In keeping with our tradition here of getting into something after its already been mainstream-cool, consider the scooter craze of several years back. Mainstream-cool is like a fad and different than Always-cool. Sorry, scooters will always be cool. Remember when gasoline was $4 a gallon and scooters were all the rage? Today you don't even really see many scooters. At the height of the fad, I was totally in love with the Genuine Scooters model Stella. They had just released the 4 stroke version and were developing the automatic. My heart was with a Vespa-compatible 2 stroke however. It was hard to justify since the barn already included a couple motorcycles. So the lust for scooting was forgotten, until recently.
2018 was a year of unrest. I changed jobs which resulted in an 9 mile commute, instead of the +30 mile commute that I was previously enduring. This changed everything. No longer would I have to travel the highway, and owning a scooter was well within reason. The lust for scooting was renewed and the search was on! I found a low mileage 2009 Stella 2T that had been laid over. The bodywork wasn't too bad and the mechanical repairs were easy. With a price tag less than $1000, how could I go wrong? Plus what is the fun of buying something off the showroom floor!
The LML Star / Genuine Stella is an Indian made version of the Vespa PX150. The parts are interchangeable, and this gives Stella a big advantage for longevity for the future. The fit and finish is actually pretty good and I was satisfied with the new Stella scoots I had seen on showroom floors. We can rebuild her... again and again if needed since the parts are interchangeable. The PX engine clone was sold between 2003 and 2009, but the LML engine was reed valve instead of rotary. Since LML stopped producing the Stella line, the logical choice was the 2T. The four stroke and automatic at this point can't be expected to be supported very well. I love an orphan vehicle as much as the next guy, but there's no point in subjecting oneself unnecessarily.
Key Specs
* Engine: 150cc 2-stroke, air-cooled single
* Power: 8.0 HP @ 5500 RPM (2-stroke)
* Transmission: 4 speed manual
* Bore & Stroke: 57.8 x 57.0mm (2-stroke)
* Fuel Delivery: Carb
* Wheelbase: 48.6”
* Weight: 240 lbs (2-stroke)
* Starter: Electric and Kick
* Seat height: 32.3”
* Fuel Tank: 2.1 gallon
* Oil Tank: 0.26 gllon
* Front Brake: Hydraulic Disc
* Rear Brake: 6” Drum
* Front Suspension: Trailing Link, Gabriel
* Rear Suspension: Single Gabriel Shock
* Tires: 3.5 x 10” (Front and Rear)
Broken headset, broken headlight, missing mirror.
We picked up Stella from a young fellow in Red Lion. He was the second owner, and the scooter had been laid over. The damage wasn't too bad. I managed to straighten the bend in the leg guard enough to make it reasonable. A little touch-up paint and some stickers and nobody would know. The headset casting was another matter, that would need replaced.
Take it all apart.
Disassembly was easy. The wiring had to be repaired in a few places, but the damage wasn't all that bad. The only really difficult part was threading the throttle cable through the body. A word to the wise, make sure you can pull the new one in when pulling the old one out.
Remember where it all went.
Lay out all the parts.
No one wants things bouncing around in the storage compartment...
so why not line the compartment with rubber from an old inner tube!
so why not line the compartment with rubber from an old inner tube!
The Stella storage compartment is actually quite voluminous. If the capacity were measured in beers, then a 12 pack would fit. All it has to do is hold my lunch in the box. The "curry hook" is perfect for carrying a growler full of craft beer.
New black headset casting, painted red.
Pound out the dents and fill in the scratches.
The previous owner made a poor attempt to fix the damage by the crash. The paint didn't even match and the dents were still in the metal. I'm pretty lousy at bodywork, but I was able to make it look as good as new. The whole bike had been de-chromed. Most of the bright work have been removed, so all that remains is a Red / Black color theme. The only remaining chrome is the turn signal bezels, the mirror stalks, and front spring fulcrum cover.
We are all smiles here.
First trip into work. Then off to get state inspection.
One thing I learned early on was not to fill the oil tank completely full. The oil tank is above the level of the carb, but a level too high will overcome the check valve spring in the carb. That causes oil to dribble down into the carb, and onto the reads where it sits waiting for you to kick start. When that happens the whole crankcase gets a big mess of oil in it. That results in the whole neighborhood being covered in a huge cloud blue smoke. So I only fill the oil a little bit above the sight glass now.
"Dad, when can we go for ice cream?"
"Stella" was the name of my beloved pet mouse, so I needed to personalize the scooter in her honor. And I love checkered flags.
Every bike I've brought back to life has worn an "UNDEAD" sticker.
It is simply the way of mad science.
The major complaint about this scooter was a little lack of power. In talking to a few people about the 2T Stella design, I discovered that the emissions restrictions placed on this scoot really restricted the potential of the engine. The said it really wasn't making the full 8 hp. The catalytic converter is just too much of a restriction. The amount of oily smoke that comes out of a two-stroke, I was convinced this exhaust was clogged with crud as well. Upgrade to the SITO+ exhaust seemed like the best balance. There doesn't seem to be a need to go to a 177 kit, or anything that would reduce reliability. Something like the SITO+ should have been the stock exhaust from the factory.
More POWER!
Scooter Mercato stocks all these jets. (Dave is awesome to deal with and usually ships the same day.)
The SITO+ exhaust recommended re-jetting from stock is:
Carb, Idle Jet 55-160 Carb, Air Corrector Jet, 160
Carb, Atomizer Jet, BE3
Carb, Jet, Main SI 100
The worst aspect of this upgrade was cleaning things up before actually installing the exhaust. It is possible to carry out this upgrade in an afternoon.
Installing SITO+ exhaust.
Here's a poor video with the first startup with the SITO+ installed. She started right up and ran with no problems. Idle mix was about 3-1/4 turns without further tweaking. I wish I would have actually timed myself climbing the hill in front of the house with a before and after comparison. I'm quite certain the new exhaust is very much a performance enhancement.
Rejetted and SITO+ sounds great.
Feel the love, it's Genuine.
