Housing Project... Hmmm that doesn't sound right...

I am working on the Vespa VNB and trying to resolve cabling issues. I saw that the housing for the throttle cable was in pretty crap condition. I knew there were some new cabling housings in the box of parts they came with it so I got one out to see how I was going to thread it through the body and up and out the headstock.

I dug out a long coil of regular wound 1/16th cable from a previous project. Then I pulled the original throttle cable all the way out of the housing and set it aside. 

I started with a cable stop. I threaded the cable through and let it slide loose. Next I ran the cable through the new housing and then up through the original worn housing. 

The idea was to pull the original cable out the top of the headset while pulling the new cable housing behind it in to place. I tightened the cable stop just below the bottom end of the new cable housing. Keeping a firm pressure on the cable out the top, I pulled the old cable housing out of the headstock and with a little of the old back and forth, pulled the new housing right into place. 

The new cable housing pulled through along the same path as the old and popped right out into place. I pulled the long cable back out of the housing and was able to push the new cable up from the carburetor through the new housing. 

Here's the new cable poking through and I now have a new issue to figure out. I needed a proper stop on the end of the cable for it to work with the throttle handle. 

You can see the open ended cable pointing towards the camera. To the left is a short arm connected to the throttle tube/handle. The cable stop fits into the circular hole and is pulled as the tube turns clockwise. The cable stop needs to be very robust to deal with the forces exerted on it every time the throttle is turned. 

I'll show you my solution to that in the next post. I had one giant post going but decided housing replacement and adding a cable stop were two different jobs so I split it up. I will have that up soon. probably tomorrow.

Vespa Engine Stand

I needed an engine stand and being the handy sort of person with tools and scrap wood lying around, I couldn't bring myself to buy one of those fancy $175 welded jobs. I built this one in about an hour. It might have taken me less time if I hadn't stopped in the middle to fix a friend's paper shredder. 

On this end, the front leg is shorter to allow the crossmember and therefore the weight of the engine to rest on it. I had to file the hole in the aluminum piece because I couldn't find a 5/16 or 1/2" drill bit. Probably time to go buy a new set of bits.

The engine wants to lean towards the flywheel side so I added the little metal bracket on the right to hold it tight in place. 

This is the shock absorber mount side of the stand. I had to cut the chunk off the left side to accommodate the rear brake lever. Gravity holds it down and the bolt prevents any lateral movement.

This stand is very stable and holds the engine well in place. There was no cost for the scrap materials I had lying around. The engine for the Vespa Super 150 I am painting is sitting lopsided on a table so I may go build another one of these. I bet the second one looks nicer!

Guest Post: Me and my Ruckus

I'm Rob, I own a Honda Ruckus.  William has given me the opportunity to do a guest post on this blog which I am very happy to do.  Without further ado, here's the story of my Ruckus.

After living car free for three years,  I decided I would finally pick up a scooter.  I knew nearly nothing about them, but I knew I wanted a Honda Ruckus.  Nothing looked like it, and it looked like nothing else.  I loved the side profile photo on Honda’s website, even 100% stock they were unique.  Like anything with an engine, people have been modifying them for style, performance, utility, or a combination of those.  The tuner/tinkerer in me loved that about the Ruckus.  In July 2010, without ever having ridden a motorcycle, I rode mine home from the local dealership.

The mods came soon... after about 200 miles I already had a new rear shock and variator.  I was now able to get 45mph and could go over bumps without bottoming out.  Other mods came over time,  aftermarket CDI, kevlar belt, intake, exhaust, new handlebars, windscreen and more.

There’s a great satisfaction in squeezing more power out of a 50cc 4 stroke.  It’s very easy to do modifications that make you go slower rather than faster.  For me, performance modding was a very slow and deliberate process for this reason.  You have to get very comfortable with jetting, listening to the bike, and reading spark plugs.  It’s a skill you have to hone, it takes time, but it’s very rewarding.

On the main Ruckus forum, totalruckus.com, there’s a saying: Rider’s Ride.  With that in mind, I decided I would only do mods to my bike that increased performance or usability, and would do no mods that took away from those aspects.  I ride nearly every day, keeping it reliable is the most important goal.  Also important is being able to carry a load a groceries from the store.  This is why I’ve retained the stock plastic floor board that most people discard right away.  

I’ve been on a lot of group rides.  There’s the impromptu group rides with other Ruckus owners, the regular rides we try to schedule each Wednesday, or the giants rides as part of local scooter rallies.  My most memorable ride by far is the 455 mile round trip I made to the Mexican border and back.  It took me 8 hours to get there, and 10 to get back.  The trip took a toll on me, but the Ruck took it in stride.  

On the road to Mexico.

I like the Ruckus because it gives you absolutely everything you need, and nothing you don’t.  You get a scooter with nearly no amenities.  No fuel gauge, no storage, no disc brakes.  You get a scooter and not much else.  Because of its raw styling and basic construction, it serves as a blank canvas for the owner if they choose to modify.  Swapping engines is more or less a bolt on affair if you purchase the right mounts.  You can stretch them, add chrome, backrests, new handlebars, headlights, tail lights, and much more.  And if you choose to leave it stock?  Well you still get a uniquely styled scooter that will get you 100mpg every time you ride it.  

I could have easily bought a faster scooter, or one with storage space, but I don’t think anything can compare to my Ruckus.  It catches looks everywhere it goes.  Other motorists aren’t quite sure what you’re up to... but they have a feeling it’s illegal.

As it sits now... but for how long?

Insta(fetish)gram

Instagram uses new technology to recreate crappy old technology. Here's a brand new, old looking picture of a newer model of an older brand. Looks awesome!

This Tractor Seat

I used to joke that I didn't want a tiny little seat on my bicycle, I wanted one of those big metal tractor seats. A decade and a half later and the big metal tractor seat has appeared in my life. I had it sandblasted and then I polished it with an orbital sander and some 220 grit. It's gorgeous and the stamped metal is certainly in the spirit of the metal bodied Vespas.

So the idea is to have a bracket fabricated and try and use it as a saddle for one of the Vespas. It really isn't ALL that different from the single saddles like the one on this bike:

I envision a plate that lines up with the current mounting holes with another plate that is connected to it by a hinge in the front and springs in the back. The seat itself would attach to this top plate with a single short bolt.  A line of holes up the middle of the top plate would allow for a minor amount of seat adjustment forward and back.

I am just not sure how I might go about working that out. Maybe I will bug Scooter Steve about it.

I will point out that I have brought this idea up in a couple of different forums and I had many people suggest that the bare metal seat would be disastrous to my coccyx and spine and that I should pad the thing. This of course, would defeat the whole purpose of having an awesome bare metal seat. I am going to try it out anyways if I can figure out how to get the bracket made. I am sure a mile or two ought to give me a definitive answer.

The things we do

Sorry for the blurry picture. 

This is the sandblasted and repainted muffler from the 1976 VBC. I hung it from the shower rod to dry so it wouldn't get dusty.

I painted it with BBQ pit paint. I figured if it can withstand BBQ heat it can handle anything else.
It's Texas, BBQ is a good gauge of things.

An Abandoned Vespa

Roger of Scuderia Vespa Svedese has been taking pictures of an abandoned Vespa out on the street near his work. It's locked up and apparently hasn't moved since at least Ausgust of 2011. 

This would drive me nuts. Even non running, this scooter is in great shape. A shame to see it forgotten and unridden. If you are reading this and you have a scooter just sitting there rotting, find someone (points at self and nods) who will spend some time caring for it! 

I would love to ride this little gem around in front of some impatient driver!

I will generally generate my own content but occasionally I'll repost something I find relevant.