MOT

The trouble is I cant really test the scooter without getting it on the road, and so I really do need to get an MOT.  Everything seems to run ok, except for the rear indicators.  And so while the family were watching some rubbish celebrity reality TV show, I nipped out into the garage to investigate. 
Unfortunately you cant test the lights on this scooter without starting it up, and as it was late in the cold evening I decided that I would just have to wait till the next morning to see if my scratching-the-paint-off-the-side-panel-spring-clips solution had done the trick in restoring an electrical circuit to the rear indicators. 
It did :-)
So there I was - with a bike as good as it was going to get ready for an MOT.  What to do?
The sun was out, but the forecast for a few days time is for snow! so now seemed like an ideal time to get the bike out on the road to an MOT center.
Gransport had told me previously that they used Vale Onslow for all their scooter MOTs.  Now Vale Onslow is apparently legendary in the classic motorcycle world.  I had certainly known of his shop on the Stratford road since i first came to Birmingham 30 years ago - but the building is a tip now - surely they werent still going?
I was keen to get MOT'd by someone who knew oldish Vespas - by comparison to new scooters, my PX would never stand up to the same scrutiny - not because it is unroadworthy, but because that is how they are - not as tight and sharp as a modern machine - fact of life.  And so I phoned Vale Onslow to enquire about an MOT.
"Bring it now if you want" said a quite disinterested and offhand old chap
Gulp "what now??!   er give me an hour"  I was a little off balance - i hadnt really stealed myself for going off straight away (today?)
So with - and i have to admit it - a shake in my knees (I was really quite anxious) I went and got a little tool kit together - just in case.   What would you take on a maiden voyage after a complete rebuild?  I took;
3 x combination spanners (8mm, 10mm, 13mm)
1 x small adjustable spanner
1 x pair long nosed pliers
1 x long flat screwdriver
1 x long posidrive screwdriver
all wrapped up in 3 new pieces of rag
I thought this might cover the basic slipped cable or carb adjustment - any failure bigger than that could be sorted by throwing the whole thing in the nearest skip and getting a bus home.
I did do a final tightening of front and rear brake cables and the clutch cable, then suitably togged up in my ski jacket and ski gloves (it might be sunny , but its blimmin chilly), I donned - for the first time in action - my bright orange crash helmet - remember that? the helmet I bought 6 months ago when I thought I was going to be riding it for the summer - before I looked underneath the floorpan.

As anxious as I was in preparing to go - once in the saddle and driving out the end of our road - I felt great.  I was relaxed and in control and it all felt so natural.  The scooter ran like a dream, idles gently, pulls hard and cruises effortlessly.  The riding position is really comfortable and despite my rear view mirrors vibrating beyond use, I wasnt at all anxious about the road or traffic.  I think there is a bit more adjustment to be done in the gearchange cables - or maybe it was just my inexperience that made me incorrectly select neutral a couple of times.

It was maybe a half hour run over to Vale Onslows MOT workshop (though I did choose a slightly long route to avoid the city center) and the MOT process turned out to be a delightful experience.
The workshop was comfortably grubby and cluttered.  There was no clear bench space and only just enough floor space for me to wheel my scooter in amongst the half stripped Aerials and BSAs (though I did notice a quad bike and a corgi parachute motobike in the corner)
The MOT man (i think a son of Len Onslow himself) was a delightfully reserved / grumpy old chap with a twinkle in his eye.  While he checked my bike over he and another old chap, told me stories about the war; rations, ministry-men, and black-markets.  There was no rush.  We had a lovely chat during which I was awarded with an MOT for £28.

And so I was able to drive back home so very nearly legal (I still need to get road Tax) - I smiled most of the way - and even got her up to 60mph on the Bristol road! I didnt do it for long, I really dont want to come off that bike.  Even less so in a ski jacket and ski gloves!

So nothing dramatic to report - everything as it should be.
I suspect that this story is coming to an end now.  I hope for years of trouble free riding - and that by its very nature it simply not very interesting stuff to write about or read about.  I wonder if the most enjoyable part of owning a Vespa is coming to the end for me?  Only time will tell.