Vespa riders?

[Legion]

I am considering a move to a larger city (Melbourne) sometime in the next year. One of the considerations is transportation. My partner has a car but will be using it most of the time and there is really only parking at her house for one car. Also, the cost of parking in Melbourne horrifies me.

One option I am weighing up is buying a second hand Vespa. I know there are other scooters and small bikes that are cheaper, etc, but there is something about the look of Vespa's that grabs me. Maybe I was a Mod in a former life.

Anyway, the only other bike I have ever owned is a vintage Honda CB750-4 with an engine out of a racing bike so... a bit different.

Any advice or tips from Vespa riders out there? Anything I should know before I start shopping around? It will mainly be used for commuting and runs to the shops, etc. I'm 6'3 and a little under 200 lbs.

 

[galopede]

Last Vespa I owned was in 1968! That was because I couldn't afford a Lambretta SX200 which was what all the Mods rode. DON'T believe the film Tommy!

It wasn't bad though. Wasn't as good as the BSA bantam I soon replaced it with. I was the only Mod in Cardiff riding a bike rather than a scooter!

The modern Vespas look quite neat to be honest. Like you, my recent bikes have all been rather larger but I still look with interest at the small bikes and scooters for driving around town.

Gareth

 

[Legion]

Last Vespa I owned was in 1968! That was because I couldn't afford a Lambretta SX200 which was what all the Mods rode. DON'T believe the film Tommy!

It wasn't bad though. Wasn't as good as the BSA bantam I soon replaced it with. I was the only Mod in Cardiff riding a bike rather than a scooter!

The modern Vespas look quite neat to be honest. Like you, my recent bikes have all been rather larger but I still look with interest at the small bikes and scooters for driving around town.

Gareth

I think Quadraphenia might have influenced me more than Tommy, but... yes... point taken. Cough...

 

[Legion]

Bump?

 

[C Reed]

I was just chillin today thinking: if winter never happened I would buy a vespa. I know I wont ride it in the snow and I don't want to drop a bunch of money on something that I then have to spend more one to park indoors half the year with no use at all.

I have deiced to convince my girl to buy a motorcycle. Being stupid with her money > being stupid with my money.

 

[s1mp13m4n]

I am not a scooter owner, I have been a scooter looker. I would say take a serious look at them. The way I see it is all quality scooters will serve you well. Just stay away from that made in China stuff. Take a look as well at the Yamaha and Honda. What CC engine are you looking at anyway? I am/was looking at the 49cc models. Just maintain it properly and it should last a long time.

 

[wdwrx]

6', 200 lbs... 49 cc?
Go big, my friend, go big!
I for one would never try to drive anything that under-powered in traffic. I might get away with it being 5'6" and 140 soaking wet, but you?
Sorry, not speaking from first hand experience, other than having ridden 47 cc mini-bikes, I'd never ride 'em around the F350 and Dodge ram 3500's so popular in my home town.... I'd want to be able to get out'a the way... fast.
My advice, buy a real motorcycle.

 

[rollsrook]

I do own a Chinese scoot, a TnG Baja 150. I liked the looks of the Honda Ruckus, but it's only 49cc and I wanted something with a little more oomph. I'm 6'0 200lbs, and it gets up to 62 mph max speed. 49cc you're looking at 30-35 mph tops. If you plan on going outside of the city, you may want to get at least a Vespa LX150.

You can't beat Vespa reliability.

 

[C Reed]

6', 200 lbs... 49 cc?
Go big, my friend, go big!
I for one would never try to drive anything that under-powered in traffic. I might get away with it being 5'6" and 140 soaking wet, but you?
Sorry, not speaking from first hand experience, other than having ridden 47 cc mini-bikes, I'd never ride 'em around the F350 and Dodge ram 3500's so popular in my home town.... I'd want to be able to get out'a the way... fast.
My advice, buy a real motorcycle.

I road a bike around a major city every day for 10 hours a day for 3 years, its about skill, not size.

(and I've hit a dodge ram)

 

[Legion]

Ideally I'd like a gts 250 or similar but that might not be possible. 150 cc minimum.

 

[galopede]

I think Quadraphenia might have influenced me more than Tommy, but... yes... point taken. Cough...

Ah! You spotted my deliberate mistake. I never liked the Who anyway! More of a Stones fan.

The Lambretta was always the British Mods ride of choice. I never saw any of those fishtail parkas with the RAF roundels on the back either! I think the Who invented those.

