scootRS Roadkill - Vespa

New item: Vespa Hydraulic disc ScootRS Vespa kit stainless steel

scootRS — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:13:48 +0700

We've added the following new item:

Vespa Hydraulic disc ScootRS Vespa kit stainless steel
$29.00 (£18.83 | 22,61€ | CA$30.50 | AU$31.84 | ¥2,437)

For our Vespa kits. (Not for Piaggio/Grimeca kits.)

New item: Vespa Kickstart PX chrome

scootRS — Sun, 30 May 2010 22:54:21 +0700

We've added the following new item:

Vespa Kickstart PX chrome
$22.50 (£14.61 | 17,54€ | CA$23.67 | AU$24.70 | ¥1,891)

Steel. No rubber or bolt.

New item: Vespa Badge Horncast PX/T5 ET/LX/GT/GTS

scootRS — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:22:44 +0700

We've added the following new item:

Vespa Badge Horncast PX/T5 ET/LX/GT/GTS
$6.75 (£4.38 | 5,26€ | CA$7.10 | AU$7.41 | ¥567)

Snaps in. Compare yours, also fits some other Piaggio models.

(There are more photos of this item on our site.)

New item: Vespa Hydraulic disc brake hub PX/T5 20mm chrome

scootRS — Sat, 22 May 2010 01:03:38 +0700

We've added the following new item:

Vespa Hydraulic disc brake hub PX/T5 20mm chrome
$259.00 (£168.16 | 201,90€ | CA$272.43 | AU$284.33 | ¥21,765)

Is it “ScootRS” or only sand cast?

Don't be fooled by low-end sand cast brake kits, usually labeled “Sterling/SPAQ” and made to look like ours.

Click to see the photos, then read more to increase your safety...

Sand casting is a cheap process normally only used for trim items because it is much weaker, rougher and less precise. We've seen sand cast hubs crack around the axle. They are covered in bondo because rough, and usually aren't properly aligned.

Such kits also often use the lowest-quality Chinese copies of hydraulic parts, yet still ask high prices.

(Posted by a UK shop owner:) If you're buying make sure you get the ScootRS type (pressure cast) as opposed to the Sterling/SPAQ type (sand cast) - we have seen one of the pepperpot style with holes crack on the thinnest part of the hub and also a standard outboard one crack the mounting lugs (which resulted in the wheel rim parting from the hub after it happened - both were Sterling/SPAQ - just thought I'd better share this info with you.

As a tool engineer who has had over 1000 pressure dies cast for all materials in 20 years I would never ever ever fit a sand cast part to a turning hub and use it at speeds over 5 mph.

I have seen both [inboard brakes] and looked them over fairly carefully. Between the [Italian Evergreen version] or the ScootRS, my vote's for the ScootRS version every time as it looks a much better product. I'm basing my comment purely on visual closeness to the original and the ScootRS disc brake wins by a country mile.

I have recently fitted a Sterling/SPAQ kit to a bike I was working on and looked over a new ScootRS kit with anti-dive close up. [With import] they worked out about the same price. If it was my money I'd be ordering direct from ScootRS.

(Posted by a UK shop owner:) Having fitted the two for customers, for me the ScootRS one is the better made. When stripping the coating off you can see how good the casting is.

I have in my hands two Vietnamese Vespa disc brake conversions. One is the ScootRS [high pressure cast] one and the other is a [Sterling/SPAQ] sand cast one. I'll award the scootRS 9 points and the sand cast one 5 points. It's a quality product ready to bolt on with no need to tart it up.

Our kits with high-pressure cast hubs and genuine Japanese Nissin hydraulics offer vastly superior quality and safety on all points. –At a very reasonable price! Look very closely if buying elsewhere and confirm first if it is made by scootRS!

We already manufactured the number one Lambretta disc brake in the world - "the the best thing I have ever bought for a scooter in 26 yrs on and off" - so we brought the same great engineering, quality, and price to your Vespa.

Modernize your Vespa PX/T5 type (newer type with 20mm axle) with the scootRS hydraulic front disc brake hub exactly as on a new scooter and get vastly superior stopping power. -And hell, it looks wicked, too, especially in this chrome version with all items in chrome or polished alloy!

Our stylish scootRS kit includes the hub parts only (no master cylinder), the little extras, and all at a vastly better price than Grimeca!

