Sharing my Vespa: shifter scooter

[lambo]

Needs a liter engine.

[rodrigo]

How do you shift on a scoot like that? I'm used to my motorcycles, so I feel like it would be tough to change gears with a floorboard instead of a peg under your foot, assuming it's not a jockey shift or something.

This picture may help:


Just inboard of the left grip there are numbers:
1
. (neutral)
2
3
4

...and on the speedometer cover there is a dot for reference (barely noticeable in that picture). All you do is grab the clutch lever and roll your wrist to line up the speedo-cover dot with the one, and let out the clutch and apply throttle as needed like on a regular motorcycle. Then, when ready to shift to 2nd, grab clutch again and roll your wrist past neutral to 2nd, etc, etc. Really with there was a 5th gear to keep the noise down at high speed. Of course one would have to shift down as soon as any wind or slight rise would come up, but it would save me so much fuel: most of the riding I do is at 70-80kph unless there is a LOT of traffic.

[rodrigo]

Thanks for all of the compliments on the Vespa, guys :)

Here's a shot with the top-case before I detailed it:


...and a few more 'internal' pictures:
Original piston:




Engine fits in a food-serving tray!




Almost ready to go back in:


It has been a real pleasure working on this thing.

I'm with evandel. Why trade one unsafe vehicle for another? If you are going to get hit in traffic it doesn't matter what you are riding, be it a bicycle, scooter, or super sport bike.

But, it is a very cool vintage machine. Nicely done

You're right: getting hit is getting hit. I've been hit by cars on my bicycle enough times to know what it is like: sucks, especially when you wake up in the ER! I guess I think because one is more capable of high speeds on a sport bike, one is more likely to come close to altercations.

I do like very much riding the scooter though: right lane and high-beam on during the day to be as visible as possible. The entire summer of cruising on it and so far no close calls. I am very passive on it. :)

[F34R]

So neat, both of my brothers own sport bikes with stupid speeds. I am searching for a 75/6 BMW for the very same thing you do with your Scooter. Nice safe pleasure cruising! That scooter is fantastic, but I might look like a total retard being 6'6'' sitting on one of those.

[rodrigo]

So neat, both of my brothers own sport bikes with stupid speeds. I am searching for a 75/6 BMW for the very same thing you do with your Scooter. Nice safe pleasure cruising! That scooter is fantastic, but I might look like a total retard being 6'6'' sitting on one of those.

Maybe but I think you'd be fine...I'm 5'6 and I can hardly place my foot flat on the ground when I'm on it. If I was any shorter, or my legs any shorter, it would be unsafe and I'd have to get a 'smallframe'...the Vespa models that are 25% smaller than mine...originalli marketed for ladies and teens/younguns.


ppshshshhhh

[element6]

Nice P200. Good you did the top end.. that cylinder looked like it had a couple years of scoring on it.

Maybe next year you will be contemplating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgiqKVR6XAI

(Sell me the RG frame if you do it!)

I just imported a piaggio 125 rear disc block off of a Piaggio Typhoon. I had to bring it in from Germany.. $1300 in shipping and customs fees later it showed up. I'll be swapping it onto my SR50 and running a 183 setup.. just like SRT in the UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUC-QK6fM5I

Too many scoot projects over here. I have 4 lined up. 2T's are an addiction... you will see.