Modern Vespa

Lots of Torx fasteners on the scooter.
Scooter on center stand with front wheel chocked.
REAR AXLE NUT torque104-126 Nm 77-93 ft-lbs
Remove 2 small Torx screws from exhaust shield.
Loosen the 3 larger Torx holding the muffler and the hex nut on the exhaust joint.

Remove the 3 Torx and wiggle the exhaust off.
Save or replace the exhaust gasket ( I used new)

Remove the cotter pin at the axle nut.
Break the 24MM axel nut loose. (I used a 1/2" Sears impact gun)

Remove the 2 Torx holding the small plastic cover at front of fork to expose both fork Torx. Remove the fork.

Inner fender must be removed in order to remove the wheel.
4 fasteners hold the fender in place.
2 long silver screws on the Left side, below the air filter box.
One small black Torx screw buried at front of the fender - accessed from the Right side with a long Torx driver.
One black plastic push pin (like a panel fastener pin) holding Red Topped wiring atop of the fender must be released - I pulled it up and out with long needle nose pliers.(or remove underseat bucket....that plug with red taped wire sits right on top of the fender down there)

When all 4 are removed - fender can be lifted straight up and back - with some difficulty@#%^! THE hardest past of the project. Study the view through the wheel spokes of the Left side to see where the trouble is while you wiggle the fender.

Once fender is off .....wheel comes off. Pay attention to the order of things as wheel is removed.

I inspected the rear brake & cleaned as much as I could reach while the wheel and fender were off.

REPLACING THE WHEEL AND FENDER.


I slid wheel part way on....to give the fender wiggle room while I worked to refit the fender. Once fender was in place and 3 screws in place...and that black panel pin inserted back in top of fender tab......

Push wheel home. Lube & install the cone. Replace fork on axel and insert 2 front Torx bolts. Tighten the 24MM axle nut, install the cup and cotter pin.

Slip muffler back on exhaust pipe -- not damaging the gasket...until 3 muffler mounting holes line up for the 3 Torx bolts (use a probe to line up) ...Secure joint clamp.

Replace muffler heat shield.

I took wheel and new Pirelli Angel to my local multi-brand dealer to have tires swapped and new valve stem. $40 --- and tipped the youngster $10 for being careful with my rim.
Started at 8AM - finished by 2PM. I spent time cleaning every part, and applying ACF-50 to many parts.











NOW THE FENDER
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From the right side ...locate near the thick black cable....

Pull up the panel pin and remove the small Torx screw.




FROM THE LEFT SIDE....below the air filter box




CLEAN .........


Loosely slide the wheel on, place fender over it and start lining up for the 3 fender fasteners. Note that it must match what you saw through the spokes before you removed the fender!

When fender is in place, fasten 3 screws, plug in wiring panel pin. Push wheel home and install all in proper order.

Again - I had he most difficulty with the fender...off and on! The wheel, fork and muffler were easy.



O.S.
probably forgetting stuff - but I'm tired.

This is amazing and will help many people for sure. Thanks for the writeup and pics!

Just a note.....
That blasted fender may be easier to deal with if the underseat bucket is first removed. Left hand on fender above tire...right hand in the engine bay maneuvering the top of the fender into place??
Worth a look next time. May have to apologize to the Italians for my French.?
O.S.

Hopefully, this gets some attention.

In the process of replacing my rear wheel, husband yanked the fender off. Now we can't get the back silver screw to thread in. (It's in through the black part, but wont thread through the silver.)

Any tricks for getting it to thread?

Failing that, scale of 1-10, how bad would it be to zip tie it in place? Or just not put the fender back at all?

We can get all the other screws to behave, just not that one...

I've only had the rear wheel off one time, 3 yrs ago - so my memory isn't helpful as I'd like to be.
Help me out - left side or right side of fender?

These things can take two or three peeps to sort them out - a coffee and come back again!
I did find that removing the underseat bucket helped when dealing with the fender. A magnet on a stick thing helped me get screws aligned sometimes....or a slim screwdriver through the hole.

A zip tie wouldn't be criminal....gives time to get it sorted later - when frustration ebbs.

But please do not leave the fender off....all kinds of crud will be thrown forward. That fender does a fairly good job of keeping things clean.


If you're still stuck...after my ride tomorrow I can get on the floor of the garage and see if I can be more helpful.
I'm opening my service manual download - will look and see if I learn anything.

O.S.

I had 2 people helping me... No go. I got the forward silver screw in easily, but not the rear. Taking off the pet carrier wouldn't help. The screw goes through the part that looks kinda like an h, and the screw will go through the left part of the h, but not the right (silver) part.

The fender attaches to the left of the bike. I think a big part of the problem is the fender looks warped. With the screw through to align, and that part of the fender pressed up against the inner left of the bike, the tire still touches the fender, and the fender bends to the right in the back.

We've now spent 6+ hours, over 3 days, trying to get this drive able. Short of earth shattering relavations, we will take it to a dealership to fix it, and then look for a new home for it, while I upgrade to a GTS 300. (It has 5,000 miles in it, and I do NOT want to repeat this nonsense at the 6,000 mile service.)

Understood.
I didn't eat pasta for weeks after my adventure with Piaggio's little panel that needed removing to install the Liberty side stand.
Most would just saw it off....but I couldn't do that to my new scooter.
Enjoy your new Vespa.
O.S.

Lol - we paid someone to install the side stand after I watched robot's video on how to do it... I like working on my bike, when it works. But that seemed a freaking nightmare to do...

AF1-Racing placed this picture of a Side Stand installation on a Liberty.
Reads as a warning to DIY'ers

Fortunately I'd already put mine on before seeing that.

O.S.