Modern Vespa

Hi all, I have a Beverly 350. I noticed that the engine temperature was going up (high but not quite in the red) this morning and the fan running even though I had been making good progress so I pulled over. Turns out that the bottom of the bike was smothered in oil (including onto the rear tyre...). Oil level is right at the top of the dipstick hole. I'm guessing that either coolant or petrol has found its way into the oil - I'll check the coolant level to be sure. Any ideas? Head gasket/water pump seals? It's only done 4,000 miles but just out of warranty. I'd be really grateful for any ideas. Thank you.

I'm not au fait with the the Beverly 350, but your symptoms are classic head gasket blown,
Take it to a shop for a pressure test to confirm, and don't ride it any further as a new crank and camshaft will fit be extremely costly.
Cheers Andy.

Anyone else had this on the Beverly 350? I've seen a number of posts about cheap hose connectors causing coolant loss and overheating, but my engine has never been in the red. Perhaps water pump seals rather than head gasket?

Hi agamsa

I own a BV350 and yes the symptons you describe seem indicative of a blown head gasket however unless you are mechanically minded i would take to a reputable garage to check it out.

I experienced a similar issue on my BV350 however it started with coolant venting from the reservoir cap before finally manifesting in oil passing through the head gasket and making a lovely mess on the rear wheel.

Just out of interest have you noticed a drop in coolant?

If indeed the case you will require a new gasket and depending on the severity of the damage, repair to the head or potentially a new one. Again jumping the gun until you get a proper diagnosis. Shame you are just out of warranty as whilst the parts aren't terribly expensive getting at them takes a fair bit of time.

There have been a few documented issues of overheating BV's on this forum, many of which point to defective hose clamps which cause the coolant level to drop significantly and cause the engine to 'overheat'. This was my case aswell.

I was in denial and thought that my BV being so new could never overheated and must be defective water pump seal. its a PITA to get at but I checked mine prior and couldn't find any issues.

Thank you - I can't understand why Piaggio has not issued a recall for the hose clamps. They are known to fail, are a cheap fix and left alone can lead to engine failure on fairly new scooters. It's shameful that these clamps are not swapped as a matter of course (and without charge!) at official Piaggio services.

Piaggio has a well-deserved reputation for not addressing this type of problem.
The exhaust gasket on the GTS and the BV500 water pump failures are cases in point.
I have to admit that I was hesitant before buying my BV350. I was finally swayed by reviews and assurances from my dealer.

Just wondering, what model year are your BV350s with these issues?
I am probably going to buy one, although my old BV200 has been good to me.

In the UK mine is 2014. I subsequently replaced all the clamps as many people have done which greatly reduces the chance of this issue occurring.

Apart from the leak my bike is close to approaching 20,000 miles and has been relatively trouble free.

We in Europe (the continent...) have a wider choice of 300cc type machines so may choose another bike (properly japanese) as the BV is used as my daily driver.

I agree with what you are saying but cheese clamps are common in the automotive industry as well. There is no profit in going on about the hose clamps when it seems obvious something more than that is going on. You never did say if your coolant level was down but I suspect that is the case. Time to stop fretting over things that may or may not be so and have a trusted machanic take a look at it.

Hi all, perhaps someone could post the sizes of the clamps needed for replacement, before we get in there to do the job. Thanks!

The pipes are approx 20mm & 30mm , 12-20mm clamps used on small pipe from water pump to head ( both ends ) , 22-32mm clamps used on water pump and thermostat.

The same thing happened to mine and it turned out to be a faulty water pump at 3800 miles. It seems that a lot of BV 350'S have coolant issues. Having the water pump replaced was just over $300.