Vespa Scooter Longings

One of the most enduring scenes in cinema is in the classic film Roman Holiday. The film starred the immortal and ever beautiful Audrey Hepburn (Oh how I love her!) and the talented Gregory Peck. Hepburn played a princess who was visiting Rome for a state visit. Tired of her strictly regimented life, she escaped the confines of her embassy, disguised herself as a commoner and began touring the streets of Rome. There she met Gregory Peck who played an American correspondent in Italy. The movie was basically a sight-seeing tour of the streets and Rome, but it is very memorable because they both toured the scenic spots in a Vespa scooter.

This singular scene catapulted the Vespa as a cultural icon. Though the movie was not really what you call a happy ending for they both did not end up with each other (oops sorry for ruining the plot to those who have not seen it), generations of girls dream of becoming Audrey Hepburn being swept away by their own Gregory Peck driving into the sunset in their very own Vespa.

Vespa scooters have their cult following. Like the Volkswagen or the Mini Cooper, Vespas are liked because of their unique (some consider cute as the more appropriate description) design. Vespa’s design was derived from wasps hence the name. As a matter of fact, wasp if translated into Italian is called vespa. The Vespa was first made after world war two and since then its design saw little deviations. Scooters are perfect for the old narrow and cobbled Roman streets. It reflects the olden times when people are gentler, the days seemed slower and the air was full of romanticism. From those famed cobbled streets Vespa spread throughout the world. Perhaps because this little mode of transportation is perfect for weaving in and out in today’s heavily congested roads or perhaps Italians are really talented designers of vehicles. (I am sure most of you will agree with me on this point. I have yet to meet somebody who finds the highly desirable and exotic Ferrari sports cars as ugly.)

Ever since I had seen a Vespa in Roman Holiday, I always wanted to buy one for myself. There were only two problems that presented themselves to me. First, there is no Vespa being sold in our region and second, even if there are Vespas in our island, I cannot afford one. The closest things that resemble a Vespa in our place are the delivery scooters of Yellow Cab Pizza. I even joked to my cousin that we should steal one, remove the delivery compartment at the back and repaint it with any color not yellow. I would even dream of accessorizing them with parts from scooter, but of course I know that all this will just be a dream to me. Maybe in my mind’s eye, I see myself also driving a Vespa, sweeping my own Audrey Hepburn off her feet and we will both ride off into the sunset.

David Scott is the writer and webmaster of http://www.myscooterparts.co.uk a distributor of VE UK parts & accessories dedicated to offering an efficient and cost effective service online.. He likes to discuss more about Scooter Parts and various accessories of Scooter. To see more about visit the Website.

View article sources

Read more...

Discovering the Sights of a Roman Holiday

It may be more than fifty years since the classic film Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday was made but you will still find the vibrant city of Rome offers you an ideal escape.

Indeed, locals and tourists alike still find a Vespa ideal for navigating the city; if you want to emulate Hepburn and her co-star Gregory Peck just ensure to have good road sense. Therefore, begin your trip by heading for the Colosseum on Piazalle de Colloseo to soak up its ruined grandeur. Built in 80 AD it could accommodate an impressive 80,000 spectators and be sure to visit its Museum of Eros, especially if you are enjoying a romantic break.

A little further on is the Palatine Hill. The most central of Rome’s seven hills, it is also the ancient heart of the city. From its heights you can visit the Roman Forum, where Princess Ann first meets Joe Bradley, the reporter after fleeing her gilded prison.

Follow the route along Via dei Fori Imperial towards the baroque Trevi Fountain. Princess Ann has her hair cut in a barber’s shop here, and it also features in Fellini’s ‘La Dolce Vita’ and ‘Three Coins in the Fountain’, so throw in a coin yourself to ensure your return to Rome.

Continue on to the impressive Spanish Steps, where you can still buy flowers, as in the film, and take in the luxurious displays of the upmarket shops on Via Condotti. Be warned though, the prices are as steep as the steps, so you may want to stick to window shopping unless you have a deep purse.

