Modern Vespa

Today I....

Took my LML to the garage for its first UK MOT. and it passed with no advisories,
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well it should pass as its only 4 years old with 17 miles on it

Charlieman,

The BGM Superstrong comes in two variants, a cosa2 and a CR80. the cosa2 is 108mm in diameter and the CR80 is 100mm in diameter. The CR80 plates should also be much narrower. I have one of the original cosa2 versions and it does a mostly good job.

It never blows up, but it does tend to eat plates from time to time. I could put stiffer springs in it, but I already have half-and-half stiff and standard springs and all other clutches feel like mush as compared.

Chandlerman, think you mean the CR80 plates are 110mm?

They still fit into a Piaggio clutch basket, is the Superstrong non-CR basket really smaller? Thought they were the same, but certainly could be wrong.

hi Finch,

I just went and measured to be sure since my clutch is on the bench waiting for new plates. The cosa2 superstrong basket's ID is 108mm and the plates are 107.5mm in diameter.

The CR80 version is 110, though, per the published specs, but someone who has one will have to comment on that.

"Clutch -BGM Pro Superstrong CNC CR80, type Cosa2/FL- for primary gear 67/68 tooth"

Thanks guys.
Glad its not only me trying to decipher.
BTW - Description from my receipt above.
Think that means I have the CR80 plate - tho it's weird how it is also listed as "Cosa" in the description.

When I replace mine - will have to post it here... to make amends for this hijack.

CM,

I agree that's part of the confusion. The clutch is a cosa2 in terms of the basic design, but it's been modified to use 110mm CR80 plates. Since the original design used standard cosa2 plates, it wasn't specified which plates it used, and it's been chaos ever since.

For the record, next superstrong I buy will be a CR80.

Can't the "non-CR80" Superstrong be modified to accept CR80 plates?

You'd have to shave 2mm off the OD of the CR80 plates, or find some 108mm CR80 plates.

Either way, I think you're bet off just springing for the CR80 clutch if you want the CR80 plates.

Interesting. Cheers.

Found a very thick and strong pvc plastic, think i can use it as a base plate for a sprint seat

Yesterday I drilled holes in the frame of my Moto Guzzi to hang new ignition coils. The bracket was in front of the battery. While drilling I thought "I should probably remove the battery so I don't accidentally drill a hole in it". Just then the drill bit went through the steel and into the side of the battery. Doh.

Today I will be going to Batteries Plus.

Bought a lithium motorcycle battery (and charger) for the first time. It weighs a small fraction of a traditional lead-acid and is half the size. Cost 3x as much though. Anyone using lithiums to start their Vespas?

Yep, I put a 20 amp hour battery where a 10 amp used to fit. I wanted the sealed battery.

In the morning i was invited to celebrate the aniversary of Bogor Portugis west java and Brother Mike aka Waspmike they missed ur present wink:

Have a great weekend to you all stay safe and cheer

Nice big turnout - we still cant have such a large gathering over here in the UK at such close quarters due to "Social Distancing"

has your "Social Distancing Measures" been lifted??

Today I...

Had the guy who certifies motorcycle modifications come over (yes - he does house calls which is awesome!). Will need sign-off for a bunch of things - and so far so good.

But, the exhaust... turns out it needs to be <100dB at 50% max rpm. Mine clocked in at 99.7!!!!

Thank you Jim Lomas! I'd call that perfect

Just popped in to say hi been a few years .im Josh zz. Sold all my classics a while back got a really cheap 50cc auto to play with . Keen on another px but trying to avoid the city to purchase.


Hi terry and mike.

Hey Josh, good to see you! And you better tell us the 50 is a 2T or there will ne trouble!

the gov lift the ban since the day before the event, for truth after that event i do attend 2 more event, but hold myself to post the pics as i dont wanna make everyone worry or mad at me

hi Brother Josh

Hi Ebeth

For lots of folks, Covid has meant no work, and plenty of time to catch up on projects. I've been the opposite. I've worked a ridiculous amount, and while it's been (fortuitously) financially rewarding, I'm getting to that burnt out state where I need to make sure I get away from computer screens once in a while so I don't turn into a wall eyed automaton. I'm finally getting on top of work, and can afford to spend a bit of spare time on my various projects, but it's winter, so too cold to work in my garage, and my garage is bloody overflowing with unfinished projects and the parts for them, with no room to work.

