Shaun543 wrote:
Fudmucker wrote:
Setting off for a ride on Saturday, Sunny died on me.
(Sunny is my Vespa with the Polini 294 kit.)
I haven't done the full trouble shoot yet, but a sudden failure tells me it is electrical in nature.
I noticed that the controller that came with the kit is not showing power on the LED as it used to...

Were you able to fix your controller? I'm dying to hear how well this works. Almost ready to flip the trigger on the Malossi Kit, but the Polini is a good deal, just wondering how it compares.
Hides his face behind his hand in severe embarrassment...
Vespa guru was not available to assist yesterday morning, so I towed the scoot to a private freelance Vespa tech nearby. He and I spent an hour thinking and checking connections and bridging out the Polini controller to go back to the Vespa one and zero luck - Sunny just will NOT start.
Just then, my Vespa guru rides up, doing a final road test on a 250 GTS he is selling to a colleague of mine. Tech and I complain about how we are battling to find the fault. He turns the key, hold the front brake and hits the starter...
NOTHING but the starter cranking it over.
He holds his hand over the end of the exhaust and repeats the action.
"Plenty of fuel, so it is electrical... did you check the spark plug lead...?"
Tech and I look at each other. Guru looks into the engine bay and peers down the right hand side between the engine and the body.
"There you are... the plug lead has fallen off!"
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS - PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS:
Instead of the correct plug with the crimped-on nipple, I had used a plug with a screw-on nipple. Same thing, right? Same thing NO! The nipple had vibrated loose and caused the plug cap to fall off. The loose nipple was stuck the inside the plug cap.
We removed the offending plug, screwed it into the nipple caught up in the plug cap and extracted it. Then we tugged out the plug with nipple and crimped it tight. Vespa guru hauled out a brand new correct plug from his bag of tricks and we fitted it, secured the plug lead on the engine and cranked it.
VOILA! SUNNY LIVES !
So, dear Vespa famiglia and friends, if your favourite scoot cuts out while you are riding, do check the spark plug lead FIRST!
Be safe.
Ride safe.
PS: The incorrect plug will be retained for roadside emergency repairs.