I lived next door to an Italian prisoner of war who stayed here in Britain after the war. He was a two stroke mechanic and he preferred the Lambretta. There must have been a knack to it but I'd have to kick hell out of my Vespa to get it to start. he'd just walk up to it, give it one kick and off it went! never could figure that out. Mine was a 150cc but I can't remember the model. Old it was!

Gareth

 

[Legion]

Ah! You spotted my deliberate mistake. I never liked the Who anyway! More of a Stones fan.

The Lambretta was always the British Mods ride of choice. I never saw any of those fishtail parkas with the RAF roundels on the back either! I think the Who invented those.

I lived next door to an Italian prisoner of war who stayed here in Britain after the war. He was a two stroke mechanic and he preferred the Lambretta. There must have been a knack to it but I'd have to kick hell out of my Vespa to get it to start. he'd just walk up to it, give it one kick and off it went! never could figure that out. Mine was a 150cc but I can't remember the model. Old it was!

Gareth

I'm actually watching this movie again as we now speak. Sting is pretty damn cool in it. I want his bike.

 

[Suzuki]

Interesting thread, as I'm considering and will likely buy a scooter in the next couple of weeks for urban commuting.

I looked/am looking at Vespas, Piaggios and Aprilias.

I quickly dismissed the Vespas for a couple of reasons:

1) I don't like the dinky little tires (12 inches)
2) The styling doesn't grab me - its nice, but I don't love it
3) Around here, the folks who drive vespas tend to be women or posers.
4) They make no sense from a price perspective - as in 50% or more costly than similar Italian brand bikes - the lousy value proposition is a deal killer for me.
5) A vespa is more of a theft target.

I test rode a BV500, which I liked (I have a motorcycle background, so don't consider a 500cc single to be a big bike), but have concluded that its overkill for what I need, which is a city scoot that has some highway/backroad capabilities (while the BV500 can maintain speeds of well over 100km/h all day (it has a top speed in excess of 160km/h) weighs in at over 400 pounds and is not as flickable as the smaller scoots). So my ultimate conclusion was that buying the BV would provide freeway capabilities that I would seldom use at the expense of the city capabilities that I would use on a daily basis (my commute is approximately 10km, all of which is in the city).

My current thinking is that the Aprilia Scarabeo is likely a better compromise for me - the only one they sell in Canada is the 200cc (which is unfortunate, as I'd almost certainly be interested in the 250 model, which is the same bike but with a bit more oomph). Depending on who you listen to, it is partially or completely assembled in China, but the quality reviews all say that it is an excellent bike and a local mechanic recently tore down one that had over 20k km on the clock and found all engine tolerances well within factory norms, which is saying something.

The Scarabeo 200 has 19 horsepower and has a top speed of between 110 and 120km/h, which means that its plenty peppy in the city, its about 70 or so pounds lighter than the BV500 and has a slightly shorter wheelbase (so more agile). At the same time, the 'beo is a big wheel bike (16 inch front and rear), so its a bit higher, handles bumps/potholes better, improves the high-speed capabilities and makes the bike better dimensionally for bigger riders. The other deciding factor is that I can get a brand new 2009 for under $4k (Canadian) out the door, including taxes, prep, etc. (the 2010's aren't in Canada yet and will be more expensive as they've gone to fuel injection). The only mods I am considering are (i) a Givi topbox and (ii) a performance variator, which improves the CVT performance, especially in terms of off the line and roll-on performance through the bottom and mid-range. The cost of both of these will be around $500 to $600 since I'll negotiate this at the time of purchase.

So, all this being said, my view is that you should test ride a couple of scoots of various brands and sizes before you decide what's the best bike for you. I would certainly cast the net wider than Vespas, as they carry a premium price tag when new or used and you can get a much better value from other brands. I didn't really consider any non-Italian bikes, as I have a Piaggio dealer around the corner and like the styling, but there are lots of great Japanese or Taiwanese bikes (SYM in particular gets good reviews) out there that merit consideration.

In terms of size, I think that, for larger riders wanting a city scoot with some limited touring capabilities, the optimal engine size range is 150cc at the minimum to 250cc or 300cc at the upper range. Once you get much bigger, the bikes tend to get heavier and more expensive.

Just some thoughts from a fellow member who is going through the same process.

 

[fidjit]

Legion

How about one of these ???

http://www.sachsbikes.com.au/madass.php

If I was somewhere flat ( unlike Tas ) , was only commuting CBD and could park on the footpath like you can in Vic, I wouldn't mind one of these.

Though you do lose the storage you get on a normal scooter and I'm not a big fan of the backpack/bag on a bike and I'm not exactly sure how comfortable SWMBO would be on the back...