The kit works with your existing speedometer.

The brake kit comes assembled and ready-to-go with everything you need (though you need your own master cylinder setup):

Brand new but original-look high-pressure cast front hub with all new components including new Japanese Nissin dual-piston caliper, disc, alloy plate, bearings, speedo drive, Nissin master cylinder and polished alloy mount, etc.
Stainless steel high quality hydraulic hose (not rubber) with removable ends which allows for a smaller hole when assembling!
In addition, the hub is chromed, and the hub plate and caliper are polished alloy giving a stunning effect!

Sold separately:

Brake fluid is sold separately, but best to buy that at a local motorcycle shop to save on shipping weight.

(There are more photos of this item on our site.)

New item: Vespa Hydraulic disc brake hub PE/PX 16mm chrome

scootRS — Sat, 22 May 2010 00:52:08 +0700

We've added the following new item:

Vespa Hydraulic disc brake hub PE/PX 16mm chrome
$259.00 (£168.16 | 201,90€ | CA$272.43 | AU$284.33 | ¥21,765)

Is it “ScootRS” or only sand cast?

Don't be fooled by low-end sand cast brake kits, usually labeled “Sterling/SPAQ” and made to look like ours.

Click to see the photos, then read more to increase your safety...

Such kits also often use the lowest-quality Chinese copies of hydraulic parts, yet still ask high prices.

(Posted by a UK shop owner:) If you're buying make sure you get the ScootRS type (pressure cast) as opposed to the Sterling/SPAQ type (sand cast) - we have seen one of the pepperpot style with holes crack on the thinnest part of the hub and also a standard outboard one crack the mounting lugs (which resulted in the wheel rim parting from the hub after it happened - both were Sterling/SPAQ - just thought I'd better share this info with you.

As a tool engineer who has had over 1000 pressure dies cast for all materials in 20 years I would never ever ever fit a sand cast part to a turning hub and use it at speeds over 5 mph.

I have seen both [inboard brakes] and looked them over fairly carefully. Between the [Italian Evergreen version] or the ScootRS, my vote's for the ScootRS version every time as it looks a much better product. I'm basing my comment purely on visual closeness to the original and the ScootRS disc brake wins by a country mile.

I have recently fitted a Sterling/SPAQ kit to a bike I was working on and looked over a new ScootRS kit with anti-dive close up. [With import] they worked out about the same price. If it was my money I'd be ordering direct from ScootRS.

(Posted by a UK shop owner:) Having fitted the two for customers, for me the ScootRS one is the better made. When stripping the coating off you can see how good the casting is.

I have in my hands two Vietnamese Vespa disc brake conversions. One is the ScootRS [high pressure cast] one and the other is a [Sterling/SPAQ] sand cast one. I'll award the scootRS 9 points and the sand cast one 5 points. It's a quality product ready to bolt on with no need to tart it up.

Modernize your Vespa PE/PX scooter with 16mm axle (as on 1977-early 80s P80X/PX80E, P125X/PX125E, P150X/PX150E, P200E/PX200E) with the scootRS hydraulic front disc brake hub exactly as on a new scooter and get vastly superior stopping power. -And hell, it looks wicked, too, especially in this chrome version with all items in chrome or polished alloy!

Our stylish scootRS kit includes the hub parts only (no master cylinder), the little extras, and all at a vastly better price than Grimeca!

The kit works with your existing speedometer.

The brake kit comes assembled and ready-to-go with everything you need (though you need your own master cylinder setup):

Brand new but original-look high-pressure cast front hub with all new components including new Japanese Nissin dual-piston caliper, disc, alloy plate, bearings, speedo drive, Nissin master cylinder and polished alloy mount, etc.
Stainless steel high quality hydraulic hose (not rubber) with removable ends which allows for a smaller hole when assembling!
In addition, the hub is chromed, and the hub plate and caliper are polished alloy giving a stunning effect!

Sold separately:

Brake fluid is sold separately, but best to buy that at a local motorcycle shop to save on shipping weight.

(There are more photos of this item on our site.)

New item: Vespa CDI bracket LML

scootRS — Sat, 22 May 2010 00:10:17 +0700

We've added the following new item:

Vespa CDI bracket LML
$1.00 (£0.65 | 0,78€ | CA$1.05 | AU$1.10 | ¥84)

For LML/Stella CDI only. We made too many, get a bargain!

