Modern Vespa

So I wasn't sure if I should attach my question to an existing 3 year old post or start a new one.

Before I send my frame for final paint, I am looking for advice on the best way to reshape the fork stops in the frame. The stops on the fork are clean but in the frame I have the left side opened up to allow the fork to turn 90 degrees.

First of all- what are the concerns if I don't fix this... like is there a risk that I could jack-knife pretty easily? Has anyone had that experience while driving?

Secondly- if I were to fix this, I don't see a good way reshaping the stop in the frame without doing some damage to the horn cowl. Anyone have some experience that could lend some advice?

Thanks-

When I had the same problem I was able to fix w/o danger of mangling the horncast


I removed the fork to facilitate the cable running up front and also tweak the fork stop which was just missing the lug until I tapped it in about 1/8". Rust proofed up in there good as well while I was in there.

Post a pic of yours, maybe it's not so easy to get at. A long strong lever & the right fulcrum location might be needed to pry the stop back towards the center if you can't smack it w/ a punch from the front like this one.

So I see that your setup is a lot different than mine. My frame is a Super. I can't figure out what year it is as the VIN was mostly sanded off but I believe it is a '75. I tried to get a cold punch in there and bang on it but I can't get it to hold. I really don't want to drill any holes in the horn cowl for access, as I know it will never be the same afterwards. -thanks for sharing

I had some material TIG-welded on the fork.

Your oldest really big screwdriver or similar and hit it around the red X roughly in the direction of the arrow, careful smacks w/ a big hammer until it looks like the other side.

i can think of a couple possible ways but ill leave it to you mate

where theres a will theres a way

A piece of steel flat bar with a slot cut in the end. Use it from below to grip the rim and bend to correct shape. Good luck.

Warhorse- thank you for the advice. I went down to the local hardware store and bought some flat bar and cut a slot like you said. It worked perfectly. I was able to slowly reshape the stop a little at a time without damaging anything else. I was doing some research online and came across a video from the Scooter West guys. They mentioned to actually cut a hole in the horn cowl to be able to bang it back into shape. If they only knew...

One thing I will call out. It is important to try and keep the slot opening as tight as possible when working it over the steel of the stop material. If the slot is too large it begins to round edges when you don't want them to.

On a final note- is there a post that has all the tools created by folks and what they were used for? If not, I am thinking that this would be a really handy post that would be referred to often.

Great work! I need to look at the fork stop on my ET3 - low priority right now, but it does flop in one direction without stopping

you might share your tool in this thread, btw
Random tricks, share your best little tips & shortcuts

Nice work Chilidog and Warhorse. Top marks.

Reviving this thread to give a shout out to Warhorse for the tip. We have literally the identical issue on the yellow Super we're building... same exact shaped little tweak, in exactly the same place.

I'm thinking it might be a manufacturing quirk, but maybe something else is up. Looks like the frame stop itself is about 5-10mm short, and as a result, the fork stop doesn't make full contact. Anybody else run into this?

I fixed the stop on my VBB with the big-ass screwdriver method on Saturday. Total pain in the ass, but it worked just fine once I was willing to hit it hard enough...

The stop on my GL has been reshaped with the screwdriver method, that steel bar has got to be the better way to do this though. Good suggestion!

Would someone out there mind measuring the frame stop on their Rally, Sprint or Super?

The geometry's off somewhere on yellow and I'm trying to figure out exactly where.

Thanks, much appreciated.