Fixing a Chinese Scooter

by Jim Zeiser
(Deposit, NY, US)

Recently I was riding my 2008 Milano DX when it suddenly slowed and started to clatter. I knew almost immediately that it had broken a valve spring. Fortunately it was able to get me the last seven miles home but at a reduced pace.

When I opened up the valve cover, I found a broken outer intake valve spring. These scooters have inner and outer springs and I got home on the inner spring.

To remove the cylinder head you have to remove the engine from the frame and I received instructions on how to do it from my friends at Scootdawg.com. It took me about four or five hours to remove all the plastic, engine and remove the cylinder head.

Another member of Scootdawg offered to rebuild it for me so I mailed it to him. He sent it back a week later along with the necessary gaskets. Reassembly took another four or five hours.

The scooter fired up on the first shot and purred like a kitten. I put all the plastic back on and it's running fine.

What's gratifying is that all the parts were completely available and I wasn't stuck with a "disposable lighter". Of course some will say that I put close to nine hours working on it and at shop rates it would be almost what the scooter is worth. I didn't rush and I'm not a career mechanic. If I was, I probably could have done it quicker.

I'm just trying to say that these China scoots are fixable because the parts are really available and not that complicated. An average mechanic can do the work if necessary and get to know his machine even better along the way.

Now I have to enjoy it for what it is and not ride it like a Ninja. It isn't meant to be ridden wide open all the time and high rpms did it in. My fault, not the scoot's.