Modern Vespa

Or "IT JUST NEEDS A TUNE UP" if all it needs is a basic tune up why not do that and sell a running scooter.

Don't know if we have Craigslist this side the pond but do you reckon I could flip this "only starts in warm weather, probably only needs a carb clean" as a Vespa ( I didn't know it was a 139qmb, it has a Vespa sticker on it ).

Gumtree. Give it a whirl.

Haha! When we had the shop, a guy came to service a "Piaggio Typhoon" he had bought. It was a Chinese POS scooter with "Typhoon" stickers on it. Funny thing is that they weren't even spelled correctly. They said "TYFFOON"

They now do key rings too…

*giggles*

Scary a "legit" shop is selling this as a "well restored, Vietnam-sourced Sprint 150". Scary

https://www.revolutionmoto.com/pre-owned/1968-vespa-sprint

at least they're honest with what it is

Sidecar anyone?
I know that AUD$ is a bit lower than some currencies at the moment, hence why they are only asking a reasonable $40k AUD

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/924051612066544/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124708611555?hash=item1d093665e3:g:g1MAAOSwm9dgkALw&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsIHt9xzoKjjDG1kqegJdfRIG%2FMGsthNoi%2F4QNqmG1%2B3eSiHBKgjdxC0xSJok05FnIpJwEdYe7ivVOLaiNVwc6I2Vmcc82X5U3uQ5BwIYlLJn7pExFJfNkK5TGZdtRD8rTHRHbxgG5YdF6jo1AF3fLy7%2F38XoGvx24s4nGNrXW5RbWDNCzB5V9%2FCoIBIXKTmgRIPLYVc1FpuJyHdG3Ms%2F6Dcpq5EGOY1l22iwmqjPFPa5%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5Szw7LJYQ

That front wheel, just looks...... wrong. $6K!! I'm slapping some paint on my VBA.

Yeah, something definitely funky going on with that fork.

I think my two favorite bits are whatever that kickstart lever is, along with the drip cup under the engine to catch leaks while parked.

And any time I see that color, I wonder if that's one of the old ScooterWorks Pakistan imports. That was one of the colors they used, but it looks too good to have been knocking around for ten or fifteen years, even if it never starts gets ridden.

Looks like a P kick start lever that has the end bent out?

That was my first thought, too, but I don't even think it's that. I don't know what it is. Random sand casting, maybe?

You're right, in my experience (dropping a couple of scooters) the aluminum would snap before it gave that much.

It looks like one of those forged black STEEL kickstart levers some LML motors have, not cast. And the aluminum ones on our Vespas are not cast either, but forged aluminum. You can tell by the much wider 'parting line' that forgings have and you can see it on the back side of stock parts.

Generally speaking, forgings are much stronger & tougher, can bend some without breaking - a cast aluminum kickstart would not last long.

How to tell the difference:


Why it's stronger:

man, like CM said, I'll bet that's a old SW slop job. the black P style lever, kinda gives it away.

but that front fork/fender is wack. it almost looks like the fender is on backward!

The more you know! 🌈

VooDoo, Thanks for sharing this interesting explanation. I know You are the right person to offer this info. Pay attention ya youngsters Knowledge is power!

How do you get the grain flow on the 'blank' for the forged piece. I can understand why the flow is like it is for the machined bar stock and the forged piece but why doesnt the cast piece have a grain flow.

The 'grain' is the alignment of the metal crystals as they solidify from liquid to solid. In castings the crystals solidify first in the thinnest sections, then progressively towards the heaviest sections but in no particular arrangement. Heat treating some alloys will rearrange them in a stronger matrix, but does not align them.

In bar stock the metal is hot rolled under pressure when it is formed to size which helps align the grain flow.

In forging, the same thing happens in closed die forging, but with progressive dies as it advances to final shape before trimming off the 'flash' at the parting line where all the excess metal was squeezed out.

Here's a quick primer:

The rolling of bar and the forming in forging also introduces stresses that can increase the yield strength but it can also drive larger crystals to refine into smaller ones. finer crystal structures have better fatigue strength.

So forging can do a blend of all sorts of magic.

Not deriding the info at all! Just a joke on an old commercial. Loved the insight!

Here is a "Barn Find" bodgeorrific! https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/6349401891750932/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A516362af-4d95-4041-b4ce-71b907cd6144

^^ Yeah, that's messed up..... caveat emptor.

That one is is pretty spectacular.

What was it? It looks like it could be a GS 160 mk 2 frame?

Or just completely assembled from pieces of metal.

It has a round tail, the plate-type horncast, and looks like the brackets for the glove box. And the 10" spare wheel under the cowl.

Or maybe it was a VBB, and the whole rear was modified?

And has a PX fork, a 1950s replica handlebar, probably an LML engine.

It's amazing how the paint on those degrades. It rusts and peels from the inside. That looks about circa 2007-2010, maybe.

The front half looks like a VBB. Past that... Who can say.

I guess even if it was a GS frame, it's definitely had a lot of surgery, and the rare parts are the engine and fork.

You could almost build an entire Vespa out of new replacement parts. Maybe not a rare bird, but a completely roadworthy and functional scooter.

That would be fun!

It would be fun to see someone take it on and note if the money would run out before interest (or patience) in the project. Or vice versa.

It would be super expensive. And still franken-bike.

Maybe if Pascoli or SIP sponsored it and provided all the parts.

I don't see how that could be fun except to sadistically watch someone else go through the process.
Pascoli? Maybe. SIP? Pff. Punjab Parts LTD?

look closer... PX style brake.

with that spare tire mount, my guess is franken P/LML frame, just add the typical SEA g'box and gross handlebars.

motor has P style lever so probably LML. and that *might* be the only thing worth anything. maybe.

Oh, you're right. It has the squared off seat area, too.

So they added some kind of tail where the rubber bumper goes? or maybe it's a Bajaj frame.

It was a joke.....I would not want anyone to go thru that level of PITA

The P style brake is late Vietnam bodge era.
Mid 2000's?

I guess that nice hole above the swing arm bolt holt was filled with bondo, right?

Only good outcome will be more original bikes for you. .

It's probably not actually possible as I would imagine that not every bit of the chassis has a replacement part.

Truly not necessary either as finding a frame in good condition is much cheaper in the long run…in terms of building a functional bike.

I think that started more toward the mid teens. the splootRS bikes were mid aughts and still rocked the OE pin style.

the leg shield glovebox has been the one thing that's always existed. the handlebars seem to go in and out of fashion like short shorts for men.

but definitely later nam.

the P style lever might be LML but could also be a P150 points motor. there's all kinds of funky variants.