Modern Vespa

Hi. I've recently acquired a v9a1t 90 small door.

I'm a bit confused as it's a 66 plate and have read they didn't make a small door after 65?

Also can anyone tell me what the original colour would be? (Its blue in the logbook)

Thanks in advance.

Well thats definitely incorrect. The standard v90 were made right up till the mid 80's. I think your v90 would be baby blue; seem to think that was the only colour all the way through the run, unless anybody else knows. Your floorboards show that colour coming through. I owned a white 1976 v90 once (resprayed) asand it was so slow, about 40mph on a good day.

They made the small door right up to 86?

I'm new to classic vespas and just going off history from online.

Well Mikey, be warned that once you get hooked on vespas you will end up being hooked for life. Here you go, found a reference for the v90 for you.
https://www.vespa.name/vespa-model/vespa-90#:~:text=Years%20made%3A%201963%2C%201964%2C,the%20market%20(24%2C000%20models).

So looking at this site, it implies the 'small door' was made larger to access engine after 1965 so maybe this is what you were referring too. You will soon find out when you buy the door off ebay to replace your missing one.

This is a 1964 v90 that was up for sale on an auction site.

Brilliant thanks for that!...not sure I want a baby blue bike 😅

In the article you sent me it says "pre 1965 had small access doors"... mines 66 and still has a smaller access door, is it possible it was just registered later?

Regards

*p.s think I've already got the bug* 😂

I did buy a door and it doesn't fit 🙈

Yes, quite possibly yours were registered later. But i really cant tell from your photos of yours versus the photo ive just added which was stated on an auction site as a 1964 V90. So if you can find your chasis number which should be stamped somewhere on the frame, you can definitely match this against the link ive posted on here. If your number is above 21544 then its not pre 1966.

My chassis number is in the 8 thousand

Now to find an original access door! Everything else on the bike is completely original at present so it would be a shame not to find one.

Any idea how rarer the small access door v90s are?

Its a 1964 model then. This might be tricky part to find.

Yeah I thought as much...heard most of them got flownnknto hedges after people tried modding the engines which the small doors wouldn't fit around?

I'm guessing the badges would be hard to get too? Do you know if it would be a Douglas Bristol badge if it was sold in bristol?

Its going to be as the style in photo here. Thats a 64 model and you got correct badge already. Have you got the log book ?

Cool. Thanks so much again for the information.

If I wanted more history and service manuals etc is it best to contact vespa?

(Here's hoping someone sees this post that has a spare smaller access door lying around )

Well you just need to search online mikey . Scooterhelp.com have v90 pdf manual you can download. For a self maintenance guide get a Haynes manual https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwi1lafOvbDvAhXo6O0KHbcxB9kYABAHGgJkZw&ae=2&sig=AOD64_13GENNUYhKQ24ksmCa8_94v8-4Dg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjOhaHOvbDvAhXRnFwKHQ4XDyQQwg96BAgCEBI&adurl=

Better order quick, expensive but what you are after. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VESPA-SMALL-FRAME-GENUINE-VINTAGE-ENGINE-DOOR-SMALL-TYPE-RARE-NEW-/153817773315?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

Can I ask you, does your scooter actually run? Can't help thinking its going to be expensive project for you.

Greetings:

It looks like the 90 was made from 1963 to '67. 24K units and they considered it "unpopular".

1963 to 1986. I had a p reg 1976 v90 which I paid £90 for back in 1983, however it came with a spare complete engine and forks front hub for a primavera 125. I had to drive it back from Grafham in West Sussex and it could hardly climb the hills, painfully slow. With the primavera rig in it I got 55mph which is 15mph over the v90 but had the 4th gear. I had a v reg 1978 v100 and this was far better and would go off the clock 50mph here is the link again with numbers produced from 1963 to 1986 https://www.vespa.name/vespa-model/vespa-90 around 250,000 v90s were produced. I fail to see why it was a popular choice as weird capacity , other than it was relatively cheap model. The primavera 125 was vastly superior.

Thanks for that. I was hoping it would be a little more rare than that.

24k doesn't sound like an unpopular number 🙃

Perhaps I'll finish makinvbher good and part ex for a primavera 😉

I guess one thing is it was sold in Bristol and stayed in the area its whole life...is it true Douglas in Bristol manufactured their own smalldoor vespas for a very short time?

Hi, My understanding was that Douglas were just the importer rather than the manufacturer. Edit - a quick google shows what I know!! Further edit - it doesnt show the 90 in the list of models produced so maybe that was just imported.

https://www.veteranvespaclub.com/piaggio-history/2018/12/18/new-forest-hampshire-riding-event

You can probably make it quicker with aftermarket engine bits but not sure how easy access to the sparkplug would be with the small door.

Mikey, dont get me wrong about your v90 and appearing to knock the model.

All small frames in the UK are now very desirable. There are many kits out there now for improving performance but this is going to cost you a fair amount of money on top of the condition yours is in. A bolt on 110cc kit, upgraded carb and polini banana box, say will certainly give it some pep over where it is now.


The v90 will be on 6v electrics too with points, so later, the route would be to upgrade to 12v electronic ignition. If you keep it and restore it, it will certainly be a labour of love and cost too but its all doable as a project. Chip away it and you will learn a lot from the peeps on here for your next project.

The 90 would be on the 51mm crank so the 110 isn't going to fit. Would a 130 work with the small door?

On the pre-65's the spigot for the cylinder is smaller and the cases will not easily accept a later cylinder upgrade.

This isnt such good news then for the owner. Unless there is some sentimental reason to retain that scooter, if it were me i would be moving it on due to the amount of restoration needed, the floor boards look rotten but maybe the photos are deceptive; is the rear break pedal missing/fallen off from rot?

So Douglas did produce some vespas, but kept falling flat on their asses 😁

Ah...I guess just a updated carb and filter will do. Any mods to the exhaust that would add power?

I was thinking to cut out the floor panel and make the front into a wing shape, to reduce weight and cut the wind...opted to buy a new plate with curves on the front. (Mats were left on it).

Engines good. The holes for the brake pedal fixings were rusted. Freed the brakes up good though and everything is sweet engine wise (3.5km)

Just wondering how far to go with it now.

P.s. I did ride it as is for a short time, of course.

Well for quick runs to the shops or local beach, the 90 is ideal. Thats what they were designed for. I still dont understand the logic behind the 90c capacity. The 50s were for 16 year olds in the UK, no more than 30mph and i think on the continent of europe you could drive at 14. Then you had the 125 capacity. So why the 90cc? Maybe some law stating as a learner you could not go over 90cc?? who knows.

Hi to anyone who owns a vespa 90 mk1 small door smallframe in england , I own 4 I have massive project I working on to do with these. vespa 90 small doors , I want to find out how many are left in england. and thats not the project. any information about these scooters history is I want to know this key to the project , the official colours for these vespa 90 mk1 were blue and red but I own a yellow done by Douglas also I know why, so if you know more than me about these scooters I like to hear from you , this is a genuine project I have the backing from AA RECOVERY SERVICE HISTORIC DEPARTMENT , PIAGGIO UK and other big organistions cheers mark .

Put simply, the odd cubic capacity of both marques Vespa/Lambretta was down to road tax and getting round it.