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LML star: Green Lanes & Byways


Fabergé Greggs

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  • 1 month later...

Some time ago now, this thread started with me owning two of these, A Vespa version and an LML version. The reasons why were convoluted and the only place I could share my logic was here.. I sold the Vespa and have been loving the LML ever since. 

 

Anyway, fast forward to now and an identical LML turns up for very cheap on Facebook with the same "unsolvable" electrical issues as mine had way back when. I fought through the Facebook feeding frenzy victorious, to be collected on Tuesday. Fuck!

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It’s the indicators on this one too. Always is.

 

It’s a combo of things- the bulb holders are terrible quality, so I usually just put a metal one into the housing

The AC flasher circuit is an insane design, so you can just take a DC feed from the regulator and use a solid state DC flasher.

The wiring of the switch is insane, and needs to be replaced with an improved design with strain relief and screw terminals.

The cables are usually stretched to within an inch of their life, so need to be worked carefully through the bodywork to give a bit of slack at the switch end

The design of being earthed through the side panel spring is nuts- everything needs to be sanded back to fresh metal on the contact area

The positive feed through the side panel pin usually needs some emery action.

 

Voila- working indicators (temporarily)

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It’s the indicators on this one too. Always is.

 

It’s a combo of things- the bulb holders are terrible quality, so I usually just put a metal one into the housing

The AC flasher circuit is an insane design, so you can just take a DC feed from the regulator and use a solid state DC flasher.

The wiring of the switch is insane, and needs to be replaced with an improved design with strain relief and screw terminals.

The cables are usually stretched to within an inch of their life, so need to be worked carefully through the bodywork to give a bit of slack at the switch end

The design of being earthed through the side panel spring is nuts- everything needs to be sanded back to fresh metal on the contact area

The positive feed through the side panel pin usually needs some emery action.

 

Voila- working indicators (temporarily)

 

Well, I'm glad it's not just me. Drove me mental. I don't think I want another after all. I'll get a Honda next time. Have fun with it! 

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I nearly forgot, sometimes the loom breaks too where it pass through the handlebars. Just imagine Italian design made to a budget in India. 

 

The switches and other minor electrical bits are the only things that are worse in LML's- everything else is better or the same. Once you've chased away the electrical issues you're left with a more rust-resistant, reed valved PX. Racks front and back, two up etc, it's unbelievably useful. Ulez compliant too, but with the smell of two stroke and the fun of gears.  Solid gold! 

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I nearly forgot, sometimes the loom breaks too where it pass through the handlebars. Just imagine Italian design made to a budget in India. 

 

The switches and other minor electrical bits are the only things that are worse in LML's- everything else is better or the same. Once you've chased away the electrical issues you're left with a more rust-resistant, reed valved PX. Racks front and back, two up etc, it's unbelievably useful. Ulez compliant too, but with the smell of two stroke and the fun of gears.  Solid gold! 

 

Now you've made me want one again... 

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had a vespa douglas (dunno what the difference is?) years ago, and could never get used to the gear change, almost broke my wrist getting into 4th gear!

I think the Douglas bit just means that they were built in the UK under licence- just as they were built in India as LML. In Spain they were called motovespa, etc. Same with lambrettas.

 

The gears can take a bit of getting used to, though loads are made worse by poor adjustment. They’re never totally great but then it’s a flippin shopping trolley, not a Ferrari.

 

I’ve got a badly broken left arm with loads of metal in it, so I see the clutch and gears as handy physio on my commute..

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  • 4 weeks later...

The new one had a crazy heavy clutch, replaced the cable and now it's got a crazy light clutch. It must have a later Vespa Cosa style clutch which is a bonus. I'll be keeping that if I move it on. 

Removed the rack, should get £40 or so for that, Removed the horrible seat cover. It's looking better already and runs like a champ. Just need to get round to the electrics.. 

 

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You should make them look exactly the same. Take it in turns to ride them with the same number plate on both, then you can have just one insurance policy, one MOT and one bit of road tax, thus sticking 2 fingers up to the System and the Man. 

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3 hours ago, purplebargeken said:

You should make them look exactly the same. Take it in turns to ride them with the same number plate on both, then you can have just one insurance policy, one MOT and one bit of road tax, thus sticking 2 fingers up to the System and the Man. 

I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind 

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  • 2 months later...

I seem to have bought some engine cases, to fulfil a dream of building a hot motor for one of these. 

To fund exotic bits, one of them is for sale, the new cream one. It'll be £900 to a shiter as is. 

Ulez compliant, it needs indicators sorting and a speedo cable for MOT. Runs like a total champ though!

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3 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

I seem to have bought some engine cases, to fulfil a dream of building a hot motor for one of these. 

To fund exotic bits, one of them is for sale, the new cream one. It'll be £900 to a shiter as is. 

Ulez compliant, it needs indicators sorting and a speedo cable for MOT. Runs like a total champ though!

Incredibly tempting!! I don't have my CBT but that's easy to fix...

Is it L plate legal?

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12 minutes ago, SiC said:

Incredibly tempting!! I don't have my CBT but that's easy to fix...

Is it L plate legal?

It is indeed. 

I rode mine around for ages on L plates, before deciding to watch a few videos and do the bike test myself on my LML!

 

Edit: they're also incredibly easy and fun to work on, with every upgrade bit under the sun available for them. You'd be in heaven!

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eBay engine turned up today. It's been apart before and is missing carb, crank, piston and clutch. That's cool though cos all those are going to be upgraded anyway.

It's really the cases and the gearbox that we're after. This is an LML case, which means slightly bigger ports and a reed valve, which gives a little bit more torque than a PX and means they have a slightly higher clutch gear as standard. We're just hoping that the gears look fresh and that the crank hasn't exploded  damaging the cases inside. A quick 10 minute strip down over lunch and we're... good! Behold the marvellous simplicity! 

Next step is to get the bearings out, and get busy with the dremel to get the cases flowed for a fancy cylinder. 

 

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On 4/24/2019 at 10:33 PM, Fabergé Greggs said:

It’s the indicators on this one too. Always is.

 

 

Some years ago I did some work on a T5 for a friend of a friend with a view to getting it an MOT. The problem with the indicators on that one were all down to that ridiculous switch; I enquired about a replacement, only to be told that they were no better than the originals. Anyway, I cleaned everything up - wiring connectors, bulb holders, the crappy switch - and the indicators worked long enough for it to pass the test, failing again about 5 minutes later.

 

On 4/25/2019 at 1:50 PM, Fabergé Greggs said:

I think the Douglas bit just means that they were built in the UK under licence.

 

 

It does, although DVLA kept using 'Douglas Vespa' on log books long after the factory had closed. IIRC they built/assembled Vespas at the Douglas factory between 1958-62? There's a really good site here if you fancy reading more.

 

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  • 1 month later...

Sunday was lovely weather and I fancied doing something adventurous.

I rode the LML on a six/seven hour round trip to the Goodwood revival, which had crazy crowds and some great racing. I fell in love with an Ogle . 

Navigation on the way back was handled by the scenic app, which is able to propose ridiculously windy routes avoiding all civilisation.  Takes fucking hours mind. 

 

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