Scooterotica

The back wheel on my series 3 sits to far to the left side as you look at it from the rear. I'm pretty sure the frame itself is true as it was checked out on a jig in Norwich a couple of years back. the scoot rides fine and apart from the left inside panel holder sitting a tad to close to the wheel there are no real issues. It does however bug me so Iv been thinking of possible causes and fixes.

I have noticed there are quite a lot of series 3's out there that have a rear that's going to the left but far more seem spot on. I did try and remedy it by putting an offset cone in the left side only and rotating it till the wheel was plumb but it crabbed something awful so I binned that idea...

Anyways I'm guessing that the scoot has had a whack at some point in its history and this has probably pushed the loop to the right a tad.
so how easy would it be to split the two sets of welds that hold the loop to the frame at the rear, then move the loop across 5-10mm and re-weld? Obviously this would mean losing the paint on the loop but I'm not bothered about that. I think I would need to get some sort of jig to hold the frame so I know I'm moving the loop not the frame....

Any suggestions welcome
Sef

Where are you? There are people in Manchester and Durham who could sort it forfa you.

hendy wrote:Where are you? There are people in Manchester and Durham who could sort it forfa you.

I'm in Essex. I think it could take a bit of time though, because even after measuring you would have to tack it then gently put a casing with hub and wheel in and then flip it and see if it was right.

I'd be leaving the front weld as is, as I'm presuming there would be enough flex in the loop over the length for the back to be pushed over sufficiently without anything going out of line.

I'm as far from an engineer as you can get but if the frames straight and wheels in line then keeping the frame as is and moving the loop over I can't change the frame alignment. that's my only real concern...

what does the panel work look like when its all in position? any gaps larger one side than the other?

There is a guy down this way with the same problem- it transpires that the frame is twisted to the nearside somewhere behind the engine mount area so much so that the rear wheel only just misses the rear mudguard.

Chris

I don't have rear runners anymore so no real guide side panels wise. Part from that panels fit well, there's no obvious creases anywhere.

some people have suggested a guy in county Durham, I think I'll give him a buzz and find out what he would charge first.

thanks lads

try a new pair of engine mounts first !
this is a common prob and its caused often as not by petrol getting onto the near side mount degrading it and making it soggy ..

sean brady scooters wrote:try a new pair of engine mounts first !
this is a common prob and its caused often as not by petrol getting onto the near side mount degrading it and making it soggy ..

Would have been my guess as well but been like this since Iv had it and it's been through 3 sets. would have been handy though...

ANY signs of crack or re-weld on the engine mount tube?

Yanker wrote:ANY signs of crack or re-weld on the engine mount tube?

No not that I have been able to see. It's also been on a jig to check the frame was straight. Wasn't filled with a huge amount of confidence as I was assured that the wheel was in the centre also. On getting it home I found there was no difference and the wheel was still off centre. He did assure me the frame was straight though....

Interestingly I've just fitted a new rear hub and SIP tubeless rims and noticed the rear wheel sits to the left of the rear mudflap, something I hadn't noticed before. I refitted an Innocenti hub and standard rim and it was exactly the same. So I then measured from the rear support tube to the frame panel channels and the loop is welded off centre, probably in the factory by the look of it. I've rejigged Indian GP frames several times before paint but not come across it on an Italian bike before. Wheels are in line using a straight edge along the tyres. My other scoot is perfectly in line at the rear.