Modern Vespa

Due to the Covid and all the issues it has created, i ended up with myself stuck in Chicago and my Vespa in a garage in AZ for almost a year not attached to a trickle charger(I was planning on getting there much sooner). Also it sat there is a very hot summer. I finally got to AZ last week, put the Vespa on the trickle charger for 2 days, put in gas and it started right up and has continued to start for the last few days. In fact I took it out for a short ride today and it rode great. So number one, I am very surprised the battery survived, although it is a newer battery, the Vespa is a 2012 but the battery is only about 1-2 years old. Next is there anything I should check out on the Vespa. I am planning an oil change, and it is due for new tires, should I have a mechanic take a look at it.? Thanks for any info


larry

You should be fine.
Let it warm up good.
I'd join you on a ride ( I live in Chandler), but I'm out of commission for a month.

thanks, I will need a while to get my house in order as it has sat vacant for a year, then I will look forward to riding

larry

I've twice used old fuel in marine engines after they sat for a year of disuse without incident.,

You might find that the exhaust smells a little funky with the rest of this tank of gas. If the engine starts and runs, I wouldn't expect any further complications, but after the old fuel is used up you might want to run the next few tanks on fuel treated generously with Seafoam.

I have my doubts about Seafoam's effectiveness, but it definitely won't hurt with new fuel in this situation. I would NOT add it to old fuel.

Are you surprised Larry? Well ... it may be that a little skill and a little luck contributed to the good result.
Sometimes we are so used to receiving disappointments that when the opposite happens we are stunned.

Agreed.

On a warmer day you should take it out for a good run and get a little speed going. One to burn though some of the old petrol and two to charge the battery up. About 20-30 minutes of spirited riding should do the battery good.

LarryMK, if you're in AZ now, the Sonoran Sunriders have a meetup scheduled tomorrow at 7:00 at the Porch on Baseline in Tempe. Come on down, meet the folks!

You are on good luck, Congrats on getting back your Vespa.
Take short rides and just warm it up, you can change the engine oil.

thanks for all the info, I am still getting settled in AZ still going back and forth to chicago but will get settled in Ax and contact other riders.

be happy be safe


larry

Good you didn't come out tonite as the meet up was rescheduled due to today's rain. Perhaps we'll see you then.

When did it last have a coolant change? Don't overlook that. It's crucial to engine health and should not go for more than 2 years without a coolant change. That's even if the bike has been standing unused for that amount of time. The coolant chemically changes and becomes acidic, losing it's ability to lubricate the water pump seals, and actually causing corrosion in your engine. Good luck with the bike, and it's good to get back on one isn't is!

Unless you had fuel stabilizer in the tank, I would not burn the old fuel. I'd siphon it out and dispose of it otherwise, and put in fresh fuel, along with some good fuel-system cleaner. Bound to be contaminated and oxidized, which may cause deposits in your carb or fuel injection. I'd bet that the battery is going to have a pretty short lifetime too, so I'd plan on replacing it when convenient, as opposed to when it dies.

You may well get lucky, burn the old fuel OK, and the battery may not give you trouble right now. But you are beating the odds, so to speak.

prior to sending the Vespa I had siphoned out the old fuel so it went with almost no fuel and I had put a fuel stabilizer in it. The battery is likely going to die but when i bring it in i will have them check it. I assume that would tell me but I also assume it will need replacement way sooner than it should have. Just looking froward to more riding as much better weather in AZ than Illinois.

I'd say just ride it. Fill it up right away with any top-tier fuel, check the tires, charge up your cell phone and get out and ride it. It needs to run and so do you. Batteries are quirky. It you ask the dealer to check it I can almost guarantee you'll be told you need to replace it. Lots of scooters with old batteries start fine, but they are used every day. It's the ones that stand around for long periods of time and then never get charged up fully and sulfate that poop out young.