I've recently acquired a 2008 LX 50 from a friend who no longer uses it. Short story long, she had it sitting in her back yard, exposed to some harsh coastal elements for far too long. I had fixed it up for her once before two years ago, and used this forum and YouTube for the knowledge I needed to crack open the scooter and tackle the biggest issues. I had replaced the belt, rollers, spark plug, fuel and air filters, and cleaned up the carb that was all gunked up. I rode it around for a couple weeks, tuned it up some, and it was running great when I gave it back to her. I didn't want to give it back, as it was SO MUCH FREAKIN' FUN to commute to work on it. It was my first scooter experience and I really fell in love with Vespas.
Fast forward to this past November. Vespa is sitting in her yard, albeit covered this time. I ask her if she needs me to tune it up for her, and she says "No, it's yours. You seem to enjoy it so much, I've got two little ones and no time to ride it. Just take it." I was floored! I insisted she accept the money that she put into it for parts (about $200) which she did reluctantly.
So now it's my winter project. Since I've already been elbow deep in it previously, I'm going to upgrade some components and use it as a commuter in the spring. I already have the Malossi multivar and CDI from Scooterpartsco. Eventually I'll do the Malossi 80cc kit, cam and carb upjet. Cosmetic stuff, like the switches and badges, will get replaced as well.
From all that I've read this seems like a nice community to be a part of. I'll post more pics of the progress as things move along. Happy New Year everyone!




