Modern Vespa

I got a flat tyre today whist riding through an old industrial area. So, I'd like to share my trick for changing the rear wheel on a Vespa PX. Changing the wheel is usually difficult because you can't lift the rear of the bike very high. It can be a real fight to get it off and on again because the wheel doesn't clear the frame. Yet, two small blocks of wood can make this easier.

In your tool bag you'll need two 50mm (2 inch) square blocks of wood. Place the bike up on the centre stand. Rock the bike sideways and place one block under the foot of the stand. Then do this for the other side too. These blocks of wood will allow you to raise the rear wheel higher off the ground, usually around 6 to 8 cm. And this is just enough to slip the wheel off and on again without too much struggle.

A scooter jack isn't really necessary. You can usually find some rocks or scrap wood to lift up the rear of the bike. I was lucky today as there were a couple of old wood posts nearby. Whatever you use, just make sure that it's solid and won't collapse with some slight rocking motion.

The rest of the procedure is straight forward. Remove the nuts and washers, remove the wheel, put on the spare, and put the nuts back on.


50mm (2 inch) wood block under centre stand foot

Use scrap wood, bricks, or rocks to lift the rear wheel

Blocks allow you to lift the wheel higher off the ground

A puncture this size can cause the bike to become dangerously unstable and require an emergency stop.

Remove the 5 nuts and then the wheel by sliding it back and sideways.

Mount the spare wheel and finger tighten the 5 nuts. Tighten the nuts with a wrench in a crisscross pattern.

Finish up the job and then continue on to your favourite pub for a cold pint.

PX bought new---had 2 of them, had in tool kit prop for right ride to raise wheel----worked well and bike equipped with spare tire and wheel=wonderfull! Enabled you to keep going on trips! Modern scooters requiring exhaust system remova, suck---I am on 11th new maxi scooter since 1990.

Thanks for tips

Good advice. It also makes it easier to get the wheel out (and back in again) if you take the plastic bumper off the back of the frame and pull it out that way.

Beware of blocking under rear engine as scootcan teeter forward and come off stand. Agree, rears are bitches ar side of road to fit.

Thanks for sharing but my prefer method has always been laying the bike on it's engine side. The down side is that depending on how much gas you have it might spill slowly but if you know what you are doing you should have the tire changed between one and two minutes tops. The rest is pulling the cowl, removing the spare, etc, etc but I am referring to the time to remove the 5 nuts and swap and tighten the 5 nuts again.

It's much easier than all that. Remove the spare wheel, then lay the scooter on it's side with the spare wheel propping it up at the saddle, so that the rear is off the ground. Remove the rear wheel. Then, standing across the scooter with left hand supporting it, swap over the two wheels so the flat one is propping up the scooter. Then fit the spare.

Done it this way many times.

I've done similar, but leaning scooter over into a signpost, catching handlebar between grip and lever instead of all the way down so no gas issues. Good thing I had a 13mm with me !

This is an interesting alternative that I've not tried before. Can you explain the part about how to swap the two wheels in more detail? I couldn't quite visualize that step.

Regardless, thanks everyone for sharing your alternatives as they provide a range of different options.

Switching tyres. With the scooter leaning, propped up by the good tyre under the saddle, put the flat tyre/wheel down in front of the good one where you can reach it while standing astride the leaning scooter. Then raise the scooter with the left hand and using the right hand remove the good tyre. Grab the flat one and insert it upright under the saddle to support the scooter. Then fit the good tyre/wheel.

No one seemed to mention it here, but:

before laying the scooter over or put blocks under the engine, break loose the 5 wheel nuts while the flat tire is still on. Much easier to fully remove the nuts without holding the rear brake pedal to prevent the wheel from spinning.

And, of course, final tightening of the nuts on the replaced tire is easier to do with the scooter up on the center stand again.

And, it goes without saying:
ENSURE ALL WHEEL NUTS ARE TIGHT!!

