Modern Vespa

Welcome, all. I just endeavored to replace the dead clock battery in the instrument panel of my 2006 LX150 and decided that it might be of benefit to others. So, here's a summary of what is a relatively simple operation.

Tools needed:
Phillips and Common Screwdriver (#2)
8mm Combination Wrench
Rags/Cloths
Flashlight

Top Level Procedure:
1. Gently remove "Piaggio" emblem on front scuttle by using the common screwdriver to delicately pry outward from beneath the emblem, and then remove the Phillips screw found deep underneath.
2. With the screw removed from step #1, above, lift and remove the front cover plate in the center of the scuttle, directly beneath the headlamp.
3. With the front cover plate removed, you'll be able to locate and access a single Phillips screw directly beneath the headlamp, which serves to secure the handlebar shroud assembly in place. Remove it.
4. Remove both rear view mirrors by merely rotating each stalk counterclockwise.
5. Locate and remove two Phillips screws (one on the underside of each left/right handlebar), and gently pry the front half of the handlebar shroud away from the handlebar assembly.
(At this point, I place a rag or towel between the front half of the shroud and the exposed handlebars so that I don't scratch the paint on the bottom half of the shroud.)
6. With the front half of the shroud separated from the rear half by several inches, very delicately disconnect all wiring connectors, being cautious to pull on each connector body rather than yanking on the wires.
(Place the front half of the shroud somewhere safe. It's now time to remove the rear half.)
7. Locate three screws securing the rear half of the shroud to the handlebar assembly; One directly beneath the speedometer assembly, and one each to the left and right of the speedometer assembly. Remove all three. To access these three screws, I found it helpful to turn the handlebars slightly left/right.
8. Using an 8mm wrench (or socket), remove the hex-head bolt which secures the speedometer assembly and shroud to a bracket extension welded to the handlebar. This bolt is oriented left-right rather than parallel to the long axis of the vehicle.
9. Disconnect the speedometer cable by unthreading it from the bottom of the speedometer assembly, and gently push it to the side.
10. Gently pull the rear shroud away from the handlebars and then, as you did with the front half, very delicately disconnect all electrical connectors.
11. With the rear shroud/speedometer assembly placed face-down on a smooth, padded surface, locate and gently remove the opaque plastic plug with resides in the hole at the assembly's 5 o'clock position. (Be cautious to avoid damaging the printed/laminated circuitry glued to the back of the assembly.)
12. With the plug removed, and using a common screwdriver, turn the plastic retaining cap, located deep within the hole, counterclockwise by about one-third a turn. Be very gentle.
13. Remove the plastic retainer cap you just unscrewed, the small flanged pressure plate beneath it, and, finally, the battery beneath the pressure plate.

You're now ready to install a new battery, and reassemble your Vespa in precisely the reverse order of that, above.

A couple recommendations:
-Take your time. It's easy to scratch things.
-I found it helpful to have a flashlight with me, if only to positively identify things before stabbing them with a screwdriver.
-Disconnect the battery before beginning this procedure.
-Magnetic-tipped screwdrivers are perfect for this job, lest you should drop/lose a screw.
-With both halves of the handlebar shroud assembly removed, this is a perfect opportunity to perform any headlight maintenance that your Vespa might need.
-This is also a good time to check things in the little window of your brake fluid reservoir (fluid level, fluid color, presence of water, et al).
-Not all screws are the same size and/or thread. I lay them out, as I go, so that I put them all back in, in exactly the opposite order in which they were removed.

I hope my memorializing this process benefits someone else. Pictures to follow.

If you're doing (or considering doing) this little project, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Take care.

Some pictures to accompany the procedure outlined, above;

An FYI that my Vespa came with a Maxell LR43 battery. Acceptable alternatives include #186, 301, 368, SR43, AG12 and L1142.

Congratulations!... It's a time-consuming job, no doubt. When I removed the exhausted clock battery on my 2010 GTS 300, I installed a battery holder, and it resides behind the left-side knee pad cover. Locating the AA battery holder behind the front cover is another option.

This is, for the record, a heinous task for a simple clock battery replacement and is possibly the poorest component design of the entire LX/S.

There are a few similar journeys documented here, including those one by MicBergsma. But there's always room for another, so thank you. I'm sure mine is coming due soon.

Video - Vespa LX Dash Battery Replacement Tutorial

GT200/250 is a similar process, been there, done that. Those who have suggested adding leads to the battery port and extending them to a more accessible space are probably on the right track.

Bob

The clock itself can give up, regardless of batteries. Naff LCD.

Easiest (and IMHO best) solution is just to Velcro a cheapo digital watch to the headset.

Hi!
sorry guys but i'm sick of taking half the scooter apart to change the battery in the watch. I soldered 2 wires to the clock and put a container for AA batteries. now the replacement takes 2 minutes and the battery costs 10 cents.

Naturana,

Yep! Totally agree. It's about as smart as the Porsche 944 with the battery tray directly beneath the windshield that collects water! Someone thought that was a good idea?

My "purist" self tells me, however, to leave it alone so that I don't take away from the originality of the Vespa.

Question: How difficult was it to get the tip of a soldering iron into the deep-and-narrow battery tunnel?

Hi
why complicate everything? I removed the glass of the speedometer, took out the watch, unscrewed the screws and it became easy to solder.

Superb. Thanks much.

As a follow up for anyone who's read this far, it's noteworthy that, despite the LR44 battery being about 1.5mm thicker than the LR43 (which is the battery called for in the Vespa's digital clock), the LR44 fits. I've just successfully installed an LR44 which should offer 1-1/2 to 2 times the approximately 2-year battery life of the original LR43.

I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as most of the folks here, so.. Thanks for reading my post and feel welcome to contact me with any questions.

Yep. Changed my battery (I was in there anyway changing brake fluid) and my display is crap on my 2006. Before I didn't look at it because I knew there was no battery. Now I look at it and squint for 10 seconds trying to see what it says.

Hi!

it was not difficult for me to change the battery, but the locks on the plastic, which has been for 20 years, were definitely not happy with each removal-installation