SBF Classic Vespa's Cafe 2009 / 2010

[Gweester]

Originally posted by kE[n]Ny@Dec 6 2006, 09:20 PM

dats the prob,i dunno wad can and cant be done u see...can the horn cover be changed??as in i like the one on the VBB not so squarish...

Hi kE[n]Ny,

 

Almost anything can be changed but you gotta have "DEEP" pockets....

 

Are you looking at external (appearance) or internal (parts that enhances your ride?)

 

As for external, almost all parts can be changed...it depends on how you like you scoots to look like....to have a feel...just go to Tong Aik or any vespa shops to check out the accessories....then probably you will have a idea about how it should look....

 

As for internal, read up on the net or this foruum, it offers heaps of information on how to enhance your ride....carbs upgrade, alloy block & piston kits, "tong" exhaust, etc.....

[Gweester]

Classic Vespa Meet-up

Date: Early Jan

Venue: (undecided)

- Starbucks @ orchard parade hotel

- KTM (tanjong pagar railway station)

- Colbar (portsdown) >> cool place!!

- Sunset Bar & Grill (Seleter east camp) >>chief challenge chicken wings!! HOT!!

- Pizza place on Greenwood Ave (Bukit Timah)

- Holland V

- Arab Street

- SAMAR on the corner of Bhagdhad street >> Lovley coffee and even Shisha

- Fong Seng near NUS (nasi lemak place)

- Kallang KFC or West Coast Mac

- Little Bali

- "Mr Prata" near botanical garden & opposite NIE

 

Who's Going

1) rae07 - 9423 4461

2) machine k - 9183 9381

3) planescape

4) Sharpey

5) gweester - 98731112 (hopefully by then i got my scoots!!!)

6) reddy (tentative hehe)

[WaspRider]

Hi machine_k

 

I did a 2 tone as well, Yellow with White. Praying that it will turn out nice too.

But most important of all, I hoped I can build enough confident to ride again.

 

As for the outing you guys planning on Jan 07, I got to see how it goes for the dental treatment due to that fall.

 

Cheers

[machine k]

kE[n]Ny,

actually u can join us for the meetup and see what you want to change and the cost of doing so... help u plan better

 

WaspRider,

heh, most colour should look fine with white. Just a matter of preference =) hope your injuries not that bad. Yeah, its not easy to ride again after a nasty fall, might want to take some time to build up that confidence again. Get well soon man

[mattismatt]

hi guys i've always wanted to get a vespa but i know nuts about it? like how much it would cost, the rates, how to check if the engine is good etc.. so i was wondering if you guys could give me some help!

 

i was checking out this on http://www.singaporebikes.com/forum/index....hl=vespa+sporty

 

don't know whether it is too expensive or not?

 

please please i need help!

 

much thanx

[Sharpey]

mattismatt....

 

Don't rush.

 

2.5k is a lot of money....

 

Why not do some research! Try scooterbbs.com (search archives) http://www.vespamaintenance.com

http://www.scooterhelp.com

 

or.... just take scooter to a scooter shop like Ah Joo (ubi) or Tong Aik (next to simlimsq) and get them to evaluate... if owner is serious and legit, they shouldn't mind you getting an expert opinion....

 

First decide what kind of vespa you want.... then start learning about it....

 

Don't rush into a purchase... there are thousands of them around... good deals can be had every month.... Bad deals can too though!

 

2.5 btw seems a tad high.... I bought my 2nd scoot (albeit cheaply) for 1.2k.... (probably was worth 1.5) That scooter was made in 1998!

 

Don't be fooled by fancy paintjobs and accessories... they do little to affect the scooters true value (sadly, the market thinks otherwise sometimes!!!)

[machine k]

haha sharpey is quite right, but i belong to the 'otherwise' people who are bothered with the looks too..heh... even so, i think 2.5k for that scooter is a bit too high. Hope that owner is not offended.

 

no rush man, there are many other good deals around...and get to know the models better first and you will get a rough idea what you are paying for.

 

btw sharpey, how's ur proj scoot coming along? any pix of the progress?

[Sharpey]

no real progress (i.e. doesn't look any different to how it did 2 months ago...) Still blue... but not smooth enough yet!

 

More wetsanding to be done....

 

 

Of course looks are important.... the Vespa is about style... just always worth bearing in mind that a new paintjob is only 3-400 bucks.... thus shouldn't make the scooter worth much more....

[mattismatt]

hmm thanks alot guys ")!! i think i have a rough idea on the model i want px200!! yaya i think i should go on about researching but the problem is that i'm in the army so that kinda sucks up all the time that i have on my hands?

