Modern Vespa

What paint did you use?

Whatever was left in the picture from his prior post after he finished tagging up his hood.

The painting tree.
We all have one.
The guy who bought my home probably wonders what kind of disease is causing the red/pea she and primer colors on his tree.
Could always just go darker gray over existing if you don't like?

No comment on the color - depends on the wheels & rest of the scoot.

But since you've already done all the prep and paint, why not splash some 2K clear over it? Get a nice rock hard finish on there that'll hold up and be easy to clean.

Thumbs up on 2k clear.
Socal introduced me.
Hard a a rock - legit

It's rust oleum pro aluminum. I'm thinking I may add some regular gray on top to better match the fork

Ahhh, I was wondering because I didn't remember the GL front end come out that aluminiumy

Matches the powder coat on the fork and hub better. However, you ever get that can of spray paint that won't spray worth a shit no matter how much you shake it? You know, the one that could say "orange peel inside"? That's this can. It's a good thing this is not a high visibility part.

I tried to start my VBB fork. Didn't get so far. The loose bearings are a pain in the ass.

I am stumped on the small bearing side. Is 15982 the little washer shown on the axle in the second picture? And part 2007, it looks to go under the screw in cap on the assembly picture but not in the Paxton book. Is it different for VBB vs later?

to top it off, my order says I bought them

I'm gonna have to sleuth through my parts. Anyone have a size on 15982???

Bitsa bikes are a unique form of hell.

I found 15982!

Now I understand!

I now have enough parts and answers to continue. I will need one of those 2007's, but I'm not placing an order yet…

The original needle bearings for the pivot don't feel very smooth after assembly. Should I replace them with something like this kit from Mercato?

This big nut can't be right, or you can't get a socket on it. The smaller one I used was from the Allstate fork

I think this is right?!? Seems weird to have a felt on the one side inside the spacer and nothing on the other side for a seal but that looks like the parts manual.

Damnit, mounted backwards!

Fixed

It's so frustrating I have no idea what some of this shit I ordered is, not each piece comes with a part number. What the hell is this?

It's the dust shield isn't it?!!

Sacrificial lamb, good thing the Allstate fork had spare parts.

One step closer.

The Stoffi spring is a nightmare to get on. I tried a stock one and got it first or second try. I wrestled this bastard for like 1/2 hour or more. It's on. I hope I can get the fender bolts on.

Do these "ears" on the shock serve a purpose? With the Stoffi spring, they don't line up. I had it assembled but couldn't get it home against the pivot because they don't line up. I tried rotating the bush by using a drift against the ears but it won't easily rotate in the rubber. I can't for the life of me understand what purpose they serve. Can I just flip the shock around and mount it? (Edit nope it will be in the way of the nut ?!$&@) - suggestions?!? Dremel them off ?!?

Looks like this thread has some ideas, but I still don't understand what the tabs do…

Fronk shock

Hey John,

I think those tabs hold the suspension at a certain angle. I know I had to really compress everything to line the tabs up, then tighten it down. It was this way on both the 62 Allstate and the 63 GL.

I just remember it was a PITA and took a lot of fanangling....

I'm thinking that to get them to line up as is, I would have to go back to a stock shock. This stiff one does appear to be a bit longer. I'm debating it, because the length may be a problem. I have a couple stock ones.

You can't turn the rubber bushing?

I had to clamp a 2x4 to the swing arm to install that part.

john - the tabs are important. They determine the pre-load on the damper.

If it's absolutely impossible to get the tabs lined up, you can put the shock in the swing arm upside down and gently move the tabs to a better angle.

I will try, there is a good suggestion in the thread I linked to rotate it around 180, do up the bolt and nut, then use that clamp load to allow you to turn the bushing a few degrees in the rubber.

This is how I've done it in the past as well. Makes it an easy job.

The more I think about it, the spring length won't matter. I was able to get both the top and the bottom bolts of the dampener in and the tabs still didn't line up. Shock length would just make that more of a bitch to install (yes) but the tabs need to rotate, regardless of which spring is in there.

I didn't have a nut for the lower bolt last night but I do now. I will try the rotate the bushing thing.

I'm beginning to see why the PX bikes are the workhorse of the vintage world

Are you compressing the shock while you're installing it?

I pushed it to the lowest travel by hand but I didn't use zip ties to make it go further. Can it go further? It's a stock shock, CIF.

Don't know. I had to zip tie that SIP shock. No way it was going on otherwise.

Just don't rotate the bushing too far. The shock needs to travel in both directions.

it's roughly as far off as yours was, maybe a bit less:

~ Welcome to the 8" World ~