Perhaps the most famous moment in ‘Roman Holiday’ involves the ‘Mouth of Truth’ (Bocca della Verita); according to legend the mouth can detect lies if you place your hand in it. If you dare to copy Audrey you will find the sculpture at the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. The unnerving head with its open mouth dates back to ancient Rome and the myth around it has grown since medieval times.

Santa Maria stands close to the River Tiber and you can follow the Lungotevere which winds along its banks. Stop off in the cobbled streets of Trastevere to explore its charming cafes, bars and restaurants and then continue on to the Ponte Sant Angelo, where Audrey danced her night of freedom away on a decorated barge.

Of course, there is much to see and do when visiting Rome, so be sure to allow time to uncover its Renaissance art, stunning architecture, modern shops and vibrant restaurants and bars. At times it can prove difficult to fit everything into a visit to such a large city; however, it is good to know that you will find plenty of central accommodation, and also hotels near Rome if you would prefer to avoid the crowds.

And whether you choose to revisit the popular landmarks that helped make Roman Holiday famous, or perhaps even create your own itinerary, you will find there is much to explore on a trip to Rome.

Andrew Regan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

View article sources

Read more...

Scooter Wraps - An affordable alternative to airbrushing

Customising scooters has been around almost as long as the popular 2 wheeled transports themselves, with it taking off vastly during the mod-era of the 70's. Scooterists added mirrors, badgers, chrome, and engine goodies to name a few, but modifying the scooters paintwork and look has always been out of reach for all but the most dedicated scooter enthusiast due to the extortionate costs of airbrushing and painting.

Traditionally the scooter would have to be completely stripped down to a bare frame and panels, then painstakingly sanded flat before painting a base coat and lacquer on again, and that's just changing the colour; if a scooterist wanted to add any artwork or decals these would then require further work as the painter needed to hand mask basic shapes and then meticulously add in further detail completely by hand bit by bit, having to wait in between colour changes for the paint to dry and so forth. Needless to say this is a very skilled task not for the faint hearted and hence the price has always reflected that, with many airbrushing jobs costing thousands of pounds.

With modern large format printers however, there is another option; vinyl wrapping. This process involves digitally creating the design, or even using a digital or scanned photo, and then printing it out onto large sheets of adhesive vinyl, these are them laminated to increase durability by protecting about UV and abrasion and then "wrapped" around the scooters bodywork. Although this is still a skilled task within itself, as the installation usually requires 2 people to position the vinyl and control the contours it wraps around by using a heat gun, the task is nowhere near as complicated as traditional painting and airbrushing, and hence offers massive savings on price.

Not only this, but since everything is controlled digitally in the design phase, it can offer complete photo realism and super accurate detail compared to airbrushing, where it has always been limited by the skill of the artist and how fine their tools can go. Combine this is the ability to digital proof everything and vinyl wrapping allows you to see how your finished scooter will look before anything is even printed, taking any surprises out of the process.

Then at the end of the day, perhaps a few years down the line when your scooter has been like that for a while, you can always remove the vinyl wrap and put another one on! Read more...

Cleaning The Top-End (Decoking)

This tutorial will demonstrate the process of decoking the top end, or removing the carbon deposits from the engine. This is a standard maintenance and should be performed every 6000km (4000 miles), or every year for machines that are never heating up (quick hops about town). It will be virtually impossible to get all the crud off of the engine parts, so don't be overly compulsive about it. Though the process seems daunting, like putting a wheel together, it is one of those chores that you will be able to fly through after your first go. I would give it a few hours for the first time. I hear some asking, "why should I do this; my engine runs fine?" This procedure is important because of the heat and power restrictions a two stroke engine has to contend with. By letting junk build up on the piston, cylinder and head, you are effectively decreasing the fuel capacity of your motor (ie 200 cc to something slightly less). Since waste carbon, commonly called coke, is left from burning two stroke oil, the engine will suffer from an overly "rich" condition and generally run badly or start hard. A few signs that your top-end may need to be cleaned are oily, constantly fouling spark plugs; hard starting (more than 4 kicks) and lots of exhaust smoke. I would reccomend you preced this operation with a carb rebuild when attempting for the first time. Synthetic lubricants will increase the period of this procedure, but it is still worthwhile to consider attempting every year. This procedure is best done in a covered, well lit area (like a garage) so no crap gets into your top end.

