Modern Vespa

My wife just came back from the doctor's office. Three biopsies taken and sent off to the lab for testing. Trying to keep a positive outlook, we have been thru this so many times.....

Damn! Sorry to hear it! I avoiding it until the return trip from ROM this year. I was down hard for a few days, then eventually limped back to health.

I think I caught a cold a PVSC Band Camp, which is a little weird since it's a camping rally and literally 100% outdoors. Maybe I caught it at one of the many truck stops and gas stations we visited along the way.

Scoot-wise, I managed to lose spark on the Stella at the rally on Saturday afternoon. Vespas are not really off-road vehicles, so I'd say the failure rate on bikes at the rally was close to 50% if you include clogged jets and air filters.

We (the Snakes) won the award for most members attending (12). I brought my big inflatable snake, which was a big hit, although people frequently wondered *why* I randomly happened to own a giant yard decoration snake. And I was like, "What? You don't?"

Bummer, dude. I'm sending good thoughts your way.

+1
*crosses fingers*

Don't share this too much. Otherwise, some folks might think Vespas can give you the 'rona.

Heal up fast!

Get well soon amigo!

______________

Yesterday I rode all 4 of my running scoots back to back...
That's always a fun thing. Except I had to bump start the p200. Need to dig into that sooner than later.

4 out of 7 ain't bad at all.

Not at all, he's batting over .500. that's HoF stuff there!

Getting ready to head out for a club meetup...

Last night was more Lammy fun. I fixed the rear brake cable setup so I could get it set up properly, then spent the bulk of my effort fixing most of the electrical issues on the Lammy.

The root cause turned out to be, as I already suspected, a bad ground.

The brake light switch was also dead, so a new one is on order.

Got all that sorted and replaced the headlight with an absurdly bright LED.

Next up will be a little bit of carb tweaking to clean up 1/8-1/4 throttle.

Then, I'll just be stuck waiting on my new clutch springs to arrive (allegedly this weekend) in the hopes that they'll be enough stiffer to end my clutch slip problems.

It's still first-kick starting, so I'm now wondering if it's really a Lammy.

It still is. But now the scoot has an owner like you who is component enough to know how to take care of it. I would be utterly lost.

Everyone seems to have different reactions to this virus. Hope you have an easier time with it and get past it quick.

I got it long after the whole pandemic. 4 days on the couch watching U-Boat Plumbers of the Kreigsmarine and Alabama Cooter Hunters on the History Channel. The shots knock me out for a day too.

I'm the very opposite of most others. My work partner and I both got it in February 2020. We both just felt terrible, but just worked thru it. My wife suspected what it was, being a microbiologist and all, but it wasn't confirmed until about 6 to 8 weeks after. No problems since.

Just finishing re-grouting the shower floor. Now it's bulletproof

Ardex WA epoxy grout - should hold up for the showers lifetime!

Nice work. Grout removal is no fun. Full marks for handyman super powers.

Thanks Orwell. I should've used the best to start with, but I figured it would last more than 10 years. It lasted 9 - dooohhhh!

Ardex WA is underwater rated, industrial epoxy grout, but installed pretty easily, unlike other epoxy grouts I've used in the past. Not cheap, but the best rarely is.

fine work!

Finished this phase of the scooter parking reclamation project.

The monkey paw paw curls slow but fine.

The 'beo has been rather trouble free for a while, but true to the model's nature, it decided to get a bit fussy.

Took it out the Tuesday before last to run a quick errand. As I approached my destination, I noticed the temp needle had climbed much higher than normal. When I stopped for a traffic signal, it climbed high enough to trigger the "you're overheating, fool" light. It dropped a fair bit once the light changed. I completed my errand, watching the temp gauge with consternation. At every stop, the overtemp light would illuminate. I got home with no issues and parked it up. It sat until today.

Pulled the front cover after work. Low water in the radiator, but the expansion tank level was fine. There was some red-brown slime on the new radiator cap and a bit in the radiator. Mind you, this thing has been rolling around with distilled water in it since November. I suspect the workout it received while climbing the General Hitchcock Highway warmed the top end up enough to release some Eldritch Horror that had been lurking within.

