Gilera Runner rejuvenation/Build thread.

[messenger]

Before I start my Gilera Runner rejuvenation/Build thread please allow me to fill in a few blanks, and introduce myself. 

I feel a story coming on...

I was very much into Auto scooters and scooter tuning some years ago, and was on a few of the U.K forums between 2002 and 2012,
Pug Club, Gilera Runner.net, Scooter Shack, U.K Scooter forum, Scooter Nations, and an American one called Scooter invasion, maybe a couple of others too i have forgotten about.

I rode a 2002 Gilera Runner 70cc which i have owned since it was a year old. The Runner was a bone stock derestricted 50cc when i bought it off a work colleague around 2003, after the Peugeot Speedfight I also own, blew up on me and i needed another scooter to get to work.

He was selling... I needed a scoot, and a deal was done... My intention was to commute to work on the Runner for a bit while i fixed the engine on the Speedfight then sell the Runner on... but of course things never go as you first plan, and I rather fell in love with the Runner, so the Runner stayed and the Speedfight never got fixed... (yes that means i also have a speedfight entombed in my shed as well).

Over the following years I tuned it up to what was popularly called back then on the forums a Mid Race set up (check out my sig for the details of the set up).

Long story short... I parked the Runner up at the back of my shed sometime in 2012 after being made redundant from work, lack of money, lost enthusiasm for scooters, and having to commute over a 100 miles a day in my car to my new job meaning i just didnt get as much free time any more, basically life got in the way. And there The Runner sat for 9 years gathering dust and providing a safe haven for spiders and the like.

Then Covid 19 happened, and everyone was in lock down (quarantine), and we were no longer able to leave the house, apart for essential shopping and 1 or 2 other reasons, And of course boredom started to set in.

So one day I decided it might be fun to dig the Runner out the shed, and see if i could give it a clean up and you never know... I might be able to get it going.

And there she was covered in years of dust like an ancient find from Tutankhamun's tomb 




to be continued

[messenger]

So i gave the Runner a bit of a clean up, and stripped some of the panels off for easy access.



Thankfully the engine wasnt seized, and after I changed the fuel which had turned brown over the years for fresh premix, I kicked her over and she coughed and spluttered into life for the first time in 9 years.






i.imgur.com/GSVqHF8.mp4

At this point shes on an OKO 24mm carb.

[hippo008]

I think I speak for all of us

[messenger]

I thought i would share some bonus archive footage of my Runner from before the 9 year sleep, that I have scattered about you tube in various places.

1st couple of videos is when i was running a Malossi MHR-rep cylinder kit on her... you can really hear the straight cut stage 6 primary gears begging for mercy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=omo2vxNeXs4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBmh-PFWqQM

and this video is with the Stage 6 Racing cylinder

www.youtube.com/watch?v=btZn1yDAWz8

so looking over the scoot in its current state, and going by its age.. 19 years old, I am going to replace pretty much every consumable part on her. also im slowly putting the scoot back to a stock look... i must be getting old

ive found the original horn cover and side vents in my stock of parts, and ive also found the original amber front indicators, For some reason i dont seem to have the original tail light assembly, so will have to hunt one down, but theres no urgency really one will turn up eventually.



also ive been working on modding a std air box for good power and stock looks and more importantly to keep the noise down.





also last summer I purchased some genuine piaggio/Gilera front forks which came from Italy, to replace my crusty originals.





Heres a look at some of the transmission goodies on her, which ive inspected and are still in really good condition, I will of course fit a fresh drive belt before i use her.











As you can see in the last pic shes devoid of the std mechanical water pump, oil pump and electric starter, im a big fan of kiss (keep it simple sucker) pre mix and kick start only for me, and theoretically theres a small increase in power not running that lot on the end of the crank.

The Bosch electric water pump, which is actually std fitment on V.A.G cars, which we all fitted back in the day

[jbjhillbilly]

This is going to be a great build thread.

The modded airbox looks really cool. I’m totally stealing that idea for later builds!

I know you want to put it back to stock, but looking at it with the side panels off, I think it would look awesome in two-tone red on black (but that’s just me).

[messenger]

Nov 4, 2021 16:53:07 GMT -5 jbjhillbilly said:

This is going to be a great build thread.

