Modern Vespa

Sunday, I drove from Asheville, NC over to Charlotte, NC and finally grabbed the Stella and Smallie from Tierney's friend Ryan.

It's getting kind've crowded in the workshop these days, so the Stella will get tuned up and a general "well baby check" before going off to my friend who's been wanting a vintage-ish bike for a few years.

Then, It'll be time for a Smallstate adventure.

I shot some starter fluid down toward the carb and it started and ran, which I figure is a good sign, and I may even sort out the tires and ride it around a (very) little before I tear it down and the real fun begins.

This is my first Smallframe, and while I know they can be frustrating, everyone seems to swear by them, so I'm hoping I'll feel the same way once I finish up.

This is the Second Start. I wasn't really expecting it, so I didn't have the camera rolling the first time.



ready-ish to roll

I think they're multiplying.

Better than the GL's

I can work with this

good lord - share the wealth!
looks like a good adventure.
shop is packed!

Hey, I have one of those.

heck yes. I am tuned in for this ride!

Don't do it!!! (As I'm looking at adding another one to my collection )

You are gonna love the small frame. I'm also planning on adding a second hopefully next week to my over packed garage!

Just seeing this…. Send the small one my way!

Workshop is looking warm…!

Lookin good Chandlerman. Congrats on the new add's The smallies are a special thing. No doubt you will enjoy. I don't find them frustrating at all, they're fantastic. Enjoy the ride

Smallies are a hoot, you'll definitely enjoy, although if you have hands bigger than an eight-year-old they can be frustrating to wrench on. Knowing you, you're going to want to go big in the engine department. Get out the popcorn fellas, this thread could be a wild ride.

Yeah, and it's all hidden where you can't see it or get at it, either, apparently. It took me about five minutes to find the damn carb so I could spray starter fluid at it to start it. All my rides have a "You must be THIS tall to ride this ride->" signs at the entrance for a reason!

And, yeah, definitely going big on the motor. I'm now so spoilt that anything less than about 15 HP feels too slow to even bother riding. I can't ride this! It only has 2x the power of a stock motor!

remember the HP need is smaller because the bike weighs a lot less

the motor is so light you can practically palm it - much easier to do in and outs

they are indeed a blast and the go fast parts seem cheaper than the largeframe stuff.

Instead of saying that, next time, try saying, "Because the bike weighs a lot less, you'll get more benefit from your horsepower gains."

Cool score. Is it complete? You may want to grow another pair of smaller hands if possible.

Here's my hot-rodded Smallstate/SuperSearsSprint.

Glad you got back safe and sound. The Stella/PX rebadged should not take long to get going. The only downer was the missing mickey mouse tail light on the smallstate. I'll be following this......

Yeah, Ryan was super-cool and I also met his mom, who was also super-nice.

The Stella fired right up off the electric start last night. I'm going to throw a cylinder shroud on it and take it around the block this evening. It looks like the oil tank may have a minor leak, or maybe it's just schmutz from storage, but I'll be sorting out that sort of stuff.

Given how well it runs, I'm now a little hesitant to split the cases, in part because I have other case splitting tasks I could be doing instead, like looking at why my P200 always wants to skip 2nd gear (this may be a cruciform issue, but might also be the wrong shift box on it).

Plus all the VBB punch list stuff to finish off.

I aired up the tires and then fired up the smallstate and rode it around a little until the fuel tap clogged up from gunk in the tank and it ran out of gas. It's pretty bad in there. But in the tiny bit of riding I got to do, even on rotten tires and shot suspension, I was digging it. Decently peppy, too.

I will DEFINITELY have to get a bench seat, though, because on the tractor seat, the handlebars were hitting my knees when I turned.

This thing is going to be fun. And Garncarz, I'll be hitting you up for that spare gas tank, because even if I clean this one out, it's seen better days.

Congrats! Waiting to see what you're going to do with / to it…

And……

I'll just leave this here…

I used to hang/ride with the Chicago Vespatiti crowd before my move to Nashville. Mostly Germans and Austrians, and a ton of fun to hang out with. One of them posts on here (very) occasionally and actually owns a shop that specializes in vintage BMW bikes.

Here's a picture of everyone's scoots at a random Saturday afternoon hang. That was a great day, chilling out, doing a little wrenching, and taking turns thrashing each other's bikes.

Congrats on your new addition(s)!!!! Awesome get!

It must be in the water… I grabbed a primavera in OG orange (had to keep up with you and Safis).

Runs, but has garbage electrical. Road it for a week and then took it to storage. I am beyond capacity especially with the Spanish en route.


