Scooterotica

I have a standard TS1 that won't start from cold unless you put your hand over the carb mouth for a couple of kicks it will then start and run normally, leave it for 10mins and it will be same starting procedure, the choke is working. There does seem to be a fair amount of spit back from the carb mouth, it's a 35mm Mikuni. The scoot has done few miles, would worn/damaged reed petals cause this ? Any ideas.

Yes, is the answer. Mate had same issue the other year in French France. Scoot would start but not rev and loads of spitback on his TS1. We stripped it down and the screws that hold the reeds in had come out. We managed to put it all together again and it was fine all the way back (till his exhaust went AWOL)

Your problem may not be as bad, but it sounds like worn reeds, ie, feathering.

Had the same issue -- it was the reeds - only a slight gap no damage to them but basically worn on one side-- all i did it turn them round the other way - and it fixed the problem

Looks like a bit of strip down & check the reed petals, thanks guys

Update.........on stripping down found this, looks you were all right, only thing I don`t recognise the reeds, its a standard TS1 reed block by the looks of it but the reeds seem unfamiliar are they some sort of 2 stage reeds ?

Look like 2 stage boysen ones , there meant to be better than standard . One opens at low rpm the second at a higher rpm

but fragile....

Yep standard one usually last twice as long

I wouldn't fit a Tassinari Reed block either. My last set of reeds lasted about 500 miles. I've gone back to a Yamaha block and standard Yam reeds.

the boyessen reeds fitted have probably failed due to entering the bore and clipping the edge of the piston if fitted without a few gaskets to raise the reed out a bit ,the problem exists as the fixing plates without petal stops allow the petal to lift too far i would fit stops back on for long term reliability

the moto tassinari reeds fail quickly if you have the wrong block/reed supplied ,the correct ones last just as long as an original