Power-hungry Vespa GTS fans will be pleased to see this development by Chris Lebschik. The Left V450 engine is a 52bhp (at the rear wheel) replacement for the Piaggio unit.
Yes, that’s correct. A 52bhp CNC machined billet engine to replace your standard 22bhp (at the crank) Piaggio lump. Mmmm, baby…
Who is behind LeFt?
30-year-old Austrian automotive engineer, Chris runs LeFt. They’re a a fairly new company, mainly specialising in Vespa restorations, tuning, engine work and fuel injection conversions for old cars. If there’s one way to put your new company ‘out there’ it’s by building something pretty special.
If you remember a good few years ago (around about 2012) there was a Vespa GTS turbo project, that was built by a friend of Chris’s’ and they got talking about building something even crazier. Two years of intensive CAD work, prototyping, and design has resulted in the V450 coming to fruition. It features a CNC-machined billet engine case – a direct bolt and plumb in replacement for your standard GTS engine.
3D printed crankshaft during development
Crankshaft
The crankshaft is also self-designed to cope with the power output and is made to match the piston and conrod weight. He also redesigned the oil pump chain drive, built new oil spray jets for better cooling and lubrication. The engine uses roller bearings as main bearings and for the conrod to avoid damage to the original engine half.
KTM 450 cylinder (left) versus Vespa GTS 278cc (right)
KTM top end
Up the top end, Chris uses a KTM 450cc off-road cylinder and head complete with internals. There’s a new intake manifold that uses the KTM injector without impacting the under-seat storage space. The variator has been modified to suit the larger crank output shaft. Chris also designed the larger diameter throttle body to match the engine.
Exhaust choice
The whole package has been designed around the existing aftermarket exhaust systems so Remus, Akrapovic and Scorpion will still fit.
No modifications
LeFt are selling this engine complete with all screws, clamps, hoses, and fittings included. No adaptations to the scooter’s frame, water hoses or wiring have to be done, although your ECU may need remapping to suit the exhaust you choose.
What’s under the hood?
The beauty of this project is just how ‘normal’ the V450 looks when it’s in the frame. From above, other than a shiny bit of billet alloy and an unfamiliar cylinder it looks just like a GTS engine should.
Two years in the making
Chris told us “The design phase took me about two intensive years of CAD and one thing came to the other to finally match everything. The goal always was to make it perfect and bulletproof, which took a good amount of time. Creative ideas and many parts had to be redesigned, developed and machined, hardened grinded etc. That’s what also makes the overall price pretty high but I never wanted to make half things, it just needs to work nice!”
Street sleeper
The neat thing about the V450 is just how neat it is. You could very easily walk past this GTS and not give it a second glance, to all intents and purposes it looks just like a GTS engine at first glance. Getting this whole package to work with the existing chassis confinements is nothing short of an engineering masterpiece.
52bhp dyno run
At the recent SIP open day the V450 was put through its paces on the dyno and achieved 52bhp (or 52 PS, the German equivalent). You can see it on the dyno in the video above.
The prototype engine currently has over 50 hours of hard dyno and street riding time on it without any issues or wear, so things are looking good. The first five engines have just been machined and are ready to be built for customers.
We really need to get over to Austria to see and ride this for ourselves…
How much?
The big question on everybody’s mind will be ‘How much?’ This is a small project using billet casings and top quality parts, whether they’re made by LeFt or bought in (like the cylinder etc.)
For the billet engine casing, top end, crank, throttle body, air intake, exhaust header, oil pump and variator you’re looking at around £6,200. Then you’ll need to use your existing transmission side casing and a few other sundries from your old engine, plus the rear wheel and an exhaust.
You can view photos of the development, parts and complete engines, as well as some individual pricing in the gallery above.
Ready and waiting
The first five engine casings are machined and ready to be built for customers who want the most powerful GTS on the planet. Will you be one of the first? If you’re serious and want to know more you can contact Chris at christoph@lebschik.at make sure you tell him that SLUK sent you. LeFt currently have no website or online presence other than Instagram.
