Monday 31 January 2011
Sei o que fizeste há dois Verões atrás II
Sexta-feira
costa, estradas top.
trilho SantiagoLevantámos o "apancamento" e apontámos para a costa. As minhas anotações afirmam que as estradas eram "top", uma classificação muito alta de qualidade. A determinada altura um velhote enxotou-nos para um trilho antigo de peregrinação a Santiago que se metia no meio do mato, e por lá fomos a curtir a Natureza e o piso benigno, surpreendendo vários
Equipa 17 - Vespáguias
Foto de SardinhaPeixe
Nome da equipa: Team 17 VespÁguias
Localizada em: Ribatejo
Pilotos: João Sardinheiro, Bruno Ramalho, Jorge Pessoa, Miguel Nalha
Máquina: Vespa PK e FL2
Especificações: Cilindro 102cc Pinasco, chassis alterado, carburador 24, banco rebaixado
Preparadores: AudioBram Car Shop & TB MotorSports
Dono: João aka "SardinhaPeixe"
Patrocinadores: Restaurante O FORNO, FECOAL, João
Nome da equipa: Team 17 VespÁguias
Localizada em: Ribatejo
Pilotos: João Sardinheiro, Bruno Ramalho, Jorge Pessoa, Miguel Nalha
Máquina: Vespa PK e FL2
Especificações: Cilindro 102cc Pinasco, chassis alterado, carburador 24, banco rebaixado
Preparadores: AudioBram Car Shop & TB MotorSports
Dono: João aka "SardinhaPeixe"
Patrocinadores: Restaurante O FORNO, FECOAL, João
Saturday 29 January 2011
Anoraks vs. Soul Builders vs. Kitters
The way I see there are three types of restorers and we all fall somewhere along a continuum with Anoraks at one end and Kitters at the other end with the Soul Builders somewhere towards the center. I am no Anorak -- not because of a lack of dedication or interests, but because of a lack of money for the most part. I am not a Kitter, because I believe in the "soul" of the bike. I guess that makes me a Soul Builder? I restored my wife's 1967 Vespa SS180 from the ground up. It has only one modern item -- PX HT Coil. I rebuilt the shocks for God's sake. The colors are not true per an Anorak, but exactly what my wife wanted. I left the speedo completely original to honor the history of the bike -- the soul if you will. There are two holes in the leg shield, I jokingly said were for a gun rack on the farm, and those were accidently not filled when the body work was done. So I chalked the lesson up and convinced myself, that's part of the soul of that scoot. Now I am not saying our mistakes in restore can be called "soul capturing," but I can understand how and why restorers leave the body as-is with original paint and a ding here and there. The patina, if you will, tells the history of the bike and honors the "soul" of the scoot. I get that and see that argument. Plus, fully originally is more desirable and valuable. To be honest if I did not buy my scoot in pieces and if assembled as-is it would not be three different colors, I would skip painting it and honor the original bike. Unfortunately, that is not what I bought. If I had, it would save me thousands of dollars in my restore and produce I more desirable scooter than I will have in the end.
So where is post going? Per my previous Vapor Blast post, I was really pissed about the ground down area (not chipped after all) on the NOS chain case I bought. I couldn't just get over it. It does not look good and it was a bad financial investment as well. So I wrote Gene M, who I bought it from. I "HIGHLY" respect Gene and all of my mentors do too. He is knowledgable and shares his knowledge freely. He helps so many of us. He is honest and trustworthy and all around a good guy that I will continue to do business with on my Vespa and Lambretta.
With that said, I wrote him and asked if the wrong chain case had been shipped to me by accident, because my case had a chip on it and I expected it to be cleaner as an NOS case and he knew that I was going to vapor blast it as well.
His response was insightful for all NOS parts:
"We only had 1 NOS Chaincase cover - which is the one you got. In the 25 years I have owned and been working and selling parts and scooters I have never seen another.
NOS means, New Old Stock. So it is an original, unused stock item. That means it has had 30 years of sitting around on a shelf. Even back in the 60s when they were making these things new, they were never treated in such away as to prevent minor blemishes and chips. They were literally just stacked on top of each other - I've seen videos where the complete engines were piled on top of each other in the factory waiting for install into the frames.
Check out the movie "Mafioso" - the first 5 mins shows a man walking through the Innocenti factory while they are assembling the scooters - it's a real eye opener.
We tried to take the best possible pic of the cover as well, if you look at the original pic, versus the nice vapor blasted cover now you can see it looks miles better now, originally it was a bit scuffed.
Check out that movie though - it’s a good mafia movie as well but the factory images are amazing!"
So what does this mean for my Lammy? It means, this case is here to stay at least for now. It's cool that it will sport an NOS case and if the blemishes took place in the Innocenti Factory, then am I honoring the "soul" of the bike am some way?
So where is post going? Per my previous Vapor Blast post, I was really pissed about the ground down area (not chipped after all) on the NOS chain case I bought. I couldn't just get over it. It does not look good and it was a bad financial investment as well. So I wrote Gene M, who I bought it from. I "HIGHLY" respect Gene and all of my mentors do too. He is knowledgable and shares his knowledge freely. He helps so many of us. He is honest and trustworthy and all around a good guy that I will continue to do business with on my Vespa and Lambretta.
With that said, I wrote him and asked if the wrong chain case had been shipped to me by accident, because my case had a chip on it and I expected it to be cleaner as an NOS case and he knew that I was going to vapor blast it as well.
His response was insightful for all NOS parts:
"We only had 1 NOS Chaincase cover - which is the one you got. In the 25 years I have owned and been working and selling parts and scooters I have never seen another.
NOS means, New Old Stock. So it is an original, unused stock item. That means it has had 30 years of sitting around on a shelf. Even back in the 60s when they were making these things new, they were never treated in such away as to prevent minor blemishes and chips. They were literally just stacked on top of each other - I've seen videos where the complete engines were piled on top of each other in the factory waiting for install into the frames.
