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Post by bicyclemayhem on Feb 21, 2008 18:46:42 GMT -5
Hey Guys, new to the forum here, I have had a Ruckus now for about 6 months and have just reached the 600 mile mark. I normally do all my own maintenance on all my previous cars, but this is my first scooter. The Motorcycle dealer that I bought it from said I should bring it in at 600 miles for an oil change and tune up. So I just called the other day to set it up because it sounded like they do a lot more than just change the oil, then i find out they want $180 for this service!! So first I am wondering if any one knows if this is a normal price for this service. Second about 2 months ago my ruckus stopped starting with the electric start so I have been kickstarting it, when i mentioned this to the guy on the phone at the dealership he said my battery was gone and I needed a new one, and he said this was normal! How can it be normal for a battery to be completely dead in less than half a year! Is this normal? Well thanks in advance for any help and I look forward to talking about ruckus' with all of you, I already did a BMX Stem and HandleBar Swap as well as some BMX pegs to my Ruckus. So if anyone has any questions about those mods I would be more than willing to help you out. Thanks
-Jason
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Post by varroa on Feb 21, 2008 20:47:23 GMT -5
As far as I know from other member's testimonies, the 600 mile service is nothing but oil change, checking fluid levels, tire pressure, spark plug, and valve clearances. All that can be done for under $15 by yourself ($3 little oil pan, $3 a quart of oil, $7 for gap measuring tool, and $2 for paper towels).
The part about battery is not normal. Question: do you run high beams all the time when you ride? That might very well drain the battery. Instead, you can readjust your headlight bracket so the beams focus a little higher, achieving the "high beam" effect while using low beams.
Try disconnecting one headlight, switching to low beams, and taking a looooong ride on a weekend. That should help charge the battery. Also check all the connections to make sure you're not losing charge to some short circuit.
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Post by bicyclemayhem on Feb 21, 2008 22:20:49 GMT -5
Thanks for the quick reply, I only sometimes run the high beams at night, but I will try your advice and try to go for a long ride to see if that re-charges it. I live in an apt in the city and therefore don't have the room I used to have to work on my stuff myself, so I would prefer to drop it off at a shop, but if they are ripping me off that much that is enough to make me do it out front on the sidewalk if I have to.
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Post by Kami no Chiizu on Feb 21, 2008 23:54:27 GMT -5
I'd save my money.
You might invest in a battery tender. Check your connections and make sure everything's secure.
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Post by Dandy Dan on Mar 10, 2008 10:35:08 GMT -5
The high beams and low beams are both 35w per headlight so whether you're running low or high beams is irrelevant. The suggestion to unplug one of the headlights is a good one if your battery is just dead (i.e. if you just left the key on overnight) but I suspect there's more going on here than that.
The electrical system in the Ruckus is pretty strong so it's unlikely that your problem is simply that it's not getting charged enough. It's possible that your battery is dead because you left the key on or something but it should still come back to life after a bit of riding unless you've done this several times. More likely is that you have a bad connection at one of the battery terminals. I've seen this quite a few times. Pop the battery box cover off (4 screws) and then tighten up the connections with a screwdriver.
About the 600 miles service, it is as Varroa described except you normally don't get the valve gap check because Honda doesn't suggest checking the valve gaps until 9000 or 10,000 miles. The reason that the service is so expensive is NOT because they are doing a lot of stuff, the real reason is because Honda charges a fixed amount for an oil change which is crap because an oil change on a Ruckus is way quicker and requires way less fresh oil than say an oil change on a Goldwing (plus the Ruckus doesn't have a filter).
If I were you I'd change your own oil (super easy, use the manual) and spend 30 minutes checking stuff on your Ruckus (tire PSI, lube stuff, check brake engagement etc....it's all in the manual) and call it a job well done.
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Post by kim on Oct 22, 2014 1:00:38 GMT -5
I bought a new 2013 ruckus and the electric start died the second day. They thought it was the battery but it turned out to be what they called the starter fuse. They changed it and it's been fine ever since. I'm up to 2100 miles now. Also changing your own oil is SUPER easy. You can YouTube it or read the manual. I've changed my own oil twice.
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