Tech Torque: A Stand That Delivers?
The Vespa PX has many qualities but being theft resistant isn’t one of them. Is the Push & Block stand a deterrent that Piaggio should have fitted from new?
The Vespa PX has many qualities but being theft resistant isn't one of them. Is the Push & Block stand a deterrent that Piaggio should've fitted from new?
One thing that any right-minded scooterist should have no time for is the thieving scum who prey on our beloved machines but unfortunately they do exist. If your idea of adequate security is the factory-fitted steering lock, then frankly it’s a miracle you’ve still got a machine to call your own and that’s spoken with the voice of bitter experience.
Layering Up
In truth there’s no single device that will safeguard your pride and joy but that doesn’t mean believing that ‘if they want it, they’ll take it’. Instead we all need to rely on a concept known in the trade as ‘layering’. Whether it’s a steering lock, disc lock, chain or tracker, each layer of security acts as a hurdle to the potential thief. The more hurdles you put in place the less vulnerable your scooter becomes. The problem with layering is that it can be a nuisance and I’m guilty of rarely applying a chain when only parking up for a short time. Unfortunately a thief doesn’t need much time. The ideal solution would be an effective deterrent that can be applied in a moment and isn’t bulky to carry. That’s where the Push & Block stand comes into play. The idea of making a scooter impossible to ride by locking its stand in the down position isn’t a new idea. Brackets that enable the stand to be secured with a padlock are particularly common in Asia. The problem with these home-made solutions is that it doesn’t take a criminal mastermind to overcome them with a set of bolt cutters.
Meet the Mob
I’ve been around scooters for a long time but it’s only recently that I’ve heard the name Capuano Moto. Based in Sicily, the Capuano Moto Company was founded in 1981 by Ernesto Capuano, an Italian motocross rider. Over the following decades Ernesto became a franchised dealer for brands such as Aprilia, Kawasaki and Honda but the focus of our interest dates back to 2006. In that year Capuano patented a ‘Push & Block’ stand. His concept was to combine modern
lock technology with the age-old idea of locking a stand into place. What emerged from the workshop is a self-contained device that can be applied by a gentle foot prod and undone with the twist of a key.
Unlike the PX’s standard unit the Push & Block comes pre-assembled, the stand brackets being secured on to a mounting plate by four Allen bolts. Also fixed to the plate is the Push & Block unit. With the key removed, the lock is gently pushed into position, releasing a short bar that fixes the stand in the down position by engaging with a plate welded to the stand. Like the pre-EFL Vespa steering locks, a Push & Block barrel can only be removed with the key. I’ve studied it at length and can’t think of a way to overcome it that doesn’t involve time and tools.
Let’s (Not) Do the Frame Warp
One added advantage of the Push & Block’s modular construction is the combination of mounting plates which add up to an additional 12mm of frame reinforcement. There’s much less chance of warping the stand mounting points while the Push & Block’s on guard! If I have a criticism it’s that the sample unit was quite slack and rattled in its mountings. On close examination I noticed that washers had been placed between the stand brackets and mounting plate. Once stripped it was apparent that they’d been added as spacers so the pin would clear the securing plate.
All it needed was a quick pass of the grinder to skim less than a millimetre from one small area of the securing plate where it was catching on a piece of weld.
Fitting is simplicity itself, in fact Piaggio could have saved thousands of hours on the production line by taking this approach. Simply remove the old stand and offer the Push & Block into place.
The bolts are perfectly spaced and are secured to the frame using shear nuts. These are a permanent fastening as once tightened the hex nut shears away, leaving behind a cone that even mole grips struggle to grasp. The only way they’re coming off is with a grinder. The instructions suggest tightening these in sequence, making final adjustments with the scooter on its stand. Because my floor’s rippled I was nervous that the nut would shear before the plate was seated properly. As a precaution I did a dry fit using standard nuts and once satisfied replaced them one by one with shear nuts.
It’s a Mystery
The biggest puzzle surrounding the Push & Block is why it’s been around for so long without becoming better known. I only stumbled across it because I was looking for a plate to add strength around the stand mounts. Although the Push & Block won’t prevent someone from throwing your pride and joy in the back of a van, it will stop an opportunist from riding away on it. Another bonus is that as the stand is locked in place it’s much harder for the scooter to be knocked over, accidentally or otherwise. As an anti-theft deterrent the Push & Block is ideal. It’s easy to fit and simple to use. The only downside is that there’s no UK distributor so postage costs are high. Hopefully that’ll change soon because I can’t see a reason why a PX owner wouldn’t want to fit one. The good news is that there’s also a Push & Block to fit the common Beverly/GTS stand mount. Let’s hope the good people at Piaggio are paying attention.
RRP: €168 plus p&p
More info: www.capobranco.com Words and images: Stan