Modern Vespa

We are expecting snow tonight, mostly in the mountains, but might stick to the grass at lower elevations long enough to be…disheartening. On a positive note, I'm not feeling rushed and taking my time and making sure everything is right is the best way forward.

I think the stud repair is pretty solid. Part of the issue is getting used to the scale of scooter parts. My only other mechanical experience is on the VW bus. Everything is chunky and overbuilt. Scooter stuff seems dinky in comparison.

Another issue is plain old fear of getting on one of these things again and being the only involved parent of two school age boys. I will take it slowly and get through it.

It's hard to get motivated when you wake up to snow on the ground in April…a good 4".

I am coming down with a rotten cold. I spent some time cleaning up the garage and sorting parts. Put the brake rotor back on with new bolts and blue loctite.

Stupid question: Is it possible to just replace the inner speedo cable? I was thinking of swiping it from the 200…if that one isn't broken too.

Yes, but .....

1. I would still remove the bracket, bushing and sleeve over the pinion gear to ensure the cable is correctly inserted. Best to do this with the hub off. Otherwise, access is terrible.

2. Was there a problem before? If so, you will be very lucky if just replacing the inner cable solves it long term. The whole design sucks. Thought I had mine fixed a couple of weeks ago, but it broke again and I haven't felt like messing with it yet.

Now that you mention it…

The 200 cable fit but it turns out the plastic gear was chewed up. The shock mount blocked the cap from coming off and I had to take the hub off again, undo the shock mount and it was a lot of dicking around to get it out. I ground down the shock mount a little so I could fit a new one. It's been one little ass ache after another.

If you go to order a new gear, be aware that the Stella is a weird hybrid. The cable is the same as an older style PX, but the gear is the same as a newer style PX. It is a good idea to make sure whoever you order from knows it is for a Stella, so they know the odd combo is not a mistake.

Thank you.

Yup, gears are different sizes and a couple of other things. 200 gear was not in good shape either.

When I get stuck wrenching, I get out the buffing compound and do another section. Gives me a lift. Hub is back on and studs clear the caliper.

It's been a frustrating evening. I found 2t oil dripping out of the shifter cable grommet, so something is wrong with the tank or the line. There is a puddle on the tunnel cover. The sight glass looks ok. Carb is leaking too, inside the carb box, I think from the little hat thing. A little weeps down the back of the engine.

I made a short video of my engine running. There is a rattle, though I don't know if it's normal. Pulling the clutch changes the engine sound a little but doesn't change the rattle. Kickstart moves freely when in neutral.

Pulled out the gas and oil tank and sure enough there was 2t on the tunnel cover as well as below so there is a leak somewhere. Cleaned it all up and taking a break while the garage airs out. I ASSumed everything was good with the tank when I put it in, but now I'm going to check it properly.

On a positive note, removing the tank was a lot easier this time. Part of driving something old and unusual is knowing it inside out. It's a miserable experience otherwise. I would never drive a VW bus further than getting ice cream if I hadn't spent years getting to know its guts. I guess that's what I'm doing now with scooters.

That's why I take apart/rebuild every old vespa I've gotten thus far. Don't trust the condition of the engine from whoever the PO's have been.

The bitter truth!

Go through it all. Eventually you will anyway -- after a few "pushes of shame," or worse.

Vintage Vespas are bags of surprises, regardless of their provenance.

I have been through most of it though I didn't tear down the engine. I took the tank out and checked, I couldn't find anywhere it was leaking except that the hose clamp I used may have been pushing on something. The wires were rerouted in a way that made the tank hard to get in. I rearranged them so it would fit better. I will have a look tomorrow and see if there is any leaking.

A couple orders arrived from SM yesterday.

It pained me a little to order the star hub because I like the original style better, which was unavailable. Looking at it now, it's kind of growing on me. It looks well made. I am happy with the repair I did on my old one, so I will be running that one and keeping the new one as a spare.

I found an original headlight in the PO parts stash and put that in. It works perfectly. I like the bright led, but I put the original in for the sake of passing inspection. Also got the front brake switch working and the neutral light so all the electrics now work.

For some reason the CDI/coil was relocated to the battery box. Is there an advantage to that? Wired that way makes it hard to get the tank in. The tunnel cover was also removed, probably to make tank installation easier with the wires that way. I put in a new tunnel cover because I read that it is part of the air intake system, though I can't see how it could make much difference. All the air goes into the same hole.


New horn cover too. The one on the Stella is cracked.

If your working on Stella ignition module is mounted on battery side from factory.

