Modern Vespa

Something wierd happened today, i cant pull the handbrake up far enough to lock the real wheel. Worked fine coming home yesterday and today when i tried locking the bike with the steering+handbrake lock it just won't come up far enough.

Handbrake seems to work because if i hold it in place the rear wheel locks, but it kinda "falls" down on its own.

I cant feel anything being in the way when i put my finger inside the gap. But there is a solid stop, if i try to force it, its so stuck that i can feel the bike lift...

I wonder if you flip it 'off' fast enough, can the cable jump its track so to speak, and get hung up?
If I recall correctly there is a barrel at the wheel end of the brake cable; I'd start by checking that this is properly seated.

Further thought; especially if the caliper is sticky and/or the return spring is not working so well, something would have a chance to jump out of position.

The brake mechanism in the rear seems ok. Nothing that stans out looking wrong or anything. I'm leaning more towards the lever mechanism.

There is a lock that prevents the lever from being pushed down when the steering lock is on. I wonder if that may have kicked in when the lever was in the off position, stopping the lever from being pushed up far enough to engage. I know it was possible before to engage the handbrake when the steering lock was on. I accidentally did it two or three times when i first got the bike. May have finally broken something in the lever mechanism?

Yes - if the inner cable is allowed to go slack, there are a couple of places where the outer cable can get snagged. Mine tends to get snagged on a join about 6" back from the caliper.

I think you need to apply the parking brake before the steering lock, but if you are hitting a hard stop when the steering is unlocked, it might be the locking mechanism for the parking brake has been actuated, but I'm not sure how this operates - mechanical or electrical?

there is definitely an electrical part to it as i managed to set off the alarm when i started messing with it.