I have the chance to get a 50cc 4-stroke vespa knockoff for free but, there's always a but, supposedly the valve came off and took out the piston. I'm not sure how much parts are for these things, I assume less than $100 for valve and piston. The original owner paid $1500 or so for this thing new. I wonder how bad the cylinder walls are.  They only go about 35mph but they're street legal. What else...I think that's it. So let me know what you think. Should I even bother? Has anybody ever messed with these things. I've ripped apart and assembled plenty of smaller 2-stroke scooters but never these vespa thingamabobs. Thanks for your input. 73

it will be more than 100, i am sure of that.  If what you say actually happened more than likely the head and cylinder wall are crap to = new engine, just fyi.  If you want to take it and take it apart and figure out how bad it is first.  If its trash or costs to much to fix or you get stuck, just toss it.

Not a Vespa - a knockoff - presumably a Chinese copy of unknown pedigree (or pedigree printed on toilet paper, whichever). An actual Vespa, even with a totally trashed motor, would be worth fooling with - this, not so much.

Don't waste your time. Engines cast out of badly melted pop cans, replacement parts not available or don't fit, you'll end up needing to have a machine shop to work on it - and if you have a machine shop, you'll be wasting your time. You'd be better off building one from scratch.

Assume you can figure a method to take the cheap way out and breed it with a weedwacker or chainsaw to put a new motor in it - is it worth bothering when you examine the quality of construction of the chassis?

As for the price paid, a fool and his...

Quote from: DoD#i on February 12, 2009, 08:47:22 PM
Not a Vespa - a knockoff - presumably a Chinese copy of unknown pedigree (or pedigree printed on toilet paper, whichever). An actual Vespa, even with a totally trashed motor, would be worth fooling with - this, not so much.

Don't waste your time. Engines cast out of badly melted pop cans, replacement parts not available or don't fit, you'll end up needing to have a machine shop to work on it - and if you have a machine shop, you'll be wasting your time. You'd be better off building one from scratch.

Assume you can figure a method to take the cheap way out and breed it with a weedwacker or chainsaw to put a new motor in it - is it worth bothering when you examine the quality of construction of the chassis?

As for the price paid, a fool and his...

aye. engine trashed on a chinese scooter. to me worht no more than a hundred. provided i could source a donor engine of some vintage other than beijing

Thanks for all the input. Kind of what I was thinking. It's a really big paper weight now. Ride Safe!

motors for them are a dime a dozen, i work at a place that sells more scooters than anything else.  florida go figure