Modern Vespa

They don't ship separate parts, they ship when they have a full shipping container coming to the US.

Thanks. It will take a long time then.

Sadly a common occurrence with GY6 engines. Heat-cold cycles and vibration eventually take their toll. Perhaps some variation of silicone bushing and grommet vibration isolators would enhance longevity?

You mean on the bolts to the bike?

Will the silicone bushings withstand the heat?

Thank you.

I have rented a lot of scooters around the world of all brands except a vespa. I was supposed to go to in Italy - vespa road trip - with a friend at the start of the pandemic, the trip was canceled ...

In the spring I bought myself a 2008 vespa gts and WOW! What a machine, fun to drive, reliable, powerful and above all, stylish! It turns the heads of young and old, women and men. What do you want, it's Vespa, THE brand of scooter I dreamed of. I don't regret my choice, at all.

If you find the new ones too expensive, buy a used one! It's more fun to drive than anything I've rented over the years and even more fun than my ex GSX-S 750 Suzuki 2016.

You might want to contact Matt Many at www.partsforscooters.com
They have been selling Chinese scooter parts for a long time and he might be able to recommend and available one that they have in stock.

Not all GY6 pipes expire. my 2008 crate scooter from Bashan was still in better than good condition after 10,000 miles and ten years. I did have to tighten some of the mounting bolts periodically as the vibration from a single cylinder engine can be pretty overwhelming.

Thank you for the link. I will keep it as a plan B since I have already placed my order.

Not if you order a container full. eBay the rest, you'll make a fortune.

Sadly, the Chinese scooter parts market is a race to the bottom in the US. All the decent midlevel brands are gone, because they look the same online, and paying $1500 for something when someone will deliver one to your house that looks exactly the same for $799 seems like a rip-off if you don't have a clue about scooters. We started out with Keeway, and they were great $1200 to 2200 scooters, but you could get a scooter that looked the same at Pep Boys Auto Parts for almost half the price.

Also, the high end Chinese companies sort of screwed themselves in the US by using one lab for EPA compliance, and then sending in the exact same test results for every make and model they brought in. That's what killed the Chinese 2T in the US. It's like they just can't help themselves when it comes to figuring out a way to cheat the system. It worked the first three times, but not the next seven hundred.

Bah ... Illusionists and traffickers of other people's ideas, what can you expect... Or at least those who would like to make the world a landfill of "little use and a lot of throwaway" products, here is the problem ... Why is there no control when leaving the country of origin? If they can't (I don't think so), it's better that they leave the world market ... if they don't want to, it's a crazy and thoughtless plan. Are they stupid or what?
But not all of them, there is someone who acts seriously.
I have to admit that QJ seems to be doing good things.

I ran a small independent shop and worked on all brands. I stopped working on Chinese scoots because of quality and parts availability. With a dealer that cares, maybe this'll work but there is a tremendous turnover in Chinese companies.

That said, you bought a scooter and only one out of three was good...

Got out of the business 7 years a go and now retired and ride my 06 250GTS and a couple of old BMW airheads. For work, I own and operate a scenic cruise operation in the San Juan Islands using a Grand Banks 32' Ride the scoot to the docks, cruise around in beautiful scenery, get paid, ride the scooter home. Life is good

This Amigo Jax 150 related posting is a representative example of why GY6 engines require enhanced vigilance . . link.

I was talking to Matt Many at Parts for Scooters this morning. They recently downsized to a smaller facility so initial indications were business was shrinking. He explained the move to me.

The new warehouse is great, after creating a more efficient warehousing system last year, we didn't need as much space, so we dropped about 5k sq/ft, and have the ability to carry more product now at the same time. We're pretty excited.

Product has been tough to import due to a lack of available container space this year, but we've managed to do OK regardless. Honestly from a purely business standpoint, this has been our best season in a few years, so if someone is in trouble IMHO they're doing it wrong.


And before someone crawls on me being a shill for the Chinese I used to be a newspaper reporter. Matt carries a line of parts for some different brands. Knowing where and who has parts is power.

Matt and parts for scooters are awesome. Matt knows much more than just Chinese scooters as well.

Even I'm annoyed at the weld on that pipe. Two spot welds holding it to the bracket? Dumb. It's built to break. Other Chinese scooters I've been around were way better than that.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpHouSb9AEc&t=3s

Well for me the cost of parts and labor.

I have a 2010 Vespa GTS 300 and I have had nothing but bad luck on this darn thing. I really enjoyed riding it if it was working

Things that needed fixing

Waterpump assy
Voltage regulator

Right now the oil and the coolant is mixing and they told me to start with the Water Pump. In the mean time I get on this Wuhan special scooter and all I do is put gas in it and she goes zoom no drama. She not as sexy as that expensive Italian Slut but I can get to point A to B no problem

Is a japanese scooter no good? It is a better alternative to chinese jars.

