OP
@whereshaldo avatar
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Hooked
Stella 2T 150, Honda C70
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Posts: 415
Location: Seattle
 
Hooked
@whereshaldo avatar
Stella 2T 150, Honda C70
Joined: UTC
Posts: 415
Location: Seattle
UTC quote
Tonight was really a new adventure in riding in the rain. Its been absolutely dumping in Seattle and tonight on the way home I really felt like I had to ford two rivers on my route. The deepest water I went through probably came up above the rim lip on the tires. It wasn't until I was already in it that I thought that maybe it wasn't the best idea. But I made it through and crossed another couple big swaths of standing water without incident.

I doubt you want to get the exhaust beneath the water line, but this Stella is already about 100X more weather-stable than my old Passport with the cracked airbox.

h
UTC

parallelogramerist
Joined: UTC
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parallelogramerist
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Posts: 5036
UTC quote
Zero problems on my P2 with water going over the tops of my shoes while they were on the floorboards. I probably wouldn't want to go much deeper. The engine fan was spraying water everywhere. Reason being I was cutting cross country and took a shortcut though a creek. Did i mention that i live in a rural area?
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Enthusiast
Vespa T5 251, Lambretta GP200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 74
Location: Leeds, England
 
Enthusiast
Vespa T5 251, Lambretta GP200
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Posts: 74
Location: Leeds, England
UTC quote
I always seal CDI boots HT/suppressor and electrics below carb height with a low density silicon (Blue Hylomar). Living in a wet place you learn how to keep it going. The exhaust is not a problem so long as you keep RPM above 2k and go slow....always slow when fording.
@rob98801 avatar
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Addicted
85 Vepsa PX150E with sidecar, 80 P200 with sidecar, 96 Goldwing with Hannigan Sidecar, LR87aj5, LR91aj3
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Location: Central Washington State
 
Addicted
@rob98801 avatar
85 Vepsa PX150E with sidecar, 80 P200 with sidecar, 96 Goldwing with Hannigan Sidecar, LR87aj5, LR91aj3
Joined: UTC
Posts: 578
Location: Central Washington State
UTC quote
I have ridden with the water just coming over the floor keeping my feet up on the frame. The worst part was not being able to see potholes in the road surface.
@oopsclunkthud avatar
UTC

Banned
3:5
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Location: San Francisco
 
Banned
@oopsclunkthud avatar
3:5
Joined: UTC
Posts: 8909
Location: San Francisco
UTC quote
CDI deals with it way better than points
@christopher_55934 avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
2007 Stella 225
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3547
Location: Rochester, Minnesota
 
Ossessionato
@christopher_55934 avatar
2007 Stella 225
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3547
Location: Rochester, Minnesota
UTC quote
Rob98801 wrote:
I have ridden with the water just coming over the floor keeping my feet up on the frame. The worst part was not being able to see potholes in the road surface.
Or a section of road that is no longer there.
@scootermarc69 avatar
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Ossessionato
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Location: Santa Margarita,Ca.
 
Ossessionato
@scootermarc69 avatar
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Posts: 2101
Location: Santa Margarita,Ca.
UTC quote
When I brought home my first Vespa in 1986 my dads co worker, 'the motorcycle enthusiast", sent him home with one of the motorcycle rags of the day that had a cover article chronicling the lowly Vespa(P200). They made the claim that the air intake being located under the seat was so that the scooter could ride through water up to that level. I have a memory of the accompanying photos showing a test rider in MX gear fording a creek.
@chrispa avatar
UTC

Hooked
1964 V90, 1974 Rally 210, 1974 Primavera 135, 1974 Ciao, 1977 Rally 200, 1982 Bajaj Gopher RE (3 Wheeler)
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Posts: 171
Location: Michigan City, Indiana
 
Hooked
@chrispa avatar
1964 V90, 1974 Rally 210, 1974 Primavera 135, 1974 Ciao, 1977 Rally 200, 1982 Bajaj Gopher RE (3 Wheeler)
Joined: UTC
Posts: 171
Location: Michigan City, Indiana
UTC quote
My wife and I got caught in a torrential downpour a few years back - not the funnest ride ever. For the record the throttle cable seized up the following riding season. She snapped this as the fun ended. Soggy times!
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
@jimvanmorrissey avatar
UTC

Addicted
Vespa PX200
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Posts: 550
Location: Belgrade
 
Addicted
@jimvanmorrissey avatar
Vespa PX200
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Posts: 550
Location: Belgrade
UTC quote
Here's a video of a mountain creek in Peru coming up almost to the floorboards:

https://youtu.be/LqxmiwfD2j0

No big deal. Something that shallow (just under a foot) can be safely traversed for a while. You might get some water in the exhaust if you stop and let it idle though.

When you get submerged deeper than that, beyond the floorboards, the first thing to go would be the stator. Water can get in there behind the flywheel and start mucking with the coils. The CDI connectors are another 4-5 inches higher up meanwhile, which would the next concern.

