Modern Vespa

BV mods completed

* GPS holder installed.
* Mirrors adjusted forward for easier viewing angle.
* CHANGE> Velcroed a garage door opener to the only flat spot on the bike.... CHANGED: Bought a "mini keychain" opener and now it fits in a more hidden and ergonomically useful space above the speedo and below the windshield.
* ADDED: Removed windshield to eliminate loud wind on helmet.
* ADDED: Cut down original windshield 2" and it's now perfect for me (much less noise but keeps the wind and bugs off the chest).
* ADDED: Akrapovic Slip-On (couldn't help myself...)
* A louder horn.

BV mods planned

* An accurate speedo indicating MPH.
* Shorter reach brake levers.
* Coffee cup holder.
*
BV wishlist

* A lower seat without losing comfort or storage.
* A seat that locks without locking the steering.
* An accurate fuel gauge.

Okay, I'll play:

Mods completed:

Hard wired GPS cradle
Heated grips
Adjustable brake levers
PIAA plug and play horn
Prototype #1 foot peg brackets
Removal of seat bolster
Mounting bracket for my Givi top case
Laminer lip windshield

Remaining wish list :

Final footpeg brackets (in process)
Wired lights inside top case (currently in process)
Seat redo - depending on effectiveness of footpeg brackets, may not need this.

I'm sure I'll find a place for drink holder.

Not concerned about the fuel tank - I know I can comfortably do another 35-40 miles once the fuel light comes on and probably get close to 50. Likewise, on speedo, I'm looking at the GPS anyway, so no big deal.

Check in with Old as dirt - he has a solution for you - picture of the adjustable levers he found that fit the BV

Custom paint job (thank you Vespa Sherman Oaks)
Black OEM plastics
Custom bolster-less seat
GPS hardwired in (thank you Vespa Sherman Oaks)
Windshield-ectomy (don't miss it...)
Rotopax auxilary gas tank
Easy on/easy off soft luggage solution
Powdercoated to match metal bar-ends
Dynabead balancing product eliminates unsightly weights (and they really, really work)
Underseat scooter document /map retention cords

Finally, a sensible thread....

Mods in Fermentation:

louder horn

possible repadding/ reconfiguration of seat

mirror extensions (no matter what anyone says about adjustments)

LED brake light addition to GIVI E340 box

bigger windshield to cover hands and push air over helmet.

Projects Completed:

installed GIVI box (whoo hoo)

removed & replaced crescent seat bolster.

Looks great!!!

I'll be asking questions and adding to my lists...[img][/img]

Looks great!!!

I'll play too

Mods completed:

1) home made bracket for my Garmin Zumo 220 (pic below)

2) Large Givi Windshield, cut down to nose height (pic below)

3) Solved problem of siezed centre-stand spindle by drilling a hole half way down the length of the mounting bolt, drilled a transverse hole across the bolt at the centre and adding a grease nipple to the bolt head. The centre stand now rotates about the said bolt but is easily (and regularly) greased .

Mods Planned:

None - I'm a satisfied customer.

Regards, John W.

Ok -

So far I've added a garage door opener button to the blank spot on the right side where it seems Piaggio intended a switch or toggle to go. Velcroed the actually opener up on the soft rubber cover on the headlight housing. Fit perfect and prevented me from having to run wires down to the glovebox.

I've also shaved the bolster. I like it better removed. But those holes... will have to eventually get the seat recovered so I can go no bolster.

Wishes:
Louder horn
Cup holder
Those nifty footpegs I saw from the other thread. SUPER! I'll buy the next set made.
Topbox of some sort. Thinking bestem since the price is right. Mounting will be tricky.


OH ...

And I'm going to swap the wiring on the seat release button and the mode button. Should be an easy swap. Can't easily reach mode button while riding. Don't need to reach seat release button while riding. Piaggio should have swapped them from factory.

Mods completed:

1) Installed Ride-on in my tires. Not sure if that counts as a mod or not.

Wish List:

1) GPS mount (I like how this one was done)
2) Laminar Lip
3) Top box
4) LED brake lights (and possibly turn signals) on the top box.

Pretty standard stuff. I do wish the seat was slightly lower, but I doubt I'll ever do anything about it.