So, someone replaced the water pump and now you are getting coolant in your oil? There must be a story here, and it is not so simple as saying that Vespa scooters are unreliable.

Don't want to hijack this thread but I am doing process of elimination. Robot from scooterwest said if the pump is bad it can cause the coolant and oil to mix. I sent the part to get completely rebuilt and about to put the fluids and if it does not fix it. The head gasket is next. Its an on going project in the mean time I am enjoying my Tao Tao

Okay, he replaced the broken exhaust pipe but i would hardly call the rejetting a success. On his google doc he's indicated that he lost half his fuel mileage. Not to mention that he hasn't used it to commute in almost three months or used it for anything in almost two months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjoAUhTRi7Y&list=PLYC3x5sqy61qiFN-JcPP6eQQFgpyFqZKb&index=11&t=99s

I think it's fair to say - and I think it's been said - that there's good and bad everywhere. Chances are if you buy a Honda, Yamaha or Suzuki you're going to get a great bike. But there you'll pay a premium, too. You can get a good Chinese bike, too, but do your research.

As a follow up I rode the ZNEN yesterday. 31 degrees out. I hit 9800 miles, so I am within a couple tanks of hitting that 10K mark that some thought I never would. It hasn't been a perfect run, but I've enjoyed most of it. Could I say that I would have had less trouble with a Vespa? Possibly. I've learned a lot over the last six years, though, and a sincere thanks to everyone here for being part of it.

I had a really great scooter experience this past weekend.


I had done some "spring maintenance" to the ZNEN just recently and took her out for a ride. I stopped at Johnson park to adjust my idle ( I had cranked it way up after getting some bad gas a couple of tanks ago ) and pulling out of the park I passed by this guy sitting on his Harley talking to someone. I'm not sure the model, but it was a custom bobber with more meat on the back tire than I have on three bikes.



I pulled onto Butterworth going north toward downtown and before I got around the first curve I saw him pull out of the park behind me.


Now, I know the ZNEN is no racer, but whenever someone gets behind me on a bike I get a little more self conscious about my riding. Butterworth is a long, hilly, curvy, bumpy drive. I was really focusing on cutting apexes and throttling out of turns and stuff, knowing full well he could catch me. The funny thing was, I lost him in the turns. He'd catch up with me in the straights, but in the twisties I outpaced him.



He did catch up with me at a stop sign and went around me, but as he did he looked right at me and gave me a thumbs-up. That felt pretty good.


So did the fact that I stayed right behind him all the way to town. I mentioned how bumpy and lumpy that road is. I know it pretty well, but potholes are potholes. Still, it was one of those rides where it felt like I hit everything just perfectly. The ZNEN practically danced through the dips and holes. He would pull away from me in the flats, but I'd catch right up when the road got tricky.


It was a good ride.




And, FTR,



I'm not really sure what I'll do when I hit the 10k mark, besides dance around the bike and take pictures. Lots of things have happened since I brought the ZNEN home. I bought the P200 and rode it for a few years, then sold it. Bought the Buddy. Bought the Aprillia. Bought the Stella (new clutch still in progress). With the mods to the ZNEN I might get a grand out of it if I sold it. Then what? Buy something else and start over?

I looked at the Elettrica, but there's no way I'd shell out that kind of money for something not as fast. I just saw a 2012 GTS300ie on Craigslist going for $3950 with just over 5k. I'm sure I could lowball to $3500, but it's still more money out. Might be worth it.

The ZNEN is still running great. There is a really promising bolt on 170cc kit for it, and with that, a new big valve head and new cam I'm out a whopping $300. That might be a good option. And it would give me a fresh top end.

We'll see. The bottom line is over the past few years I've learned a lot, much of it coming from you folks here. And the truth is, I have really really enjoyed riding every bike we've had. And for that alone I am happy.

Safe riding, everyone!

Back in 2009 there was a member on Scootdawg named Dorian. He had a 2008 Lance Milan with a 150 GY6. He rode daily for a year and a half in San Francisco putting pretty large miles on it. At 24,000 miles he got in a unforeseen situation and jumped over a pile of dirt coming down hard. The frame broke on impact but he still rode home on it. He ditched the scooter refusing to repair or replace the frame. But the engine was still running soundly.

Your Znen still has years to go the way you're caring for it. Dorian's Lance Milan was built by Znen.

This is a bit of a problem for folks relying on a Youtube videos but who have little or no knowledge of how their engine works. Robot is a fantastic tech and really knows his stuff. What he said about the water pump failing causing the coolant to mix with the oil is not always true. If the outer seal goes it's just coolant that will leak onto the floor. If the inner crankcase side seal goes the coolant will leak into the engine and mix with the oil. That is a bit less common but it happens.

