*sigh* Well the bands that played the volunteer party rocked the house. It made pouring beer all night much more enjoyable and made up for not seeing Blue Rodeo.
Shannon
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GT200 is the same $40 gasket. Mine was brittle and barely there when I changed it Saturday morning of our rally. I think the 250 just blows harder and hotter (if you know what I mean).
The "Fix" is just a heat plate to deflect away from brake line when it goes. But the gasket is the same. Unless an aftermarket exhaust goes right back to the header, it doesn't solve the problem. A new exhaust only delays it because you'll probably install a new gasket.
I guess the kids have taken to welding instead of gasket replacement. Again it's a temporary fix as the weld does not absorb vibrations and will break.
A better gasket or a smaller engine is the real solution.
The "Fix" is just a heat plate to deflect away from brake line when it goes. But the gasket is the same. Unless an aftermarket exhaust goes right back to the header, it doesn't solve the problem. A new exhaust only delays it because you'll probably install a new gasket.
I guess the kids have taken to welding instead of gasket replacement. Again it's a temporary fix as the weld does not absorb vibrations and will break.
A better gasket or a smaller engine is the real solution.
giddyup
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LibertineAudrey
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Audrey,
It sounds like the best thing to do Audrey is to order one of the defective pieces and keep it close at home for when the Gasket eventually fails. This way you don't have to go through a waiting period and be Vespaless in Etown while you wait for the part. I can't imagine that the part is very expensive and for secureity and piece of mind it's probably worth it. Us Vintage riders always have a stash of extra parts or cables for the very same reason. Who wants to wait a week for a part when you can have it in your garage??
But who knows you don't ride your Scooter like Johnny aka ghost rider so maybe this problem won't ever affect you????
Cheers
A
It sounds like the best thing to do Audrey is to order one of the defective pieces and keep it close at home for when the Gasket eventually fails. This way you don't have to go through a waiting period and be Vespaless in Etown while you wait for the part. I can't imagine that the part is very expensive and for secureity and piece of mind it's probably worth it. Us Vintage riders always have a stash of extra parts or cables for the very same reason. Who wants to wait a week for a part when you can have it in your garage??
But who knows you don't ride your Scooter like Johnny aka ghost rider so maybe this problem won't ever affect you????
Cheers
A
�Long live vintage motorcycles that are too tough to die...�
- Dustin Kott-
- Dustin Kott-
If the gaskets are the same, then it's just a matter of time till it fails again. Over and over again.
If in fact the heat from the exhaust is cuasing it to dry up and fail, then i would look to see if there is another type of material that accepts the higher heat load or get the deflector put on so your brakeline doesn't melt when it does fail.
If in fact the heat from the exhaust is cuasing it to dry up and fail, then i would look to see if there is another type of material that accepts the higher heat load or get the deflector put on so your brakeline doesn't melt when it does fail.
Go here: www.modernvespa.com/files/bulletins/GTS ... Recall.pdf for all pertinent info, including part number to order, etc.
Johnny Redbike.
We, the unfortunate, led by the unqualified, to do the unnecessary for the ungrateful.
We, the unfortunate, led by the unqualified, to do the unnecessary for the ungrateful.
Audrey, they're $40. Can only be ordered through an authorized Vespa dealer like Kelowna or TopGear. I would imagine they're cheaper if ordered through the USA but I don't know that as fact. I also don't know if new ones are higher heat/temp range, but the ones Jan and I ordered last month were identical to the old one.
The recall, as far as I know, only affects the 250cc models and might be only a limited range of GTS's. The "problem" was apparently resolved in 2007 but many 2007 scooters might have been built in 2006 or halfway through 2007.
Easy to check. Follow your muffler back to the engine. About 6-8" from the engine is a clamp. That's the gasket in question. If there's a piece of metal secured topside of that, kind of like the chrome one on the main part muffler then yours is "resolved".
The gasket looks/feels to me like some sort of lead with fiberous wires running through it criss-crossed. I would not be surprised if it was a lead-asbestos-steelwire composition. (Asbestos is still being mined/manufactured in Quebec under the much less scary name of Chrysotile) Generally new asbestos is supposed to be safe, but Piaggio has been known to contract out some parts to China, etc, where standards might have escaped our import inspectors scutiny. In other words wear a mask whenever touching this gasket... just in case.
My gasket had not failed... yet. The GT has not been part of any Vespa recall as far as I know. As far as I know this is the only recall Piaggio has ever had to endure. There have been no reported incidents of the GT200 exhaust gasket failing that I'm aware of. BUT mine was extremely brittle and looked like shit. But then I did put a lot of miles on in some very hot weather.
It's much more painful but the solution is when ever you have to remove the exhaust (like when you change the back tire) is to leave the gasket alone. It is possible to remove the exhaust from the engine itself. The problem I've found is getting the exhaust bolts (there's only two) to thread back up into the engine, while working against gravity. I think I need to invent a way to turn the entire bike upside down safely.
The recall, as far as I know, only affects the 250cc models and might be only a limited range of GTS's. The "problem" was apparently resolved in 2007 but many 2007 scooters might have been built in 2006 or halfway through 2007.
Easy to check. Follow your muffler back to the engine. About 6-8" from the engine is a clamp. That's the gasket in question. If there's a piece of metal secured topside of that, kind of like the chrome one on the main part muffler then yours is "resolved".
The gasket looks/feels to me like some sort of lead with fiberous wires running through it criss-crossed. I would not be surprised if it was a lead-asbestos-steelwire composition. (Asbestos is still being mined/manufactured in Quebec under the much less scary name of Chrysotile) Generally new asbestos is supposed to be safe, but Piaggio has been known to contract out some parts to China, etc, where standards might have escaped our import inspectors scutiny. In other words wear a mask whenever touching this gasket... just in case.
My gasket had not failed... yet. The GT has not been part of any Vespa recall as far as I know. As far as I know this is the only recall Piaggio has ever had to endure. There have been no reported incidents of the GT200 exhaust gasket failing that I'm aware of. BUT mine was extremely brittle and looked like shit. But then I did put a lot of miles on in some very hot weather.
It's much more painful but the solution is when ever you have to remove the exhaust (like when you change the back tire) is to leave the gasket alone. It is possible to remove the exhaust from the engine itself. The problem I've found is getting the exhaust bolts (there's only two) to thread back up into the engine, while working against gravity. I think I need to invent a way to turn the entire bike upside down safely.
giddyup