Check out the movie "Mafioso" - the first 5 mins shows a man walking through the Innocenti factory while they are assembling the scooters - it's a real eye opener.
We tried to take the best possible pic of the cover as well, if you look at the original pic, versus the nice vapor blasted cover now you can see it looks miles better now, originally it was a bit scuffed.
Check out that movie though - it’s a good mafia movie as well but the factory images are amazing!"
So what does this mean for my Lammy? It means, this case is here to stay at least for now. It's cool that it will sport an NOS case and if the blemishes took place in the Innocenti Factory, then am I honoring the "soul" of the bike am some way?
Friday 28 January 2011
Outra Vez?!?
Aqui há uns tempos, vínhamos da Costa Alentejana, viagem perfeita, sem nada a declarar e à saída do ferry, em Setúbal a PX começou a falhar, vá de acelerar, outro soluço e mais outro, acelera outra vez, até que soluçou de vez e "morreu". Vê a faísca, não dá, vê isto e aquilo e o outro... Ok, foi a bobine de alta. *Aqui há uns dias, a semana passada mais precisamente, saio do trabalho, arranco,
Sei o que fizeste há dois Verões atrás
O que é que eu fiz com as minhas fotos das férias do Verão de 2009 ao Norte de Espanha com o Xavier? Guardei-as até ao início de 2011, pois então - nada mais lógico. É chegada agora a hora de as mostrar, junto com alguns parágrafos resgatados das profundezas da minha memória graças a algumas anotações crípticas no meu bloco de notas.
Quarta-feira 124914
vomitado
Gerês
Quarta-feira saímos do Porto
Quarta-feira 124914
vomitado
Gerês
Quarta-feira saímos do Porto
Thursday 27 January 2011
"Las 20 provincias" em 1961
Mais uma posta para a categoria "os nossos avós tinham mais pinta que nós". Uma delegação do Vespa Cube de Estocolmo realizou 3000 quilómetros em Junho de 61 para ir a Espanha participar numa prova entitulada "Las 20 Provincias". Tudo o que fazemos agora já era feito há 50 anos atrás em estrada nacionais primitivas com pneus marados e óleos duvidosos. Mega-respect!
Este tipo de provas de
Este tipo de provas de
PK50SS com arranque eléctrico!
Ora aqui está algo que não se vê todos os dias. Uma PK50SS distingue-se facilmente da PK normal pelos piscas esquisitos e velocímetro de menor diâmetro, mas esta tinha ainda uma mono-sela com os dizeres "Piaggio" e duas tampas laterais com chave por baixo das quais se escondia arranque eléctrico!
Este invulgar espécime até estava com um preço justo e confesso que passei a hora do almoço a
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Equipa 64 - Jocha PBS
Nome da equipa: Jocha/ PBSEstabelecida em: 2006Localizada em: AbrantesPilotos: João Oliveira, Américo Esteves, António OliveiraMáquina: Vespa FL2Especificações: (N.R. espreitem a página do VRP)Preparador: Jorge Chambel (Jocha) e Samuel Santos (PBS)Dono: JochaPatrocinadores: Jocha/ PBSPontos fortes: organizaçãoPontos fracos: falta de eurosComida favorita: petingas de escabeche acompanhadas dum
Travão de disco para largeframes
Jovem! Barrotaste a tua large-frame até ao exagero e necessitas de mais potência de travagem para sobreviveres ao passeio de Domingo? Ou simplesmente anseias por um travão dianteiro que não seja completamente inútil e te faça ser notado na concentração do teu clube?
Foto e info via 2StrokeBuzz
Pois a empressa The Scooter Republic, baseada no Vietname, tem a solução. Já tinham um travão de disco
Foto e info via 2StrokeBuzz
Pois a empressa The Scooter Republic, baseada no Vietname, tem a solução. Já tinham um travão de disco
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Projecto vídeo comunitário "Adoro as Vespas"
Achei uma maneira excelente de contornar os meus fracos dotes vocais: passar a batata quente aos outros! Sim, este é o primeiro projecto de vídeo comunitário da C.S.C.N. (Cena Scooterista Clássica Nacional) e tu podes colaborar a partir de casa! Não percas esta oportunidade de fazer História e de apareceres num vídeo da Horta!
A ideia é verem este vídeo...
Vídeo de Discovery Networks
...
A ideia é verem este vídeo...
Vídeo de Discovery Networks
...
PX a 3000 euros
O coelho que saiu da cartola é bastante menor que o esperado! Depois de muitos palpites com forte penetração no quarto milhar de euros, acontece que o preço oficial para a nova PX será de 3490€.
No entanto "será realizada uma pré-venda em Março, que terá o preço de lancamento de 2.990€ para as encomendas a satisfazer em Abril". Se quiserem um desconto de 500 euros comecem já a preparar o sinal
No entanto "será realizada uma pré-venda em Março, que terá o preço de lancamento de 2.990€ para as encomendas a satisfazer em Abril". Se quiserem um desconto de 500 euros comecem já a preparar o sinal
Monday 24 January 2011
Bob testa a Honda PCX 125
Na minha missão de descobrir o que é que o inimigo automático anda a fazer, tomei como alvo de reconhecimento a nova Honda PCX que parece andar a marcar muitos pontos no seu segmento. Não encontrarão aqui listas intermináveis de especificações, nem detalhadas análises técnicas, mas sim algumas observações resultantes de mais de 100 quilómetros efectuados num exemplar acabado de sair da caixa.
Sunday 23 January 2011
Fat Franki up for Sale
Time to clear out the shed, I have decided it's fun to have the Vespa collection but not so much fun with no time to dedicate to them so am flogging 2 off.
First to go, on ebay as we speak...
Fat Franki, I'll miss you but someone else will love you!