Top marks for having a go but...always always get a professional to check out your bike before you start spending bucks if you are not used to dealing with issues of this nature! If you have to pay a tech to professionally diagnose you motor first so you know what you are really up against, it can save you hundreds of bucks. So it's a no brainer to do that. Or...speak with someone with knowledge on here before spending money so that someone near you with knowledge might be able to pop over and take a look first before you start spending. I'm on another forum here in the UK and we do that all the time for each other and you get to meet fantastic people into the bargain and save money too. Good luck!

You will never convince me to buy a chinese scooter, rather i buy a Vespa made in Vietnam.

FTFY

Where's the fun in that? I have Japanese motorcycles alongside my Chinese scooter so I don't have to sit while getting around to possibly fixing the scooter. I just think of my Chinese stuff the same way people feel about Classic machines. Occasionally they need fixing, but when it runs well I know it was me that go it there.

... uh ... you do not grasp the irony of things, you loosen up a little, the world (the virus proves it to us) no longer has the borders of long ago.
It is obvious that globalization has shattered the differences even if some are still very evident.
Here we are also discussing for the sake of it, and you reminded me that last Sunday I met a gentleman with a Benelli Imperiale 400 at the bar. And so we started talking about his bike ...
He does not like scooters but having to abandon modern motorcycles because they are too powerful and expensive (even in maintenance) he decided to buy a vehicle that would do the functions of an urban commuter.
He told me completely satisfied, he promised to keep me updated on how his Benelli Imperiale is going and I make the commitment to let you know too.

I would bet its the head gasket - do a leak down on it to confirm

Some said it would never happen. And yet ... here we are.





I'm not sure what direction I'm headed now, but the firs 10K has been a heck of a ride.

Here's to the next 10K.

Currently have a 'came in a box' scooter parked out on my patio, work pal picked it up very budget friendly. Has sat for years, the battery is Not the correct 1, the brake fluid is filthy, front brake doesn't work, she knows Nothing about mechanics, she's not quite small enough to fit in my pocket and those that know me I might like big pockets but I am not big. So, we ordered a book from Amazon, scooter came with Nothing for information.. I googled to learn it was a come in a box, buyer assembled critter. I will help her with it but today's help ended up with me hurting, my bad leg dragging and put a huge delay in my own projects, 1 which is removing the flat tire from my Liberty so it can go to shop for repair. Oh, and the big clue about it being the wrong battery, it's about 1/2 the size of the battery box... wish me luck, I will need Lots of it.

Some said it would never happen. And yet ... here we are.

Congratulations. Znen builds a solid engine and a pretty good all around product. You have many more miles ahead with regular care and feeding.

That's pretty common with a lot of 'chinese scooters. If it's a 50, it should take a 5 amp battery, and if it's a 150, a 7 amp battery.

That probably explains my windshield. That and the Suez Canal bloc

kage!

With the spare parts you could also receive socks, Lolex watches and ... surgical masks?

I was so inspired by Seamus's achievement that I took the plunge and bought this. It has the 200cc (actually 169cc) GY6-B engine for the same money as a 150cc. Things I noticed right away is that the panels are thicker than my previous crate scooter, the engine looks substantially different than my last GY6 and that there's a boatload of emissions solenoids and tubing now. It even came with a Motobatt battery instead of a no name wet cell.

Of course the battery had its terminals opposite the needed location for the battery leads requiring a modification to the battery box since the negative lead wouldn't reach the terminal any other way.

Well ... at least this is nice, it has a sporty look and it looks (I say it looks like Mr. KZ) done better.

I'll be the first to admit that looks can be deceiving so I'll be the first one to admit flaws in the future. It's just MUCH better appearing than the 2008 crate scooter I previously owned. Whether the difference in outward appearances of the engine cases signal better quality or not will be determined.

The seat alone is vented nylon, or something, as opposed to the vinyl sheet of the old scooter.

I'm old. My motorcycle days are behind me. I'm now a scooter kind of person. No more trips to Key West or the mountains. Now I go to the drug store and Publix. From 49cc Bridgestones to 1100cc Moto Guzzis and German and Japanese bikes in between, nary a Harley. One thing I've learned over time. I don't want carburettors, particularly with todays fuel. My first actual scooter was a Vespa 250 which I found to be well made and trouble free. I didn't care for the longevity of the little tires, (a blowout in the rear convinced me of that) so now I've got a Piaggio BV 350....similar tech as the Vespa (fuel injection) and larger wheels and tires and it's as comfortable as my Cali EV was......it also moves out pretty well. As I've never seen a Chinese bike with fuel injection (they may exist), they're not on my list.........