Modern Vespa

Could you explain to the camera that people are larger?

You gonna tell the cat it isn't people?

In the UK, if an original speedo is present on a car[1], then it must be working. The speedo on our UK campervan had crapped out a thousand miles ago or so, but the MOT was due in a few days and we are also about to fly back to the US in a week's time.

Checked the cable was driving the actual display OK, so ordered a new speed sensor - one with a gear attached. Now the new gear was a black one, and the Boxer 2.0l one is green - completely unobtanium as far as I could tell, and crucially a different diameter to the black one. So I investigated what had happened to the old sensor - given the clue of the square drive of the new black gear, I could see that the old green gear had no square hole left, and the sensor itself had hardly any square drive left. The plastic 'hole' bit in the green gear shaft had disintegrated at least half-way down. As this was otherwise a write-off situation as the MOT would be failed without a working speedo, I decided to carefully insert a smidge of Araldite down the inside of the shaft of the green gear, and pressed it home back into the sensor. After leaving it for 18 hours, a test by hand showed the green gear was now making the sensor turn very smoothly and reliably - so back in it went and two hours later the van passed the MOT!

Note it was essential to have the new (though ultimately put aside) sensor, as when the sensor is removed from the differential oil WILL come out and cover the hands, face and clothing of the unaware! Just don't ask me how I know... Anyway, using a rag to hold back the tide, the new sensor was slotted into place just to keep the oil contained where it should be.

If anyone out there knows of where a new green gear (or any colour as long as it's identical) can be obtained I'd be very grateful. Perhaps someone has 3D printed some?

[1] Note a motorcycle doesn't have to have a working speedo, even if one is present.

My new profile pic that I made with Chat GPT...

EDIT: Taxed & insured! 𝕊𝕌𝕃𝕃𝕐 is now ROAD LEGAL!!! 🛵💨📄👍🏻😎

WOOHOO!!! Sully is officially home! Lovely ride to Exeter & back before the weather turned to shit! Such a smooth little scooter to ride & handled the back roads like a true champ! Now safely locked & undercover for the night, sheltering from the rain. 🛵💨👍🏻😎

How is it tested? And how accurate does it have to be?

Last night I went with my wife, Sarah and another couple of good friends to dinner at our local German restaurant, Buchner's Bierhalle.

When we walked in, Liz, the longtime hostess exclaimed, "Henry's parents are here" as our young Golden Retriever Henry goes with us on most visits, and the staff loves him.

After seating, Rebecca, the server came and welcomed us as Liz did, asking about Henry.

When we sat down, a man and his wife came to the table to visit with our friends. He was a mover, and he had moved them several times, and we figured out that Sarah had been talking with him on the phone about moving some of our furniture to our new North Carolina house.

We had a wonderful dinner, charcuterie plate, pretzel, Jagerschnitzel, curry wurst, short rib, wine and beer.

When Rebecca came to the table with the bill, she said that the mover had paid for us.

It is so nice to see people being good to each other.

And, of course, we will hire him for the move.

Bill

None of my business, but, where are you moving to in NC? Leaving FL?

We bought a house in Weaverville, a small town nine miles north of downtown Asheville.

For now it is a second house, but we will be spending a lot of time there.

Within a few years, it may become our full time house.

Bill

This made me laugh this week.

My partner has a photo of her and her brother on their uncles motorcycle from around 1975. It's one of her favourite pictures and it's in a frame in the bedroom.

This week, her uncle came to visit. He's nearly 80 and a bit of a hermit so this is actually the first time I've met him. He was a bit perplexed by the photo.

He never ever owned a motorcycle.

UPDATE: [NSR] What's Pissing you off Today? IIII (Post 2758543)

Found the gremlin in my Vespa that has been killing me for months.

Bad wire (black/purple) in the harness from ecu to injection load relay.

Bad bit is in the section of the harness highlighted. Used a test light on that wire and am able to make it go on and off by bending that part.

