Modern Vespa

This morning I started my commute on my 2003 LT 150 and got maybe a half-mile from home, hit the brake and I hear a strange metallic sound. I thought something had gone terribly wrong with the brakes. I came to a full stop and realized the sound started when I pulled either brake lever even at a full stop. That was odd as the brakes are independent, hydraulic disc on the front and cable-actuated drum on the rear. Without wind noise, I was able to tell that the noise was coming from the CVT area, sounded a bit like a fan with a bit of metallic clanking. Ok, time to turn around and head home. Arriving back in the driveway I realized what the sound was. The starter was engaging when I pulled the brake levers. It seems that the brake light wiring is shorting to the starter so whenever I engage the brake the starter kicks over. I tested it by turning the bike off, then turning it back on and pulling the brake. Sure enough, it started right up. Now I get to trace the wiring to find the short. Cheap old scooters are always interesting, but this one was new for me.

The usual culprit is the starter switch itself stuck on.

Well diagnosed, good luck with tracing the short.

That makes sense since the brake has to be pulled in for the starter to engage. I'll mess with that first. Thanks for the tip.