Modern Vespa

Hey everyone,

Just picked up a 2001 ET4 for a fair price. Only had 1,150 miles on it which I've quickly got up to 1,350 since Friday just cruising around getting the hang of things.

When I bought the bike, it had been sitting for a long, long time, like at least 5 years without running. The original owner put 800 miles on it, sold it to his neice, and they had it for the last 11-12 years where it basically sat minus the 300 miles they out on it.

It needed new fuel lines, oil, carb clean, two new tyres, petcock, battery, spark plug. I paid about $650 in repairs.

I've noticed that after starting, it will idle rather heavy and then stall out after touching the throttle. A couple more tries and it will go and run fine, not stalking at lights, and if I stop somewhere, run inside and come back out, seems to generally start fine.

My question is initially, what's causing it to idle so hard and stall out those first couple of times? The carb was cleaned. Is it a matter of breaking this in again, seeing that it was barely ever broken in to begin with? Should I run close to a full tank of gas and not let it get down to under a 1/4 tank? I'm in the States, in Cleveland and have been filling with 93 octane. Would it be bad to mix a higher (the highest I believe is 95) grade octane from my local filling stations with the 93?

Stalls bum me out - and as a new rider, I want to prevent them from happening at a red light in traffic - which at this rate I feel is just a matter of time.

Thanks.

There might be some residue that didn't get completely cleaned out. If it were me, I'd try mixing some Sea Foam or the like in for the first tank or 2 of fuel and let that go through the system. I don't have much experience with bikes that have sat more than a few weeks, though. My weed eater, yes. (This is why I have Sea Foam in my garage.)

Thanks. I was going to ask about an additive, too.

I suppose it really is breaking a 15 year bike in essentially for the first time. Having so much fun with this - it's crazy to admit one short week ago I was nervous riding it home a whole 4 miles from the repair shop

Hard starting/poor cold running are classic symptoms of the valve clearances needing to be adjusted, especially on the Leader (125/150/200) engines.

I put about two ounces of Seafoam in the tank, filled it up with gas and rode about fifteen miles - no stalling at all after startup. It's all new to me and this gorgeous machine literally sat for a decade with barely 1,000 miles on it. I'll fire it up after sitting for the last few hours here soon and see how it idles. Perhaps the engine just doesn't like running in less than a 1/4 tank at this point?

Aloha and welcome to the forum from Hawaii. Take it out for a LONG ride and open it up. Get the "cobwebs" out. I'd get the valve clearances checked. Mine have laways been fine but i don't have a car (can use one if i want) so the bike is my only form of transpo. Have a few hundred miles shy of 39,000. The more you ride it the less problems you have. They like to be ridden.

Took it for about 50 miles today. Absolutely no rough Iddeling. Either the Seafoam worked right away (doubt it, right?) or the ET4 just doesn't like being under a 1/4 tank.

Thanks for the suggestions. Love this thing so far!