Modern Vespa

Hi all, over the next month I'll be doing some maintainance on my bike. I plan to change the oil and filter, change the gear oil and also the brake fluid.

The brake fluid doesn't completely fill the sight glass and on top of that I have no proof of it being done before (2006 model)

Just for reference if I need to.. Is there a tutorial on here for changing the front pads and or disc?

The bikes on 18500km and the braking seems OK but just want to know for future.

Cheers

"Someone with more knowledge will be along shortly..."

I did a bit of perusing around on the MV wiki, but wasn't able to find anything of that nature. This video from youtube may be of some assistance. However, I'm not sure how much of this information differs from your LX 125. My logic would say it couldn't be too much different, but that's not saying much.

Any savvy MV users care to make a contribution to the wiki on this topic?

Cheers for the reply mate,

Anyone got a guide on this as I really would like to do it myself

lx125man, have you downloaded the UK version of the service manual? It's in the wiki section. Starting on page 205 it explains how to do it. Also, you need to change and bleed the brake fluid every two years. Hope this helps.

Can't seem to find the uk manual

Have you got the link

Cheers

Yes

Workshop Manuals

Click on UK link

then click Vespa

then click LX125-LX150ie

Once you get there download to your computer so you will have it when you need it. I hope this helps.

Mines not an ie model though, although this shouldn't matter so much for brakes should it ?

It's fairly simple to change out the pads. The main problem you might run into is corrossion on some of the parts that hold them into the caliper. As your pads wear, the level of brake fluid in your master cylinder goes down. this is normal, and you don't want to top it off, because then when you try to change out the pads, you will either be unable to compress the pucks, or, if the master cylinder is open, you will have fluid all over the bike. Leave the master cylinder sealed while you are changing out the pads.
Take the caliper off, stick a large flat screwdriver between the pads and compress the pucks all the way into the caliper. Once you have the pads as far apart as possible, remove the pads, and put new ones in. Reinstall the caliper and, THIS IS IMPORTANT, pump the brake handle about five or six times before you take the bike off the centerstand and ride it. Do not squeeze the brake lever until the caliper is installed back on the bike.
If you have not ever gone down to bare metal on the pads, your disc is probably fine, and as far as changing out the fluid, it's like a car, most people don't do it and don't have any problems because they don't do it. Nothing really happens to brake fluid over time, as long as you don't have contaminants getting into the system.
Once you get the caliper back on the bike and pump the brake lever a few times, you will see that the brake fluid level is back up in the master cylinder. You can top it off if you want, but you really don't need to.

Thank you for the reply, I guess I just wanted to do the fluid as I have no knowledge of it ever being done and it's meant to be every two years so potentially it's been in there for 7 years 😁

If it's dark - change it. If light-coloured still (it can happen) then leave it alone. Peasy.

Thanks Jim, to be fair it looks as clear as the sight so I had to wobble the handlebars to see it move. I suppose the level should return up when I renew pads.

Is it really that hard to get the pistons back with the reservoir cap left on?

lx125man,
here is the workshop manual- it covers the LX125 and the LX150IE models, it's not unusual for two models to be covered in one manual:
http://www.wotmeworry.org.uk/manuals/Vespa/LX125-150ie/Vespa%20LX125-150ie%20Workshop%20Manual.pdf

This brake fluid flush is something I am thinking of attempting myself over Christmas, but have not done it previously. Here is the wiki article with some good videos on how to do the fluid flush. It's for a GTS but the calipers will be pretty much the same on the LX, you will get the idea: GTS Brake Fluid Flush

Also a search on youtube brought up this- The trick seems to be to be able to pump the lever and bleed the nipple with just one person. Patience seems to be the word here.

Cheers, I have actually seen that you tube video and I've already got a bleeder tube with a one way valve

It shouldn't be hard, the cap is deliberately not completely air-tight. They'll move quite slowly, just keep a constant pressure going with a screwdriver against the old pads.

well... FINALLY jim and i agree on something... it's only taken, what, seven years?

-g

Changing the brake fluid (probably 6yr old) was the best upgrade I did to the LX.
OMG I feel connected to the brakes.

LX pads seem to last forever. Mine had plenty of life at 27000km. I changed them because I had purchased spares and I figure I'll never need to change them again.

Do you believe that changing the brake fluid made the brakes function better, or do you believe that by changing the brake fluid you somehow become more connected to the soul of your Vespa

Get a 60cc syringe and push the fluid from the caliper bleed screw to the master cylinder. Much easier and less likely to get air in the lines

My brake fluid is clear but the sight glass is definitely not covered completely. (Probably about a third of the way up the sight)

Would you say I could just top up rather than change the fluid fully?

Did you change the pads? If you haven't changed the pads yet, don't add any fluid until you do. If yo have changed the pads, go ahead and top it off.

No not got the pads yet, was thinking there's prob a while left in them as I'm at around 10k km

"Probably" doesn't cut it for pad wear - eyeball them! Use a mirror if you can't easily judge how much pad material is left. Different folk wear pads at amazingly different rates...

However back to the fluid - if you haven't changed the pads, don't top up on fluid otherwise you're just giving yourself more work at pad-change time for no advantage.

For those that do change their brake fluid I have found that an infant bulb syringe works splendidly for extracting the old brake fluid. Mine cost about a dollar at the discount store.

Good advice from jimc using a mirror to inspect the brake pads. With a small mirror and a flashlight it is easy to do.

Thanks for the advice guys

Will visually check them first

well, got a mirror down there today and I really can't see much meat left on them at all so they must be fairly close to the backing plate...

So I've just ordered a set, for the price they are, it'll be nice to do those at the same time as the other bits I have to do.

Sorry to jump on here but this brake debate has made me think of replacing my pads also, and I might get a new set of discs for the hell of it.
Purely aesthetic reasons obviously as the OEM discs are probably fine.
Can anyone tell me if the front and rear discs are the same ?
thanks

finally plan to get round to doing the pads this weekend

Sorry to bore you guys with questions but what's the best way to achieve the pet carrier under the frame, get someone to lift handle bars up a little while I put it under?

I kick it under with a foot while lifting the bars...

Cheers Jim, I know these questions seem silly but just want to avoid a mishap 😉

Bit late to this thread but I think the guys at ScooterWest make some great videos for working on the GTS/LX. Here's a link to brake bleeding but from there you can get to their channel (Vespa Motorsport) with the rest. Lots of little tips and trade tricks along the way too...