Modern Vespa

Handlebars - what. the. @#$%?

1962 VNB - Handlebars refuse to slide down the steering stem.

The stem is clean and greased - the handlebar aperture is clean and greased. The handlebars go halfway down the end of the stem then stop like they hit a wall. Bolt is out, all cables in, but don't see to be involved. Tried a light hammer to the inside of the handlebar body. Nothing.

I feel like a guy who went into a brothel, with money, and never got laid because he couldn't get his pants off.

Any suggestions?

Also, why are these bikes such a tremendous pain in the ass to work on?

there is a shoulder in the handle bar "T" that sits on top of the fork tube then the pinch bolt goes through the "T" and a cut out on the fork tube which stops the handle bars coming off when tightened
they dont go all the way down at least not on mine
do you have a cast alloy head set or 2 pressed steel halfs ?

Thanks for responding. It's not steel - cast aluminum.

A shoulder? You mean the portion that covers the top of the fork tube, yes? I understand that it won't sit flush on the body opening. I'm guessing a quarter inch to an eighth inch is about right, maybe a hair lower.

But should I not expect the fork tube to bottom out into the headset? Right now it's fairly obviously sitting at least a 3/4 inch proud of where it should be sitting.

If I had a Bridgeport I'd be in there milling out the headset - but the aluminum wouldn't shrink in three years off the bike, would it? It looks true and round, and it doesn't catch when it moves over the fork tube end - smooth action.

Is the tube "seating" on the headset tapered? Feel like I need more info. I feel this should be real straightforward and it isn't. Had a buddy look at it and he couldn't figure it out. We're both design/build guys. Something isn't adding up here...

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Look through the bolt hole and see if it's lined up with the notch in the column. If it is then you're alright, if it's not there's a problem.

No, aluminum doesn't shrink. Yes, it took a little wiggling and holding my tongue just-so to get mine on and it still looked a little high, but the notch was there.

I've been saying this to myself the past two days I've had off from work tinkering with my bike. I feel like I've ruptured a disc in my back just trying to change a fuel tap. It was more like a wrestling match than a simple part replacement.

Old scooters may have become the domain of the tinkerer and weekend wrencher, but they were originally designed for people who didn't want to think about the mechanical stuff. That's why it was all hidden away behind sheet metal and inside the headset. Nothing visible but some lovely pastel colors and swooping curves.

They're not designed to be worked on.