Modern Vespa

Holy friggin shizznizz.

Took my inaugural ride just now. No video cause I was having way too much fun and my wife is at work so ya know.

This thing is a monster. Pulls like a freaking freight train. Lifted the wheel in 3rd gear like it was nothing. OMG OMG OMG it was awesome. Have some things to still work on. Kill switch so I can read the plug. It was idling pretty high. SIP speedo said around 4k. When I glanced down and my smile didn't put a glare where the rpm's were. I also haven't "set up" the Speedo yet and the throttle cable needs to be shortened. I have about 1/4 throttle before it opens the slide. Since it'll be freezing cold again after today I'll have time to address that.

Gonna take some time to get used to that foot brake.

These scoots are so much fun!!! I'm in love with a beat up blue rust bucket.

awesome!!! can you remind us again what your engine side build had in it? I've been paying more attention to your vbb-ish stuff than to whatever went in the engine.

Engine is a PX150E with a VMC stelvio 177 jammer
Pinasco 24/24er carb
60/160
160/BE3/116 main jet
Still have the drilled filter in the box with bellows attached
Stock clutch and gears
Vape variable ignition

I think that's it on that front.

4k rpms is too high because the rev counter on the speedo is set for a stock ignition. It's really much lower than that. With a variable ignition the speedo's rev counter is set based on the instruction book using the control button. May need to setup speedo mph to match the speedo gears teeth in the fork. That's in the instruction book too.

Glad to see you got a chance to ride it.

I thought that may be the issue honestly. It didn't sound like it was THAT high. Definitely high but not 4500-5000 rpm high. Next nice day I'll take care of setting it up finally.

Moved the babe back in the workshop so I can adjust the throttle and run a new kill wire. Decided since it's a pubic hair shy of 100° today (actual temp is 72°, in friggin February. Wtf) I'd go for a little spin. Heat cycles as they say.

Windy as all get out but still hit 53.6mph GPS. Without even trying. Never went past 1/2 throttle.

Then had my first tip over trying to get this thing back in the shop. The shop is off our kitchen, and has 4 steps down to get to the backyard. Got damn if it is the least amount of fun I've had in a while trying to push the heffer up an oak board into the shop. Got it 90% of the way the first try then it tipped over engine side. Sigh. Only dents were on the floor edge (tore that up pretty good) and the engine cowl which I already hammered back into shape. Once she's done with this last "service" she'll stay in the shed. It's too much to try to push it up the ramp for my fake shoulders and hips. If I need to do any more major work I'll just drop the engine and carry that into the house instead maybe.


All tucked in for the night. And yes I've been cleaning up and rearranging the shop finally.

Going from this pigsty

To this slightly less sty.

53.6 jiggawatts

That is a thing of beauty, I am green with envy. Thanks for sharing!

Good one getting a heat cycle in and going for a ride.

And your shop looks fantastic.

Maybe next time you can just ride the scooter in or out of the shop. Just don't end up on one of those "motorcycle loading" bloopers

Got to the kill wire finally last night. Was a bit of one step forward two steps back though. Ran the new wire and hooked it all up only to find no continuity on the new green wire. Wtf. Drop the fork again and start to investigate. Hmmmm there's 2 green wires in here…. Damn thing broke clean in half! So I went nuclear for round two. Lined the entire wire with shrink tubing. Figured that'll give it some protection from that metal brace in the tunnel. Busted out the multi meter and tested continuity at every single step. Success! Haven't tested it with the motor running yet though. But the wire isn't broken! While I had to pull the tank again to do this I noticed a lot of gunk when draining the tank. So electrolysis part 3 is happening now.

Here's the 2 parts back part though. Putting the fork in and hear a rattle on the floor boards. Weird. Look down and there's the plastic speedo cable connector laying on the floorboard. Well shit. Ok guess I'll order a new one of those then. While I wait I'll redo the front brake cable! (Had to remove it to drop the fork and didn't have enough excess cable to just cut the end off and reuse it.) get it ran and tighten the clamp and POP. Snapped clean in half. F.

Here's some things I learned:
1. Don't NEED a kill wire to ride, but it sure is nice to have.
2. Speedometers are overrated and unnecessary.
3. Front brakes? Who needs em! The Flinstones sure didn't.