Oh and please make sure you wear the proper protective gear, I'm not sure how a skirt and high heels is gonna protect you......( not that I'm saying you wear skirt and high heels...but you get the idea and know what I'm talking about) ......

 

[galopede]

Interesting thread, as I'm considering and will likely buy a scooter in the next couple of weeks for urban commuting.

I looked/am looking at Vespas, Piaggios and Aprilias.

With a screen name of Suzuki you are only looking at Italian scooters?

 

[goby]

I owned a 1981 P200 back in the days (early 80's).

I was about 120 pounds at the time. I think you should try it, but I think you are too big. Just sayin'

Also, they are pretty darn expensive. I think you'd be happier with a motorcycle. Just sayin'

 

[Legion]

Well... maybe...

This is option number two. The styling definitely appeals to my retro nature but they are made in India and I am a bit concerned about quality control. The only guy I know who has one is off the road with electrical problems at the moment, which also doesn't inspire confidence. They do look cool though, don't they?

 

[Suzuki]

I owned a 1981 P200 back in the days (early 80's).

I was about 120 pounds at the time. I think you should try it, but I think you are too big. Just sayin'

Also, they are pretty darn expensive. I think you'd be happier with a motorcycle. Just sayin'

Today's scooters are liquid-cooled, often fuel injected motors that spank (relative term) the heck out of similar displacement engines from the 80s. For urban commuting anything in the 200cc to 300cc is more than sufficient for any rider unless they are Shaq-sized.

Well... maybe...

This is option number two. The styling definitely appeals to my retro nature but they are made in India and I am a bit concerned about quality control. The only guy I know who has one is off the road with electrical problems at the moment, which also doesn't inspire confidence. They do look cool though, don't they?

The Enfield is a cool looking bike - the issue isn't that they are made in India, the issue is that they are a slightly updated version of 50-year-old technology. They are fun, easy to ride bikes, but they require a fair bit of routine maintenance and lack conveniences such as an electric start or disc brakes (unless you upgrade from the stock drums). Also, the power is almost the same as most 200cc scooters. Its really a matter of personal preference. I really like the look of the Enfield (or the Urals - which are copies of 1930s BMW's made in Russia), but its likely to be less reliable, require more maintenance and possibly be less convenient than a modern scooter - perfect for weekend rides or someone who likes to tinker.

With a screen name of Suzuki you are only looking at Italian scooters?

Very funny - actually, that was the brand of bike I had at the time I had to come up with a screen name...

 

[dpmtherrien]

When you talk about a Vespa, scooter, moped, or any really small mini bike, for what you want, just getting around, any of them will serve the purpose.

I have a Honda Metropolitan, its a small electric start moped, that looks a bit like the bigger Vespa. Its only 49cc, so it doesn't have to be registered or insured. I ride it on the side of the road, it gets me anywhere I want to go without any problem, and gets 110 miles to the gallon. Its just very basic transportation, and parking it is no problem. Don't think its a motorcycle, as it only tops out a 23mph, but like I said its good basic transportation. I take it almost anywhere I have to go, and I think my total gas bill for it last year was around 9 bucks. That top speed is for me, I'm 5'10'' and weigh 195, so your speed may vary. The neat thing is it takes on any hills, and since its really treated as a bicycle, I can ride it anywhere, and just go around stopped traffic. Its not so great is you get caught in the rain, but on nice days it can't be beat.

 

[John Rose]

I was originally planning to get a Symba 100.

Looks like a Honda Cub, doesn't it? That's because Sym made Cubs under license from Honda for the Asian market, and these are supposed to have some improvements. I've heard amazing things about Cubs, and I liked the slightly bigger wheels.

But, because reasons, I ended up with a 2014 Yamaha Zuma 50FX, exactly like this one:

I just use it for going on joyrides on my neighbourhood's (mostly rural) back roads, and usually sticking within 15 km from home.
Great on gas, and just a twist-and-go throttle. No clutch pedal to bother with. Nice and quiet. Top speed is 64 km/h. I suspect there might be some kind of un-documented governor involved in limiting the top speed though.
The only things I don't like about it are
(1) the turn signal does not self-cancel, and in bright light you don't notice the idiot light blinking on the console I'm thinking of adding a little piezo buzzer to remind me.
and
(2) it's like sitting on a kitchen chair at the table. If you see a bump or pothole coming up, your feet are too far forward to stand up to take the bump.

Here in New Brunswick, even though it's only 49 cc you have to register it and carry proof of insurance specifically for the scooter, but both are really cheap, compared to a car.