Hi All! I just stumbled across this lovely site! I've wanted a Vespa since high school (almost, ahem, 20 yrs ago now) and finally found what I wanted, 2005 PX 150 - all the vintage styling with the modern conveniences of turn signals and electric start!

So I bought the PX150 in Oct, I took the Basic Riding Course & passed the test 2 weeks later, got my endorsement. But of course, any scooter you use during the safety courses are auto's, so while I am comfortable on an auto, I still need to learn the shifty.

Who here rides a shifty? I've had a hard time finding people who ride (or even know how to ride) shifty scooters. I need a little encouragement. I found two You Tube videos that show the shifting, the one for a Stella is tops b/c it shows both the shifting and the throttle. How did you learn? What was the best advice you got? Tips/tricks?

Thanks - looking forward to FINALLY Spring in Seattle... today's weather is the reason why I live here

I went from an automatic scooter to a six speed manual shift motorcycle. Pull in the clutch, tap Dow to first give it a little throttle & let out the clutch. Put around in first gear & when you are comfortable try up shifting to second. Remember to practice down shifting too.

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Dar ~ I was born to ride!

my blog: Princess Scooterpie http://scootermayhem.blogspot.com/

A scooter shifts differently than a motorcycle. But I'd do as Island Diva suggested, in terms of putting around in 1st gear. (First though, just practice pulling in the clutch and shifting w/o the engine on.)
Best tip I got? If you have trouble getting from neutral to first (when stopped), roll the scooter a little forward or back and try again.

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Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
-Leonard Cohen

Thanks! Yes the scooter shifting is all handle based, no foot shifting, which is why I chose to not learn how to ride a motorcycle during training. This PX 150 is big too, I'm 5'7" 145 lbs but damn its a monster.

Seriously thinking I should have bought a medium size auto scoot first, like a Vino 125, just to get comfortable with traffic. I still might - there's a couple for sale that are good prices. Then, I could graduate to the PX 150

I will definitely take it out to get it into 1st and put put put down the street. The other issue with the PX is the fact that is just a wishbone stand, doesn't have a foot assist attached, and rocking the scoot back onto the stand is really tough. But its sooooo pretty

Hi Pandabur and welcome to the forum.

I ride two scooters and I also ride a 5 speed manual shift Yamaha TTR 125 dirt bike and a 250cc Honda VTR. My favorite is the dirt bike. I learned to shift with it. My husband chose the bike for me because he wanted me to learn to ride a manual on grass instead of pavement. Grass is much more forgiving when you fall over....LOL.

I spent hours like Island Diva said, put putting around learning to shift from neutral to first, learning to let the clutch slip (don't be afraid to slip the clutch on a motorcycle. They aren't like cars, they are very forgiving) while applying acceleration. I wish I had a nickel for every figure 8 I did in our yard using pop cans I'd tossed out for turning points.

I'd love to have a manual shift scooter.

Best advice is to take it slow and get comfortable with your ride.Find some wide open spaces like school parking lots to practice in.

While I love my scooters, my TTR is my baby. I was riding it yesterday in the woods on our farm, just enjoying ripping around on it. I can't imagine not having it around.

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There are two types of people in this world, people who ride scooters and
people who wish they could ride scooters.

Thanks! So I took it out yesterday after keeping it on the battery tender for a bit, and it started up just fine! I put-put-put’ed up and down the street in 1st gear, even took it around the traffic circle a few times. WAHOO! Now I don’t think I need the auto as a temporary one to learn on. I feel pretty good on this one, it’s not as big once you get on it.

The only thing is that it wanted to die on me without a little throttle. Finding out now that it could be I left the choke on (open?) the whole time so I’ll make sure to not do that next time. What else could it be? I hadn’t started it since November last year, so maybe a tune up?

Also, the kick start lever has no resistance now - but it did when I bought it. I’m not sure what that means – gotta figure that out as well!

Bexx – why do you want a shifty scooter? Curious! I like the style of the scooter itself, which is why I basically had to get one.

Thanks!!

I have a couple of shiftys...well, four of them. I have two of the original Vespa P series, a Honda Passport, and a 1964 Fuji Rabbit. The Passport and Rabbit each shift a bit differently than the P series, but I've been riding and enjoying that type of scooters for just a few years. Ok, decades (high school for me was 33 years ago).

My son started riding dirt bikes, and I eventually decided maybe...maybe...he was old enough to start riding my Vespas. I warned him that they were NOT to be ridden in the same manner that he rode the motorcycles, and basically, did exactly what has been suggested. The very first thing is to get the hang of letting the clutch out. And every clutch on every bike is a touch different....you will get so you do it without thinking, but at first you may get exasperated stalling out if you let the clutch out too fast. I also had him just start in first gear, and I rode right beside him to make sure he went easy, lol.

There are a lot of neat things about your scoot. It's made to be utilitarian. You have a spare that will fit either front or rear, and the engine is easily accessible. You can still start (push starting and popping the clutch) and ride the bike even if your battery is dead (your horn will be a clue to the condition of your battery).

