SBF Classic Vespa's Cafe 2009 / 2010

[machine k]

haha no lah, i juz found this picture interesting mah..single zig zag line = no parking..den u see TP park the bike there..den sit on bench relac one corner..nb one

 

errr..Sharpey..5000km den service? isn't it too long?

how much does the engine rebuild cost ah?

 

need more input on such stuff..paiseh ah..cos i juz gotten my vespa about a month back..so i'll be glad if i've more knowledge on such stuff.

i changed EO, spark plug n some seals when i took over the bike...juz wondering wat else to change every time...

 

appreciate ur help guys..thanks!

[Sharpey]

Aha... I see what you mean now (by the pic)

 

If you want to do it more often than every 5000km, more power to you... am sure you scoot will be happy at always being de-coked and pampered.... I think 5000km is fine really.

 

You really don't need to change anything other than the spark plug and the engine oil at a regular service (unless the mech notices that your brake pads are worn out or some other thing... its nice that these are checked every time you service, so that you needn't worry so much) Classic Vespa's (especially the PX) are low maintenance bikes... Modern scoots need much more frequent tlc to keep them happy.

 

A full rebuild... Can't tell you the exact cost, since when I did mine, I had some engine mods done... But around the 3-400 dollar mark I'd reckon...

 

 

oh yeah... you can change the clutch cable (around $7) every time if you want... this will help prevent it snapping from wear... Its not much fun riding a geared scooter without a clutch.... it is possible though.... (get a piaggio cable, not the cheap one)

 

Try not to get too knowledgable.... Scooters are like CRACK COCAINE!!!!

 

I need to find a rehab centre... to much buggering about and thinking about my vespa.... Its like having a mistress, but without the sex....

 

Oh well.... Enjoy your new scoot!

[machine k]

if regular servicing will ensure less major problems in the future. i'm ok to pamper it. Something like breast cancer ah...early detection saves breast...i dun want my vespa to give up on me one day on the expressway.

 

yeah..i will change the clutch cable nx time round. heard stories of snapping cables. but engine rebuild...wahhhh no $$ ah... i rather spend tat $$ on respray 1st

 

n yep! its like a mistress. i like to play around with it...gotten used to the slow(er) speed though i can rev it higher to go faster...but i dun like the sound of it screaming at me. The only thing i cannot take it is the fuel consumption, not as friendly as my previous bike, phantom. And the small fuel tank. haha. keep visiting the kiosk every now and den.

[edge-t]

There are certain maintenance you can undertake on your own.

 

Weekly

-Check your tire pressure

-check if there are any bolts rattling loose. tighten them.

 

Monthly (800km)

-Inspect your spark plug for any weird conditions

-Check your cable play and any wear or tear. Replace as see fit.

-Carburettor adjustment (Idle and mixture screw)

-Tire pressure again

-throttle cable adjustment

-Clutch and brake cable inspection

-gearchange cable inspection

-check engine oil level

 

3 months (4000km)

-Decarbonise engine

-check and top up engine oil

-clean air filter

-lubricate parts, cables

-and monthly routines too.

 

Yeah, Sharpey's advice is spot on, but I'll de-coke the engine every 3 months, regardless if I hit 4000km or not. As long as you use it daily for 3 months, de-coke it. Keeps it happy.

 

You'll get used to the frequent trip to the gas station. Helps if the cashier is pretty. I still have to premix leh... everytime I exit the gas station, I come out with greasey fingers. You'll learn to like the screaming 2 stroke sound, the smell too.

 

The mileage is ok lah, not fantastic, but still cheaper than taking a bus, mrt or taxi I find.

[machine k]

v insightful sia.. duno how many trial n errors u took to compile that..really appreciate ur help. Saw your other post in the other thread "info on classic scoot, all the info u wan!~!~!"

 

the tyre pressure part... is the same for PX also?

-Tire Pressure (165 front, 210 rear)

 

think i will take your advice (both Sharpey & edge-t) on the de-coking part. esp when i ride it almost everyday...

