have you made sure your reeds are not broke I sounds like it mite have broken reeds
I've got a couple sets of reeds/cages on hand and this set was in the best condition. They appear to be for this machine (the other set clearly isn't - they're too long and have gaps on the side) and looked like they sealed well. I can pull them and snap some pics though if that would be helpful.
It's strange because it sounds kind of weak to me when it's running - hard to explain, but I've also never had a 2-stroke before. Other videos I see online have the motors firing and zinging away where this one sounds like it's just popping along.
Has anyone had a situation happen like this where it bogs and dies under load?