I need a temporary 2nd location away from home for the business in case lockdown strikes or the internet goes out. One of the flow ons from the virus economy is that there is plenty of industrial real estate sitting unoccupied, and short term bargains to be had. So, rather than a fancy office, for almost silly money, I've rented a large box. One with room not just for a work bolt hole, but also enough room to be able to get a few other things done. After all, given the opportunity to have a secret lair, I'd be wrong not to take it

I rented it site unseen on price alone, then went to look at it in the dark. I was looking and working by the light of an iphone, so the photo's are pretty dark.

Showroom. Yep, I can work here.



Entrance/racking and roller door. Still with last tenants stock being removed. Lots of room.



Doesn't do it justice, but 12 meter x 8 meter storage/work area .



In the dark, I thought this was a storage room, or some sort of staff room.



There are 2 large offices upstairs. Perfect for what the business needs.

Power went on Friday, The last tenants are still moving out, so the main storage and racking are occipied for about another week, but the showroom etc are all mine.

I'm seriously behind on some projects.

Meet "Buffy"
"357", a RatRod...
and The Voodoo Smallie

are all languishing, waiting for me to have time and space, and Ginch's One small frame for man... has been held up waiting for some body work and paint.

So this weekend, Ginch and I gathered up a few vanloads of projects, parts and tools, and started setting up.

The "Storage room", we're using as just that. The big bonus I found when the lights went on.



Yep, that's a paint booth with a proper extracting system down the back. Nice.

We now have engines to finish



And bikes to build. There's no time to muck about with art. Well maybe som



So we got to it



And sparks flew.



This is going to be fun.

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Nothing short of excellent.
Didn't see the beer fridge - assume that's behind the dark lord's sign.
Paint booth is just plane good karma.
Looks like fun!

Right on - a place with room, and a paint booth! Score!

That's phenomenal, gents! The Dark Lords have a clubhouse!

I have a garage, and yet I still would love to have somewhere like that, especially climate controlled, because we get Too Hot in the summer and Too Cold in the Winter.

I hear ya about stepping away from the screens from time to time. I'm sitting here now between zoom calls with four of them open and running.

Phew! Just when I needed some REALLY GOOD NEWS! Thank you.

As we say here in Greece when somebody gets something nice, KALO RIZIKO!

I need to figure out how to send Stella to you for a paint job. Then I could brag about a custom paint job from Australia.

Easy...put it in a box, write an ENORMOUS check

Actually, a piece of cake, IF you aren't the one has to write the check!

It wasn't all work though, a certain amount of hamming it up was bound to happen.

In a decade from now - when global warming is cured, viruses are a thing of the past and that space has been refurbished and rented for offices - there will still be the fresh acrid scent of body filler dust near the coffee maker.

No matter where they locate the coffee maker...

Super envious... all that R O O M ... so great to have a place to weld, grind, buff, sand ...

Wait a sec. Does the landlord know exactly what's going on in there?

It's a showroom...they're selling vintage vespa frames...yeah...that's the ticket...

Is that an SS90 frame to the left of Craig?

It's... you know... "business".

Nothing for sale here! It's more of a culture of acquisition.

SS legshields Swa.

Although it was on Friday, the postman brought me the NOS PX speedo I got off eBay for a steal (45EUR including shipping). It's a discontinued speedo so prices have started rising (they range from 100EUR to 200EUR in Italy). Found it by chance from a Swedish seller that had lots of NOS parts for old Japanese bikes. The speedo and a brake cable were the only Vespa / Italian related parts in his collection...

Today I finally started to put my smallframe together. After much agonising and a steady stream of suggestion from Craig, it'll be registered with a drum brake front end and original pipe.
After that, it'll be torn down and be painted, disc'd, and piped... under our rules for what we call 'club' registration, it's not supposed to have modifications. So that's the bit I'm going to risk. Been picked up on the green machine for a routine reg check and they didn't look at anything like that so fingers crossed it won't be an issue.

Nice Ginch ... hadn't seen reports on this one and was hoping work was still progressing on the little bugger.

Cheers Mike, "progress" has been a dirty word around here for some time! Relieved to see it moving along finally.

... got the fork back into the GS.

I'm now convinced that the bodges have the right idea! May as well make all the parts from coke cans, it would be lest work then reworking the "Top quality" replacement parts so that they actually fit.