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As I go up in age and think about retiring my wife and I contemplate spending winter in a warmer climate than Chicago. We love Chicago but the winter months can be brutal. So if we get a second place for the summer months, I do not want to be without my scooter, especially as being in a warmer climate I should be able to ride a lot. I guess I could ship it but I think doing that twice a year may not be worth it.

I have a Vespa 300 super and while I love it, it is an expensive scooter. So I have been thinking abut perhaps getting a cheaper second scooter for our second home if we ever do that. So I am curious about what thoughts you all have about other scooters. I guess I would still like to be at least about 300cc, and I am not totally against another Vespa, but I am curious what other good options are out there. This is still a bit of a pipe dream as I am not ready to retire but just something to think about. So I would appreciate any input people have...... I am still trying to accept the Bears loss tonight.

Larry
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If you are planning to let it sit half a year, I would suggest a Honda or Yamaha with fuel injection. Yamaha makes the most reliable bikes out there, and Honda is Honda. And if you show up and it doesn't fire right up and run right, their dealers are pretty easy to find. Anything else is pretty much a crap shoot.
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I bought an Aprilia Sport City 300 for that purpose and kept it in Florida for several years. Same engine as the GTS 300 of the same year (2010). Got it used for $3K and used it for 5 years. It served me well.
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Hi Larry,

Not a 300cc, but I owned a Sym Symphony125 whilst living on St Helena Island. Chinese built, it was 100% reliable, cost me £6.00 to fill-up from empty, and I think they were retailing at around £1800.00 in 2017 (imported from South Africa). The scooter excelled at climbing the steep gradients of the islands' mountainous roads.

Just another option for you to consider...

Andrew
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Lots of options out there. Piaggio (other than Vespa), Yamaha, Honda, Kymco, Genuine (Buddy), SYM. Any of these used, in good condition, could be a good scooter. Better yet if they're fuel injected.
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Whatever I have.
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WLeuthold wrote:
Whatever I have.
WLeuthold wrote:
Whatever I have.
You certainly have a love hate relationship with it. Maybe you two should go in to therapy I think it's a Kymco something? About as expensive as a GT series Vespa though?

Honda does make some good less expensive scoots. Honestly though if it was me and you want to stay around 300cc I would seriously consider finding the money for a Vespa. The resale is decent and at most you may save a few thousand of that. When you amortize that over a few years it's not that bad and you'll have a scoot you live riding. There is financing as an option as well. It's your retirement I understand the need to save money but happiness is also worth a lot.
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Re: A second scooter
LarryMK wrote:
As I go up in age and think about retiring my wife
Lack of punctuation could get you in trouble at home...just saying!

I'm about to do the same thing you are considering. ( re: the scooters, not the wife ) I'll be bringing my Vespa and wife's Buddy to our summer location this spring.

I'll let others - and your own research, of course- decide on what scooter fits your needs. I'd buy used and having a garage or yard shed is a must, and just winterize it as normally done - dust cover, battery out or on a tender, drain as much fuel as you can and add stabilizer to the remaining fuel, raise scooter so tires are off the floor, etc. ) don't forget to do maintenance after the winter such as oil/grease everything that moves, etc. and you'll be fine.
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Motovista wrote:
If you are planning to let it sit half a year, I would suggest a Honda or Yamaha with fuel injection. Yamaha makes the most reliable bikes out there, and Honda is Honda. And if you show up and it doesn't fire right up and run right, their dealers are pretty easy to find. Anything else is pretty much a crap shoot.
^^^this...fuel injected honda, yamaha or suzuki...they can't be touched as far as reliability...if you're going new at 300cc+ i'd say yamaha xmax or honda forza or suzuki burgman 400 (xmax over forza and burgman if it was me)...if you don't mind going used which it seems you don't since you want something cheaper...silverwing, reflex, majesty, etc...i always wonder why kawasaki hasn't dipped their toes into the scooter market...3/4 of the big 4 have

i guess it really depends on the kind of roads you'd be riding on and if you plan to hit the highway...if you want something for just around town you could probably get away with a smaller cc engine