Like

Me too. Sometimes I like to know just how hot it is when I'm riding.
Already removed the windscreen due to the noise. My only planned mod is a new seat from Pirate. Bought a spare from SDG (Thanks, David!). Just waiting for his free time. Oh, and maybe some highway pegs.

Happywanderer, after I pulled my bolster I filled the holes with automotive body panel fasterers from Ace Hardware's bolt bin. They fit tight, I had to tap them in with a hammer. They look like this:

+1

Garmin bracket and windshield look great! -- and the center stand greasing solution sounds impressive!
How did you cut the shield down?

+1, Great idea on the wiring for the mode button.

Syd, I did something similar to my bolster but then got used to sitting a bit forward and added the bolster back again... What is the "seat from Pirate"?

Cup Holder

Bill X

BV mods completed

* A louder horn - Screaming Banshee

* GPS holder installed

* Came with a Nive GIVI top case. Light is hard wired.

*Tail Light Modulator

BV mods planned

*Hard Wire GPS Power

* Mirrors adjusted forward for easier viewing angle.

*Wide angle Mirror disks mounted on mirrors

*Mount my Piaggio side cases if I decide to.

*Mount my Piaggio Windshield when the time comes.

I can not ride with the seat in its stock configuration. In little more than a half hour I get severe numbness, "down there".

Pirate is Pirate Upholstery, a highly regarded upholsterer in the scooterverse. I am asking for more room, which means added height, which is not a problem for me. I thought of getting a flat seat like a Stella, but he said the seat front would look like Karl Malden's nose

Since I posted above (yes, since this morning!), I've added another one:

http://admorelighting.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=59





Damn you OAD!

Remove windshield...

Coming home tonight and being driven crazy by the loud wind noise, I stood up to see how much better it would be after removing the windshield. Well, the windshield is already history. I test drove without it and there is much more wind on the chest, but the head is happy and the ears MUCH happier.

Now thinking about cutting down the original windshield to experiment if there is a happy medium, less wind and bugs on the chest and yet less noise too..... Otherwise, if highway riding gets tiring without a any shield I may end up buying a larger one someday.

I used a large frame fret saw. per picture below. It's described in some detail in the (long) thread "Large Givi Windshield for BV350" that I started about a year ago - https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic101236.2

John W.

I went crazy reading all this when I was traveling and ordered a bunch of stuff online that is now on my 2013 BV 350:

1) really cut down Givi Wind screen: I was going after a darth vader helmet look.
2) 6000K white Xenon headlights with ballast, yes there bright.
3) Stiebel air horn, in concert with the stock, Redonkulously loud.
4) givi Top case: BLADE... Too cool, ordered from Germany or UK, I wired it with the remote control and LED Brake lights.
5) Brake light modulator; makes all the brake lights go flashy flash flash.
6) LED pet carrier light bulb replacement
7) LED license plate replacement bulb
8) Grippy grips
9) replaced red glove box and surrounds for Black,
10) took off the puffy bv 350 stickers and just left the 350 on one side
11) added cheeZy stikers in random places
12) Leo Vince Silencer
Coming Soon:
13) Malossi O2 juke-er
14) Malossi lower half
15) custom seat Black leather
16) Black out headlights turns etc.

And? And? Andwherearethepictures?

in so little time???

After a long ride without the windshield through coastal cold and central valley heat wave, I came home very happy. The scooter rides so well and is so fun in so many conditions!!!

Still, I wondered if I could find a happy medium with the original windshield I had removed. I decided to cut it down 2" under the theory/HOPE that it could bring back a wind break for my chest while eliminating the noisy windstorm on my helmet. Well, it worked.

If you don't need huge rain protection or cold weather windbreak for your hands (that only a replacement large windshield can provide), I highly recommend this mod! At least for me as a 5'8" rider, it did the trick - windbreak and quiet!

Mods Done :
Bolster removed - screws put through rubber bits already there and covered with sugru (currently setting).
GPS holder using central bolt method as described on here.

