Hi all from Spain.

[Old scooterist]

Hi all. Names Peter from Estepona, Southern Spain, (yes I am English), "Scooterist", that is what we were called, 'back in the day' as 'scooter club members' (Swan of Avon SC), we wore motorcycle gear ,Belstaff and boots with white sea boot socks and silk scarves as opposed to the mods and their anoraks.

I rode Agrati Capri scooters in the 60's becoming "a rider of note" on the works Agrati Capri 98 in the 1967 IoM week. and then many others including several Lambrettas, a new SS180 Vespa and then a beautiful all white AF type SX200 Lambretta.

At 76 I can certainly be counted as "old" but still riding my black Suzuki AN400x from 1999, part exchanged it for my 1963 Honda CB250, cafe racer I no longer rode.

I worked part time tuning and racing scooters in the 60s in Stratford on Avon, UK. Worked as a mechanic for Lambretta UK, Scooter-mobile, Croydon, Ken Rickard, Golders Green, London. Bob Thomas m/c Finchley, Camden motors Honda, Dunstable. Sondel Sport (Honda), Ken Kay Kawasaki, Luton, K-morotcycles Luton, Neil Frazres Gloucester.

I came to Spain, Marbella, in September 1999 being single again and the scooter has done me proud for most of the 22 years BUT, I have had two major engine blow ups recently, first one on the original untouched engine dropped both exhaust valves, smashed piston, buggered head, snapped con rod and stuffed it through the back of the crankcase into the tyre at 80Kph, change of under wear and a second hand engine, 350 quid later on eBay and then the same thing happened a month later on that engine but this time only head and bore damaged with a slightly bend con rod.
Both UNTOUCHED engines apart from servicing. not thrashed, now rebuilt with a second-hand crank, head off of Ebay, all stripped and inspected with a Vertex o.s. piston to 425cc on the once damaged cylinder.

Rebuilt it by the book with all new seals and gaskets but left paper towel in the inlet manifold when I replaced the carburettor, (on new rubber) and it sucked into the valve seat on one valve so I couldn't understand why it fired up a couple of times but not again, head off and there it was.
Can't find valve compressor so a new kit on its way from Amazon, (given up on eBay), should be Ok now but still a pig to start, (working on it). Give a 2 stroke any-day.

BUT, why did it drop exhaust valves on two engines that had been untouched apart from service, heads had not bee stripped etc. Is this a problem with the older An400?

[Deleted User 18472]

Hello & Welcome

[wightegi]

Hi welcome along , there is a burger section further down the page so maybe a good idea to ask there.

[roadster]

It sounds like a possible over-revving issue with your Suzuki. Does the limiter kick in as it should at high rpm? If the ignition system doesn't prevent over revving its very easy for this to happen especially if the variator or belt allows more slip than normal. Hopefully someone who had or has a machine from that era can advise about the rev limiter function ( assuming it has one!).