Modern Vespa

last week, i broke my kickstart lever 2 towns over. bumpstarted it, and was able to get home. i took the one off my other bike and it lasted a week. broke the other one today. weirdest thing ever. ever hear of such a thing?

how are they breaking?

they are cracking on the round part that slips over the thing on the engine. my terminology is awful.

I am sure you don't mean you are stripping your teeth, right?

Seems to me if you were to overtighten the bolt then you might strain the aluminum too much. Are you using appropriate torque settings when you cinch it down?

+1 seem u tighten it too tight, or it just ur feet that too strong superman

cracked, sheared, broken. metal failure (both times). and no, i have never used a torque wrench. anyone know the exact torque spec on that bolt?

maybe i did tighten it too tight. i don't think i did, though. and, i am far from superman.

i don't think i did, though. and, i am far from superman.[/quote] u can said that to ur kickstart lever

cheer

ebeth, true. whether or not i am superman or not (and i am bound by the superhero code to claim that i am not) i sure as shit broke two in two weeks which is redonkulous.

Can someone with the authority change his member status to "Clark Kent"?

Nice.

you would laugh if you saw my hair and glasses, meg.

If you have a very neatly parted hair with thick rimmed glasses I must have a picture. now.


now.


seriously.

There once was a man so clever
He broke off his kick start lever

Not once but twice
It felt really nice

And now he is Super forever

For the win.

oh smallstate

the pain we suffer here at mv

without ur hat where u hide ur neatly parted hair u are look like superman, even if u didnt wear glasses.. but for sure i think u need to change the kickstart with a stronger one (i recommended the one from kryptonite)

cheer and forgive me for sillyness thing i write but for truth it new for me to hear that someone able to broke the kickstart not once but twice..

it is a waste of money. i just ordered 2 levers, 2 washers, 2 bolts and a fuel line.

$71.63.

before i kitted it, nothing ever broke. i should have left it alone (my one issue was always the same. the screen in the banjo union would fill with gunk and the bike would get boggy. and, the carb had been serviced so much that it was pretty beat. i should have just ordered a new 16/16. it was ridiculously reliable. a real one kick bike.) well, now it is almost broke in. we will see if it was all worth it soon.

Did the kit you installed increase engine compression? Like with a taller piston?

good one.

do not know. i installed the polini kit, but i did not alter the cast casing mouth transfer. so, i know i am not getting everything out of the kit.

I know little to nothing about Vespas, but if you did increase the engine's compression ratio it would stand to reason that the kick start lever would be subjected to more stress than normal.

no need to buy a custom kickstart level (longer one) but if u still broke ur new kickstart i think its time to buy a diferent type of kickstart like p series one.. maybe wont look good in theme but will last longer i guess (i wont change it if i were u, but maybe i'll lower my compresion)

cheer

i got my kickstart levers for both bikes and the other bits from the UPS guy tonight. i may put them on tomorrow.

thats good news, maybe u can post a pics tommrow when u install it

our club mate had the same situation.

he broke 2 levers ordered from sip. all just the same.

it´s the shitty metal. sure.

i broke 2 factory original levers. a 43 year old one one week, and the next a 44 year old one.

if they were THAT old, seemed that it happened cause of metal fatigue.