The modded airbox looks really cool. I’m totally stealing that idea for later builds!

I know you want to put it back to stock, but looking at it with the side panels off, I think it would look awesome in two-tone red on black (but that’s just me).


well... stockish 

im getting rid of the 3 spoke N.R.G front wheel and spraying up some fresh Runner wheels i had in my shed.

The colour of my new wheels seemed a good idea to me at the time, and ive bought the paint, but im not sure what its gonna turn out like.

whats the old saying.... Red and Green should never be seen 

[messenger]

what on earth could I be up to with an old fence post, and more importantly what has it got to do with scooters ?



As ive got lots of work to do on my scoot, and i have no centre stand, I decided to make a stand for when im working on the bike.





I mentioned them earlier, but forgot to post the picture, standard look orange indicators fitted, and also my brand new original piaggio front forks which i fitted over a year ago.



The modded std air box fitted on the scoot



21mm PHBG carb in place of the 24mm OKO carb. The OKO didnt sit at the right angle to line up with the airbox. I could maybe make it work with one of those swivel manifolds but im gonna run with this for now, A 21mm is sufficient for my set up, and fits nicely with a stock(ish) look. I do like a bit of stealth tuning



A bit of comparison fun, An OKO 24mm next to a PHBG 21mm, hard to believe theres only 3mm difference through the middle..



As I have mentioned before, i am prepping a spare set of wheels for painting and hopefully fitting myself a fresh set of tyres. I say hopefully because ive never fitted my own tyres before, so heres hoping.



I have no confidence in being able to fit the tyres without scratching the rims, especially with it being my first time.
So ive had a cunning plan... ive painted the insides and im leaving the outsides unpainted, I will then try to fit the tyres mask up the tyres and spray the wheels afterwards... wish me luck lol.



Also... My yasuni C16 has come back from the chrome platers

[aeroxbud]

It's coming together nicely.
How much was the C16 to chrome? A lot of finishers don't like to chrome old two stroke exhausts.

[messenger]

Nov 6, 2021 13:02:55 GMT -5 aeroxbud said:

It's coming together nicely.
How much was the C16 to chrome? A lot of finishers don't like to chrome old two stroke exhausts.



old 2 stroke exhausts ? how rude    this one was brand new never fitted to a scoot.

its probably a bit confusing because i own a City-16 and a carrera-16... what can i say ive got a scooter parts hoarding issue 

Basically a friend of a friend works at a chrome platers and did it for me, he charged me £110.

I did speak to him about chroming my old rusty city-16 pipe thats currently on the Runner, and he said he can do it, but it would cost more obviously.

[messenger]

Time to enter uncharted waters and try and fit this tyre to this wheel



You little beauty... I can now add tyre fitting to my repertoire of skills



so without further a do i got the tyre masked up...



and etch primed



Thats about it for today, I shall let the primer dry over night then check for any imperfections that might need a light sand tomorrow. Theres a 2 week delay on my front tyre arriving from the supplier, so i wont bother documenting that, its just the same process as the rear really... no point repeating everything.... plenty more stuff to be getting on with in the mean time.

[x7rocks]

This thread is dope!
Wish we had these scoots in the u.s

[repherence2]

there are rubber rim guards that they sell for use with tire levers. i bought a set of them but i gave them to a friend for his Motocross bike. i was thinking about making my own again with some clear Tygon hose by slitting it down the length and sliding the slit over the rim edge to protect it while levering.

[messenger]

just a small up date today to the project, as I have work this afternoon so couldnt get too involved with things.
I sprayed the rear wheel lime green yesterday, which im quite pleased with really for a rattle can job.



And today i put some air in the tyre and seated the beed.



I had never fitted a tyre before, so was well outside my comfort zone on this, but I watched a few you tube videos about it, including Brents informative video on his channel, and decided to have a crack at it... if the tyre holds air im marking this one down as a success.

[aeroxbud]

I wasn't sure when you said, green wheels. But I quite like that.

[messenger]

Nov 9, 2021 10:31:12 GMT -5 aeroxbud said:

I wasn't sure when you said, green wheels. But I quite like that.

i kinda got the idea from the piaggio NRG, some of them came with lime green wheels.