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Great, David!
In high school I rode a Cushman scooter to school for a year. It was boxy, heavy and had a clunky rectangular body. It had what was called an automatic centrifugal clutch, No shifting gears but the rider increased forward speed by twisting the handle bar gripp. There was also room for a passenger. I remember we had to get off and push to help it get over hills. Good memories.
Thanks for posting it all up, Dave. My brother had a Vespa back in the mid 1960s, probably of the same vintage as yours. It didn't end well. He was run over by a station wagon. My brother spent months in the hospital. He had just been discharged a few months earlier from the army and was in great shape. Otherwise, I doubt he would have lived.
My father sold and repaired Vespas in our hometown. I remember one night that he had to go out and identify a scooter that had been rear ended and run over. The two boys were so mangled that they didn’t know who they were. He ID them by there scooter.
After that we were never allowed to ride our scooters after dark.
Thanks Dave. Me too. My brother is eleven years older than me. As you can imagine, my parents refused to let me get any sort of motor bike. I did any way, but always for off road use.
Thanks for posting it all up, Dave. My brother had a Vespa back in the mid 1960s, probably of the same vintage as yours. It didn't end well. He was run over by a station wagon. My brother spent months in the hospital. He had just been discharged a few months earlier from the army and was in great shape. Otherwise, I doubt he would have lived.
Wow, that's some story. Still alive and well? Sorry, already asked and answered.
I don't recall ever seeing a Vespa growing up - ever? Probably worked better in Italy then in them their hills of PA. Scoots, nice collection and thanks for sharing.
Loved the same one you do. Nice charm to it.
This is the closest to that sort of thing I got. Its a 1971 Arctic Cat Whisker hard tail with a Climber gas tank and a Tecumseh engine. The original would have had a Sachs Saxonette 47cc 2-cycle. I have no idea what the Tecumseh engine is off of, but I do know its way too much for the brakes. It has a constant speed tranny (no clutch, no shifting) and the Tecumseh engine that Arctic Cat did put in upgrade models used a a variable-ratio torque converter with dual brakes
Best guess, the engine is a 1969 or 1979 installed in an engine swap prior to 1988. As Jim mentioned this is a centrifugal clutch. Biggest issue - the brakes! It's rear wheel only. For that engine, you need both front and rear. In other words, its to fast for its own good, so I can't let the grandkids play with. Heck, their dad who originally bought it in 1987 for $25 for his paper route, had to hang on for dear life when he last tested it for me. I'm not getting on it; not with a busted hip and a brain.
Wow, that's some story. Still alive and well? Sorry, already asked and answered.
It's far more gruesome, Dave. In addition to broken ribs, his leg had to be rebuilt around two platinum rods, one of which was removed after the bone fragments healed, the second of which was abandoned in place. But Carl recovered pretty well. He went on to open a sports car shop and an autocross racing team that met with some national success. Later, he followed in my footsteps and went to law school and practices law here in Massachusetts to this day. He needs at least one if not both of his knees replaced now, but that is due more to old football and 101st Airborne injuries than the motorcycle accident.
I don't recall ever seeing a Vespa growing up - ever? Probably worked better in Italy then in them their hills of PA. Scoots, nice collection and thanks for sharing.
Loved the same one you do. Nice charm to it.
This is the closest to that sort of thing I got. Its a 1971 Arctic Cat Whisker hard tail with a Climber gas tank and a Tecumseh engine. The original would have had a Sachs Saxonette 47cc 2-cycle. I have no idea what the Tecumseh engine is off of, but I do know its way too much for the brakes. It has a constant speed tranny (no clutch, no shifting) and the Tecumseh engine that Arctic Cat did put in upgrade models used a a variable-ratio torque converter with dual brakes
Best guess, the engine is a 1969 or 1979 installed in an engine swap prior to 1988. As Jim mentioned this is a centrifugal clutch. Biggest issue - the brakes! It's rear wheel only. For that engine, you need both front and rear. In other words, its to fast for its own good, so I can't let the grandkids play with. Heck, their dad who originally bought it in 1987 for $25 for his paper route, had to hang on for dear life when he last tested it for me. I'm not getting on it; not with a busted hip and a brain.
Replace the front end with a wheel and fork from a Honda Mini Trail. That had a drum brake that would work well on that set up.
03-28-2018, 02:34 PM