these are the brands when i was shopping this past spring...ended up with a genuine buddy 125 cause i didn't want to spend a lot...plastics are easily replaceable...design is almost unchanged over quite a few years...aftermarket parts availability is good...it's one of the faster, agile, light, small footprint 125s available...pretty reliable...for bopping around town it's perfect...anything more than that and i would be buying another motorcycle

genuine
honda
yamaha
piaggio
vespa
aprilia
suzuki
sym/lance
kymco
bmw
⚠️ Last edited by Point37 on UTC; edited 3 times
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I'm living your scenario for my first winter right now, down in FL from Ohio. I don't have a second home anymore and am living in my RV. It's a towable, so I took my BV350 with me in the bed of the truck.

If you are going to stay stateside there is a good likelihood your two wheel exploration will include at least some limited access travel. The BV has been perfect for me, but after having lunch yesterday with Bill (cash cow) I have to say his Xmax is very nice. If I was going to make the purchase today it would be a very strong contender. I wouldn't go too much smaller, because with a capable enough scooter you can use it as primary transportation when wifey wants to take the car and do something you don't want to do. Case in point I've been here just over a month and have put 1500 miles on the BV.
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I just picked up a Yamaha Zuma 125 just to ride when the roads are all wet and its a rainy day . I like to keep my Vespa's for the beautiful days .I was able to get a 2018 leftover for 2800.00 plus some taxes etc. Not bad as the original price was 3399.00 .So they gave me 600.00 off the price as they have the 2019 models coming in any week. My neighbor who also has a Vespa and was interested in a Zuma went with me to the dealer and we bought the last 2 they had . It goes 60 MPH and gets over 100 miles per gallon .I like it ,Quirky but its cool . Plenty of Yamaha dealers around too for service if needed .Lots of used around for about 2K but I figured for the little extra I would get new,Plus I like the upgrades on the newer model like the digital dash and the new style lights
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scooter jones wrote:
I just picked up a Yamaha Zuma 125 just to ride when the roads are all wet and its a rainy day . I like to keep my Vespa's for the beautiful days .I was able to get a 2018 leftover for 2800.00 plus some taxes etc. Not bad as the original price was 3399.00 .So they gave me 600.00 off the price as they have the 2019 models coming in any week. My neighbor who also has a Vespa and was interested in a Zuma went with me to the dealer and we bought the last 2 they had . It goes 60 MPH and gets over 100 miles per gallon .I like it ,Quirky but its cool . Plenty of Yamaha dealers around too for service if needed .Lots of used around for about 2K but I figured for the little extra I would get new,Plus I like the upgrades on the newer model like the digital dash and the new style lights
a zuma is the honda civic of scooters...dead reliable, plenty of after market parts, dealers everywhere, etc...and i'm sure there are plenty of used low mileage zumas on craigslist...but if he is looking cheaper than a vespa 300 and 300cc+ engine...that kind of narrows the field...the real question is how much cheaper than a vespa 300 and where is he riding
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Several have mentioned fuel injection. I agree. If you are seeking a scooter that will be stored for extended periods of time - you DO want fuel injection.
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Dooglas wrote:
Several have mentioned fuel injection. I agree. If you are seeking a scooter that will be stored for extended periods of time - you DO want fuel injection.
...and seafoam if you don't drain the tank when you leave
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Genuine's Buddy's caught my eye and I almost got one instead of my Vespa.

I hear they are fun. Some friends of ours got them and they love them!

I also like that Genuine now does the Stella, if you want a modern shifter vs automatic that has that classic look to it.
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Sacto Monkeyboy wrote:
Genuine's Buddy's caught my eye and I almost got one instead of my Vespa.

I hear they are fun. Some friends of ours got them and they love them!

I also like that Genuine now does the Stella, if you want a modern shifter vs automatic that has that classic look to it.
Bought the Genuine Buddy 125 for my wife. It's very good quality, it just keeps starting and going and doing whatever we want it to do without a hiccup. Surprisingly powerful, it hauls my 200lb ass with good acceleration. I was surprised.
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Sacto Monkeyboy wrote:
Genuine's Buddy's caught my eye and I almost got one instead of my Vespa.