Now gotta strip the cover off that part of the hardness so i can replace that section of that wire.

But now for beer and then tackle that step tomorrow ...

PS, today is her 6th birthday

🎂🛵

It isn't actually tested as a separate test in the MOT, BUT if the vehicle is put on a rolling road (for braking tests normally) or taken for a test drive, then it must be seen to be working. As for accuracy, the normal rules applies - it cannot be pessimistic (underread the speed) and must not be more than 10% optimistic (showing a greater speed than actual).

SUNSHINE!!! Makes a nice change after 2 days of rain lol

Good man. Not too many people would have had the patience or persistence to find the problem. Kudos!

Nice work!

Last camping trip of the year this past weekend. We had a most excellent site ... the last lot in the row and our door side faced the woods. High temps were in the 50s; perfect for a fire. We cooked a 5lb pork roast in the Dutch oven Saturday.

Any time I can describe a camping trip as "uneventful", it's a win. Nothing broke.

Always a bonus!

I was about to post in the pissing you off thread that the forecast is what i was dreading, but it turns out it's really just a couple days below freezing overnight, then we'll be back in the upper 30s/lower 40s overnight and 60s/70s mid-day.

So I'm not winterizing three two-wheelers just yet....

I've had a nice coffee grinder for some years. Had an intermittent bad connection that would bug me, but with jiggling, would work alright. Had it apart to figure out the problem once or twice....switch was supposed to be contacted rotating the grind selection. Looked fine, so back together....nope. Decided to dab some spare epoxy on the tip of the switch.

Works great this morning!

sometimes just the tip really does do the job.

what's cheering me up?

catching sucker fish on a big hook. easy pickens

Once a month, several co-workers and SOs meet at different pubs/restaurants with beer for 'Happy Hour'. No shop talk, especially since we're all retired. I look for this every month. Later this evening we'll go see Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio at The MIM. Good times.

I bought a poppy for the front of my scooter today, ready for Remembrance. It's a small thing, but visual support from fellow veterans has always been important to me. I was only in for a short stint, but it's the proudest 5 years of my life, aside from when my daughter was born.

Training to be a farmer

I can see it now - sheepherders all over Oz riding Vespas through the brush.

You may have started a new trend!

Hot

That'll do, Scoot.

Exactly what I thought!

We've been over this, sheep are not hot. You're just lonely.

Dinner tomorrow night at the Rabbit Hole (popular spot in town) with one of my very good mil friends. Then monday flying back to Baltimore to empty our storage unit and drive it all out here putting it lawd knows where 😂😂

Somehow strange one, but seeking a bank-automat, I stumbled a shop getting oldies on shape, and as it is rare to see a old Vespa here in Rome, seeing 6 was nice.

Here one waiting her turn...

Do you live in Rome or just on a vacation? We're back in February after Carnevale.

Something between those; we are here 3 months, but just for fun.

Enjoy! Stop by La Botticella di Poggi e Giovanni for a lovely american dive bar experience.

He's a great dude and definitely has the Pittsburgh dive perfected.

Hardly, I try keep away everything even distantly american...which is hard as they sure are sight and sound!

What cheered me up today was that the small country of England, which is smaller than Texas, battered the whole continent of Australia at the finest sport in the world which is of course Rugby Union

I found a unicorn today! I roasted the flywheel sprocket shaft on my 1949 Harley-Davidson back in August. Today I found a replacement from JIMS USA. This is my preferred maker of this part and they have been out of stock for months. There are other makers from China, Taiwan, and India but I don't trust their metallurgy on a part that takes so much abuse. Without the internet, I never could have tracked down this part so easily. This cheers me up!

I think the point i was making sailed clean over your head, he's not american. But it's nice to see racism alive and well in europe!

Okay, keep the chatter down in this room!

You know, for the right price, that could be made into a nifty Halloween, wine rack, charcuterie board, Indian, Vespa. Just saying.