If you end up painting that smallstate and straying from the authentic restoration path I have 2 words…. Verde Mela!


Yum

I totally agree Verde Mela is an outstanding color.


75V90 project that I sold on.

Very close match for Verde Mela

1. REMOVE the gas tank to fiddle with carb, only takes a few minutes

2. Lay it over on cushions to get easy motor access

3. Now just use your usual hands

Regardless, you will enjoy the little bugger

I already figured out that pulling the tank is pretty much Step One of any work, so I'm at least that far ahead in the game.

And that Verde Mela looks hawt. I could see that being a nice complement to the orange on the VBB

if you are like me and pulling that tank a lot, i advise you to just set the seat post on the shelf to be lost forever, it speeds up the process considerably....

Someone else just grabbed a smallie over the weekend, I forget who, so it's definitely going around. My electrical all works, but I'm still going to put a new harness in it when I tear it down. If you need 8-year-old hands to work on the carb, that probably means 5-year-old hands to do electrical in these things. "If" I paint. The paint on this thing is so bad, I think the last paint job wasn't a re-spray, it was a re-roll. I think they used 20-year latex, so at least it's holding up well.

I recommend a quick disconnect fitting on your fuel line. You'll thank yourself every time you take out the tank. BGM or Motionpro have options.

Last edited by GeekLion on Fri, 29 Apr 2022 18:32:37 +0000; edited 1 time

I was already planning on it and have one on the shelf

Smartzz

this is definitely going to be a fun one!

Terry! Good to hear from ya ... how and where ya been?

** this only applies to the bench seat you are lusting after

ah! so that's where the post for the Naraja Especial got off to....

Cman, Do you still need a small frame tank?

Yep, I do. The one that's in there has seen better days. I'll PM you my address. No hurry on shipping it since I won't need it for a little bit.

Thanks!

Honestly I thought I left it in the toolbox for ya, but yeah that's what happened .

I have had mixed luck with the quick disconnects, get one without the built in filter, they clog way too easily and leave you lean. Been there fine that.

Crème de la crème of fuel connectors... https://www.powercellperformance.com/product/powercell-billet-quick-release-in-line-connector/ super lightweight billet aluminum connector. Much lighter than the heavy brass CPC connectors.

Great - now another expensive thing that I didn't know I need

I use the budget version: https://www.motionpro.com/product/12-0047

This version has a single shut-off feature, to block flow from tank https://www.motionpro.com/product/12-0030

I use this dual shutoff on the smallies https://www.motionpro.com/product/12-0037
Shuts flow from tank and the carb making motor removal a much neater proposition

Y'all are all fancier than I am.

I use the el cheapo one from SM and it's also dual-shutoff and they've never failed me in the nearly ten years I've been using them.

I started looking at go-fast and disc brake options a little this morning. What I'd really like to do is go crazy with a Quattrini, but I should probably try and keep the motor budget at a fraction of what that was going to set me back (solidly in the $2k+ range with crank, pipe, carb, clutch). The same basic problem as my perpetually on-hold P200 build, except it just needs the crank, reeds, manifold, carb, and pipe.

I can do the motor at my convenience, I guess, but to do the disc, I'm committing up front since I need to weld a mounting plate onto the headset. It's also cheaper, but only by comparison.

Garncarz has hooked me up with a new fuel tank, so that's covered (Thanks, John!). The body panels are all both present and usable, which is a nice change of pace. The motor runs, even if it's going to get some amount of Go Fast Love.

Which has me at the point of asking, What am I missing in the planning stage that I don't know I don't know?

The low tech option. I use the small one for removing the tank.
https://www.mishimoto.com/hose-clamp-pinch-off-plier-set-3-piece.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvLOTBhCJARIsACVldV2hnN2gK8I13zMyohCJlBooicIAkihK9jMM273EvQtCr-hxeeamkDIaAkQMEALw_wcB

Guys, I love it when I see all of you get excited over a project with a fellow member. I looked at this scoot myself, but realized that I can barely refresh a large frame, whereas a small frame was a complete mystery. That and would not be able to ride it anytime soon (up coming back surgery). Anyhow, I am so glad Chandlerman was willing to make the 6 hour round trip from Asheville and then to Nashville. Kudos.

Remember the floor rails are unique to the small state and unavailable as repros, so treat them accordingly. Short inlet rotary pad is limiting. Large taper crank pretty much required. Weird ass "ground out" brake light circuit easily modified. Carry spare gas. I think its a 6-32(I'd have to check that) expansion well nut that I use where the seat spike would be to secure the gas tank. I get them from the Hillman Fasteners section at the hardware store.