How do you get the Lambretta gearshift to work perfectly and smoothly?
We take a close look at the controls and what you can do from the steering head to the cables to the gearshift paddle on the engine housing.
Let's be honest, the last Lambrettas left the Innocenti factory half a century ago. And not all of them were regularly serviced and maintained as they should have been. The beauty is that classic Lambrettas are very easy to maintain - especially with the right tools, the right parts and the right advice(sticky manual).
There are three areas to look at:
Handlebars / steering head
Cables & cables
Motor housing / shift arm
1. handlebars / steering head
Within the Li family there have been various changes to the internal parts of the handlebars. On well-maintained scooters, you have to spend a lot of time taking everything apart, cleaning it and reassembling it properly greased. Once you've done the job, it can't hurt to replace all the bushings in the steering head. These are the guides for the shift and throttle rods. Available as handy sets from Casa Lambretta:
Once you have reassembled everything correctly and the play - especially in the gearshift housing and gearshift rod - has been eliminated, you are finished with the handlebars and can take a look at the cables.
2. cables and wiring
Cables with Teflon/PTFE lining (housing) are essential. These run super smoothly and are maintenance-free. The bgm PRO cable sets are made specifically for the Lambretta Li family and have some unique features. The correct inner and outer cable lengths are guaranteed. Here you can find additional information about how good they are: BGM PRO cable sets on the blog.
It's time to fit the inner cables. Apply a good blob of grease to the brake and clutch levers to keep everything well lubricated. In particular, the lever screw, the nipple of the inner cable and all moving parts must be well lubricated.
Spraying the inner cables with Teflon spray does no harm - especially the operation of the clutch becomes much easier: PTFE spray (G280512)
TIP: If the bolts of the clutch and brake levers are not greased properly, they can knock out the holes in the light switch housing and in the gearshift housing (the "hole becomes an egg"). These can be easily repaired with the oversized bolt: Oversize repair bolt (8900009).
3. motor housing / shift arm
The most important thing is to avoid unwanted play in the shift paddle, shift linkage and shift arm. Fortunately, there are many different options for every taste.
Paired with the bgm adjustment screws, you really have a perfect and durable set. The bgm screw nipples have the original Allen key size of 3.5 mm (such a key can often be found in the original on-board tool, or here: 3331475).
The special tool: The bgm wrench is equipped with a ball head. This makes adjusting the shift cables child's play, even if you have to pass the clutch cable:
For all the originality fans out there who want to keep their Lambrettas as original as possible, we have oversized adjustment blocks. These have been specially manufactured for the continued use of worn gearshift paddles:
DE | €
