Modern Vespa

Hey there, I just bought a 2003 Vespa ET2 that starts up and idles well however it doesn't get up to speed. It accelerates fine, but after that it's slow to speed up and I also hear a very slight rattling sound coming out of the left side of the scooter from the clutch case. It seems that the power of the engine isn't catching with the clutch. Like I'm revving so high and it takes a while for it to react.

I would like to try to fix this myself but I have no idea where to start. I own the Haynes manual for this scooter as well. Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you so much!

Greetings:

And welcome! You must start by learning how to remove the belt cover on the left side of the engine. ScooterWest videos on YouTube come in handy for that. Order a new belt and a collection of variator rollers. Get the variator holding tool while you're at it, and a few variator (one-time use) nuts. The Driven Pulley may be gummed up, and is fairly easy to dismantle and re-grease, once you have the big socket to dismantle the rear pulley. The Aftermarket can supply replacement variators, clutches, and belts. Find something by Polini or Malossi if you want dependable performance. Good luck.

Hey thanks for the reply/info. I've slowly been educating myself on how a scooters cvt transmission works. I have also found a "Deluxe Belt, Variator, Clutch Overhaul Kit Vespa ET2/LX50" on ScooterWest.com. That looks like everything I'd need to do the job myself. I think I also need "VARIATOR HOLDER TOOL 50CC"? I don't know if I need a clutch holder tool for my et2? I also don't think I need a measuring caliper because I'm gonna be replacing all the rollers anyway, I could be wrong though...

I've never really messed with a scooters transmission before, I will buy the necessary parts but... I was just wondering if anyone can give me any more advice on how to tackle the job? Thank you so much!

Greetings:

Search internet or YouTube for ET2 belt replacement. This One is longer and more comprehensive than you need, but is model-specific. There are better videos by Robot at ScooterWest for belt replacement only, but I could find none for the ET2. However, the process is the same regardless of model.

ONE IMPORTANT THING: When reinstalling the Drive Face of the variator, be sure to open the rear pulleys - it takes Gorilla Hands - and pull the rear loop of the belt to near center. This puts slack in the front part of the belt to allow you to be SURE the drive face splines engage the crank splines correctly. You can ruin a crankshaft if you do this haphazardly. Immobilize the Drive Face with the holder tool and it is recommended to use a torque wrench and a new nut that comes with your Deluxe Belt Kit and tighten to spec.

the rattling on the left side of the case is probably that little plastic cooling fan that is making contact with the inside case... this isnt a big deal and not connected to your low speed issue..but its really annoying and evnetulaly you will need a new one...more than likely the last person to put the variator back together didnt seat it properly


if this were my scooter, id do what wheelman suggests...

id take off that side cover and take a look at the transmission...given the fan issue above i suspect someone might have messed with the transimssion...

id get a new belt and be sure you have the stock rollers and stock contra spring and clutch.....stock is a great place to start...

if you want to let us know what you find in there, post it up here with some pics... weigh the rollers, and let us know if its the stock black contra spring as well as the oem clutch