Technical
Support & FAQ's
No
matter the age, maintenance or style of bike you choose, sooner
or later you'll find that you need some support or advice. We are
happy to offer our owners technical support with their bikes, no
matter which model they choose. In the first instance, please email
me with your question or query and I'll try to help you
as soon as I can.
The following list are common question owners have when owning and
riding their bikes. Although we offer thsese tried and tested solutions
to the common problems, we cannot be held responsible for any work/alterations
you carry out to your bike once it has left us. We also highly recommend
that you visit the following websites which can also offer you invaluable
advice MiniMoto
Club and Mini
Moto Garage .
Common
questions
My front pinion (chain sprocket)
has sheared
My bike is very difficult
to start or wont start at all
My
pull starter has broken / spring has come out
My back wheel wont turn
My bike keeps cutting out
Can I improve the performance
of my bike for racing
Where can I get parts and
spares for my bike
Can I buy different decal
(graphics) sticker packs from for my bike
What oil should I be using
I've lost my manual, can
I get another one
Q.
My front pinion (chain sprocket) has sheared
A.
This is usually caused by one of three things, over reving with
the brake on, chain too tight/loose or rear wheel mis-aligned. Firstly,
you will need to purchase a new pinion, either the 6 tooth stock
pinion which comes with the bike or a 7,8 or 9 tooth racing pinion.
Take a look at our parts
section. To replace the pinion follow these steps.
You
undo the outer chain guard case of the pinion cover and remove.
Put a large screwdriver or rod into the hole in the clutch drum
at an angle, this catches the holes in the inner drum to ensure
the clutch doesn't spin and turn the bike over! Normally, you would
remove a 6 tooth pinion out of the bell housing by unscrewing it
anti-clockwise using a 14mm sprocket.
If
you can't get hold of the sheared pinion with pliers to unscrew
it, this needs to be very very carefully drilled out using a small
bore metal drill, don't touch the edges/sides as you'll damage the
screw threads . Once removed this part, simply screw in the new
pinion in clockwise using a socket wrench....top
Q. My bike is very difficult
to start or wont start at all
A.
There are several reasons why your bike may not start, the following
should help.
Occasionally,
a bike straight from the factory can be a little hard to start,
this is mainly because the carburettor is dry (i.e. has no fuel)
and residual oil has built up around the bottom of the spark plug/cylinder
or the spark plug gap is incorrectly set at the factory. Don't worry,
its a new bike and these things are sent to try us all.
1.
Ensure that the fuel mix is correct 30:1 to run in (or following
the manual ratio period)) then once you've used up 5 or 6 tank fulls
you can move to a 40:1 or even 50:1 ratio.
2. The white fuel valve, on the right hand side of the bike on the
fuel pipe, should be turned to the upright position and the fuel
pipe leading from the tank to the engine should be free from kinks
or blockages.
3. The choke lever (on the right of the drivers side beside the
white valve) is set to upright position (this may differ from the
manual)
4. Next use a flat screwdriver to rotate the carb screw valve (on
the left of the bike, with the spring on it) which should be screwed
right in THEN outwards 3 or 4 half turns to ensure its not too far
out.
5. Whilst pulling the manual start, rotate the throttle about a
quarter/half of its full rotation, repeat until the bike starts.
If
it still wont start adjust the screw valve a little more and repeat
step 5 again.....top
!!
MY BIKE STILL WONT START !!
Next
check the spark plug.
6. Firstly make sure its screwed into the bike correctly and that
the plug lead is plugged in correctly (you may need to carefully
remove the plastic fairing to do this). There is also a sping attachment
inside the rubber cover on the lead that occasionally isn't a snug
fit and needs a bit of coaxing onto the top of the spark plug. Check
these areas then try to start the bike again following step 5.
7.
Next you will need to remove the spark plug. To check it is sparking
(otherwise it wont ignite the fuel in the cylinder), hold the plug
next to the metal frame of the bike, make sure the electrical lead
is still firmly attached to the plug then pull the starter. You
should see a spark.
8a.
If you do see a spark, then the plug is ok, pour about 5 or 6 ml
of fuel into the cylinder (where the spark plug goes) then quickly
re-attach the plug to the bike, ensure the lead is plugged in and
repeat step 5.
8b.
