Modern Vespa

Hey guys, so I think my fork is either A) stripped or B) Jacked.... haha... Soo I tighten the headset bolt as tight as possible and i can still turn the headset if i put enough force into it..!!! The other Issue i have is when i let go of the handle bars doing anywhere from 15mph+ i get some SUPER shakey handlebars..!!! I talked with a friend today and he thinks my fork is shot... I dont know the exact details on what could be wrong... but I am def going to need to get this figured out... I was thinking about just getting that fork and disc brake setup posted under the classifieds... before I do that though... can anyone give me some advice or know what could be wrong...?

can anyone give me some advice or know what could be wrong...?[/quot

you mess about with your scooter all day?

But seriously you should be able to let go of the bars at 15mph and stay steady could be fork, could be a bent rim get the front tire up off the ground and make sure it spins true. and remember s.f. scooter center is your friend.

yeah they are my friends... but at $90 an hour.. working and going to school full time.. and paying rent in this city.. doesnt give you alot of money to play around with at times... I do mess with my bike all day... it needs lots a love..!!! haha... but i mean as far as the fork not tightening to the headset... so most likely it is a fork huh!? I will check the rim out though..

ScooterMercato has a fat deal... I can pick up a brand new fork 2 pirelli tires with rims and tubes all for 246 shipped....

shit do that. then you get peace of mind.

true... and i do have a brand new lower and upper headset... hmmm.. im just going to do that....

EDIT: hey so if im buying a new fork what else should i get... steering bearings..!? Any special tools needed? I am looking at my haynes manual and they show when i put the steering bearings back on to tighten it down... it looks like a special tool!?

these shocks any good?
http://www.scootermercato.com/Scooter-Parts/Front-Shocks/SPORTSHOCK-SET

Saw those the other day and was wondering the same thing....I could use a little firmer back end....er....I mean the scooter that is......

yea if i was doing the new fork i would go with new bearings, races, nuts and bolts. i just rock the gabriel. it does fine. not great but they are cheap. springs usually dont have problems but if ya got the cash, then do that too.

im not sure what you mean by, new headset bought anyway?

There is no such thing as a "shot fork". It's a straight(ish) metal tube; Doesn't exist

The still being able to move the headset w/ the bolt tightened is normal. FIX: Just don't push/pull it so hard. All motorcycles/bicycles can do this, and it's a handy if you ever do knock them out of alignment.

The headset wobble is probably a bent/out of balance rim. My P200's headset is wobbly, and I know that the rim is bent. I've got non-bent rims on my PX200, and no wobble. Try replacing the rim first, then go from there.

I got some drop bars... and i have just been throwing off doing them.... This is just kind of a reason for me to do them.!! ... thanks for the input about the bent rim though... I will def have to check that out tomorrow..!!!

Did you ever get the correct headset bolt?

Yeah I did.. picked one up from Barry

Tell Barry "Hi from Central Motors" and watch his eyes glaze over LOL

Hello

I may be about to disgree, what makes you think your fork is damaged, if you can turn the headset it may be that the clamp has been overtightened and the metal stretched.
Alternate scenario is that the tube has been crushed (unlikely).
It would be not good to buy a new fork and still have the same problem, just measure it before spending your coins.
Oh the headset should not turn easily on the fork when clamped (if at all) it sits in a notch in the fork.

Regards

Grumpy

I'm gonna guess Grumpy's vote for stretched headset metal is right. These things should be tightened to torque spec and no more. I believe when you had the wrong bolt on there you were cinching it down pretty hard, right?

Well managed to fix my wobble issue.. it was a bent rim... as far as the fork... when i got my other headset bolt i didnt tighten it hard at all... My headset has been able to move ever since i got the bike...

Grumpy-good thing I have a brand new upper and lower headset laying around... im going to throw that one there next weekend and see if it makes a difference..!!

But I seem to recall you tried to fix the loose headset by cinching the old, incorrect bolt down like crazy. Am I misremembering?

I have always tightened them down hard due to the fact that i could still get some play out of the headset..!!

As far as those shocks go I have the front one on and its much stiffer then the OG. I would buy it again.
As far as a replacement rear I have a Gabriel on the bench for the next time I pull my tank. I'm on the fence about it. Thinking I should have gotten the three position adj.
??

I love my rear Gabriel. Very good shock!