Classic scoot with P range engine......any comments ?

[avacrombie]

Hi all

I presently ride my PX to work everyday and feel they strike a fine line between classic 'geared' style and workhorse reliability.

I am hankering after a classic vespa but desire the reliability of a P range, scootering and classic scooterist carry ads for old scoots with transplanted p range / 5 port engines and mechanicals.

Does anyone on the forum have any experience of these hybrids ?..........reliability, ease of ownership, maintainance etc etc

If so who would you recommend or trust..........scooter emporium, vivo, scooterworks etc etc ?

 


 

[tiger]

if you ride a px with disc brake and you switch to a classic without your stopping distance would become a lot more as for the engine they are good with px engines and self mixing oil it just means you pour the oil in an chuck the bottle away if you get a classic with an original engine it would still be as reliable as a px engine as long as it is fitted with a 12v conversion you just have to mix oil with the petrol and keep an oily bottle in ya toolbox but be prepaired to skid and stop without the disc brake 

[avacrombie]

Hi mate

Thanks for that, i'm used to skidding since i fitted some conti white walls onto my PX.......they're fine it it's dry weather but very slippy in the rain.

I hadn't really considered the drum brake issue so thanks for pointing that out, i ride into work every day so need decent brakes.....although, the classic is more for a weekend scoot so maybe that would be ok,

Any general thoughts on classic lammy versus classic vespa in terms of ease of ownership ?

[tiger]

if your loaded a tv 200 is the lambretta to have or 175. would stay away from 125 and 150 s little bit to slow. vespas would have to be tha gs160 ss180 or the rally 200 or 180. if your not loaded you can pick up li lambrettas at sort of resonable price as for cheaper vespas spints gl and supers .the more reliable and cheaper to work on is the vespa .but if you spend the money on the lambretta engine they can be just as reliable as the vespa and a bit faster happy scootering

[avacrombie]

Cheers for that, i'll add a TV 200 or GS160 onto my xmas list and tell my gf to start saving.....
 

[Worz]

If you want the looks, get a GS, SS180, Sportique. If you want the reliability, stick a PX200 engine in it. The only downsides to doing this is: Bad suspension at front, bad brakes at front, bad handling at front, no indicators. All those things are pretty obvious but if it's not your day-to-day commuter scooter, then there's nothing wrong with having one. You'll certainly go faster on the A-roads.

[WOLFY]

ok , so you can take a px engine and stick it in a frame with: bad breaks , no indicators etc etc etc
why dont you use the money and get your px frame nicely custonised?
im like you my px goes to work everyday and needs to be reliable.
currently doing small things to personalise , but if you have the cash why not go the whole hog, and get someone to customise the frame and paintwork?
wolfy

[avacrombie]

You mean a headlamp peak, crash bars and whitewalls are not classed as custom ?! 

That's a good point though, a cool, germanic, drop handled speedmachine is quite a tempting thought for a PX, although, i'd rather get a tired p range and customise it rather than chopping up a newish machine,

Whilst we are on the PX custom subject, any thoughts on options for getting a PX to go a bit faster ?..........new exhaust, upjetting, mallosi etc ?

[WOLFY]

Actually what i was thinking was adding classic parts to the frame and getting someone to modify your frame to get it to look more classic?
I know that sounds costly but if you are gonna buy a new bike and build from scratch..
Wolfy

[croydon johnny]

allo people, ive got a 1968 vespa gt, with a p200e engine in it, it was sourced ( the engine this is ) by Nial at Retrospective in Hornsey and rebuilt and has been in the scoot for about a year and a half . because the  bike is that much smaller than a p range , it is pretty nippy and great fun to ride, as for stopping i always think as long as you keep your scooter maintained there are no major problems with the drum brakes, and with a sito plus pipe it keeps it looking standard, so it surprises a few people . Retrospective use Italian piaggio scooters and not  piaggios from the far east like vivo etc, so i would definately recomend them .      Also if you wher thinking of putting a mallossi kit on your px be careful that the people who do it know what they are up to, a couple of years ago the mallossi tech centre (sick joke )in south croydon , cocked up my px125,( they didnt even know to take the catalytic converter off) or how it should be jetted, so i suffered two heat seizures, before it was sorted out ( by someone else ). Saying that the kit now has been on the scoot for 3 years with no further problems and has been up and down the moterway pinned open countless times.              hope that might be some help , Avercrombie                                                               

[Wayne]

You could always go down this route

http://www.legru.net/scootentole/albums/scooters/vespa750_scootering1.jpg

[Mysticmod]

Would look better with a few lights and mirrors 

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[avacrombie]

Hi Johnny

Thanks for that, the malossi sounds like a good option with a sito pipe....i'll bear in mind what you recommend re getting someone experienced to fit it, might pop up to hornsey and check out retrospective as it's not a million miles from east london,

My local scooter shop (scootech in bow) is really good, so maybe i'll ask them if they could fit it (the mechanic rides a chopped lammy so they are clued up on classics as well as autos),

Cheers

[Worz]

Perhaps phone Scooter Cables (London). They come to you and do the job. A lot cheaper than any scooter shop too. i.e. me lol.

[croydon johnny]

dont get upset , Worzal . you know i always go to you in times of trouble