 

anyways the vespa was sold. the one that i linked on my post. oh well i just hope that the first one that i get isnt going to cost much..

 

http://www.singaporebikes.com/forum/index....opic=134355&hl=

[mattismatt]

or rather a px150!!! sorry sorry haha got it mixed up

[-ResiDue-]

hi guys....

just wondering...a px200 has front & rear signal lights right?

are there safety mods to be done to the bike besides the front disc brake conversion?

tubeless tyres (requires changing of rims too?)

anything to make the bike more stable? (swingarm change?)

can anybody roughly quote the recent prices for each?

 

thanx....

[Sharpey]

Mattismatt,

 

You should be able to pickup a drum brake PX150 for under or close to 1K.... Look for "uncle" scooters, not one's that have been "done up"... there's really little point in paying lots of money for someone elses idea of a restoration.

No matter how nice, a "mod to classic PX" is never going to be worth as much as a genuinely classic vespa like a Sprint or a Super.

 

If you want it to look classic classic.... save up 2 to 2.5k and buy a classic classic.... Don't waste money trying to mod your px into a super or a sprint. (you'll end up paying roughly the same ammount of money!)

 

If you (like me) like the styling of the PX.... then great... try and get one of the models produced after 1998, as they have a disk brake... which means you can actually stop! Budget around 1.3-1.8k depending on age and condition. AFAIK there's a px200 disc still on sale at Tong Aik, asking 1.7k I think.

[reddy]

Originally posted by cephelix@Dec 8 2006, 09:29 AM

hi guys....

just wondering...a px200 has front & rear signal lights right?

are there safety mods to be done to the bike besides the front disc brake conversion?

tubeless tyres (requires changing of rims too?)

anything to make the bike more stable? (swingarm change?)

can anybody roughly quote the recent prices for each?

 

thanx....

1. yup px models have both front and rear signals. so no worries abt that.

2. ya riding style. u gotta ride defensively when u ride a scooter. no matter how advanced the bike is, it cant stop u from accident if u ride like hellrider.

3&5. get a good suspension (bitubo)and tyre(bridgstone etc) other than that original cable.

tubeless wheel i cant comment anything cos i donno abt the conversion

price check out with sharpey cos he has a bitubo. as for the tyres if im not mistaken a good one you can get it bet 30-40 buckaroos

[Sharpey]

What reddy said....

 

Bitubo aren't cheap! Abt 300ish each.... If I remember right.... WinJing on desker road is the seller. They are definitely better than stock....

 

But if you're into making your scoot more stable I'd look into the following things first (also much cheaper this way.)

 

http://www.claussstudios.com is a cool place run by Greg Clauss (in the USA)... he makes improvements for Vespa ride quality....

 

The urethane motor mounts replace the ones currently in your swing arm (where the engine bolts to the frame)... the new ones are much stiffer than the rubber originals and make cornering feel much safer... no more wobbling about!

 

The shock to frame buffer replaces the stock crappy rubber buffer and makes the rear shock much more effective at its job....

 

Greg also sells a beefed up rear spring (can be fitted to stock shock) which is perfect if you're a big guy (like me) and a necessity if you also have a big pillion.... If you usually ride alone and don't weigh more than 80kg I'd save your money....

 

both the motor mounts and the shock mount are cheap enough (check the website).... shipping is done by US parcel post, so isn't expensive either....

 

Gregs stuff is worth every penny!

 

An alternative to the motor mounts are the "swing arm stabilisers" from hotrod scooters (makers of the fantastic vortex carb) http://www.hotrodscooters.com....

 

Al, the guy who runs this business works out of Fresno Claifornia and sells his products via a shop call http://www.scooterpartsdirect.com (look for retrorocket section in performance parts)

 

The swingarm stabilisers from hotrod AL are placed next to your stock motor mounts and do the same job... virtually eliminate all mushyness from your rear end! I run these... they're grrrrrreat!

 

Any stiffening will give you more vibration though... bear this in mind....

 

 

Tubeless rims, as sold by Mdm Soh of Tong Aik, for 85 (i think) each, come pre supplied with a Chengshin tyre (decent quality)....

Tubless rims are worth the investment! You just need to be damn careful when changing the tyres on them as they are made from soft steel which bends easily (bent rim is only good for garbage, or modern art display)....

 

 

Definately think about getting a new front fork for your PX200... the disc brake is by far and away the best improvement made! It will cost you though... no idea how much. Folks overseas have managed to make forks from other scooters, like skipper and runner, fit... but I know nothing about how this is done.... Easiest bet here would be to buy a fork for a new px disc scoot and swop it with your current one... Should be a straight swop.... You'll also need a new handle bar (to accomodate brake lever fluid reservoir)

 

 

Phew... long post.... Hope it was helpful.

