Modern Vespa

I have their reinforcement plates on two other of my PX's, and they are alright. I do think they should be a little more thick since as is, can still get distorted from a 160lb person just sitting on the scooter. I would still recommend them though.

Yeah this 220 lbs person realized one day that he was warping the floor boards with two big heavy kryptonite faghettaboutit bike chains (30 lbs of chain alone) in the glove box for locking it up and his 220 lbs self sitting on it while on center stand. Ever since then I put it on and take it off center stand while standing next to it. Also stopped carrying the kryptonite bike chain around.

Where did you end up picking the floor reinforcement up? I can't find it except for their own website in germany. Hoping its available from a US site to save on shipping a metal plate!

I think you're out of luck finding it in stock in the US. For some reason SIP only carries a few of the TD-Cusoms products, so have to get mine from Scooter Center...well, I don't actually place the order directly myself...I have a friend who places orders with them every few weeks, so I just piggyback on his order.

And it would be nice if Vespas had stronger floorboards. It's just that the scooters are so darn comfortable to just sit on while they're on their centerstand.

https://www.scooter-center.com/en/search?sSearch=td-customs


And as a pro tip, it wouldn't be very difficult at all to make your own support plate out of stainless...

Ha yeah I know I could make it easily... except that my garage can't power any of the welding tools needed to do anything metal work related. Nor would I feel comfortable using cutting torches in there. Wood garage would go up in flames!

What I like most about the luggage loops is that it provides more support for the top of the floorboards. It keeps the little M6 screw heads from getting pulled into the floorboards. TD-Customs also make the same item without the loops. But the loops can be quite handy at times. Another bonus of the loops is that it keeps your boots (everyone is wearing boots when riding...right?) from rubbing against the paint on the frame tunnel.

Yup, on my 640! And where it happened was down in the Mojave desert too! Absolute amazing scenery and even more amazing riding terrain out there. I do an annual 2 day 450-500 mile dual sport dirtbike ride down there every thanksgiving weekend. I just got some fancy new suspension on my bike and wanted to test it to the max. My front tire found a deep wash (or rather the washout found my front tire) mid-morning on the second day. I got thrown from my bike (bike's 100% ok) and landed on my head and ribs. Luckily my head broke most of my fall (every time I crash and hit my head in that same helmet it always seems to hurt quite a bit). I think I have a separated rib or something, because a rib is still moving around, and 2 weeks later it's still painful to take any sort of deep breaths...let alone anything else as well.

I own Vespas, Lambrettas, and 4 KTMs...small, medium, large, and extra large (all with license plates) and no other 2 wheeled anything else. Ironically I rarely ever ride any of them on the pavement for pleasure (maybe once every year or two?). The only time they see pavement is on the way to the trailhead. Yes, my big KTM 950A has some sort of ungodly top speed, but that just ain't my bag. I get pleasure from riding my Vespas (and Lammys) on the tarmac. Plus I can find parking easier and lane split easier on a scooter as well. Also people smile and wave at me when I'm on a scooter.

A pic from this thanksgiving down in the Mojave desert. And a big thanks to MJRally for transporting my KTM to a suspension shop in San Diego earlier this year!!!

Thanks for the wheelie pic - That's bad-ass!

I used to camp close to Aquaduct Road or Powerline Road, just north of Red Rock, and ride to Jawbone Canyon, Lake Isabella, China Lake, Ridgecrest, etc. Usually ended up at Bonks Jawbone Canyon store for an ice cream and a beer.

Great memories riding out there.

OUCH!

Hey brother - Sorry to hear that was the case.
2 things.
1. Helmets are tested for standards they have to pass on a bench - but some have more of a bell ring harsh effect than others. Low profile can more easily pass the test when they use super high density padding. Bit larger helmet - while uglier can utilize multiple densities and be a bit less harsh - but at the cost of a larger volume. While you are convalescing - you might consider doin some research if interested.
2. Speaking of convalescing - you should go get checked out if you haven't already to ensure you don't have a punctured lung. Can feel a lot like bruised ribs - but can be collapsed lung - which is no good. https://www.healthline.com/health/punctured-lung#symptoms

Take care and be well.
-CM

For steering stops I've always just drilled and tapped for an M8 bolt right where I want the stop. Super easy and effective.

Interesting and easy solution to get a little extra height. However, it does not help with the floor-flexing issue; while the thick cut reinforcing plate does.

On one of my scoots I had 1/4" thick steel plate added to the area around the center stand mounts on the underside of floor. I had some other welding done, and had the tunnel & floorboard cracks repaired; and so reinforced it this way at the same time. No one knew it was there, and it completley solved the issue of cracking the floorboards while sitting on scoot!

It's been close to a year since I posted in this thread.

I very recently got ahold of a P200 engine to put in my VB1 project, but I decided to switch things up a little bit...

Since the current 200 engine in my Allstate is a non-autolube, and this new to me 200 engine has autolube, well I've decided to pull the non-autolube engine out of my Allstate and install it into my VB1. That means I'll be installing an autolube 200 into the Allstate! I looked on my shelves and found a twist cap PX autolube fuel tank and oil reservoir. There's no fuel sender cutout in the tank, so it will work perfectly in this project.

