Modern Vespa

Here are the issues:

1. There is a metallic brushing/scraping sound coming from my front right wheel that increases in pace as I increase in speed. The sound disappears whenever I apply the brakes.

2. My engine does not start when pressing the ignition button + throttle, instead I'll hold those two down for 20-30 seconds or longer and then it will suddenly turn on.

Any ideas and recommendations for these?

Have you had new front brake pads installed recently? I am assuming you meant ignition button + brake lever (not throttle). You could have a bad brake switch which is an easy fix. Have you tried it using the other brake lever?

1. Brake pads are probably rubbing, due to rust on Slide Pins (from which the pads hang), thereby preventing proper retraction of the pads from the rotor. Remove the wheel, then the caliper, then the slide pins and pads... Polish the pins with fine grit (220 min) sandpaper, then very lightly grease them for re-assembly. Spinning the pins in a drill press makes the sanding operation quite easy.

2. Battery is probably weak ...This is a common problem on some Hondas, in which the bike won't start until you release the starter button (eg Not enough juice to both turn the starter, and fire the coils... but get off the starter, and suddenly the coils have enough juice to fire)

Hi Stickyfrog,
That's a no on the new front brakes and yes I did mean the ignition button and brake lever (thanks : ). I did try both levers with the same effect.

Thanks Alex, I'll put my charger on it overnight and see how it is tomorrow.

Let us know the result on the starting.

ALEXB is probably correct on the rubbing.

had the same thing with the brake pads - turned out to be right down to the metal of the pad, which was rubbing against the disc...

definitely worth a check as suggested. Good luck!

So an update,

I took the bike off the charge from overnight and it will not even turn over. Any ideas?

it could be that the switch is not making proper contact. spray some good quality switch cleaner through the holes of the switch cluster and work the starter button with ignition OFF. Then try starting the scoot.

Try jump starting using a car battery (with car engine turned Off, if applicable). If it works, then you know that your battery is dead.

Thanks folks, so ALEXB, if it doesn't work then that means that my battery is still good?

If it starts using a car battery, then you will know that your battery is bad.

If it does not start using car battery, then the problem lies elsewhere.


Report back, whatever you find.

Hi ALEXB, so the bike did not start hooked up to the car battery.

Does the starter motor turn at all? If not, can you hear the 'click' of the starter relay? If not, do the brake lights come on when you hold in a brake lever? If yes, but no relay 'click', clean or replace the starter button, otherwise clean or replace the brake light switches.

If the starter motor is turning over the engine, but it doesn't start - did you hear the fuel pump prime when you switched the ignition on? If not, check fuses.

If the fuel pump runs at switch-on, do you have spark?

Assuming that the 500 electrics are similar to the 400 this reminds me of a failure that I had. It was caused by the low current relay which feeds the main starter relay. This was a yellow relay on the left hand side of the engine bay which had dirty contacts due to moisture ingress. It is easy to remove the plastic cover and clean the contacts with electrical cleaner. Or you can even polish with very fine grade abrasive paper ( not too much the final plating is usually very thin).

When I put the cover back I bound it up with tape so that water could get in and it didn't give any further trouble.

Regards Roadster

hard starting, replace the spark plugs

Update:

So while taking a look at the plugs, I removed the power cords and then thought I'd see what happens if I try to start the bike and boom, I got ignition attempt and I now know it's not my switch.

So I grab some ignition cleaner spray and blast the heck out of the inside of the two power cables and the tips of the plugs and now my bike is back to starting as it should.

So thanks to everyone who helped me out on this. I called my mechanic about the front right wheel noise and he said it sounds like a loose bearing so I'll be bringing that into him next Thursday.

how many miles are on the plugs? If anything close to 6,000 I would replace them.

Man I have over 18,000 on the Iridium plugs. So - when you replace them get the Iridium plugs - a little more but worth it.

Back in the UK, I have over 30,000 miles on the original plugs.

As soon as I notice one failing I'll replace both - but not on time or mileage. Plugs tend to work or not work in a modern engine - and as there are two, it's *very* unlikely they'll both fail at once.

at 42k kms am still on the original plugs

In the US we have been instilled with the mentality of a "points-n-plugs" tune-up ever so many miles. Once upon a time plugs were that short-lived but these days (especially without lead) they just keep on rockin.

Yeah, those of us that recall the days... Points plugs cap and rotor. Seemed like a monthly ritual on my '65 Comet. And I don't miss that ritual!


. . . .

22 thousands with original plugs

We knew what the term shade tree mechanic meant. We had to learn a certain amount of how to fix things. My 17 Year old grandsons idea of repairing things along with his father is hey dad. I told my son the same thing dad told me. If you are going to own and ride it, you are going to earn and repair it. Just a old man reminiscing.

LOL! Same with the red '64 Comet I bought from a RF&P railroad detective. Complete with bullet holes in a couple of the hubcaps.