Modern Vespa

I just rebuilt my motor, installing a new crank, carb, pipe, and pinasco 177 kit , seals and bearings etc.

I was going along at about 30 or 35 mph when I felt the motor begin to bog down so I immediately pulled the clutch, the engine died and I coasted to the side of the road. There was no shoulder and it was fairly busy so I just popped it in 3rd and restarted. I tried to get some fuel in the cylinder thinking I may have experienced a soft seize.

Made it home without any problems.
I took the jug off to take a look and to check the ring gap and everything looked fine so I put it back together and turned the motor over without the plug just to hear how it sounded. It felt like there was compression without the plug installed and didn't turn smoothly.

I think I found the problem. A bolt on one of the coils came loose and hit the inner flywheel. I should have used lock washers or thread lock when I rewired the stator.

Oh damn, that sucks. Clean it up, reinstall it, grab your multimeter and see if everything is at it should be. You might be lucky enough that the coils are still working - but I would start sourcing a replacement stator just in case. Especially since the weather is starting to warm up now in the PNW. Would suck if the stator died on you in the middle of summer and you had to wait a couple weeks to get another one in the mail.

Yeah. They donkt put lockwashers on those because they have extras laying around the factory.

I might have take-off colils to match you if you need them; i know i have a complete bajaj electronic kit that would fit that b9ike on the shelf.

You might want to get a second set of eyes on. it to see if there is stator damage youj aren't seing.

The coils seem to be working. Actually, its kind of funny before this all happened I ordered new coils to have as spares, and I have an extra stator in the garage. I've kind of warmed up to the old points system now that I have it figured out.