Modern Vespa

Hey Eveyone!

I just bought my first Vespa today and I love it. I got a 2005 GT200 off of Craigslist. Tonight when I took it for a spin it was sputtering at low RPMs, something it wasn't doing right after I bought it earlier today. Acting like it wasn't getting enough fuel. As soon as I got over 15mph it stopped sputtering and accelerated normally.

The scooter only has 384 miles on it. Needless to say, it hasn't been driven much. I was thinking that I probably have gunk that has been sitting in the fuel tank going through my fuel lines and that is what is causing the problems. I was planning on getting some fuel line cleaner tomorrow at the auto store but wanted to check and see if anyone had any other thoughts or concerns before doing so. Thanks!

it's very likely to be gunk in the fuel system. Running some Seafoam through the system may help; if not, then the next step is cleaning the jets in the carburetor, followed by flushing the fuel tank, and replacing the fuel line if needed.

could be a clogged air-filter - easy to remove, clean and re-oil - could also be a loose spark plug wire being affected by the vibrations at low revs. May just be a clogged up carb - put in a new spark-plug, check the condition of the old one then take the bike for an 'italian' tune-up......

Yes, it could be a clogged fuel line/carburator or air filter. Fuel can "go bad" if left for a long time and solids can form in the fuel line clogging it up. I would also try the seafoam to clear it, it is a cheap first step to try.

Do you know if the scooter was laid down or if the tank was recently over filled? If the scooter was laid down the air filter could be full of oil or if the tank overfilled with gas the air filter could be full of gas. In either situation removing the air filter and squeezing out the excess will help the engine be able to breathe again.

Awesome! I will try the seafoam and see how it goes. I don't think it was laid down, atleast I hope not. It doesn't show any signs of that.

Thanks!

Congrats on the new GT! I have a 2005 myself in the Steel Grey color and I love it! I hope you solve your sputtering issue. I have used Seafoam to keep the lines clean and it seems to work fine. What color is yours? Any pics? I have 13,000 miles on mine now so you have some riding to make up for. I hope your issue is just because it hasn't been ridden much and needs to be broken in a bit more. Ride safe.
Regards,
FireLeo

Congrats on your purchase. I just bought a 2007 that only had 41 miles on it with the original tank of gas from the dealer. After I bought it I took it to the nearest gas station, syphoned out the gas tank, put a few ounces of Sea Foam in the tank filled it up and now have just over a hundred miles on it and it's running great. I am not usually into snake oils but I read up on Sea Foam and talked with a couple of people about it and it is running smooth. Good luck!

Welcome to MV...I purchased 2005 GT200 with 500 miles and had it shipped to Honolulu. Was well taken care of and have not had any issues thus far.

Seafoam...Yes...use it to clean out your lines. I also add 2 oz. @ every fill up.

Consider an air horn (Stebel of Wolo Bad Boy [generic]...this is what I installed...I could get it locally @ Checkers.

Recommend disconnection the evaporator hose...this was a problem when I fuel expanded and found it's way down into air filter.

Installed a audible turn signal beeper.

Installed cowl protectors...if you drop your scoot it should minimize damage to cowl...if you crash...that's another issue...don't like calling them "crash guards".

Ride Safe!