Winter Maintenance Tips

As winter rolls around, you may decide to put your scooter up for the winter. In order to insure that your bike runs properly come the warm days of spring, you should take the time now to perform a few basic maintenance tasks.

We suggest two major things to do before letting your scoot sit up over the winter. 

1. Put a fuel stabilizer in your gas tank and run the engine for several minutes to insure the treated fuel reaches the carburetor. This will keep the fuel fresh. Stale fuel can cause gum, varnish, and rust deposits to build up in your engine. The results from this are starting problems, reduced performance and engine life. We recommend STAR TRON Brand fuel stabilizer. It works great and will keep your fuel fresh for 12 months or more. Article follows below on Star Tron. 

2. Keep your battery fully charged. It will do absolutely no good to start your scooter for a few minutes every couple of weeks. Many owners mistakenly believe that doing so will keep their batteries charged. Most scooters consume nearly all the power they produce when running, this means very little goes back to the battery. It is highly recommended to connect your battery to a battery tender. Battery tenders are designed to remain connected over an extended period and to cycle on and off keeping the battery at its peak at all times. DO NOT use a standard automobile type charger on your scooter battery. Scooter batteries are light duty in nature and have very thin plates. The use of an automobile charger can melt these plates and quickly destroy the battery. We recommend C-Tek Chargers designed in Sweden. Absolutely the best charger you will ever buy. Programmable for auto, motorcycle, lawn mowers, or boats! See below for article on C-tek chargers.

Constantly monitors the battery without the damaging effects of trickle chargers (a trickle charger will eventually boil dry or overcharge a battery) Voltage output compensates for temperature changes, providing additional protection Initial charge brings battery to full charge at approximately 14.2V After full charge is reached, converts to float charger and monitors battery at 13.2V Although a constant charge is being applied to the battery, there is little or no current (approx. 10mA) Periodic maintenance is recommended, but Battery Tender can monitor a battery for years without the fear of boiling or destroying the battery 12V Battery Tender® Plus has new fused quick-disconnect rings with a weather cover Optional pouch for safe and easy storage or transportation Snap cords and extensions are available separately Earlier model Battery Tenders have a WHITE snap cord connector; later models have a BLACK snap cord connector. These snap cords are NOT interchangeable. 

Order your C-Tek battery charger - new generation. Click here to order now. 

CTEK's Battery charger - the smartest you have ever seen 10 reasons why you should choose a CTEK battery charger

1.The battery charger are quite simply Best in Test – 3 years in a row, 2004, 2005, 2006 (Sweden, England and Finland).

2.Thanks to unique design, a CTEK battery charger is designed for safety for users, sensitive electronic equipment and the battery.

3.They have a unique in-house developed patented system. 4.A CTEK battery charger is small and convenient and extremely simple to use – fully automatic too!

5.A CTEK battery charger is durable and can be used in all types of weather (IP44-65 classed) and temperatures (-20°C – +50°C).

6.The simple and handy design makes a CTEK battery charger easy to understand and lets you know what is going on. 7.Their flexibility means that they have many different features, that a CTEK battery charger can be used on many different vehicles and lead-acid batteries.

8.A lot of product, quality and service at a good price is one of CTEK's slogans.

9.Many of the world's most prestigious car and motorbike makers extend their patronage by offering their customers a CTEK battery charger. Vespa Edwardsville installs the digital indicator on every new scooter at no charge!

10.Quality, service and responsibility.

And why should you own a CTEK battery charger? Increased battery dependence Your expectations for your vehicle/machine It should be easy and safe A CTEK battery charger is not a “booster” or just any old battery charger

Increased battery dependence

By looking after and maintaining your battery, while charging them, you prolong their service life and retain their performance.

Without really noticing it, we are living more and more in the midst of different types of battery. The type we probably think about least of all is the lead-acid battery present in vehicles and different types of machines that we use both privately and professionally. Some of these batteries will remain idle for long periods, while others are put under a lot of strain by the equipment installed in the vehicle and are used very frequently without the engine being turned on. This is naturally very taxing for any battery.

In the 1990s, batteries underwent a robust period of development, which introduced a new type of maintenance and care. CTEK developed an entirely new and unique system – 8-stage charging – for today's battery which is used throughout their product range.

This is particularly relevant for people owning seasonal vehicles, practising recreational activities, running professional vehicles, working in a workshop, working as vehicle/machine sellers, racing, working with service vehicles ...

Your expectations for your vehicle/machine We have also come to rely on everything working properly to ensure we have the time to do everything we have planned. Therefore, our expectations and requirements on all the vehicles around us have increased. Correct battery care can avert many disappointments and problems, particularly when you least want to faced them. The right battery charger not only prolongs the service life of your battery, it ensures that the battery can provide the maximum performance for all of this time.

The motorbike you dust off in the spring, a successful and self-reliant caravan holiday, the truck driver who started early in the morning following a long and lonely TV evening and morning music, the car salesman who needs to start a car for a test run, the boat owner who plans to sail home after a long, wonderful afternoon with prepared food and music, the fridge to keep your drinks chilled... expectations.