 

i oso do premix..but no greasy hands. i try to pour as carefully as possible. sad to say..the 'ladies' (i tink shld call aunties) at my petrol station not cute.

 

but hor...i tink different grade of 2T oil does make a difference..currently i still playin around with the Fuel n Oils to get the best performance for the relative price. No pt overspend juz for tat *little bit* of extra push.

[Sharpey]

Hey machine K.... do experiment... just know this...

 

Fully synth is the best oil for your scoot.... it doesn't NEED it... but it will make a seizure much less likely to occur (unless your fuel/air mix is waaaay out) and is better for the environment (which is some comfort when you realise that your scooter puts about 5 times the ammount of pollutants into the air than a normal car!!!)

 

As for fuel... Run the lowest octane you can without pinking (pinking is an engine rattle experienced when accererating [like somone put some ball-bearings in your cylinder and started rattling them around])

 

Low octane fuel burns easier meaning that your scoot runs cooler and more efficiently...

 

92 octane is perfectly OK for the majority of scoots out there... If you have a kit (alloy block) like a pinasco or malossi [and thus higher compression], you may need 95 or 98

 

Like edge-t said... there is absolutely zero benefit to be had from using a higher octane than you need...

 

 

My scoot has a good few engine mods (but no kit) and runs happily on 92

[machine k]

dun tink i heard tat rattling sound before.. hard to imagine the sound of ballbearing in cylinder.. haha..but i tink i noe wat u mean lah

 

n yah..mine's alloy...it does sound different compared to a stock one.. was at carpark the other day, den a guy popped up n say, "wah ur engine sound v fierce compared to mine..din noe vespa can zhng until lytat"

 

i definitely wun be using 92..currently 95...98 somehow seems to give me better pickup..but..not an issue to me..so stick with 95 maybe... but 2T oil..fully syn v ex ah..haha sianz..

 

sorry environment...i'm contributing to pollution.

 

maybe once in a while will switch to fully syn to detox

[KOSMIK]

Regarding the TP pic taken

 

Hello bro..they are doing escort duty lah...wats da problem...hmmm...

thats wat i guess...

[edge-t]

Yeah man, use 92, 95 or 98, whatever floats your boat. As long as your baby's happy. Not to be a cynic, but I feel that the pickup thing could be: the mind playing tricks on you. haha. even if there is a difference, I don't think it's much lor.

 

As for the 2 stroke oil, I believe if you pimp the sh*t outta your bike, alloy kit, high compression, ported and lined cylinders, revving the crap outta your bike every chance you get. You need to buy synthetic oil. Cause your machine is more volatile with every upgrade you put in it. The threshold for mistakes gets smaller as you upgrade the engine more and more.

 

Stocker are designed generally to be more tolerant of mistakes. So, I think(think only hor) semi-synthetic oil oso can lah.

 

Anyway, I just popped in a pinasco, have to start using synthetic. I just blew 360 on the cylinder, 50 on the labour at tong aik 3 days back. So, gotta baby the little bugger till it hits the run-in mark, even though they said pinasco don't need to run in.

 

Remember to keep a finger on your clutch lever on the expressway... remember.

[Sharpey]

They often say stuff edge-t.... lots of misinformation out there... be safe... run the littleun in... Maybe you don't need to, buyt then.. maybe you don't fancy screwing up a 410 dollar investment during the first month of use!!!!

 

Petrol marketing is very good... Its all bollocks though

 

Quite right that with stock you can get away with semi synth (provided you're jetted ok)..... Fully Synth is insurance

 

 

Hey Gweester... how's your scoot coming along? Mr Wee mentioned you the last time I was at TA.... he had good things to say!

[machine k]

Regarding the TP pic taken

 

Hello bro..they are doing escort duty lah...wats da problem...hmmm...

thats wat i guess...

 

yah..they ARE doing escort duty..in fact there's a whole lot of them parkin on that single yellow zigzag around the whole fountain...so? rules still rules mah..cannot park means cannot park... whether on duty or not.

