Modern Vespa

Nearly finished restoring my 62 VBB and getting around to finishing the minefield that is the electrics.

The 12v kit I brought came with a separate HT coil unit and separate CDi unit, For me, this will get a bit messy looking when I go to mounting them permanently and would rather not be drilling holes in my freshly painted frame.

I noticed the (blue) Ducati CDI that some Vespas run seem to combine the HT unit and CDi? Is this correct? And would it be just a case of buying one and using that so that instead and bolting it to the engine in the same place?

Sorry very new to the electric side of things so excuse my Naivety.

It sounds like you have an LML CDI/coil setup. What kind of stator do you have? A picture or two is always helpful in these situations.

If it's the full LML setup, then yes, you can run that with a ducati CDI, although per Rob Hodge (who is never wrong on scooter stuff), only on the newer (2006+) units. I did it on my 2004 Stella (LML), though, and it worked fine. I don't recall how long I ran that config, though.

I was waiting for an answer on this one.

As I ride a 1991 LML T5 with the Indian 150cc motor and the separate CDI and coil.

I wanted to upgrade to the newer Ducati CDI but after a light research I understood that this is possible but not recommended, since the LML stator produces more power and would fry the Ducati CDI.

Any info on this would be great as I'm in need of an new coil.

Why not just replace the entire ignition system? I put a P200 ignition on that bike for a while, and now I have it on a different LML motor, where it's been Just Working for a few years. It easily outlasted a Pinasco FlyTech, which was basically Variably-Timed Garbage.

On my setup I purchased a 6v to 12v conversion kit - presume a Barja kit from memory but I brought it 2 years ago and only now getting around to fitting it etc.

I have no photos of the actual stator as this was installed in the engine with some new seals and bearings at a local Vespa specialist.

I do know the wires coming out of it are green, black, red, grey and blue(violet).

no idea if this is of any help.

Worse case i just mount the CDI somewhere but id rather not have to.

Very interesting. A couple of CDIs have died on me in the last year, and it's possibly due to that stator now that I think about it.
A mate with a similar system on his Lambretta - same stator apart from the backing plate, and definitely the same CDI - also had a CDI simply stop working. He was told the same as you, that the Indian ignition coil on the stator has a higher output than the Italian.
So I guess the answer is either fit an Indian CDI (and carry a spare!!) or fit an Italian ignition coil to your Indian stator. And carry a spare!!

Ant, sounds like since you have the Bajaj conversion you'll simply have to live with it... maybe you can mount the ignition coil in the normal VBB position, and find an inconspicuous place to mount the CDI part. No reason you couldn't run the wires into the frame through an existing grommet and mount it inside the body.

Ginch I think that is my best bet - just run some longer wires and mount them inside under the fuel tank - there seems to be a lip before the floor goes under the main spine that I could mount both the CDI and Regulator too.

Will test it all first before i start drilling holes!

Just make sure your connections are really solid! Don't want any stray sparks in there, although the big sparks happen at the coil. You may be better off making a sheet metal bracket for it to mount to, and then glue the bracket inside the frame... you can get some fantastic glues such as Sikaflex 227 which is designed for automotive body construction. As long as you have a reasonable area of contact, it'll do the job and it'll be removeable later. And no holes!

I would hate to have to drill my frame for any additional hole, but I would rely on glue for a long term solution, especially when it comes to electrics.

Cant you use some existing holes, and make an additional bracket as ginch said using those holes.

A few pics of how its all mounted on my vespa

Using Strong Adhesive sounds like a good idea rather than drilling holes.

I might buy a 2/3mm sheet of aluminium to make a bracket out of and then glue it to the inside of the frame.

currently, there are no other standard holes that I can use to mount a bracket too.

The bike is very much a summer weekend toy so it will get a lot less use than a commuter.

My mate used a similar adhesive - Wurth "powerbond" (or similar name) for this horncast. Several years and thousands of kilometres later, there's no movement at all. Your bracket wouldn't be under nearly as much under stress.

At the suggestion of Vader (RIP friend), I mounted the CDI in my smallie under the tank with industrial strength Velcro tape. It hasn't budged.

I brought some of this a while back for this but wasn't sure if it would last

It has to be the "heavy duty" industrial strength stuff.

I like it.