Category: Technical info

Tire pressure: ignore the sidewall.

I just saw a post on a forum asking about proper tire pressure for a modern Vespa. Several people said “it’s on the tire, duh!” That seems like an obvious answer, but tires are usually designed for many applications, and that number is the MAXIMUM pressure the tire can handle, not the pressure for your vehicle. Filling to that pressure (on any vehicle, but especially on a scooter or motorcycle) can affect handling, traction, suspension, safety, and fuel efficiency. Modern vehicles always have a tire inflation sticker somewhere. On cars it’s almost always in the driver’s side door jamb. On motorcycles, it’s usually a sticker or metal plate on the swingarm or fork. On scooters, it’s usually a sticker in the glovebox or helmet bay. If you can’t find the sticker, consult the manual for proper pressures (If the sticker and manual contradict each other, go with the sticker, it’s more likely to be accurate for your specific bike/country). If you’re in a pinch and don’t have the data, it’s usually best to inflate it to several PSI below the “maximum” listed on the sidewall, then adjust to the proper PSI as soon as you can.

VespaUSA recalls 2,757 GTSes

A source has informed 2SB that VespaUSA did file a recall with the NHTSA (back on May 24) and it was due to be announced today. According to the source, the paperwork takes time when it’s not an emergency recall (no one has been injured). The recall is now listed on the NHTSA’s ODI – Office of Defects Investigation page. You can summon the report by typing in the Make/Model/Year (Vespa GTS 2007) or the NHTSA Campaign ID number (07V253000). The gist is that 2,757 2006 and 2007 Vespa GTS scooter owners will be notified by mail, and can have their header, pipe, clamp, and gasket replaced by the dealer at no cost. Note that not all GTSes are affected by the recall. All GTS owners, even those with the redesigned assembly, should note that the two parts of the pipe should never be separated, the pipe should always be removed in its entirety. At each dealer service, the clamp should be checked for alignment and the torque of the bolt checked (11-13 ft-lbs for the stainless steel clamp, 9-10 ft-lbs. for the plated steel clamp).

Canadian GTS 250 Exhaust Recall

Jana, a ModernVespa.com user from Calgary, reports she’s heard firsthand from Vespa Canada that a GTS 250 Exhaust Recall is about to be announced. Here’s some backstory on the situation, if you’re not familiar with the problem. While Piaggio HQ has issued a Technical Bulletin that outlines potential dangers, solutions, and maintenance (without acknowledging possible manufacturing or design flaws) to dealers worldwide, PiaggioUSA has never publicly acknowleged the issue, despite bad publicity, misinformation, and recalls in other countries.

Ants

Lesley, one of the “new chicks” over at Girlbike, had some ant problems with her Honda Metropolitan last week. This weekend she went to give the Metro a bath and realized the ant situation was far worse than she could have guessed. I have a giant yellowjacket nest in my garage, and I was thinking of writing some sort of Steve-Williams-esque blog entry about the Vespas and the Vespula Vulgari, but after reading that, I think those f**kers are getting hosed down with Black Flag as soon as I get home.

Vespa exhaust gasket recall?

Greek and German scooterists in the Modern Vespa forum have reported local rumors of a recall program for the Vespa GTS exhaust gasket “problem.” It’s unclear whether an official recall is underway, or if dealers in those countries are responding to concerns regarding “Technical Bulletin No 18/06” (September 18, 2006) and checking previously-serviced pipes. GTS riders have complained of gasket failure resulting in heat damage and potential dangerous situations. While Piaggio insists proper maintenance techniques will prevent failure, Modern Vespa readers have reported multiple failures, even on Vespas where the pipe had never been removed. Many modern Vespa riders have switched to third-party exhausts (apparently with problems of their own), while others are using and recommending aftermarket brass bushings.

Here’s Piaggio Technical Bulletin No 18/06, the offical document that Piaggio sent to Vespa dealers, outlining proper maintenance and replacement of the GTS exhaust gasket.

GTS exhaust gasket: A dealer’s view

We got a great email the other day from Victor Voris regarding the GTS exhaust gasket and some of the other issues we’ve been talking about. Victor’s been running Big People Scooters in Seattle since 1989, and was one of America’s most respected Vespa experts during Piaggio’s absence. When Piaggio returned to the U.S., Victor’s Vespa of Seattle was among the first dealerships to open, and one of very few to be run by someone with extensive scooter experience. Since then, both shops have flourished. I respect his opinion greatly, and like others, he feels modern scooter repair is best-left to a factory-trained technician:

