[anjan_c2007]

Another usual and common niggle for the Honda Activa is it's kick starter. It's does'nt anywhere come near our old Vespa/ Bajaj or Lambretta kick-starters that could endure even 100 kicks at a time, if there was some starting trouble. Try that with an Activa and maybe one of the starter-gear tooth breaks. A tooth from it's flywheel or the bell crank could also break. And here once the kick-start mechanism is jammed due to malfunction or breakage, there's no way the Activa can be started. The self does not work even with a good battery. No push-start, no manouvres of the bell crank to get a better tooth in lieu of the broken/worn out, like in geared vehicles, where by a small push the position can be altered by a few inches, fresh tooth is engaged and the self is engaged for the vehicle to start.

In this lockdown phase, the battery of most of our scooters were low in charge and maybe could not propel the self-starter. The kick-starter had to be used quite a lot. The kick-starter is not as simple as it appears.

If the kick-starter gets jammed or does not return back to its idle position, one is heading for trouble. But for DIY guys it's a simple job. Just unbolt and open the outer part of the gearbox cover (using 8 size ring spanner for all nuts, except two which need 10 size). Bolted to the cover, there are gears that need to be lubricated with grease only (no oil please). Also use grease to lubricate the flywheel and bell-crank that are visible once the outer cover is opened.

I have done this procedure to release a jammed kick-starter of my 2003 Activa a few days back. But so sorry, made no video. I got this video by Abhijit (MasterMind Tech) on YouTube that is very illustrative and he uses simple language for everyone to understand:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R9I2EkFq1M

[anjan_c2007]

As discussed in my previous post, the kick-starter jamming is a recurrent problem for the Honda Activa and almost all variator fitted gearless scooters. This is due to the fact that the variator chamber is dry sans any oil or lubricant and is seggregated from the gearbox that hosts SAE 30 gear oil. The variator rubber belt has to be dry and seggregated from oil of any kind. Hence, due to the space constraints the kick starter gears- primary and tertiary are thinner and are more fragile as compared to the heavy duty kick starter gears of geared bikes. My Activa is a 2003 mode,l having run some 24,000 kms as of now. It underwent a RTO fitness test is 2018.

Usually the tertiary gear of the kick starter gets a tooth mutilated due to constant use. It is the chief trouble maker. Hence, it is advisable to always have a good battery to activate the self starter on most ocassions and to use the kick-starter only rarely.

The scooter's bonnet has to be unfastened first of all. Use a good quality 12 size box spanner to unfasten the three nuts.





The variator cover has to be opened to understand the root cause of all trouble. The primary and tertiary gear teeth need to be checked. All but two nuts of the variator cover require a 8 size spanner to unfasten, whereas two of them require a 10 size spanner as shown in the picture/s below.

































The processes are explained on the body of each picture. To unfasten the tertiary kick starter gear, please unfasten the tensioner that holds it to the variator cover. After the tensioner is unfastened, use a heavy duty screw driver to slide out the tertiary gear very gently from it's designated slot. Inspect it and if worn out, please replace. A new one costs Rs 180=00. The new one can be slided into the designated slot. Please apply grease on the gear teeth - both primary and tertiary. Grease application within the variator compartment needs to be the bare minimum, as spillage into the chamber may affect the rubber belt drive's performance.

If you have to replace the gasket packing, please buy a new one. A set of packings is available as shown in the picture/s. The old gasket can be taken out or if problematic, use of a screw driver mildly dismantles it. The new gasket cover can be affixed. There are two slots on the variator cover (other side affixed to the gearbox) one near the rear shock absorber and the other below the rubber hose, to hold the gasket cover in place before tightening all the nuts.

The variator cover needs to be placed on a newspaper to prevent scratches. Please also apply SAE 30m oil (minimum) to the kick starter lever after accessing it on the upper side of the variator cover. The hose pipe (air intake) on the fore side of the variator cover needs to be unfastened. The clip on the fore side can be unfastened with a cutting plier. It will have to be re-fitted using the same technique by using a cutting plier to hold the clip, loosen it and slide the rubber into it's slot on the scooter's chassis. There is no need to unbolt the kick-starter, air filter, or anything else other than the nuts as shown in the diagram to dismantle the variator cover. Down below on the variator cover, there are two variator cover nuts, that hold a clip, which in turn holds the rear brake wire firmly. Please take care to affix the clip, while re-fitting the variator cover after the job is done.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

If you have to replace the gasket packing, please buy a new one. A set of packings is available as shown in the picture/s. The old gasket can be taken out or if problematic, use of a screw driver mildly dismantles it. The new gasket cover can be affixed. There are two slots on the variator cover (other side affixed to the gearbox) one near the rear shock absorber and the other below the rubber hose, to hold the gasket cover in place before tightening all the nuts.

In the previous photographs posted the gasket packing fasteners/ holders were discussed but not labelled and shown by me in any picture. In this picture the two holders at either ends are shown. These provide a good support to the new gasket to be fitted, to hold it in place till the variator cover is fitted and the nuts tightened one by one (sorry for repeating the last four words on the picture).



Please note the position of the two holders as marked in this picture.



That's my 2003 Activa on duty !

[amol4184]

Our 2007 Activa needs a new battery. Any recommendations?
I have noticed that the current battery died early. It was charged two months and barely lasted a month. Now I have to kick start it. Though I have to admit the scooter stays put without being used for a week or more sometimes.

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Our 2007 Activa needs a new battery. Any recommendations?

The new models are coming with a zero-maintenance battery. Please check with Honda Service Centre for compatibility with your Activa.

I got the battery replaced for my Activa-i last year. The original zero-maintenance battery lasted over 6 years, even with my extremely low usage. (I use the kick starter in the morning)

Go for Amaron battery with 3 year warranty. Honda Service Centre would have this.

Rohan

[adisan]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Our 2007 Activa needs a new battery. Any recommendations?

I found Amamron to have more life than Exide. Both brands gave trouble-free performance. Going to an Amaron pitstop will get you the battery at a lower price.

[anjan_c2007]

The Honda Activa (rather all new generation scooters) carburettor is really very possessive about vacuum and does its duties very obediently if its love for "vacuum" is duly respected. If not, the owner may face hassles that could frustrate him or her no end.

Hence, the rubber vacuum pipes around the carburettor need to be in decent shape and need to be checked regularly. It should be of good quality no doubt. If there are any cracks, even a fraction of a millimetre across in these pipes, the carburettor creates issues. It cannot simply work. The petrol pipe too needs to be OK. Here any crack will mean leakage of petrol and can be easily sensed. But the other pipes do not make such overt, bold statements and need physical checking.

Another component is the insulator on the fore side of the carburettor where it connects to the engine. This insulator/packing in my Activa was cracked/broken into two pieces but the two bolts were tightly fastening the carburettor and in place. Hence, due to this breakage my Activa was not at all starting. Doing my DIY job, I dismantled the carburettor. It was only when the two bolts fastening the carburettor were removed, the cracked insulator was observed. I bought a new insulator and also a green gasket (total cost Rs 40=00 only).



The blue arrow shows the cracked insulator (also encircled) and its old gasket in use



Sample photo of a new insulator

The replacement took just 25 minutes. And the scooter Vrooomed back to life ! It started with the second self cranking it back to life.

Hence, respect the carburettor's love for vacuum always !