Modern Vespa

Here is the story about my P150X.

My first scooter was LML Star 200. Bought it new in 2016. Done on it near 50000 km and still have it in good shape.

Year later I found 50 Special in August 2017 and since that time I fell in love with geared 2 stroke Vespa.

One more year later and I found P150X in September 2018. Fun but both my Vespas is 1981.

It was by chance and pure luck to find Vespa in our reality.
Previous owner(long hair rocker-boy) stop ride on it when he crashed and broke front brake lever. For the first meeting I came just to see P and talk about price. Scooter stayed in the shed for few years.
But when I saw it it was love at first sight(the same as with Special haha). I wanted this scoot for any price. Rocker-boy said $600 and I said OK. A bit stupid for scooter without any papers and I not known if it even starts.

But we shook hands.

For the next day I came with fresh fuel, spark plug, some instruments, front brake lever and cable.
Rocker-boy was very surprised when I changed old broken lever for 10 minutes and there appears some front brakes.
Much more he was surprised when with new spark plug and fresh fuel Vespa come alive after 15-20 kicks. To be honest I was very surprised too. And very happy.
I had 50 km of the way through the evening city to my garage. Brakes was poor, tyres was worn, no mirrors on, gears jumps out but what emotions overwhelmed me!
It looks like an LML(just later I will see a lots of differences) but rides totally different. Hard to explain. All the same ease as I feel with Special.
Despite the not very good condition of the scooter, I was able to easily rich 90 km/h on the speedometer.
So I gets to my garage without any problems.

Good man. And the scoot looks good too. Kudos

Great find. Nice bike. Good luck. Have flown a Ukraine flag in our front yard since February 28th.

For that price it was a steal!

Let's hope the paperwork turns out good and it's not a steal literally

Right on Roland! Very nice!

Thanks for support Michael! Here in Ukraine was long time no need any serious papers for 49cc scooters. Just a ticket with stamp which you can buy in any scooter shop and write in VIN, colour, date of purchase etc of your scooter.
Also was no any problem to got this ticket for over 49cc scooter just need to wrote in it that is the 49cc.
But I had spare plan - to use my LML papers for my P just need to buy copy of LML number plate, repaint P in black and make VIN plate with LML data. Pity but this is the only way. If scooter had no papers it is impossible to obtain papers legally.

I understood that I must fully disassemble the P but I wanted to rode it a bit more. So I changed front brake cable outer, adjust rear brake and clutch, put better tyres and front rim and spray some carb cleaner into carb.
P starts from 2-3 kicks and I go for a ride.
Not too long.
At the next junction it dies and don't want to start. Checked plug - ok. Fuel - ok.
Started it with pushing very hard and go back to garage. Next day try again and nothing. And there was a lot of fuel comes from exhaust you can see it on photo.



Now I know that I had to check float needle with but then I don't know nothing about P and decided that this is the sign to start tear it apart.

That case is going to need some welder's love

Was there only one piston ring

For sure. Cases was welded. And piston was with two rings, just took photo when one already off.

Disassembly continue. And some new surprises.

Cracked basket.


Destroyed




Circlip housing break


And bearing was hold by these fixings

The last ride on that engine must have been exciting.

That poor engine.

You a quite right guys. It also had crack in bottom end of the crank but I lost a lot of photos since that time and can't find it, pity.

Move on


Rotary pad not in perfect condition. But at that time I don't know about how it is important.







Engine done

Nice shop. Don't get the tall boy mixed up with the brake cleaner.

Your photo reminds me of Montréal. Like many apartments, ours had a service alley behind the buildings. Spiral staircase fire escapes, laundry hanging on lines, rickety wooden sheds, kids playing, people cooking, working on cars and lots and lots of beer and talking to neighbors.

Yes so good times. Now it seems like it was in far past...but only 1.5 years ago. Hope this all will came back soon.

Wishing that for you too, your family, friends and fellow citizens.

So the plan was:
- new bearings, seals and gaskets
- Mazzucchelli race crankshaft
- DR 177 cylinder
- Sip Road 2 exhaust
- SI 24/24 carb
- new input shaft assembly
- new clutch
- throw off autolube system
- new Cosa electronic ignition
- new gear selector
- new engine bushes















Made small customisation of gear selector

In the same time chassis went to metal shop for sand blasting and others works.
I really love how non-indicators P look are. So I want the same.

Find my P










Blanked off


Small optical updates






Also master decided to add some floor reinforcement

15.12.2019

So engine is ready.
Cylinder was mounted straight without matching ports on case.
Also put new Newfren AntiAqua brake shoes and new brake cam.
Cracked seal housing and crack on the cooling channel was welded.





