Modern Vespa

okay...I am opening myself up for major laughter and endless jokes...sigh...

I just realized I made an error or two in my intro...

1. my scoot is a PX200E...not a P200E...typo, sorry...

and...

2. I happened to check the serial number while determining which carb to order and realized that my scoot is an '84 not '83...which leads me to my "silly newbie question"...

3. when I checked my vin online, it comes up as a 1984 PX200E Arcobaleno...is that different than a "regular" PX200E? or they all Arcobalenos?

I recall the guy who sold it to me (sorta a friend of a friend) mention something in this regard but I am ashamed to say I did really pay attention at the time...

sooo...help a newbie out -- if you can choke back the laughter long enough to answer...

The PX200E Arcobaleno is technicaly completely teh same as the standard PX200E.

Vespa sold it as a limitid edition. The difference is purely cosmetic.
As far as I know you must have mostly black details on your bike in stead of aluminium. Also the came in some special paint colours with a pearl effect.

i had a green one that could look blue under different light conditions.

Arcobaleno is Italilan for rainbow.

...so what about differences w/ a PX150E Arcabaleno?
From what I can tell on teh intarwebs, there's 9 models of PX150E

1977 P150X "without arrows"
1978-1982 P150X (con frecce) 1978-1982 P150X (with arrows)
1982-84 PX150E 1982-84 PX150E
1984-88 PX150 Arcobaleno (nuova serie con indicatore livello carburante e varianti) 1984-88 Rainbow PX150 (new series with fuel level indicator and variations)
1991 PX150E Revival (con sella marrone e colorazione giallo zabajone o verde metz scuro) 1991 PX150E Revival (with saddle brown and yellow colouring zabajone or dark green metz)
1988-1996 PX150E Elestart ma, ae (con avviamento elettrico ae e miscelatore automatico ma) (IL MODELLO MIGLIORE) 1988-1996 PX150E Elestart but pe (pe electric starter and automatic mixer but MODEL) (BETTER)
1997-1999 PX150 ma, ae freno a disco (con freno a disco ant miscelatore ed avviamento di serie) 1997-1999 PX150 but pe brake disc (with disc brake ant blender goodwill of the series)
2000 PX150 (millenium) serie speciale 2000 PX150 (millennium) license plate
2000-2002 PX 150 catalyzed euro1 2000-2002 PX 150 catalyzed Euro1
2002-2007 PX150 catalyzed euro2 (frecce bianche, nuova strumentazione, cromature, manopole e altro) 2002-2007 PX150 catalyzed euro2 (white arrows, new instrumentation, chrome, knobs and more)

..so what the hell is so special about the "Arcobaleno", except for the little rainbow on the left cowl insignia? (extra info, I have a fuel gauge, but no elestart and no autolube on an '84 PX150E Arcobaleno)

It came in a rainbow variety of colours...

the only caveat is that when you order gearbox parts order them via *engine number* not vin number.

83~84 was kind of a transitional year between standard and EFL gearbox and drive components.

best,
-greasy