The Vespa findings examined

Handlebar parts to at least VM1-VM2.

Yes, I couldn't resist a small wood box filled with Vespa parts on a veteran fair here in Sweden. Today I opened the box to really see what I had purchased. 

Most parts belong to a 1953 Vespa 125, VM1, faro basso. The seller at the fair said that he last year  sold a restored VM1 at the same market. But he couldn't tell if this is the leftovers from that restoration. The seller had more but other two wheel parts, so I guess he vacuums his neighbourhood for things to sell.

Yes, this was all his Vespa parts.

Spare wheel holder mounted under rear luggage rack.

Cover for clutch side.

Flywheel to a GS among all faro basso stuff.

Kick start lever, VM1-VM2

Intake from carburettor, also VM1-VM2. Also VL1-3?

Muffler for smallframe-

Dell'Orto TA 17B carburettor, for Vespa 125 U.

Close-up to the above.

An extra cylinder.

The Vespa VM1 1953 engine in all it's glory...

Findings at fair, o scambio

I went to fair for veteran vehicles this sunday. Not with big hopes, mostly parts for Swedish mopeds and for Volvo's and Saab's. And for american cars. Fun anyway.
And I managed to pick up some Vespa parts. Not in good shape as you can see but for a reasonable price. A mix from different Vespa's. A silencer for a smallframe, the engine is marked VM1 without the swing. Some handlebar parts also VM1, an extra cylinder with a broken piston, kick lever, rear mount for a sparewheel.
Crème de la crème? A Dell'Orto TA 17B carburettor! For the pre-VM1 Vespas.

Trying to steal Vespa 50 PK!

Someone is trying to ruin my PK-project!

Scooter meet in Stockholm

This evening - questa sera - in Stockholm. Scooter coffee again. Vespa-Lambretta 5-2.
Above is "Fixar-Erik", on his VGL, what we in Sweden call "Touring", an exportmodel with 6 hp engine and 10-inch wheels, from 1957-1962. But this has a PX 200-engine, handlebar from a VL3, headlamp from an Utilitaria (!) and it's a low rider...
Some italians would say "tamarro".

A Lambretta Li 150, formerly owned by "Tysken".

Two Vespas, one Lambretta.

An Ape would suit me nice!

Such a beauty! A working Vespa in the form of an Ape from Piaggio.

I think this is a Ape Motocarro 500. They were built in Pontedera at Piaggio factory from 1964 to 1968, the internal name being "AD1T". The version allowed to carry 450 kg's were in production 1964-1966. The 500 kg-version between 1966 and 1968.
The engine was 175 cc, 8,25 hp at 4 750 RPM, hurling it up to 50-60 km/h.
So, this one in the pictures has been unused for some time. The guys showing it to me do remember some hilarious escapedes in the 70's...
Well, I wonder if the engine is seized? And is the there a lot of rot?

What's wrong with you when you want things that look like this?

The old style with four bolts remained longer on the Ape's.

Cosy cabin, petrol tank to the right. Handy in a crash...

That silly grin tells it all, doesn't it?

The speedo goes to 90 km per hour. What an experience!

It should look like this! Picture from MondoApe.com

A cousin tries a Vespa

This is my brother's daughter. She is 14 and next year she is allowed to drive a moped, 50 cc. She has had her eye on my son's (her cousin) Vespa 50 R from 1973. This evening we let her drive it.
This was her first try at driving a moped/vespa. She was very good. This first lesson was dedicated to drive in first gear, brake and stop.
Now she definitely want's a real Vespa, no twist'n'go!

(the drive was taken place in a fenced area and no animals were injured).

Another island, other scooters

I made a trip to the island Åland, situated between Sweden and Finland. It's a part of Finland but the inhabitants speaks Swedish.
Stumbled on a Cezeta, the scooter of Czekoslovakian origin built between 1957 and 1964, 175 cc and 200 cc. Matte drives a "Primmy" and he brought me to the owner of the Cezeta.
I also found a Vespa Rally 180. In a condition...
The Vespa requires a total restoration, a lot of work, and welding, and...
Strange: it has plates from Genoa

Vespa greetings for Indonesia

Today is the independence day for Indonesia. The former colony of Holland was liberated on the 17h of august 1945. Some Vespa riders will celebrate this by giving veteran's of the Indonesian republic a ride on some veteran Vespas. Way to go!

New Vespa item sold as old

The enamel sign above is sold at an Swedish auction site. It's described as an original 50's sign, "bought in a Piaggio Vespa Antique Shop in Florens", Florens being the Swedish name of Firenze. I didn't know it was a shop in that town selling only antique (sic) Vespa stuff. The sign is according to the seller NOS, new old stock, even if uses another frase; "it has never been mounted".

