Modern Vespa

I get it now. There's no way that thing steers. I wonder if it's fixed and they just haul it around and set it up.

Bah, I'd make the whole box pivot to steer. SLOWLY though, eh!

But you may well be right. Is that center stand just for insurance? Or the only way to hold that contraption up?

Strangely enough, I just rode the Blue Badge home from town following a trailer with a three-wheeled box bicycle thing like this on it. Like some 'food bikes' I see on the web, the pivot was centered underneath between the wheels and the steering handle swings with the box.

V oodoo asked me to share a bit on the '79 Vespa 100. Italian people like doing Italian stuff surrounded by Italian things, so I put my Vespa in my kitchen and chase people around the house with food (not on the bike, at least not yet...)





I also made a video walkaround of this Vespa about 3 years ago... My production quality was pretty bad back then BUT for those curious about these old sweethearts, I went over some of the unique things about Vespas then versus now. Just wanted to do my part to document a little piece of history.

Speaking of old sweethearts, that's my 12+ year old doggo.

This is my Motovespa PK XL 75. It had spent its life in Barcelona, Spain for its 34 years, it has 10,000 miles on clock. I took hands of it in August this year, it passed its MOT test with no advisory and was finally registered with a UK 'D' plate in October. It needed new stator, brakes, tyres, back light work, front shock, carb tear down, petrol tank clean and some various fixes on broken plastic lugs. Its original paint with many battle scars but adds to its patina. Fitted with a 20mm SHBL carb as standard and a BGM pro bigbox it zips along up to 50mph, fuel economy is a whopping 140mpg. Its very light and for around town, short 8 mile runs perfect for buzzing from a to b. Next year its likely to be receiving a 51mm crank and a polini 130 kit with upgear and engine recondition. Find myself using it more than my DR177 of late as kyboshed my lower back and its easy for me to handle until backs sorted.


Motovespa PK XL 75

Let's see more of these fresh smallies showing up here now, even if it's just a 'before' pic for now.

I just helped a friend with his dream to fix up his old 50s 'like new' for his grandson this summer. Getting it done, up and running well, all before I left Greece was essential.

He brought it in a little over a month ago after telling me it could be pro painted right after Easter, April 24 there and I was leaving May 13. Sounded doable if all went well .


On arrival, in fairly good shape

A day later so painter will have PLENTY of time(he has an oven thank goodness)

Owner Thomas worked diligently at my side getting old and new parts ready to go. He loves this bike, had it since new and kept it protected when he bought a new 70s P200 he rides daily.

Long story short, he panics a week after Easter when I ask where's the frame, I WILL leave the 13th!??? He phones the guy and hollers the Greek way(the guy's a friend) and we get it the next Sunday evening - I'm leaving Friday at dawn and Thursday is out

So three day rebuild and into the night, the new floor rails even went well

We had already cleaned and gussied up the motor which already runs great, one kick every time.

Motor and fork dropped in

Thomas discovers small joke I've played on him!

Brake pedal and center stand installed, let's flip it and get after headset and cables

But first, intriguing colour w/ flash set on. Semiclose match to his P200

Bonus: said Thomas on P200 on Thursday before I left

Now this small battle, cables and wires in tiny places, must be JUST right or trouble ensues.

Done in the nick of time!

It goes okay, Thomas?

That's good news buddy, and that means you're buying!

Nice work, V oodoo! I'm impressed (as always!)

I haven't done anything with it yet, but my Smallstate adventure will hopefully be kicking off in earnest in a few weeks.

It only took me three years to get the GL project going, from acquisition to starting the teardown, so if I can get this one moving forward in a couple months, that'll be lightning quick for me

My 1978 v100 all original, currently running with minimal effort. picked up last year around this time. This one will stay all original no modifications. But it does need a new crank cause this crank keyway is f'ed.


Fresh off the truck when I first got it.

And my recently acquired 1972 v90 with script badge.

As is when I grabbed it last week. This one will get the full pampering with fresh original paint job and tuned engine!

Maybe not, clutch or flywheel side? There is a good proven fix if crank is otherwise good

Well you've seen her before but here's the motovespa pk xl 75 with her big brother 180. She came from Barcelona Spain with one previous owner. No rot , just patina dinks and scratches here and there.

Tops out at 49.5 mph gps , all standard apart from a BGM box touring pipe. Drives like a dream and it's my urban hooligan scoot as it's pretty quick for what it is.

Got a new dr 102 kit waiting to fit and clutch refurb kit too. Going to keep same gearing for now as it's for thrashing around urban areas and it suits it. At 49 mph it's not revving out so figure I can pull another 5mph with the DR so should be just about right .


Pk

By the sea

Little and large

Pk

Latest gps speed

Another beach one

Fly side. woodruff key is seized inside it but sheared/worn off up above the keyway so its essentially useless and unable to remove.

This is doable! Crank surface ain't bad. I will ponder best sequence I'd try, but a hundred ways to skin this cat and ten good ones. Others will have advice too. I'll be back after IF I can get my Sprint to start. The Super/LML was easy.

