yes, it is beautiful and has a touching story to it, but i have never been against simple non-invasive changes. like maybe a dellorto carb with matching intake which i have a lot of happy experiences with. but i would certainly not get any large pipe that would require loss of pedals or center stand. i'm against any cutting, grinding, or hacking of any kind to this bike.
if i were to do anything (which i'm not sure i will) i would make any change reversible to original.
anyway, you bring up an interesting philosophical point. i got this moped primarily not because it was a collectors item, but because i know it is a solid moped with the best of features. but i am respectful of this (and all) mopeds so i never repaint, and avoid permanent irreversible changes. if you think this is overly sad, tell me why, maybe i'll understand better.
i'm more interested in careful quality and a bit less about sentiment.