Over the summer of 2025 while working in Sweden, I worked on an old 1982 Piaggio Ciao PX moped, nicknamed “Luigi”, handed down from my uncle because it was no longer starting. I began with running some tests to see if a spark was generating in the combustion chamber where I pulled out the spark plug and held it against the engine block (a grounded metal) to see if an arc was generated. I had my brother try to pedal start with the moped lifted and saw no arc. Therefore I turned my attention towards the drivetrain, since the stator is driven by the crankshaft, which generates the current for the spark plug.

When pedaling and trying to start with a running start, I realized that no matter how fast the wheel spun the secondary clutch would not engage. After disassembling the clutch pack I found worn out springs, disks, clutch shoes, and the inside of housing smooth. I ordered the necessary parts and modified the ones I could, such as roughing up the clutch housing again without taking off too much material. I was able to get the moped working and even rode it on my 20 km journey to work in the mornings. By the end of the summer it was difficult to start again and I was able to continue the adjust the clutch packs to get Luigi to start a few more times, but it got more and more difficult. The stator and converter might need to be looked at hopefully next summer to restore its starting prowess, and I also have ambitions to swap the engine.