Modern Vespa

Basically going to share this cutdown project and frustrations I'm sure along the way. I am going to start very basic and progress into finer tuning and performance as I go. As time permits I'll update.

Picked up a basket case 200e for 500 bux. It was already cut so I'm starting with that ...i am not focused on cosmetics at all until i have everything else complete...welled up holes..oil sight and custom seat and drop bars ... will be doing mild tuned malossi with PM tuning pipe.

Last edited by Roliver1972 on Mon Dec 16, 2019 8:38 am; edited 5 times in total

I'll be following as your past projects were fantastic!

So cowls painted,
Engine rebuilt and running
Handle bars chopped, shortened and waiting weld
Rear brake moved back 6 inches or more
Still working on the seat
Flush gas cap added to tank
Working on diamond plate flooring
Working on brackets for steering damper
Disc brake added
Working on fiberglass fender and belly pan/ spoiler
Reducing size of glove box
Added rev counter

Cool! Keep em coming. A past member (RIP) T5bitza69 did some great work. I noticed you joined recently, you may want to look at some of his older posts. We all miss him and he had some beautiful scoots.

Cutdown scooters.......

Murderöné

Nice to see the progress your making, lots of pics please , share the knowledge.
Got the frame on mine all stripped to metal, actually didn't take long at all once I got going.

I made the seat from a plug made out of foam, and then a mold from that. First attempt to make anything from fiberglass...its not exactly the way I want it but getting there. Also making a hugger style front fender and belly pan the same way. This week I'll post more pictures of this process as I get going with it. I am trying to have everything ready so I can fix the seat, do the fender and belly pan all at the same time. Once that is done I'll prep everything for paint. Sealed up all the holes in the backside and added a led strip for tailight and blinkers which and inset with the bottom of the frame.

Last edited by Roliver1972 on Sun Feb 09, 2020 4:21 am; edited 1 time in total

Watch out southern california we are coming back!

Moving that rear brake back is a pretty cool idea! I've always wanted to fab up workable rear set on my P, but never looked into any further.

And are those Bajaj Chetak cowls, or just cut down P?

I'm also interested in seeing what you come up with for a steering damper...another thing which i never sorted out to fit on my T5.

Stock p200 cowls....hammered out what I could, bondo for the rest. Working on a bracket for front fork rather than steering column. My concern is with clearance issues. I don't mind losing some of the turning circumference but trying my best to avoid going through the leg shield. I am a ways away from finishing this but I will post along the way


a common way of mounting damper, (I am trying to avoid this, but we will see in the end where things turn)

When i built up my T5 racer (it's also a cutdown), i was trying to fit a damper down on the fork somewhere. I never did find a good spot (i wanted full lock to lock turning). I would like to revisit the idea to mount on it somewhere though. I run a center tank on mine, so i don't think a damper up at the headset would work. I don't mind punching a hole in my legshields to get a damper mounted, but i would want to make darn sure that i got the hole in the correct spot on the first try. That Honda damper that's mounted on the Polini bike are fairly inexpensive. Lots of guys in the dirtbike world mount them on various different dirtbikes (one friend has one on his Yamaha, and another friend has one on his KTM XC-W). Siince that's the case, there might be some sort of premade bracket out there that could work (with minimal fab time) to fit on a P series?

My friend fitted one on his VBA (with sidecar). He attached it to the top of the mudguard mount on the fork... so between the mudguard and horncast. The other end was attached to - but not through - the legshield. He took it off when he took the sidecar off. Maybe a less worse option?

This is what I am working on right now..
....

That's a cool scooter great photo

Roliver1972 digging your build sorta like going back in time

Nice work!! Cant wait to see this sweet cut down cutting some corners!! Big props for trying something new with the fiberglass fabs, and working toward fabbing some new tricks.

so there have been a whole lot of changes along the way. my first intent was to rebuild and get it running, then begin collecting, purchasing everything along the way for the final build. I quickly rebuilt the motor, new seals, new everything, rebuilt cush, new clutch, new cross etc... rode a bit and began just tearing it down again.
the photos will show a bit of back and forth with the journey as i got it together, and then began tearing it down again.
it will make more sense as i go further

where the bike is at now.
p200
MHR kit
maz crank
new bearing
pwk 28 carb
transfer ports done, intake enlarged and timed
pm tuning exhaust with shortened silencer (for now)
banded clutch with CR plates and malossi springs
t5 4th
new shocks
hot rod al lightened flywheel




I used insulation foam to shape a seat, then made a mold and poured fiberglass and resin to make the seat. I could have just purchased the evolution from SIP but I wanted a specific shape and design. this is close, but not exactly what I want so I will

trying out options with high density foam. I know for long rides its not going to be comfy,,, well aware

painted and cutout for the gas filler. the pad will come off to a hinged compartment with a vented flush gas cap

acquired a stella for cheap to use the front fork. the remains were sold

rebuilt the motor with new stock everything, p200 with euro head stock 24 carb, got the bike running.

talked to a few welders, and was ensured that they could weld up the bars if I cut them and made a jig,. I was very specific in telling them details and showing pictures. I explained that I was not going to cut them until we knew this was something that

top of handlebars were cut as well, and then I received a call stating, I'm sorry but I cant do these, I don't do cast aluminum. I was very frustrated due to the fact that I had explained this time and time again, and showed multiple examples of drop ba

I decided to work on the body and in the meantime search for someone to do the drop bars. I finally ended up putting an order in for drops thru SIP. only to find out a month later that they don't sell them anymore due to "quality" concerns.

smoothed over the cowls and painted

dry building the bike, once again

out of order, but right before I cut the bars

made some diamond plate floor boards, and moved the front brake back several inches. I am going to relocate the back brake finally when the exhaust is complete. I will be using a pm tuning exhaust in the interim.

speaking of exhausts. I purchased a pro circuit exhaust for a Yamaha banshee. its been cut, rewelded, and now just working on the angle for the header.

here is an example of the banshee exhaust I had on my Lambretta ts1 225 and it worked really well. part of the reason for this decision on the cutdown was the fact that the pm tuning pipe 1 sits really low to the ground. 2. extended past the rear wheel,

finally just ordered a new set of bars, and brake levers while waiting on the drops. Hot Rod Al will be finishing them for me.

stripping layer after layer of paint. down to the original color,, and getting everything sorted. gas switch hole, air bellow, and oil sight welded up.

cutdown the glovebox to fit the narrower legshield. just have to finish the tabs and it will be installed. I will update photos of that process along the way.

removed the tab for the front fender on the fork.

made a recessed taillight cut into the back of the frame. its hard to understand what I did but the curved part is where an LED strip will be placed. this stage is compelte and I will update with more photos so it makes sense.


Last edited by Roliver1972 on Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:23 pm; edited 1 time in total

It's getting there

Almost ready




Lightened flywheel

Where I live we are far from still having snowmen on our lawns..instead it has been triple digits all week...with a high of 116. So I finally said F it and brought the scooter inside. Piecing it back together. Just a quick rattle can job for now...once I get drop bars back I'll break it down again and paint/ powdercoat everything. But for now it will work.


Welded up holes and filled .

Black front grey back...its a long story but a focused on two songs in particular for a friend of mine who passed away. He had the same year p200 and the songs were meaningful in many ways. 1. Everything went black.....and 2. Everything turns grey. So



Claus upper bushing

Getting it sorted

nice work! the LED light is clean

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