Modern Vespa

lol...yeah. Good eye. And even after deflating the tires the oil pan still didn't quite have enough clearance. A few hard yanks on the engine hoist and it slid over the core support though.

ah, the "pucker moment" of an engine pull.

nothing like a damn near 1000lb pendulum swinging around at about eye level.

Put a set of headers on that beast, with a set of thrush mufflers.

Win some lose some day.

I have sorted the electrical on the Michigan 74 primavera. Everything is now sorted and working and that's always a win with the clunky 74 electricals.

In the loss column: The housing of both front turn signals were broken internally. The screw receivers are snapped... like at some point someone thought the yellow glass screwed or popped off? I dont even know? Strangest thing.

And then...this is on me... womp, womp... I knocked a OG CEV tailight cover off the work bench and it landed just perfectly on the concrete so that it snapped clean in half. I stood in disbelieving silence just staring at it in awed confusion. Brittle.

(May try and epoxy it back together.)

Oh man.
Bummer.
This repair video is incredible.
I have no idea what he's doing - but the wet sand and polish might come in handy.

https://youtube.com/shorts/w5wezeozWwY?si=m79UIJCS6p82zctg

Turn signals: fire up a pic. Maybe there's a fix to be had?

Well, dig that...

I need to know what hose little needles are. It's like plastic acupuncture

Will post up turn signal pics for the team to access when I get back to the casa.

I'll be looking forward to the pictures.

I think I understand what you're saying. If it's what I'm thinking, the answer is that it's like they asked for the worst possible design of that part because turn signals ruined the aesthetic and everyone should want to remove them, then went with it.

As to the video, I understood most of what he was doing and I don't know that the little needles are necessary. I'm more curious how he managed to do the resin fill with no hairline.

As an aficionado of the kludgy US-spec tractor tail light (see avatar) this saddens me.

It's actually the side reflectors that make it a little hard to find.

If you can't repair it, Bar Italia has non-CEV replacements with the side reflectors. They also have CEV replacements without reflectors.

Maybe you can salvage it. You might be able to pry the old reflectors off and glue them on a new lens. Worth a try.

Jeff, is this the one you need??

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335126174421?hash=item4e07139ad5:g:FfMAAOSw2dRlWaAl&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwGE2CDnWpXQNmFE%2B64aBqlM5tupY23bXATXIUVqvCGNilKSKi%2FNYcsn22cz8SyOTqSvDWCXUKbT0YylR0rQVFQIIJQaa0Iqy%2FS5bJOh2CEIAB1w5cIeWoDFwzyPNMVKh3bQWdq2WOdtjVP%2BCz5MULsDhspgychWrRR0VfR91hIOiOX29k2jWik5UPEHZlXqUJStNiF1NDfCyFTWPdZs3athxMdC5R9wNLUtCY4k0XJyhifFiGIDXW5Ah7Bt8R6rdRA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7617eyCYw

True story:

Someone backed into my parked '74 Super and smashed the whole signal bracket and all. She tried to leave but didn't know how to back up fast enough to not be chased down. Got her info.
Wen't on Ebay and out of nowhere, TWO complete NOS signals/brackets for $25.
So now I have a spare. And yeah, those under-powered bug eyes were not Piaggio's shining moment!

Treatland has both NOS and used lenses. 15% off till the 29th if you use the code "kittens."

https://www.treatland.tv/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CEV-turn-signal-173-LENS&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cse&gclid=CjwKCAiAvJarBhA1EiwAGgZl0GiJP1gFInPn4T7y6QGOJCABIBiqzwfWyjps1Ipy92FnGvMRTuC8ixoCQMkQAvD_BwE

https://www.treatland.tv/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=USED-CEV-turn-signal-173-LENS&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cse&gclid=CjwKCAiAvJarBhA1EiwAGgZl0F_awJZuK04_9ADcAZtHADX6C-815uCEPSSgoE8brE_67TanLGnYthoCdPAQAvD_BwE

*Oh...Tail light
I have one. Let me take a look...

Have an SAE A 78 on the Super and a CEV 174 on the shelf.
They're identical.

https://www.treatland.tv/original-CEV-tail-light-lens-for-9350-tail-lights-p/cev-9350-tail-lens-big.htm

Here you go! Stateside even.

https://www.treatland.tv/original-CEV-tail-light-lens-for-9350-tail-lights-p/cev-9350-tail-lens-big.htm

That's the one without side reflectors.

Sadly, I know a decent amount about the minutiae of these lights because I broke SoCal's during RoM this year...

Well dang

Birbs,

If needed, I have a relatively minty one. Sourced a spare for my P's and Ciaos.

Pretty sure I have a nice set of CEV indicators at the shop too. Bought 'em in the mid '90s for my old Rally. They've been loitering for a good while.

Bought a set of the black CEV light off Treats for my Aermacchi SX125. They look snazz enough for that crunchy old turd.

All you people... you fuckers... you are what make the NSM spin.
Gratzi.

No need to raid stashes yet! Right to repair and all... I bought some red acrylic epoxy die... so we will do some arts and crafts and see where we land. Hell, maybe I'll die the epoxy gold for the kintsugi effect.

