Vespa Restorer

Turn an old machine into a new, mean machine.

WHY a Vespa? Because your uncle gave you a ride on one 20 years ago and the memory still brings a smile to your face.

Because it’s classic. Because it’s cool. Because it’s cute.

New lease of life: Restored Vespas awaiting ownership.

It is, affirmed Eddy Ten who has been restoring and modifying vintage Vespas for the last four years, an answer that can stretch on for kilometres.

Ten should know, as the 33-year-old mechanic has been salvaging old, broken down Vespas and transforming them into, as he calls them, stylish “big boys’ toys”.

“Some of the old Vespas we found had been rusting away in their owner’s backyard, eyesores which had been written off as scrap metal.

“We buy these, take everything apart, do some welding and anti-rust work on the frame and give the engine a complete overhaul.

“As to how the paint job is to be carried out and what sort of ‘look’ the Vespa will have, that is left for the customer to decide,” said Ten.

Rescue operation: Ten finds old Vespas, often written off as scrap metal, and restores them to mint condition

What makes a modified Vespa unique inadvertently lies in the owner’s creativity.

“One Irish expatriate wanted me to paint his in the flag colours of his country, while another wanted everything in black.

“One lady buyer enquired if the bike’s registration number could reflect the husband’s birth date, as she wanted to surprise him with it on his birthday,” recalled Ten.

It takes about two months to restore an old Vespa to road worthiness.

“Everything is done by hand, from paint work to engine overhaul”.

Ten also handles the paperwork required for the road tax, insurance and the registration for the chassis and engine. All this can cost the client at least RM6000.

The endearing appeal for the Vespa, as Ten pointed out, lies in its classic shape.

Total makeover: Anti-rust treatment in progress

The protective front fairing, for example, meant that lady riders never had to worry about the wind blowing up their skirts; the flat footboard helped to reduce the feeling of pins and needles on the legs and the side cowling kept the engine free from dirt and grease.

A separate seat for the pillion rider also made it more comfortable for a passenger. The Vespa, which uses an internal mesh transmission engine, does not have the standard motorcycle chain, a feature which many riders will agree, has been at one time or another, a source of misery.

Wheel replacement is also a breeze. In the case of a puncture, one only as to deal with five screws.

“The oldest Vespa model that can be found in Malaysia dates back to 1963 and the latest, 1998. The models manufactured in between this time frame are considered ‘classics’,” said Ten.

The tell tale signs are easy to spot. One is at the headlamp of the Vespa handle: in models dated from 1963, is the presence of something that looks like a cock’s comb above it. This comb is, however, absent in models produced between 1968 to 1970.

In 1972, the Vespa headlamp traded in its circular shape for a squarer form and by 1985, there would be the addition of signal lights by its sides.

And no, the vintage Vespa is not for speed demons.

“The first models were powered by a two-stroke engine which could only run up to 80km per hour,” said Ten.

Still, this has not stopped Ten from organising one-day trips to Kuala Selangor and Janda Baik for his clients.

However, that does not mean that the Vespa cannot take long haul trips.

Ten had heard rumours that one Malaysian rider rode his Vespa all the way to Thailand, Cambodia and then Vietnam!

Ten, who began his foray into the world of vehicular modifications, had started as an apprentice at a motorbike spare parts shop at the age of 15.

When he turned 17, Ten fell in love with a Virago 535. Recalling the moment when he first laid eyes on it, Ten described it as if he had just had an electric shock.

“I went all the way to Johor just so I could get the spare parts to fix the bike,” laughed Ten who had bought it for RM2500 in 1995.

It was, said this father of one, the turning point in his life as he realised that he loved nothing more than to take a lifeless engine apart and restore it to working condition.

The next step, said Ten, is to try his hand at restoring Lambrettas, a motorscooter similar to the Vespa.

> Eddy Ten can be contacted at PJ-One Motorcycle Accessories Centre, 5, Jalan MJ2, Medan Maju Jaya, Batu 7, Jalan Klang Lama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor ( 03-7785 0529).