I hear they are fun. Some friends of ours got them and they love them!

I also like that Genuine now does the Stella, if you want a modern shifter vs automatic that has that classic look to it.
if you want more info...the stellas aren't all that reliable from what i've read...i love my buddy 125 so far...but i have nothing to compare it to other than motorcycles...i'd like to take a 150 vespa for a rip to see what it's like so i could compare them both...

http://www.modernbuddy.com/
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If your second home will be in Florida, I have a good friend who has a Zuma 125 for sale.

He is a jet mechanic who takes very good care of his scooters.

This one has many improvements.

Not sure of the price but I am sure it is reasonable.

Bill
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Re: A second scooter
LarryMK wrote:
As I go up in age and think about retiring my wife and I contemplate spending winter in a warmer climate than Chicago. I am still trying to accept the Bears loss tonight.

Larry
You can retire a wife? Woo hoo!

Yeah, the loss is tough to take, especially since it looked like an amazing comeback was on tap.
OP
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I appreciate all of the input. I am still not ready to go there but I like to research a lot before I make the purchase and needed some input to help me start. I do love my Vespa and while I am sure I can get away with something less than the 300cc I do like the 300cc as it gives me a lot of options for riding. I actually bought mine at the end of the year when the new models had come in and they wanted to get rid of the old model and I got a nice deal. Perhaps I can time that again. Time to study and thanks to all

larry
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Sacto Monkeyboy wrote:
Genuine's Buddy's caught my eye and I almost got one instead of my Vespa.

I hear they are fun. Some friends of ours got them and they love them!

I also like that Genuine now does the Stella, if you want a modern shifter vs automatic that has that classic look to it.
I think it has been a few years since Genuine imported the 4t Stella, and the automatic hasn't sold well. It is no longer on Genuine's website.
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Captain Jim wrote:
I think it has been a few years since Genuine imported the 4t Stella, and the automatic hasn't sold well. It is no longer on Genuine's website.
Whoops, thanks for the update on that!
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Captain Jim wrote:
I think it has been a few years since Genuine imported the 4t Stella, and the automatic hasn't sold well. It is no longer on Genuine's website.
well it is still on their website but it's buried...see links to both stellas at the bottom of this page...

https://vinsearch.genuinescooters.com/recalls/search/
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Sacto Monkeyboy wrote:
Genuine's Buddy's caught my eye and I almost got one instead of my Vespa.

I hear they are fun. Some friends of ours got them and they love them!

I also like that Genuine now does the Stella, if you want a modern shifter vs automatic that has that classic look to it.
Buddy, extremely reliable, fun, peppy and even the carb'd 125 can sit for months and just fire up. I know because we have one that sat for over 6 months after my son went away to college taking the Sports City with him. Probably the single most reliable scooter we've ever owned. In the 12 years we've had it other than replacing a mirror my son cracked putting it on the stand too close to a brick wall the only non-routine maintenance we've had to do was after Harvey. We had to replace the air filter and all fluids but it did sit in water for with waves almost to the seat for a day. The Aprilia scooters didn't fare as well.
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so what do you all think about a Suzucki Burgman? In thinking about a second scooter I also wonder about getting a larger scooter like the Bergman or even the BMW, curious what people think about them? and yes they are expensive, but so far this is just thinking. I am having fun searching the internet about these.
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Point37 wrote:
well it is still on their website but it's buried...see links to both stellas at the bottom of this page...

https://vinsearch.genuinescooters.com/recalls/search/
That page is about safety recalls. NHTSA requires that you issue any pertinent safety recalls regarding vehicles you have sold. That is somewhat different than whether Genuine still imports the Stella. They do not. And, actually, LML (the manufacturer) has ceased production.
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Larry,

