A scooter is a vehicle equipped with two or three wheels. Its mechanics are composed of a motor and a transmission line including the torque variator, the belt, the clutch kit, the axle and the driving wheel. Each element of this system contributes to the smooth running of the scooter whatever the conditions, even on hills. The engine transforms the thermal energy due to the explosion of the air / gasoline mixture into rotary mechanical movement. The transmission line transforms rotary mechanical movement into kinetic energy at variable speeds. This kinetic energy will act on the gear bridge which will turn the drive wheel on the back of the scooter. It is possible that this system will experience failures. to prevent the scooter from going uphill correctly.
Scooters - general information
Here is an article that serves as a guide and helps you choose your scooter better before purchasing. For this, we give you the details on the characteristics and the different types of scooter.
Scooter that has trouble on a hill: clean and adjust the carburetor and the spark plug
The first reflex, when the scooter has difficulty on a hill, is to clean the carburetor and the spark plug and then adjust them. Before disassembling the carburetor, you must first remove the air filter housing. Once the carburetor has been exposed, it will be necessary to clean the entire carburetor circuit using a high pressure air pump. Once the carburetor has been washed, cleaned and reassembled, it will be necessary to readjust the settings of the idle screws and of the mixture screw to obtain an adequate mixture of air and gasoline. Remember, the carburetor is adjusted with the air filter fitted and the engine hot.
The other item to check is the spark plug. After removing it from the cylinder head using a special socket wrench, clean the electrodes with a wire brush. Be careful not to hurt yourself. Above all, you should never disassemble a spark plug when the engine is hot because of the sudden expansion of the cylinder head at high operating temperature. Once the candle has been cleaned, reassemble it. Be careful to respect the tightening torque when reassembling so as not to damage the thread of the cylinder head made of light alloy. However, a defective spark plug must be replaced.
The scooter engine: what you need to know
An incorrectly adjusted motor causes malfunctions in the movement of the scooter. For example, a lean fuel mixture would cause a loss of efficiency and power on a hill. There is even a risk of overheating. A fuel-rich mixture can also compromise the reliability of the engine, because the spark plug whose electrode will always be moistened by gasoline (and by oil if it is a two-stroke engine) will have struggling to create a spark. It would also make it difficult for the scooter to go uphill.
The principle is thus to obtain the right adjustment, the right rate of air / gasoline mixture, ie about 15 grams of air for 1 gram of gasoline. You just need to trust the color of the candle to refer to it. A brown candle is set to the correct dosage of the air / fuel mixture. Normally, an engine is properly tuned when the engine does not turn off abruptly if the throttle wrist is fully and sharply squeezed.
Scooter that has difficulty on a hill: see the gearbox
A well-tuned and well-maintained scooter gearbox is materialized by torque variator rollers matched to the right weight. It is also embodied by a good quality belt and showing no wear. It is also materialized by a clutch system that does its job properly. And, finally, it is characterized by tires well inflated to the prescribed values. In other words, installing drive rollers heavier than those recommended will prevent the scooter from going up hill properly.
In this case, the scooter will tend to prioritize high gear ratios and not the torque of significant thrusts at low speed. A worn clutch kit that slips can break the excess kinetic force needed to move a scooter up a hill. In the worst case scenario, the scooter will stop dead. Replacing the out-of-service clutch kit with a new part will resolve the issue.
Scooter that has trouble on a hill: poor tire inflation
The bridge is the last element in the kinetics of a scooter. The bridge is made up of gears in an oil bath. Its transmission axis is integral with the rear drive wheel. Sometimes, abnormally low pressure on the drive wheel causes a drop in the performance of the scooter and this is felt on a hill. It is therefore necessary to have the wheel pressure checked so that it complies with the manufacturer's recommendations. An appropriate pressure would be between 2 and 2,5 kilos bar depending on the load used to be transported.
It could also be that the dimensions of the rear wheel do not conform to the manufacturer's specifications. An oversized wheel will require more kinetic force from the bridge to move the scooter up a hill. It is therefore important to stick to the recommendations given on the technical sheet of the scooter to optimize its use on hills.
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