Disconnect fuel... lay riding jacket on ground... push damn scooter gracefully only jacket... remember to actually disconnect fuel & close fuel cap... change whatever broke

There's a related thread called:

Roadside Tire Change - Recommended Method?
https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic108981

There are basically two choices: (1) lay the bike down partially or completely or (2) use a jack of some kind.

In the end it comes down to personal preference and your riding environment.

You can get those Bajaj-style jacks for between $10-$15 on eBay shipped from India. Here's the cheapest that I can find now: https://www.ebay.com/itm/294030773112

Fits in the glovebox and works well.

Or you could try this:

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/mounting-stand-vsk_89004300

I ordered one for my PX yesterday

Here in Spain a popular way to change a vespa tyre without laying the scooter is to hold the bike with a full 500 cc. beer can (16 oz). Fits well under the selector and you can refresh after the tyre change. Cheap and fits in the glovebox.

Or instead prop the bottom of the motor at the selector on a curb and lean it over, it doesn't have to lay down.

I will have to test that method this weekend. Just to make sure it will work on the road. Probably a test that should be run 4 or 5 times, just to make sure results are sound and statistically significant.

I've done this in a parking lot with nothing but one of these, which I carry in the toolbox anyways.
https://www.scooterwest.com/vintage-vespa-large-frame-t-wrench-tool-toolt.html

1) Use tool to remove spare tire.
2) Use tool to loosen wheel nuts to finger tight.
3) Use tool to support engine and wheel off of ground by setting short side of T on ground and using long side of T under engine, making sure short side of the T is fore and aft, not abeam, otherwise the risk of the bike rolling forward off the stand is increased.
4) Taking great care not to encourage the machine to move forward, gently use the rotate-wheel-towards-the-rear trick to ease the wheel off the hub and out from under the tail.
5) Reverse moves to install spare, finger tighten wheel nuts, remove T-wrench from underneath engine and torque up nuts.
6) Ride to nearest bar, pub, or tavern and order a beer to congratulate yourself.

I should've taken photos at the time, but smartphones weren't available yet and my flip-phone didn't have a camera. Besides, I was too p*ssed off at the time after finding an upholstery brad in my tire at the end of a work day to want to take pictures anyways.

I have one of the "Bajaj-style jacks" and it has come in handy a couple of times already.
I thought there was someone here on the forum that was replicating them but I can't seem to find the correct post.
I did find a post with a picture of it....

Great idea! I already have one of those in the tool bag, but didn't think to use it as a jack.

I'll give this a try next time. I am curious about the stability. The problem with jacks is that they pivot the front wheel into the ground. And if you raise the rear too high then the bike comes off the centre stand. The small wood blocks I use help avoid that problem.

I was making and selling stands based on this thread. At the end of page two you can see what I came up with.

I think I sold about 10-15 of them and I made a few extras. I would get another request every six months or so. I just shipped one off last week.

I have one for 8 inch wheels that I use on my VBA and VBC and one left for ten inch wheels. I don't have a bike with ten inch wheels but someday I might so I had better keep that one.

I was wondering if I would have to go back into production but if you can get them delivered for less than $13 there is no way I can compete. The material and shipping alone cost me $10.

If anyone else wants one I am going to tell them to buy from Amazon or eBay.

I only used the T-wrench because it was the only thing available I had that looked about the right length to lift the wheel off the ground and lo! was I surprised when it turned out to be just about the perfect length. After that discovery I no longer worried about road side tire changes.

Some posters recommended laying the Vespa down on the ground to change the tyre.

I never liked that idea, but I want to report back that I tried it and it worked great.

I got a flat last week way out in the countryside at night. And rather than mess around with jacks and blocks, I laid the scoot down and was able to quickly make the change in the dark.

The only problem I encountered was trying to get the motor started again. I switched off the fuel, but I'm guessing there was still enough in the carb to flood the motor. So perhaps it would be better to run the engine dry before laying it down?

" So perhaps it would be better to run the engine dry before laying it down? "

Certainly couldn't hurt. And having a piece of plastic for under the tank cap is simple enough.

How full was your gas tank? I'd guess that the level was over the breather tube so that there was a fuel flow even in the off position.