Modern Vespa

So, for the last couple of days my ET has been running like crap, been feeling clicking though the handles, really crappy handling, clicking when I was braking or slowing down.

I thought it was a myriad of things, needing new brake disc, engine tunage, etc.

So after taking of this afternoon, the handle bars were shaking like crazy, I pulled in immediately and checked the front wheel, every single bolt was hanging out, not even hand tight, just loose !!!

It had an mot the other week, and the guy who did it obviously didn't tighten them up after checking the pads.

Had to wait 2 hurs for a mate to bring me an Allan key, grrrrrr.

You know, that's one of my biggest fears ... tire falling off. Car or bike, doesn't matter. I must have had a wheel fall off my tricycle or something when I was young.

I do a quick one around the bike before I ride. Really quick, like 30 seconds, just to make sure things are tight and the lights and signals are working. May not have helped you here if that wheel wasn't real loose until you began riding it, but now after hearing your story I'm going to be giving my wheel a real good wiggle.

P Petrol
O Oli
W Water
D Damage
E Electrics
R Rubber

Who's Oli?

Glad it worked out without a wreck!!!

Years ago, I was driving my little Toyota truck on the freeway and took an offramp. As I was slowing down, I felt the truck get all wobbly, and saw a wheel rolling down the embankment of the road. Then the truck got REALLY squirrely in it's handling and I pulled to a screeching stop on the shoulder.

Sure enough, the wheel was mine... and I checked all my other wheels, out of the 12 wheel bolts that were supposed to be on my truck's other 3 wheels, there were only 6 left... (let alone the 4 that were obviously gone from the rogue wheel. I was able to rob the 'extras' to put the loose wheel back on and limp slowly back to town to an auto parts store (stopping every couple of miles to make sure all was ok).

Turned out after the fact to have been a (former) friend of mine since diagnosed with severe paranoid schizophrenia who had seen my truck and decided it needed to have it's wheel bolts removed (in the crazy way that folks with mental handicaps tend to operate). (He actually told me he did it and that I should thank him for 'saving' me... )

That's right folks - always check your wheel bolts!!! - I do...

Desi B.

It's amazing how so called experienced people can almost kill you. Many decades ago I had new directional tires mounted on a Porsche 911. The expert shop had opposite corners mounted incorrectly so I had beaucoup adhesion for clockwise spin and zippo for ccw.

After spinning out three times on the way home with a wtf reaction, I headed back to the wizard that goofed up the mounting. I guess he didn't understand what the "This side out" on the tire meant. Never trust anyone else to do the job right.

Ha ha, especially when you have a crazy mate !!!

I tightened them all up, but now I'm terrified of it happening again.

I can't check the rear without taking the exhaust off which is a bummer, but I'm assuming the MoT guy thought the same and never touched it

Try throwing a little 'medium' locktite (or similar) on the bolts and you can rest easier...

Desi B.

Is loctite ok to use on them, even the medium stuff ?

I was always told to use copper grease so I put that on, but if medium loctite is a good shout I'll do it.

For wheel bolts - should be fine...(I use it on my vehicle wheels with no ill effects (and no missing nuts either!). I think the copper stuff is more useful for muffler bolts and such, which get hot.

Again, I'm not an expert, I just play at being one on MV from time to time - so others will likely chime in at some point.

Desi B.

I had a motorcycle tire mounted on my old Honda, I took it to a fairly large dealership. They did the work. A little while later, I took it to have the spoked rims trued. (I had a hop in the front end, trying I figure it out...changed tires, fork oil/seals). That shop told me the tires had been mounted incorrectly, thy had pinched the tube in the bead, meaning it could blow out. Hey were kind enough o fix the other shops mistake, true the rims and only charged me or an hour labor!!!