50cc Hard to "Cold" Start

[rlshepard]

Hi Dawgs,

I'm hitting a wall so I thought I'd ask ya'll for help. Got a TaoTao ATM-50 that is really really hard to 'cold' start. I put cold in quotes cause its 70-75 outside these days. it's nearly new, bought it brand new in April. Not my first rodeo, we have 4 scooters total in the family and I've worked on all of them. but this one is giving me fits... so here is what I know.

Scooters at about 1100km
After first start I installed the blue 'racing' CDI and the fancy orange coil.
Oil change at PDI, 500km and just recently at 1000km
I adjusted the valve clearance (.003in .005ex per the manual) at about 600km and installed a new NGK Spark plug
checked and readjusted valve clearance when this issue popped up. I plan to quadruple check that again but pretty sure we are good there
Got Spark
Got Fuel
Airfilter is clean
All indications were that it was the auto enricher/choke don't know alot about that part but I ordered a new one since they are cheap and replaced it... no change. I don't really know how to test it but, but I can say when I have it out and I turn the key on, nothing happens... isn't supposed to retract or something?

For grins I have reinstalled the factory CDI and Factory coil no change.
I've checked for vacuum leaks and found none.

It cranks over well and if you give it just a little throttle is try to start but doesn't quite catch. If I connect a car battery and crank and crank and crank while giving it a little gas it will eventually start. once it starts and runs for a bit I can start it right up IF I give it a little throttle - only a little while cranking.

Once started it seems to run "okay" not great, the boy has been complaining about a lack of power recently leading up this current development.

This is my younger boys scooter, he's 'crashed' a couple of times but no major damage. they were fairly low speed crashes so just some scratching to the plastic. so I don't think he damaged anything.

I don't have a compression gauge but I may invest in one... but given age and low mileage that doesn't seem a likely issue.

My next thing I guess I'm gonna do is tear apart the carb and see if somehow something has gotten in there?

Are there any other thoughts? I'm kinda grasping at straws here I mean these things just aren't that complex, at least I didn't think they were....

TIA for any help