Modern Vespa

Some were new (or new-ish) and some were old. I was kind of mentally sorting the engines as he laid them out on the table in the intro.

But it did seem like more used parts than new in the final assembly.

I counted 8 new and 2 old when he was stacking motors on the table and then doing the initial teardown.

at least they weren't vespa engines!

Yeah, true. Though that might have been more interesting.

Or probably just more infuriating.

Before you judge, this is a 1967 Euro model.



https://providence.craigslist.org/mcy/d/jamestown-vespa-piaggio-1967/7743121712.html

$6,500 on CL today, easily $8k on BaT.

"All original paint and seats".

"Runs as good as it looks."

Soooo....like complete shit.

My paint work has less orange peel than that thing. It's not even a good bodge. Sweet PX center mat, though.

One thing about bodges is usually the paint jobs are good better than I've seen from some guys on here. It's when the rotten frames begin to exfoliate and they show what's going on under the pretty paint work.

that give black and red bikes a bad name.

and I should know!!

I knew a guy in SF who had a black and red bodge. He tried to sell it to me when I was first getting interested in Vespas. Luckily someone else saw the photos and warned me away from it.

Fixed it.

You need better friends.

If the RED seats were replaced with a BLACK bench remove the back-rest-rack it would look much easier on my eyes. Also get rid of the spare entirely or the vinyl cover at a minimum it's still a bodge.

with friends like that, who needs enemies?

I very intentionally didn't call him a friend

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/856975556197487/?referralSurface=messenger_lightspeed_banner&referralCode=messenger_banner

I was going to say, at least that one is only one color. But then I took a closer look. Cream on cream? Ugh. It checks all the other boxes too.

It even has yellow boots! It's a classic bodge!

School me on this. Purely out of curiosity. What I see is:
* Two-tone paint
* Over the top legshield and fender trim
* Oddball color matching seats and spare cover
* Chromed floor strips

What else did I miss?

Glovebox
Cowls (the ones on there aren't from a VBB, if this is supposed to be a VBB that is…)
Floor rails from a handlebar model
Ignition above the choke
Wrong horn cast for a VBB (again assuming it's supposed to be a VBB)

The magical "237 kms"

OMG...I didn't scroll far enough through the pictures before. It has SPARE YELLOW BOOTS!

* That bike started life as a (some) Super(s), not a VBB (150)
* Dual gloveboxes (Other than the Bajaj, this is a HUGE tell)
* Cowl protector bolted to the cowl
* Cheap, protruding locks
* Chrome neck cap
* VBA-style (just chrome, no rubber) floor rails
* Ignition key by bag/helmet hook
* Badly stitched addle Seats (matching spare cover for bonus points)
* I'm not sure what's up with that horn
* The seam between the upper and lower horncast looks like it's carved out of bondo
* Lack of a photo of the motor

and that's just from those few small-ish pictures.

You forgot the 10 pounds of Bondo on it, but I guess you can't see that under all the shiny paint.

I sent him the Bar Italia link.

I have to say that, having worked on one of these things, aside from everything underneath it, they do a nice job with the paint.

Proof that you can, in fact, polish a turd.

Thanks for the additional detail. I have to admit -- I really know next to nothing about anything Piaggio made after about 1955. I love mine, because it's been in the family since new and after all this time (like, since the 60s) I finally have it. I like the look of the late 50s/60s Vespas, but I haven't taken the time to get intimately familiar with anything newer because -- well, they are vanishingly rare around here anyway. I think I've seen two other pre-2000 Vespas in this area in my entire life. I suspect this one may be the only one we ever own.

That said, there are other areas where I can look at a particular item and tell you exactly what is or isn't there, right, what year it was made, where it's been, what's been fixed and so on. So I get it.

Even yellow boots.

When is a bodge worth it?
When it's GOLD... PURE GOLD (painted lead)...

Overall, not terrible, still on 8", managed to travel 6km...

Complete with a PRICELESS Spare Wheel Cover

Apologies for screenshots, but I'm guessing it will be removed soon...

Not a bodge per se, but the description fits bodgeness. The guy says there is an electric start button "1980 Vespa P200E with 1990 PX200E electric start motor, push button start working!" The pics just look like a normal p200....is there a magic button I am not seeing?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/331829500013252/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks

If you look close you can see it under the right side switch. Same spot that they would go on a stock PX

Very cool! Just watched a Robot video about it...see this here is edumacational

That leaves room under the horncast for the hydrocoptic marzlevanes. That keeps the oscillation overthruster from interfering with the spurving bearings.

Never a set of truer words spoken.

Are those marzlevanes French or Belgian? Sounds expensive.

If it's not from the Marzle region of Belgium, it's not real Marzlevane, it's just sparkling vane.

This must be how the make 'em

Joke of the day!

She says no title or history but that it does run..... That added trim around the top of the fuel tank.