Vespa ET-4 sccoter - Help please

Hi guys,

I feel a bit ashamed to ask that on a cycling forum, especially after Boris did let scooters and motorbikes ride on the buses lanes, which I know irritates a lot here!

A friend of mine, who is also a cyclist, have trouble with her scooter, and, according to her mechanics, needs the whole engine replaced, although her machine is only 5 years old and less that 4000 miles...

Anyone with any expertise here who good say if that sounds feasable, or who could recommend a trustworthy mechanic in London?

Even better, anyone with a cheap replacment engine, for ET4 or ET2 50cc!! (she is checking ebay already)

Thanks

Loic

Have they tried 'Scooterworks' near Bermondsey.
Very trustworthy/friendly.

I used to use them alot..... before i saw the light and ditched the engine ;-)

I'll tell her!

Thanks!

Loic

4,000 miles and already the engine need replacing??

stick around, there's some scooterhead here that can help, I think.

http://www.scooterworks-uk.com/
Pleasure...
Si

4,000 miles and already the engine need replacing??

stick around, there's some scooterhead here that can help, I think.

Stroker poorly maintained didn't do to bad to get to 4000.

Another vote for Scooterworks

Try here, the guy is called Nial and he's really helpful and honest. He restored an early seventies Vespa for me and was great to deal with and not too pricey. http://www.retrospectivescooters.co.uk/

pm Vinyl Villan he rides scooters :p

I think BlueQuinn has unspeakable Vepsa related habits- he may be the man to PM also.

theres a place right between shop 14 and brick lane bikes truman brewery area just off brick lane
maybe more classics but they might be able to help

It's true I have a Vespa. It hasn't moved in over 4 years, but before I gave up on it I did all my own spannering and rebuilt the motor twice. I could tell you anything about vintage smallframe vespa mechanics.

But I know very little about modern Vespas though, and nothing about the 4 stroke engine.
Having said that, what are the symptoms? does it run at all?
It might be that it makes more economic sense to replace rather than repair.

The place Dicki mentioned used to be a good shop and may still be. It was a little on the pricey side, and I don't know if they do moderns. Ska Scooters on Cambridge Heath Rd has a bunch of ETs outside it, so might be a good place to try.

theres a place right between shop 14 and brick lane bikes truman brewery area just off brick lane
maybe more classics but they might be able to help

I found them really unhelpful!! I had broken clutch cable just outside their shop (10min job) and they couldn't be arsed fixing it for me, saying i had to book 3weeks wait!!!! So bike stranded........ Oh! and he was just sitting on his arse drinking coffee...

Hi Guys,

A quick word to say thank you all for your advises and addresses. I had copied a link to the thread to my friend and she thanks you all...

As Blue Quinn said, apparently it made more sense economicaly to replace the engine rather than repairing the existing one. She found a second hand engine on the bay, and her mechanics seems to think it's good one...

Thanks again!

Szia

Loic

i will vouch for scooterworks , the owner is a very good friend of maybe ten years or so and is very fair and would never replace a part or components for the sake of an extra sale. i nice thing to know if you are leaving a scooter to be mot'd or serviced.

Another big up for Scooterworks- very friendly, great advice.

I found them really unhelpful!! I had broken clutch cable just outside their shop (10min job) and they couldn't be arsed fixing it for me, saying i had to book 3weeks wait!!!! So bike stranded........ Oh! and he was just sitting on his arse drinking coffee...

The spannering happens elsewhere. The shop blokes are not the mechanics.
If you own an old vespa you have to get into doing your own repairs or you'll spend money faster than you earn it. I used to go there, buy the spares I needed and do the repairs myself outside the shop - popping in to borrow their tools :-)