Replace kick start shaft
For the past year or two I have looked for the original kickstart shaft. Mine was welded on my engine. I have the early Li style -- aka the weak one. After hunting and hunting I found one.
Mike in Portland, Oregon sold me his. The teeth look good, but I do notice some difference and wonder if that could be a problem or not? For example in the photo below -- my original is on the left. The one I bought looks like it was ground down and is missing the lip. Is that a problem?
Here's another view of the ground down area.
When you look at that area closely, you can see that the lathe left perfect circles in my mine a then with use, I assume that mine was worn down on half of the area.
As you can see the teeth are much better on the replacement kickstart shaft, but when you look very closely at the geared area you can see very subtle differences as if these were not cast from the same mold.
Continuing with the idea of different molds for the casts notice the difference in thickness of the bases pictured below and the overall slopes of the raised areas. Could this mean these are different shafts? The measurements are almost dead even and the later type Li and the GP styles measure totally different as per Stickey's Manual.
Looking at the two side-by-side you can see differences.
I will ask my mentors to make sure I did not buy the wrong kickstart shaft.
Follow-up:
My mentor Mike said:
"The replacement kick start shaft will be fine. Remember to replace the locating pin on the plunger when you install it in the new case. Make sure all is clean and well greased.
The grinding is so the shaft doesn't rub on the clutch basket. This happens when the bushings work their way in to the motor,an incorrectly shimmed clutch or an incorrectly shimmed kickstart shaft. By grinding it, it gives the motor a little bit of room for error when things wear out. Don't over grind because it will weaken it.
As long as the dimensional measurements are the same on the kick shaft you are OK."
Mike in Portland, Oregon sold me his. The teeth look good, but I do notice some difference and wonder if that could be a problem or not? For example in the photo below -- my original is on the left. The one I bought looks like it was ground down and is missing the lip. Is that a problem?
Here's another view of the ground down area.
When you look at that area closely, you can see that the lathe left perfect circles in my mine a then with use, I assume that mine was worn down on half of the area.
As you can see the teeth are much better on the replacement kickstart shaft, but when you look very closely at the geared area you can see very subtle differences as if these were not cast from the same mold.
Continuing with the idea of different molds for the casts notice the difference in thickness of the bases pictured below and the overall slopes of the raised areas. Could this mean these are different shafts? The measurements are almost dead even and the later type Li and the GP styles measure totally different as per Stickey's Manual.
Looking at the two side-by-side you can see differences.
I will ask my mentors to make sure I did not buy the wrong kickstart shaft.Follow-up:
My mentor Mike said:
"The replacement kick start shaft will be fine. Remember to replace the locating pin on the plunger when you install it in the new case. Make sure all is clean and well greased.
The grinding is so the shaft doesn't rub on the clutch basket. This happens when the bushings work their way in to the motor,an incorrectly shimmed clutch or an incorrectly shimmed kickstart shaft. By grinding it, it gives the motor a little bit of room for error when things wear out. Don't over grind because it will weaken it.
As long as the dimensional measurements are the same on the kick shaft you are OK."
Friday 21 January 2011
Bob testa uma Honda PCX
Porquê testar uma scooter moderna num blog orientado para os modelos clássicos? Bem, a resposta curta é que era grátis.
Avintes é a Riviera do Norte de Portugal
A resposta comprida é que já arruinei a minha vida em 2008 e já, e além disso será bom treino para um test-drive super-mega-hiper-especial que vou fazer a médio prazo, se tudo correr como planeado. A Honda PCX tem feito ondas no charco
Avintes é a Riviera do Norte de Portugal
A resposta comprida é que já arruinei a minha vida em 2008 e já, e além disso será bom treino para um test-drive super-mega-hiper-especial que vou fazer a médio prazo, se tudo correr como planeado. A Honda PCX tem feito ondas no charco
Links de Sexta-feira
A BMW R10 de 1954
Scooters no circuito de Interlagos
Recorde do quilómetro em 1966 com velocidade final de 176km/h
Jony aconselha sobre viagens em roda 10
Diz que o Mauro tem um "tamblar", o que sairá daqui?
Scooters no circuito de Interlagos
Recorde do quilómetro em 1966 com velocidade final de 176km/h
Jony aconselha sobre viagens em roda 10
Diz que o Mauro tem um "tamblar", o que sairá daqui?
Thursday 20 January 2011
Nova tendência fresca!
A Horta continua com seu dedo firmemente plantado no pulso da C.S.C.N. (Cena Scooterista Clássica Nacional), ou D.F.P.N.P.D.C.S.C.N. Há pouco tempo atrás dei-vos conta da scooter da moda para 2012, e apresento-vos agora a mais recente tendência que vos ajudará a manter uma posição alta na cadeia alimentar do parque de estacionamento caso não tenham a scooter da moda para 2011, a Lambretta.
O senhor de idade e a sua FL2
Eu tinha-me aventurado a pé numa zona da cidade que não conhecia bem. Era um sítio cinzento e feio, polvilhado com bairros sociais deprimentes, e em cada esquina um grupo de jovens com os capuzes das sweatshirts puxados para cima falava alto.
Um senhor de idade destapou a sua FL2 precariamente armazenada no jardim e observou atentamente o prato eléctrico, tentando descobrir uma avaria invisível
Um senhor de idade destapou a sua FL2 precariamente armazenada no jardim e observou atentamente o prato eléctrico, tentando descobrir uma avaria invisível
Wednesday 19 January 2011
Edições especiais do Ape 50, 40º Aniversário
A julgar por uma pesquisa no YouTube, esta notícia já terá mais de 1 ano mas tal não me impede de meter palha trazer-vos todos os pormenores do fascinante mundo do Ape, o perene irmão da Vespa. (obrigado ao Mexe pela dica)
Para comemorar o 40º aniversário deste triciclo trabalhador, a casa-mãe lançou duas edições especiais do Ape 50, uma baseada na versão Cross Country e outra na versão furgão.
