Wonderfully simple little scooter

[Stig / Major Tom]

Serviced, washed and waxed this 2018 Liberty 150i today.
That center panel lets you do simple valve checks and spark plug replacements. Air filter is easy to get to, as it the front CVT nut for turning the engine to TDC.
Even both ends of the shock mounts are easy to access.







I have been using this stuff on cars, motorcycles and scooters for years. Getting hard to find, now. (so I bought a case) Easy on, easy off, no powdery residue. Feels good, smells good!


Stig

[CROSSBOLT]

Nice!

[big blue]

It makes one wonder why the Vespa line does not make access to valve adjustments so easy to do.

[Tromper]

Not meaning it as a dig, just speculating,  but I suspect it's because the Liberty is a modern working scoot so is free to do what's necessary/practical with the bodywork where Vespas a salute to the past, so are very much married to the classic aesthetic & are very slow to change it the bit they do.

Kinda similar to the same trap Harley's trying to get itself out of Change a Vespa/Harley too much and you lose your folks who buy your product as much for the emotional feel as for it's functionality.  Of course Piaggio itself isn't as stuck as Harley since Vespa is just one division & the others are free to move on.

It makes one wonder why the Vespa line does not make access to valve adjustments so easy to do.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Not meaning it as a dig, just speculating,  but I suspect it's because the Liberty is a modern working scoot so is free to do what's necessary/practical with the bodywork where Vespas a salute to the past, so are very much married to the classic aesthetic & are very slow to change it the bit they do.

Kinda similar to the same trap Harley's trying to get itself out of Change a Vespa/Harley too much and you lose your folks who buy your product as much for the emotional feel as for it's functionality.  Of course Piaggio itself isn't as stuck as Harley since Vespa is just one division & the others are free to move on.

Honda PCX is a modern nightmare to do valves.....start at the tail light a begin removing stuff. Crazy. No excuse.
The skin is the frame on some big Vespas....others have more typical framing beneath the metal skin.
Almost seems like Vespa thinks valves will never be checked by the owners. Maybe a dealer valve check is cheap on Italy?
Stig

[big blue]

If they think that valves need no adjusting how about hydraulic lifters on the valve tappets.

[Tromper]

Never done a PCX but have heard they're no fun.

The Kymco S200 requires major bodywork removal as well, but it's easy to take off.  Took me about 10 minutes then about 5 to check the valves.

By contrast the HD is pretty accessible, but it's a multivalve head so a bit trickier.

The Burger makes me appreciate bikes like the Liberty, that checks are rare & adjustments rarer still.

[hypophthalmus]

Does Harley actually need to change? Vespa certainly HAS changed quite a bit.

I'm pretty sure I  spend much more than 15 minutes just cleaning everything off so that dirt doesn't fall into the engine when I'm checking the valves.

I've always wondered why so many vehicle designs don't seem to have much thought put into how easy they are to service. It's good to hear that Piaggio did. It makes me wonder if their other bikes aren't the same.

[Viper254]

A huge number of Piaggio Libertys go to various postal services in mainland Europe, so I suspect that's an incentive for Piaggio to keep them easy to work on

[Stig / Major Tom]

A huge number of Piaggio Libertys go to various postal services in mainland Europe, so I suspect that's an incentive for Piaggio to keep them easy to work on

Read somewhere that Piaggio has made some 900,000 of the Liberty type of scooter.
Plus - that service manual helped me decide to sell this



and buy the Piaggio. The Burgman has been gone nearly a year - and it was a great scooter. Just not for me. (son thought I was nuts)
A final family portrait.
Stig

[Stig / Major Tom]

Handsome scooter.

Yes, KYMCO could release the People One here with ABS - but they didn't. I would have loved to test one of those!

Stig