[Balthazar]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

The video was by Discovery Channel, and the Cub secured the first spot as the world's best motorcycle.

Ah, this brings back memories, used to watch discovery a lot as a child, and top 10s were on constant re runs back then. I remember Jay Lenos y2k with a helicopter engine

You are right Ashwin, there is something about small displacement light bikes.

My father's 2003 splendor plus is still the only bike we own. That thing has been a beast, the only spot of rust on it after 17 years was on the silencer, but that was replaced 6-7 years ago, and the new one has held well. Apart from that, the chassis is still in pretty good condition. Engine is showing its age now tho, and protests a bit if you take it over 65.

My brother and I learned how to ride on it, so it's taken a few slides, it's been hauled around the nation on trains and planes, and was our only bike for almost a decade till we got a car.

Love it to bits.

[W.A.G.7]

Hey Ashwin, I must have read your thread at least thrice! After reading about CT100B, I am really hooked now and seeing that you have toured so many places on a simple 100cc machine has given me the confidence that a large capacity bike is not necessary for touring. I own a 2009 Suzuki GS150R (done only about 40k kms mainly due to my office being barely 6kms away), and even though the bike has been relatively trouble free, finding spares has become a problem, with the model being discontinued. The other problem with the bike is an absolute pathetic headlamp which I read somewhere is because of an incorrect reflector design.

While I don’t have any immediate plans to replace it, your thread has got me thinking, whether it would be prudent to replace it next year with something that is more mechanically simpler. Let’s see, time will tell. I may opt to exchange it for a Splendor or a Platina, my primary criteria being it should be very comfortable to ride for longer durations (4-5 hrs) or longer distances (200-300kms) at a stretch. I am not sure if the Splendor would be comfortable but it would be worth trying the Platina to see how good it is.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

While I don’t have any immediate plans to replace it, your thread has got me thinking, whether it would be prudent to replace it next year with something that is more mechanically simpler. Let’s see, time will tell. I may opt to exchange it for a Splendor or a Platina, my primary criteria being it should be very comfortable to ride for longer durations (4-5 hrs) or longer distances (200-300kms) at a stretch. I am not sure if the Splendor would be comfortable but it would be worth trying the Platina to see how good it is.

Fellow GS150R owner here, having used it for around 50k kms in 10 years. I'm shocked you'd want to give it away for a splendor or such.

For highway riding, I doubt you'd find a splendor to be a better bike than this one. All you need to do is just get the seat cushioning adjusted to your needs, put on tubeless tyres and you're good to go. The heft, the wheelbase, the seating position, the 6th gear, and the adequately torquey motor all work in it's favor as a relatively stable and practical highway bike.

The bike isn't too much more complicated than a splendor and I remember reading somewhere about alternator modifications to acommodate fitting HIDs. Personally, I've had no trouble sourcing common spares here in karnataka so far.

It's built tough and practical as far as my experience with it goes (and I've put it through some nasty riding), it's one gem of a bike and I'll probably be using mine for another 10 years.

@ashwinnprakas: Looks like I'm getting in the way of your proselytising efforts

[W.A.G.7]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

Fellow GS150R owner here, having used it for around 50k kms in 10 years. I'm shocked you'd want to give it away for a splendor or such.

Thanks for trying to dissuade me I love my bike no two ways about it. But there have been two problems 1. I have had to wait quite a lot even to get simple spares such as a side stand or an indicator buzzer. The dealer (Automatic Suzuki) was good initially but of late has become pathetic. 2. Mechanically my bike is perfect, and the engine will easily last another 50,000 kms more, but since the beginning my piece was plagued with electrical gremlins. I have replaced the battery 5 times in the last 10 years (even though the bike having a daily run), indicator bulbs multiple times and even the headlamp bulbs three or four times. Then back in 2018 the main stand fell off (yes, fell off) and I had to wait for nearly 2 months before Automatic Suzuki could arrange for a main stand from the factory.

