My 2026 CORSA IFP Journey
I started riding Vespa scooters when I was 16 years old. Over the past several years I’ve been riding, planning rally’s, and building scooters with The SBC. I was very inspired by several of my clubmates that completed the 2025 Cannonball. It made me want to do something I’d never done before on a scooter. Tommy suggested that I attempt CORSA IFP.
Building a CORSA Scooter
I wanted something special for CORSA. In February 2026, I set a goal to build a Vespa P200e. The build began with a 1980 engine, and a 1979 frame, both in terrible shape: dirty, rusted, and worn. I salvaged as much of the original scooter as I could. I started with removing the rust and paint from the frame, using a grinder and eventually a body surfacer. It was dirty, difficult work, but I really liked the way the bare metal shined and started getting a vision of how I wanted the bike to look overall. If you know me, each one of my bikes has a unique style that fits my tastes, and I was super motivated to get this one looking good. After cleaning up the body, painting the interior with a protective coat, the last step was to cover the entire frame with a clear matte coating to prevent further rusting. The engine was an absolute mess. It was disassembled and I spent around 5 hours cleaning the parts at home, then another 8 blasting and polishing them at Tommy’s. I’ve estimated working in Tommy’s garage around 42 hours over a four-month period. He openly allowed me to work in his garage, supervised my work, and taught me how to use his collection of specialty tools to do the job right. I made mistakes. I learned from them. I got discouraged. Tommy kept me motivated. Here are a couple major issues that could not have been solved without his help.
1. A piece of the engine broke off at the bottom of the case. Tommy welded it back to original condition. Look at the photos. The work is amazing.
2. One of my major accomplishments was installing a new wire harness.
Although I did this at home successfully, when I was wiring everything up at Tommy’s there was a problem. After hours of chasing a dead short, Tommy found the problem. When installing the headset, I had cut into the wire harness and severed the main powerwire. Tommy was able to fix that complicated electrical issue without having to pull the harness out of the bike.
There were many other “learning experiences” from mistakes I made along the way. Wiring, setting the timing, rebuilding the stator, all huge tasks that videos can help with, but aren’t learned until you do them yourself. Building a vintage bike is hard work. It demands patience and a special touch that is learned, sometimes the hard way. I simply could not have done any of it without Tommy’s guidance.
I finalized building the scooter at my house two weeks before CORSA. There were some final tuning issues that needed attention, so I fired it up, and rode it to from Leesburg to Woodbridge. I remember pulling up at Tommy’s garage and him saying, “Oh damn. You made it!” After months of preparation, I finally had a stock Vespa P200e that I trusted and was ready to deploy at CORSA IFP. Tommy’s last words of advice before CORSA, “Finish, or don’t come back!"
Moment of Truth!
Riding corsa ifp
Mike Heytens planned an amazing course in Northern Pennsylvania. No GPS was allowed. Two days, 300 miles each day, totaling 600, with over 80 turns each day. I rode more than 600 miles for sure as I got significantly lost twice. I prepared for CORSA as much as I could, asking my clubmates for long distance riding advice, assembling the right tools to carry, and getting the correct protective gear. I learned that there are multiple factors that can keep you from completing the event besides your scooter failing. Hazards like weather, gravel roads, traffic, and animals are challenging, and become particularly difficult when combined with “paper” navigation, mental and physical fatigue, and managing fuel. Then there are some random obstacles, for instance, I was given bad directions on purpose by a local jerk, nearly ran out of gas on the way home, slid out on a metal bridge, and at one point, when I stopped to ask for directions, was charged by a giant rottweiler. If my scoot wouldn’t have turned over on the first kick, there is no doubt in my mind that beast would have been all over me. Final CORSA placement was not my concern. My goal was to finish my first attempt at CORSA. I can honestly say it was the most fun I’ve ever had on a scooter, and I am certainly proud of finishing while representing The Small Bore Corps and my clubmates.
