My scooter broke down AGAIN!

[Adam_W]

  About a month and a half ago, the drive belt on my scooter broke, and jammed the automatic transmission in the highest gear. I was able to put a new belt on it, but I didn't have the right tools to fix the transmission, so I had to take it into the shop. A total of $150 and two weeks later, I had it back. I was out for a ride today, and I was about 20 miles from home when I suddenly lost all power to the back wheel and the engine surged up to such a high RPM I thought it would blow before I could hit the kill switch. The belt broke again! I walked about maybe five miles and was ready to die, when a very friendly farmer helped me load it in his truck and he gave me a ride home (he even gave me a cold beer  ) I just took the belt cover off to see the damage, and the belt didn't just break, it EXPLODED! There is literally small chunks of rubber and kevlar "fuzz" all over the inside of the belt housing. The transmission is also jammed again. Now this replacement belt was a high quality kevlar belt that cost $60, and it barely lasted a month! I'm so discouraged right now because I can't afford cab fare everywhere, and I can't handle riding my bicycle any more than a mile or two before my whole body starts hurting.

[willowtreewren]

Oh, Adam,
That really sucks. 

there must be something else causing the belts to break.

I wish I could help.
Aleta

[kitkatz]

Aren't you under warranty seeing as it is a new scooter?

[paris]

I'm sorry, Adam.  I hate you are having so many problems with this new scooter.   

[Adam_W]

Doing more investigation, the new belt that just broke may have actually been slightly weakened when it was put on, and it just couldn't handle the stress. As for it being basically disintegrated, that may have happened after the initial break, and the belt may have simply been ripped apart by the gears and pulleys that were still spinning around before I could get the engine stopped. I would be able to fix it myself, but I need an air impact wrench, which I don't have. I know I'll get all this worked out, but it still sucks  .

Adam

[willowtreewren]

Adam,
Do you have a Facebook account? If so, put out a request for an impact wrench to see if any friends have one they could loan you.

Good luck with getting things fixed.
Aleta

[Joe Paul]

Doing more investigation, the new belt that just broke may have actually been slightly weakened when it was put on, and it just couldn't handle the stress. As for it being basically disintegrated, that may have happened after the initial break, and the belt may have simply been ripped apart by the gears and pulleys that were still spinning around before I could get the engine stopped. I would be able to fix it myself, but I need an air impact wrench, which I don't have. I know I'll get all this worked out, but it still sucks  .

Adam

Adam, check with your local parts house, many will rent tools you need.

[Sluff]

Tough break Adam I know the feeling. I'm going through the same problem with a paint sprayer. Make sure the alignment is right Transmission to engine and transmission to rear wheel. If there is any thing unaligned it will shred those belts fast.

[Adam_W]

Well, It's fixed now. My brother was very nice and ordered me a new belt, and I broke down and bought a high quality electric impact wrench. It's not as good as an air operated impact wrench, but it is good enough for what I need. I paid $135 for it, but that will pay for itself by saving me from having to take it into the shop whenever a belt breaks or I have transmission problems. It will also make doing certain work on our car easier. I couldn't find anything else wrong when I had the scooter apart, so I hope this belt lasts!

Adam

[G-Ma]

Good for you getting it fixed.

[Stacy Without An E]

As a fellow scooter rider (Aprilia Scarabeo 100) I feel your pain.  A month after I bought my scooter it broke down five miles from Santa Rosa.  I pushed a few miles toward home but could feel that I was going to have some awful blisters, so I called someone for help to get it into my truck to take it to the shop.

Turns out a month later there was a recall on the bike for something dealing with the smog system they place on all imported bikes.

Remind me again (sorry) what kind of scooter you have...

[Adam_W]

As a fellow scooter rider (Aprilia Scarabeo 100) I feel your pain.  A month after I bought my scooter it broke down five miles from Santa Rosa.  I pushed a few miles toward home but could feel that I was going to have some awful blisters, so I called someone for help to get it into my truck to take it to the shop.

Turns out a month later there was a recall on the bike for something dealing with the smog system they place on all imported bikes.

Remind me again (sorry) what kind of scooter you have...

It is a Tank Urban 50, which is a "clone" that's put out by many different companies. It's basically a cheap (but not necessarily crappy) Chinese "econo-box". Other then the belt problems, it has basically been problem free. It seems I just need to keep a spare belt all the time just in case. I did just order a performance exhaust kit, and a high quality ignition module with no rev limitation. I need to get the most out of my little 50cc engine since that's all I can have right now (no motorcycle license).

Adam

[willieandwinnie]

  Glad you got it fixed Adam.