Modern Vespa

In May of 2017, I found and purchased a US 2005 PX150 which had only 368 miles on it (see photo below). I have never regretted buying this bike and love riding it. Since there has been some recent interest in the PX150 on this forum, I thought I would summarize what changes I did to my PX150 to make it perform even better. They are as follows:

Carburetor:
Main jet 102/E1/150
Idle jet 50/160
Idle mixture screw - 1/4 turn CCW from stock setting

Engine:
Spark Plug - NGK (7067) BR7HIX Iridium IX
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VZOW6W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fluids:
Autolube - Motul 104034 710 Synthetic 2T Motor Oil
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C739LTY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gear Box - Red Line Synthetic 50504 MT-85 75W85 GL-4
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004D4URV6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gasoline - 93 octane

Muffler:
SIP Road 2

Tires:
SIP tubeless rims with tires mounted (see photos below).

The Nord-Lock Wedge-Locking washers supplied by SIP were also used when mounting the tires. For those not familiar with the Nord-Lock system, check out this video:
I can see other places on the Vespa where using the Nord-Lock washers would be advantages. The need to re-tighten nuts periodically would be eliminated. Amazon carries many different sizes of the Nord-Lock washer.

Overall, my PX150 is a real joy. I also have a Harley which can go from 0 to 90 mph in a heartbeat. But, I prefer riding my PX150 in the country to the Harley. It has all the power and torque I need and it performs flawlessly.

The 2 cycle PX 150 shifties are a dying or should I say a dead breed. The 2005's might have been the last year for the US, not sure.
So to find one so pristine with only 386 miles on it and in your favorite color is truly a find. This bike runs and looks like new. I know, I rode it. The addition of the tubeless tires is a good move.
Great bike. Ride her with pride.

Great stuff, thanks for sharing. I just bought a PX 150, 2005. Looks great, runs great, but feels/smells a little hot when i park. Initially I wondered if I was using too high of octane, but my 91 is lower than your 93? Am I paranoid or do you think the hot smell is something to look into?

If you're not used to an air cooled two stroke, it's gonna seem a little hot or smelly compared to a water cooled 4 stroke.

As for gas, don't get all super excited about octane... you don't need 91, 93, or aviation fuel to run this scooter. A PX150 is 1940's technology packaged for the last time in the USA in 2005. These two stroke scoots run all over the world, on awful gas... so regular old 87 will work fine here in the states.

Your scoot may be leaking in the engine, most of these old ones do, and leaking oil dripping onto hot parts will impart a scent... some here find it intoxicating.

Welcome to the club!
I bought red 2005 brand new in 2007, she has about 9000 mi on the odometer. I'have never had major issues.
I keep the engine stock; I changed the muffler to SIP road and upjetted the carb (great improvement), put P200 air filter with holes in the "heart".
I installed Fournales suspension on front and back (I highly recommend it)
It has been my regular rally vehicle for years.
If you life on a flat land you'll be happy .

I recently purchased a US 2005 PX 150, installed a new SIP Road 2 exhaust, re-jetted and serviced my Dellorto 20/20 and I'm a happy camper. I got the mod air/fuel mixture screw so I'm able to access that for tuning. I think I've got it tuned well and am humming along. I had a bad rattle at certain RPMs from the glove box latch but took that apart and with some strategically placed silicone got it to be quiet. Spring is here and so is scooter season. I use the highest octane I can find, usually 92, and the motor seems to like that. I replaced the air filter when I serviced my carb but shied away from drilling the holes in the heart. I used the recommended jets for the Road 2 exhaust and didn't want to find myself spending too much time experimenting with different jets but if you like tinkering go for it. Most importantly - enjoy. The 2005 PX 150 is a very reliable and forgiving scooter IMHO.

One thing I did not mention in my posting above was the air cleaner. I installed a Piaggio air filter with the two holes drilled out above the jets. You can get this filter at Scooter Mercato:

http://www.scootermercato.com/Scooter-Parts/Air-Filters/131083

Yes, you can also drill the two holes in the stock filter. However, there could be a chance that metal shavings may be lodged in the filter and then could free up later and enter the engine. This particular air filter comes with the holes already drilled at the factory during manufacturing.

To further this discussion. Higher octane is required for high compression engines. The compression ratio on a 2005 PX150 is 8:1, which you can safely run down to about 84 octane. The lowest you are likely to find near sea level in the US is 87, so regular gas is totally fine. Higher octane won't hurt the engine, but it also won't help unless you are trying to burn through money Brewster's Millions style.

My friend in Austria has a PX200 Millennium 2003. He absolutely adores the thing and rides it everywhere.

About a week ago I bought a 2005 PX 150 that had never been ridden. It had 1.6 miles on the odometer. I traveled only about 2 hours to buy it after finding it on craigslist with no photo. At first I thought it was probably a scam, but it turns out that a guy bought it about 7 years ago when a local dealer was clearing our some scooters that had been unsold, and he kept it because he liked the way it looked. The battery still had the red sealing cap on the vent hose nipple, and when I had acid added it warmed right up and held a charge. After buying the scooter the owner took it back and had genuine Vespa front and rear racks installed. I'm not crazy about the front rack because holes had to be drilled to mount it, but it looks ok and is actually pretty costly to buy new. When I got it home and added gas, the gas spilled out all over the garage floor. Turns out the original fuel line had hardened and broken. Aside from that, all seems ok with it. I checked the gearbox oil level and have now put 120 miles on it. I was just able to get a new front master cylinder cover so I will now change the brake fluid, which is 14 years old. I have not wanted to beak the seal on the existing cover gasket before I had a new one in hand. I also have ordered a Road 2 exhaust and jets. It is still being broken it, but it really could use a bit more power. I have replaced some rubber parts but all in all, it was a really good find. The OP RB Prior has been very helpful with tips by PM.