Facing starting issues on my Activa 125: What could be the cause

It takes at least 5 minutes of kicking to start it, when left unridden for more than a day.

BHPian raj.singh recently shared his with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone, I have a Honda Activa 125. It has a weird problem. It takes at least 5 minutes of kicking to start it, when left unridden for more than a day. It's a serious issue especially for my wife. But, if ridden every day it takes only half a kick/self to start. Otherwise, it works perfectly, excellent acceleration, etc.

Please suggest some way-out, local mechanics and official Honda service-people have no idea what to do.

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:

Depends on vehicle age, usage and mileage. What's yours ?

Some memory items are:

Check the usual : air filter, spark plugs

Check the carb/fueling. Might need some cleaning due to downtimes

Here's what BHPian Opanna had to say on the matter:

Please share the below information so that someone can atleast try answering

How old is the Activa?

How old is the battery?

Especially with you mentioning that it takes several kicks to start, i can sense that the battery is weak. Try recharging or if gone bad replace it.

I am surprised that Honda Authorized Service Centre and local mechanic failed to diagnose this issue. Did they check the battery and was it found perfect?

Here's what BHPian Bala02 had to say on the matter:

Honda two-wheeler engines inherently have this cold start issue. I use to experience the same in my unicorn and Activa. If vehicle is unused for a long time, I simply use the choke and it starts after few tried. One key is to keep the battery in top notch condition as this helps us from refraining from kick start.

My trusted local mechanic also made some tweaks which helped.

Here's what BHPian raptor_diwan had to say on the matter:

It must have a battery. Please check the battery, as weak batteries can sometimes cause starting problems. If the Activa is aged, inspect the spark plug and ensure it is in good condition. If it is worn out or dirty, consider replacing it.

Here's what BHPian Sunil@KA25 had to say on the matter:

The battery very much seems to be the culprit here.

I am having an Activa 3G, which is close to 8 years new (new because the odo reading is only 4000 odd km till date). The OEM Exide battery was recharged once about 4 years ago and now it looks like I have to replace it.

The reason? the scooter that used to start with a half kick on the side stand itself, with the choke activated, is now getting kicked a couple of times on the main / center stand before it sputters to life.
My initial suspicion was the IOCL petrol that I had refueled instead of the HP one which was earlier used 95% of the times, but even after going back to HP also the issue persists. The horn that was still working earlier is now croaking in tune with the monsoon frogs!

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