I replaced mine with a Ducati CDI / coil combination and mounted it on motor like a normal Vespa. There are only three ignition wires coming from stator I just pulled them out of loom and ran to cdi from stator.

Last edited by Christopher_55934 on Mon Apr 25, 2022 1:53 am; edited 1 time in total

Ok, thank you. It's just me being ham handed with the tank.

I finally went for a ride up and down the street. It rode nicely but my shift cables need some adjustment. They were way loose. Also the rear brake cable. I haven't replaced the speedometer cable yet.

If you want to swap I have a Stella traditional style disc mount that I have on the shelf. I'd rock the star one.

Thank you for the offer, I'm just going to hang onto this one.

No sweat, just throwing it out there.

Tightened up the cables and went for another ride. Still need to tighten the shifter cables more. I watched the sip tutorial and I can tell that the cables still have too much slack. Otherwise it seems to shift nicely, doesn't miss, drop out of gear or need to be fought into gear. Woot!

I did a lot of changes to the wiring on the stella due to its poor original design. Like the starter removed since half the time it didn't work, removed the start interupt circuit that always caused issues, adding a trailtech regulator and the LED headlight due to the very weak original. I also relocated the Ducati coil to make it a lot more tidy and clean up the engine a bit. Most all the wiring was already on the left side so it was an easy swap over. Also had a solid state blinker relay so you can use LED turn signals.

Got it. I think the tank is just a beast to get in. I sprayed a little silicone on the bottom so it would slide past the wires more easily. All the wiring is in good order and it all works! Runs good too.

Please understand that I'm not criticizing the work you did on the bike or the condition of either of them. They were exactly as you described them and you have been very helpful with advice and information. The included parts stash has been a lifesaver.

The Stella has cleaned up nicely. A more experienced person could have turned it around faster, but I am working my way along the learning curve. The wiring was well done and worked great. The only thing I replaced was the front brake light switch which I broke removing the mc. I probably could have saved the mc and caliper had I been more careful.

I fixed the carb leak and the oil tank is no longer leaking. I have to dial in the gear selector cables, install a new speedo cable and I should be done.

I have been enjoying some rides up and down my street. I seem to have the selector cables pretty much right and I only missed a shift once. I still need practice. I still have to install the new speedo cable and fix the kill switch (for inspection), but other than that, I think this scooter is ready to go.

Hopefully this week, I will be able to get the dmv stuff done and get my motorcycle learners permit. The weather is still crap; high 40's with spotty showers. It doesn't improve until next week. I'm really stoked.

Funny thing, I threw my phone in the glovebox with the gps app on. I thought I really gunned it down my little street. Top speed on the gps…30 mph. I'm really looking forward to getting on some back roads and opening it up. Not to go fast…just to ride for reals.

Made a mad dash to the DMV and got my plates! Just have to do my learners test and I'm on the road.

https://www.msf-usa.org


If there's a course in your area this is good to take.

Thank you. I agree.

Orwel - just catching up.
Terrific that you have it up and running.
Nice!

Couple questions:
- Do you still have the trail tech CHT on it?
- Is it the stock cylinder or aftermarket?

Scoot looks great.
Nice shot in front of the grave yard...

It has a Polini 177 kit on it and a 22t or 23t clutch cog…I can't remember which. Also Boysen dual stage reeds, 20/20 carb, SIP Road 2.0. The PO did the jetting and I believe set it up to his satisfaction. I left the engine as is, other than a carb rebuild it probably didn't need, fuel/oil line, front brakes, grommets and gaskets and general cleaning up.

It seems to run quite well. There is some 4 stroking at low revs, which the PO mentioned in his tuning posts. It goes away as soon as the engine is under load. On my short street, I can't really put it under much load.

It has a trail tech cht, but the sensor wire is broken and the display looks dead. I would like to put a cht gauge on it and a tach. I kind of prefer analogue gauges because I can see them.

That's all I can think of…

Got the new gear and speedo cable in which was quite a fiddle, but not too bad. The rubber plug at the end was out of stock so I made one with a rubber bung from the hardware store. I also bent the little bracket that holds it in to a better angle. It works but I can see why they often break. Some tight bends in the outer cable for starters. Just have to get the kill switch working and pretty much done.

I was going to take the Stella out for a ride on some back roads but chickened out because I want to have my learners permit first. I'm always the guy who gets caught and don't need the worry. I should have it by the end of the week.

