I was out running an errand after work on the 4T. I'd driven the truck to work today and had a 12-hour workday with plenty of crap from covering for a sick employee and dealing with various and sundry headaches related to new call center projects. After that guff, I figured a relaxing ride on the Stella was the therapy I needed.
The engine was warmed up fully and I was about halfway to my destination. I'd shifted into second and had about 2/3 throttle set. I'd just about gotten to the shift point for third when the bike lurched violently out of second, revved briefly, lurched back into second briefly and lurched back out into neutral. I dropped throttle, shifted to neutral (it didn't light the indicator when it jumped out of second, but did when I selected it), then shifted back into second. The bike sounded louder right after this, but I really didn't appreciate it until I stopped at the next light. It was ticking loudly, like it had a badly adjusted valve.
Sonofabiscuit! I'd lay a Hamilton down that this infernal contraption yanked it's cam chain and either broke a chain guide, jacked the tensioner or murdered the chain idler gear bearing.
The gear jumping is particularly vexing, since I took it in about a month ago for a 50-mile oil change (surprisingly clean) and a gear cable adjustment because it had been a bit funny about shifting between neutral and second. It had been fine after the adjustment and gave no indication of having trouble holding gears prior to this. To add insult to injury, it jumped out of second again on my way home and I wasn't even at half throttle!
I want it torn down and I want to inspect it. No engine swaps, Genuine. I've been mindful to roll in and out of throttle since this short-legged gearbox puts such a torque load on the clutch basket and I know how soft LMLs parts are compared to OE Piaggio. I haven't speed shifted it or dropped the clutch. Heck, even after being kinder to it than my PE, I want to toss the stock shift box and gears and replace them with PX Lusso parts since every Stella I've ever ridden has a sloppy shifter. I just bought a DRT clutch pusher arm because I know the LML ones tend to fracture and I was expecting that a few years down the road. I was also saving a new Piaggio clutch as a contingency after seeing a few gnarled-up 4T clutches. Kinda sad when you are expecting things to break later, but they break before break-in was completed.
Despite all the annoyance I have with LML's build quality and Genuine's lack of oversight, I will see this scooter fixed properly. If it wasn't in warranty, I'd be pulling the motor and doing an RDI this weekend. I like the engine's torque and it rides decently in spite of those mediocre Dunlops. It's still better built than Genuine's half-baked Stel-tato by a country mile. Between the two, it's a shame that the model Genuine entered the market with has fallen so far in the last few years and build quality has slumped to PRC levels. I'm just not feeling the love right now.
To anyone who suffered through that, I am sorry. When one of your two "dream" scoots turns into a turkey, it's a bit of a buzzkill.
