Modern Vespa

The new owner of the "reverse free puppy" came by this evening and we tore down the engine. By "we", I mean that he turned all the wrenches and I provided instruction. I only stepped in for a stubborn starter clutch nut.

Then we reviewed the bits made a parts list and went over the game plan for reassembly. He's coming by next week to clean all the parts we're re-using.

Gonna make a scooter mechanic outta him yet.

Excellent - another proud student

Belated Tierney!

Nice work AZ!

Spent the evening working on a small dent and a rip in a P cowl. Bent it back to shape. Cleaned it up for welding.

The Boo-Badge was mid-carb re-tuning when I went to the Lambretta Dark Side a couple years ago. I left it mid-project for the Oi!, the Riverside, as well as a couple of Vespa projects, and finally decided to dust it off and pick it back up.

It's too rich across the board, which makes it extra-hazardous because it will now jump from from sagging due to being too rich into the power band even more instantaneously than it used to.

So anyways...last night I re-installed the AFR, sorted out a couple other outstanding electrical issues and, assuming the weather cooperates, will be working through a carb setup. (The other project candidate is paint & bodywork on the Riverside's left cowl and legshield).

What's really annoying is that the industrial area a few minutes from my house which has been my test strip for the past five years has a bunch of construction going on along it, which has meant lots of holes and trenches covered with either inadequate asphalt hot patches or metal plates, so no longer Fit For Purpose.

Time to find a new test area (wide, straight, empty road with no houses nearby). I may just be screwed on this point thanks to growth and gentrification.

Anyways...wish me luck.

With the growth of some cities, it's hard to find decent half a mile for a good rip. Pretty soon, you'll have to load the scoots on a trailer to transport to a good spot. Good luck on your search.

Thanks, Birds. I know it's not a Vespa, but they are rare and expensive around here. I picked this up for a song (wealthy kid, who dropped the bike a few times and is switching over to pure street riding). I only ride backroads anymore as the interstate is too much and kickstarting is no bueno for me.

FYI, once they start, they tear again. This what you need to do…

My old eyes are betray me... Is that a little metal rod? Bent and tacked to brace the area?

Looks like it to me. That's a pretty common frame strengthening trick on smallies. Probably works great on cowls, too.

Yes!

Happy birthday, Tierney! Stay well and keep finding good wrenching projects.

Phase 1 of the Skate and Destroy Tacos P200 begins.

Rust Remediation.

Lots of disparate scooter workshop fun, interspersed with riding. Not a terrible day.

First, I continued re-tuning the Boo-Badge. I swapped the PWK36 for the PWK34 off the Oi! motor (direct induction 210). I changed nothing on it, just hooked it up and ran it.

Huge improvement in the transition onto the pipe. It still goes like a raped ape when it hits the power, but it's smooth enough I can get my weight forward without having to let off the throttle to keep the front wheel down in 2nd and 3rd (first is still a lost cause). So in some respects, it feels slower, but I know it's actually faster.

Looking at it on the AFR, I actually needed to upjet both the main and idle a jet, but the the needle was pretty close to good. The bike is now a lot more ride-able, so this endeavor has been well-worth the effort.

I'll probably try an even smaller carb, like a 32 or 30, at some point and see if that cleans up the 1/4 throttle and transition onto the pipe even more. For that, I'll try a 30, which I'd also like to try on the GL and see if that improves the low end on it, too.

I went up a jet on the main and idle both with it in the Boo-badge, so maybe need to at least try the same for the Riverside.

For the Riverside, though, I have another PWK 34 on the shelf, so while I'll need to order a new set of main/idle/needle (I *have* to order a needle, so I might as well order main & idle at the same time), I can run that and not have to pull the carb back out of the Boo-Badge.

Next, I swapped over to the GL for a BBQ run, because I don't trust the BooBadge on the highway yet. The GL, on the other hand, cruises 65-70 happy as can be. Coming back, a cold front was starting to push through so I was running uphill into a stiff breeze and the bike just rolled with it. Initially, I was stuck at 50mph in 4th, which didn't have me up on the pipe. Nothing a downshift to 3rd and revving it fully out couldn't fix, though. Once I was back in the power band, life was good other than the occasional cross-gust.

Finally, I stripped down the legshield half of the Riverside I'm going to paint. I was able to get the "Lambretta" and "Li125" badges off intact, but not the Riverside badge. I have a spare, so not a big deal, more the principle of it.

Hammered on it for a while and eventually decided to declare "good enough." There was a pretty significant dent in the exact same spot that I had to hammer out last time, and while it's not perfect, I'm not going to fill it. I think it adds character.

And now the squall line of the cold front is passing through, so rainy and colder, and not really good riding weather, especially not test riding weather.

I kind've liked the Measles look.

Same record.
Side 2:

Panels are looking good, BN!

As if to prove that tastes change like the weather, I looked at that second panel and thought, "That does look a lot better!"

Meanwhile, I decided to ride the smallie to work today and it was just not a good decision.

I basically spent the entire ride down under the power band where it's currently kind've miserable and rarely got into third gear. And second gear in the power band is just more power than I really wanted.