Para comemorar o 40º aniversário deste triciclo trabalhador, a casa-mãe lançou duas edições especiais do Ape 50, uma baseada na versão Cross Country e outra na versão furgão.
Colecção Vespa by anabanana
Foto de anabanana
À procura de alguns objectos de design com o tema Vespa para decorar a casa? Permitam-me sugerir a Colecção Vespa da anabanana, uma marca nacional, made in Portugal e socialmente responsável. Os mais atentos poderão lembrar-se de os ver no Vespa Wold Days.
Os artigos oferecidos incluem sacos, almofadas, bolsas, sacos do pão e individuais de mesa. Podem espreitá-los aqui ou
À procura de alguns objectos de design com o tema Vespa para decorar a casa? Permitam-me sugerir a Colecção Vespa da anabanana, uma marca nacional, made in Portugal e socialmente responsável. Os mais atentos poderão lembrar-se de os ver no Vespa Wold Days.
Os artigos oferecidos incluem sacos, almofadas, bolsas, sacos do pão e individuais de mesa. Podem espreitá-los aqui ou
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Vapor blasting
If you are having trouble viewing the above slideshow or to see the slideshow in a larger format watch it on YouTube.
Individual photos can be seen here in a large format thank you to Peter.
Today, I received photos from Peter of ModsRockers. Peter provided quality service throughout the entire process -- even so much as to create a gift certificate when my parents gave me the birthday gift to fund this vapor blast project.
(
I started this process off with two chain cases to choose from.
The first chain case (slides 2-3) had a crack that was recommended to be repaired using JB Weld by mentor Stu W. Peter's response was: "I did some light work on your primary cover crack today and just wanted to let you know what to expect. That is a really bad crack and although I can jb weld it from the inside to prevent any leaking, you will always be able to see it from the outside. I knocked the rift down quick and vapor blasted the crack to give a better perspective as to what it will look lime when it's done. Please remember that I would still need to finish sand it but that will have no bearing on the cracks look when it's all done. I've attached a before and after picture for reference.
Now I'm not going to tell you what to do but I just want to know that you will be happy with it when it's all done. I could get it welded up for you by my super welder buddy but that's risky because if the alloy is of a low quality it will get all funky from the heat and not look any better. Not to mention the cost which would probably fair between $30 and $50.
It's your bike so just let me know before going forward. Thanks! Peter"
The second case (slides 4-5) has a chip/ding. I reached out to my mentor Mike A. and he told me "I was able to look at the first photo on the part 2 email. The kicker stop is damaged and should be repaired or replaced. Why not have it welded? I have had a couple of case covers that cracked there. It happens when the front sprocket comes loose or was not tightened correctly when the cover was installed."
At this point, I decided to spend $50-$70 for a new chain case in better shape -- worthy of being vapor blasted. My research showed that used cases can go for as much as $100 in good shape and they are not as easy to find as I expected. A fellow LCUSA member was willing to sell me a case, but he was hesitant to split a complete engine. I eventually found a NOS chain case at Scooters Origanli and paid $100 for it. I shipped it directly to Peter (save shipping costs and time) and in the photo it looked so clean. I had Gene confirm it was NOS and again Peter confirmed it. What I failed to ask is if it was worthy for vapor blasting. Sadly, in my opinion, it was not. If I had known I would have purchased a used one that would have cleaned up better and probably saved some money and the fact that every time I see my case (even in a photo) I get pissed off, because I screwed my chance to have near perfection, which is my goal for a restoration. Damnit!! Hell, it would even been better to have known and welded it. At this point I feel like I have to settle for imperfection, because I have a modest budget and can't correct my mistakes. I can't afford to make and correct mistakes. It will cost another $50-100 for a decent case, $30 to blast, and $20 to ship. No one is going to pay $130 for my case if I tried to sell it. I lost money on this one. Damnit!! Please learn from my mistake. I thought NOS meant it would be clean. I thought it was clean. Ask. Ask for details before you pay. Avoid feeling pissed off and sad like I do. I don't want to look at my bike and have this feeling when I see the case chip.
My mentor Mike agreed with me:
"The thing I have found with vapor blasting is the better the surface the better the end result will be.
I would have had that case cover welded first but that's the way it goes. Too bad the marks are where they are. There is no hiding them unless you run an expansion chamber."
Peter said that the blemishes will be hidden, which helps a little, and informed me they may feel wet when I receive them:
"It definitely looks a bunch better now than when it arrived. The blemishes are all pretty hidden so you wont really see it. Parts will be greasy to the touch but they will dry out over time and brighten up again. If they are not completely dry when you fire it up the first time, they will be after a few minutes so don't worry about it. Enjoy!"
Without a doubt the product that Peter sells is high quality and many other restorers agree with that and furthermore his service was excellent and advice was helpful. He was very hands-on. Beyond vapor blasting he treats the parts with a clear coat that helps keep it clean looking for a long time after use. I recommend using ModsRockers and wish it was available when I had my wife's SS180 engine rebuilt.
Equipa 54 - Vespabrantes
Fotos de Vespabrantes
Nome da equipa: Vespabrantes
Estabelecida em: 13/10/2008
Localizada em: Abrantes
Pilotos: Pedro Alves, Paulo Alves, Sérgio Alves, Ricardo Aparício
Máquina: FL2
Especificações: [ver na página do VRP]
Preparador: Francisco Alves
Dono: Vespabrantes
Patrocinadores: CERFER, XB RACE, ALC Publicidade
Pontos fortes: Todos
Pontos fracos: Não temos
Comida favorita: A da mamã
Bebida
Concurso de fotos! Fama e fortuna seguir-se-ão brevemente.