As you can see from the photo, I tried a few ways to skin the cat.. and failed.

I tried drilling a starter hole and then screwing a screw into it to act as grip for pliers which then I spent plenty of time hitting with a hammer to see if I could get it to pop out. Even heated the crank taper as much as I dared while doing that. When that didn't work, I even said F it and tried using a dremel with small bit to remove some of the material and see if I could get enough out that the rest would be able to be softly chiseled out. I gave up real fast on that when the dremel bit skipped out and tapped the taper just slightly. Didn't want to ruin the taper!

Didn't matter in the end cause I threw the fly on and it ran regardless!

Haha, that's always the quickest fix, IF you clock it right enough, have a good taper and torque it tight.

The damn key is ONLY there to clock it right for you and was never intended to carry the oscillating load of the motor spinning the flywheel.

That is the taper's job and I wish they made brass or plastic keys to do the clocking so when I stupidly don't torque the FW right, I don't mess up the crank AND FW taper surfaces

I'll think a bit more about what to try next now you already gone and shot most of my bullets Gonna have to do with carefully filing it flat so you can make accurate center punch divots and carefully drilling towards center with perfect drill. Do you have blue layout fluid and dial calipers? A Sharpie will work. We may try to drill and tap, put in a hi strength Allen screw, then heat and yank it out.... ?

PS think L O N G screw, small slide hammer


Filing into the crank slightly shouldn't be a problem, you just need definition to find dead center and a good enough surface to punch accurately enough.

Welcome back Voodoo. I can't remember if I already posted this.

Here's my winter pickup. It's a Sears Smallstate with a cutdown frame. It's hotrodded all to hell, and honestly I'm a bit in over my head. Still learning...

Polini 130cc
Mazzucchelli crank
Delorto PHBL 25 BS carb
Reed valve intake
Banana exhaust
Electronic ignition
Sip clutch
Gear kit
Bitubo front shock
SIP rear shock

one thing I'd try before all that fuss is a better wedge UNDER it than the screw you tried. I'd start with a hardened concrete nail and grind it into a sharp curved wedge tip same width as a new key. Start tapping into where you think bottom of key is - that nail is harder steel than that key and can cut itself a starting gap into the key.

Take your time and this should work. Good luck, lap it in nice if it works

Thanks!

OMG!!!!

That looks great . Just seen similar influence on uk eBay , https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185424067310?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=1FDM95yUTAm&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=iZ9ewEGIRA2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Got a lot of interest and pretty expensive already.

What a POS but then you LIKE a good challenge, no?

After buying a house and making the move from Brooklyn to CT, I am finally looking to start piecing together my V50 build and this thread is some good inspiration.

Hoping to build a rider, current build is simple: DR130/PK Ignition/Banana pipe/probably PK clutch and some gearing work.

I want to keep the 3 speed and rely on a torquey, flat power and torque curve to make this something I can ride to the city and back if I want.

Any suggestions welcomed.

One of the great things about a scoot like that is that anything I do will be an improvement.

Have you tried any cutting wheels? I know Dremel has some fairly narrow wheels and metal cutting discs. Might be able to cut a groove or two down center.

Last edited by Christopher_55934 on Wed, 18 May 2022 05:21:50 +0000; edited 1 time

Looks like a 50N, I think the bottom of the line price wise when new. 3 speed, rubber floor trim, no speedo(blanked off w/ plastic), tiniest tail lite coz no brake lite and a few other small things like no external coil, spark from the stator direct but otherwise a 3 speed 50S. Oh yeah, has little baby 2.75 x NINE inch tires that are fun trying to find, is yours converted to tens with the adapter rims?

I had one and put a DR70 on it to get it running, left the rest alone coz 3 speed and I had another w/ 4. It did nice wheelies though, look here on page 2 https://modernvespa.com/forum/post1856637#1856637t and later pages after passed on to Nuttmeg

Thanks for the further info, and everything you said lines up. 9" rims remain, with blanked speedo, although there is an external HT coil so maybe someone swapped the powerplant at some point? Looking to figure all that out soon. Definitely a 50 topend when I received it.

I'll be sure to peruse the link you sent

well, you'll be splitting the case to do a crank anyway so I'd STRONGLY suggest going 4spd and a short 4th DRT tree. you'll also need to change your primary. 100 sport or V90 sounds like it would suit the type of riding you want to do. stock primmy would be great too.

on the crank, just a mazz gas flowed will be more than adequate.

you'll need a carb. unless you can find a 19/19 for next to nothing don't dick around, just get something aftermarket like a polini CP20/21 or a pwk 24, or a dellorto in that 20~24 size. key here is modern carb in that 20~24 size.

the DR is fine and will deliver good smooth power with that set up. you'll be good for 55mph

if you have the dosh, consider upgrading to a polini kit instead of the DR.

I'm all about that silver ratty tatty. I had a P125 that looked just like that and ran like a scalded dog. just a straight smoker all around town and in the canyons.

anyway, cut your losses. a new crank, that's been cut/gas flowed is sub $100 and I assume you're doing bearings and seals anyway... soooo.... even if you keep the hundy top end (which, c'mon man) and the 3 gear (bro. broooo. bruh) it'd be money well spent and you're already there...

add in some EI, a pipe and carb and you cooking with gas my dude.

