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 Post subject: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 12:26 am 
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Since it's practically summer around here already, I'm looking to get back on the road by April.

Hence, I've pretty much decided to buy a Stella because I want a reliable daily rider. I'm looking around and making inquiries, but I really want a 2-stroke and they are no longer made by LML, so I need to find a nearly new one instead. I'm not going to buy a orange or pink one, sorry. Black would be my first perference, followed by avocado. I have a guy in Chicago trying to sell me a baby blue one. Besides not being sure how I feel about that color, I'm also nervous if he is legit or not -- it's on eBay and I'm feeling that's loads better than Craigslist, because at least eBay has some guarantees, but I'm not sure that's enough. Anyone has any experiences bad or good to add about buying off eBay?

Shipping costs turn out to not be too bad after all, so that's not a major factor.

The other thought I have is dropping a new oil-injected 5 port electric start LML 150cc engine from Scooterworks in my '64 VBB. It would make it faster and a lot more reliable, though I would need a new paintjob and all new electrical and cables to make it complete and worthwhile. Thoughts on that angle?

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 Post subject: Re: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:18 pm 
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Lame. Lame. Lame. Get your TV200 in running order and it'll be a daily driver. Unless you are a terrible wrench.

p.s. I've worked on a handful of those LML motors. They are shit. Poor assembly, crankshafts are terrible (big end bearings are horrific, known to blow up and seize top ends). I would rebuild a Piaggio motor before ever spending coin on a LML lump.

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 Post subject: Re: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:22 pm 
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I went with the light blue Stella. Wasn't crazy about the color at first, but it's growing on me.

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 Post subject: Re: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:27 pm 
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NJSkaStomp wrote:
Lame. Lame. Lame. Get your TV200 in running order and it'll be a daily driver. Unless you are a terrible wrench.

p.s. I've worked on a handful of those LML motors. They are shit. Poor assembly, crankshafts are terrible (big end bearings are horrific, known to blow up and seize top ends). I would rebuild a Piaggio motor before ever spending coin on a LML lump.

I might be more sympathetic to your argument if I didn't already know quite a few people that strongly disagree with you. Even a lot of what Piaggio sells isn't made in Italy anymore.

Is Italian-made higher quality? Probably. But the Indians have caught on pretty quickly and make much higher quality these days than they used to. It probably also doesn't hurt that I seem to hang out with a lot of Indians these days. :goatee:

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 Post subject: Re: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:48 pm 
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Yeah, I don't really care to convert your ideas, but I work on them on the regular. I also have to help people replace components that self destruct in their curry bombs. I'm not saying that the 05' "Italian made" PX150s are any better, because I don't have one. But the fit and finish on them is 10x better and the EFL transmission is worth serious coin.

The only things that are really well done on the LML bikes are a) The Frames, they are a higher gauge steel than the Piaggio frames, b) they did a good job with the steering column's disc brake set up, c) adding reed valve induction, and d) reprofiling the stock 3 port cylinder to be a little more aggressive. But the engines are hit & miss. Do yourself a favor and replace the crankshaft with a higher quality Mec Eur or Tameni shaft.

I would've got myself a indian GP200 before I threw down cash on that.

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 Post subject: Re: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 6:47 pm 
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NJSkaStomp wrote:
I would've got myself a indian GP200 before I threw down cash on that.

Then I'd be back with the TV200 before I'd do a GP200, though I have no issues with the GPs.

The reason I'm not going to turn the TV200 into a daily runner is when I thought that through, it made me too paranoid. They're worth too much and I'd be worried all the time about it getting stolen. And when you ride anything a lot, it's more likely to get damaged as well and I really shudder at that too. Also, it has a long ways to go before it's really reliable. Like the electrical system on it needs to be completely ripped out and replaced. And I have nowhere right now to work on it, nor the tools anymore, nor the patience, frankly.

I had already decided to pay Gene at Scooters Originali to fix her up, but that's on the back burner now that spring is hitting again. Now my priority is to ride, ride, ride and to get some riders organized in Syracuse again. The TV200 will probably have to wait until winter.

Maybe the same with the VBB, for that matter. When I seriously looked into dropping an LML 150cc engine into it, the whole issue got so complicated that I was getting headaches. I want a new engine for it, but the front wheel conversion to 10 inches is complicated at best and several people convinced me it doesn't look right and I admit they're largely correct. But converting the back wheel to 8 inches is almost worse, because now you screw up the gearing completely. So for now, it's back on the back burner again. :confused:

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 Post subject: Re: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 6:53 pm 
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Or fix the original engine. Not too difficult!

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 Post subject: Re: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 7:41 pm 
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NJSkaStomp wrote:
Or fix the original engine. Not too difficult!

On the VBB? Yeah, that's generally true. I just asked Anthony at Ithaca Scooter how much he'd want to do that. But I also want it painted, probably jet black with some subtle white trim. I always thought the ugly dark blue on it was original, but recently I saw some light blue undercoat, so maybe the original owner I bought it from painted it?

I saw a really clean VBB the other day on Westcott Street, in front of AltoCinco. I'd forgotten how sharp they look when cleaned up like that. Definitely inspiring. :thumbup:

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 Post subject: Re: 2012 riding season quickly approaching
PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 1:52 am 
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Do you not have the time to rebuild it yourself?

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