Foto via NissaExpa
Conheço cada vez mais Vespistas que largam momentaneamente o acelerador para pegar na máquina fotográfica e bater umas chapas a uma scooter Italiana ou duas (incluo-me modestamente nesse grupo). Se queres testar as tuas habilidades daguerreotipais, o Pungiglione Club de Provence acabou de inaugurar um concurso fotográfico dedicado à Vespa e à Lambretta!
Basta ir ao site deles,
Conheço cada vez mais Vespistas que largam momentaneamente o acelerador para pegar na máquina fotográfica e bater umas chapas a uma scooter Italiana ou duas (incluo-me modestamente nesse grupo). Se queres testar as tuas habilidades daguerreotipais, o Pungiglione Club de Provence acabou de inaugurar um concurso fotográfico dedicado à Vespa e à Lambretta!
Basta ir ao site deles,
Monday 17 January 2011
Equipa 39 - "Carapau de Corrida"
Fotos via Henrique Pena
Nome da equipa: “Carapau de Corrida”
Estabelecida em: Janeiro 2011
Localizada em: Paço de Arcos (Oeiras)
Pilotos: Henrique Pena, João Macedo, Diogo Vantacich
Máquina: Chassis 50s, motor FL2
Especificações: Cilindro Polini HP 75, carburador Dellorto 24mm, cambota Mazzuchelli, escape JL hand made, banco artesanal rebaixado, forqueta FL2, e mais
Pontos a favor: Espírito
Nome da equipa: “Carapau de Corrida”
Estabelecida em: Janeiro 2011
Localizada em: Paço de Arcos (Oeiras)
Pilotos: Henrique Pena, João Macedo, Diogo Vantacich
Máquina: Chassis 50s, motor FL2
Especificações: Cilindro Polini HP 75, carburador Dellorto 24mm, cambota Mazzuchelli, escape JL hand made, banco artesanal rebaixado, forqueta FL2, e mais
Pontos a favor: Espírito
174.6km/h
Ai, os Ingleses, os Ingleses... Se já alguma vez tentaram imaginar como seria dar 175 à hora numa Lambegreta, eis algo que apreciarão: um teste de dinamómetro duma Innocenti quitada até às guelras com um cilindro DAC 250 de refrigeração líquida. O valor máximo de 174.6km/h, ou 108.5mph no linguajar anglosaxónico, é atingido mal o pujante propulsor toca nas 9000 rotações.
Não dá para embeber o
Não dá para embeber o
Sunday 16 January 2011
Surviving 'Bongo' or just getting around Dar
We wake up to an unpleasant surprise: Our new, used spare tyre is flat -- it burst while parking outside the Safari Inn we stayed for the night. Seems the tyre decide to take us to Dar and give up life straight after that. At least we made it here and can look for a spare... another one. The search begins, through Dar's many shops, mechanics and even the labyrinth of the notorious Kariakoo market
Saturday 15 January 2011
Elbowing our way into Dar
The day starts with a nerve-racking drive through the Mikumi National Park. There is nobody around to tell us not to enter the park so we go ahead -- although the 'Danger' sign at its entrance keeps us (well, at least me) anxiously looking left and right every now and then. Be it as it may, we don't get to see too many wild animals today. Some impalas and baboons cross our path and we see the
Friday 14 January 2011
A pricey, used spare tyre and the manual we don't have
We get off to an early start but to no use. There is no tyre that will fit our scooter in the whole of Iringa. The Chinese imports on the market have a bigger wheel, almost double the size of the Vespa. Alberto follows one of the locals around town all morning looking for a possible replacement, but nothing can be done. A local mechanic promises he will be able to organise 'something', but we are
Equipa 90 - Viúva Negra
Foto de Hélio Cordeiro
Nome da equipa: Viúva NegraData: a primeira participação foi em 25-10-2008 (300km Vespa) mas não com este nomeLocalização: LeiriaPilotos: Hélio Cordeiro (piri) Ferreira, Bruno Moleiro, Telmo SantosMáquina: Vespa, chassis 50s (para 2011 vem aí um chassis PK, ainda em preparação), motor ET3Especificações: forqueta FL2, banco artesanal, cilindro Malossi 136, admissão por
Ecos de 2004
O meu autocolante do Eurovespa 2004 e o seu magnífico logótipo durou até 2009. Depois começou a ficar bué decadente e tive que o abater.
Thursday 13 January 2011
Iringa to ... well, IRINGA!
The day started on a rather pleasant note: woke up near the river, a hearty breakfast, good company from some Swahili-learning volunteers and the nice British pensioner who nostalgically pondered with us about his own crazy, good ol' scooter-days... There are many activities on offer at the camp -- from horse riding, to river walks or swimming in its current -- but the road is calling us. A 2 km
Equipa 1 - Laranja Racing
Foto de Laranja Team
Nome da equipa: Laranja Racing
Estabelecida em: Final de 2008
Localizada em: Lagoinha, Palmela
Pilotos: Silva, Ricardo
Máquina: Vespa FL2
Especificações: Motor arrefecido a água, cilindro Gilardoni, pistão Wossner 54mm, volante magnético e stator Yamaha, cdi de avanço variável (NR: e MUITAS mais modificações!)
Preparador: Laranja
Dono: A .Valente (Laranja)
Patrocinadores: --
Nome da equipa: Laranja Racing
Estabelecida em: Final de 2008
Localizada em: Lagoinha, Palmela
Pilotos: Silva, Ricardo
Máquina: Vespa FL2
Especificações: Motor arrefecido a água, cilindro Gilardoni, pistão Wossner 54mm, volante magnético e stator Yamaha, cdi de avanço variável (NR: e MUITAS mais modificações!)
Preparador: Laranja
Dono: A .Valente (Laranja)
Patrocinadores: --
GoPro Hero
Resolução de Ano Novo: usar mais a minha câmara GoPro. Uma das poucas vezes em que foi usada aqui (cliquem na opção 480p para mais qualidade).