Planned mods :
Audicator
GPS tracker
Louder horn
Remove name Beverly. (Still have the p*ss ripped - not that I care - but .. )

Perhaps mods :
Perhaps expensive exhaust

I have read all the sensitivity about how loud and wind buffeting the wind screen could be from others here. So I knew what I was getting into, some good descriptions and advice.
My scoot was assembled with out the stock screen on delivery, weird... I was like wheres the screen?.. and they were like "we lost it". Ok so I wanted a Givi anyway, and I traded the labor for some other stuff. Then they found it, and so on.
Long story short.
Riding without a screen is in my view IMPOSSIBLE at highway speed. Turbulence is ridiculous at 70-80MPH, not like i'm a whimp but it was pretty hardcore, and dangerous feeling. It was like my whole body was being punched in the torso, and I was rocking back and forth trying to compensate. I turned around on a 100 mile road trip at 60 miles and said forget it.
So I wanted a "mod" low cut windscreen like I got for my GT200. So here is a pic. I added some sound/vibration absorbing foam on the inside, (ugly as shit) but it works. I am also rocking a Shubertith helmet so noise wise its pretty smooth now. I also have a bungi springing tension on the windscreen brackets to stiffen the screen and give it a deeper arc.
so I am a little ashamed of this mod because its not pretty, but it works. I will black it out with some tint and it should shape up nice. Some better solution for soundproofing the inside is what im still scratching my head about.
Part of the noise is coming from the engine, reflecting off the wind screen then there is some buffeting. so I am going to test some fairing edge mods, like a round rubber gasket.

just ordered the akrapovic slip-on exhaust for my bv 350. anyone know of any good matte black aluminum grips, like a non-shiny version of the rizoma grips? bling bling, baby!

Sound and performance wise, I don't know what's better since I have not seen/heard/ridden the akropovic.

I have to say the AK looks like it fits the BV 350 better with the carbon fiber bling,
I went with the Leo because I have a leo on my GT 200.. stuck in my ways I guess.
On Sound.... I don't like the raspy sound some of the ducati's with akropovic exhaust, but Im sure its KILLER on a BV 350.

I was kinda thinking mine would backfire like it does on my GT, but it works like stock, you cant even make it backfire.

This kinda describes my winter collection:

My 2013 BV 350 Farkles...

And this covers the RAM mount for a GPS:

BV 350 (or BV350) RAM-Mount Ball for GPS -- Clean and Easy

And what things look like under the plastic:

BV 350 (Partially) Exposed

I have 6000K Xenon lights installed with ballast, ordered on the interweb. Awesome white, haven't gotten flashed for brights yet.

On the rear I have a scooterwest modulator in stalled that does a 4 second exponential flash. The output is the stock brake lights and the GIVI LED kit installed in the "blade" top box.

happy with lighting, makes me feel a little more "seen' in the fast moving traffic commute.

With your post as inspiration, I removed the stock windshield from my BV, and I too am pleased with the reduction in wind noise at helmet level. It is a relief, but I also miss the chest protection. I'm going to try your trick of cutting 2" or so from the top; I have a GIVI large screen waiting to be installed for the wet season, but for summer, a bit of wind deflection is nice too. I just can't stand the buffeting in my helmet with the stock screen.

I'm just under 6' so if anyone thinks adding a laminar lip is a better solution, I'm all ears (as they say)

i just removed the silencer and oy what a sound

As you may know from the other thread, I'm am testing the prototype brackets for BV 350 footpegs.

I noticed yesterday during an extended interstate run that the wind noise and force at head level was significantly less when I had my legs fully extended on the pegs. Made me think that a bunch if the BV wind noise/force around the head might be sneaking up from below, not just buffeting from the screen.

Not sure how that squares with the reduced noise from screen removal. I may try that when I get home from CO, just for kicks.

Go for it, it can't get any noisier and will likely be much quieter. One Tip: My cut job was a bit wavy but I quickly sanded it down to perfection with and electric orbital sander using normal sandpaper (for wood) to shape and smooth at the same time.

Thanks. I rode again today at some higher speeds, and I'm still surprised at how much quieter it is.

So, before I break out the beer, I'll spend some quality time going over everybody's advice on windshield cutting and then nervously cutting some plastic.

But you're right; it can't get noisier than stock, and even a modest wind load reduction will be good.

Exhaust: Note that the Akro sticker was removed which I think makes for a much better looking exhaust!

Windshield: cut down 2" from original

LED strips found on fleaBay. Brings the turn signals up where I can see 'em.
The duck in the background is something called a "Hitch Critter", wired to brake lights.

If I may ask, what were you hoping to gain by cutting your original windscreen? Most are adding bigger screens or removing entirely - just wondered what you were after and how do you rate the results?