Keeping the Vespa as it is (Or making it Better)

There's a real dilemma here.   As I've said before, one of the real pleasures of the Primavera is that it is so incredibly simple.  For those that have never seen an original very early 1970's Vespa Primavera 125, here's some of it's benefits (and some might say drawbacks).

The 125 Primavera is a small frame scooter.  Simply it's built round a very small narrow frame.  The engine, which is pre-mixed two stroke is mounted at the back of the bike to one side of the frame.  Drive is direct through a 4 speed gearbox, which is changed through the left hand handle bar using a twist grip gear change and lever clutch.  Throttle and front brake is on the right hand handle bar.  Rear brake via right hand foot pedal.  

The scooter is started by depressing a kickstart a few times from cold and once when warm.   There are no electrics to speak of, no battery.  Once the engine is running sufficient power is created to power the lights, which glow dimly in the dark and the horn which has sufficient volume to annoy you at 2 paces away.  

There are no luxuries or indeed essentials such as luggage space, mirrors or indicators.   The scooter is pretty terrifying to ride as you ride SO slowly with no way of knowing what is going on behind you and no way of alerting other road users of your intentions other than by flapping your arms.  

There is also no luggage space at all.  

Oh yeah, and did I mention that the brakes also don't work .  The front one does nothing, and the back one if applied hard would just lock the wheel and cause a skid.

So what to do.   Reason says that I should fit a pair of mirrors, and a couple of luggage racks.  Indicators are a complete no no as the electrics just aren't up to it.

Melsher logic however says that I should avoid all change.  If I really want all that is both sensible and practical, then it's all available on the Harley Davidson.  Whats the point of kitting this scooter up like a real bike.

Slow transport, like slow food perhaps should be appreciated for what it really is, slow biking.   Remember Simon's idea of a bike that is light enough and simple enought to lay down outside the sweet shop.  THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT, SO AS LITTLE ALTERATION AS POSSIBLE.

Getting the Vespa up to scratch

This week I'm going to take the scoot into a repair shop at Ellesmere Port to have the engine stripped down.  The only real problem I've had with the bike since I bought it is the fact that it jumps out of 4th gear on a fairly regular basis.  The knowledgeable guy at Turner Scooters reckons that the engine will have to come out, be split apart to be investigated.  It's either the gear selector or the 4th gear that will need replacing.  Can't tell till he gets in there.  Bit like bowel cancer really.  Whilst it's out of course, gives him the opportunity to hit me with a whole list of other repairs that could be done, whether they really need doing or not.   

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a real practical imbecile.  No idea how to do anything, and nowadays little money to spend on having someone do it for me.  Still 1200 miles on a journey, deserves a little bit of  TLC on the bike. 

Some more details

I bought the Vespa 18 months ago on Ebay from a real enthusiast.  I've always had bikes, the last 8 years a Harley D that I love greatly.  I've been touring with this each year mostly through France, Once down into Italy, and last year through Scandinavia.   The Vespa purchase was a mindset that thought could I get the same sort of enjoyment whilst never going over the speed limit.  Big bikes make small boys ride faster than they should nearly all the time.  

Could a small bike give the same pleasure.  My cousin Simon talked long about biking being about something you could almost lay down outside the sweet shop like you used to do with a pedal cycle.  

That was the idea with the Vespa.  Slow, really simple technology (skip that), there is really no technology with the Vespa.  There is some engineering, but that's about all.   And although I spent too much on it to actually lay it down outside the sweet shop, you get my drift.  Open faced helmet, lightweight gloves, a pair of jeans and sneakers, a comfortable light leather jacket.   No lights to speak of, so no night riding, in essence no sophistication, but like the "slow food idea" you ride slow enough to stop, turn round and look at whatever you are passing.  

Riding big bikes, no stopping, because by the time you react to what you've seen, you're half a mile down the road.  Open face, so you can smell what you're passing.

Who knows, the whole idea may collapse, when I am heading into a headwind that reduces my speed to 20mph.  How will I really cope through the Alps, where I have always enjoyed those long sweeping bends at speed, with only 125cc to get me up 1 in 10 inclines that go on for miles.

God the whole idea is petrifying.

 

Initial Thoughts

My initial idea is to ride my 1972 Vespa 125cc Primavera from home in Caerwys, North Wales down through France to my cousin Ingrid's home in Portovenere in Italy, in the Cinque Terra between Genova and Pisa during the summer of 2008.

The Vespa is the simplest of machines, with no battery, no mirrors, no indicators, a simple kick start, four gears, no luggage capacity at all.  Flat out we are talking about 80KPH.

As you can imagine, this should prove to be the ideal machine for a journey of 1200 miles through England, France, over the Alps and down into Italy. 

If I can manage 150 miles a day, then 8 - 10 days traveling should get me there.