Though these are minor niggles and I wouldn’t say I have a lemon, these kind of things take away the fun factor in an ownership experience. Prior to this bike I owned a 2001 Splendor and used it for 76,000kms in 8 years before trading it for the GS150R when it was launched in 2009.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Mechanically my bike is perfect, and the engine will easily last another 50,000 kms more, but since the beginning my piece was plagued with electrical gremlins. I have replaced the battery 5 times in the last 10 years (even though the bike having a daily run), indicator bulbs multiple times and even the headlamp bulbs three or four times.

I suppose that's worrisome. I faced a similar issue in one of my other motorcycles. Water seeped into the meter panel, and thereafter, the tacho backlight would be constantly on even when the bike was switched off, and would drain the battery. My motorcycles don't see consistent use, so I had to replace a fairly new battery in the time it took for me to notice the issue. Thankfully, the backlight burned out and the trouble sorted itself out, except now, I can't see the instrument cluster at night.

[ashwinprakas]

UPDATE: 40,000km's Clocked!





Consumables were changed, she's running on Savsol 20W50, I had some Laal Ghoda 20W40 remaining form the P220's oil change but got this bottle as Savita was selling their lubes at a discount to promote #AtmanirbharBharat and I ceded without much thought.

The SP looks decent, excuse the cheap camera as the image seems a bit washed out, in reality the ceramic is of a more intense shade of coffee brown than seen below;



I did inspect the length of ceramic with a magnifying glass to look for inconsistencies but as expected other than the ring at the extreme end there wasn't any dark soot formation though there were still very light shades of brown.

The reason for me to have a closer look was because a few days when it was pouring hard I was returning from an errand and while overtaking at WOT in a lower gear, a friend of mine who was trailing me observed black smoke from my exhaust.



But on inspection it seems all is well and the smoke would've been from the high humidity as water inside the combustion chamber tends to decarbonize the engine. Plus the CT100B doesn't have an electronic RPM cut off like the P220 so that possibility wasn't even considered. And I've tried to recreate the scenario and failed. So that's that for now.

Next concern was that I'd been observing that the clutch free play is almost non-existent;



On closer inspection it was evident that I'd completely exhausted any scope of adjustment;



So the next line of action was to change the plates, which I'd sourced after some trouble as spare availability is a concern due to the Covid Situation;





At a price of about 450/- for the Clutch Plates(325/- for 5 Friction Plates and 125/- for 4 Steel Plates), I wasn't that pleased cause a while ago I've seen Bosch branded friction plates for about 150/- which is less than half of what Bajaj charges, but still went ahead with the purchase.

Since I'd just changed the oil I'm hoping to push another 1.5~2k at least before changing the plates, or if they do not slip then I'd contemplate pushing all the way till 45k on the odo, only time will tell.

EDIT:

The Vespa's up and running, few or her spares are stuck at Kochi for the past several months due to the Covid Situation but she is almost ride'able.





I'm at Kollam whereas she's stuck at TVM with a friend of mine.

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

While I don’t have any immediate plans to replace it, your thread has got me thinking, whether it would be prudent to replace it next year with something that is more mechanically simpler.

If I were you I'd get a Splendor(Preferably Old Stock Carburetted model) and still keep the GS. Cause irrespective of age, the motorcycle has only done 40k, unless you're 101% certain you cant live with the motorcycle it'd be a complete waste if you part with it, abysmal resale value aside you simply wouldn't get the privilege to buy such a motorcycle anymore.

If at all you face issues i.e with lighting etc. then simply upgrade the part in question. If it's output that's a bother then get a 45/40 Bulb(I'm using it, worth it!) or if you're not satisfied with the spread then scrap the stock bikini unit and get a replacement round HL unit. Changing the motorcycle for such petty concerns makes no sense and would just lead to regret, I know cause I've done just that in the past.