The bike is really quick. It's a different feel compared to the stock 150 I had years ago, but I like it. It putters along at low revs, but once you get the revs up a bit, it comes on strong and kicks you in the pants. I think it should easily cruise at 55-60 because that's the way it seems to be set up.

I feel like I have a better understanding of the different ways engines can be built for different goals and the trade offs involved. I'm glad I started with the basics rather than trying to build a monster engine and stuffing it in the vbb. Can't wait to take it for a real ride.

I would like to replace the cht gauge and a tach would also be good. I would consider an egt instead. They seem to range in price a lot. I'm happy to spend less if possible. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Most of us get all we need from CHT.
They are more plentiful and simpler to install.
Think you are running stock cylinder?
Can you remind?

If yes - then an under plug model is the way to go.
A lot of the guys like trail tech's.
Robbie posted an interesting polini model from SIP.
And some of us our user's of the SIP speedo - which has a temp gauge on it.

Koso makes the under plug sender that most everyone uses for a stock setup.
They also make an "in head" one for this of us with cylinder heads that have room for that.

List your specs and we can throw out some solutions.
Trust you are happy with your current speedo and not going SIP.
Lemme know if that's wrong.

Here are the specs as I have them from the PO:

Polini 177
Ducati CDI
Dual stage Boyesen reeds
20/20 Spaco carb
Stock LML reed block and crank
LML 7 spring clutch
FA Italia 22t clutch cog
SIP Road 2

If the speedo keeps working, I'm good. Easy enough to check with gps to see how much it's off.

Just going through my learners permit stuff one more and contemplating the next steps for reviving my small collection.

I was going to complete on bike at a time, but winters are long here. I think I am going to do the metal work and paint on both the 200 and VBB. Once I have completed shells, I will finish them up one by one, even if it's over the winter. That way, I can stash all the parts and lots of tools out of the way. I have some metal work to do on my bus too.

Having 1 bike in running condition really changes the equation. It helps too that I have a lot more spare parts. The spare LML engine could go into the vbb without much work.

To date, the biggest frustration with getting this scooter in the road is the DMV. I passed the online test, which was easy compared to creating an account, accessing the test and navigating the worst website ever. I left work early to get to the DMV. They are now on summer hours 8-3:45 with an hour lunch. They couldn't find my test because I live in the next county. They said I didn't have enough time for me to take the test again in person…40 minutes before closing. Beer o' clock at 3:45…must be nice. North or south, east coast or west, red state or blue, the DMV sucks big hairy donkey dicks. Of course, if I wanted an assault rifle, people would fall all over themselves to put one in my hand, lest I be deprived of my 2nd amendment rights. Sorry for the rant.

I am going for a real ride anyway, The email printout that says, You passed! will just have to be good enough. It's a beautiful day here. Just got back from a trop to the dump with the bus.

On a brighter note, the PO continues to provide. A nice box of useful spares arrived on my doorstep this morning. What a guy! Among other things a couple 20/20 carbs, which would be just right for the VBB.

Really nothing exciting to report but throwing out a post anyway.

Now that the Stella is pretty much finished, I have dropped back to regroup. Driving the bus more because it's good for it. Also did a thorough cleanup of the garage.

The 200 parts are all sorted and boxed up. I'm hoping to avoid the frantic parts scramble I had getting the Stella back together.

I finally bit the bullet and went for a real ride. I had it up to 50 mph which was enough considering my lack of practice. I definitely need a full face helmet.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

Depends on head shape, look up head shape and helmets. I've had good luck with HJC over the years. They have a full spectrum from affordable to carbon fiber.

I ride with a Scorpion EXO-AT950 helmet. I like being able to flip up the chin bar to take it on and off...

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/scorpion-exo-at950-helmet?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1N2TBhCOARIsAGVHQc5bGy0u23FAftvhSMQHaYlE1Em5u1Cp5LLLn7DreGzLeM59z-NasfIaAn-YEALw_wcB

Thank you. Those little half helmets are awful.

I just got back from riding for an hour and a half. It was great but I think I seized it.

I was on a long straight road doing 60 on the speedo. It happened really fast and I went into a long skid and pulled the clutch. The engine started running again before I even came to a stop. I waited a few minutes and it started right up. I drove a the few miles home at 45.

Not sure what to do at this point. I don't think I was pushing that hard. I was driving on back roads at varied speeds.

I forgot to add, there is still a bubble in the oil line. It moved when I give it throttle, but doesn't completely go away.

I'm wondering if it could be the legendary Stella crank, but it really felt like a piston seizure. It was hard to start later in the evening. It ran well when it eventually did. It wasn't hard to kick over, though.