Powdercoated hubs come back and some new parts arrived:
Sip tubeless rims 11" x 2.5"
Heidenau K61 110/70-11 tyres






Comparing 100/90-10 on standard rim and 110/70-11 on 2.5" wide rim:


Assembled fork with temporary used YSS X-Pro shock, new upper shock mount, Newfren AntiAqua shoes and new brake cam(later changed to old one as it was too short and it was impossible to mount brake shoes on it)








Last edited by roland87 on Wed, 21 Dec 2022 21:48:08 +0000; edited 1 time

Dude, you're moving quick! I like it!

Thanks mate. But I just created a thread. All works was started in 2018 and was done in 2020

Last edited by roland87 on Wed, 21 Dec 2022 21:47:27 +0000; edited 1 time

Ah, ok! That makes me feel a little better about my snails pace on my bike

Me too

I really likes how speedo looks. Like in old Porsche... But it was not in best shape and works terrible too.
I cleaned it and put new parts.






Black or ...

... chrome?

Black!

Beautiful!

And the most PITA part of story.

I was in search of painter. I chosen "nardo grey" colour.

Оne friend of a friend of a friend said that he could do everything as I want, while not so expensive.
On January 2020 I took all body parts to that painter. We agreed that the work will be done on May 2020.
I absolutely did not strain him with questions and unnecessary conversations.
But when in April 2020 I came to his paint shop and saw the bare body of my P, I got nervous. He reassured me that everything would be fine.
Of course, he could not finish either by May 2020 or by June.
I came a few more times and saw just a terrible painting and I already had only one desire - to pick up parts of my Vespa as soon as possible. It was not so easy too.

So only in the end of July 2020 I took back chassis, horn cover, glove box and handlebar cover.
Painting was so f*ckn shit!!! The color didn't match what I wanted! Without a primer, with smudges, uneven varnish, shagreen, torn off literally with a fingernail, with cracks... If I did it by my own hands with spray cans It will be MUCH MORE better!

But I didn't care. I felt that if I didn't assemble a scooter in 2020, I would abandon it, I literally didn't have enough patience and strength, the summer was ending and I wanted to ride and not sit in the garage for days.

Work on P turned out to be much more difficult, more expensive, took more time than in the case with 50 Special.



So in the next photos that I will upload, you will be able to constantly notice the flaws in the painting.

Started to assembling

Here is PK handlebar, as I still don't get P one from that weird painter






New centre and side stands


YSS X-pro shocks with powder coated springs.


Engine in!

How did the repair on the Flyside engine case turn out?

Sorry but I lose lot of photos.
I take case half to good qualified welder and he add the metal where it needs. Then I grind outer part for correct stator plate install. Since that time I done more than 14000 km on this engine without any problems.

We moving on.

New SI 24/24 E drilled to 2.5mm
















Seems like Vespa

On September 15, 2020 was a first start.
To say that I was happy is to say nothing. 2 years of hard work, mistakes and disappointments. And finally this wonderful feeling - I did it!

It sounds great! The paint really doesn't look bad. I bet it would look fantastic after some color sanding, someday when you have some time to kill.

Thanks mate! Paint looks not bad on photos or from few meter from scoot. When I started to ride on it I start not to worry about paint. It is absolutely cool and others feelings than on smallframe. Or, for sure, than on four stroke LML

Some photos from first ride September 25, 2020. Without some parts and with ugly uncomfortable Yankee seat(the only what I have at that moment) but runs nice although carb needs to adjust.

Nice! Did the larger wheels give you any kind of upgear? Did you have to make any modifications to fit them?

I think not noticeable upgear. As outer diameter is very close to 100/90-10 wheel.
Scooter became more stable on straights and a little more blunt at the beginning of the turn.

They fit without any modifications. It is SIP tubeless rims 11" x 2.5" and SIP says that you can straight fit 120 wide tyre but in my case it is 110/70 and I see that there is no any space for 120 at the rear.



Last edited by roland87 on Thu, 12 Jan 2023 13:56:02 +0000; edited 1 time

Thank you! The added stability and switch to tubeless seems worth it. I'm always cherry picking mods for my scooter.

I like the metal work that was added to the side cowl. Does it help with cooling or is it mostly looks. Either way, it looks badass.

I love the 80's speedos. So 70's German, which I appreciate a lot.

In the future I changed wheels because 11" was too hard for our bad roads. I put SIP tubeless 10" x 2.5" with 110/80 tyre and scoot became much more comfortable.

Nice Buddha mate hope it protects from road troubles
I like my speedo a lot but I can't get it to work proper - needle often jumps like crazy.

I'd like to think that it helps with cooling but I haven't tested it with closed/open holes.

Few shots from running in rides. Still without side panels - can't get it from painter









Very proud

Looks great. Congratulations. The rims look super, I seriously think I may go tubeless. Are the city pics in Kyiv? Thanks for posting this log thread, it was great.

Yes mate it is Kyiv two years ago.
As for me tubeless is nice upgrade - the whole wheel is noticeably lighter than original one and really feels more smoother when ride.

I celebrate with you Roland