Modern Vespa

for the past 2 weeks or so, I have been having intermittent start issues. To make a long story short, it turns out the positive terminal on the battery had exposed wire that was rubbing against the chassis. Not a big deal..I had terminals on hand..so repairing was not a big issue. After I made the repair, I hooked the terminals back up to the battery, and now, no power at all to the scooter. the battery has a full charge from a trickle charger. Looking at the schematic, I think the 15AMP fuse that comes right off the battery is blown. I have the shop manual on the scooter, and it shows that the 15AMP fuse is right under the seat. CRAPP! I can`t open the seat without having power on the scooter! What a predicament! Does anyone know how to open the seat without potentially damaging something? Bear of mind, I am not looking to break into someones scooter, but someone reading this might.. Thanks!

A short at the battery terminal would be upstream of the main fuse (indeed upstream of all the fuses), and would not blow the fuse. Check to be sure you have a good connection at the new terminal.

I'm a little surprised that the condition didn't cause anything more spectacular. Lucky you didn't have a fire on your hands. Are you sure your battery isn't damaged?

BTW, you'll find a hand-operated seat latch release inside the glovebox.

I think the battery might be damaged. Last week I went to the DMV to finally take my motorcycle test, and I practiced on the course for about an hour and a half. It was a hot day (the fan was kicking on a lot), and I had the scooter off for a bit. When it was finally time to take the test, the scooter wouldnt start. It started fine with a jump. I drove it home and read 12.45 volts with a voltmeter. This is when I noticed the problem with the positive terminal on the battery. It turned out it was indeed the 15amp fuse. After everything was said and done the scooter started up fine. I`m sure glad I didn`t have a fire! Everything else seems to be intact wire-wise..I don`t see any burns or any tell-tale smells of electrical arcing. Thanks for all the input!