Mototec X1

[Falkon45]

Well, after a bunch of bikes for my little one, I think I finally found a good one. Picked up a mototec X1. It was listed as a 70cc, but when it got here, I found out it was a 110cc auto. I was happy about this, lol.

It's a pretty cool bike. At first, I thought the carb had a problem, and was about to swap it out. But, when I took off the filter, I found out the choke position indicator was backwards, and it was all good. It had an issue with the starter (electric) locks up, but it seems okay with a few tries. It's also very fast. The thing launches like crazy. It takes me up to third hear to start catching up to it when I follow on my Apollo! It tops out at almost 34 mph.

The only thing I hate about it is that it has two hand brakes. I was hoping it had a foot rear brake, but it doesn't. But, it's good for the kiddo for now.

[wheelbender6]

Sounds like fun. Are there good trails nearby?

[Falkon45]

Sounds like fun. Are there good trails nearby?

Not really. We're close to big nasty ATV park and live oak motor park. But, but are closed for the foreseeable future. Everything else is about 2 hours away. There's an unfinished development we ride at, but that might end once more houses start getting built.

[Falkon45]

This dang bike... Either the rectifier or stator is shot. Keeps killing the battery. This was too expensive to have problems like this off the bat.

[dirtbkr188]

By chance, are you forgetting to turn the key off, and just shutting the bike off with a kill switch?

[Falkon45]

Nah. It's killed two batteries to beyond being able to recharge. Leaving the key on has no effect, as the battery is only supposed to be used to activate the starter. There's no lights. My other electric start bikes almost never had the keys off. I'm looking up how to test the rectifier. Of that's good, then it's the stator. Thankfully, I have another 110 I bought earlier this year just sitting around.

[Amateur]

Nah. It's killed two batteries to beyond being able to recharge. Leaving the key on has no effect, as the battery is only supposed to be used to activate the starter. There's no lights. My other electric start bikes almost never had the keys off. I'm looking up how to test the rectifier. Of that's good, then it's the stator. Thankfully, I have another 110 I bought earlier this year just sitting around.So, you ARE leaving the key on. But you refuse to accept that it's a possible issue for killing batteries.

K

Have you even tested, anything or you just going to keep guessing

[JerryHawk250]

This is a common problem with these engines on frying batteries. There's been a few post on it in the ATV section. From what I remember, it had to do with high voltage on the stator. I would check the output voltage on the stator and compare it to the bike you're not having issues with.

[JerryHawk250]

So, you ARE leaving the key on. But you refuse to accept that it's a possible issue for killing batteries.

K

Have you even tested, anything or you just going to keep guessing
It doesn't matter if the key is left on these. The only time it uses power is when you start it.

[Falkon45]

So, you ARE leaving the key on. But you refuse to accept that it's a possible issue for killing batteries.

K

Have you even tested, anything or you just going to keep guessing

they key hasn't been left on. Also, my other battery start bikes are normally left with the key on, and don't kill the battery. I'll be testing the rectifier today after work.

[franque]

One time I was diagnosing an ATV, and I accidentally left the key on over the weekend... It ended up killing the battery (but not too far gone that it couldn't be recharged), and it also kept the hour meter running... My boss was pissed!

In order to contribute something useful, I would check to see that the RR isn't leaking A/C voltage to the battery. Strangely, batteries don't seem to like that!

[Falkon45]

This is a common problem with these engines on frying batteries. There's been a few post on it in the ATV section. From what I remember, it had to do with high voltage on the stator. I would check the output voltage on the stator and compare it to the bike you're not having issues with.

One time I was diagnosing an ATV, and I accidentally left the key on over the weekend... It ended up killing the battery (but not too far gone that it couldn't be recharged), and it also kept the hour meter running... My boss was pissed!

In order to contribute something useful, I would check to see that the RR isn't leaking A/C voltage to the battery. Strangely, batteries don't seem to like that!

Yeah, those are things I'll look at. So far, everything is acting like when I had this same thing happen in my car when my alternator had problems. I put in a higher voltage alternator, but it was too much, and would stop charging, but the car wouldn't give a charge light until the battery was so low that it couldn't power the ignition and all the accessories. The AC voltage leaking makes sense too. Typically, with a fresh battery, bike runs like a bat out of hell. Now that I'm thinking in hindsight, about the time the bike starts running like crap, is about the time it refuses to start.

