It looks like the bike was designed to have the rear brake cable and air box to take up the same space. I tried re-routing the cable, but there really isnt' anywhere it will fit or won't flop around and hang into moving parts. I tried filing down the side of the airbox, but I filed a hole into it and it still doesn't have enough space to clear. I noticed that the cable hits the part of the engine case that a rear motor mount bolt threads into on the left side of the engine. I'm starting to think that there's a chance that it's the wrong airbox, but it appears to fit just right in the compartment, with the exeption of the brake cable blocking it. The airbox says "Gilera" on it. Did Gilera make the airboxes for vespa or is it the wrong airbox and someone just robbed it off of a gilera moped?
Vespa Grande Airbox vs. Brake Cable
Re: Vespa Grande Airbox vs. Brake Cable
Your brake cable is what is out of place. It is not supposed to go near the air box.
The correct routing is between the engine and the swing arm, above the rear engine mounting bolt, then down and back from there.
All my air boxes say Gilera on them.
Jim
Re: Vespa Grande Airbox vs. Brake Cable
it already goes above the rear engine mounting bolt and that's where it hits, because without the cable, the air box almost touches that rear mounting bolt. I was thinking that if I ran it under that mount, it would work, but the fit is too tight. It won't fit anywhere between the swingarm and engine. I'll try to get a picture of what's going on in a bit.
Re: Vespa Grande Airbox vs. Brake Cable
Here's one picture of the brake cable in the engine compartment. This is looking at a downward angle from the top of the engine. The brake cable appears right above the carb in the picture.
Re: Vespa Grande Airbox vs. Brake Cable
here's the same picture, but straight down instead of at an angle.
Re: Vespa Grande Airbox vs. Brake Cable
...and this is a shot with the airbox in (or crammed as best as it can be).
Gilera air boxes
Piaggio (maker of Vespa) owns Gilera. They marketed the Grande in America under the Vespa name, but it was actually a Gilera product. The version in Italy was called the Gilera CBA. At some point in the early 80's, the airboxes were labeled Gilera. It is the same design, however. If you buy a new one today, it will be labeled as such.
Chris S
Re: Cable Routing
Brandon:
Got to get a better look at mine and found my cable is set up like yours and it doesn't come close to the air box.
Here's something to check: the number on mine is DGM 32018_S, and it measures 2 5/16" from the center of the air filter element to the left side (cable side) of the air box.
If yours is bigger, then it probably is the wrong one. If not, maybe the brake cable is a replacement item that is fatter than stock.
Jim
Re: Cable Routing
Jim,
The number on my airbox matches yours. The overall width of my airbox is 3 13/16". The width between the two inner sides of the swingarm is 4 inches. The bottom left corner of the box almost rests on the engine case that the rear engine mount threads into. When you say yours doesnt come close, do you mean the box sits way above the cable or it sits way off to the side of the cable?
thanks for all your help so far,
XBrandon EdgeX
Re: Gilera air boxes
okay, thanks.
Re: Gilera air boxes
Brandon:
The reason I used distance from the center of the air filter element to the left side of the air box is that there is where yours has the interference.
Bear in mind this is the box proper, and not the cover that slips over the air inlet tubes that attaches with a single screw.
Re: Gilera air boxes
With or without the cover has no effect on the airbox hitting the cable, because the lower left corner of the box is what hits the cable. I've tried fitting it in without the cover and I have the same problem. I measured mine from the center of the filter element to the left side of the box and it was the same as yours.
How far above the engine mount bolt does your air box sit? I wish I knew someone else around here with a grande, because it sounds like our bikes are set up the same way, but for some reason mine just doesn't fit right. I'm thinking of just cutting the box part off of the airbox, so all I have is the filter and the part of the box that houses that. I've got jets up to #60, so it's not a problem there.
Re: Engine mounting?
Brandon:
I'm thinking that maybe your engine's position can be shifted. Also be sure that rear mounting bolt is in the right hole, which is the one with a reinforcement plate. The one below the visible hole in the picture is the correct one.
You can safely try to shift the engine's position by loosening the muffler's attachment bolt, not the pipe clamp, and the two long front bolts and the single bolt we have been referring to.
Slip. slide, twist the engine to see if there is a better position for the brake cable.
If one is found, tighten all those bolts back up again and you're through. no wires or cables need to be disconnected to do this.
Jim
Want to post in this forum? We'd love to have you join the discussion, but first: