The Vespa handlebar gearchange system has worked ok for 60 years, but still, there is definitely room to improve it.
Jumping gears when under power are common Vespa problems that can be caused by:
- Poor quality components
- Sloppy gear selection
- Excess power (is there such a thing)
- Racing abuse
- Mismatched headset and engine gear selector (newer motor in old chassis)
Sequential shift, so the clutch lever returns back to the same position after every shift, is a solution that has proved successful in racing with the Casa Lambretta team. It is also the method you’ll find employed on the vast majority of motorcycle-engine conversions where the motorcycle gear lever is converted to cable operation.
It takes a little getting used to from the traditional method, but it works fine.
Now a German firm – Motorino Diavolo – has created a conversion that brings sequential shift to the Vespa PX (EFL-Lusso-T5 only) engine.
VIDEO: Vespa sequential gears in action on an ACMA Vespa
What is the point?
There are several types of scooterist who might gain from sequential selection:
- Racers looking to improve lap times
- Sprinters and tuners looking to avoid missed gear selections
- Those fitting 4-speed PX engines to older 3-speed scooters
- Anyone who no longer wants to worry about missed gears
We asked Christian Muehlbauer about his new product.
Which selector boxes can you modify for this? Only EFL or also older Vespa models?
Our sequential selector box fits PX-Lusso transmissions. The ACMA has a Cosa motor. You change the original selector box into ours.
How precise is the selection of each gear? Is this a complete solution to gear jumping?
Yes it is. The arm in the selector is locked and can only be unlocked by the cables.
What is the stiffness of the handlebar shift like? Is it about the same as standard or more or less difficult to twist?
It feels lighter as you have a “startup” before the handle is at the rotate stop and the gear shifts.
How much testing have you done with this? Has it been tried in high-performance (>30hp) engines?
The prototype (no hard metal) is in the ACMA for one year now, our test PX (20HP) was changed Friday night.
Which sort of rider do you think will benefit from this shift pattern the most (mega horsepower riders, city riders etc)?
For everyone, as it is really comfortable and faster. A customer says:”You don’t need it, but it is so much fun driving”.
With this selector it should be possible to convert to electronic control (‘Tiptronic’). I guess you are already working on this. Any idea on cost or when it will be available?
Not yet. Our next step is to produce different torque supports and then a solution for smallframe and 5 Speed
The Motorino Diavolo selector box costs €249 + P&P and you can buy it on-line from this web-page. You can find out more from their Facebook page.
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