I am considering purchasing this TV175

More information to follow.

Repro panels. Not original light. Fires up and runs. Did not check lights, but supposedly they all work correctly. Seat cover not original. Bodge job on front fender. Owner used lacquer to remove rattle can black spray paint to stock white color. Was found in a salvage yard. No title.

It started 2nd kick and I rode it around in 1st gear. Getting into 2nd was tricky. Needs a cable adjustment.

The asking price is $3000. It was listed at $3500 earlier on, but was not purchased. My mentors say that $3000 is asking too much for a project scooter. When you add up the cost of the scoot and what it will take to restore it versus what it will be worth the value doesn't even out. If it were a TV200 or SX200 I would be more likely to buy it on the spot, but I am not married to this bike, since I already have one in my garage in pieces and I paid a lot less. One mentor told me he'd pay no more than $800 for it without the title. It seems a fair offer and smart offer is $1,000. And I need to remember the bottom line and the value of the scoot when all is said and done. $3000 is too high for this specific scoot. Not a smart investment, especially if I would ever need to sell in the future.

Removing the silent blocks / engine mounts

Happy Thanksgiving!

I got some garage time with my 3-year-old son this morning and removed four silent blocks from my two TV175 cases.

I heated the case (not the blocks) with propane first and then applied the "SB removal tool" and it came off easily.

Using a ratchet allowed me the strength to turn it out without much of hassle.
I repeated the process for my spare TV175 engine.
And away I put the cases.

Thanx to local club member Mike C., who loaned me is SB removal tool. I have one as well, but it needs three cuts in the pipe and then it is done.

If you're interested in making one it doesn't take much and will cost no more than $10.

I have plans right HERE to make your own SB Removal Tool. It's really easy. I designed this before I saw Mike C.'s. And they are basically the exact same concept, except mine was made of scrap and cost me no more than $2.50.

Clutch shifter purchased

I bought two items last week from Paul S. at his superstore. I bought a brass gear pulley (pre-mod) and the clutch shifter. I didn't realize that this is the second gear pulley I bought since Scooter Parts Direct sold me a "mislabeled" throttle pulley on clearance. So now I have two gear pulleys and this one is true Innocenti stock. I paid $25 for the gear pulley and $35 for the clutch perch. I believe that it is Series III and it is the later type since it uses the fatter levers (see Stickey's Manual for reference). It matches the TV switch perch shape I bought and they both use the fatter levers.

The lever hole is not oval'd out at all. It's in good shape. I need to use a razor blade and check the metal beneath the grip -- per Stickey.

I also need to confirm that this is a Series III perch from someone more experienced. It is a Series III perch, but it is "post mod" and I learned so is my switch side perch. I need pre-mod. I learned from my Mentor Mike A. that there are three types for the Series III:

Yeah that's a S3 clutch perch. Keep in mind there are 3 styles. Early, late and Indian. The Early ones have a raised point around the lever pin hole and run the flat blade type shifter rod with a splined end, later ones have the plastic pully rod and do not interchange. and Indian GP are wider at the alloy end to match the headset. From the photo your looks like an early one which would be correct for the TV.

I cut the grip off to identify it. Mike A. also taught me:

If it has a thin slot (1/8" or less) it's early, if it's 1/4" or more it's late. Another identifier for pre-mod is there is a "raised" area where the lever screw goes through (on the bottom side).

Unfortunately, both the clutch and switch perch I have do NOT have the raised area at the lever pin and are therefore post-mod and will not work with the brass pulleys I intend to use. I believe post-mod uses the plastic pulleys, but do NOT quote on that. I will try to trade or sell my perches. They are in great condition with no ovaling in the lever pin hole. The tube is clean of rust and there are no dents in it.

Front Dampener Choice

Originally I planned to build a performance TV175 with a stock-ish look, but being a High School English Teacher my wallet is just not that big and now after restoring my wife's Vespa SS180 I have develop a serious appreciation of nearly bare-bones stock -- the upgrades are only for reliability, such as a electric ignition and stainless steel hardware and such -- all mild mods.

The three shock brands I looked at were the Italian repros, Sebac, & Escorts. I posted for buying advice on the LCUSA forum (you need to be a member to read this). I learned from a mentor who owns a TV200 that the Italian repro shocks not only did not perform as well as the stock ones, but they also leaked. I heard this from at least one other person. They cost $50 per shock. The Sebacs are $45 per shock and look stock and perform much better, but for $22 per shock you can buy Escorts which are a slight performance improvement over the Sebacs at the sacrifice of not looking stock, because the shocks are fatter in diameter. This is a big no-no for those anoraks out there. In a pinch, you may be able to squeeze gators over the Escorts and trick the eye into believing they are stock.

Without a doubt, I would like NOS or to rebuild some original ones, but I am not sure how quick and easy those would be to find.

The recommendation from LUCSA is to buy the Escorts if I plan to enjoy riding my bike as opposed to looking at it as being 100% correct.

R1/R6 Shock

My most recent purchase was a 2002-2003 R1 rear shock from Craigslist. I paid $30, but hope to sell the linking arm for $7.50. The seller went down on his bike and was parting it. He says the shock had 8,000 miles on it and was in great condition. He asked $40 and offered $30 and he bit. On eBay, with shipping, you are looking at $35 and can buy the shocks for just under $20. You can also find the shocks for under $20 locally on Craigslist if you keep your eyes open. I watched the Bay Area Craigslist and never saw it for less than $30 and I also posted I was I wanted to buy one.

A fair price for a R1/R6 shock is $20-40 and you can usually find it locally and avoid paying shipping. Most of my fellow Lammy owners seem to have R6 shocks and I wrote them for advice on the shock, which you can read here (if you are a LCUSA member). I think if I waited a while longer I could have trimmed $10 off the price I paid. Part of me wishes I waited a little longer, but I have been looking on and off for a year now and the price was fair so I went for it.

I already own the spring and had it powder coated in black. You can see it here.

I had purchased the spring and brass bushings first. Photo is here.

It is important that you buy a 2005 or older shock to ensure it fits and follow these directions.

Note: I sold my left over swing arm for $10 in less than 24 hours on Craigslist. That brought my R1 shock cost down to $20. Though, I have seen the swing arms sell for $15-35 online and the buyer of mine said people are paying $131 at a local used parts store. So if you can sell your's for $20 and you buy the shock at $20 you will get a free shock.