Bajaj scooter update 12
Its funny the things you learn as you pull your scooter to pieces and then put it back together again.
I am not a vespa expert by any means but have acquired a pretty good knowledge about scooter engines, wiring, exhausts, tyres, forks, wheels, carburetors, stands, bodywork, painting, seats and pretty much everything else I have done to the Bajaj.
Barry the Bajaj aka The Black Roughie started out as a cheap (yeah right tui…) scooter for her indoors to learn to ride on and see if being a scooter chick was her thing, however it very quickly turned into the never ending story…..
So I finally got around to rewiring the scoot to suit the PX150/DR177 motor and I thought for good measure I may as well upgrade the front fork to 10″ for better braking. The fork went pretty much without a hitch and the braking is definitely improved. The rewire, while a PITA has given me that little bit more experience and confidence to make it easier to convert most older vespa scooters without batteries to a 12v system using the same loom and hardware, with a key or without.
Some say the 6v system is all you need and works well but I find the 12v system more to my liking because:
- The lights are brighter and the horn doesn’t kill the headlight
- There’s really only 2 points of failure and easy to test – bulbs or the regulator
- Some 6v lamps are getting harder to find now
- A 12v ignition, in my opinion, is more reliable
Time will tell what the next thing to do to Barry will be but its been a hoot so far….