Modern Vespa

I have a restored 1962 Vespa GL, and the front brakes are working fine, but the back brakes (foot brake) barely works. A friend took a look at my Vespa and said I needed to replace the sensor and suggested I purchase a "Switch, Rear Brake", which I did, but I have no idea how to replace this part... any suggestions?

The "sensor" your friend is referring to is juts a switch that controls your brake light. When you apply the rear brake, how does the pedal feel? Is there a lot of slack? Do you hear any scraping coming from the rear of the bike? Does the bike slow down at all when you apply the rear brake, even with extra pressure?

If you have a lot of play in the pedal, try adjusting the cable (get a book, follow the instructions). If that doesn't fix the issue, you may have an oil leak from your rear axle seal or worn brake pads. Get a new set of pads and a new seal, pull the rear drum and replace and adjust. Should fix the whole problem.

What typically happens with an old bike is that the rear hub seal starts to leak a bit. This oil gives a nice coating to the brake shoes. The oil gets absorbed into the brakes pads and will barely stop the scoot, if at all. That's if everything is nicely adjusted. Replace the rear hub seal if you didn't during your restoration. Then replace your rear brakes shoes. All will be right with the world.

kilo is spot on

that was my fist major repair on a bike and was easy breezy

just remember to push that seal in proper

maybe kilo can explain

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the site and came across this post as I'm searching for a 1962 Vespa GL. I've found a couple but they're expensive because their owners have spent a lot of money doing them up. If anyone knows where I can find a 1962 Vespa GL to work on as a project I'd be most grateful!

Limiting your choice of Vespas to a specific model (Provided its not a P, or a Super, or something common.) can make it tough to find one at a reasonable price quickly...

Limiting your choice to both a specific model and a specific year can make it nigh on impossible. Can I ask why it has to be a 62?