[Gweester]

like what they say on the stability....

As for the tubeless...it is just a conversion of the rims (one piece)...

I think they cost about $85 bucks at TA (rims with tires though the tires is not that good)...

 

Hmmm....Bitubo Suspension....

Sharpey, how much did you get your bitubo for? New?

guess after all the restoration, i will continue to use my bajaj back suspension first...still tough!!!

maybe in future i may be tempted for a bitubo....

 

Also, there are some classico scoots selling at TA when i went there yesterday....

- Sprint T year 1978

- Super year 1973

check them out!!!

[Sharpey]

Two replies at once.... See how helpful this thread has become! Cool....

 

Yeah.. the chengshins aren't the best (better than stock bridgestone s83's...), the battalexe rock (40 each)....

 

The shop in Jln Besar plaza has a good range... Metzler's are also worth getting...

 

I wouldn't adivse the bitubo unless you've got the money and don't plan on selling your scoot... 600bucks nearly the value of the whole scoot!

 

You could consider suspension from sebac (available by import from online shops)... sebac actually made the font shock for the px disc (widely regarded as the best front shock ever put on a vespa...)... They're cheap too!

[Gweester]

got it sharpey...

300ish...hmmm....will think about it...

 

can you post some pics on the motor mounts, shock mounts, swingarm stabiliser?

[Gweester]

Sharpey....

2 replies at once? hahahaha.....

 

will definitely not be selling my scoots....love it too much to sell it off....

(been 10yrs since i got it....sentimental value....)

Need to work harder for my bonus b4 i can get my hands on the Bitubo!!!

Guess when i get my scoots, will test it out b4 i decide on what kind of enhancement i need to get right stability....

Have not seen my scoots for 2 weeks....so havent been able to get my hands on it for testing....will do it tomorrow...

Gear changing is a little tough when i test it previously....but the torque is fantastic!!!

[Sharpey]

Grumble Grumble.....

 

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7366/vesparearspringcc6.jpg

 

1) Stiffened rear spring - not worth it.... unless you ride twoup alot or are bigsize

 

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/103/rshockmountmt9.jpg

 

Pic 1, Shock to frame mount - worth every cent

 

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/272/rshockmount2gx7.jpg

 

Pic 2, Shock to frame mount

 

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/1318/swingarmstabilizer1tn6.jpg

 

Swingarm stabliser hotrod scooters product... using on mine.... damn good 30US -/+

 

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5940/vespamounts2005lz5.jpg

 

Urethane motor mount from clauss studios simmilar price... will be using on 2nd scoot.

[Gweester]

Apologies on the many question....

would it be possible to add caption or naming of the above stuff?

[Sharpey]

Done.

[-ResiDue-]

Salute u guys!...

very knowledgable abt scoots..

& the posts do help....

i think i'll look into the front dics conversion then the motor & shock mounts..

hmm....

would the suspension stiffening be useful if rider+pillion= 140kg max?

Thanx for the info guys.....

i hope to get my px soon.....

if the electricals aren't screwed up, then I won't have to do rewiring....

does the px use contact point or CDI?

 

oh,and where do you guys place the IU & battery(if any) on your scoots?

[Gweester]

Originally posted by Sharpey@Dec 8 2006, 03:48 PM

Done.

cheers mate!

[Gweester]

Originally posted by cephelix@Dec 8 2006, 04:49 PM

Salute u guys!...

very knowledgable abt scoots..

& the posts do help....

i think i'll look into the front dics conversion then the motor & shock mounts..

hmm....

would the suspension stiffening be useful if rider+pillion= 140kg max?

Thanx for the info guys.....

i hope to get my px soon.....

if the electricals aren't screwed up, then I won't have to do rewiring....

does the px use contact point or CDI?

 

oh,and where do you guys place the IU & battery(if any) on your scoots?

i think PX uses CDI....

older models like sprint or super uses contact...

i have changed mine to CDI cos the contact thingy is not reliable and not so bright....

 

there are lots of places to put the IU...some on the bracket together with the mirror, some on the frame (which i think it sucked! no offence), some on the glove box.....

As for the battery, it is usually kept in the glove box (if any) or side box....

[Sharpey]

A standard px electric start houses the battery under the left cowl, in the middle of the spare tyre... The IU unit can be mounted under the mirror.. no worries... if you don't like the look of this, consider experimenting with hiding it somewhere!

 

The spring costs 30 US bucks... so might be worth trying out... I can't tell you if you'll like it