Scooter Problems FAQs

Things often go wrong on mopeds and range from minor faults to full mechanical melt downs. The cause of these problems however are often easy to identify and our team of experts have put together a series of checks you can do when trying to resolve particular issues.

Table of Contents

Braking Problems

Breaking problems are common and should be checked regularly however aside from break wear some other problems can occur. Find out what these are below.

Why Do The Brake Pedals On My Scooter Pulsate/Vibrate?

Disc could be warped or the is drum out of true – replace or skim
Your wheel bearings could be worn or damaged – replace them
Wheel could be damaged or warped – check your tyres and their pressure
Your brake caliper bolts could be lose – check and tighten these
The spindle could be bent – replace this

Why Do My Brakes Drag?

Your brake pad or shoe could be damaged – replace or skim
Your pistons have seized up – this is caused by wear or damage to the piston and you should seek the help of a training mechanic here
Your brake lever/pedal is sticky or stuck – apply lubricant
Your brake caliper binds on brackets – this is usually down to poor level of lubrication

Why Do My Brakes Lack Power & Feel Spongy?

There could be air in your brakes – seek help of a mechanic
Your brake fluid has deteriorated – replace the fluid as it has probably become intoxicated or is too old
Your brake pads are too worn – replace these
The internal parts of your master cylinder have become work or damaged – get a mechanic to replace this

Scooter Exhaust Problems – Excessive Smoke

Exhausts on scooters are particularly prone to a range of problems. Find out what these are below.

Why is Black Smoke Coming from my Scooters Exhaust?

Your fuel injection system has malfunctioned – seek the help of a mechanic
Your air filter has become clogged – replace this or give it a good clean
Your fuel level is too high – this is common and should resolve itself
Your brake caliper bolts could be lose – check and tighten these
Main jet is too large or loose – inspect this and consult your user manual

Why is White Smoke Coming from my Scooters Exhaust?

Your valve guide has become worn – get a mechanic to do a full valve job
Your valve oil seal is damaged or worn and is caused by overheating or oil starvation – you will probably need new pistons installing here
Your piston oil ring has become worn – the ring itself may have become broken and you should replace the rings with new ones
The head gasket between the oil return and cylinder has broken – consult a mechanic

Why is Brown Smoke Coming from my Scooters Exhaust?

Your air filter is not sealed properly or not installed – consult a mechanic
Insufficient fuel flow and float valve has become stuck/closed – consult a mechanic
Your fuel injection system has malfunctioned – seek the help of a mechanic
Your carburettor intake manifold clamp is loose and the result of a faulty fuel pump – consult a mechanic

Why is my Scooter Handling Poorly? Scooter Handling Problems

Problems with handling usually revolve around your scooters tyres and handlebars. Find out what specific things you should be looking for below.

Why do my Scooters Handlebars Shake/Vibrate Excessively?

Your handlebar clamp bolts could be loose – locate and tighten these
Your tyres could be imbalanced or worn – replace these or have them rebalanced
Your wheel bearings are worn – your should replace these
Your engine mounting bolts could be loose and causing vibrations – consult a mechanic

Why do my Scooters Handlebars Pull to One Side?

Your handlebar frame could be bent and the result of dropping your moped – consult a mechanic
Your tyres are not aligned properly – replace these or have them rebalanced
Your fork tube is bent – disassemble the forks and replace the damaged parts
The swingarm has become bent or twisted and often caused by fatigue – replace these parts

My Scooters Handlebars Are Hard to Turn, Why?

The bearings could be damaged – replace these
Your scooters races are worn or dented – consult a mechanic
The steering stem has become bent – consult a mechanic
The air pressure of your front tyre is too low – re-inflate your tyre to the recommended level

Why is my Scooter Not Starting?

This is something every scooter owner will experience at one point or another and can occur for a number of reasons. Try the following things first and consult a mechanic.

Why doesn’t my scooters motor rotate?

The battery could be low – check and recharge the battery
Your wiring has opened up or shorted – replace the dodgy wiring
Your starter motor has broken – consult a mechanic
Your starter switch is not contacting – replace the switch
Your engines kill switch is off due to a blown fuse – consult your owner manual

Why is my scooters engine not turning over?

Your scooters started clutch could be defective – inspect, replace or repair
Your starter gears are damaged or stood idle for too long – inspect the damaged parts
Your engine has seized through damage to several internal parts – consult a mechanic

No Fuel is Getting Through to my Scooters Engine

Your fuel line could be clogged – check the cables
Your fuel injection system is faulty – replace this and consult a trained mechanic
Your engine could be flooded
The fuel tank breather hose has become obstructed – Consult a trained mechanic

My Scooter has lost some of its Acceleration, Why is the acceleration so Poor?

We all like to let loose and there is nothing more frustrating than a slow scooter. A loss of acceleration can occur for a number of reasons and you should consider the following.

Your scooters brakes could be dragging – this is usually caused by debris which in turn enters the brake pistons or can be from worn break discs or bent wheels.
Your fuel injection system could be malfunctioning – check your fuel pump and pressure regulators
Your scooters carburettors or throttle bodies are not synchronised – These will need to be adjusted and you should get your local mechanic to look at this
The engine oil velocity is too high and could down to the use of heavy oil – clean this out

My Scooter is Overheating, what should i do?

Heating problems happen for a range of reasons and owners should consider the following.

There could be a leak in your scooters cooling system – check your cooling systems hoses and radiator for leaks
Your scooters coolant passages are clogged – have the entire system drained
Your scooters water pump could be defective – remove the pump and check for holes and faults
A problem with your cooling fan could have occurred – inspect, replace or repair
Clogged radiator fins or cap – inspect and give a thorough clean

My Scooter has transmission problems, what should i look for?

Transmission problems are fairly and you should consider the following when trying to locate the cause.

My Scooter has no Real Wheel Drive?

Your scooters drive belt could be broken or slipping – consult a mechanic
Your clutches friction material or drum has become excessively worn – consult a mechanic
Your clutch may not be engaging properly – consult a mechanic

My Scooter is giving off strange transmission noises and vibrations?

Your scooters bearings or shafts have become worn – consult a mechanic
Your clutch could be loose – consult a mechanic
Your scooters gears could have become worn – consult a mechanic
Your scooters transmission shaft could be damaged or bent – consult a mechanic

Why is my Scooter making Strange Noises?

Engines have been notoriously temperamental on some scooters and problems often occur. There are many reasons why this happens and you should consider the following.

My Scooter is giving off a lot of transmission noises, why?

Your scooters bearings or shafts have become worn – consult a mechanic
Your scooters gears could have become worn – consult a mechanic
The oil levels in your engine could too low – consult your owners manual or a mechanic

My Scooters brakes are giving off strange noises, why?

Your scooters brake discs could be warped – consult a mechanic
Your scooters wheel bearings could be loose or worn – replace these
The brake pads on your scooter could have become contaminated – give these a thorough clean or replace them
Your break pad shims might not be installed correctly and as a result give off a squealing noise – consult a mechanic

Why are my shock absorbers giving off strange noises?

The fuel level could be incorrect which could be the result of a defective seal – consult a mechanic
Your scooters shock body could be damaged – replace this
The suspension linkage or swingarm components could have become damaged, loose or worn – These should be replaced

Why is my scooter making strange noises?

Your scooters exhaust could have a whole in it – consult a mechanic
The engine mounting bolts could be loose – replace this
Your scooters crankshaft bearings or drive assembly could be damaged, loose or worn – These should be replaced
The cylinder head gasket is leaking – Consult a mechanic

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