Back in March, I ended a little yellow scooter’s long slumber. My 2005 Genuine Stella, an old Vespa PX that was built under license in India, is finally on the road again after being neglected for 11 years. Now that I’ve put 300 miles on the reborn two-stroke, I’ve figured out every little thing that’s wrong with my scooter and golly, it’s a real pile of crap.
Truth be told, when I say that this scooter has been neglected, I should be pointing out that I was largely responsible for the little scoot’s situation. When I bought the Stella in 2019, it had already been sitting for five years. I then let it sit for six more years, and some of that time was outside. I wasn’t kind to the scoot, which the previous owner named Marmalade. I then even tried to sell it, which could have just extended the time the scooter wasn’t on the road. Worse, I eventually sort of forgot I even owned it.
I decided to break the cycle by getting the two-smoker back running again. I had nightmares of what could have been causing my scooter not to run, but as it turned out, things weren’t nearly as bad as I expected. Now, it’s time to make Marmalade the best little yellow Vespa it can be. Well, after I fix its first real disaster while in my care, anyway.
A Cheaper Vespa
If you missed my last story on this scooter, I’ll give you a quick run-down. The Genuine Stella is otherwise known as the LML Star by Lohia Machinery Limited (LML) of India. It’s an Italian Piaggio Vespa PX built under license in India for that market. In 2002, Chicago-based scooter parts seller Genuine Scooters decided to get into making its own scooters and started by slapping its own logos on the LML Star.
The result is my cutie on your screen, a little two-stroke ripper with classic looks.
This scooter has come to America through a really long game of Telephone, and I’m pretty sure at least one of the callers definitely had bad reception. In other words, this scooter looks like a beloved Vespa PX and has pretty much the same parts, but the parts have been cheapened to a hilarious level.
When I first tried reviving this scooter, I convinced myself that there was some sort of catastrophic electrical issue going on. I put a battery on the scooter and flicked the ignition switch, but got no life. There was no horn, no headlight, no pilot light (the tiny secondary light in the headlight), no turn signals, and no starter.
At the time, I tested the scooter’s main fuse, and it was fine. I then tried just getting any life by hitting the kick start, and again, I got zilch, nada.
Back at home base, I spent so much time researching Stellas, and what I found wasn’t particularly confidence-inspiring. In Vespa circles, folks have whole lists of known issues that apply to Stellas but not to Vespas. Why? Enthusiasts have found rather silly differences between a Stella and a PX. For example, the wiring loom going through a Stella is shorter and far more brittle than the original one used by Piaggio.
This leads to really stupid electrical faults like the wiring in the shift grip going bad, losing your headlight, losing your horn, or losing spark. Or, worse, the sheathings on the wires wear through, and you start getting shorts.
I took that into account when I returned to revive Marmalade. Using a wiring diagram, I narrowed down my potential electrical issues to either the ignition switch or a break in the wiring somewhere. I initially failed again to get any life out of the scoot, but then I hit the brake pedal, which illuminated the brake light, albeit dimly.
I examined the main fuse again and thought the wiring going to it looked on the crusty side. So, I disconnected the fuse and connected the two ends of that hot wire together. I was amused to find that this wire was already set to bypass the main fuse with the correct connectors.
With the fuse deleted, the brake light was much brighter, I got back turn signals, and I heard the comforting click of the starting system trying to work, but being broken. Hey, that’s progress!
Through my research, I learned that the headlight is actually fed by AC power from the engine while the turn signals, brake light, and pilot light are fed from DC. Well, the pilot light is blown or its wiring is shot, and the horn is also broken, so no wonder I thought this thing was super dead.
Getting it running again was then as easy as changing the carburetor out, draining the fuel tank, and then putting gas back in. That’s all I did!
The scooter came back to life after just two kicks. I have since adjusted the carb’s mixture settings, and it runs great. I can usually get the scooter started with just one kick. It’ll also hit 60 mph so long as there isn’t a headwind and the engine currently returns around 82 mpg despite me riding at wide open throttle pretty much everywhere.
I think what I love most about my Marmalade is that it’s not something you’d expect to see scooting around rural Illinois and Wisconsin. I live in the heart of Harley-Davidson territory, where I hear straight-piped V-twins multiple times a day. Everyone else just seems to choose some sort of sportbike with their own loud cans on the back. Nobody expects you to be buzzing down Wisconsin Highway 50 at 60 mph on a little yellow Vespa.
The scooter even seems to be handling better now that everything’s all loosened up again for the first time in 11 years. It’s still twitchy, but ridiculous fun. I have long advocated for all motorcyclists to try a scooter at least once in their lives, and this wouldn’t be a bad choice to take a spin on!
Everything Is Broken
But, wow, the quality of this thing is hilariously, profoundly awful.
Let’s start with the easy stuff that you can see with your eyes. Everything rubber on this scooter needs to be replaced. I’m not exaggerating. If it’s made out of rubber, it’s actively turning into dust. Take a look at the ignition surround here:
Last weekend, I rode the Stella in the rain, and when I hit the rear brake, my foot slipped off. I was shocked, because I was wearing my good boots there!