 

otherwise one day i stop on line..TP come n summon me..i tell him i on duty..he still will book me!

[edge-t]

Yup, Running the Kit in is what I'm gonna do. I think I've trashed a cylinder bad enough to be a little more careful. Not to sound like a hypocrite, but I use synthetic every chance I have, stock or kitted. I rev out every time before I hit the next higher gearing, that's why, like you said, full synthetic insurance.

 

Bollocks? Are you a English gentleman Sharpey? heh. You definitely don't spell like an American. Just curious, what's a scooter crazy caucasian doing in Singapore?

[KOSMIK]

Originally posted by machine k@Jul 29 2006, 03:19 PM

yah..they ARE doing escort duty..in fact there's a whole lot of them parkin on that single yellow zigzag around the whole fountain...so? rules still rules mah..cannot park means cannot park... whether on duty or not.

 

otherwise one day i stop on line..TP come n summon me..i tell him i on duty..he still will book me!

Well bro..then u bring the matter up to the minister that they are escorting..

Wat to do..they police mah..got privilege..sorry to say..if they got no privilege..mightas well dont become police..then no need control sg road...

No control on sg road..cfm alot ppl involves in accident mah..coz everyone wont follow rules...this is common sense mah

Smetimes its hard to please ppl who dont look on the big picture..no offence to u bro...Most ppl will think like u... Cheers

[edge-t]

Classic Vespa leh... not traffice police privileges lah. Chill leh.

[Sharpey]

English yes... Why in Singapore... long story... came here when I was 5, haven't got round to leaving yet. Lecturing in Ngee Ann Polytechnic Mass Communication.

 

Only caught the scooter bug a couple of years ago. Couldn't afford a car, was fed up of taking cabs, and wife & mother in law suddenly decided a scooter wouldn't be such a bad idea... It was that article in the New Paper about scooter girls... That was the spark...

 

Looks like I'll be staying in today... "Sunday Special" rain outside...

 

Cheers,

 

James

[KOSMIK]

Originally posted by edge-t@Jul 30 2006, 03:34 AM

Classic Vespa leh... not traffice police privileges lah. Chill leh.

Ok edge-T..sorry..

[edge-t]

Wow, since you were 5? That's a pretty long time if you're teaching in Ngee Ann Poly now. Mass Comm eh? Funny thing, I'm in the video production business, guess we are in the same industry, except you're a lecturer. You must be pretty localised then.

 

Yeah, I have a few friends who kept asking why I'm not driving. Everyone around me is driving, 'cept for me. Still, when I'm rolling pass them in a CTE 7 P.M. traffic jam, paying $50 for gas a month, I'll have the last laugh. Hey, I can't afford a car too, don't have a class 3 anyway. Ok... the bit about scooter girls in New Paper... that's sissy man. It gives beer-guzzling, boorish, tattooed scooterists like me a bad name. ok... only the beer-guzzling part is true.

 

I'll see you around Singapore, I ride a FC plate two-tone light-blue and white vespa. Wave at me if you see me.

[planescape]

Hi classic vespa-ians, trying to get used to my classic vespa i got 2 days back..... Its quite a handful, trying to clutch in n twisting the gear n controlling the throttle as well.....

 

My main problem now is to stop smoothly. The seller told me to always slow down n stop @ neutral gear but very frequently i tend to stop at all gears EXCEPT neutral! This causes e bike to die n somewhat daunting to kick start while waiting for the red light to turn green

 

And i tend to skip gears alot... from gear 1 to 3.... tend to miss out gear 2 while shifting! So i wondering Isit me or most noobs find the gear twisting a bit stiff (for 1st-timers)....

 

And can we use normal car polish for classic vespa? Wun damage the body right? LOL Wanna try to brush up its appearence so it dun deteriorate

[vespa ak]

hi planescape! i had e same problem with u last time too.stop at traffic light gear not neutral,next thing u know e engine dies off.with whole lots of traffic waiting behind u.actually before stopping try to neutral first so u won't had a hard changing gear.but as time goes u get use to it. autosol is quite good for polish metals parts for your vespa.it works well for me.

