Modern Vespa

The Beatles were wrong: All you need is violence.

Jimi Hendrix was right.
Fire.
It takes a lot of heat, like three minutes with a Propane torch (not a heat gun).

Right behind you Bird, on the same fork.

Godspeed good sir… godspeed.

Worth the grind:

How did you manage to get it off?

^^^
TRIM:

I used a trim removal tool as a wedge. I hadn't crimped the bottom all the way down yet so that made getting started easier.

Start at the bottom on whatever side is easiest. Lift the lip of the trim front and back. Then, once you get some clearance pull the trim at a 90 degree angle away from the bike as you move up. It should come off in one piece. The older it is the more paint that will probably come off with it I suspect.

"New York?!?"
"What?"
"Don't stop. Give me all you got all the pork!"

Didn't follow my advice. Avoided filling my garage with smoked grease.

Thick fender washer the OD of the bearings. 1" PVC coupling. 3/8" bolt and an impact with a deep socket.
Pretty much the setup to pull shock bushings.

Install the same way (with a wrench and without the coupling).

Thanks.


I have the same bike and had similar difficulty in getting the trim right. Isn't quite straight and I could t get it smooth across the top of legshield. I think I am going to carefully remove it once I get back to that bike.

Man… that looks pretty damn good!!!
Love seeing another ET3.

I'm looking at this on my phone, but I really don't see anything that would make me pull that trim!
FWIW

(Ps - where did you find that shock?)

—————

Ray,

Good sorting. Love the set up and the execution.

Mazel tov!

It's a standard rms shock that I took the plastic cover off and painted. For my 50 special I hid a carbone shock under the same sort of cover.

Carbone does a stockish black one…

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/shock-absorber-carbone-front_65020500

Floor rails are done.
(Finally… but will redo one rubber)

Looking great.

Slow going on this project as we are in the " one step forward two steps back" phase.
Front end fuckery as I realized I didn't have the right size o-rings (and the mystery washer is still a mystery). Now waiting on another order to finish the forks.

Fought with the lower steering race (a theme in my life) and have this for general wisdom: if paint gets into the area where the race seats, you absolutely have to get it all cleaned out. Even with the factory tool, I had trouble seating the race on attempt #1 because of interference, etc. Cleaned it up more with 800 grit and carb cleaner for the hard to reach places. Went in easier on attempt #2.

Now if fedex would get here we can keep on cooking.

Living dangerously…

The part where you put them in the dishwasher or the part where your wife finds out?

Same same.

in a detailed action report this office received there may or may not be a "waffles peace accord" in the very near future due to these events.

it really depends on the memory strength of the major governing body.

this is currently a developing story...

The lion sleeps tonight….

?si=_460smpcnONIRUYv

In scooter wrenching, as in all forms of human conflict, timing is of the essence.

Ideas for fffffat new buffers...

New shock buffers were ordered with the carbone. All combine to prevent the crush washer and nut from going on. Even with the old buffers there is barely enough thread to get the nut on.

My spit ball idea is to throw the hub and front wheel on and then use my body wait to bottom out the shock and hopefully get enough thread exposed. Maybe?

I don't recall ever having this issue on the front shock before. *scratches head*

Any other tricks?

No way to get a clamp on the buffer to compress it?

Somethings amiss…

Is the lower buffer seated properly?

You should have enough thread poking through…

That's what I think too, something is amiss, but I am too thick to clock it.
Yes on the lower buffer. I will double check again just in case.

So the Carbone says its 1200mm.
The stocker is 1200 mm.

The do seem the same in overall length but the post-screw is ~.25" longer on the stock shock.

Then, the new buffers are each ~.38" thick.
The old buffers are ~.30" thick.

add all that up and you get about 1/2 inch...

Old buffers are a pretty ragged.

Maybe P style buffers? O run the moldy oldies?

Can't remember the new buffers being so thick.

I think I have a spare I can check in the morning.

Longshot:
If you loosen the nut at the base can the post be extended?

Well... yes/no.
I learned that you can extend the mounting post by double nutting the damn thing. In retrospect this was pretty obvious. But, it only took me a week.
We will leave this incident off my Mensa application.

I'm going to take that as a yes, since that's what I meant

The torque spec (21-29) for that nut is confusing. Seems cruel to do that to bushings
Come to think of it, I've never seen a build video where someone gets out a torque wrench there.

Gonna leave that off the Mensa app too.

Regarding the buffers for the Carbone shock.
I clamped my adjustable belt sander in the vice and ran it on slow speed with an 80 grit belt.
Sanded the new bushings down on one side till the thickness matched the old ones.
Mounted them with the cut side out keeping the bevel against the upper mount.
Ben running it that way for 4 years with no issues.

Welp… shit.

ack! what a kick in the coin purse!

kajiit technical services is standing by in case you need measurements or comparisons.

Please explain - they are wrong size? How could it happen? Didn't that all come from one bike? (Headset and tubes)

So it looks to be a euro 50/90 headset. I think.
The gear change tube and the throttle tube are about 310mm in length so way too long for the slightly smaller headset.

Would not be too big of a headache if it hadn't been painted already.

That sucks! Is it an option to shorten the tube and drill a new hole for the retaining pin?

That's what I was thinking, too, given that it's already painted (by someone else).

This is where the ham is won or lost, with moments like this…..

Exactly this!!!! Lolz I have the equipment and the chops to repaint the gear shift. The question becomes (after measuring) is do I sort an ET3 headset or do I just keep the 50s headset? Granted this isn't a concourse resto but I want it to be generally accurate. I think most folks would never register the difference. Hmmmmz.


Also a hat tip to David who reached out on a Saturday and was 100% Johnny Fix-It. Class.

I think you're gonna want an et3 headset but do you do it now, or later?