Modern Vespa

My MP3 was just feeling strange, I am not sure how else to describe it.

I started looking at the rear end of it, as it just felt like it had more drag than usual, and noticed there are missing frame bolts. This was pretty scary as I had just been riding it.

I believe these are the M8X40 bolts pictured here: https://partsrepublik.com/en/moto/piaggio/mp3-250-ie-lt-2008/rear-wheel

149104 HEX SOCKET SCREW M8X40
709047 SPRING WASHER
003058 Plain washer 15x8,4x1,5


I can't figure out what the upper missing bolt is though but I suspect it is the same.

Has this happened to anyone else, is there anything I should know about these bolts, or other things I should check now that I found these missing?

It looks like the exhaust actually saved me from a possibly ugly wreck, as it takes some of the torque when I throttle the bike, since these bolts are missing.

Waiting for my image to upload and I will add it.

This scared the heck out of me I will say.

The bolts are the same. Sometimes whoever is re-fitting the rear wheel puts those on loosely, before torquing up the axle nut, which is the correct thing to do. Then they get interrupted (or whatever) and when they come back they see those bolts in place and forget to torque them up. I've done this to one of my own bikes once.

Whatever, they are easily available at any good hardware store.

That 'swingarm' (it isn't really) is correctly described as the exhaust support bracket. It also locates the rear hub securely in place, which accounts for your wallowing feeling with those bolts missing.

Are these bolts 1 or 1.25 thread pitch does anyone know? I am guessing 1.0 as the 1.25's I bought don't feel correct.

Never Mind... they are 8X1.25X40 bolts. I put them in this AM with some spring and normal washers and red lock tight, they should be fine.

Thanks All
R.

In the future, you might want to use blue lock-tite rather than red. You may want to remove them at some time in the future, like when you change a tire, and the red stuff is pretty much permanent (well, it's actually a PITA to remove the bolt after red lock-tite; requires heating with a torch to soften the stuff).

RED LOCK TIGHT IS permanate and very very hard to remove those bolts.

highly recommend you remove those bolts now clean them and reinstall with blue lock tight or no lock tight at all.

JimC is spot on whom ever last removed the rear wheel forgot to tighten them. never had one comes loose on anything I have worked on but have replace a few on others that did not tighten them.

If these bolts are torqued correctly there should be no need for any color thread lock. I've never used it and have never had this happen. It has been awhile since I looked at the manual but I don't remember thread lock being recommended.