Modern Vespa

Today was a bit warm(5ºC) day and roads almost dried.
So I done a little ride.
Not push it hard but it seems there isn't any problems with primary ratio. On the contrary, I really like how works 23/65 and short 4th gear!
Want to say thank you to all of you guys who helped me with decision.
Also very happy that there no any leaks on exhaust/cylinder joint.

First ride in 2024.

Still cold, rainy and snowy weather. So I decide pay attention to the front brakes. The most weak and annoying part of my P.

Very dirty.



Before and after sanding.






New


Grease grease grease!




Done.

Just after wash - fresh and shiny.

This nice ride was also good test for AC 110 which I put in earlier. I gave it lot of full throttle times and also hold it for few kilometres, sometimes it was up to 115 km/h.
Sometimes it feel bit rich but on the other side scoot runs perfect and what is most important the temperature was noticeably lower than before.
Was hold 100 km/h for 3 km and max. temp was only 155º C(311º F).
Here is how spark plug(number 8) look.

The black looks all business!

Yes. But always PITA to keep it clean

8 plug should look dark. What's all the jetting now?

Glad the changes you made are working out. The 23/65+short forth seems like a good combo for your open road kind of riding. Temps seem quite good too. 115 kph is plenty speedy.

How did the front brake service work out? My P series also has a front drum brake. Hoping it will be enough. Kind of got spoiled by the Stella.

AC 110
BE 3
125
55/100
Mix 2.5 out

Here you said that it was done with:
AC 120
BE3
125
55/100
Mix 2.5 out Brake comes much better than before. But still very far from EFL brake.
I need to push brake lever with 3 or sometimes 4 fingers.

So it was nice adventure but on the way back noticed that some strange hard knocks appears on the chassis on even not big bumps.

When I got home I saw this.



From outside bushing looks ok but metal tube move freely in almost any direction.
So I decide to try BGM mounts. Earlier I put the same on customer's engine and noticed that even in hand the quality looks noticeably better than SIP ones - this or this.



Engine out!



Done!



I also changed o-ring on the clutch lever and inspect the clutch. And was very happy to see that tabs have no any wear after 8000 km. It is CR80 kit.

Looks good. Hope the new engine mounts help. I'm getting used to the front drum brake after being spoiled by the disc brake on the LML. I found that adjusting it often so that it starts out with the shoes having a slight drag helped. Repeat until the shoes bed in and the cable stops stretching.

Few days later I went for 500 km road trip. I was very exited how P will perform on the highway with 23/65 and short 4th.
And everything was wonderful. It easily sits on 90-96 km/h(6000rpm) for hour. Temperature is 160-165º C, sensor tapped into cylinder head.
And can easily accelerate up to 120 km/h if needed.

Glad it's going so well. Temps on my VMC 187 are similar to yours. I have considered going from a 22t to a 23t clutch cog but I'm leaving the 68 primary. Something I may try next season. As there is not much left of riding season and it's running well as it is, I'm not going to mess with it.

To be honest now it seems that 23/65 and short 4th is bit long for aggressive city riding. If just a little calm then all ok. And absolutely nice for cruising out of the city.
Now I think that 23/68(or 67) and short 4th is right choice for my setup. Or 23/65 need a bit more power .

On the other side maybe this doubts is because after riding on smallie with Egig 170 . It is really rocket and very elastic engine.

AND FINALLY! After three long months I received package from chandlerman! I already thought that it was missed somewhere on its way. But no.
Thank you a lot Chandler! It is absolutely cool pack of surprises, some of them I already gave to other guys.

Hell, yeah!

Glad to see it finally made it. I'd also given up hope and begun accumulating more stuff for another attempt, so there will be another mystery package sometime in the future, too, I expect.

The 23/65 in my 200 is not at all aggressive. It's actually quite mellow. Even at higher speeds it seems slower because it's revving lower. I'm thinking it's the stock tractor cylinder. On some days its relaxed personality feels just right.

It might be the VMC cylinder that makes it feel that way. My 187 would probably be a bit lurchy for city riding, but there are only 2 traffic lights in my town. Then it's all open road.

Some time ago I noticed that engine won't rev above 6500. Problems appears on 6000-6500. Feels like spark missing or fuel starving, lose power and speed, jerking, etc.
Checked and cleaned carb(despite all was ok). Nothing changed.

I tried few spark plugs, caps, HT leads, and CDI's. And it seems that problem is CDI. I have this "original Piaggio" on my P.

Two black is old original ones from PK's, all turned worse with any of it.
So I borrowed old original blue from the PX 200 E. Things got better. Engine can do 7500 now. Obviously not perfect - it done up to 8500-9000 easily before.

I also will try other stator plates. My current is CiF and I have Piaggio Cosa 120W in spare. Which absolutely not look like original Piaggio part and I don't like how it was work few years ago when there was DR177 cylinder on my engine. And ofc original one from PX 200 E.

