New 2008 Owner -- Essentials to know

The original 2-stroke Genuine scooter and its 4-stroke manual and automatic offspring

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whereshaldo
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New 2008 Owner -- Essentials to know

Post by whereshaldo »

I just picked up a 2008 Stella 150, I think I did ok. $1000, has 1100 miles, hasn't really been ridden for the last 5 years. I'm putting in a new battery but it kicks over and starts right up and rides seemingly just fine. I'm wondering what people would recommend I do to just blow out all the cobwebs.

Should I change gearbox oil? 2 stroke oil? Brake fluid?

Anything else? The front brake seems to pull a little bit but coming from a Honda C70 with drum brakes, its just taking a bit to get used to feathering on the brake.

I'm digging through the threads and reading as much as I can, just don't want to start off on the wrong foot.
milly
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Post by milly »

Hi and welcome
Here is a link to Stella tune up good info
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BXKsQ2nbn
and in the UK here we have this forum with lots of info on. They be called the LML Star 125 over here
http://lmlocgb.co.uk/phpBB3/
Hope thats some use to you.
Vespa motor sport also has a few more vids of Stella on the one at the top
Have fun :)
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johnk
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Post by johnk »

Welcome, and nice find!

I think it's a good idea to change all those fluids, just for a clean start, especially if you're inclined to tinker. The drained gearbox oil can give you some idea of the condition of the engine. The 2-stroke oil would need to be sucked out with a syringe, which isn't difficult, but you're probably okay just burning through whatever's in there and filling it back up as you go. (Many people experience a leak at the bottom of the filler neck, so it's a good idea not to fill it past there.) At the very least, make sure these are all topped up.

Here's a great video from Scooterwest (AKA Vespa Motorsport) walking through a tune-up.

It sounds like there aren't too many cobwebs to blow out, especially if it's running! Does the clutch feel good? Is it shifting smoothly? Are all the lights working?
whereshaldo
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Post by whereshaldo »

That's kind of what I've come around to is to do the gear oil and take the opportunity to clean everything up a little bit just so that if there are leaks or weeps later, I can see them.

All the lights, instruments and horn work. Only the starter doesn't seem to want to turn, it makes a little bit of a whine and maybe will slowly turn the engine once over but I think that's more a condition of the battery being dead (it was dry and I tried to revive it with a little electrolyte and water to no avail). Its starts right up on first kick but does not want to idle until its properly warmed up. If I remember correctly from old 2 stroke Saabs, its better to just start driving it rather than waiting for everything to warm up (the oil) like you do with a 4 stroke.

Lots of rotten rubber under the engine cover, but that doesn't surprise me given what I've read and given that its mostly sat for 10 years. The rest of the cosmetic rubber on the floor and around the glovebox and cowls is nice and soft.

The crank, if anything, seems to be the potential weak spot but I'm not going to fix it until it fails. Until then I'll just ride it and fix the little rotten bits when I can and obsessively tweak and tune it with a mostly stock setup. I think a SIP Road 2.0 or another exhaust is in my very near future

H
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johnk
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Post by johnk »

Regarding the battery/starter, it might make sense to buy a Battery Tender, which will charge the battery all the way if the battery can hold a charge. If it doesn't charge, then you know it needs to be replaced, and the Battery Tender will still be useful for keeping the new one charged.

You can replace a lot of those rubber parts from Scooter Mercato and Scooterwest. For the most part, any rubber pieces for a Vespa P/PX will fit. Silicone spray is good for rejuvenating dry rubber, and Permatex Black Silicone is good for repairing torn rubber.
whereshaldo
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Post by whereshaldo »

That Stella 2T tuneup video is nice. I'm quite mechanical but its good to see someone else take it apart first. carb kit, fluid lines and rubber bits ordered.

Thanks for the info, its a good starting point to get me on the road and feeling confident in it being reliable.
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johnk
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Post by johnk »

Awesome. You might also find the Haynes Manual useful.
whereshaldo
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More newbie questions

Post by whereshaldo »

Ok, I have a few more questions now that I've been riding this for a little more than a week.

First I did some work on my center stand, the left leg was bent forward and caused the bike to lean left. I persuaded it back to a straight position, but even now when on the stand both wheels are firmly resting on the ground. My understanding is that the front wheel should be off the ground. Just wondering whether I should find a new stand eventually or if this is the way these are.

