How to Restore and Maintain Your Vespa Motorscooter (Motorbooks Workshop) (Paperback)

by Bob Darnell (Author), Bob Golfen (Author) "Properly identifying the various types of Vespa models can be a challenge..." (more)
Key Phrases: kush gear, cast headset, early scooters, United States, Super Sport, Enrico Piaggio (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Phenomenal numbers, along with a Generation X mod revival, have translated into a thriving collectible and restoration scene, with enthusiasts striving to attain the same authenticity afforded other collectible vehicles. This complete guide to correctly restoring all Vespas built from 1946 through 1996 addresses both mechanical and cosmetic concerns.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (December 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760306230
• ISBN-13: 978-0760306239
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #32,261 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rave from a recent Vespa addict., December 16, 1999

By	David Reichert (Gurnee, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A must book for the Vespa owner. The perfect companion to a Haynes' manual for your particular scooter. Between the two, you should have all the knowledge you need to tackle everything from routine maintenance through a major restoration (including a pretty tasty chapter on performance improvements).

The information is very accessible presented in an engaging style that encourages both a cover to cover read, or skipping about gathering bits here and there. If you ever considered owning one of these classics, but were abashed by the prospect of doing your own maintenance and restoration, this book makes it easy. There is a scooter mechanic within each of us. This book lets him loose.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not at all for beginners, February 18, 2005

By	John W. So - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

More than a book teaching you how to "restore and maintain your vespa," this is a history book about vespas. Also, this book should have been called "Tips for restoring and maintaining your vespa motorscooter assuming you are already familiar with vespa mechanical systems and jargon" because it does NOT cover even the most basic of things in a way comprehensible to anyone but those already familiar with vespas. For example, in explaining how to remove the engine, the instructions say, "Before putting in the pinion axle, make sure the zerk fitting is installed in the proper direction. One way will clear the speedometer cable, the other won't. That's why the hole in the trunnion is cast at an angle." Too bad it doesnt tell you what a "pinion axle," "zerk fitting," or "trunnion" is, nor does it provide any pictures.

Speaking of the pictures, they are so random and are rarely, if ever, useful. The step by step instructions are also not nearly as comprehensive as they need to be. Anyone who works on vespas can tell you that dropping the front fork (without pulling your hair out) cannot be distilled into one page for a beginner.

Complaints aside, there are a handful of useful pointers that can be culled from here or there. But it's probably a lot easier to get that information from a vespa message board or from your mechanic than from buying this book. Online vespa communities have made this book largely irrelevant.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must Have" For Anyone Restoring or Maintaining a Vespa, November 27, 2001

By	OMS (Cedarburg, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

I am currently restoring my 1970 Rally 180 and this book has been a priceless resource. I am somewhat handy with tools but don't know all that much about engines and all that. This book helped me with everything I was unsure of. It contains just about everything you need to know in easy to read steps. In addition to the restoration section it also give tips for maintaining your scoot. Also, it has a nice little history of Piaggio and the Vespa motorscooter. This book is necassary for anyone who is restoring a Vespa. Especially if you are not as mechanically handy as you would like to be like me. The only downside to this book (and it really isn't a downside) is that everything is generalized for either large frame or small frame bikes. It doesn't really get into individual models very much. This isn't that big of a deal since they are all very similar. Just combine this book with the Haynes Manual for your bike and you are good to go.