1957 Lambretta LD 150 EV conversion

Joined
Nov 2, 2021
Messages
72
Hi friends,

I've owned this Lambretta for over 20 years. Almost sold it a few weeks ago. When the buyer showed up to pick it up, we couldn't get it to idle properly. I knew it was the carburetor since it's been just sitting in the garage. Buyer agreed to come back the next day when i get it going. Next day, i got it running top notch but buyer backed out of the deal. After cruising around for a while, i fell in love with it again! Decided to keep it and make a 100% reversible conversion.

I've been reading up on some amazing Vespa conversion over at https://modernvespa.com. The guys there really helped motivate my build. I am planning to share my build here and will be asking a lot of questions. Hoping to build it properly since i'm planning to keep my scooter for another 20 years. I can't believe i tried to sell it.

The motor has about 50 miles on freshly rebuilt motor about 15 years ago.
Took it for a last spin before disassembly.

scoot.jpegIMG_4920.JPGIMG_4924.JPG
 
Subscribed.

I'm sure you've probably seen it already, or the thread over on modern vespa, but, if not, check out the build that JimVonBaden
did of my VespaLectric, https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=109761 (I purchased it from him after he completed, and will continue to refine and evolve it).

I'd definitely recommend his selection of motor, controller, and battery (or at least battery size/capacity) as a good model to follow. It works quite brilliantly.
 
Hey Jas67,

I've bee lurking at the modern vespa site for a while now. Taking lot's of notes and then finally shamelessly copying most of the parts list from JimVonBaden. Resistor has been answering all the rookie questions i've been asking. He offered to help with the wiring, he doesn't know what he's getting himself into. I'm pretty annoying sometimes with rookie questions. :?:

So far, the main components are from JimVonBaden's build. Resistor is helping me source the other parts. Feeling pretty lucky to accidentally landed on the vespa page for my lambretta build.

Main components:
-4KW 10" QS hub with drum brake (Resistor recommended disc but i'm really into the retro look of drum, still debating)
-Kelly Controller KLS7245N 30V-72V 270A
-Contactor 400A

Most likely buying from qs-motor.com since most of you guys bought from them.

I'm building the swing arm myself. Don't know what i'm doing yet but i have a welder and an angle grinder. I'm not afraid, i have good life insurance.

Waiting for a flywheel puller so i can remove the engine. Clean things up and then cardboard mock up the swing arm. If all works well, i'll order parts.

Here's my work from home desk. My head is always turned to the left. Not getting much work stuff done lately.
work.jpg
 
Resistor is quite knowledgeable. I know Jim also got advice from him during his build.

kingkongshrimp said:
I'm building the swing arm myself. Don't know what i'm doing yet but i have a welder and an angle grinder. I'm not afraid, i have good life insurance.

:D :D :D

kingkongshrimp said:
Here's my work from home desk. My head is always turned to the left. Not getting much work stuff done lately.

Yeah, I'm working from home too. I can't see my motorcycles and scooters from there, but, often walk out to the garage and stare longingly, wishing I could just take the day off and ride.
 
The swing arm is not going to be easy. There's a torsion housing right in front of it. Since this is a reversible conversion, i can't cut the housing off.
pivot_point.jpg

Also got a new toy. This thing is supposed to cut and weld. Can't wait to test it out.
toy.jpg
 
Riding my Lambretta around Los Angeles has always been dangerous without turn signals. It wasn't a factory option back then. I found a handle bar signal switch off a 80's Honda motorcycle that almost looked factory. Will have to modify some things to make it work but i'm pretty happy with the score.

turnsignal.jpg
 
I'm rewiring the whole bike. Bought these vintage looking wires. I think they will matchy matchy with my bike.
Screen Shot 2021-11-17 at 11.58.11 AM.png
 
That wire is listed as "solid", you don't want solid wire, you want stranded.
 
One step closer.

Today i mocked up a battery to fit into the space. So far, 10x10x5 seems to fit nicely.

Planning to get a 72V 30ah with 100A discharge from https://eonlithium.com. It's going to cost a limb but my scooter is worth it.

I have two options so far. Battery on top vs. Battery bottom. I think it's safer for the battery to be on top, further away from the ground.

Battery_bottom.jpgBattery_top.jpg
 
for something to damage the battery it will have to have gone through your swing arm, not terribly likely. Damage could even be avoided by just putting a plate under the batter as well. From experience, as much of the weight down low as possible is best
 
@grautuefel

Thanks for the advice. My friends are saying the same thing.
Planning to mount battery on the bottom. Will make a steel plate for it to sit on.
 
Finally got the bushing housing back from the machine shop.
Took forever to find a shop that has a lathe around my neighborhood.
Hand to drive across town and it was expensive.

They bored out a pipe for the bushing to press fit into. I asked them to make two extra just incase i mess up the first two.