Straight and true scooter rims

scootRS — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:27:08 +0700

A nice email today:

I have installed your 12v wiring loom and 12v non-battery CDI kit with stator and am very pleased.

Your tubeless rims are excellent, too, and you can quote me on this:

I had the wheels balanced to sort out a vibration issue and I was eliminating possibilities (turns out it was the front brake drum). The mechanic said they were very true, no different than countless others he's worked on for modern Vespas or motorcycles: no warping, and they only required a small 7oz counter-weight.

Great, glad you liked them. Their trueness was actually mentioned as an additional benefit over standard rims in the Scootering review back in 2004 when first released.

Vespa or Lambretta tubeless rims, $49 - what are you waiting for?

(We also make our own high-quality and true regular Vespa rims and Lambretta rims inhouse, read about why they are better than others.)

Vespa T5 disc brake conversion

scootRS — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:25:27 +0700

Here's a post we came across:

Re: front disc conversion on a T5 Classic. what's involved?

I've fitted a few in my time and at the moment the new ScootRS [Vespa] front disc conversion kit seems to be the best buy.

A little fiddly but nothing someone with a small knowledge of mechanics wouldn't be able to fit. The master cylinder housing is a great idea with only a small modification to the lever housing. The rest just bolts on only bleeding the hose can sometimes be tricky.

Our Vespa PX disc brake fits T5 and start at $219 for the hub unit, $289 with master cylinder and everything.

Vespa CDI kit (electronic ignition)

scootRS — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:12:38 +0700

A nice email today from a customer:

Thanks to your installation manual, I mounted the CDI kit this weekend and it works perfectly. So, again, thank you for your help. I really appreciated it.

Have a nice day.

If you have a classic Vespa scooter, our Vespa CDI kit is the best around, based on a PX system so you get great output and reliability with common parts if spares are ever needed. It also includes absolutely everything in one kit. (We do the same with our Vespa smallframe CDI kit.)

Bright halogen 12v lights and a set-and-forget steady ignition on a classic scooter? It's a conversion we do to every Vespa we restore for good reason.

How to prevent dangerous tire blowouts on your scooter

scootRS — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:46:04 +0700

Here is some recent forum discussion about how to avoid dangerous tire blowouts on Vespa and Lambretta scooters:

Is there a manufacturer, that makes those flatproof tires in a 10x3.5 that would be good for the [LML] stella? havent found much online, but it would be great to know i wont have a catastrophic blow out. there have been quite a few scooterists around here get very badly injured due to blowouts recently. most recently a couple with no medical insurance had a blowout on a honda elite going about 60, and were both roadrashed head to toe and injured badly. one of them was nearly killed. they had to sell their other scooters to pay for treatment.

And in reply:

Your best bet about preventing catastrophic blowouts is to start using tubeless rims and tires.

And the pudding with the proof in it:

I have the ScootRS tubeless rims and Michelin S-1s and was able to ride out a front flat at somewhere around 50 [mph].

So, in review we have 2 options:

No tubeless rims? “Quite a few scooterists” suffering blowouts and some are “nearly killed.”
With ScootRS tubeless rims? As designed, “was able to ride out a front flat at 50 [mph].”

Conclusion? No solution will ever be perfect given that our old scooters all depend on skinny tires and valves, but if every Vespa and Lambretta used ScootRS tubeless rims, classic scootering would be substantially safer.

That's why we invented them and since released in 2006 our current v.3 tubeless rim has never failed. $49 in 4 colors, or $89 in high-grade stainless steel. What are you waiting for?

Internet down, some delays on orders

scootRS — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:18:11 +0700

The internet is down in our area due to storms the other day so updates and new orders will see some delays.

We are supposed to have internet service restored on Monday, the 9th. After that we can update accounts and mark orders shipped that have been sent out already.

Thanks for your patience.

Restored Vespa VLB scooter

scootRS — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:11:11 +0700

Here is a scooter a customer designed and custom ordered from us. What do you think?

Scooter: Vespa VLB
Main color: other
Notes: Light blue Sprint with a PX fork and our disc brake kit with a modified fender to fit it and our new VLB type master cylinder support. Also nice handlebar signals operated from the switch. Tuned exhaust and 24mm PWK carb.

(See all 10 photos of this scooter on our site.)