Also got a side stand and doesn't fit. Not even close. The holes on the plate don't come close at all. If I get one side lined up the other side sits under the tunnel.

But the throttle cable is properly done now. So ya know small victories.


Bummer.

Dang it Bobby!

Gonna pop this bad boy in the fuel line while the tank is at the spa.

Philadelphia. Circa 2022.

Oh you got a fighter. So common for them to fight me at almost every turn.
Leave the filter off. Has one inside tank and in carb bowl.
Keep fighting, the battle is almost over but the war of ownership will continue.

Good luck!

2 steps forward
3 steps back
thats how you do the scooter dance.

nice work!

Parts will be here next week so I "should" be done then. Finally. Only took a year and a half! Got a different seat that I can use with the backrest/spare carrier finally. My son will be stoked to get rides to and from school on it now.

Very productive day today. Taking more steps back!

Had some time after I put the kids to bed so ran down to the shop for an hour. Reinstalled the throttle clip that holds the throttle cable away from the nub on the throttle body.
Then worked on the center stand spring.
Had to remove the muffler. Which means rear wheel has to come off. One nut will not come off. Brake out the pneumatic driver and busted her free.
I moved to the muffler and removed the engine shroud. Hmmm CHT probe is still leaking even with the copper spray gasket. Take that off and notice why it keeps leaking. It's squared a bit. Not round. Obvious area where the juice is leaking. Get the muffler off and there's no juice in the neck of the muffler so I'm glad to see that that was tightened properly.
So now that I have the box off and the engine shroud AND I have that leak still I figure I may as well bite the bullet and drill the head and install the CHT gauge that way instead. Avoiding leaks forever.

So I start removing the cylinder studs. Everything good there. Go to the hex key screws and the hex key gets stuck when I loosened the first one. Won't come out of the damn screw now. Rubber mallet and a wrench after putting the cylinder stud nuts back on got it free eventually. Those Allen jammers with the ball tip friggin suck. Going to have to find some Allen keys for a torque wrench now so I can get that back on without getting it stuck.

Someone on here posted VMC. Torque specs but I can't find it at all. Did I make that up? If anyone knows please pass that info along thanks!

Also on the VMC head- is there an up and down side? One part has some fins that are flat instead of the whole head being round. The one side has a flatter profile. Does it matter if that's facing the exhaust stub or no?


It was supposed to be an easy quick hour…
I'm at least almost fully done the project and will soon move on to the maintenance part of ownership though so there's that!
Then comes the next one….

Round who knows of electrolysis still going.


Guess I should have left this in a touch longer the first time huh?

Just waiting on the dumb odd ass M4x0.75 tap bit now. Got the pilot hole drilled for the CHT.

Get ready for scary temp readings with a sensor there! I get like 50 degree plus readings vs under the spark plug.

I'm ready!

How deep is the hole? Thinking about moving mine from under plug, not sure if Pinasco head has room.

16.5mm

You could alternatively use a 10mm sensor on the lower right bolt (farthest from the flywheel). Get ride baselines with your spark plug sensor, then do the same rides with your bolt sensor to get their temp differences.

Pulled the tank out of the electrolysis bin and oh boy did a lot of rust and gunk get removed!


Anode number one.

Number 2.

And number 3. Good lord there was an awful lot of rust still in that tank after the first round!

What do you do with the funk afterwards?

Wow, that's a lot!

Pour it on my cereal!

But really I wiped it down with a rag and just tossed it in the trash. Then the water mix is fine to dump in the yard or down the drain. I just scoop out the flotsam then bucket out the water and toss it out the back door.

I was honestly amazed. Especially considering this was the 3rd time it's been done.

