1962 Sportique update 2
Most of my scooters have 10″ wheels and have been modified in some way for suspension or engine upgrades. I have ridden 8″ wheeled scooters before but have never spent a lot of time riding them and until now, tended to stick to bigger wheels with better tyres and brakes.
The Sportique 150cc engine isn’t very powerful and a stock one may eventually get to 70-80kph. Combined with average brakes and the limited ground clearance, that small wheels provide, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They were designed to be virtually bullet proof and if maintained properly, would run for years. This one still ran a couple of years ago so 60 something years is testament to the design of these scooters.
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Engine
The new DR177 engine starts and runs very well. I like to spend some time and run in these cast iron cylinders, to get a basic tune, which will allow the engine to operate properly. The DR manufacturer recommends 18 degrees for timing on these cylinders. I like to run NGK B8ES plugs on most of my modified scooters but an NGK B7 would work just as well.
I have installed a BGM flywheel, PX stator and a Ducati CDI, something I like to do with these older bikes. The SIP Vape ignitions are very good and were originally a good option for this engine. However, all of the parts I needed except for the flywheel, were in my cack stash, so I went for that instead. The light and brake switches have been upgraded along with the wiring loom for the 12v regulator.
Most 177 engines with the carburetor, properly set up for a performance box exhaust, will provide a torquier engine with a little more top end. This is a great combination for reliable, everyday riding. A larger 24mm SI carburetor on this engine, would provide better acceleration and more top end, but will just use more fuel.
I have Polini box exhausts on most of my scooters now and have found them to be very good. They can interfere with the centre stand, but that’s pretty normal, for a lot of aftermarket Vespa exhausts. This Polini exhaust, with the longer tail pipe, looks and sounds like the original Vespa box exhausts.
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Dellorto carburetor
The original 20/17C carburetor has been upgraded to a 20/20D. My experience with the Dellorto SI 20mm carburetors has been limited to be fair so finding the right jetting for this engine/exhaust combination has been a work in progress.
The factory settings for the original 20/17C carb are:
- Choke – 60
- Atomisor – E1
- Air Corrector – 140
- Pilot – 42
- Main – 100
Compared to a 24/24E carb from a Rally / PX200:
- Choke – 60
- Atomisor – BE3
- Air Corrector – 160
- Pilot – 50/55
- Main – 112/118
I have finally found a combination that seems to be nearly spot on:
- Choke – 60
- Atomisor – BE3
- Air Corrector – 160
- Pilot – 55
- Main – 104
- Idle screw – 1.75 turns out
- Mixture screw – 1.5 turns out
After some initial plug chops, the original 100 main was changed to a 104. Just for fun I tried a 116 main, but as expected, that was way too rich and the scooter hated it.
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Riding
The engine starts second kick with choke, idles and sounds great, with the new exhaust. The smaller 20mm carburetor, supplies enough fuel for this engine, and it is very economical. The little scooter is fun to ride and is a step back to a time where things were well designed and manufactured.
New suspension, and a decent seat, make a real difference however traffic roundabouts and speed humps need to be treated with respect. I had some older radial tyres in excellent condition and with new tubes they seem to be pretty good.
After replacing just about everything that can be replaced, I was very surprised to find the original speedometer still works and is still reasonably accurate. The numbers are pretty faded, and the glass is scratched, but that just goes with the rest of this scooter.
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1962 Sportique update 2