As for Touring or riding long distance, you can do it on any motorcycle. The Splendor is the preferred choice due to its robustness, plus there is literally no motorcycle engine in the Indian market that has the pedigree of that motor.

If contemplating the Platina then do be aware that modern Bajaj commuters are long strokes, so please get a proper test ride before finalizing. My Discover 100 4G was a 95cc long stroke and there were moments when it outdid my 223cc ZMA and my friends 153cc Fazer16 when riding in tight situations, but the highway performance was pathetic cause my CT100B which has the second shortest stroke after the N250R comparatively dominates on the highways.

So do ride all options to find what suits you best.

Regards,
A.P.

[W.A.G.7]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

[Changing the motorcycle for such petty concerns makes no sense and would just lead to regret, I know cause I've done just that in the past.

Thanks for the honest piece of advice. I believe I just need to just spruce it up a little bit and it should last me some more years more. After reading drt_rdr and your posts, I will try the headlamp upgrade and see if that makes a difference. I am now also planning to upgrade the tires and change the seat cushioning so that should also make a difference.

The motor and the gearbox is the reason enough why I have kept it with me for so long. And there are not many commuter bikes with a 6th gear

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Thanks for the honest piece of advice. I believe I just need to just spruce it up a little bit and it should last me some more years more. After reading drt_rdr and your posts, I will try the headlamp upgrade and see if that makes a difference. I am now also planning to upgrade the tires and change the seat cushioning so that should also make a difference.

The motor and the gearbox is the reason enough why I have kept it with me for so long. And there are not many commuter bikes with a 6th gear

If its the spread that you arent happy with, you can replace the existing fairing with a round headlight dome from Tata Ace with a 45/40 bulb as Aswin has recommended.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

The Vespa's up and running, few or her spares are stuck at Kochi for the past several months due to the Covid Situation but she is almost ride'able.

Looks interesting indeed!

What all work is pending on the Vespa? And when is a proper restoration report coming up?

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

What all work is pending on the Vespa?

Mechanically all set.

And if I may say it is one of the better built Vespa's in the country if not the world, I say this because the motorcycle was rebuilt part by part, there were parts of the front end that looks like a chicken's wishbone made of metal that were painstakingly taken apart and rebuilt with fresh parts since my friend was adamant about returning a "Showroom Condition" motorcycle to me.

And it was evident he kept his word as during Ramzan celebrations I'd been at his place and a mutual friend of ours(also a professional mechanic) got on top of the motorcycle and rolled it around applying the front brake, the suspension action really amazed us, it was nothing we've seen on any Vespa before and even new scooters with either Linked or Telescopic suspension, it was a moment of pride for us.

The Indicators etc have been given a retro touch at the rear as the correct type for my model which even though was more modern was a PITA to source;



Some miscreant had kicked one in on the first day I acquired the scooter when she was parked outside the RTO Office, and with the help of a senior enthusiast from Punjab I was able to source the same in bulk due to scarcity here;



The man(JV Sir) literally went into the OEM's godown to source parts for me.

Even with the spares at hand I was skeptical about the modern setup and hence insisted that we go retro with the combined cluster of the previous generation as seen in the earlier post, the patchwork and tinkering is commendable as no signs have been left behind, more so we also completely eliminated the ladies foot rest and its holes.

Now as for the pending parts another enthusiast Vijay who is a vintage aficionado helped me source the Reed Valve, Shifter Cover, Front Seat etc from Bangalore and have sent it across via a fellow enthusiast who commutes between EKM and BLR, and the problem at hand is due to the covid situation we've not been able to get the remaining parts to Trivandrum.

In the photo the motorcycle is running on the old front seat that has been reconditioned, once we get the brand new seat the only one would be moved to the rear. So basically both front and rear seats would have springs under them, not that I care for pillion comfort as I intend to use the motorcycle for solo touring, we're maintaining the rear seat cause money was spent on restoring the old one and I'm too stingy to put something good to waste.

And when is a proper restoration report coming up?