Well, to me the Vespa logo is from th 2000's. The colour is also wrong for being a 50's sign, and it should also read Piaggio. 

Compare the logo with the red one below. It's from an original manual to a Vespa 125 U.  The letters are quite different from the one's of the sign above.

 Here ist the modern version of the Vespa logo, taken from an official Vespa site:



Last picture, from a 1953 Vespa 125 sitting al fresco at my backyard:

So, the sign at the auction site has a highest bidder of approximately 70 euro, not meeting the reserve. Not a lot if you want a sign with a Vespa logo.
What's bothering me is the false saying that the sign is a geuine 50's Vespa sign. That stinks!

Small Piaggio badge on a Rally

Yes, it's obviously a Vespa Rally 200. But what about the small badge on top of the tail light. What's it from? Someone has styled the Rally sometimes, the current owner hasn't got a clue.
Any of you who knows better?

Sausage with Vespa flavour

This is really the wurst I have seen. A Swedish "meat company" has a sausage called "Santoreggia" on the market. Seasoned with chili, citrus and savory (?).

Testing of a Vespa U

Vespa 125 U, 1953.

Nice scooter! Sorry 'bout the bloke...
Picture taken last year during overhaul of newly discovered and purchased Vespa 125 U.
Note cramped left hand trying to make silent gearchange.

Douglas and Lambretta

From the 1951-1952 Swedish parade of motorcycles. A large colour leaflet presenting the new models on the market. Of my interest is the scooter section.

Just wondering why there is a picture of an English Douglas Vespa instead of an italian Vespa? The first Vespas in Sweden about 1949-1950 were italian, sold through the Ford cars dealership. My own 1951 Vespa 125 were sold by the Ford dealer in Piteå, very north of Stockholm, approx 250 km´s below the Arctic circle. The Douglas Vespas were never officially imported to Sweden.

The importer of  the Lambretta 125 C was the firm "Bil & Truck" in Gothenburg.

The clip below is from a Swedish newspaper, about 1948-1949, and it tells us that although there are plenty of Lambrettas in Italy, no one has reached Sweden yet. A nice 125m (A).

Svalan Scooter third in a race!

  

The line-up from left Svalan Scooter 1954, Jim on Maraton 1950,
Björn on Speed 1950 and Göran on NV 1950.

 There was a hard race last weekend. A battle between four twowheelers sharing the same engine, the sturdy Swedish-built JB 128 cc delievering a whopping 4,5 bhp. One scooter, my own Svalan from 1954, was up against three Swedish motorcycles, all from 1950. Basically a NV from Nymans Verkstäder that was badge-engineered into Maraton and Speed.
Göran on the NV was fastest over two stretches of 201 meters (due to crap brakes we didn't dare go 402 meters). Jim on Maraton ended up second, although I had the chance to overtake him the second time. A missed gearchange ruined it!
Well, I was third just ahead of Björn on his Speed.
Maybe we'll do it again, hopefully with more contestants!
Why a scooter from 1954 against three motorcycles from 1950? Why the time gap? Well, the 128 cc-engine was considered dated in 1954. But the engine-maker firm of John Benson convinced two manufacturers that this engine was excellent for scooters...

Here I'm about to overtake Jim, but it was ruined by bad gearchanging.

The winner Göran is praised after his victory. Ref Rickard owns the Luna.

Lambretta as kid's bicycle

This really cool children's bicycle was built by the french firm MFA in 1960. It's featured in a new book by bicycle collector Michael Embacher and photographer Bernard Angerer. The wittingly named book, "Cyclepedia: A Century of Iconic Bicycle Design", is published by Chronicle Books.
This little Lambretta has a gigantic "want"-factor. Note the little aeroplane on the front mudguard (an original Biemme!), the spare wheel and the ornamentation over the air intakes.

Rain didn't stop the Mods!

Actually, it's a Police Porsche in the background.

Today's veteran exhibition in Stockholm suffered some heavy rain.
Among the particpants were Stockholm Mods Scooter Club, with 7-8 scooters. One Lambretta and the rest Vespas. They arrived during a light drizzle and left in downpour. All the parkases (?) had changed colour, from light to dark green.
There were also two members from Vespa Club Stockholm present.
Now it's only four weeks to Mods & Rockers here in Stockholm.

La mostra d'Epoca oggi in Stoccolma aveva molto pioggia. Ma Stoccolma Mod Scooter Club partecipato nonostante tutti.

Wet, Wet, Wet, the Mods changed their music taste.

Heavy rain, but the Mods don't care.

Mike's Lambretta TV 175.