Modern Vespa

Saturday was perfect weather in Pittsburgh, so a ride on the P210 was in order. Decided to hop on 28 South to get back to town without all the stop and go traffic and that's where things got interesting.
I'm wide open in the fast lane getting ready for a left exit when the engine looses power and shuts down. Grab some clutch, shift into neutral and coast over to the shoulder. Pull the plug and it is absolutely cooked. Put in a spare, give it a kick and no compression.
Right then two retired marines roll up in a huge red pickup and give me a lift a few uphill miles home. Very cool, they wouldn't accept gas money or even a beer. They were just happy to help out a fellow motorcyclist, even a "really small motorcycle" as they put it.

WTF were you doing in pittsburgh when the rest of the pittsburgh scooterists were partying it up with the cool kids in columbus?




Typically a holed piston is due to timing that was too far advanced.

I had to work all weekend so couldn't make it to Columbus. Probably for the best or I would have broken down a lot further from home.

I set the timing at 18 deg btdc a few months ago with a dial gauge but didn't have access to a timing light at the time. Everything had been running really well after sealing an exhaust leak with some high temp copper rtv and replacing one of those crappy plastic pwk float bowls with a real Keihin one. The old one sat so close to the cylinder that the heat warped it and let gas out and air in.

My set up:
1981 P200E
Malossi 210 kit
Prima pipe
Mazz crank
PWK 30 flatslide carb Main 128, Idle 48, JJH clip in 3rd spot
Premix at 2% (Motul 800 2t)
b7es plug
Uni pod filter

Besides the stator moving out of adjustment what else could advance the timing? There seems to be a tiny bit of play at the flywheel when the engine is cold, maybe a failing bearing? I thought a little play was normal to allow for heat expansion. The scooter did vibrate a lot at idle and low revs but would smooth out when you got into the powerband.

I was definitely riding pretty hard, wide open in 4th with some pretty major hills. Just 1-up though, at 193lbs. Keeping up with traffic at 65-70mph.

Timing is usually the issue with holed pistons.
Are you sure that it is a holed? Take off the head and see.

I cracked a cylinder head in half once and that caused a loss of compression as well. A new head and I was back riding. Could it be a ring?

A timing light will be helpful here to see where your spark is in reality of your case marks.

Maybe your woodruff key is going?

Its nice to know that you trust your frame/fork at 70. I have a similar setup and my grip gets white at 60.

Definitely holed, I can see it when I pull the plug and look in with a flashlight.

Why wouldn't you trust your front fork and frame at 70? Stock P's go 65 mph no problem. Just curious.

Well,
Sometime I think that these things are just glorified old lady shopping carts. Not really made for speed, not really balanced, not really well suspended either.

I like quick plenty, but fast, above 60, that's pinching my arse.

Sorry, but you are completely wrong.

Back in the late 40's they had stock cut down frame bikes with raced out 98cc's going 62 mph on a track.
http://www.scooter-vespa.eu/V98ccCorsaCircuito.html

You can always upgrade your suspension and brakes to handle the increased power. Stock T5's can hit 70mph. There are P's that are going 80mph no problem. Hardly a glorified granny shopping cart.


Just because you are scared to go 60mph on your scooter doesn't mean it's going to fall apart unless you didn't put it together correctly.

hey,
Like I said, its my ass that is pinched, not yours. And while I am fairly confident that mine will go 70, I am reluctant to drive it around at that speed whenever I can.

I am still breaking in my setup, and until I know I have it all dialed in right, I'll be keeping one eye on my egt, and one hand on the clutch.

Just cuz I think of these things as flying lawnmowers doesn't make me wrong. Its my opinion that they weren't designed to reach higher speeds. The fact that some can is great.

if it is your opinion

then do you always base your opinions on ignorance

these things have a fork and shock system that is designed after the landing gear on a plane

that is a fact

the steel fork and hardend axle is by far the stronger part on the front of your bike

but if you personally are not comfortable with speed than that would be your descision

[size=7]Back in the late 40's they had stock cut down frame bikes with raced out 98cc's going 62 mph on a track.
http://www.scooter-vespa.eu/V98ccCorsaCircuito.html[/size]

That is one sweet ride, I dig the handgrips as footpegs.

That bike is badass. I love it!

Hmmm, I think the racer needs that type of tank.

I know that some people don't like them, but I think it's pretty sick too. I'm currently building my Sprint "Circuito" style.

http://www.scooter-vespa.eu/VespaCourse.html
Use a french translator to figure out what the hell they are saying.

These scoots can been seen at the Vespa museum in Pontedera Italy.
http://www.alandollar.com/scooters/vespamuseum.htm
I plan a trip to there next year.