[machine k]

i can't help but reply u planescape... haha cos i oso newbie to vespa, 1mth rider only... still rem the 1st day i rode it after i took over from the owner's place..

 

i oso skipped the 2nd gear, think i twist too hard.. but the problem ceased after i tightened the clutch n lubricated it oso... or mayb its bcos i gotten used to it

 

i practised in my neighbourhood gear shifting, ebraking (if u call tat ebrake la, i juz wan to test how well my braking ability is, in case of emergency), get used to the pick up, and finally, i keep practising how to kickstart while standing, in case the bike stalls on the road... haha! n oso changing of the lever from main tank to reserve while on the move...

 

i kiasu/kiasee, but i tink its better this way lah, slowly u will get used to it, den can enjoy the ride

 

cheers

[planescape]

vespa AK> autosol! cool... i go check it out. Think wanna spend the weekend getting my hands greasy n cleaning it up.

 

machine k> how do u tightened the clutch n lub it? remove the front cover?

 

yeah, after picking up the bike, e seller n moi went to a carpark n there i practiced turning n shifting of gears. But still need time to get used to. LOL Seller also advised me to change to neutral gear 1st b4 stopping.

 

Oh with regards to 2T oil ratio, i seem to be over-filling my scoot with 2T.

Manual states petrol to 2T is 50 to 1 meaning for every 5litres of gas i pumped, i should chuck in 100ml of 2T.

 

But using the guage given by my seller, it was around 200ml of 2T instead.

So i drop him a sms n he told me tat his mechanic advise him tat more lubricant was always advisable. If liddat, i dun mind pumping in 200ml 2T e'time but i hope no perm damage to the engine or wat eh??

[emrun]

Originally posted by planescape@Aug 3 2006, 11:09 AM

Oh with regards to 2T oil ratio, i seem to be over-filling my scoot with 2T.

Manual states petrol to 2T is 50 to 1 meaning for every 5litres of gas i pumped, i should chuck in 100ml of 2T.

 

But using the guage given by my seller, it was around 200ml of 2T instead.

So i drop him a sms n he told me tat his mechanic advise him tat more lubricant was always advisable. If liddat, i dun mind pumping in 200ml 2T e'time but i hope no perm damage to the engine or wat eh??

finally, we have a new classic vespa rider on board. heh.

 

putting more 2T is better than putting less. if u put more, ur vespa might have a lot of smoke,carbon,etc but if u put less, ur piston might seize/jam. so, which one u prefer?

 

neway, how much u got ur vespa? what model is it?

[machine k]

planescape, i went down to TA to tighten n lub, cos i dun haf the right-sized tools for tat. haha, do it when u go for ur servicing.

 

n for cleaning part, sometimes i use WD40 for removing some of the greasy stains, it work wonders... but autosol, dun use it too often lah, i always felt tat autosol has some abrasive action on ur metal, tats how it brings out the shine, so once its already v bright n shiny, use cloth wipe oso will shine

 

regarding ur 2T oil... i tot a region of 2-3% is enuff, i put in abt 2.5%, so it works out to be 125ml for every 5ltrs pumped. ur one 200ml for 5ltrs, would be 4% leh... do u feel like u r doing a NDP flypass everytime u go riding? can see the trail of smoke leh...haha

[edge-t]

More is insurance for the 2T, usually I just put about 2% and slightly more. 4 percent is too much liaoz... smokes like a dragon. plus, it might cause a layer of carbon to build up on your piston, robbing performance. 2.5% sounds about right. 2% if you're using fully synthetic.

[modstar]

hi chaps,

will be extremely glad if u can help me with this one.i am running a stock px200.question is,will it be alright if i top up with RON92 petrol.

 

i followed the advise of dropping from 98 to 95. the results were amazing.cooler engine and alot smoother ..i cant really describe but i think u get my drift.

 

now wonder if 92 is alright for this.

 

appreciate your valuable advise doodes.