Both batteries I had in the bike both now have .01-.03 VDC Would AC voltage do that to the battery? I figured the coil would draw out enough voltage over time to completely drain the battery, but I would still expect at least 9 volts.

[franque]

It sounds like you have a short or draw somewhere... I would look over the wiring carefully. It shouldn't get that low (it could be a dead cell or two), but usually when a battery gets to be that low of a voltage, it tends to not be revivable because that low of a voltage causes a chemical phase called sulfating (a buildup of sulfur on the lead plates). It's possible that AC would get the battery hot enough to kill the cells. I would run a test to see if anything is drawing power with the key on/off.

http://testmeterpro.com/parasitic-draw-test-with-a-multimeter/

This is for cars, but the principles are the same.

[Falkon45]

Thank you!! I'm very weak with electrical side of things, so this is a humongous help.

[65cabriolet]

In your first post you said you had issues with the starter, is the lock up mechanical in nature or is there possibly something else wrong that would be affecting the battery?

[Falkon45]

In your first post you said you had issues with the starter, is the lock up mechanical in nature or is there possibly something else wrong that would be affecting the battery?

Well, before, I thought the starter was just locking up. Then I'd notice that sometimes, the decompression valve would open. There were just times when it wouldn't time right, and the decompressing valve wouldn't open, and the starter couldn't turn the engine over. Not too big a deal to me. I can fix that later.

[Falkon45]

Been stupid busy the last week. Finally checked the rectifier today. I'm not getting any reverse flow from the tests I saw. One of the diodes gives a 1.0+v reading. From the videos I saw, I'm supposed to be seeing .3-.6 across all three prongs (4 prong rectifier). I tested two other rectifiers the same way. One (on the parts x15 60cc) and it gave the same readings. The other one was new that came with the new wire harness I bought for anther bike. I only got a reading out of one prong.

[JFOlivier]

Falcon, unless your battery has been completely drained and then left in that state for a month or two it should still accept a charge. The problem could lie with the battery charger cause if it is an automatic charger it relies on the battery being charged to set up the charger output. If you have a charger that has cranking assist setting you can go to cranking which would give the battry some charge to start with and then after about 3 or 4 minutes switch over the chrger to auto charge. Obviousely if the battery has an internal open circuit then nothing will help. with a charged battery you should be able to see if the rectifier is draining the battery by setting your meter to the amp scale and then testing between the positive from the rectifier and the battery positive.

[Falkon45]

Yeah, I have an automatic battery charger/battery tender. The voltage is too low to get it to charge. I can try and see if one of my other batteries can give it a little juice to get the charger to see something. At this point, it doesn't even recognize it. But, I missed a few details about the battery dying. The bike can sit not running for a week with the key on, and not have a problem. It's after about an hour or two of run time does the battery die. That's what happened with both batteries. I pulled a third battery from another bike so I can test the bike while running, but it won't start now, so I'm diagnosing that problem too. Fun!!!

But, I will give what you mentioned a try and see if that could be a possible culprit as well. I'm always open to suggestions.

[JFOlivier]

If your stator or rectifier are not putting anything into the battery when running then the battery alone is supporting the ignition system and will soon go flat and as the voltage gets low the bike will not run at all well. So next time you get it running put your meter across the battery terminals and if a 12 volt system you should see at least 13.6 to 14.5 volts.

[Falkon45]

https://granttiller.com/testing-your-motorcycle-rectifier

Found this lovely post, just in case anyone else runs into this problem, and needs steps to test our regulators.

Also, I've done as many tests as I could with the bike not running. Gonna try and get it running this evening after work. I bought a new carb for it a few weeks ago, and haven't put it on yet. As of now, I'm thinking that's why it's not running. It was kinda crappy in the beginning, but I think it's completely crap now. I can also take this time to add a fuel valve. The thing is fed on both sides of the fuel tank and no petcock was installed from the factory.

[Timcurry]

I'm having the same issue. Did you ever figure out the cause?