Modern Vespa

I'm getting ready to pull my first engine from my 1980 P125x and that has me thinking about how I am going to support the vespa while I'm doing the work. My less than perfect lower back says I need to get it up on a table so I can sit and have the works at chest level. What is everyone doing for this?

20 year old back used to lay down in the driveway. 30 year old back and I built a workbench out of 2x4s and plywood. Bonus points since I put caster wheels on it so I can move it out of the way.

No fancy stuff here - I don't rebuild that often and don't have a lot of room. Dropping the engine is fairly simple, working on it is another matter. So after a good clean up, clear the bench then cover with cardboard. When it need it to stay put, wood wedges. When I need it to stay really still, I mount the swingarm into my vice with soft jaws installed. Works for me and my back is 65 years old with 2 operations so far

I think I should have asked you what you plan on doing first. I assumed you were asking about removing the engine and getting set up for a rebuild. If you are just going to work on it, you can work on it from the floor easily. The clutch and back brake cable will give you a little grief this way. If you can get it up in the air a bit, that will make it that much easier. I don't have room for a lift, so a thick piece of cardboard to sit/lay on will usually suffice.

I have two lifts currently, both are air over hydraulic professional units. if you're in it for the long haul, splash the cash and buy something kick ass that will last your lifetime.

I had a wooden one I built previously, it was just a bear getting bikes on and off and the amount of run up that you need with a loading ramp just complicates things.

anyway, I used 2X6 to box out the deck with two stringers and then 4X4 legs with 26 lateral/ horizontal supports (one on each side to the 4x4's and then a stringer across the bottom to tie the ends together. then I decked it with 3/4" ply. bomb proof. it weighed a TON but that was to its benefit in that you could load a bike and it wouldn't move.

I added a condor wheel chock and two "eye bolts" for tie-downs. worked like a charm.

There's no good reason to get it way up in the air to pull the motor!

Are you willing to lay it over on a couple old sofa cushions? So much easier for a one man job! Lemme know and I'll give you the easiest sequence so you don't have as many problems. Your back will thank you if you have a big cushion to kneel and lay on as well, my back is shot and I always avoid bending over!

If not, to just drop the motor out some ppl just use a milk crate under the frame way at the back, but that's unstable and it's in the way. For safety and better access this is pretty simple to copy:



More here: Voodoo Smallie Lift

I have a month off from work, so I need to make something similar to this. Bricks and a jack stand have always been ok, but this seems much easier to use.

This is my on-the-cheap lift. Happy with it.
If I were to make another I'd make the legs fold so it can stand flat up somewhere.
The scissor lift from Amazon in the pic bumps the whole setup a lot, in terms of what can be done on it.
This could also be done with 2 x 4's instead. I've got a lot of steel tube collecting rust so I used that.
It was originally a bit higher but this height makes it pretty easy to roll a bike up.

All of you are rock stars!!! Thanks for the info. Time for me to get to work.

Look for a used electric hospital bed on Craigslist etc. I work for n a hospital and use old beds for wheelchair lifts.

My Lammy has been living on my harbor freight lift for the past few years (or so), and for maybe another year too (two?). In the meantime, it's the Asian Squat for me. Thank goodness I'm limber!

i would love a table but i have to choose between having 3 motorcycles or 2 and a table. there's simply no more room. i choose 3 motorcycles .

instead I do yoga to make sure there's no problem crawling around on the floor. It's a pretty solid plan that seems to be working.

If you can find a used Kendon lift, that could work for you. They fold and stand up on end when you're not using it, so they take up a small footprint. I have not used one personally, but I've been looking for one.

They're about $800 new, so on the pricier side, but maybe worth it for a small shop. They've also been out of stock for over a year.

$99 electric hoist. Also, with the seat up or off, the breather hole is pretty much the balance point. Sorry for the fuzzy pics....

I don't have a small shop but I do have a crowded garage and I am starting to feel my age so, to me, my Kendon lift has turned out to be worth every penny I paid for it.
Standing up it is about 28 inches wide and sticks out about 18 inches from the wall.
You can use the pump handle to raise it or if you're feeling old (or lazy) you can plug a compressor in to it.