Modern Vespa

The front end of my scooter, that is.

I've looked at several of the other posts having to do with various rattles, and I just kind of want to sum up...most folks seem to say their Vespa doesn't rattle. Does that mean, no rattling at all?

When I go over bumps, I get quite a bit of rattle in the front. I can't tell where from, but I'm suspicious of the plastic horn cover piece. Should it all be nice and solid and quiet? It doesn't seem quite right to me, but I wanted to get some more input before going to the shop with it.

Thank you, for any and all advice/wisdom.

It shouldn't rattle at all. My ET4 didn't rattle, my current GTS doesn't rattle, my LXV did rattle because of loose connection and nut in the headset.

Plastic scooters tend to rattle more, the metal bodied Vespas shouldn't unless something is loose.

It's probably your headlight ( it''s a GTV). Sometimes when the correct angle is set at the factory the adjustments are left with too much room ( so that it doesn't bind against itself if further adjustment is needed.) If you just leave it, the rattle can change your headlight height, either blinding oncoming traffic or not giving you enough light at night.

There's a way of tightening it so that the inside reflector is "bottomed out " against itself and the rattle is cured, but it's kind of fiddly. If you just tighten one screw so that it doesn't rattle it also changes the direction of the beam, so all the adjusting screws must be played with to keep the right angle, yet cure the rattle.

The good news is that it's quite curable.

cheers

My ET4 rattles from the front end (sort of at the bottom left side of my leg shield) when I start it up. The noise lasts a couple of seconds and then goes completly away.

I have searched and searched but cannot find the source of this annoyance.

Interesting. I have the same issue with my '08 S150. Rattles somewhere up front while the automatic choke is on, but as soon as the engine warms up, it goes away.

I had the plastic piece that covers the shock come loose and rattle right after I first got it. The screw fell out. I got a rubber bushing thing and rescrewed it back on with a nut thing from the hardware store. My first "mod."

I have a GT60 headlight on my rat scooter and it rattles quite vigorously. I thought it was related to the terrible crunching that the once wrecked scooter endured or possibly the jettin visor. I have applied silicone caulk liberally to the visor and housing but have yet to diminish the rattling. I'm starting to get used to it.

+1

It's a mystery why Piaggio doesn't spend an extra lire (Euro) and use nylock nuts. I've replaced the screws in several places, like the license bracket, etc., with new screws with nylock nuts.

My wife's GT 200 didn't rattle but was "loose" in the front and steered horribly. Yesterday I carried in to the shop and the nut in the headset that keeps the top bearing in place was loose. But I woud get a mechanic to check it. if it gets too loose then, "BAM!" to the ground.

Thank you, all, for the good recommendations. I have also had trouble with the screw that holds the plastic piece over the shock and haven't found a satisfactory (on my own) fix for it. So, that rattles when it loosens, and then there is the other, unknown, rattle, that very well could be the light. I think I will take it in to the shop and have them take a look...my horn button flipped off and was lost in the first couple weeks of having the scoot, and the replacement horn came in, so I need to go there anyway!

Thank you!

It's really easy to tell if it is your light. Bonk the headlight assembly on the side with the heel of your fist. I'd bet it makes the same rattle.

And Jeffrey- pop out the headlight, remove the bulb , and fix your rattle ! You obviously can figure it out after piecing your scooter together. I like the way the legshield looks without the glovebox. I'm sad I didn't make it down to Bellingham for the "Hamster run" in July to see it in person.

cheers

I the FWIW category, I pulled the interior plastic panels off of my S150 so that I could hook up a GPS. In particular, I pulled off the inside knee panel and the floor panel. Under the floor panel were three lose hose clamps and a lose screw -- remnants, I assume, from the factory assembly. Now that I've got them out of there, I realize I was hearing a faint rattling down in the floor area from time to time. Perhaps some errant parts like that sometimes kick around in the newer Vespas after manufacture . . .