models
the smallframes.com vespa 125 primavera et3
Almost every how-to guide on this site shows a real job I needed to perform on the smallframes.com project Vespa 125 Primavera ET3. It was apparently made in 1983 and used in Modena, Italy for 17 years. In 2000 it was imported by Weston Scooter Parts and sold by a shop in Brick Lane, London, called Scooter Emporium. I think at the time they were scouring Italian scrapyards for scooters to do up and sell in the UK, as there was some kind of scrappage scheme in Italy to boost its motor industry, and lots of perfectly good machines were being scrapped. When they cleaned italy out they started on Spain, and imported a bunch of Motovespas. Their website still exists (possibly just as a zombie site) but the shop has long gone.
I originally chose the ET3 because I needed nothing bigger than a 125cc, not having passed my bike test at the time, and it's the fastest classic smallframe. Having electronic ignition it should supposedly have been more reliable. I always prefered the more classic shape over the PK and larger PX models, and the sweet handling of smallframes appealed to me more than the lopsided largeframe layout. I rode it every day, for several years, treated it roughly and wrung its neck.
The trouble is a vintage smallframe Vespa is not a reliable everyday proposition. Every year it seemed that every cable would snap at least once and two clutches would wear out. Every time it left me stranded I would say "do that one more time and I'll buy a Honda." Eventually it snapped a clutch cable once too often and I made good on my threat. I bought a brand new CBR 125R that weekend and never rode the Vespa again. I stuck it out in the rain for 6 years while I passed my bike test, moved on to a Honda VRX400 Roadster and then a Triumph Thruxton 900.
A couple of years ago I decided that I had to do something about the rusting unloved scooter sitting in my car park with half its wiring hanging out. Either fix it up to sell it or give it a full restoration, make it the scooter I always wanted and keep it forever. Well, I chose the latter. My friends Trevor and Ben ran a shop called Project 13 Scooters and I entrusted the old knackered blue ET3 to them for a proper restomod job.
Project 13 Scooters
Project 13 worked their magic. It's been backdated to the 60s in appearance, while the mechanics have been worked on to give 17bhp and usable torque. It has been stripped back to bare metal. All the dents have been knocked out and the bodywork straightened. The floor, which was split where the kickstand hit it has been welded and new crossbracing and strengthening panels have been welded in. The fork, wheels, stand and other components have been powder coated. The engine has been stripped, tuned, internally polished and converted to reed valve induction. The crank has been replaced with a big bearing model. The carb is now a 24mm with rubber mounting, and the pipe is a VSP Road expansion chamber. The suspension is SIP's compact fully adjustable offering. The speedo is an SIP digital model with luxuries like a trip meter, temperature gauge and rev counter, and a speedo that displays the actual speed you're doing rather than a random selection of places the needle gets stuck. The lights are now 12v and actually useful. The rear has an LED conversion. The 80s taillight was replaced with a genuine 60s one. The body is finished in deep gloss black, whilst the fork, hubs and rims were powder-coated, and the seat was reupholstered in a vinyl moulded with a funky carbon fibre weave.
Incidentally, the Triumph Thruxton was never very fun to ride. I sold it, and I don't think I'll ever buy another full-size motorcycle. The Vespa on the other hand is staying forever. It looks perfect and is antisocially noisy and scarily fast, so as a tribute to its silliness I put a Scuderia Ferrari 'cavalino rampante' on it rather than a Piaggio emblem. Well, it was from Modena!
In 2020 I moved to France, and took the Vespa with me.
