MOPED ARMY

Mikdabikes prices are insane. I havent had either of those setups, but Malossi vespa parts look more impressive to me than polini.

there are probably diffrences in roller weights, the angle of the roller's tracks, and the angle of the pulley plates.

There are modifications that can be done to a stock variator.

I'd buy a 13.13 and a pipe before dropping the cash on one of those.

you can also lighten your variaor weights or use just three or four for better low-end. You will need to play with the weights with the performance variator also.

Wish there was an edit feature.

The main differences:

Malossi is a bit more expensive and seems a bit better fit and finish quality. It comes with a stronger counter-spring, allows another combination, only really useful on a highly tuned, high rpm bike. or with heavier weights. One set of fairly light roller weights, good for highly tuned bike, too light for stock, even with the stock spring, so will most likely require additional weight purchase, hollow centers can be packed with lead or drilled out to adjust weight yourself. The static pulley is separate from frame spacer/bushing, as in the original stock vespa design.

The polini is a bit cheaper, though there has been a report of one not finished and fitting together so well, which eventually lead to failure, however, questlove just installed one on his ciao and did not mention any such problems. It does not come with a stronger counter-spring. Two sets of rollers, one lighter, one heavier, allowing for more weight combinations from the get-go. Solid centers so cannot be packed heavier, I think it would be possible to drill them lighter if ever necessary. I believe quest is using the blue/heavier (?) weights on his ciao which is pretty darn tuned out.

They both come weighted for high revving engines, the more rpm, the lighter weights and heavier spring combination you can use to shift at higher rpm. They can and will need to be tuned to whatever you put them on.

Now, which one to buy? It really depends on which of the above are pros and cons for you to make it easier to tune it to your bike.

For example; I know that, for a stock-ier bike, the malossi will need heavier weights. The malossi ones can be packed with lead (pro), in increments (try before you buy, pro) to 7+g and it's almost (con) enough with the stock spring, but the yellow counter-spring is pretty useless, unless maybe with much heavier weights, thought it might work really well then i don't know yet.

The polini you get two sets to play with (pro), and you can mix and match three and three, or even maybe four and two, giving you more weight increments / combinations from the get go (pro), but I don't know if they'd be heavy enough (?), and you can't make em heavier yourself, have to buy heavier ones to try before you know what weight will work (con). I think there may be a inter-changeable weight kit for them though (pro)

This also lets each of them grow with your bike in a different way, by either going to the heavier spring or lighter rollers.

To help us help you decide, plese give us some more info about your bike and what you have done to it.

Cool, sounds like a good one to go balls out with!

It also sounds like the variator is a top priority, so if you plan on doing one or two upgrades at a time, and riding through the winter, I would suggest trying for a cheap stock one in the buy/sell forums for now, or make sure you get heavier weights with the malossi, one if you get that.

I've been talking with Cory (questlove), and we should also wait for him to get back to me/us once he weighs the polini weights, and he will likely chime in on this too, but I think you would probably need heavier ones with that one as well.

If you plan on doing the case work, kit, and pipe soon, don't bother with stock.

I did find that the yellow spring is helpful in that it allows for a higher belt tension before it lets the belt slip into the rear pulley, making it much easier to pedal start the bike with it's high compression.

The way I see it, the stock is a good short term solution. The polini seems a good mid-long term out of the box because you may not need to buy weights, and you don't really need the spring untill you raise the compression by shaving or kitting. and treats says he can get it separately. I think the Malossi may be the best long-term just because you are going to buy weights and need the spring anyway.

Oh yeah, the polini also comes with an extra set of those little triangle runner bushings (one with each weight set) which you can save for when they wear out.

bump

GAH, holidays! ok... reviews on the polini variator....just so you guys know, the one on 1977, isn't the only polini variator they make. my variator has blue and yellow weights that you can swap in and out...not sure if we were talking about the same variator here or not. below i listed the polini variators. but ok. the blue ones weigh in at 12grams, and the yellows weigh in at 7grams roughly if i remember correctly, this was done several days ago, by phone with someone with the weights, and one of those digital triple beams. any way, i found the heavier weights to be a better setup for me, due to what i'm trying to do. it goes like this: Heavier roller weights = slower take off speed, more acceleration, = higher maximum speed. Lighter roller weights =faster take off speed, less acceleration = lower achievable speed.

i like my top end, since the variator, and circuit exhaust gets me going off the line anyway

there's a superspeed 9 roller variator, it only comes with blues

<img src="http://www.polini-uk.com/graphics/SuperSpeed9rullli.jpg">

quasar

<img src="http://www.polini-uk.com/graphics/vp241621.jpg">

the one under review polini

<ing src="http://www.polini-uk.com/graphics/vp241626.jpg">

silver wing 400

<img src="http://uk.polini.www.portal.tradenet.it/photo/e/eicma_2007_241_654_silver_wing.jpg">