But to my surprise, my boots didn’t lose grip. The rubber piece covering the brake pedal just peeled off.
Oh, don’t worry, because I’m not done yet. I’m serious when I said that everything rubber has gone bad. The rubber caps for the rear turn signals? Those are actively disintegrating.
The intake boot? Yeah, that’s going, too. The only piece of rubber that isn’t failing is the fuel line, but that appears to be because it’s not the original line.
The Continental tires have also seen better days. To their credit, they’re only in bad shape from age and abuse. Both tires are at least 11 years old, and the rear tire has been flat for what, six years? They get a pass for being bad. I will be getting new tires when I replace all of the rest of the rubber, of course.
Anyway, even the scooter’s stand has lost most of its rubber. This scooter had two rubber feet when I got it. The first disappeared in 2020, and the second is barely hanging on as it, too, is converting into dust.
The rubber on the engine’s parts is also falling apart, which is just fine, just great. So, I’m going to need to just replace everything that’s made out of rubber here.
Next on my list is an oil leak. Now, I’ve been running premix because I don’t trust the autolube system yet. I did confirm that the autolube works, but some of the two-stroke oil isn’t making it into the engine. I have narrowed this down to either the roached gasket under the carburetor or the feed line coming from the tank. It leaks only when autolube system is running.
This oil leak has been here for at least the past 11 years. The previous owner told me that one of the reasons she parked it in the first place was because of this oil leak, which she never attempted to diagnose. So, it’s about time that gets fixed, too. It’s entirely possible that this gets nipped when I’m replacing the rubber around the engine.
Today, I went outside to take updated pictures of my little Marmalade and was disappointed when I saw this:
Yeah, that’s a huge puddle of fresh two-stroke oil. Sadly, this almost certainly means that either the sight glass has failed, the oil tank has failed, or a fitting on the oil tank has failed. Honestly, any one of those is a possibility. So, I have no real choice here but to remove the seat, drain the fuel tank, and start digging in. In the worst case, I can continue to run premix.
But, ugh, I’m still not stoked to see the scoot puke its guts out.
The scooter also has a twitchy speedometer needle. Stella owners have fixed this problem by reseating the speedometer cable, making sure there are no sharp bends in the cable, or by having the speedometer serviced. I can also replace the speedometer with a new aftermarket version that doesn’t rely on a plastic worm gear, but it’s a pricy bit of kit.
Then there’s the electrical system. I’ve noticed that the turn signals, brake light, and headlight really aren’t bright enough for a sunny day. You can see them, but not as well as a modern bike. Thankfully, I’ll be able to replace the turn signal bulbs and brake light with LEDs.
The lights in the photos below are on:
The headlight is a different story. When new, my scooter shipped with a bizarre 35-watt incandescent bulb as its headlight. I’m serious. This thing had more or less a bloody candle as a headlight when it was new. Thankfully, one of my scoot’s previous owners converted it to a newer-style 35-watt halogen headlight. It’s brighter than stock, but still not bright enough. There is an aftermarket conversion that changes the light and the bucket, but again, it’s priced pretty high. I’m not trying to put a ton of cash into a $500 scooter I revived for $67.
Some PX/Stella owners have reported success with their own HID or LED headlight conversions, so I’ll probably end up exploring that path.
From there, I just have to fix the horn and the starter. It looks like the horn button has gone bad, causing my issue with the horn. The starter just needs a new relay.
Once I get through all of that, the scooter should be a fine ride until the next thing breaks. Stellas weren’t exactly known for their reliability. They were notorious for eating crank bearings and for having janky transmissions. So, who knows how long it’ll actually last? But I don’t really care because it’s just too fun!
Now, some of you might think I’m being a bit hard on the scooter. After all, it did sit for 11 years! However, the scooter has spent most of those 11 years in a garage. Even considering that, the quality just isn’t there. I’ve ridden 40-year-old Japanese motorcycles with original rubber and original electrics that were in infinitely better shape. Sadly, it’s not just me, either.
People who have owned these things for far longer have long complained about the quality. But I suppose that comes with the territory of a scooter built for a cheaper market. LML cut some quality corners. But you know what? I’m actually cool with that. The hilarity of how poorly it’s built only adds to the character. This scooter is like a rescue dog or an old British car. Its quirks are part of the fun!
So, you haven’t seen the end of Marmalade yet. I plan to ride it as my main bike through the season. I just have a few things to tweak, and it’s going to be even more of a fun ride.
Yes, Ms. Marmalade looks cool, but for what you’ve put into it, a Honda ADV 160 would probably have been cheaper (at least in the long run) and more proficient.
I know there’s a recall out there about these about some oiling issue. At least it’s a Honda and not some no brand-name thing from China.
There’s a bi-annual Scooter Cannonball starting off in Oregon and ending up on some beach town in Texas in June. I’ve done 100 miles on a scooter in a day. But at my age, I can’t do 350+ miles per day on a scooter. No matter how good it is. But I will definitely follow the blogs, vlogs and YT channels and be painfully vicarious.
scootercannonball.com
I’d almost be disappointed if you didn’t do this. But this is not a dare or a challenge. More of a suggestion towards something you could aggregate and report about,
You speak of a yellow scooter, but that thing in the pictures is surely orange. Orange like marmalade…
Looks like a fun ride but I couldn’t see myself trusting 11+year old tires at 60mph on a highway, especially when one was flat and compressed for 6 years… That seems to be the most obvious thing that needs to be replaced before anything else now that it’s established that it CAN actually run…
I am so disappointed for you. I don’t know much about Stella (or now I know some). Back in the late seventies I had a second hand P200, which I think this is based on. That thing was a tank that I reliably summer commuted on and any maintenance it needed could be done by a yeast cell. The fact that you got such a dud saddens me.
I ended up selling mine for twice what I bought it for to a person who knew exactly what they were getting and understood that I was actually profiting after five years of ownership. They made me the offer and I was leaving the country for an extended stay, so win-win.
I’d be surprised if it isn’t still on the road.
Not a Vespa. It’s a Stella. Looks the same. But less.
Not a beer, but less.
I don’t know what exactly I love about these, because, objectively, the ride is twitchy, that front suspension is kind of a death trap, on the PXes the drum brakes either do nothing or lock up the wheel, the hand shifter is imprecise, and so on.
Maybe because my parents took me to Mediterranean countries a bunch of times as a kid, but I always wanted one as far as I can remember.
Piaggio-brand or not, prices are going up, so it’s probably worth saving.
Well the paint is still a shade of orange that makes it worthwhile running or not.
Maybe it just needs CARdiopulmonary Vespasuscitation!
Orange you glad marmalade hasn’t left you in a jam?
I have often heard that if you want to get into the old car field but the best one you can afford. That is true and saves thousands. My second tier advice is buy a 2nd similar vehicle because it is cheaper than buying parts one at a time. But never drive the purchase with out checking it for safety. Many Autopian writers seem to not have carmensense when they buy crap cars. FYI I claim carmensense as a word I have created.
Carmensense, I love it!
That’s why I have at least one car I can trust to get me somewhere, and if that fails, my wife drives a reliable Toyota! I’ve never really had an actual problem getting somewhere and can count the number of times I’ve had to call a tow truck on one hand. 🙂
Besides, “I bought a Honda Accord and it never breaks” doesn’t make for particularly exciting material.
I fear some of the car stories I have read here wouldn’t even be safe on a trailer. Looking at you David Tracey.
You could always solve your oil leak problem by converting it into an EV . . . but otherwise, yes, you’re going to end up dropping a fair bit more than $67 to fix everything. In the UK, it’s easy to get parts (especially all the rubber bits) and they’re fairly inexpensive, but all those things add up. I’m not sure if the parts are cheaper here (although they might be now due to tariffs), but if you or anyone you know has any trips to the UK or Europe planned, you could stock up on everything you need.
It’s remarkable how cheap the parts are for these things! I just bought all of the bits I need to rebuild the oil tank system for $50 shipped, which isn’t bad at all.
“It’s Not Fine!
I want to overhaul the entire engine. But it’s gonna take a major commitment from you. You’re gonna have to keep it under 60 miles an hour for a while.”
What’s that joke? Remove the gas cap, scrap the rest.
My ET4 150 is more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
So glad you’re getting Marmalade going. I sure miss my ratty old Allstate sometimes, there’s something pleasingly ridiculous about buzzing along at 50MPH on some cleverly folded sheet metal riding on wheelbarrow tires and I always hoped I was bringing some hilarity to the world.
Stella!!!!
Been waiting for this…
One of the funniest scenes ever.
Thanks for the memories. I let my ’85 Vespa P150-with-an-engine transplant rat bike get picked up by a buyer who said it was definitely going to be parted out some years back, and yeah, I miss being able to buzz around in that thing.
I’d bought it from a friend who’d attempted to paint the thing black and red with Krylon. Had the first overbore so it was around 225cc, would hold 65 on interstates where yeah, I did ride it sometimes, but every year for its last decade it get neglected.
It gave its life so others could live. Glad you’re going to revive this Stella; hope you know what you’re really in for, though.
I’m impressed you got this running so quickly after a long period of dormancy.
My experience with OPE is ALWAYS more carb related problems than this.
I’d continue with the premix, it’s a safer guarantee of having some lube working for you and eliminates the need to repair the system.
As for running 60mph on those old tires, well that’s your call. Helmet for sure.
Glad I’m not the only one to take sketchy tires on the highway.
Front tire of my KTM is 12 years old and was recalled and my rear tire had a screw in it that I just yanked out and seemed to self-seal as there was only a quick pssh of air when I yoinked it.