Modern Vespa

This is NOT about a Vespa or Lambretta.

Lets say you had a ultra rare wacky whatchamacallit scooter that was made 40 years ago in a country that no longer exists and parts were made from the Dodo, and sadly the Dodo's were the only ones who knew where they left the blueprints.

Plus only two were ever exported to your country and the only other one in the country is owned by a lunatic who won't part with theirs for any amount of money or offers of physical favors.

Finally, because they were so rare initially, there isn't even a pile of them rusting away somewhere because that other country started recycling in long before we did.

The scooter body is fantastical almost perfect, orgasmically beautiful and a shape not seen before, and the switch gear and other detail parts are almost perfect, and since those parts were shared by many manufacturers, that stuff is readily, but not cheaply, available.


What would you do?

A.) Stick a 2T Vespa engine in it?

B.) Stick a 5 port Stella engine in it?

C.) Stick a modern automatic engine in it? (Honda, Vespa, whatever)

D.) Make a video of lighting it on fire, cutting it into little pieces, and mail the remains one by one to guy that has the only known other one in the country?

E.) Display it as artwork in a room that would have to be built because of the lack of space already?

F.) List it on eBay with a end time that is around pay day, and after the 'drinking hours' have started and hope a clueless purchaser shows up


BEFORE you say 'what kind of scooter is it,' that doesn't matter, even if this were a real situation. Yes I'm aware of Anna and Tom. But also maybe it is a real situation.

If its running, I'd ride it till it died - If I had the patients/money I would try to rebuild it using whatever I could without just slapping in a new motor or a new carb - for instance need a gasket, go and buy gasket material and custom make one.

Then once it was no more put as close to an origional motor in it as possible (time wise/size wise) and do my best to keep it running.


A beast that no one has heard of from a country no one has heard of has got to be a blast to ride! Its history is on the road not a showroom

Eventually give it up and sell it for only 10k more than I bought it for...

If you simply want to ride it (and who wouldn't?), simply stuff in the biggest available engine that fits. If you want to ride it and really be noticed, find a 2-stroke engine that fits, along with a loud performance exhaust. If you just want to admire it and not expose it to the elements, throw out everything in your living room except a comfortable couch and maybe a coffee table for snacks and drinks.

First choice burn it and video i and send video to other owner.

OR
Put a stella five port in it and ride it
New motor that is
That way you can ride it and not have to tinker with the motor once it's built.

G. For a real challenge, butcher and burn it, but just send the video to the guy. Keep the remains and try to fix it.

id find a real scooter before asking

really depends on the scooter.

I had a similar dilemma with a Mitsubishi Silver Pigeon I had for a while. Even on good shape they are not particularly valuable but parts can be scarce. The motor layout is pretty much a copy of what Cushman was doing, and it's not hard to bolt in a Briggs & Stratton motor. I hat great plans to throw a tuned cart motor in it but wound up selling it to a gullible friend and putting the cash into my Lambretta.

As for your bike; what is it? A Vespa/Stella motor is pretty much made only for a Vespa/Stella frame. Every bike I've seen with that conversion looks super hokey. What does seem to work is using a small dirtbike motor. Many oddscoots came with motors that were also used in small motorcycles so it might be easier to go that route.

Maybe G, make it into an electric scooter? Might actually be easier than fitting a 2-stroke from a different machine.

yea i think the electric route too. who knows how much longer we are gonna have gasoline at the pump.

one of my clubmates searched for two and a half years for a piston for a maico mobil. one can find anything or have anything made for enough scratch.

he is almost done with it.

it is one of two maico mobils in rovers sc.

Sell it to the lunatic for an obscene amount of money.

like other replies electric motor can be good solution.
as you know fossil oil runnung out...!
someday, I hope not in close future, 2t engine can be illegal !!

I considered electric motor system for my vespa But it's not cheap

No harm in putting another motor in it. The choice of motor depends on the shape and style of the bike, the wheel size... The key it to do the conversion well and make it look finished.

I doubt a geared vespa engine will fit in anything well. The leader engine is flexible in both wheelbase and wheel size.

I'm with Patrick here. If the engine is really kaput (as in beyond hope) and there are no viable options there, an engine retrofit would be my choice. I'm partial to autos, of course, but wouldn't automatically go that route unless the frame lent itself to that layout.

I would think...whatever you can get your hands on for a decent price and still meet the needs of what you want to use it for. It its for cruising around the city, a 2T ET2 engine might suffice. If you want more speed there are plenty of options.

i see the conversions where a person puts a 250 motorcycle engine into a lambretta sometimes. i have to admit that having that much power on tap would be pretty fun

i would be able to get behind not allowing production of new 2 strokes. i am pretty sure they already do not allow production of new 2T jet skis. the writing is on the wall. but, i hope they never outlaw vintage scooters. that would really bum me out. it would sure kill the traffic on the NSM forum.

banning 2 strokes would really miss the point as it's the emissions that we really want to avoid. 2 strokes have some real advantages in some areas of emissions.

Now, back on topic!

Assuming this is a rare and odd scoot with low production numbers, it most likely did not have an engine designed just for it. Would probably contain a motorcycle engine of some sort with a scooter body around it. This opens the door wide when looking for alternate engines.

Hmmmm... Would I happen to have seen one of these today, Batman?

250 cc motor... that doesnt have ANYTHING ON THIS!!!!! please make a similar project to this..!!

that is the problem i have get another engine or try to repair vb1had price quoto 450.oo labor plus parts. ?????????? any help

That's a good price even for a rebuild on a P200. And about half what I'd charge to do a VB1.

+1 rebuilds go for 1k+ your getting a deal..!!!