Modern Vespa

Can anyone help me identify what engine is in this sprint frame? The frame is a 68 Sprint (VLB1T) with lots of "patina", and what I suspect to be the original silver paint (that was an original color, right?), it is not a refinished tarted-up asian bodge.

But, the engine number seems to have been meticulously smoothed/ground off, did someone drop in an LML/Bajaj engine, and want to hide that detail?

I only had my older cell phone, with poor camera features, with me, but from these photos does anyone have any insight as to the origin of this engine? The kick start arm does not clear the cowl by much at all (practically touching), and must be manually pushed down to get the cowl off, further suggesting this is not exactly a motor with the ideal proportion for this frame...

The current owner does not really know anything of the history, has only owned it for a couple months, and the previous owner was also a short term owner who bought vintage without really knowing what they were getting into... it was suggested the ASC (Austin) may have worked on it at some point several years ago, so I will follow up with a call to them to see if they have any memory of this scoot as well.

I have a 65 sprint... that engine looks period correct anyway from those pics.

I will say they did a pretty good job removing the vin.

...i am looking in the right place for engine number on a Sprint, right? on the swing arm?

Yeah. Here's a pic of my engine when I first got it before I cleaned it all up.

I've seen NOS replacement cases that were supplied with no VIN, so it's possible that someone replaced the original cases at some point with spare parts, rather than swapping in an engine from another bike.

For your kickstart issue, maybe it was bent in enough by a fall or something to reduce the clearance but not look too out of whack. Compare with another part or bike to check this out.

Also just wanna make sure... that thing that looks like a crack in your swingarm is just a casting imperfection or something, right?

I thought so.. but hp may be right.

Sammy! were's the vin on your sprint motor?

Yeah that's where engine number should be. I'd snap a picture but mine's at Bar Italia getting full rebuild!! Yay. Excellent birthday present from fiancé.

i agree with Hp, in my place there's a replacement half cases with blank vin as well so ur engine is correct

enjoy the bike and cheer

flywheel looks original, does look like a few curry puff bits



goes allright does it




man indians love scooters alot of servos here have indians on the till/bowser and they always want to talk about the vespa

It's not mine, yet, but I'm considering it, and yes it runs nicely.

I will reinspect the "imperfection" on the swing arm, it looks much more pronounced in the photos than it did in person looking at the bike, but I am rather certain it is a casting glitch and not a crack. I spent quite a but of attention on the swing arm, trying to make sense of the no-engine number situation, pretty sure a big crack would not have escaped me.

The tippy-tip of the stiletto brake lever is also broken off on the engine side, so possibly the kickstart arm is slightly bent in towards the cowl. There is a mark on the cowl from contact with the kickstart, but no scuffs or signs of prior laying down on the side cowl or side of leg shield. ....and this Sprint has definitely not been reprinted or cleaned up with body work.

Which bits?

btw, what's that white rectangular thing attached via the top fancover screw?