Hi guys,
Just figured I'd share something I purchased a year ago this past August: a Vespa PX200E. For those who are not familiar, this is a 200cc scooter, 2-stroke with a 4 speed transmission and a clutch.
I got this bike as a compromise: the wife did not want me to get a motorcycle which i can understand. Both her and I have lost a few friends and family members to motorcycle accidents and no matter how careful one is, there's nothing one can control in other people' actions when on the road. But, that being what it is, our compromise was the Vespa: I got motorized 2-wheels and she knows I'm not going to bit 160 on the commute to work
Other cool things about this bike is that, despite it being European, it was intended for the European market: in other words, the previous owner brought it over from the UK when he moved to (of all places) Brooklyn! The P.O. was a real nice guy and showed me all of the record of the guy who had it before him with the original bill of sale from 1992 from a dealer in the outskirts of Pamplona, Spain. So, being a 'Euro-scoot', it does not have auto-lubrication for the 2-stroke oil and no battery.
Here she is, after many hours rebuilding the motor, cleaning her up with touch up paint, wet sand and polish +wax, new tires and a lot of other things I'm not going to waste time typing here. I guess all that matters is that it has a OEM looking high-flow exhaust and it is up-jetted with a bored air filter supply to the jets. This puppy hits 105-110KPH in low-wind conditions like you would not believe, which I think it pretty impressive for a 12hp motor.
This badge is actually the incorrect one. This Vespa is really a PX200R Iris Arcobaleno. I'm hoping I can pick up the correct badge next week when I will be in France (fingers crossed).
Under the left cowl: Spare tire, tool bag, voltage regulator and flasher relay.
Glove box to carry the 2T oil. The wiring is for the flashers and a buzzer that buzzes when the blinkers are on so one does not forget to turn them off. This is a common thing to do so as not to be riding down a busy road and have a car turn right in front of you because he/she thought you were going to make a right-hand turn:
Up-rated front and rear shock. Ducati ignition module (in blue) which is stock. :D
End of august: 20,000 Kilometers :)
Exhaust: OEM-looking high-flow on left versus OEM on right:
Rear of bike showing the rack for a small hard case we got for additional storage for when I take day trips with the wife. :)
This scooter has been great, despite being a money pit when i first got it due to lack of maintenance from the PO and sitting for about 3 years in a shed before I got to it. Once all the issues were resolved it has been as reliable as a swiss desk clock. I have used it all summer to commute and get around...I really only used the car on days that rained. It has been good: I get to scoot around and the BMW gets a little less mileage. :)
Just figured I'd share something I purchased a year ago this past August: a Vespa PX200E. For those who are not familiar, this is a 200cc scooter, 2-stroke with a 4 speed transmission and a clutch.
I got this bike as a compromise: the wife did not want me to get a motorcycle which i can understand. Both her and I have lost a few friends and family members to motorcycle accidents and no matter how careful one is, there's nothing one can control in other people' actions when on the road. But, that being what it is, our compromise was the Vespa: I got motorized 2-wheels and she knows I'm not going to bit 160 on the commute to work
Other cool things about this bike is that, despite it being European, it was intended for the European market: in other words, the previous owner brought it over from the UK when he moved to (of all places) Brooklyn! The P.O. was a real nice guy and showed me all of the record of the guy who had it before him with the original bill of sale from 1992 from a dealer in the outskirts of Pamplona, Spain. So, being a 'Euro-scoot', it does not have auto-lubrication for the 2-stroke oil and no battery.
Here she is, after many hours rebuilding the motor, cleaning her up with touch up paint, wet sand and polish +wax, new tires and a lot of other things I'm not going to waste time typing here. I guess all that matters is that it has a OEM looking high-flow exhaust and it is up-jetted with a bored air filter supply to the jets. This puppy hits 105-110KPH in low-wind conditions like you would not believe, which I think it pretty impressive for a 12hp motor.
This badge is actually the incorrect one. This Vespa is really a PX200R Iris Arcobaleno. I'm hoping I can pick up the correct badge next week when I will be in France (fingers crossed).
Under the left cowl: Spare tire, tool bag, voltage regulator and flasher relay.
Glove box to carry the 2T oil. The wiring is for the flashers and a buzzer that buzzes when the blinkers are on so one does not forget to turn them off. This is a common thing to do so as not to be riding down a busy road and have a car turn right in front of you because he/she thought you were going to make a right-hand turn:
Up-rated front and rear shock. Ducati ignition module (in blue) which is stock. :D
End of august: 20,000 Kilometers :)
Exhaust: OEM-looking high-flow on left versus OEM on right:
Rear of bike showing the rack for a small hard case we got for additional storage for when I take day trips with the wife. :)
This scooter has been great, despite being a money pit when i first got it due to lack of maintenance from the PO and sitting for about 3 years in a shed before I got to it. Once all the issues were resolved it has been as reliable as a swiss desk clock. I have used it all summer to commute and get around...I really only used the car on days that rained. It has been good: I get to scoot around and the BMW gets a little less mileage. :)
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