Modern Vespa

the interference of the rear wheel plate with the clutch cover is by design. It's part of the structural strength of the design. It effectively acts as a fulcrum for the rest of the plate so the bolts aren't carrying the entire lateral load--which makes total sense given how much force is being put on that clutch.

Doing a clutch swap on a largeframe is easy, even getting a torque wrench under there. The only thing that makes it more than a minor annoyance is if you don't replace the clutch castle nut with a modern hex nut.

or dropping the woodruff key at the wrong moment

Dooohhhh! I hate it when that happens!

It's even better when you glue a magnet to a piece of wire and you lose the magnet in there too!

Yeah, all definitions of "easy" exclude events like losing woodruff keys, car keys, magnets, pets, or small children in the motor during the swap.

I can't tell you how many smallie motors I've cracked and found either balls/rollers from bearings past or woodruff keys. I swear one day I'm gonna open one up and find a roach just chilling out on a recliner eating a TV dinner watching home makeover challenge.

and I won't be the least bit surprised.

Clutch cover update...Holy smokes did that make a huge difference!

In just under 25 minutes, including searching for various wrenches, double-checking torque specs, and doing initial clutch adjustment, it went from so hard to pull that I had to get the heel of my hand on the grip for a full death grip just to engage it to about the same as my GL, but with one added advantage...no pressure required to hold the clutch in.

Like...I could hold it in place with one finger and my hand not even touching the grip. Physics for the win!

The only sad part of the whole thing is that it's been raining tonight and I don't have a working headlight, so it'll have to wait until the morning for a test ride.

I can't wait.


Can your clutch do that?

Boo for the rain…!

Lever looking awesome!

Might have to get the adjustable type… but I love the OG ball type. Decisions…

Now you both understand why the XL2 cover is hyped

I adjustable blade style on my VBB. I'm sure you can find the ball type, too. I just happened to have the dogleg style lying around. Absolutely! It's like night and day.

I went for a quick test ride this morning between calls and the difference is amazing. I still need to get the gear shift cables set up right, but it's now completely rideable with no effort to speak of.

Next up will be electrical, CHT, Tach, installing the new shocks, and the no-dive front fork link. And I need to go bug the tire shop to get my tires mounted so I can install them.

I'm waiting on a new rear shock upper mounting buffer to arrive, and I forgot to install the CHT lead while I had the motor down last night, so I'll have to deal with that sooner than later, too. The fun never ends with these beasts.


Yes, the GPS Antenna is currently held on with electrical tape. I'll get to it.

Interested in how people are stuffing in updated electronics on a smallie…

Tach and CHT…

There's literally no space on the 50s, I wonder how people get the SIP speedo to work… where's the battery go??

Very cool.
*Makes note on dry erase*

1) Wire the bike with DC. If I have a battery at all, it'll be a tiny little one inside the frame to smooth the power output at idle.
2) Use external gauges, e.g. TTO CHT.
3) I have a 52mm analog tach that I'm going to just bolt on and then run a wire back to the AC side of the ignition. It'll be deliberately ugly, as is keeping with the overall aesthetic of the bike.

I agree that there's basically negative room inside the headset. I got really spoilt with the storage locker of a headset on the GL. No more of that, for sure!

I killed it.

I finally got the new tires installed, plus the front such and anti-dive, so I put a few minutes in it and all was well. I'm getting much more comfortable managing the power, which mostly means getting half my body out over the bars, then working the throttle as it comes into the pipe.

The anti dive is amazing. It totally works. As advertised. Easy install. Definitely should be done on any smallie, IMO.

The thing revs like crazy. It hits 55 in second gear if I let it. I was doing about 60 in third on the way to the liquor store when it just...stopped.

Compression is gone, so I need to find out what the damage is. I'm afraid it's going to be a new cylinder, but haven't had the heart to open it up and see yet. The cost could be anywhere from $0 (piston jacked up, just pull out the rings and clean up the grooves) to $150 (new piston plus shipping) to $550 (new top end).

Here's hoping it's option one.

The bitch is it is that it's so much fun to ride. Didn't feel there last bit unstable at 60 in a 40. I'll have it back on the road soon, though.

it was real real fast... until it wasn't

man, here's hoping it's not terminal!

It's not terminal, I just need to figure out how bad it's going to hit the ol' wallet.

I realized after I got it back to the workshop that I had a KLK-3 on my wall as too lean for my BGM177 with a big box.

It's not the first time I've blown up a motor for dumb reasons, but it had been a while.

Oh no! I'm glad you had enough of a taste of it to relish the prospect of getting it sorted out again.