I love that yellow bike. I'd almost clear coat the damn thing and leave it looking like that and make it a ripper just for S&G's

Yeah I really love the silver one. It's my favorite out of all of mine.

I know I know. It's slow as shit. But something about the sheer unobtanium of 100cc top ends, pistons and rings makes me not want to mess with it. I believe some day in the next few years I will have to because it's kinda weak compression. Barely anything when I kick it. But it runs fine once it weakly starts up!

To be honest.. I already got the replacement crank months ago and all the bearings to rebuild it but I just can't get myself to split it until it's absolutely necessary. If I could find nos rings for it, I'd rebuild it as is with a rehone, but since I can't find that, I'll end up putting a kit on it and upgrading gearbox.

I was thinking of doing some stenciling design work over the og paint as is. Some star wars imperial ship markings and Aurebesh text.

Yellow one, nah it's getting body and fresh paint work. I've got enough ratty frames. I'm tired of everything being ratty. Silver one despite being ratty has some excellent style to its wear, like it's freckled. Yellow one will bea ripper cause I can only tolerate the 100 slow due to the obscurity of that top end. 90cc whatever I'll take that off in a second and throw a kit on it!

I can get behind that decision.

if you don't want the full on zoom zooms, maybe an Olympia 130? they're out there... it's not overtly aggressive, just like a big, slightly updated 125. would run great with a 19 and a banana. throw down a EI on stock stator and slightly lighten the flywheel...

it sounds like a flyer, but have you checked with Myrons and Kyles? they seem to always have the odd shit kicking around. rob hodge used to do the 100 conversion for early 90's so he may have some contact info. failing all that, I think kajiit may have one or two that are decent...

Never heard of them. I'll have to check both them and hodge to see if they have nos rings. I've only found 1st and 2nd os rings for the 100 on eBay but they are fa Italia. I'd have to take the top end apart to even see if it would need a rebore.. but it wouldn't even matter cause I've never seen a standard 49mm piston for it anywhere.. nevermind a 1st or 2nd os piston.

But if any of those you mention has some lying around in the shelf I would be interested in new rings!

Once I get the two large frame projects I've been working on back rolling and running, I'll get back to both these small frames and pull the top end on the 100 to see exactly what it would need for the stock top end. Then if I can't find anyone with random old parts on the shelf, hot rod time it is for both!

I'd bet good money either of them or mercado has 'em. but anything beyond rings and hone? throw a kit on that bish. at a piston kit and bore job you're solidly in kit territory already.

you've already got the 19, so then just snap on a noise maker and call it done.

at sub 200 for the oly kits and less than 250 on the polini cast iron stuff, it just doesn't make sense unless you're getting machine work at little birdie prices and crazy cheap parts.

the polini is head and shoulders above the oly and DR but if you're trying to build on a beer budget an oly or ported ET3 barrel is where you wanna be.

Cool. New tyres and seat cover?

I'll definitely be hunting down some new tires, as I replace the treads on every bike. Just not worth the blowout, and these old CEAT's are dry (but not rotted).

Seat cover is a certainty. I am planning to not tackle any other cosmetics right now. It's pretty rough as it is and I don't mind that, especially as something I want to ride a lot. I have more complete, rarer bikes that I will keep and maintain. This is meant to be something to enjoy

exactly - this is why I have been enjoying the PX build so much. it was a heap to start with, but a heap with just enough potential

For sure! That was the GL to a tee and the VBB wasn't far off because it had already been resto-bodged by my father-in-law and his buddy before it ever even came to me.

Have you found new 2.75 x 9 tires or are you going 10" conversion?


tiny 2.75x9 on bike, giant 3.00x10 along side on Mercato adapter rim

and you are gonna hop it up... tsk, tsk . better get later TEN inch hubs and brakes front and back along with all the rest if you want to stop better.


little speed... therefore little tire, hub and brakes

Also, Mercado has your oddball rubber only floor trim here: https://www.scootermercato.com/Scooter-Parts/Floor-Rail-Rubber/4953



back in my reckless youth, new DR70, 19 carb & a loud ratty pipe.
Ha HA, outa control on those tiny 9's

Hi Terry! Welcome back!

----

OK. I swore I'd never get another smallframe... but, but OG paint... and the fastest orange ever made! Runs, but of course needs some electrical attention and some minor tinkering.


Running, but 3rd in line for maintenance. Gotta get the proper bezel sorted ASAP.

That's OG paint? That thing looks practically new!

^^^ Primavera?

Looks just like my first USA bike! But cleaner .

Yessir... now, that lighting is hiding many little blems, but overall SUPAH DUPAH clean. With one great exception. The battery door doesn't close correctly and has slid down the pavement a few times over the years. That will need to be sorted. Looks like small ding on the frame right where the back of the battery door connects.

Yes Sir!

Last edited by Birdsnest on Tue, 17 May 2022 20:18:14 +0000; edited 1 time