There has been a lot of miscommunication and misinformation about the GT/GTS exhaust gasket and packing problems. The first thing to know about the problem is that you are NEVER to take the pipe apart. in all Piaggio shop manuals, as well as at any factory school, you are clearly told this. The reason that the pipe has this graphite one-time-use packing is that the header pipe is made of a different metal than the rest of the exhaust (I believe the header pipe is titanium). Because there is a joint there, and a clamp that can come loose, the torque on the bolt is to be checked as part of the routine service, as it can loosen over time.
In our shop we have seen exhaust systems come in that the customer has beaten apart, which will never go back together and seal, even with a new packing installed. It is by no means a design problem, any problems are coming from incorrect maintenance or repair. PiaggioUSA requires that their dealers have factory trained staff and offers training to their dealers free of charge. It is unfortunate that not every Vespa shop in the country has only factory trained technicians working on their scooters, but that is the case. There are countless other things that home-repair people and non-certified shops are doing that can cause huge damage to a modern Vespa motor. A common mistake we see all the time in the shop is the re-use of the one-time nut on the variator. If this nut fails, one of the many things that can happen is damage to the crankshaft, and installing a new crank is not fun for anyone. All of the factory shop manuals and workshop manuals are posted on Modern Vespa , and anyone working on their scooter at home should download these and read them. I am planning to offer tech classes at Amerivespa this year, and am trying to get Piaggio to send a technical representative as well.

It’s common in scootering (especially on the internet) for a scooterist (often me) to insist he knows more about scooters than the people who make and sell them. Sometimes they (I) do, but there are certain people I’d never dare argue with, and Victor is one of those people. I do, however, look forward to rebuttals.

GTS exhaust gasket: Technical Bulletin No 18/06

In September 2006, we reported on a potential safety hazard involving the GTS250’s exhaust gasket. At the time, the issue got a lot of attention on the scooter forums, and many Vespa owners have been surprised by Piaggio’s lack of a public response. Today, 2strokebuzz received an email from “Paolo Timoni” (clearly not the real Paolo Timoni, as you will see):

Piaggio acknowledges a flaw in design and issues a tech update (months ago?). They post the update quietly in archives of dealer net perhaps intending to defer responsibility for the flaw on improper maintenance if a bike loses brakes/burns. Too bad for people who work on their own bikes not to have the very critical information. Oh and “wear and tear” muffler maintenance will run you $30 for the part + labor every time you remove exhaust…???? Does the NHTSA know about this?

Attached to the email was a PDF of “Piaggio Technical Bulletin No 18/06,” titled “VESPA GTS: Maintenance Procedure for Exhaust System/Gasket.” The bulletin is from Piaggio&C s.p.a. (not PiaggioUSA) and so is presumably targeted to dealers worldwide. For copyright reasons, we won’t post the bulletin here, but (along with a few photos outlining alignment and placement) here is a summary:

  • The graphite exhaust gasket (Part 826388) must be replaced any time the exhaust is removed from the downpipe.
  • A re-used gasket, or improper positioning or torque upon replacement, may result in exhaust gases leaking from the joint, with the possibility of heat damage to surrounding parts.
  • The part is considered a “wear and tear” item, and thus must be charged to the customer at any service after the first.

We can’t speak to “Paolo’s” charges that the bulletin was backdated or purposefully buried in the service archives. It is dated September 19, 2006, a couple weeks after the internet flare-up. The bulletin does make it clear that the gasket must be replaced or danger could result, which is good, but considering the number of home mechanics in the scooter world, and the necessity to remove the pipe for service as simple as changing the rear tire, that the public should have possibly been better informed, and the specific dangers made even more clear to the dealers. Additionally, it is unclear if there were ever quality issues with the gaskets, or if they should be replaced regularly even if the exhaust is not removed. Piaggio absolutely should address these concerns to the public, whether or not NHTSB involvement is necessary.

2sb contributor/scientist/scooter mechanic Brooke Kelley makes a good counterpoint:

I think people need to get used to the idea that now that they’ve got what they wanted in gigantic 4 stroke scooters with freeway cruising power, that they will have to pony up for maintenance, just like a car. When you have to remove exhaust headers on a car, no garage would reuse gaskets that are crucial like that.

If the problem *is* limited to reassembly, mechanics (amateur or professional) should know better than to re-use a gasket. But considering that the exhaust must be removed to change a tire, a service often performed outside a dealership, and that it costs $30, more than a typical gasket, it would be wise for Piaggio to clarify the importance of replacement to owners, and possibly suggest they keep a spare gasket handy. At the time of the original buzz, many owners and dealers claimed that the gaskets were nearly impossible to find. This may have complicated the problem and provoked dealers to re-use gaskets rather than keeping scooters in the shop for weeks waiting for the part.

Even if the bulletin was published (and publicized to dealers) as soon as the problem was discovered, it seems Piaggio could have taken further steps to remedy the situation, both from a safety and a public-relations standpoint. That photo of a gutted GTS on the side of the road, whether it was legitimate or not, probably didn’t sell many bikes.