As for the write-up, this is as best as I'd go with it cause the entire process is tiring as the restoration was done part by part over the term of the past 6~8 Months in house(as in literally inside his house).

Ever since that fateful day she seized up;



Speaking of which the reason behind the seizure was that the previous mechanic who was the sole person who serviced the motorcycle for the whole of the 2,25,000 km's the previous owner had put on the motorcycle, he didn't bother to replace very trivial parts during the several clutch changes in the past;



This giant cir-clip and the clutch basket which would cumulatively have added about 100ish bucks more to the bill.

So while riding in traffic the circlip came loose causing the clutch to literally seize which pushed the crankshaft off its axis from the obvious force of something coming to an abrupt halt from a few thousand RPM's. Since she's a better built machine the cases remained intact.

The cylinder was in really good condition so wasn't replaced, the crank was reconditioned at 'Popular Lathe' near the RBI office, the guys an expert and seeing the condition of the crank insisted that he installed the bearing shaft as the condition of the crank was below par and any hammering from the mechanic would possibly affect balance.

If I had known that my friend would restore everything else to such perfection I would've simply bought a new Cylinder and Crankshaft, which would set me back by about ~5k I presume. But I've been reassured by several experts after inspecting current setup that it'd do just fine. But my saddle-sores keep telling me otherwise, but I reluctantly concurred as I'm no expert when it comes to 2 Strokes and these guys who're friends and fellow enthusiasts over the years have rebuilt many such machines that are running fine to date, so that is that.

Everything else with respect to the engine was done to perfection with fresh parts, even the gasket maker used was from MASS which cost us around 500'ish for the tube, quite expensive compared to the regular stuff that costs 1/10th the cost.

The meters, switch gears, handlebars, headlight unit etc etc are brand spanking new. So to simply put my friend has fulfilled his promise of "Showroom Condition" build with the exception of some artistic aesthetics from his end.

He's the same guy behind this build:

Salvage Builds: Build your own motorcycle!

So to sum it, that's all! (I've run out of smiley's)

P.S. If not evident, I am really thankful to each and every enthusiast out there who has helped with this build, it means a lot to me to have the privilege of riding a true war machine from the past in such a pristine condition, especially since I cannot afford a Yezdi. (Dang! I need more smileys!)

Thanks!
A.P.

[srini1785]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

................ especially since I cannot afford a Yezdi.

For the price that you are paying to restore this Vespa, i am pretty sure you could find a Yezdi. I am talking the 250cc not the exotic 350cc twin (did it come under the Yezdi brand?). Some run down versions are available in Bangalore for as low as 10-15k.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Thanks for the honest piece of advice. I believe I just need to just spruce it up a little bit and it should last me some more years more. After reading drt_rdr and your posts, I will try the headlamp upgrade and see if that makes a difference. I am now also planning to upgrade the tires and change the seat cushioning so that should also make a difference.

The motor and the gearbox is the reason enough why I have kept it with me for so long. And there are not many commuter bikes with a 6th gear

Try the Osram 45W headlamp bulb available on amazon as suggested by aswin. It provides a significant bump to the brightness.

Another thing to note is that the OE headlamp bulbs lose their intensity over the years.
https://www.amazon.in/Osram-Halogen-...s%2C571&sr=8-1

If you want more light, just add these aux lamps on the crash guard with a dedicated circuit. You will get more than enough light!

https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07...a39da748947b79

Check this video for more info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRPQ-hFa3Fc

Regarding buzzer, you get these aftermarket in almost all 2 wheeler accessories shop. If the GS150 uses a particular connector then just cut the connector from the faulty buzzer and join it to the aftermarket one.

GS150 is a very good bike. I would suggest you keep it for as long as you can. With these mods you can also take on long rides without worry!

And regarding premature battery failure, i think the Regulator-Rectifier unit is overcharging or undercharging the battery. Get the unit replaced and it should resolve the battery issue

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by srini1785

For the price that you are paying to restore this Vespa, i am pretty sure you could find a Yezdi. I am talking the 250cc not the exotic 350cc twin (did it come under the Yezdi brand?). Some run down versions are available in Bangalore for as low as 10-15k.