Some drilling and welding coming soon.

bushing.jpg
 
Tack welded the two piece together and tried to saw all the way thru. Didn't work out.
Clamp came loose and the drill bit came off. It was a mess! Luckily it went far enough to drill a hole on the second piece.
It came out alright.
1.jpg



The hole saw i got was slightly bigger than the housing. I listened to the hardware store guy, it's clearly not a kiss fit.
2.jpg
3.jpg



I have a Lincoln oxy acetylene and a wire feed welder, both from Home Depot.
Not good at neither of those. Won a bunch of Ugly award in past projects.
Was told the acetylene torch will be too hot for it so i might try the wire feed first.

If you have any advice on how to weld shut the gap, please let me know soon.
Or should i just redo these and get the proper size hole saw?
 

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kingkongshrimp said:
If you have any advice on how to weld shut the gap, please let me know soon.

I see the danger that welding might deform your tubes for the bearings.

I would sacrifice a bearing and put it into the tube for the welding process, in order to avoid that.
OR let a professional welder do the work...
 
These bearings are special order specific to the scooter. They cost $30 each and takes about a month to get here.

I've order the proper size hole saw. Going to use my wire feed welder with low heat to weld it.

I have an idea on how to prevent it from warping.

Coming soon...
 
I would say the opposite.
Is your welder up to the task? I think you need as much power as you can get out of that thing.
And a little weld gap to get good penetration.

It would probably have been better to just use a suitable pipe, and milled to the right size after welding instead of making the right size before welding.
But it is just bushings, it dosent have to be perfect.

I would make maybe 4 spot welds 90 degrees apart. Then weld the rest in maybe 8 steps. The problem with mig/mag is that it takes some welding to get the heat up, the first part of the weld dosent penetrate very well.
 
j bjork said:
It would probably have been better to just use a suitable pipe, and milled to the right size after welding instead of making the right size before welding.
But it is just bushings, it dosent have to be perfect.

I would make maybe 4 spot welds 90 degrees apart. Then weld the rest in maybe 8 steps. The problem with mig/mag is that it takes some welding to get the heat up, the first part of the weld dosent penetrate very well.

Welding the housing to the swing arm then mill to the right size was the original plan but i had trouble finding a fabrication shop to do that for me. Luckily, the shop milled 2 extra for me just in case i mess up.

Good idea on 4 spot welds! Will do that. Also planning to weld on some junk steel to make sure the machine is hot enough.

Thanks!
 
Hi I bought an LD with same idea in mind a couple of months ago ,original intention of doing a reversible swap out but eventually opted for permanent swap by removing sides of torsion arm tubes and fitting swingarm onto motor mount as you are doing ,only difference is mine is single sided swingarm so has had to be a bit stronger .I went down the route of looking at what was available and saw what the guys had done with the vespa and lambretta ,I eventually came across a load of Chinese e vespa lookalikes with a 3000 w hub motor and controller, 12 v dc outlet and wiring for everything so i bought 2 cheap £300 .So back wheel runs the hub motor and disc brake on a 12" wheel 70 profile Tyre front is standard LD at 8" and is same overall diameter as the rear wheel and tyre harness just needs to be fitted and maybe add some indicators ? sort out hand controls ie cable to hydraulic master and so on so handlebars look as would have been.Managed to get a good Sur-ron 60v 32ah battery to fit to scoot it does just over 30 mph has a 2 speed switch but plan to alter stock controller from running at 85% up to 100% should make it around 40 mph then maybe by-pass BMS give it a bit more juice.
Please keep in touch very interested to see what your doing
 
norrepooc 1952 said:
Hi I bought an LD with same idea in mind a couple of months ago ,original intention of doing a reversible swap out but eventually opted for permanent swap by removing sides of torsion arm tubes and fitting swingarm onto motor mount as you are doing ,only difference is mine is single sided swingarm so has had to be a bit stronger .I went down the route of looking at what was available and saw what the guys had done with the vespa and lambretta ,I eventually came across a load of Chinese e vespa lookalikes with a 3000 w hub motor and controller, 12 v dc outlet and wiring for everything so i bought 2 cheap £300 .So back wheel runs the hub motor and disc brake on a 12" wheel 70 profile Tyre front is standard LD at 8" and is same overall diameter as the rear wheel and tyre harness just needs to be fitted and maybe add some indicators ? sort out hand controls ie cable to hydraulic master and so on so handlebars look as would have been.Managed to get a good Sur-ron 60v 32ah battery to fit to scoot it does just over 30 mph has a 2 speed switch but plan to alter stock controller from running at 85% up to 100% should make it around 40 mph then maybe by-pass BMS give it a bit more juice.
Please keep in touch very interested to see what your doing

Wow!!! Another LD! I searched the whole internet and didn't find another.
If you don't show pictures, we might not believe you.

I don't know why but i never thought about a single sided swing arm. That makes perfect sense since the original motor is on one side.

Originally i was going buy one of those electric scooter and transplant the whole system. I was lurking around the Modern Vespa forum and was lucky to meet a knowledgeable member who goes by Resistor. He's been teaching me a lot of stuff which led me to source the components instead.

I'm trying to find time this week to build the swing arm. Battery is on it's way.

More pictures coming soon.
 
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