Modern Vespa

❤️


Hope we have a good turn out from the NSMV crowd

Start tuning up …

Getting closer….

I checked my spares on the bike and gave it a wash this weekend.

Don't forget to break something so you'll have something to frantically fix next Thursday for the True Rally Experience. Real pros break something that require parts you don't have on hand.

Maybe next year when I have something vintage and not hella slow to ride. It does look like a blast!

Oh lord,
We didn't even have it right yet at the old location.

Ha but worth searching for

Seeing as how it's almost Go Time, let's have a quick roll call of who's going this year.

As of now
I'm headed west right now.
CM2 is working like a madman to get the New Unicorn ready to roll
SoCal is his usual chill self, making "ready to roll" look effortless

Others I think are coming are SDJohn and maybe Ray8.

Who else should I be looking for?

I'm in! but i didn't hear of any gathering for caravan style commute up. I probably wouldn't make the timing on that, I have to drop my daughter off to school before I can get on the road. I estimate leaving my crib somewhere between 9 and 10 am, probably closer to the 10 by the time I remember how to use the canyon dancers and straps correctly.

If there's a group text going and I can be added I'd be grateful.

I'm going to make a mad dash up early Saturday morning to check out all the scoots before you guys leave on your ride. Riding my chopper so you'll probably here me coming. I have something for you chandlerman.

We'll get there. It's only Wednesday, there's still plenty of time to finish building bikes and sorting logistics.

We should definitely get a group text going, and I suspect that you can probably make it to Ned's before we get rolling

it's on the way, so it would be nice to be in the caravan!

I'm in.
I have to dig my scoot out of the shed.
Hopefully it starts. It hasn't been started this year yet. ☹️
I still have a few SAFETY THIRD stickers up for grabs too.

i want a "safety third" sticker! come say hi, I'll be on my black and gray PX.

if y'all need anything from Kajiit quick stop & 24 hour parts depot for things forgotten hit me up on the tech line. I'm sorta on the way and I'll be around!

Hopefully we will make it next year!

I'll look for you. I'll be on my primer grey VNB

Here's mine

You definitely should!

Do I need to make you put some Ham on the line to get you suitably motivated?

Still working on going, C'man!
If I can get my truck fixed in time I'm there, but I'll have to leave LA Sat morning and head back down from Pismo after that ride

Big Moosehead Beer top box. Can't miss it.

Hopefully we'll see you for at least Saturday, Ray!

After getting in and helping out around CM2's workshop a little, I took his truck and rolled down to MJRally's place where i met up with SoCal and got MJ's carrier and the P200 SoCal is loaning me for the weekend. It'll get some TLC tomorrow so it's ready to cover some miles.

Long day, but well worth it.

Quick shout out to MJRally for coming through again with the double hauler.

Chandler and I swooped into his quiet neighborhood at 9pm last night and he was his usual gracious self, helping us get hitched up. He even gave us some new booties for the P from his parts stash. What a guy.

This silliness wouldn't be possible without him. Thanks Malcolm!

socalguy - what are you going to ride? Brownie? Yellow?

Brownie needs a cruciform so Yellow gets the nod again.

Got new a new set of rims up front and new Heidenaus, so rolling a little smoother.

Has a suspicious clutch rattle but hey that's part of the adventure.

The 60/8's salute you.

Special guest party crashers last night, Chandler and Socalguy came and eyeballed Modkuos waterlogged Rally 200. Had to kick them out when my wife was giving me the look 😑.

Have a good trip boys! 🫡

That Rally is a gem. It just got a little over-excited taking a bath!

Thanks to MJ for the loan of his carrier and letting us hang out in his garage.

Meanwhile, back at the Unicorn Ranch, I've been doing battle with the electrical system in the P200 SoCal has been kind enough to lend me for this weekend's adventure.

"It runs good, but the headlight doesn't work," he told me.

Famous last words.

I start going through the electrical and the first thing I find is that the fuse has basically rotted away. No worries. I can "fix that."

As I sit down to start going through the bike and realize what I might be up against, I lean in close and whisper to it, I don't have a new wiring harness or stator, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for scooters like you.


Just so we understand each other.

I start going through the electrical and get the brake and tail light going in pretty short order. Woot!

But only off the battery. There's no current coming in on the twin yellows from the stator. Broken wire time, I'm thinking. open the junction box, things look pretty crumbly. Tug the yellow wires and...they apparently left this mortal electrical coil long ago.

So now I need to replace the stator wires. Meh, but I have all day.

I start to remove the boot on the CDI wires and discover that whatever those yellow wires have, it's contagious.

So now it's soldering time. I get to work, replace the wires in relatively short order, get it all back on the bike, and give it a kick.

Yasssss!

I've now made it back to the point that I started the day three hours(?) before. But I have power to the regulator, but not to the headlight. So I can be seen and stop, I just can't see.

Try again...and this is when the smoke decides it wants to be free. Rotten wiring in the headset starts smoking. A lot. There might have been a lick of flame, but just for a second as I get the whole thing shut down again.

A little bit of inspection of what's left and looks like someone did some questionable (even by my standards) electrical work on the neutral light wire. So I disconnect all that crap and get back to the task at hand...headlight.

Fire the motor up and check the headlight...no voltage. Go to check it at the coil, and discover that the headlight wire is...disconnected.

Now, I re-attach the wire and have voltage, but no light. swap the headlight bulb and, finally, SUCCESS!

So as of now, I just need to finish sorting out the remnants of the headset wiring and put it all back together, and I'll be ready to head North!

so this year you're going to return socalguy's scooter in better condition than it came to you!

I figured I'd try something new this year

He hasn't ridden it in the rally yet…

*dusts off the reset button for the Explosion Counter*

Exhibit A

Is that 12g? No problem supplying enough juice to teach that wiring harness a lesson if things go astray!👍

The current situation

That doesn't look San Luis Obispo.

If you squint, you can see the hills

SD jumping in.

Gah!

No gas tank… a map torch… it looks dire!

you guys are way behind book time!