As a side note, I can't remember where i got (or what scooter it originally fits) the twist cap PX tank. Maybe someone else knows what model the tank originally fits?


Since I'm setting up the Allstate for for autolube, that means I had a two choices to make...use a plug instead of the sight glass or cut a hole in the frame and use a sight glass. Well, not everyone will like this...so hate the play, not the player...I cut a hole in the frame for the sight glass.

Here's pics of a few stages of the hole being enlarged. I took my measurements of the oval hole from a P200 frame.

I also installed a helmet hook. They are handy as all get-out to have on a scooter.

I'm still trying to decide what to do about the choke pull. Since the paint is great on this scooter, welding will not be an option! I did come across this thread here. Help modifying a 1966 body to use a tank w oil injection There's lots of great ideas for a relocated choke pull. Perhaps I'll use one of them?

Wow, excellent work!

I made a "hook" that goes over the nose. Lame compared to an actual helmet hook. I gotta think about that...

I just used a standard P series hook.

2 holes and a backing plate, nothing to it! But if you like it, why not??

man that is some pretty blue.
what is the issue with the choke that would require welding?
pics??

For non-auto lube scooters, the choke pull is located up above the fuel tap lever. For autolube scooters, the choke is located down at the same height as the sight glass. The reason it's located down that far is because the oil tank reservoir uses that space where the higher up choke pull would be. You can find pictures of the choke pulls in that link i posted up.

That's why you just put an oil tank in the glove box! Useless for you since your oil tank is attached to the gas tank though.

Ahhh.
Thanks guys.

Oh, and this is what the top of the fuel tank looks like. Yeah, yeah, it might be a bit too modern looking, but I didn't have any early P series flip-top cap gas tanks on my shelf. It just so happens that I really love the quick access and convenience that the twist cap offers, so it's a win for me. What's peculiar about this tank is that it has a PX twist on cap and autolube, but no fuel sending unit. Anybody have any ideas what this tank was originally out of? All I can assume it's from an autolube PX with no fuel gauge...which doesn't make sense to me though.


EDIT: it look like it's a LML tank. I have no idea where or when i got it, but it just got put back in the rotation!
https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/tank-lml-with-oil-pump_22337231

The stock 200 engine that was in this Allstate got removed and is headed for my VB1 build https://modernvespa.com/forum/post2523897#2523897

It's difficult to not combine the two threads when swapping engines between the two scooters.

This other engine that is now in the Allstate is now a stroked 208 (stock cylinder, 60mm crank, MMW zero squish head, 24/24 carb, oil injection).

I went to install a 24/24 carb that I found on my shelf. It all seemed to be going a bit too smoothly, so I took a REALLY close 4th look at the carb. Well it turns out it's a NON oiler carb. So what the difference between an oiler and a non-oiler carb? Well the oiler has one hole drilled for the 2T oil to be channeled out of the carb. There's already a hole for oil to come in, just not out. It was either but a new carb, or drill one hole...


The screwdriver is pointing to the spot on a non oiler carb where there is no hole drilled. Long story short, I drilled all the way though the exterior of the carb, then through the inner 2T oil channel, then into the throat. I circled the hole that I drill with a red sharpie marker. I then sealed up JUST the outer hole (not the oil channel) with some JB weld. There's a round metal file that I have jammed all the way into the oil channel to keep the JB Weld from getting in it. And yes, this is the only JB Weld that you will find on any scooters that I own or have owned.

That's a bold move modifying the carb like that. I like it! So obvious once you point it out, too.

And before I go reassembling the carb, which is the best (correct) throttle slide to use on a P208 with a 24/24 oil injection carb? I know I have these two carbs for sure, but I might have another shape as well?

The #4 slide on the right side has the groove in it, the one on the left has no groove.

Jack recommended a #4 slide for the similar P208 build I'm doing. It just got here yesterday and I'll install it tomorrow.

Ummm....

Even though I've been messing around with this carb for the past week, I just noticed in my picture that it looks to be a T5 24/24G carb...

I just read this over at Scooter Center's website. It explains in English (in a way that makes total sense to a German) on what the slide "pocket" does.

https://www.scooter-center.com/en/throttle-slide-scooter-center-for-dellorto/spaco-si24/24-e/h-vespa-px200-cosa200-cutaway-50-3331591

Interesting!

Between this and the VB1 Scuttle bucket, you're doing good work. Just trying to keep up wit which motor is in which build... I think I got it now This little carb trick is good knowledge.

You're not the only one. I kid you not, i'm trying to keep up on which engine is which as well!

Curiosity got the best of me, so I just went over to the shop tonight (temp is currently in the upper 30's) and braved having cold feet for the sake of double checking what carb I have. And yes, it's a 24/24G (T5) carb. I then went digging through my Box O' Carbs, and found yet another T5 carb, but this particular one was an autolube carb! So it turns out I have a total of 3 T5 carbs, one non-oiler, one autolube, and one that I converted to autolube.

