Project: Vespa PK XL1 for a good cause - Vespaonline.de Forum

A great initiative from the creators of the vespaonline.de forum: The restoration of a pink Vespa PK XL1 without indicators. The frame (incl. papers) is currently completely "naked" - a project that is to be sold ready to ride and the proceeds donated to a good cause.

The whole thing works like this: Other users send used or new parts to Volker, who completes the Vespa. Scooter Center has contributed his part. The contribution from Scooter Center focused on the electrical part, which had to be completely replaced. But let's let Volker tell us more about this project:

In 2018, a user of the vespaonline.de forum had suggested to rebuild a completely disassembled Vespa PK XL1. This user only had the bare frame and a few small parts. He had bought this assortment years ago in order to turn it into a rideable Vespa himself. However, the project failed.

As he didn't want the parts to lie around uselessly, he came up with the idea of "donating" the frame and having users of the Vespaonline forum ( www.vespaonline.de ) reassemble it with existing parts, or having many volunteers reassemble it and making the finished vehicle available to anyone who wanted to use it for a certain period of time. Initial attempts to collect parts and carry out the necessary welding work somehow did not allow for timely completion, and the project disappeared into oblivion from the beginning of 2019 to 2021.

Another attempt to get the Vespa back in running order in 2021 failed again. In August 2024, a final attempt was then made to breathe new life into this Vespa. And then the topic picked up speed again! The bare frame, now without the few parts still available at the time, but with papers, was transported across Germany to the far north by users of Vespaonline.

The condition of the frame was somehow ... questionable.

One of the previous owners had gone wild with it, removing large areas of sheet metal and welding other metals back on. The Vespa had probably been promised a career as a racing vehicle. The frame was therefore first freed of its unnecessary openings and modifications and the sheet metal was restored to an acceptable condition. At the same time, a list of missing parts was drawn up, and the list was really long. Everything was missing.

A search for parts was therefore started in the Vespaonline forum. The parts were to be used but still in good condition. These were to be sent free of charge as a donation to the person who had made himself available as a fitter and had already carried out the welding work. Little by little, the first parts started to arrive.

A really large number of users had agreed to pick out suitable parts from their boxes and make them available to the project. In the meantime, thoughts were also given to the further use of the hopefully now finished Vespa. The initial idea of making the Vespa accessible to everyone was quickly discarded. Instead, the idea grew of selling the finished Vespa and donating the proceeds to a good cause. There were already a few suggestions, but the final solution had not yet been found.

As the search for parts in many users' own garages, cellars, arbors and boxes was not successful, simply because no suitable parts for a Vespa PK XL1 were available, the "project leader" received inquiries as to whether it would be possible to donate money in order to actively participate in the project. As it was clear that not all parts could be obtained used in good condition or free of charge due to their uselessness (wearing parts, electrical parts such as wiring harness, voltage regulator, switches, etc.), money was transferred.

This helped to ensure that a whole mountain of parts could be procured. Some users bought new parts at their own expense and then sent them to the north. It also happened that sellers of hard-to-get parts were contacted on kleinanzeigen.de. They were then made aware of the project, waived their purchase price and sent the part in return for a postage refund.

Various parts, including those that can only be reinstalled as new parts, were requested from [ Scooter Center in the form of a request to see if it would be possible to sponsor this project. Without any problems, they sent the submitted parts list including some cool promotional items to the "project manager".
Many, many thanks for this!

Restoration parts for the Vespa PK XL1

Turn signal switch: 9520024, 9520018
Ignition: 9010104
Voltage regulator: 9100003
Lettering: 1151728, 7675574
Bulb: 1100999, 9512005, 9512035, 7673285
Wiring harness: BGM3150
Light switch: 1231852
Plug for ignition base plate cable: 7671802
bgm horn rectifier incl. adapter cable set: BGM6710KT1
bgm retaining plate for horn rectifier: 1216820

The Vespa will be repainted in the next few weeks. Everything needed for repainting will be provided free of charge by a local paint shop , mertens-sh.com. After the paint job, the Vespa is reassembled.

All the necessary parts are actually available. However, there were also a few negative circumstances with regard to project support. Manufacturers of bench seats were contacted with a corresponding reference to the project and the further use of the Vespa. Unfortunately, they were not in a position to provide support, as the seats for a PK XL1 were "currently not in the range" ...
Another unpleasant point was that some of the parts sent were in a scrap condition without any further use being possible.

The Vespa project is now for sale: kleinanzeigen