When I bought by first Vespa two years ago, I really figured the stock engine would have plenty of horsepower; after all, scooters are just for getting around town, right? Just stay off the highways, and all would be well, or so I thought.

Over 1,000 miles later, here's what should've been obvious from the start: Spokane ain't no Tuscany. Slow-paced urban riding is fairly limited here, and while we more than make up for it by having spectacular scenery to ride through, nearly all of the routes require at least a little bit of 50-plus mph power. The fact that my wife likes to ride two-up only makes it tougher on my Vespa's little 150 cc engine-that-could.

Thus, the grease-mud encrusted ball of iron and aluminum you see here. It's my new project, it's a 1978 P200 engine, the fastest stock engine Vespa ever made, and it's an engine that will (they say) neatly replace the engine that came with my 1971 Sprint. Did I say neatly? Well, there's obviously nothing neat about the motor now, but after the complete overhaul I've got planned, including all the spare bits I never thought I'd need but have now shelled out for, it should turn out that way.

Will it be ready for our July rally? What surprise troubles await? Will it help keep Dodge Ram pickup grilles off my backside? Time will tell. I'll at least take some "after" photos to mark progress.