And as far as turn signals go. I need to see what my stash looks like. I may have one. I know I have extra posts, but I doubt I have 2 complete signals. As mentioned will post pics of those later for the collective's spit balls and thoughts to see if the broken ones have salvage potential.

Contrary to the the majority of folks, I have a weird affection for the bulbous, poorly engineered turn signals. They are a certified design disaster. And AND, it's even more amplified on a small frame... but I think they're just ridiculous enough to save.

Anyway, thanks again peeps for the links and the offers of raiding your personal stashes. Wallet will open to pay accordingly if needed.

pics soon...

If you need to go shopping, you have a couple options:

https://www.treatland.tv/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CEV-turn-signal-173

Not perfect, but pretty close:
https://www.scooterworks.com/Turn-Signal-Assembly-1970s-Vespa-

I might also have a spare. Or I can resurrect to my efforts at Fabricating Unobtanium US Turn Signals if you're coming up short. I still have all the molds, just need to get a pressure vessel to get rid of the last of the air bubbles.

I got a mention in our community newsletter!

^^^^
That's awesome.

Started a thread on the turn signal hootenanny:

https://modernvespa.com/forum/post2651506#2651506

lol...yes, you said it exactly! It was a VERY high pucker moment when it was swinging back and forth. I had a buyer for the ford engine before i yanked it, so i would have had to do some explaining to do if something went south. My engine hoist ram sprung a leak so i borrowed my friend's el cheepo hoist. Though you already know this, but just because a hoist is rated for 2000lbs, it doesn't mean that it can manage a 1000lb 12 valve cummins engine. Before i do my final dry build i'll have to come back and remove the smooshed oil pan. The large dents either needs to be pounded out or just replace the pan. Hopefully the oil pump pickup didn't get bent.

Had a good chuckle and reposted:

^^ Great stuff

This should be a required question on a rider competency exam:

What happens to your two-stroke top end when you do a 2.5 mile WFO pull up a 5% grade and snap the throttle shut at the top?

I sent this to my wife and she laughed, so I'm totally doing it now.

What should Santa bring me?

After my first engine seize, I somehow got into the habit of pulling the clutch and giving it a couple revs whenever I slowed down after a fast run or long hill climb. Just a little insurance.

Yeah me too. Also helps uncramp those fingers that have been hovering over the clutch for the last half hour...

It's also what you see on just about every dyno run as well.

It's a trick question. If it's a stock P200, then nothing happens.

unless you filled the tank with regular unleaded in 1986, then you wouldn't make it to the top of the hill without holing the piston.

given your track record probably a new quattrini cylinder and some safety wire & pliers?

but Christmas isn't about what you need it's about what you want, leave the pragmatic shit to another holiday, like flag day or something and shoot the moon

If I'm gonna dream, I'm gonna dream big.

OR, if you're suicidal with deep pockets, why not a murderous smallframe that will definitely try to kill you on every ride???

https://www.egig-performance.com/produktseite/egig-304ccm-motor

And then, there's also this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BqhVQtCgCs

Ever going to do a 306? If I ever had some kind of windfall or fat tax return, I would be tempted…except that it's way overkill and you could probably build a couple of nice tuned engines for that kind of money. I don't see a lot of people jumping in.

Oops. Missed the second link in your post.

I'm just guessing with this set up ^^^^ that you would maybe be able to get it into second gear around town? Or it's a pure race track scoot? Either way, it sure is interesting to see what SIP can do with these engines.

Rain out in Houston... blowing a gale and the one car garage was cram packed with extras avoiding the wet of the storms. Accordingly, I had no room to work. :-/

I was brave enough to ask mamma-bear if I could epoxy in the house? (She has an aversion to VOCs and anything that smells "chemically".) I opened the tube of epoxy for her to give it a whiff... the eyes communicated a silent, but definitive 'No fucking way."

Opened a some vino, sulked with the dogs on the covered porch. Bollocks.

If anyone has the cash. Brand new, Japanese market V50s...

https://www.ruotedasogno.com/it_it/moto/piaggio/1996-piaggio-vespa-50-s-japanese-market.html

Saw this bike a while back (online), fresh out of the crate.

It's so crazy…!

But the price is nuts… it's only a 96 one.

So they did come out with just the black tank…

I already listed the M-200s! How much dead-er do you want me?

Seriously, I would really like to do an M-200S build, but that's a massive investment. About $3-4k off the top of my head. A grand worth of extra go-fast parts for my P200 motor seems like a more likely spring adventure right now.

Semi-unrelated, I hit a bump a couple nights ago riding in the dark on the smallstate that almost put me on the ground. I was doing about 60-65 in 100% "too fast for the conditions" mode and a pothole (all-too-common here in Nashville, so I should have known better) sent me flying. The little rack I made for my legshield rack bounced off, so assuming it's on the side of the road, I need to go back and see if I can find it.

Picked up another p-series today but not sure the model or year. Someone said it might be a 'small frame' but doesn't match anything I can find online. Maybe someone knowledgeable can help?

Hmmm… not sure, I didn't find anything either 🤔

That rear brake lever looks kinda wonky… that can't be stock, right?

I think it's a Tinyframe. They're pretty rare. Have that distinctive centerstand that almost looks like wheels if you didn't know better.