Modern Vespa

After some coordination on my end I managed to trade my 1.25 scoot's (1964 Allstate that was up for a full resto and 1980 Rally 200 rusted out frame and small bits) for a 1979 P200e. P has around 7.7K miles on it and is a solid runner with a need for some small TLC to make it to my liking.

Plan is to run her this season as a daily (1st year of full on commitment to ditch my car as much as possible) and hopefully pass the 10K mark. That being said couple questions arise:

1) CDI has a yellow wire that has deteriorated....is it ground? Do I need buy a new CDI at this point if the scoot runs good?
2) Neutral light does not work...big issue?
3) Gear oil change: whats size washers do I need?
4) 3rd gear skips occasionally while running...1/2/4 are solid. Will oil change help or I need to adjust the shifter cable?
5) Last item: plan is to have the scoot rebuilt after the season is over. What is the best paint/clear that you can recommend so I start looking at colors and options; I used Eastwood in the but I am wiling to look at other brands...

Photo(s) attached.

[quote="brolsk2"]A

1) CDI has a yellow wire that has deteriorated....is it ground? Do I need buy a new CDI at this point if the scoot runs good?

It's a ground. you can replace the CDI.

2) Neutral light does not work...big issue?

not a big issue unless you want to know you are in neutral by looking at the headset.

3) Gear oil change: whats size washers do I need?

well, you need a 11mm wrench. Use ND 30 WT motor oil. you do not have to buy fancy pants oil.

4) 3rd gear skips occasionally while running...1/2/4 are solid. Will oil change help or I need to adjust the shifter cable?

Oil change will not help with this. i would first look at adjusting the selector box/shifter cables. beyond that, it might have something to do with the inside of your engine with the cruciform or run-out of the output shaft.

5) Last item: plan is to have the scoot rebuilt after the season is over. What is the best paint/clear that you can recommend so I start looking at colors and options; I used Eastwood in the but I am wiling to look at other brands...

PPG. but i am sure others work well too.

I'm in Indy, please reach out to me if any questions.

[quote="GickSpeed"] Thanks! Will do. After catching up on some other minor things on the scoot I will need to do a fair shakedown and see if the gearing is something more serious...

Great scoot! One of my most reliable/favourite rides of all time was a 79 P200. Lots of good memories and rallies on it back in the day. Take care of it and you will be able to pile up lots more miles. Congrats, looks like you have a real treasure there!

If you are lucky the 3rd gear jumping can be saved by fitting a new gear selector box. Make sure you buy the old PX type, as any other will still bolt on but not work correctly. You are still going to split it at some point anyway but when you do you will still need a new gear selector box, so no money wasted.

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/products/selector+box+old+px+for_87034000

The CDI can also be saved. You have enough wire on the old CDI to dig it out and solder a new one on the stub.

All of your questions have been answered, and answered well, but I wanted to chime in just for emotional support.

I have the same bike, and I can't say enough good things about it. From everything I read they are the tanks of the scooter world. And from personal experience I would agree.

Just some suggestions. Don't worry about the neutral light; you'll get a feel for the gears. And by saying that I mean don't pull the headset until you have to. It's not that it's a bad job, but unless you have elf hands the speedo cable is an annoyance.

Replace the clutch cable ASAP. And carry a spare. It isn't a big job, but it's a lot easier in the comfort of your own garage/carport/driveway than alongside the road. In the rain. So I hear.

Order a carb rebuild kit and when you have a couple of hours to spare, pull the carb and rebuild it. You'll be happy you did. Especially the float needle. It's never fun to wake up and find out your pipe is full of gas. Clean the seat really well with a toothpick or a wooden skewer or something.

Practice pulling in the clutch at 55, switching over to reserve and releasing the clutch to restart because no gas gauge. You'll recognize it when it happens. And for a few minutes you'll feel like you have mad skillz.

I've been riding mine for almost four years and it's just a blast. If you enjoy yours half as much as I've enjoyed mine it's money well spent.

Or ride on reserve all the time (many of us do this) and just have a mental note of how many miles till you need to fill the tank.

You know, I know me. That would just be a recipe for disaster.

Did I mention the P200E compared to many modern scooters is fairly heavy?

Hey all. I ride a VBB '64. After filling the tank full, I can barely go 15 kilo leaving the lever in the middle (on!), then it stops until I leave it to R. This happened several times. Is it normal?

From the photos, it looks like a good paint job now, why repaint?

Good questions but you should start a new thread and not hijack this one.

Simple answer though, your fuel tap is clogged. Run reserve or clean/get a new tap.

Start a new tread if you must reply.

Good luck!

Thanks for the link. I was thinking that it might be next item on the list.

CDI: good point. I will save what I can before buying new...

I do agree in photos it looks good...after looking around I might just match a "touch up paint" color and cover the bare metal spots/scratches.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Awesome! will do. Clutch cable on order already so I can tackle this as soon as weather turns. Carb is new so I'm good on that end.

Vespa was always the end goal in my book so I can not wait to scoot the entire season. Thanks!

No, man. Do what I do. Cover the scratches with beer stickers.