Scooterotica

Hello,

I'm running a mugello 252cc on a 1970 Gp200. It takes a few hefty kicks to get it going when i use it. The kickstart is slightly bent downwards and twisted and i want to get a new one. Are kick starts out there much of a muchness or are there beefed up versions out on the market that might be more suitable to kick a higher cc engine over ?

Secondly, the carb, an open mouthed 30 mil phbh, is scratching the inside of the panel. Can you unscrew and remove the plastic mouth piece to the air inlet thereby giving more clearance between the carb and the side panel without it having a detrimental effect , or must the plastic mouth piece be left on at all times ?

Thanks for your help,

Dave W

Look for a Spaq made kickstart and either a shorter inlet manifold or file a bit off the bellmouth where it touches the panel.

Thanks for your reply Wack 63. Much appreciated.

Or source an original kick start, removing the bell mouth could affect the jetting..

I've had 2 kickstart pedals from Just Lambretta (posts on here as Corrado), both fitted to 225 engines and both have been fine. MB Developments sell a short inlet rubber which should allow you to keep the bellmouth on.

I take all those plastic bell mouths off because afaik they serve no purpose. Never affected the carb running although never say never! If you have money to burn get an SX200 kickstart because they give you a longer kick.

I've had one of these on my GP for 4 years. The chrome is still fine and, trust me, I very rarely polish it. The spines are machined in the right place too:

http://www.lambretta.co.uk/shop/kicksta ... -3184.html

Not cheap but, having wasted cash on rubbish Indian and Vietnamese ones in the past, I'd get one of these again.

Hi Mongo, do you know your compression ratio on your 252? , that may be causing bent kickstart levers? Is it too high?
The proximity to the panel will create more detriment than the plastic bellmouth, but would,by choice, only remove the contact area, over removing the whole bellmouth, unless using the re-profiled one and if so, sell it and fit a standard one, ground back to clear as above.
Or better still, cut a hole in the panel to allow the tuned engine to breath? Curing any rubbing problems, JD.

Mongo wrote:It takes a few hefty kicks to get it going when i use it. The kickstart is slightly bent downwards and twisted

Technique? Twisted suggests you are putting a lot of sideways force on the kickstart.

Back in the day when I had a Li200, compression ratio unknown. (All I know is with one head gasket the piston hit the head so i used two. ) Even the local bike dealer needed to get me to show them how i started it.

Anyway back to the subject and I supposed what build one is, but I used the old big single technique. Scooter on the stand. Gently push on the kickstart until one feels resistance (TCC), Release the kickstart so it ratchets up. Then stand on the kickstart until it moves slightly feels like the piston is just about to go over TDC and "jump" on it.

No undue stress on the kickstart and no sideways moment to twist it.

Thanks for the replies.

I've plumped for the Spaq kickstart from Allstyles scooters. It arrived yesterday and certainly looks more robust and is a lot thicker than the one on there at the moment. The splines look alright on it so i suppose the proof will be in the pudding.

In truth i don't know the compression ratio and have been thinking of getting another l/h side gp panel so as to put a hole in it to allow it to breath better probably through a filter as well. B-Race, i don't really understand what you're getting at there with regards to the carb. It's probably my reading of it rather than your explanation though.

It's my first lambretta,(always had vespas,) and so it could be a question of technique, however i do prime it first before giving it a hefty kick. I am getting more used to it and am at the stage now where i can actually start it without having to stop for a breather halfway through the kicking cycle. However when i first got it back from the engine builder i didn't know what was going to snap first, the kickstart or my knee cartiledge.