And about the carb slide pockets. The T5 slides do NOT have any pockets in them! So I'm planning on keeping it that way.

A pic of what the T5 carb and slide looks like underneath.

Also a pic of a trio of T5 carbs. I thought I only had one, but I found two more this evening.

T5 Carb Christmas in January!

The cowl cutout on your race frame is super neat. Nice upward angle mod for the end can, I bet it looked sharp tucked in there. I agree not chopping a perfectly straight cowl. Perhaps, de-mod the pipe to get a flatter angle for the can. MRP stand bracket should hopefully fix the interference.

I've brought my current project stuff into the house, because my shop(garage) is uninsulated and stays about the same temp as outside. currently 34°. Not the worst, compared to east coasters, but still not ideal for my SoCal bones. Slowly getting adjusted to the PNW

I visually feel as though I finally found a aesthetically pleasing solution to the damage in the legshield without having to respray the whole scooter...

The back story is that before I bought this scooter, it used to have a badge bar bolted through the front legshield. The previous owner ended up dumping the scooter, and the badge bar mounts tore two distinct holes right through the legshield. I don't mind riding around on beater bikes, but I didn't like riding this scooter around in public. It was like a hot chick with two HUGE pimple warts smack dab in the middle of her face (no offense to any #10 super models out there with huge pimple warts on there faces).

I've been racking my brain for the past 10+ years on what to do with the damage, all the while the Allstate was hiding under a tarp in my shop. I decided that a legshield badge could cover one of the holes. On a whim I bought a Vespa Club of America badge. What better badge for an Allstate than VCOA version? The blue coloring on the badge even matches the blue paint on the scooter!

Of course the badge is completely flat. I was thinking about how to contour the metal badge without snapping it. I started to walk around my shop to get a feel for what useless crap I had laying around that would give me an epiphany. 10 minutes later I had one...

I already had a few pieces of HDPE plastic that I ran a larger holesaw through. I set the badge directly over the hole (the hole was about 1/2" smaller diameter than the badge), and then put a round piece of HDPE plastic directly over the top of the badge. I put the sandwiched badge in the shop press and held my breath....and it worked perfectly! I got the exact contour I needed for fitting it to the legshield. So hole #1 I will call "fixed".

perfect!

put a yellow ray-dot on to hide the other hole!

For hole #2, a Clauss repop Lucas light mount showed up today. The mounts don't fit a Vespa legshield worth a lick, but I knew that before ordering it.

The first thing I did was put the poly mount in the freezer for a few hours. Reason being is that rubber poly gets hot and starts to melt when you cut it. Basically hot poly is a huge mess when you're cutting/grinding/sanding it. It's a little bit less of a mess when it's frozen, and at the same time it's also much easier to cut.

Luckily I didn't loose any fingers in the porta-band...those I could easily see it happening. After I cut a wedge out of the mount, I then contoured the inner side of it with a 40 grit flapper disc. It was probably about a 30 minute project. I found a random Lucas light on my shelf and mocked everything up. I think I'm also pleased with how the Lucas hides this second hole in the legshield. It will be a while before I get the headlight and fender mounted, so I don't know just how well everything will aesthetically tie together.

And a couple more pics. It's kind of like cheating when all I have to do it just cover up the damage....I mean repurpose the holes...

We're definitely on the same page Greasy, because your posting is "spot" on! I would like to possibly find a yellow lens for my Lucas though. I have used yellow glass paint in the past on my Lammy's Lucas lights, and it has held up for years perfect.

ha! we must've been posting at the same time!

great minds and all that...

yooo... what's up with the PK in the background? I have... uhh... questions...

I always love looking in the background of pics that people post up.

It's my PK125XL. It was all stock until i finally decided to tune it up with a 135 Parma kit. I installed a 12VDC VAPE kit, and therefore i need to finish rewiring the AC harness into a DC. I haven't been very motivated to finish the wiring since it's been cold out. Plus with however many other scooters and KTMs that i'm currently working on at the moment, the PK got pushed aside. I'm betting if i bucked down i could have it completed in less than 2 days. I haven't even started the scooter yet and i'm kinda missing how the engine used to be all stock and simple.

It's this little critter here...
PK smallframe touring cylinder options (Page 2)
PK125 XL disc brake and LED headlight conversion

My plan was to install the fuel line today. I ran the line like normal (under the oil tank and then out through the frame), but the exit hole through the frame on the Allstate is about 2" higher than it is on a P series. So I rerouted the line to go between the bottom of the fuel tank and the top of the oil tank. It will keep the fuel hose from dipping down so low inside the frame. I then went to temporarily install the 24/24 carb, but for some reason it wouldn't slide over the top of the case studs. I tried a couple times wondering what the heck was going on, and then quickly realized I had a 2005 PX 150 oil injection box...doh! Those late model PX boxes are shaped just a pinch different where the mixer screw is located. So then i had to strip down the PX 150 mixer box bits (that I just went through) with a different P mixer box that I had. All this is simple stuff, but it's just keeping a sharp eye on exactly what parts I'm installing.

The P box is on the left. The 2005 PX box is on the right.

Great project. Love the details.