Well in truth, I knew it was there, but I just brought my ItalJet back to Seattle after it sat in my garage in Detroit for the last five years. Got it out of moth balls and it ran like I remember, this thing is just too much fun! Unfortunately, it seems to have sprung a minor coolant leak around the top end somewhere, so I have some work to do ... but it's good to have it home!
Very cool scoot, hope its an easy fix and your riding it again soon. Now get that Ducati side panel of the ground!!
Man, I love the look of that scoot! I think that is one of the coolest scooters around. Is that a 2 stroke or four stroke engine? And what is the top speed you have seen on it? I have also heard that the 0-60 time on those is pretty wicked. Good luck with it!
It is a 180cc two stroke. Supposedly it is 0-60 in about 5 seconds, and top speed of 95 - I never managed a full 95, topping it out at 90mph. Quite fast enough. I used to go hunting packs of sports bikes around Detroit - sneak up behind them, wind it up and go past at 80+ on a step thru moped! Too much fun.
That thing does 90 MPH? ThatÂ’s insane! Just 180 cc. A 5 second 0-60 is ridiculous for a scooter of that displacement! That is almost sport bike acceleration. I would love to buy one of those things! I could see how much fun you must have with the sports bikes! That thing tops out at about the same as a Burgman 400, and has even better acceleration! How much did you pay for it?
Very fast scoots that were all over the place here in EU while available for purchase.. but most of them had engine issues (most here were 125cc 2 strokes, If I remember correctly they're 2 cylinder engines!) and parts were hard to get even back in their time. There's always a few of them in the local ads here (both Dragster and Formula).. but NONE run. Water pump issues, all kinds of engine issues, I remember some belt was hard to get even 10 years ago etc.. I'd pass.
They were single cylinder engines the 125 formula was the twin. Its the same engine as the Gilera Runner 180 and there are loads of specialists with tuning bits to make them even madder. Keeping one going shouldn't be a problem. I had one just like the OP's best I saw was 80 mph. Want another one so bad. Saw this one at the Isle of Wight Scooter Rally this year. Loads of mods including a tele front end.
Ooh, excuse me, I figured the 180 was their own design too, like the 125. Everything I said is 125 twin related! The 180cc 2 stroke from the Runner was great, and parts are not an issue, at least for the engine.