Second, the bike does not start up straight away in the morning, but requires 2-3 times cranking it over for 3-4 seconds before it starts. Is this a condition of the above stance not being correct and the carb getting flooded? I am not shutting off the petcock at night the thought being the less I turn it the longer it may last.

Third, I am scraping the centerstand, mostly when turning left. Is this usual or is this because the stand is bent too far forward?

I'll try to post a picture later today.

Hal
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johnk
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Post by johnk »

All that, except scraping the centerstand in turns, sounds normal to me!

The front wheel on my 2T sits on the ground while it's on the centerstand. I figure the centerstand has just bent over time (mine is sixteen years old), but it's also possible that the older bikes were built that way.

I doubt the carb is getting flooded just from the stance. I think it's totally normal to take a few tries on a first start. Are you using the choke?

In addition to the choke, the user manual recommends pulling in the clutch and kicking the kickstart lever a few times before the first start of the day. See if this makes any difference.

I may be wrong about this—I've never had to fix a petcock—but I would think it's more important to protect the carburetor by keeping the petcock off while you're not riding. Whenever the petcock is on, the entire volume of fuel in the tank is "resting" on the float needle valve, which that valve is not designed to support in the long term. It may be easier to fix than a petcock, but it will flood the engine if it fails. By contrast, the petcock is designed to be used regularly.

Maybe you lean the bike much more than I do, but I don't think I've ever gotten close to scraping the centerstand. Does your centerstand return more or less flush with the floorboards, or does it hang loose?
artfull dodger
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Post by artfull dodger »

I would second using the pet cock when the scoot sits for any length of time. Thats what its there for. Keep up the posts about your new to you Stella. I am torn between a Stella or a Vespa LX150 myself. I will be going with one or the other very shortly. Just need to make sure the Stella, which is the style of scoot I want the most, will hold up with light commuting duties, 46 mile round trip at 50-55mph, without major issues doing so. Mike
Silly NT's....I have Asperger's!!!
whereshaldo
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Post by whereshaldo »

I'm guessing its not supposed to look like this. Maybe some creative persuasion is in order. I need to lay down an look at this better.
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johnk
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Post by johnk »

Yeah, it should sit close to parallel with the floorboard when it's folded up. If you just lift it up a bit with your toe, does it stay? That's the arrangement I have with mine these days.

Scooterwest sells a hardware kit for restoring the centerstand. I'm not familiar with the job, but I believe you'll need another (longer?) spring or two. It's also possible that just replacing the spring(s) will solve the problem.
whereshaldo
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Post by whereshaldo »

Its definitely not laying flat. When the center stand is up, the rubber bumper hits the angled portion of the bracket underneath, but that holds the legs about 2" away from the bottom of the scooter at the ends. I'll have to find another scooter to look at.

Another question is how everyone gets out and reinstalls the plastic plug at the back of the airbox that gives you access to the fuel/air mixture screw. That is a bugger to get out and even worse to get back in. I guess you shouldn't need to mess with it much but its a hard to access bit. Adjusting the mixture really changed the idle and even the sound of the exhaust note however (I went from being about 3/4 of a turn out to going to the recommended 1 1/2 turns out).

Hal
milly
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Post by milly »

Just to confirm my centre stand bent on the left hand side and scraps on left hand corners . I changed it two weeks ago and my front wheel touches the ground. Feels precarious when on uneven ground but gives it a push about to make sure. For the first few days front wheel was off the ground a bit.
whereshaldo
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3 steps forward one step back

Post by whereshaldo »

I got the carb clean and put about 100 miles on this weekend. Its running really well now and just ticks along like it should. I did pull off the center stand and bent both legs about 2 inches up and the bike now sits properly. Its also much easier to get off the stand.

I filled it up today and noticed that gas is leaking out the vent hole on the top of the gas cap. Did I just overfill it or is there something else going on?

H
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johnk
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Post by johnk »

Nice work!

Most likely some fuel just splashed up into the vent hole. I wouldn't worry about it. I usually try to only fill up to about an inch and a half below the filler hole, but that's difficult to do with precision.
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