Starter takes a second to engage
 

On my TaoTao 125G (and my previous Pantera 90) when I engage the starter there is a 1-2 second delay before it starts to crank. Almost like something has to charge up before it will crank. The battery is okay and once it gets cranking will spin fine. What could cause this?

Load test your battery just to make sure it has full jam.

A loose intake valve can cause higher than normal cranking pressure. I had a lawn mower with a valve to loose, bought a new battery and it still wouldnt start unless I spun the motor by hand.

My nephews new taotao 125 does the same thing, but not consistently. I assume(could be wrong) that the engine is just sitting on the compression stroke and the small battery is struggling to get it.

Good point. It usually only does this on the first start of the day.