Wednesday 12 January 2011
The hanging tree and racing on the Cape Town-Nairobi highway
Mbeya is one of those place you won't rush back to... yet it has its purpose nevertheless. There is not much to see, although the Loleza and Mbeya peaks are looming graciously over the town. The semi-colonial town centre is bustling with life this Wednesday morning. People are crowding around the local market and the garages in town. We scooter around looking for the 'hanging tree' -- according
Equipa 33 - PardalKitz / Mannelli
Foto de Gonçalo Pardal
Nome da equipa: PardalKitz / Mannelli
Estabelecida em: Início em 2005 com o troféu Vespa 75cc
Localizada em: Lisboa
Pilotos 2011: Gonçalo Pardal (Lisboa), Ricardo "Vampiro” (Santo Tirso), Saul Ferreira (Coimbra) e Duarte Pardal (Lisboa)
Pilotos anteriores: Tomás Salgado, Nuno Pratas, Rui Lopes, Izak e Pedro Pires
Máquina: Vespa PK50XLS
Especificações: Kit Parmakit 130cc
Nome da equipa: PardalKitz / Mannelli
Estabelecida em: Início em 2005 com o troféu Vespa 75cc
Localizada em: Lisboa
Pilotos 2011: Gonçalo Pardal (Lisboa), Ricardo "Vampiro” (Santo Tirso), Saul Ferreira (Coimbra) e Duarte Pardal (Lisboa)
Pilotos anteriores: Tomás Salgado, Nuno Pratas, Rui Lopes, Izak e Pedro Pires
Máquina: Vespa PK50XLS
Especificações: Kit Parmakit 130cc
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Cush drive is okay
Chris B. inspected the cush drive today and gave it a clean bill of health, because he said "it's already been rebuilt. See the rivets that's not the manufacturer and the little bit of warping on the plate between the rivets is normal on a rebuild". He also dismantled the gears from the axle and inspected how it all fit together and confirmed the gears were installed correctly and were not rubbing. Everything looked good. Crap! At that point Chris recommended installing a new or tester clutch even though my clutch looks just great.
When Chris inspected the clutch and again today when he inspected the cush drive he commented, "it looks brand new." That combined with a rebuilt cush drive prompted me to call Christopher Markley and ask him if he rebuilt it. He has rebuilt so many of these and could not remember. He told me to check the parts invoices he gave me to be sure.
So I found a Scooter Works invoice he ordered back on 7/2006 and among the many items ordered I found:
1 Comp Clutch Kit -- VSX Surflex (item #CK4)
6 Spring, Cush Drive Inner (item #77372)
1 Plate, Spring Gear, Inner VSX (item #77371)
1 Plate, Spring Gear Outer VSX (item #77370)
6 Rivet, Spring Gear Assembly (item #S 05765)
1 Bearing, Spring Gear VSB, VSC (item #S 07153)
1 Lock Washer, Spring Gear NOS VSB,VSC (item # 58636)
From Scooter Parts Direct I placed an order on 11/2006 that included:
6 Spring, Spring Gear Outer (item #78853)
It seems all items for the cush drive were ordered on my dollar. So I regret not checking my paperwork to verify before I cracked the cases.
Besides Chris being right that everything looks brand new, I am not exactly sure what this could mean. Maybe after market products resulted in this sound. Research time.
I will post detailed photos before I put her back together.
Suggestions?
When Chris inspected the clutch and again today when he inspected the cush drive he commented, "it looks brand new." That combined with a rebuilt cush drive prompted me to call Christopher Markley and ask him if he rebuilt it. He has rebuilt so many of these and could not remember. He told me to check the parts invoices he gave me to be sure.
So I found a Scooter Works invoice he ordered back on 7/2006 and among the many items ordered I found:
1 Comp Clutch Kit -- VSX Surflex (item #CK4)
6 Spring, Cush Drive Inner (item #77372)
1 Plate, Spring Gear, Inner VSX (item #77371)
1 Plate, Spring Gear Outer VSX (item #77370)
6 Rivet, Spring Gear Assembly (item #S 05765)
1 Bearing, Spring Gear VSB, VSC (item #S 07153)
1 Lock Washer, Spring Gear NOS VSB,VSC (item # 58636)
From Scooter Parts Direct I placed an order on 11/2006 that included:
6 Spring, Spring Gear Outer (item #78853)
It seems all items for the cush drive were ordered on my dollar. So I regret not checking my paperwork to verify before I cracked the cases.
Besides Chris being right that everything looks brand new, I am not exactly sure what this could mean. Maybe after market products resulted in this sound. Research time.
I will post detailed photos before I put her back together.
Suggestions?
Wazungu, pikipiki and Tanzania's greener pastures
East Africa, here we come! We get two nicknames the moment we pass the border: "mzungu" (or wazungu in plural) as they tend to refer to any white person walking around and "pikipiki" as all two wheelers are being called. Our Vespa feels right at home with scooters seemingly the preferred mode of transport in this part of the world. We cross the border at Tunduma and get sucked into a row of green
Equipa 77 - VRracing Paço de Arcos
Foto de Vasco Reis (bela pintura, colegas!)
Nome da equipa: VRracing Paço de ArcosEstabelecida em: Finais de 2009Localizada em: Paço de Arcos - OeirasPilotos: Vasco Reis, Diogo Fazenda, Miguel Manique (18)Máquina: Vespa PK xlsEspecificações: Motor e forquilha de FL2, cilindro Pinasco alumínio 102cc, carburador PWK24, banco caseiroPreparador: VascoDono: VRracingPatrocinadores: Não háPontos fortes
Nome da equipa: VRracing Paço de ArcosEstabelecida em: Finais de 2009Localizada em: Paço de Arcos - OeirasPilotos: Vasco Reis, Diogo Fazenda, Miguel Manique (18)Máquina: Vespa PK xlsEspecificações: Motor e forquilha de FL2, cilindro Pinasco alumínio 102cc, carburador PWK24, banco caseiroPreparador: VascoDono: VRracingPatrocinadores: Não háPontos fortes
Monday 10 January 2011
A state-subsidised bed in the heart of Zambia
Every day we plan to leave early to either cover the maximum distance... or to at least be able to stop in between to give our sore behinds a break. But every day the story is the same: it takes forever to fit everything back into our bags (it seems our stuff is multiplying even though we've been steadily depleting our food supplies); the scooter is getting less stable by the day while we try to
Sunday 9 January 2011
All roads lead out of Lusaka...
