Vespa Mechanical Preparation
Vespa mechanical preparation for a long journey is essential to avoid nasty surprises, perhaps in situations where it is difficult to repair the Vespa.
It is therefore better to prevent by making a careful preparation of the vehicle, with a complete overhaul of all the mechanical parts of the engine and chassis.
The guideline used for all interventions was to use original components or in any case products of the highest quality as much as possible. There are many non-original spare parts for sale online and from the main spare parts dealers, often of Chinese or Indian origin, where there is no guarantee of reliability and durability. So be wary of very cheap solutions of products of dubious origin.
Revisione del motore Vespa PX/PE
L'intervento sul motore è stato totale, con il completo smontaggio ed apertura dei carter, per verificare il livello di usura di tutti i componenti, sostituendo quelli necessari e in alcuni casi procedendo au una sostituzione preventiva.
Let’s see in detail which components have been replaced:
– Crankshaft : preventive replacement with original Piaggio shaft
– Cylinder and piston : although replacement is not necessary, I decided to put it new, even here by opting for an original Piaggio
– Pair of SKF bearings
– Pair of Viton Shaft Oil Seals
– Cruise (original Piaggio)
– Stator : it was in good condition but the connection wires were worn
– Electronic control unit replaced with an original Ducati, qualitatively the best
– Rubber cover for the sight glass of the mixer
– Brake, clutch, gearbox, gas cables
Yes or no mixer?
Considering that the goal is to go around the world on a Vespa, crossing territories where the quality of petrol and oil mixture is very low, I decided to remove the mixer and mix manually.
Although the Vespa PX / PE mixer is generally very reliable, the consequences of malfunctioning would be too serious, with the high probability of seizing the cylinder and piston assembly.
Additional air filter
The Vespa PX / PE already has a very effective system for protecting the engine from external components. The carburetor and the air filter are in fact enclosed in a hermetically sealed metal box thanks to a gasket that joins the two parts of the protective container. The air reaches the carburetor through a rubber manifold that sucks the air from the inside of the body, where it in turn enters from the hole under the saddle.
This mechanism ensures that the air reaches the carburetor normally without impurities. However, it should be considered that if the roads are unpaved and very dusty for many and many hours, then it is advisable to take precautions on the Vespa. There are two possibilities to do this.
1) Insert a conical plastic filter that is positioned inside the hole under the seat of the air extractor. This filter is produced as standard by the Indian LML, or the equivalent of the Indian Vespa where the “dust problem” is very present.
2) Pinasco and probably other brands too, produce a filter that is nothing more than a special 8 x 8 cm fabric to be fixed between the saddle attachment and the frame, thus acting as a filter at the air inlet.
In my case I preferred to choose the LML under-saddle air filter as, being conical, it has a larger surface area and therefore probably the risk of clogging is less.
Revisione ciclistica Vespa PX/PE
La ciclistica ha richiesto parecchi interventi, anche quì ho mantenuto il più possibile gli elementi originali, tranne dove sono stati installati componenti italiani più performanti.
Reinforced shock absorbers
Among the many brands available, the options evaluated were essentially three:
– Bitubo
– YSS
– Carbone
All the solutions are of quality and performing, the best and also the most expensive are certainly the Bitubo, the shock absorbers for Vespa Carbone are perhaps the most installed, with many versions available.
A good intermediate solution, which is the one I have adopted, is that of the Made in Italy YSS shock absorbers, both front and rear.
Vespa front fork
Trying to move the front wheel sideways, a certain oscillation was noticed, which remained while replacing the drum. The cause of this malfunction was wear on the fork pin.
Since my Vespa is a P200E from ’81, the pin has a diameter of 16 mm which in the following versions has been increased and brought to 20 mm in diameter. Choosing the pre Arcobaleno version, ’82 and ’83 I would have had to replace the fork and the entire front block, while maintaining the normal drum brakes. The 20mm Arcobaleno fork would also have required self-centering irons.
The choice was to replace only the 16 mm axle, keeping the original fork. Unfortunately, the replacement is quite laborious as the pin must be removed and reinserted under pressure by exploiting the thermal difference.
Drum brakes or disc brakes?
Piaggio in the most recent versions of the Vespa PX / PE has provided a disc brake on the front wheel. Many Vespa riders choose to install it as it is certainly more performing than the old drum brake, but not in order in the event of an accident as it is considered an unauthorized tampering with the Vespa.
In my case I chose to keep the drum brakes, installing the original shoes in the rear wheel and Malossi Vespa PX PE shoes in the front wheel.
In addition to the mechanical overhaul of the Vespa, the engine and the chassis, many interventions were made in the electrical system to power the additional front and rear headlights, the Tom Tom Rider 550 GPS navigator and the USB and cigarette lighter sockets. I will shortly publish the article “Vespa electrical parts setup for a long journey”.
The other essential interventions were made in the external parts of the Vespa: front and rear luggage rack, windshield, side protection bands, reinforced stand and much more. Also for these interventions, I will soon publish the article “Vespa roof rack and external parts for a long journey”.
For any further information relating to the accessories, spare parts and materials used to tour the world on a Vespa, visit our online shop .