Didn't share costs involved as most of the work was done by my friend i.e only material costs involved. So to sum it, I'd spent just about what it'd cost a nice pair of tyres from Pirelli or Michelin for my P220, for restoring the Vespa. Cost of acquiring the motorcycle was less than 10k IIRC, on the higher side as the FC was renewed not long before purchase.

As for a Yezdi, I was referring to the 250cc singles. It is still quite expensive to own in KL(TWIN is a Unicorn, I've been fortunate to see one owned by an enthusiast from TVM), here the market isn't aware of how depreciation or rather appraisement works. I could find run down incomplete machines for around the 30~40k mark, for the price you've mentioned we'd get registration paperwork for the same without the motorcycle.

But the Yezdi is still in my bucket list along with a Pushrod, maybe after the covid situation is dealt with I'd contemplate having a look at other markets after computing registration and transfer costs and formalities, cause again if the motorcycle is not road worthy on paper it'd be of no interest to me as I hope to put down some miles on them.

[neil.jericho]

Good to see the restoration of your scooter is going strong but I am confused by some of the verbiage used to refer to your Bajaj scooter. Truth be told, since I am more of a motorcycle guy, I dont know much about the history of the scooter segment in India.

To the best of my recollection,
- Piaggio which owned the Vespa brand, tied up with Bajaj in the 1960s to license the manufacture of scooters in India. The result is the Bajaj Chetak (based on the Vespa Sprint) and not any scooters that were actually called the Vespa.
- The scooter that you own is the Bajaj Chetak, no confusion here as the logos are clear as day on the front of your scooter.
- Piaggio then subsequently tied up with Lohia Machines Limited (LML to the rest of us) to roll out the LML NV, Select and other scooters.
- Neither Bajaj nor LML officially ever sold which a product called the Vespa.
- Piaggio is selling scooters called the Vespa in its more recent solo foray into the Indian market.

Every time I see the scooter you bought, I always think of it as the Chetak, which is its actual name and not a Vespa, which is what you call it. To younger enthusiasts, the Vespa name is associated with Piaggio's recent Indian excursion and for older enthusiasts like me, the Vespa name is linked to LML.

So confusing!

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I always think of it as the Chetak, which is its actual name and not a Vespa, which is what you call it.

You're right about the name, mine is a 1999 Bajaj Chetak on paper, this is a unicorn model due to it not sharing traditional spares i.e clutch, cylinder port configuration, intake configuration etc. with the conventional Chetak's and the newer models.

To add to the confusion is spending way too much time with the service manual, as the Chetak is a licensed version of the Vespa Sprint(LML's were made from a different model Vespa PX/T5(?), basically they were all different versions of one Vespa or the other) we'd only been able to find the operations manuals for the latter.









Since this was literally our first time working on the machine quite a bit of time was spent reading material before actually taking things apart. Many of the scooters restored in India were done by specialists meaning the owners weren't aware of the finer details, so we had to reach out quite far and wide which reinforced the common reference of Vespa.

Overall it was some nice time spent learning about how restorations go about and how simple motorcycles of the past were, the wiring for example, we were able to get an idea with the diagram shared by fellow TBhpian Subramaniam but over the last 2 decades there were some replacements done by the mechanic who worked on the motorcycle before us, i.e different color codes, but still we managed to proceed without much concern taking pictures along with way cause unlike modern motorcycles each wire is individually connected even to the switch sets.

Though in the end I am grateful for mine being the Reed Valve, Electronic Ignition model similar to the LML's and Bajaj's own limited run Bravo model, a lot of research was done on reconditioning rotary valve seats and that did cause quite a bit of anxiety as I'm vary of workmanship in my place. But in the end everything fell in place.

Cheers,
A.P.