As in the case of Rome in Europe, all the roads in southern Africa seem to be leading into and out of Lusaka. One may not describe the urban trading hub with many superlatives, but the mishmash of dusty streets, bustling markets and sleepy charm in its many side roads has an attraction of its own. A colourful anti-AIDS campaign lining up murals along Cairo Road is leading us north out of Lusaka.
Saturday 8 January 2011
Sliding in mud and rain all the way to Lusaka...
We start the day at Wonder Bake, a local bakery that sells huge muffins and many other unidentifiable sweets and savouries. The cappuccinos taste yummy, even served in the tiger-pattern cups and saucers. At the next table all sorts of trading and money exchanges going on, with one hand passing the bills under the table, the other gently raising the cup of tea for another sip. We start off for
BMW R10 - Parte II
O Nuno Feliz não se deu por contente de me ter dado a dica desta scooter, ainda me deu umas fotos, tiradas por ele, num museu na estrada de Lleida para Andorra, o Museu Moto Bassella !Agora expliquem-me o que estava lá um protótipo de scooter da BMW, com mais de cinquenta anos, que presumivelmente nunca foi produzido, a fazer? Ainda por cima não é exactamente igual ao que apresentei antes. Atentem no nariz sem o adereço ou o farol mais inclinado para baixo, por exemplo.
Voltei a indagar a BMW e eles voltaram a ignorar-me! Será porque não tenho uma GS?
Friday 7 January 2011
The mighty falls
At Livingstone, we head straight for Victoria (or Vic) Falls. Somehow, once again, we end up at the Zimbabwean border post instead. They tell us we've driven past the turnoff to see Vic Falls on the Zambian side. How did we miss that? Weren't these falls supposed to be huge? We turn around, pay the hefty $20 a person fee to see the natural wonder. The clouds and rain add a bit to the drama. Even
"I give you 20 cows for your scooter," a Zambian says
The ferry at Kazungula is a very special place. Four African countries meet here and two rivers run together. The ferry crossing is quite a mind-boggling affair. Trucks line up in a long cue up to the rivers edge. Luckily, with our tiny vehicle we get to move past everyone. All around us all possible trades: women and men alike running around with jerry cans, big plastic duffel bags selling and
Thursday 6 January 2011
Dry test trouble shooting
I seeked help from Hiro and he gave me some good advice in terms of how to identify the grinding sound between neutral & 1st gear. Here are Hiro's suggestions:
"It is a good time to see if the gears mesh perfectly and how the noise can be generated by turning the motor by hand, shifting the gear through 1st to 4th from neutral. I am doubting the gears on the selecting rod installed with improper alignment. In case, the noise comes from the grind between the gears and shift cross. Assuming the noise can be heard during the acceleration with fully engaged clutch.
Once again, I will doubt the clutch unit if the half engaged clutch generates the noise.
I doubt the improper alignment between 1st and 2nd gear (which should have room for the neutral) or worn gears(both gears on the cush drive and the gear shift)/shift cross. I need to check if the gear cable adjustment and the condition of the waved (which align the gear location) dishes in the gear cable adjustment unit. There is a possibility that the peak(s) between the neutral position and the 1st position was worn badly and can not stay in the 1st position to grind inside the gear on shift unit."
Thank you Hiro!
"It is a good time to see if the gears mesh perfectly and how the noise can be generated by turning the motor by hand, shifting the gear through 1st to 4th from neutral. I am doubting the gears on the selecting rod installed with improper alignment. In case, the noise comes from the grind between the gears and shift cross. Assuming the noise can be heard during the acceleration with fully engaged clutch.
Once again, I will doubt the clutch unit if the half engaged clutch generates the noise.
I doubt the improper alignment between 1st and 2nd gear (which should have room for the neutral) or worn gears(both gears on the cush drive and the gear shift)/shift cross. I need to check if the gear cable adjustment and the condition of the waved (which align the gear location) dishes in the gear cable adjustment unit. There is a possibility that the peak(s) between the neutral position and the 1st position was worn badly and can not stay in the 1st position to grind inside the gear on shift unit."
Thank you Hiro!
Cush drive inspection
I will post a detailed photo up of my cush drive soon. I have noticed that the bearing which was replaced during the engine rebuilt is a sealed bearing and it is my understanding that the caged style bearing is preferred here. I will need to remove the seal around the bearing.
I have also noted that there is some warping on the top plate of the cush drive between the rivets and I wonder what kind of impact that could or not have with regards to the grinding sound.
Tom G. taught me the best way to test the cush drive:
"Shaking the cush is not a valid test. Hold the large gear in one hand and the cluster in the other hand. Now twist hard. If the big gear moves with relation to the cluster gear, then rebuild. If no movement, the assy is fine."
I have also noted that there is some warping on the top plate of the cush drive between the rivets and I wonder what kind of impact that could or not have with regards to the grinding sound.
Tom G. taught me the best way to test the cush drive:
"Shaking the cush is not a valid test. Hold the large gear in one hand and the cluster in the other hand. Now twist hard. If the big gear moves with relation to the cluster gear, then rebuild. If no movement, the assy is fine."
Mod in Germany?
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| Heinkel Club |
Então cromados, faróis, fato e gravata é coisa dos anos setenta em Inglaterra? Ou dos sessenta na Alemanha?
