Modern Vespa

i am looking to further tune my s150 and am wondering if this kit is reliable. Anyone know of other problems that will arise becouse of the kit such as needing stronger belts, replacing belts more often, what size rollars and how oftern should they be replaced. i am just wondering how this kit will affect the matiance of my bike and i know people think it is sometimes dumb to tune a 150 but it is my thing. so any advice would be greatly appreached. i would also like to thank silver streak for the comment in tuning a 150 from a couple of weeks ago, it was a great starting point

BY Silver Streak

The route to follow depends on how much you are willing to spend and exactly what you are trying to accomplish.

The best starting point if you are simply trying to get more grunt off the line is to go down to 9.3g rollers in the variator (for lower gearing at the start), and maybe a #38 idle jet to improve the throttle response. A performance variator will probably get you a bit more grunt, but at the expense of roller wear and fuel economy.

A Sito+ exhaust will make the engine sound just a bit more assertive, but won't give you any noticeable performance increase with the stock engine.

For top speed, the only thing that will help there without major engine mods is a small or medium windscreen to improve aerodynamics... that'll get you a couple of mph.

If you are willing to spend the money and don't care much about fuel economy, then the next step is usually a 190cc cylinder kit (Malossi is the most common one available). This will increase torque and hp very noticeably, but will not give you too much more top speed unless you install taller gearing in the final reduction unit. Most riders who go this route have them professionally installed, but a self-install is not out of the question if you're reasonably experienced with engine work. High-performance cams are also available, but I don't think I'd go that route for a street bike.

There will be those here who'll tell you you should have bought a bigger scooter. You have my permission to tell them to fuck off. The Vespa 150s are an ideal size for urban/suburban riding.. they could just benefit from a bit more grunt. Besides... modding is fun.

Last edited by Silver Streak on Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:57 am; edited 1 time in total

The 190 kits are quality and reliable. If you are a competent mechanic and can DIY, they are certainly worth the $400. The lighter rollers will affect your belt/roller life more as it is making your cvt more "active". That means more frequent roller and belt changes, like at 4000 miles instead of 6000 miles. Should be nbd if you can install the kit. For me the 9.3 rollers are worth the xtra work. Then there is tire life.

thanks but i am not a mechanic but am mechanically inclined, it this a hard job to do or if i am asking this question i should just leave it to the pros?

I should have some solid answers for you in a few weeks, as I have obtained the Malossi 190 kit, the Polini upgear kit, and some Dr. Pulley sliders for the stock variator... all of which I will be installing as soon as I get the time.

I'll post a comprehensive report once I get it all done and thoroughly tested.

My impression has always been that the reliability of the 190 kit depends mainly on the quality of the installation. Ask around your local scootering club and see if there if they can recommend a shop or mechanic and discuss it with them.

thanks Michael H, i would probally have vespa Hartford do the work they have always treated me right in the past and i hear nothing but praise from my fellow riders. and i look forward to silver streak's post on it, i kinda want to get more into taking care of the bike myself so if something happens i can fix it on the road and i also want to get a better understanding of how the scooters work. thanks everyone

I will be looking forward to silver streaks report on his bike. I have been reading as many threads about the subject as I can find. I am thinking about doing about the same mods. The cylinder kit and the gear change will be interesting don't know if I have come across that combo yet. I am interested in the off the line and top end results. Keep us posted
Chris

any updates to this?
would love to hear how your bikes are performing now.

i am considering the 190kit and taller gears on my Leader 150 Derbi.
I already have the malossi variator. I had been thinking of getting a bigger bike but i also for the most part love my Derbi. It is almost perfect for my use. nice and peppy in and around town. Would just like to get a touch more out of the top end.

not even really that much more speed..if i could cruise better at 100kph i would be happy. Right now at that speed i am WOT but if i could cruise at 100 and have the engine work the way it does now at 80kph i would be happy.
not that i run at wot alot. just a 30min or so hop on the hwy with the rest of the roads posted at 80kph.

malossi variator is there a good difference in performance when you installed this? also have you put in Sliders yet (rollers)? because that would give you better top end and acceleration.

i went with the variator...light rollers (9.3?) and kevlar belt.
hated these rollers. wasnt that much faster off the line but my top speed was cut down and the motor was screaming at 100kph.
i put in the heavy rollers (13?) and was happier. off line speed was still decent and top end was much better. the variator kit also comes with a newer clutch spring that i think made a diff.

(oh ya, i also installed a PUIG windscreen. that made a big diff in comfort level and a bit more speed.)

but i have since gone back to stock weight on the rollers (10.2?) the malossi ones wear out way too fast. the kevlar belt isnt worth the extra money for me. been running stock the last 7k and happy with it. i change belts at around 10k whether it needs it or not. i keep up with preventative maintenance as i want bike to run reliable for a long time. i have almost 24000km on it now.

if i end up changing the gears i may as well have them replace all the oil seals while its open. i may do that (taller gears)first just to see what it does for me. taller gears may be just enuf to give me better top end cruise speed and hopefully not take too much off the bottom.

if that works out i can then decide if i want to go with the cylinder kit.

Mickey, a.k.a. "Spock" who used to post here installed the 190 kit on his ET4, along with a couple of other modifications, and last I knew his scooter had well over 20,000 miles on it with no problems.

I think he was running a PM pipe too.

I'm going to be installing my 190 kit and upgear kit, along with Dr. Pulley sliders in the stock variator, as soon as I get a couple of overdue custom ukes finished. That should give some idea of the performance boost, but it will be a while before I can contribute much to the reliability question.

Skyway... how much do you weigh? The 9.3g rollers in the stock vario worked great for me... much better performance off the line and no loss of top speed or over-revving. Unless you are a real lightweight, the difference must be attributable to the different ramp shape of the performance variator.

It just occurred to me... are you talking about 9.3g rollers with or without the kit? It just seems intuitive that you'd want to go with heavier rollers if you have the kit installed.