Is it worth to try different flywheels?

And again - penny wise and pound foolish.

Due to I bought all this parts:
- Stator plate Cosa
- Flywheel SIP
- CDI
- Stator plate CiF

Now I understand that the right way was to buy Vape ignition and forget about it. The prices is the same.
Oh and also now it seems that I need another new CDI

Now it is time for the new tyres.
Bridgestones done 10000 km and out now. Really good allrounder tyres.
But I'm riding 95% on the asphalt roads so I don't need that much off-road capability.
Also 110/80 seems not very stable after 105 km/h and higher.
Now it is Mitas Touring Force SC 100/90.

Few days ago I was stopped by the police and given a fine for having an unapproved license plate. $30.
So I decide to put approved license plate.
I'm so upset and not so about money but about size and look of approved plate.
It ruins look of my Vespa.

Unapproved plate.


Approved plate. Terrible.

That thing can double as an oil pan it's so big! Bummer....

Officer Friendly was annoyed that he had to put his reading glasses on for the original plate.

for 49cc scooters we have even smaller plates, but them is approved.

Over here the yellow 49cc plates are the size of a passport. The modern homologated ones are as large as yours. We do have a loophole for old bikes (pre Sept 2000) as those are allowed the original issue ones.

They are strict about the plates over here too. Some people have covered the blue EU FIN logo with same kind of sticker but in black and white. If you get caught with this sticker and make 2000eur/month -> fine is ~290eur. I think the same applies also for unauthorized plates like yours.

But I have to gasp how much free space there is on that plate. Normal finnish motorcycle plate is here on the right. If a motorcycle is from 1974 or older than that, we can still order black plates since they were originally equipped with them. For some reason one is also ordered for the -59


Choice can also be made between narrow two-row and wide one-row plate


On any of these the space is actually used

Thanks for the info guys. €290 sounds very seriously.
If I'm not wrong in the Germany even on smallframes the plate is bigger than my approved plate.

Yes same fine+ over here. The crux is that it is a homologated plate for a reason: A photograph of an infraction showing it is legal proof. Fitting a non homologated plate is therefore seen as done with criminal intent = more serious than a traffic infraction.

Homologated plate here is same as Germany. Afaik all EU.
Spain lagged a bit till 2000 because their system was decentralised with all autonomous states issueing their own. When that was centralised, which was a MAJOR poltical faff, the EU norm was implemented.

There is an extra EU category for vehicles registered as ´Historic´. These historic vehical plates have a number with ´H-´ prefex and lack the blue EU or any other national vignet on the plate and are marginally smaller.
For some unfathomal mistaken reason my Nimbus was issued a homologated EU model plate which as it is registered as historic makes it an illegal plate

The plate on my P200E

looks like same as my or very close.

Those things are as big as a serving tray!

Here in the States we're spoiled with many different vanity plate styles. Recently got this for my Stella, goes really well with my plate frame too!

The problem is sorted.
Put in new CDI and my P flies again. And not only on higher revs but on all range.

Damn...I could get that plate, but I'd have to lose my Antique plates.

Of course, I've been riding my GL with no plate at all until I got back from California, where I left it last year.

I have my Slaughterhouse vanity plate. I may put it on something just because.

Rear brake suddenly gone few days ago.
It felt like the pedal was reaching a limiter and it was simply impossible to press it harder. At the same time, the brake was very weak, it was impossible to lock the wheel. Add here well known weak front brake on mk.I and there was almost no brakes at all... BTW there is no any gearbox oil in the hub when I removed it.

I decided to try Polini Road shoes. And also change brake cam as previous was cheap Indian one.


Nothing special and looks like cheap RMS or F.A. shoes. Even ends are not rounded.



Not very worn, right?



Same with the shoes? But them done not less than 10 000 km.



I suspect that the brake surface on the rear hub is quite worn. Because to get the brake to work the way I like it I had to do a lot of pre-tensioning on the cam lever and in this case it was impossible to remove the hub without releasing the cable on the cam lever. There was a fairly high protrusion there that the divorced shoes were clinging to. So, some wear on all brake parts resulted in the brake not working.


Done.

I'm having the same issue with one of my bikes.
The high points glaze(?) to the point it almost feels like an oil leak.

Better to mark the pads and sand/file down high points when first installing, so the pads have more even-as-possible contact with the drum.

Did this on my last project and the difference (so far) in braking power is huge.

Left the house for nice weekend. Here is more pics.

While cleaning the garage I found an original Piaggio part. It's definitely not from my P. And I couldn't understand what its purpose was.
I specifically decided not to use Google or any other help.
And a little later it dawned on me.
Are there any guesses?

Battery cover? Never seen one....

qascooter you right. No more dirt and splashes on my electrical chaos Almost