BMW R10 1954
Apesar da BMW ter o hábito de documentar bem o orgulho que tem nas suas máquinas, quase todas case-studies, a verdade é que de um protótipo de scooter que está exposto num dos seus museus no sul da Alemanha muito pouco é conhecido. Tenho a agradecer a dica do Nuno Feliz que me falou desta scooter e que ainda por cima é o culpado da Heinkel andar no mundo da música.Existem quatro exemplares desta máquina e tratava-se da resposta da marca ao sucesso que as scooters granjeavam então um pouco por todo o mundo. Tendo a Zundapp, na altura uma série concorrente da Bmw, criado a gama Bella e a Heinkel aparecido com as Tourist, a Bmw decidiu avançar com um projecto seu, a R10. Esta seria uma evolução de um outro protótipo de uma mota BMW "ascooterada" com jantes de raios de 16'' e motor de 175cc a quatro tempos.
Com um design claramente mais inspirado nas Heinkel que nos modelos italianos e equipada com um motor de 200cc monocilindrico a quatro tempos, possivelmente baseado no da Bmw R25, desenvolvia 7hp ás 5500 rpm, tinha 3 velocidades controladas por pedal, pesava 138 Kg e a sua velocidade de ponta rondaria os 95kms/hora. A suspensão da frente era monobraço. Desconheço os motivos exactos da BMW para ter decidido não avançar com a produção em série da R10, mas a marca então voltou as atenções para o mini carro Isetta, também ele quase um clone do carro Heinkel. Coloquei-lhes a questão, mas aparentemente ainda não tiveram tempo para me responder!
Deliciem-se:
BMW R 10 Scooter Prototype, 1-cyl, 197 ccm, 7 PS, 1954
Deliciem-se:
BMW R 10 Scooter Prototype, 1-cyl, 197 ccm, 7 PS, 1954
Scootering with elephants and giraffes: who is faster?
Breakfast and off we go. At the Nata garage, no fuel. Gas station ran out. Luckily, the one next door still has some left. On the road towards the Zambian border we hit a line of road works. It seems the entire highway is being redone. We may not always be able to see the road, but we get to see loads of elephants. They seem undisturbed by us (and the other trucks and cars passing by). Even pose
Tuesday 4 January 2011
Is our trip finished already?
Pretty late start today... After the first 50 km, the scooter breaks down again. Is our trip finished already??? We manage to get it going again, but slow speed from now on -- yes, much slower than the 80 km/h we've been doing thus far. But we do make it to Francistown, Botswana's second biggest city. We find a mechanic -- apparently the only one repairing motorbikes in town. We're lucky. Only a
Where IS your vehicle, the police asks...
Starting relatively early today. Gorgeous scenery from Rustenburg north via Pilanesberg. Luckily no rain today. We can feel our butts though, oh yes, we can. 500 km on the little Vespa is no afternoon tea get-together. We pass some mining towns on the way. The garage attendant in the iron ore town of Thabazimbi can't believe the 140 km limit on the scooter's dashboard. We wish! 80 km/h is the
Sunday 2 January 2011
First kilometres, some rain and very sore behinds
We're soooo slow... 140 km to Rustenburg and we are already totally knackered. The 3,360 km we've got left seem just a little bit daunting... A combination of highway and some smaller roads around the beautiful Hartbeespoort Dam. You learn a lot those first 100 km: how to do foot exercises on the side to keep your feet from falling asleep; how to avoid flying objects getting plastered right in
Cush drive removal
I invested some time over the past few days to remove the cush drive. Here is a slideshow of the process:
My goal was to remove ONLY what I must and to leave as much of the engine in tact as possible. A huge thank you to Tom G., who mentored me through the process as well as Paul S., who helped me through some of the tactical steps.
It feels as if I have been blogging about scooter restoration for quite some time. In the beginning I couldn't find any that did it in detail and that's why I decided to document the details for others like me via a blog. Also, many blogs start the documentation process, but either the bike and or the blog never seem to reach completion. Today there are many more resources available for the newbie and novices online (or course the best are the experienced wrenchers), and I'd like to recommend two resources for you that have been trustworthy and around a lot longer than me. Here are two articles I used for this process . . . transmission removal from ScooterHelp.com and brake shoes removal from Paul S.'s site ScooterLounge.com.
The next step is for me to inspect my cush drive and then rebuild it. I plan to do that work myself.
My goal was to remove ONLY what I must and to leave as much of the engine in tact as possible. A huge thank you to Tom G., who mentored me through the process as well as Paul S., who helped me through some of the tactical steps.
It feels as if I have been blogging about scooter restoration for quite some time. In the beginning I couldn't find any that did it in detail and that's why I decided to document the details for others like me via a blog. Also, many blogs start the documentation process, but either the bike and or the blog never seem to reach completion. Today there are many more resources available for the newbie and novices online (or course the best are the experienced wrenchers), and I'd like to recommend two resources for you that have been trustworthy and around a lot longer than me. Here are two articles I used for this process . . . transmission removal from ScooterHelp.com and brake shoes removal from Paul S.'s site ScooterLounge.com.
The next step is for me to inspect my cush drive and then rebuild it. I plan to do that work myself.
Pre-departure panic: how much can a scooter REALLY carry?
It's all way too heavy! Do we have to take all ALL the 15 litres of extra fuel??? If we add up our weight + luggage + fuel... how much is this little scooter supposed to carry??? That's not even going to make it up the first hill, let alone a curve... Two hours later, all loaded. The windshield had to come off. We will get to savour all the bugs and dust Africa has to offer, but what don't you do
2010/2011
Jantar com amigos e passagem de ano na rua. Como há muito queria fazer. Recomenda-se
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| By Francisca Tavares |
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| By Francisca Tavares |
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| By Francisca Tavares |
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| Não. Não sei quem é! |
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