I added about 5oz of Prestone Super Flush and about 7oz or purified water to top up the radiator. Started it up and let it idle for a few minutes, then revved it up a few times to ensure that water was circulating. Once the radiator level started rising, I refit the pressure cap and took a ten mile ride, mixing hill climbing with city stop 'n go traffic. Kept checking the tailpipe under acceleration for hints of vapor, but didn't see anything. Temps stayed within a whisker of the middle of the gauge, climbing a millimeter or so above the median line while stopped for lights and falling gradually about two millimeters below the median line when moving.

I'll run it like this tomorrow and Sunday, then drain the system Sunday evening. Hoping the Super Flush exorcises the Golgothan in the top end and that it runs cooler as a result.

If chores and temperatures permit, I may even re-spring the driven clutch and torque driver to get the revs up for better launches and hill climbing.

Note to self: even the modern crap can be fussy

Major monsoon rains for most of the day. Went out around sunset the check on the 'beo. When I popped the radiator cap, I didn't see fluid at first. I may have gotten 1 fluid oz more of Super Flush in, so maybe it was just air finally getting to the radiator?

Rode it for a bit over an hour this evening, pushing it up every nearby road up into the Foothills. Covered about 40 miles. Temp stayed close to the center mark, climbing 1-2mm when waiting for a light and dropping 1-2mm below the mark while moving. No noticable temp spikes, even climbing the steepest grades.

Hope the flush works so I can drain and rinse it tomorrow night, then refill it with Engine Ice. I want this problem in the rearview so I can switch focus to the lame CVT setup.

Picked up a hitchhiker today

Plans for it?

Give it a hot meal and put it on a bus

so it's heading up to Portland then?

We're going to need a Not-so-Modern Not-so-Vespa subforum at this rate.

MP3!

He appears to have been assaulted and left for dead. A good deed taking in that stray.

We already have one of those.

may be time to reconsider this
ATTENTION: NSM and MP3 forums are now MERGED!

Maybe a highpoint of MV tomfoolery. Just scathingly hilarious.

Reading that thread was like watching people earnestly debate Thomas Swift's "A Modest Proposal." So good.

I had the Lammy out on the interstate for a few miles yesterday. It got a little dodgy at one point when I was completely boxed in by three semi's, but it did great at highway speeds. Even getting buffeted by those trucks at 60 MPH, it was dead stable. And I still have sixty year old stock suspension and tubed tires!

One thing the highway time revealed is that I have a bit of an annoying gap between third and 4th gears. 50 MPH was under the power band in 4th, so I'd have to downshift any time I fell much below about 55. This is something in the setup of the motor or carb, though. The carb is still not really right at 1/2 throttle in particular, so getting that sorted may alleviate the problem.

I finally got a CHT fitted, too, which was a HUGE PITA and temps seem to be staying reasonable (under 300F) despite it being 97 yesterday, so I think I'm just leaving power on the table with the carb setup right now.

googly eyes...

*giggles*

I think it needs some flames applied to the cowls to offset that.

Finally got back to the P200 project. Removed the US plastic fuel selector and put it in a safe place on the shelf. Gave the gas tank and carb a good cleaning. The brass vent tube from the original petcock was cracked, so a new one was installed along with new oil and gas lines, new battery too. 6 kicks later, it came to life, so I ran it up and down the block a few times. A little boggy, but it needs timing checked, carb tuned right, brakes and clutch adjusted, etc.... I'm calling it a win for now. Hopefully get back to it in a few weeks.

Didn't want to start a new thread, so…

Does anyone know why Clauss Studios stopped producing the reinforced top mount for the rear shock?? Thankfully, I have two more on the shelf but was wondering why…

Made two test flights today. All I could think about was how to get scoots in them. The first one, an old Mooney, might be possible to shoehorn in a smallie with the seat out and me already in the plane. The second, Super Decathalon, would just be a parts runner. I see how these scoots get under your skin and change lives. Last pic is my airport on the way back to work.

The smallie's are VERY light vs the LF's, fwiw.

What a great job getting to spread your wings. Thanks for taking us up there.