Check out this thread of a local Scooter Diva meet-up...my normally incredibly reliable P125X didn't want to start. Once, when I had an accident, it sat unattended for 8 months, and started on the 3rd kick. With over the phone help from a friend who rebuilds Vespas, we accessed the carb and got enough trash out that we were able to get it started, and I was able to ride with these gals (that's Miss Daisy on her Reflex!) and go enjoy a nice lunch. When I got it back home, the fellow who had helped us over the phone pulled the carb and gave it a good cleaning. That might be what yours needs. It might also be that a fresh spark plug will do some good...you should always have a handful of plugs in the glove box on a 2 stroke. In the first photo, we were priming the carb with gas from the gas tank, using a siphon I carry because the vintage bikes don't have a gas gauge...I hadn't had to use it on my own bike up till then, but we had pulled it out before when others on rides had run out of gas.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7106

Anyway, WELCOME to Scooter Diva!!

The new stellas grab me for looks only, but the more classic vespas are fascinating to me!

I'm still concerned I'd hate shifting, but you never know until you try.

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BTW, have you checked out the local clubs? From a glance at the websites, I see several vintage folk...the Vespa CLub site has links to other clubs, as well. Apparently the site where the Vespa Club has it's meetings was the scene of a recent tragedy. Prayers to the families involved in that senseless shooting, and to the family of the mentally disturbed gunman, who later shot himself as well.

http://www.vespaclubofseattle.info/

Hey thanks for the welcome greetings everyone!
I think like a car, you either thrive on shifting or you find it pretty much pointless. I like shifting in my car, but I’ve been driving a stick shift since 1994, so I’m used to it. I like the control of shifting gears. Most people who know how to ride a shifty scoot choose to ride one, but you are limited on who makes them and where you can take them (no shifties on the freeway I’m sure!). But again, trying to find someone who knows how is difficult! Even the instructor at my additional practice class never had, and he's been riding m'cycles for 40 years.

I am hoping my issue with the kick start was that I wasn’t doing it right… I need to figure out if you squeeze the brake and the clutch, or neither, or keep it in neutral or 1st, etc. Even if I get the combo right, its difficult for me to do anyway, damn you need some UMPHFF!! But I want to learn how so I can turn it over if needed and just to feel like a bad-ass

Wednesday was like a crime drama show. We were reading about the situation as the story unfolded. At first, the two shootings (one at the café and the other downtown Seattle about a mile away from my office) were not considered linked. Then, to find out that the guy who killed 4 people at the café SOMEHOW reached downtown Seattle undetected, carjacked and killed the driver, and drove to West Seattle to get caught by a plain clothed cop, then turn the gun himself, it was almost too convenient to believe, and we were thinking that the cops just wanted the city to calm down by connecting the two. But I guess it really was connected. I’ll be interested in knowing how he got from one neighborhood to another in less than 30 min undetected.

To start a vintage P series Vespa, you make sure the kill switch is in the right position, put the bike in neutral. You turn the key on, check for the green light on the speedo that means yes, you're in neutral, reach down and pull the choke out, and then kick. In 2-3 kicks, you should be going. After the bike warms up a bit, you push the choke back in.

IF you try and start the bike in gear, you will entertain bystanders as the bike lunges forward...and maybe you along with it. You don't need the brake, because in neutral, the bike can't go anywhere...remember, you've already checked to make sure the bike is in neutral. I don't know what color or where the neutral safety light is on a modern PX, but if they had them on the original, I'm sure they have them on the new ones.

Some scoots like a little gas, some like more choke than others...that's the key to your own bike: finding that certain mix it likes. And you will come to know it. Every bike likes to start just a little differently.

Thanks Happy C - I'm going to try that I am hoping it is just operator error on my part that the kick start lever didn't engage.

Happy scooting everyone!

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your shifty scoot.

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The JOY is in the journey.

Pandabur, why would I like a shifty scoot?

Efficiency and grin, I like to shift.

Buzz is still undergoing repairs from my encounter with a pot hole last month so I amused myself today with my dirt bike. 125cc's of shifting fun as I gun up and down the ridges we have on our farm.

I swear if that bike was street legal you would never get me off of it.

_________________
There are two types of people in this world, people who ride scooters and
people who wish they could ride scooters.

Thanks Bexx! I weighed the pro's and con's for a classic looking Vespa but only comes in shifty with one that is automatic, and the styling won out. I figured, I have been driving a manual for 18 years, and it is natural - involuntary - now, I figured it will happen for the scoot too. Plus, I like to stay engaged, so with a manual (either car or scoot), you cannot go on auto pilot at all.

Its just difficult to find someone in Seattle (hello??? anyone??) who has a shifty to practice with. I didn't want to join any club until I could ride in traffic, but I might forgo my own requirement and join just to know some peeps out here.

Thanks piccolagita!! I am glad to find you gals.