OK - had a dealer replace the starter on my daughters LT80 a few weeks back. In the few times we've went to start it since then it started developing a hard starting issue again. I initially thought it was the battery and put it on the charger. After just a few minutes on the charger it would fire right up. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

She rode it for about an hour the other night. After we parked it, it started leaking fuel from the carb like crazy. I played with the fuel switch but still kept leaking. Left a nice little puddle on the garage floor overnight. Went to start it again tonight and same probablem again, didn't want to turn over. I happened to look down and noticed a wisp of smoke.... it came from the rubber on the throttle cable melting - about 2 inches above the carb the cable was touching the a bolt coming through the air filter canister. I turned everything off and felt the bolt and it was HOT. It did enough damage to the throttle cable that now it's froze up! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

Obviously something is shorting out somewhere. Wondering with the fuel leak if it's leaking down onto the starter and seeping into the connector and that's where it's shorting.

Ideas?

Thanks!

 

I doubt the fuel is the problem.
This is one heck of a dead short. There has to be a bolt wore thru a wire/wires touching somewhere.
I'd start tracing from the battery.
Hmm, just thought, you do have the ground wire on the motor don't you? (right top fan cover bolt)