Well this is an absolute tragic comedy now. First went to the moto shop and got them to tell me what size the screw for the CHT probe was. M4x.75. Order a tap in that size. Get sent one that says it's that size on the package, open it up and the bit says M4x.7 Send it back and get the correct one sent. Drill a hole in a spare piece of metal and tap it. Hmmm it's not going in. Bust out the calipers and well wouldn't ya know it. The screw is 4.5mm not 4. Son of a motherless catfish. Order a M4.5x.75. Good news! It arrived today, 2 days early. Go back in to the shop to get to work drilling and tapping. Use the sacrificial metal and drill and tap and screw her in. Nice. Bust out the blue lock tite and a 7mm crescent wrench and twist it in then use the wrench when it wasn't moving with my fingers anymore. Cruising right along then disaster. All of a sudden it gets real easy to spin. Too easy. W. T. F. The dang screw broke in half on me. Barely any pressure while tightening it. Like my fingers just couldn't squeeze in there so I used the wrench for 1/8 turns at a time. I laughed and said "you've got to be f-in kidding me" and walked up stairs to bed.

Guess I'll order another probe when I order that side stand qascooter has

First ExMayor's shock mount breaks in half.
Then I lose the woodruff key, and a magnet, in the transfer case....
And now you snap the bolt in the head...

Well, that's three - I think it's safe for everyone else to get a bunch done, cause we've all taken the hit one way or another.

You guys all need to go buy some scratchers!

sorry, the voodoo doll is on the fritz, the technical department is telling me it's some type of location issue that they're looking to get sorted out with electrical work...

Since next week is going to be nice here and I need space in the shop I'm just putting the head back on and will get the new probe done later. I'm not doing any WOT so I'm not too worried about temps right now. That said does anyone know what the orientation is for the stud bolts on the VMC head? One end is threaded to the end the other has about 5-10mm of no threads. Which end goes which way?


All the threads

These threads do not go to 11.

And I'm glad I grabbed my phone to ask this question because I completely forgot the sealing ring for the head. Whoops!

Must be the side with the gap goes in first. I can finger tighten them all in that way but can only go 3 turns till it's tight with the other fully threaded side going in first.

You could see how they were installed previously by looking for split washer scoring on the nut faces. But they need work...

I had a similar experience hand tightening these stupid bolts. The black coating is inside the threads. Got an air leak by ignoring this and (false) torquing to spec.
They need to be cleaned to torque correctly.


Cleaned one on the right.

1. I feel partially responsible - though - I am a tru believer in the head mounted CHT.
2. Also - Philly - the land where fans throw snow balls at Santa clause. At Santa! (look it up).
3. I am still trying to wrap my head around how you are A. have a shop in your kitchen. B. are still married.
Cudus - you must be hung like a horse.

Kidding aside - the scoot is such a classic. Love it in all it's dinged up shape. Careful not to over tighten the CHT - just get it in there snug - it will do the job.

Thanks! I had already put them back on so when I take the head off to try the CHT gauge again I'll go through them just to be safe.

Eh I blame the crappy ring design on the probe. Or maybe I'm torquing it too much which is causing it to spread and allow a leak.
Philly is definitely a "special" place here on this spacebase we call Earth.
The workshop was one of the main selling points to the house. My wife is an architect and I like to build so it works out. Our old place only had a basement in a tiny row home. This was a huge upgrade. No more walking crap up and down tiny steps!
And my secret is I'm really good at raising kids. That's really my only skill in life.

chuckled.
the Santa snow ball throwing incident was cryptic response to an earlier picture you posted - with student driver sign and accompanying rider.
hope you have the scoot back on the road soon.
sound like its a lot of fun to ride.

You could get this set and call it a day.
Torque them as you would a crush washer, no more than that or you'll split it.

https://scooter-speed.com/universal-koso-sip-speedometer-temp-sensor-h149-7672876/

I had them and broke all but one. I suppose I torqued them too much. I gotta order that anyways cause I need the wire part, the screw busted in half on me.

One bit of good news though. The new kill wire works!

Got the new CHT sensors today. Decided to just go with the ring and torque it to 14ft lbs….


WHAT THE F? What am I doing wrong here? Dremel'd the inside of the ring so it didn't get hung up. This still happened. Happened at about 10ft lbs.

The ring is bending up too close to the spark plug itself, so the plug catches on it and tears it as soon as the ring starts to bind between the plug and the head.

Bend the sender attachment far enough away that it doesn't catch the plug and let it spin/ride along with the plug as you tighten it.

You can see the spot where the plug made contact and tore it.


Right there