Modern Vespa

This question goes to those more competent and knowledgable than I (and who isn't?)

My gt200 (2006, Daring Plum) was bought one year ago new, and has had its scheduled check-ups at 2,000 and 4,000 miles from SF Vespa. I am now at 5,500 miles and am hearing a bad noise.

Specifically, the noise is a grinding or rasping sound which seems to come from low in the engine, behind my feet. It is accompanied by a slight loss in power, a little shudder or hesitancy.

It does not seem to be effected by outside temperature (it's happened both on hot days and cold mornings, when the bike is just started and when it has been running for a while). I have looked under the bike (the extent of my mechanical abilities) and there is nothing obviously dragging or loose.

It happens only when I am accelerating in the 5-15 mile per hour range, and stops as soon as I let go of the throttle, but sometimes starts again when I rev it. When I do get past about 15 MPH, it stops for good.

It does not happen every time in that range, and is not consistent (some days, it does it, somedays not - somtimes when I accelerate, sometimes not on the same day, on the same ride).

So, the questions are:

1) What is this unnerving sound?

and

2) Should I take the bike in earlier than my scheduled time, or can I keep riding it for another 500 miles without doing damage?

Weird...I recently had a similar noise situation on my GTS 250.

My issue was only on left leans. I cannot attest to a "lose of power" b/c I was completely new to scooter riding at that point and wasn't really giving it a lot of pull.

I hesitate to say we have the same issue because my problem was fixed using a replacement part from a GT200. There was apparently a metal ring between my clutch bell assembly that had come loose on the GTS250. SFSC replaced the entire assembly with a part from a GT200 clutch assembly and my problem went away.

I'm always a proponent of getting sh*t fixed the second it manifests. It's not worth your life to let something break while you're scootin' around at 35+.

I can't imagine it will be that hard to fix, labor + parts on my fix was $127.

GOod luck!

Zach

It might be dust in the clutch causing that (AKA clutch grind).

GT200 Grrrr-inding noise
clutch grind - clean up needed
gt200 question
GT Stutter from Stop (resurrecting a dead topic)

But you may be needing to do a variator check and/or replace rollers, so if its not clutch grind (an at home fix), take it into a shop.


Regards
Harvey

You might want to try popping off the chrome Vespa transmission cover and blowing compressed air into the holes and see if you get some dust out. I usually do this with the engine running so be careful not to stick the air hose nozzle into the hole very far, you don't want to hit the fan blades. This is a quick, free trick that might help and certainly can't hurt. I usually do this at least once or twice a month routinely and I can always feel an improvement after I have done it.

Oh, by the way, 5500 miles is about when I put in new rollers and an new belt on my GT 200. I'm a little on the conservative side about changing those items but I'd rather be safe than sorry, and that will also result in a good cleaning of the clutch and rid you of all the dust that has accumulated.

Ditto.

Who all remembers what a ditto machine is?

Mmmmm those fresh purple prints smelled so good.

Wow - we haven't had a clutch grind question in aaaaaaages.
Harvey, thanks for posting the links.
The noise is surely unnerving for the new GT owner - I thought I had seriously buggered up my scoot and saw $$ signs flashing before my eyes.
A regular clean out of the clutch dust with either Brakleen or compressed air does wonders.
Good luck

Thanks for this info Harvey. The post "GT Stutter from Stop " is ,I'm finding, a common problem. But I feel it's more of a shudder that a stutter. I'll get to work on resolving that issue.

Simply HAVE to post this - dramatically reduced my GT's tendency to do the grinding/hesitation routine by removing the circular "Vespa" marked cover on the transmission cover.

Ok, so it doesn't look great, but it does encourage a through-draught and once it's sorted it out you can pop it back on til it plays up again.

Ideal if you don't know anyone with a compressor and blow tool!

David

The same thing happened to me. It sounds like its in ypur upper drive pully in your variator. This is a common on the GT and GTS I was only hearing the grind when I was in slow traffic, is your scooter stilll under warranty PM and I can give you the part number but it sounds like its that.

Mimeograph

I second the clutch dust theory. I've sprayed brake cleaner in there which worked great.

Another option, if you haven't tried it, is to run it hard (up over 55 MPH) for 20+ minutes. That usually smooths it out 'might nicely.