It should be easy and safe

Now, it is not the case that we are all particularly interested or knowledgeable when it comes to charging batteries, even though we know it is important. It is then we really appreciate convenience, simplicity and safety. A CTEK battery charger is small, fully automatic and have smart accessories, making them convenient and simple. They are reverse-polarity and short-circuit proof as well as nonsparking, aiming for safety for any user, irrespective of the vehicle to be connected or the person doing it. The fact that they do not damage sensitive electronic equipment is yet another positive characteristic that makes them simple and practical. Being approved for outdoor use and being extremely durable makes them flexible, practical and correctly designed for safety. That they can then be left unattended for long periods makes them really simple and convenient, in addition to extremely practical.

Finally, a CTEK battery charger is suitable for all types of lead-acid batteries: Wet, MF, AGM and GEL.

A CTEK battery charger is not a “booster” or just any old battery charger

People often ask, why does it take so long to charge using CTEK compared to other makes? CTEK is not a “booster”. CTEK is a battery charger that looks after and maintains batteries with an entirely unique system that is friendly to batteries and electronics. You can even charge drained batteries. The reason it takes a little more time is just because it handles the battery in the right way.

People sometimes ask, why should you buy a CTEK battery charger instead of one that costs half as much and looks virtually the same (even the product description is the same)? But this is not the whole truth. CTEK products have a unique system (patented functions) not available in other legal battery chargers that can therefore not offer the same performance. As for “copy cats” or forgeries, it is guaranteed that they will not maintain standards. It is impossible to use the quality materials, hire qualified engineers that produce the right product composition, maintain an even and fine level of quality control while at the same time keeping the price down. a "copy cat" battery charger do not meet the standards and cannot guarantee to be nonsparking, reverse-polarity proof and electronics safe.

There is probably not a single battery charger that can match the price for the same performance and generous warranties while at the same time offering such professional customer service. This means that you save money and time as you always have a charged battery, your vehicle will always start and you will not need to buy a new battery for many years to come. You are sure to get the maximum service life from your battery.

PROBLEM 1: DEBRIS IN FUEL

Ethanol is a powerful solvent and when first introduced it strips away any gums, varnish, or other build up found in fuel tanks and fuel delivery systems. This debris drops into the fuel and leads to clogged filters, injectors and carburetors.

STAR TRON® SOLUTION: Star Tron’s enzymes break down this debris into sub-micron sized particles that are safely burned away while the engine operates. This greatly reduces the engine problems associated with the initial use of E10 fuels.

PROBLEM 2: EXCESSIVE WATER IN THE FUEL AND PHASE SEPARATION Ethanol attracts moisture from the atmosphere, chemically bonding with it to form an ethanol/water molecule. Water in the fuel causes engines to run rough, stall and can lead to internal damage to engine components. Fuel will naturally hold .05% water in suspension, but if water levels exceed this threshold the water drops out of suspension. The water/ethanol molecules are heavier than the fuel and drop to the bottom of the tank.

This is phase separation. Ethanol provides a significant amount of the fuel’s octane, so when the ethanol separates and drops to the bottom of the tank,the remaining fuel is left without enough octane to properly operate the engine. Plus, the ethanol/water mixture is only partially combustible which can lead to severe engine problems.

STAR TRON® SOLUTION: Star Tron’s enzymes prevent the water and ethanol molecules from chemically bonding. Therefore the water falls harmlessly to the bottom of the tank leaving the ethanol molecules in suspension with the fuel and preserving the fuel’s octane rating. This prevents phase separation from occurring. The remaining water on the bottom of the tank is broken down to sub-micron size allowing it to be safely burned away while the engine is operating.

PROBLEM 3: E10 FUELS BREAK DOWN QUICKLY Ethanol and gasoline do not chemically bond, instead they are held together in a weak suspension. Over a short period of time the E10 fuel begins to break down. The fuel begins forming solids which can clog the fuel delivery system and reduce octane ratings.

STAR TRON® SOLUTION: Star Tron® is also a powerful fuel stabilizer which prevents the fuel’s breakdown for up to 1 year at the lowest cost per gallon. Star Tron® will also rejuvenate old fuel, restoring it to serviceable condition.

PROBLEM 4: E10 CAUSES LOST POWER PERFORMANCE AND DECREASED FUEL ECONOMY. Ethanol does not produce as much energy as gasoline, losing up to 20+% of its power. E10 fuels result in decreased performance, reduced throttle response and greatly reduced fuel economy. Unburnt fuel leads to carbon deposits.

STAR TRON® SOLUTION: Star Tron’s enzymes allow more oxygen to attach to the fuel molecules at the time of combustion, resulting in a more complete burn of the fuel. This leads to greatly improved fuel economy as well as restored power and throttle response. The enzymes remove existing carbon deposits and future deposits are prevented. Star Tron® is the ONLY multifunctional fuel additive that addresses all Ethanol Issues. For 6 years now, Star Tron® has been solving ethanol problems for boaters across the US. Now it will do the same job for snowmobile, ATV, PWC and motorcycle owners.

Star Tron® works in all 2 and 4-cycle engines under all conditions. In addition to improving performance when using E10 fuel, it will also stabilize fuel for 1 year, making it the only all-season, all purpose additive you need.

Be careful of what additive you use – many are alcohol-based. Adding any alcohol to E10 can lead to engine problems. Star Tron® does not contain any alcohol and is 100% safe for use in E10 fuel. Read the MSDS of any fuel additive before using it with E10 fuel.