Tools & Parts Needed
Multi Screwdriver
Spark Plug Wrench
Disposeable Shop Towels
A can of Carb Cleaner
A Tube of Anti-Sieze Lubricant
13mm and 11mm Deep Socket
Torque Wrench (Absolutely neccessary, DO NOT perform without this item)
Plastic Bondo (Body Filler) Scraper
Plastic "Wire" Brush
Tub of All-Purpose / Bearing Grease ("Green Goop")


Procedure

---

Step 1 Undo the arrowed screws and the flywheel shroud will fall right off. Put the shroud and all the little screws in a safe place (or sand it down and paint it if you have a day or two).

Step 2 Gently prise off the spark plug connector and put it one side. Undo the Shroud bolt right next to the spark plug. Unhook the air bellows from the frame and push it to one side. Slide the cylinder shroud off of the engine by pulling towards the front of the bike. You should now be able to see the cylinder. Remove the sparkplug with the sparkplug wrench.

Step 3 Remove the nuts by loosening them slowly in this order. Do a quarter turn, go to the next, quarter turn, next, quarter turn, next, etc. until the nuts are removed. This will take a while, but you risk bending the aluminum head if you don't do them in small steps and in order. The same is true for tightening. Carefully collect the hardware and remove the cylinder head.

Step 4 Since the flywheel is connected to the crank, you can raise and lower the piston simply by turning the flywheel by hand. To start, position the piston to the top of the bore. You are now ready to start cleaning.

Step 5 With the piston at the top of the bore, rub a ring of all purpose grease around the circumference of the piston head. This will catch any little chunks of carbon. If your piston is totally coated in carbon (like mine) use a plastic scraper to get most of the crud off. When you are done scraping, remove the remainder with a plastic "wire" brush. Metal is NOT reccomended.

Step 6 Wipe off all of the grease from the scraping. To clean the sides of the piston and bore, apply another ring of grease and turn the flywheel slowly. The piston will recede into the bore. Go halfway down, rub away some of the grease with a disposeable towel then go to the bottom and repeat. Keep re-applying grease until the metal on the bore is clean.

Step 7 To clean the cylinder head, use copious amounts of carb cleaner and shop towel, the carbon doesn't tend to stick quite as badly to the head and there's more room to work on it. This part, if any, should be sparkly aluminum grey by the end. Once you finish cleaning the head, spread some anti sieze lubricant (stops threads from stripping) on the thread on the cylinder studs.

Step 8 Put the head back on. Hand tighten the screws in order until each becomes snug. Then, using the quarter turn method, tighten the screws with a torque wrench, in order, using a torque of 1.7-2.2 kgf m (12.30-15.91 lbf ft). Re assemble the bodywork in the reverse order. Install the Spark Plug last and reconnect the bellows be stretching the rubber around the lip on the frame.

Once all the panels are back on the bike, kick start the engine as usual. The engine should roar to life after a few kicks. If the kickstart lever doesn't feel firm or if the the engine will only run when the choke is turned on, you have an air leak. This will probably be caused by the sparkplug not being tight enough (*The plug is touchy, don't tighten it too strongly or you will rip the threads out of the aluminum*). If you did rip the threads, there will be a leak around the damage -- take the piece to a machine shop and have them install a "helicoil insert", and remind them of the fact it is a cylinder head so they can use a high heat transfer coil. This will replace the old threads and make a much stronger thread. If the plug IS seated properly, the cylinder head may be warped from improper tightening. IF YOU FOLLOW THE RULES, THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN. However, if it is warped, you will need some 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper and a piece of glass. Tape the paper to the glass and wet it. Hold the cylinder head in your palm and rotate the bottom on the paper until it is flat. Once you are done remount it and try again. This maintenance should be done yearly for year round riders, every 6000km (4000 miles) for the "rally only" types.

www.vespamaintenance.com
Read more...