That said, if it's a narrow crossing and you keep the revs up and your CDI connectors are somewhat insulated, you can get away with a fair bit deeper, a foot and a half or so. Just pray that the area behind your flywheel doesn't turn into a fish tank.[url][/url]
@socalguy avatar
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bodgemaster
63 GL, 76 Super (x2), 74 Primavera (x2), 79 P200, 06 Fly 150
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Posts: 7070
Location: So Cal
 
bodgemaster
@socalguy avatar
63 GL, 76 Super (x2), 74 Primavera (x2), 79 P200, 06 Fly 150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 7070
Location: So Cal
UTC quote
Awesome vid ^^^

First the heroic ease traversing of the stream, then the trek back to retrieve your camera. Both equally respectable in their own way.
@v_oodoo avatar
UTC

Style Maven
'74 50s x3 '78 P200 E '84 Cosa '91 PK50XL2 - & - '58 AllState '68 Sprint '66(?) Super125 and '72 DanMotor Super150
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Posts: 9512
Location: seattle/athens
 
Style Maven
@v_oodoo avatar
'74 50s x3 '78 P200 E '84 Cosa '91 PK50XL2 - & - '58 AllState '68 Sprint '66(?) Super125 and '72 DanMotor Super150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 9512
Location: seattle/athens
UTC quote
I've been half way there during downpours in Greece for short distances, no big deal.

The thing that worried me more than all the rest would be possibility of cracking the cylinder if it caught a big wave? Never heard of it happening, but if I wanted a dirt bike to ford creeks, I'd want a smallie just because you keep a lot more out of the water! Now just figure out how to seal the flywheel and add a snorkel.....

Or just get a damn Ural!

External inline image provided by member with no explanatory text

https://youtu.be/kZxhTjaCmso
UTC

Molto Verboso
LXS 150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1203
Location: The OTHER South Bay, CA
 
Molto Verboso
LXS 150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1203
Location: The OTHER South Bay, CA
UTC quote
Rob98801 wrote:
I have ridden with the water just coming over the floor keeping my feet up on the frame. The worst part was not being able to see potholes in the road surface.
Did that once. Ok, maybe twice within a couple of days during a rather wet period here. I think it contributed to -- but wasn't the only cause of -- an early variator belt failure. (8000 mile belt went out at 5000 miles instead; wasn't a Vespa.)
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Hooked
Sportcity 350ie
Joined: UTC
Posts: 135
Location: Zagreb/Croatia/EU
 
Hooked
Sportcity 350ie
Joined: UTC
Posts: 135
Location: Zagreb/Croatia/EU
UTC quote
Air inlet point is limit. If water go above this point you're in deep s...
Hot cilinder, head and exhaust pipe also don't lime such thermic stress but maiy survive.
@modkuo avatar
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Addicted
'79 P200, '74 VBC Super, '77 P125 Project, 1978 Rally 200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 795
Location: 32° 37' 40" N, 117° 2' 53" W
 
Addicted
@modkuo avatar
'79 P200, '74 VBC Super, '77 P125 Project, 1978 Rally 200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 795
Location: 32° 37' 40" N, 117° 2' 53" W
UTC quote
glugg
il refirimento storico
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@oopsclunkthud avatar
UTC

Banned
3:5
Joined: UTC
Posts: 8909
Location: San Francisco
 
Banned
@oopsclunkthud avatar
3:5
Joined: UTC
Posts: 8909
Location: San Francisco
UTC quote
Re: glugg
10in wheels is cheating!
@ginch avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
74 Super, 75 Super, PX project, LML off-roader and '66 Blue Badge Smallframe
Joined: UTC
Posts: 8595
Location: Victoria, Australia
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@ginch avatar
74 Super, 75 Super, PX project, LML off-roader and '66 Blue Badge Smallframe
Joined: UTC
Posts: 8595
Location: Victoria, Australia
UTC quote
This was close to a foot deep at the deepest point. Great 3500km ride with SubEtherBass.
Forum member supplied image with no explanatory text
@67gt125 avatar
UTC

Addicted
1967 Granturismo 177, 1979 P200E, 1974 Primavera 125 Hooligans S/C Seattle/Austin
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Posts: 720
Location: Austin, TX
 
Addicted
@67gt125 avatar
1967 Granturismo 177, 1979 P200E, 1974 Primavera 125 Hooligans S/C Seattle/Austin
Joined: UTC
Posts: 720
Location: Austin, TX
UTC quote
"Unrelated problems"
Did a rally here in Texas a couple of years ago. Went through a low water crossing about 12 inches deep. All made it through just fine. Strangely towards the end of the ride, my ignition started to cut out and back in. My otherwise fine P200 suffered from that gremlin thereafter. The dreaded American green wire was rotted and that little bit of immersion did it in. Sensitive creatures these Italian beasts are.
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