How to Adjust your Moped / Scooters Idle

A typical moped or scooter

This article is designed to help a novice person with engines be able to adjust their Moped / Scooters idle speed.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Moped

Instructions

1. 

   The first step to adjusting your idle speed is to put your moped on the center stand so we that the back wheel is off the ground and able to spin freely. Now we need to find where the throttle cable runs into the engine. Most of the time there is access to this under the seat as can be seen in this picture.

2. 

   Generally underneath the engine cover you will see a screw that looks like this in the picture. This is the screw we use to asjust the idle speed.

3. 

   Now make sure we have a screwdriver that will work on this screw and then start your engine. If it stalls at stop signs or after you start it we need to turn the idle screw to the right. I always turn the screw a 1/4 turn at a time. After each turn stop for a minute and let the engine react to the adjustment. If it still dies do another 1/4 turn and wait. The ideal idle speed is the speed at which your back tire just barely wants to turn while in the air on your center stand. If your tire spins quickly, then our idle speed is too high and we need to start turning the idle to the left a 1/4 turn at a time. Then wait 1 minute and do again if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient... this could take 5 to 10 minutes to get it right

• I adjusted my moped about every 200 miles or so

• Adjusting the idle to the right setting will save you a ton of money in gas

• Make sure you are outdoors as exhaust funes can be deadly