard and the scooter will jerk under acceleration, or the chain will just jump off altogether. If the chain is too tight it will be noisy and bind, this can be felt by pushing the scooter with the motor off.

On the 22.5cc scooter there is a chain driven gear reduction, which must also be lubricated before each ride. This gear reduction chain does is not adjustable and must be replaced when an unacceptable amount of slack is present.

Access for lubrication can easily be obtained through a small lubrication hole on the top of the chain guard.

The rear tire held on by an axle and two locking eyebolts. To adjust the chain, loosen the axle bolts and the locking nuts. Use the eyebolt adjustment nuts to tighten and align the rear tire. Once the chain is snug and straight tighten the axel nuts. Finally cinch down the locking nuts on the eyebolts.

Sometimes it is difficult to get the chain straight due to the fact that the motor and rear wheel sprocket isn¡¯t aligned. If this occurs simply turn the scooter on its side, loosen the three engine mounting bolts, and the engine can be easily slid to either side to compensate for any misalignment.

Tires

The tires on your gas scooter are pneumatic (air filled) tires. The tires require air and can be filled via the valve on the side of the tire. It is very important that the tires have the proper inflation. Although the scooter has been prepared to ride once out of the box, due to long shipping distances and elevation changes we have yet to see one scooter with the correct pressure right out of the box. Low tire pressure will make the scooter feel sluggish and a loss of power will be felt. Remember:

Check the side if the tire for correct air pressure

You will notice that the valve on the 22.5cc front tire is turned to the side a little and is not straight out. This is intentional to keep the valve from hitting the frame of the scooter as the wheel turns. If the valve is not angled you will hear a clicking sound every time the tire makes a rotation. To cure this, let all of the air out of the tire. Hold the tire with one hand and the rim with the other. Twist the tire one-way and the rim the other. This will cause the tire to "slip" on the rim and make the valve turn to one side. Once this is achieved refill the tire to correct air pressure

Throttle

There are two main types of scooter throttles. One is a twist type, and the other is a hand throttle. Although the throttles are different in operation, they are essentially mechanically the same. When the rider applies the throttle, a cable carries this motion down to the engine. For continued smooth operation it is important to keep this cable clean and free of obstructions.

Should the throttle begin to feel loose and sloppy, the slack can be adjusted on the cable at the handlebars. Simply loosen the lock nut and adjust the cable tension via the adjustment screw. Once the desired tension is achieved retighten the lock nut.

Brakes

The brake on your gas scooter is a cable actuated drum brake. This style brake has proven well over time and is very simple to maintain. The rear brake has two main adjustments. The easier of the two is the adjustment on the handbrake itself. This adjustment has two simple steps. To change the tension on the cable merely back off the locking nut and screw the adjustment screw in or out accordingly. Once the desired tension is achieved re tighten the locking nut.

Further adjustment can be made at the brake drum itself. This task is easiest with two people. First, loosen the adjustment at the handlebar hand brake and screw it all the way in. Next go to the rear brake and loosen the Cable Clamp. Once loose, pull back on the cable and have the second person push forward on the Brake Cable Lever (push hard, you are pushing against a tight spring action). While pushing the lever forward and pulling the cable back, quickly tighten the cable clamp. Additional minor adjustments can be made where the cable meets the rear brake.

Carburetor

The carburetor has many adjustments on it and it is recommended that experienced persons make these adjustments only, however we will point out the major points. The carburetor is responsible for pumping the fuel and mixing it with the air at a precise measurement. The carburetor does this with very small diaphragms, orifices and ports, which are easily clogged by contaminants. This is why is extremely important that you use only clean new fuel in your gas scooter.

CHOKE
First, the choke. There is a choke lever on the side of the motor as pictured on the right. Some scooters have "off" written at the top, and "on" written at the bottom. This is incorrect and I don't know how they CONFUSED THE TWO. The correct position of the choke is:

UP - CHOKE IS ON
DOWN - CHOKE IS OFF


Primer
When the scooter is brand new, been run out of gas, been sitting for a long period or is very cold, it may be necessary to prime the carburetor before attempting to start it. This is accomplished with the primer pump bowl located at the bottom of the carburetor. Simply press and release this pump several times until gas can be seen flowing through the clear gas return line to the fuel tank. This will help start the scooter under the aforementioned conditions, however if this is done once the scooter has warmed up it may induce flooding.

JET
Due to the fact that the carburetor mixes the fuel and air at an exact ratio, elevation, temperature, humidity and other weather related variables could have a detrimental effect on your scooter's performance. The manufacturer pre-adjusts your scooter at near sea level and depending where you live your scooter may require adjustment. The adjustment screw, or "jet", can be located in the access hole just to the right of the choke lever. Turning the screw clockwise will lean the mixture while turning the screw counterclockwise will richen the mixture. It is recommended that the jet be adjusted no more then ¨û turn at a time. Test the scooter between turns and once peak performance we achieved we recommend richening the adjustment a ¨û turn. This is due to the fact that the leaner the engine is run, the hotter it will get, and this can induce a possible seizure of the engine from overheating.

IDLE
If the scooter will not idle or idles too fast, an adjustment screw is provided next to the choke. Turning this screw clockwise will increase the idle speed. Turning the screw counterclockwise will decrease the idle speed. Remember that an idle speed that is too fast can be dangerous.