Modern Vespa

Another year, another bump...

I still haven't got around to firing up this scooter yet. For some reason i haven't been too motivated to finish up a few details on it...such as the wiring. All i need to do is buy a battery for it, then i can build a battery tray, wire in a relay and fuses, and hook up the ignition switch wires. It would literally be a one day job, but i've just been unmotivated to by a single flippin battery! I must be lazy or something.

BUT, i did install a LED inside my taillight. I used an off the shelf trucker light (that i bought from Six-States). I figure if the light can handle the riggers of being on a semi-trailer, then it can surely work on the back of a Vespa.

I simply gutted out the stock taillight housing enough to just barely fit in the LED. Then i gooped in a bunch of epoxy. Yes it looks ghetto, but once the lens is back on, it hides a multiple of sins. The bonus about using a "trucker" light is that they are pretty darn bright, which is always good thing when it comes to being seen on a moto.

Do you need the wiring connected to start it? Surely just hearing it running will give you the motivation to get it finished so you can impress your neighbours with impromptu wheelies.

Yes, i just need to finish up some wiring. Since i installed a variable Vape DC i need to move around a few wires and then add in a relay and some fuses...which i have had for at least a year all waiting to for me to install. For some reason i haven't been motivated to finish up the last little bit. It probably has to do with working on multiple other scooter projects that i'm trying to knock out...which is no excuse. I just need to pony up and buy a little Li-ion battery and spend the day or two to button it up.

hey! I demand royalties! that is my trademarked excuse!

all kidding aside, I love the tail light mod. if I wasn't fully AC on the PK I'd totally do the same.

Proof that i am really that close to finishing up the scooter. The stator and rectifier have been all wired up for the past year. I've also had the fuse/relay block fixings for the past year as well. I just need to buy a battery...so that i can fab a battery tray. Once the tray is built and positioned on the frame then i know where i can mount the fuse block...then i can finish the wiring. I'm also thinking about going back and installing an in-line flashing brake line module. Simply because i don't want to get rear ended by a car. I have them installed in all my other PX scooters and they do their job very well.


i'll wire it up so that the ignition key will activate the relay. I'll run my grip heaters and LED headlight (and eventually spot lights) through the relay.

It's about as compact of a water resistant fuse holder that i could find.

You can see the Vape rectifier tucked back in the frame. I left the stock regulator hooked up for now (so that i wouldn't forget what those wires are for when i go to finish up the wiring).

I finished welding up a battery tray this evening. I made two battery trays. One for my Allstate 200 and one for this scooter. I ordered some aluminum spacers from Mcmaster and they arrived this afternoon.


If you look closely in the pic, you can see me still wearing a stiff sole medical sandal. Reason being is that i had metal plates and screw surgery removed from my foot about 1.5 weeks ago. I find it's a perfect footwear for welding in.

Spacers tack welded to the backside of the battery trays.

The rubber band is a 2000-2020 KTM dirtbike battery retaining strap and a kickstand retaining strap.

The box was built to fit a battery that i removed from my KTM.

I also removed my Grimeca disc brake kit (it's going on my Allstate 200) and installed a LML Stella hydro brake. I couldn't find the LML's little metal retaining tab that compresses the little black rubber speedo cable doughnut, so i welded up extra material around that area so that i could use a PX/Grimeca retaining tab. I didn't take any pics of the welding process, but here's a couple of what the final product looks like. The paint was dry enough that i fitted the caliper carrier this evening.


You can kinda see where i built up some material, drilled a hole, then tapped it to a M5x.8 thread pitch.

I'm sure the missing LML retaining tab will show up very shortly...since i modified the caliper carrier to us a Piaggio tab.

...and the propriety LML speedo cable retaining tab decided to grace me with its presence today. Turned out it was in a transparent peanut butter container...with "PK 125 parts" clearly written on the lid. Except the container was hiding out underneath the Allstate 200 project and not the PK project. I spent a lot of time looking for this part, both in my shop and online. I also spent even more time welding extra material onto the LML caliper carrier in order to utilize a PX retaining tab.


derp

I was looking around for some 12 volt SMD LED lights in my shop today AND i came across a brake light strobe module that i forgot i had! I've been wanting to install one, so it was definitely a good excuse to wire it up this evening.

This is the module that i have. Supposedly it's designed for incandescent lights and not LED, but since my LED has a high enough power, it works just fine. I also called the manufacturer today and the guy said it will work fine with my LED. https://www.signaldynamics.com/01001

This is the one that's recommended for LED https://www.signaldynamics.com/01004

Anyhow, i couldn't quite fit the module under my modified taillight housing, so i had to sand down the aluminum cased module a little bit. I mixed up some epoxy and stuck it to the PK's plastic taillight housing. A couple crimps and a smidge of solder and everything got buttoned back up about an hour ago.

Also a glamour shot of my new to me 1986 "vintage" Oregon license plate (if you can call 86 vintage). I found it on ebay and got it registered to this 1986 PK. I'm a HUGE anorak when it comes to license plates. The carpet has to match it the drapes when it comes to license plates on ALL my old vehicles (both 2 and 4 wheels)! As far as i'm concerned, a period correct license plate is the pièce de résistance.


The used brake light strobe i found in my shop.

Epoxied into place

The module will make the LED flash 3x then stay on solid for another 3 seconds. It will repeat that cycle for as long as the brake is activated.

my new 1986 plate! The plate is a little beat up, but then again so is the scooter.