If there was no spark, dry off the plug incase of dampness (WD40
is good), try altering the plug gap width and if that fails replace
the spark plug wih a new one. Pour about 5 or 6 ml of fuel into
the cylinder (where the spark plug goes) then quickly re-attach
the plug to the bike, ensure the lead is plugged in and repeat step
5.
Following
these steps will get the bike going - remember it is a cold start
or maybe a brand new bike, it will need to be run in as per the
manual.....top
Q.
My pull starter has broken / spring has come out
A.
The sping is certainly a tough nut to crack but no TOO tough! Here's
how you do it.
- Undo
the starter and remove. Then undo the inner workings of the starter,
remove pawl, bolt, spring and washers (remembering sequence that
they came out though!) and carefully put to one side.
- Starting
with the straightest part of the spring, hold the white inner
pull start disc, place the 'bent' tab of the sping into the slot
on the white disc and start to coil anti-clockwise. The spring
is very strong and will need both hands to keep in place, using
your thumbs as a guide. Keep coiling the spring anti-clockwise
whilst turning the disc clockwise. Eventually the spring will
be set back inside the white disc.
- Re-attach
and tie the cord to the disc with the cord going through the hole
on the pull start housing and make sure that the other end of
the cord is tied to the plastic 'T' pull handle.
- Wind
the cord around the plastic disc in an anti-clockwise direction.
Place the white disc onto the spiggot in the houseing, replace
the spring, washers and screw in the bolt.
- Twist
the disc
until the slack is taken up, the pull start should now work.
If
all this fails or you would like to buy a new pull start, we have
them available on our parts
page....top
Q. My back wheel wont turn
A.
Does the back wheel turn if you just push the bike?
If
it doesn't then something has either seized (ouch) or the front
pinion has twisted/sheared and lodged the chain stick in the front
bell housing. See here
for how to change the pinion.
If
the wheel does turn, then it is probably one of two things.
Firstly does the bike start
OK, idles OK and revs well? If not it may be that the fuel/air mix
is incorrectly set and the bike doesn't have enough revs to engage
the clutch. See here
for adjusting the idle/fuel mix.
If
the bike starts OK, idles OK and revs well but has no movement then
it sounds like its a clutch problem. The clutch on these bikes is
centrifugal which meens it only engages (i.e. turns the wheel) at
high revs. You will need to either adjust the clutch, replace a
broken clutch spring, or replace the clutch all together.
To
see the clutch, and identify the problem, remove the chain guard,
then loosen the chain and remove from the sprocket/pinion. Then
loosen the clutch housing and remove it together with the clutch
bell housing. You will be able to the the three clutch springs and
three clutch shoes.
Q. My bike keeps cutting out
A.
This is usually a maintenance problem and down poor fuel mixture
and/or a faulty spark plug. Remove the spark plug and check for
discolouration of the plug end. if it is brown, black or heavily
deposited, replace it with a new one. When replacing the plug ensure
that the plug gap width is set to .2 or .3 of a mm, make sure the
spark plug is firmly screwed into the bike correctly and that the
plug lead is plugged in correctly (you may need to carefully remove
the plastic fairing to do this). There is also a spring attachment
inside the rubber cover on the lead that occasionally isn't a snug
fit and needs a bit of coaxing onto the top of the spark plug.
Also,
Sometimes a vacuum in the fuel tank causes little/no fuel to enter
the chamber. Just dont screw the fuel cap on TOO TIGHTLY.
Q. Can I improve the performance of my bike for
racing
A.
You most certainly can. You can add carbon reeds, order extra sprockets,
racing clutch springs, improved grips, carbs and a lot more. Take
a look here......top
Q. Where can I get parts and spares for my bike
A.
We stock a range of parts, spares and racing accessories,
look here. We have also teamed
up
with to offer you even more choice.....top
Q. Can I buy different decal (graphics) sticker
packs from for my bike
A.
If you want to go for something a little different, we have a range
of alternative graphics decal sticker packs at excellent prices.
Take a look here....top
Q. What oil should I be using
A.
You need to use a 2 stroke fully synthetic oil, this will provide
good lubrication and less wear to your spark plug, housing etc and
make your bike easier to start.Initially you should use a 25:1 mix
of fuel to oil. Once you've used up 5 or 6 tank fulls you can move
to a 40:1 or even 50:1 ratio....top
Q. I've lost my manual, can I get another one
A.
Yes, we can send you a replacement manual for £5. To order
one, visit our parts
page....top
|