Once I get that low end sorted, I'm sure I'll try again, but for now, Largeframes and Lammies definitely rule the day when it comes to commuting.

Thanks.

Good on ya commuting to work on vintage.

My commute is only 13 miles... but it's through the heart of the Galleria area of Houston (Read - snarled with bumper to bumper traffic in the morning.) I usually opt for the Super Cub if I am going to do it on a ptw. I will take a vintage bike to work on occasion, though sadly, it is a rare occurrence.

_______

Split the cases on the P project. Clutch cover was basically glued on with the old rubber seal that had degraded. Then the Clutch would not come off the crank. Just beyond stuck. I ended up using a 3 jaw puller. Figured the key was kablooied or jammed on the shaft, but the puller worked and the keyway looks clean. Small wins.

Odo shows 12K on this bike.

Question is :should I do bearings or just seals and cruciform? Leaning yes on the bearings as 12K is pretty healthy mileage. Bike is a "short term rental" though.

(Assumes/prays cush is good and not a rattlebox when it comes out.)

Stuck fly and damaged crank are one and the same.

Looks like a failed key at some point. Or a failed torque… flywheel was definitely spinning different speed than crank.
You may need to replace both - your fly is gonna look pretty rough on its ID.

IF u r doing just shaft and seals, some significant lapping is in order. If new crank - id replace fly also.

My $.02.

I'd do the bearings, too, while the cases are open after 12k miles. I would also lap the crank and flywheel to each other and go on. While the flywheel got spun, the keyway is fine.

And I ride vintage to work every day I go to the office, which is almost every day, even if sometimes it's just coffee badging.

My commute is only three miles or so, but the nature of the traffic is such that a scooter is actually pretty optimal--multiple points where turn lanes back up into traffic, for example, so being able to sneak between cars that are blocking each other shaves significant time off the trip.

And while Nashville may not have California weather, if it's too nasty to ride, no one is going to question declaring WFH. Plus, I do an absurd amount of going to the office to sit on Zoom calls. RTO FTW! #FML

Found some more fuckery on the P cases this evening. Looks like someone got sloppy with a drift trying to bash out the selector bearing at some point. It's just a chip but certainly a weak spot. What's the thought? JB Weld, weld, or send it?

Unless they cracked the bearing seat at the same time, I'd just run it.

Things tend to crack if they have a starting point. That's why your mama used a little clear nail polish on her stockings when they got a pull - to avoid a run.

If it's a dent ignore it.

If it's partially cracked, just Dremel the bit that's cracked so the crack won't propagate and grow. Smooth U shape won't want to crack any further. Use a mini Dremel sand wheel for the win.

Then call your mama and thank her.

Today I went to see Allah Las play in Melbourne. They were awesome, as expected!

We had a couple of beers and something to eat next door. At the table next to this.

Guess SG = Town of San Gemini?
That poor waif needs to be rescued and restored. Yes.. this... there are some debts that cant ever be cleared from the ledger.

Definitely old Italian plate…

I often feel like that of a morning!! Thanks guys! I didn't really know where to start.

Cane Scabbard

I got tired of fiddling w/ bungees lashing and unlashing my cane to the rack - too tight or too loose, bah!

So I made a ''holster' from a pice of tubing. Slips in and out easily but stays put while riding. Rather dapper I suppose?

It needs a final touch with a few fringes to fly in the wind. Then you are good to go.

Also needs to go the left side so you can draw it for battle while giving it throttle!

Tallyhoooiooo!

Does it have poisoned tip?

File photo under: playing fast and lose with propane torch

Cross reference: mama will not be amused

*searches hard drive for his "rookie numbers" meme*

Scorch marks only count if they're on an actual scooter.

☠️🤣

It's a bit short innit?.
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Or on your person.

I set myself on fire last year while welding…either from a spark or from standing to close to a work light. I smelled the smoke. I felt the heat. I put myself out and thought of you.

You haven't really lived until you've stopped, dropped, and rolled for real.

Too short??? Nah, it'll do fine! I am a student of BARTITSU so bring on your clumsy pikes and lances, I shall simply pirouette away whilst hooking your ankle to bring you down from your steed

Trundles off to search YouTube for tbis... 😉

Cane-Fu!

Mega long time, no post!
I've always come and gone in vintage scoots, after a move back up to Iowa from TX a few years ago I've been back in again, picked up an 81 P2 and realized I have only owned like one other US market P2 over the years, and many pre-P series, it's been a re-learning experience.
Most recent bollox was learning and re-learning how the carbs were on these US market bikes. My first US P2 was an earlier model that someone had already set up correctly, so this was surprisingly my first time pulling the thick fiber gasket under the box, and having one with a 20/20. I thought I'd scored a good used OG Del 24 from 2nd Ave, only to come to realize I probably never scored and its the restricted early US 24 and wont set up correctly with the pretty much tried and true stock P2 jetting, and basically have the same effect as the 20/20 already installed. A Spaco will probably be on the way sometime soon. Do your due diligence.