Oh, very much so!

I'll do triage in the morning and figure out what the damage is going to be.

Oh no man…!

Just as you're seeing the final straight and getting to ride it.

Looks like we both need to go back to a few steps.

Fingers crossed yours is a busted ring and nothing more.

So long as the barrel is okay, it'll be more annoyance than anything. I really don't want to have to buy a whole 'nother kit. A piston would be annoying, but that's on $100+shipping.

I didn't realize how hard I was thrashing it, obviously. Sooo much fun, even if it is a total suicide machine.

Welcome to the club

Let's hope you get off easy like I did.

Chandler has been a member of that club for a while I think…

Just checking in...
Uhg.
Jetting is like the biggest loser™
Best if the contestants start fat - not phat.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Editors note: Check my thread for the many images of my scoot on a flat bed tow truck...

He joined BBA (Blown Barrels Anonymous) years ago.

That's putting it mildly . Piston Carnage Hall of Fame, baby!

Seriously, though, I pulled the top end off this morning and, amazingly, it looks like I'm going to get away clean!

There's a tiny aluminum smear in the barrel basically at BDC and the piston ring is gummed up in the piston two places. So assuming I can get the ring out without breaking it, a little bit of emery paper and I'll be good-to go...with a MUCH richer needle.

Lesson re-learned: Don't trust the jetting until you KNOW you can trust the jetting. Even if it's "just to get some gas and hit the liquor store."




Not the best picture, but you get the idea of where the damage is

Jammed ring for the win!

Fingers crossed getting the ring out. Rooting for you.

Great save on the Q kit!

I was really not looking forward to having to lay out for a new kit. Plus grinding a new cylinder to fit the cases, etc.

I don't think I've ever deal with a ring that's jammed in two places before. Not quite sure how I'm going to handle it yet.

I would literally file by hand… and a small flat blade driver.

Might take an hour, but it'll be worth it

That's pretty much what I was thinking, so I appreciate the validation.

Damn
Damn
Damn


Glad it wasn't worse and best of luck on the piston salvage!

I'm pleased to report the operation was a success!

While I had the head off, I finally fitted the CHT, which required major cutting wheel & dremel work. I had been putting it off because I knew it was going to suck to do. I also had to take a millimeter or two off the outside of the sensor ring, but it's in there now, standing by to try and save me from myself.

I also swapped the needle to a KLH on the 1st (bottom-most) clip, which what's in the video. I'll do a proper jetting session before I push it again.

Finally, here's 20 seconds of badly framed revving and returning to idle. Think of it as Proof of Life.




That slot was not there previously.

That looks awfully similar to my smear marks. Is the larger mark on the exhaust+flywheel side?

They were pretty equally sized. The aluminum smear on the jug was on the flywheel side, though.

Given that I went up two clips and also two letters narrower diameter and it's still not bogging, I was definitely way too lean.

time for another liquor store run for victory beers!

glad you got away unscathed!

Nice save. Sometimes these engines are not really broken in until they're literally broken and put back in.

Yeah, it's amazing how tough these things are. I haven't taken it anywhere since I got it back together, but I both mapped out the harness from Greasy and hacked the existing wiring harness to get going, so progress is definitely happening.

The big issue that I'm not quite sure how to handle at this point is that the headlight vibrates terribly. It seems like there should be some sort of gasket or buffer in there, but looking online, I'm coming up empty. Is it just user error on my part, or is there something I'm missing?

Next, I'll run wires for turn signals, the tach, and the pilot light. That should be fun.

And I finally got the tubeless tires mounted, so I'm now rolling safely (by my admittedly questionable standards, anyway).


Much more work than it looks like.

A light! Mine is nice and tight. It has the two locating tabs on top and an aluminum slider/bracket thing on the bottom that clamps down and holds it in there nice and snug. No gaskets or anything like that. Maybe that aluminum slider needs to be massaged back into shape?



Last edited by r_fostoria on Wed, 19 Oct 2022 00:56:23 +0000; edited 1 time

I figured out my headlight vibration issue. That's not the best engineering, but I guess it works.

I still think it would benefit from some kind of gasket around the lens, though.

A little thin strip of duct tape along the bottom of the bulb works like a charm.

I had already ordered a new bottom clip. One of the tabs on the headlight wasn't wanting to seat into the slot, and both slots were full of paint from the rattlecan paintjob.

It's in there and seems solid, even if I don't love the design.

Garncarz, I'll probably add a little tape to the bottom next time the lamp is out.

bueno!

super glad that harness worked out for you.

looks like you're getting super close to running some jetting loops!