Keep your eyes open for a used Honda SH300. Big enough? Reliable enough?
Can "winterize/summerize" easily.
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waspmike wrote:
Keep your eyes open for a used Honda SH300.
Larry would have to keep his eyes open very wide to find a used SH300 around Chicago. (they've never been imported to the US)
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Then he is SOL. I suppose.
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Dooglas wrote:
Point37 wrote:
well it is still on their website but it's buried...see links to both stellas at the bottom of this page...

https://vinsearch.genuinescooters.com/recalls/search/
That page is about safety recalls. NHTSA requires that you issue any pertinent safety recalls regarding vehicles you have sold. That is somewhat different than whether Genuine still imports the Stella. They do not. And, actually, LML (the manufacturer) has ceased production.
these pages aren't about recalls...

http://www.genuinescooters.com/stellaauto.html

http://www.genuinescooters.com/stella4.html
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Their website could be in need of updating. This is the company after all that had the G400C up 3 years before it was available.

If you select the drop-down menu at the top "SCOOTERS" there's no mention of a Stella. The Stella is also absent from the scrolling scooter lineup mid-page, and also absent from the scooter list botton-left on the page.
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Vintage1 wrote:
Their website could be in need of updating. This is the company after all that had the G400C up 3 years before it was available.

If you select the drop-down menu at the top "SCOOTERS" there's no mention of a Stella. The Stella is also absent from the scrolling scooter lineup mid-page, and also absent from the scooter list botton-left on the page.
that's what i think too...it's buried so i think they forgot to remove the links...but technically they are still there although not available
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Re: A second scooter
LarryMK wrote:
As I go up in age and think about retiring my wife and I contemplate spending winter in a warmer climate than Chicago. We love Chicago but the winter months can be brutal. So if we get a second place for the summer months, I do not want to be without my scooter, especially as being in a warmer climate I should be able to ride a lot. I guess I could ship it but I think doing that twice a year may not be worth it.

I have a Vespa 300 super and while I love it, it is an expensive scooter. So I have been thinking abut perhaps getting a cheaper second scooter for our second home if we ever do that. So I am curious about what thoughts you all have about other scooters. I guess I would still like to be at least about 300cc, and I am not totally against another Vespa, but I am curious what other good options are out there. This is still a bit of a pipe dream as I am not ready to retire but just something to think about. So I would appreciate any input people have...... I am still trying to accept the Bears loss tonight.

Larry
i think you mean a 2nd place for the winter months.

where are you looking for a winter place to go to?

I have a 2008 aprilia sport city 250 I am thinking about letting go also have a 2008 piaggio mp3 500 that I can make you a good deal on as well.

The reason for letting these go is I am seriously thinking about getting a yamaha niken. send me a pm
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It doesn't matter how many old webpages you find. Genuine no longer imports the Stella, and LML (the manufacturer) no longer manufactures scooters. Parts for the 4T and the Auto are already becoming scarce in Europe and in the US.
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Dooglas wrote:
It doesn't matter how many old webpages you find. Genuine no longer imports the Stella, and LML (the manufacturer) no longer manufactures scooters. Parts for the 4T and the Auto are already becoming scarce in Europe and in the US.
i understand that...look 2 posts before this
OP
@larrymk avatar
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Molto Verboso
Vespa Super 300
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Posts: 1878
Location: AZ
 
Molto Verboso
@larrymk avatar
Vespa Super 300
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1878
Location: AZ
UTC quote
Re: A second scooter
old as dirt wrote:
LarryMK wrote:
As I go up in age and think about retiring my wife and I contemplate spending winter in a warmer climate than Chicago. We love Chicago but the winter months can be brutal. So if we get a second place for the summer months, I do not want to be without my scooter, especially as being in a warmer climate I should be able to ride a lot. I guess I could ship it but I think doing that twice a year may not be worth it.

I have a Vespa 300 super and while I love it, it is an expensive scooter. So I have been thinking abut perhaps getting a cheaper second scooter for our second home if we ever do that. So I am curious about what thoughts you all have about other scooters. I guess I would still like to be at least about 300cc, and I am not totally against another Vespa, but I am curious what other good options are out there. This is still a bit of a pipe dream as I am not ready to retire but just something to think about. So I would appreciate any input people have...... I am still trying to accept the Bears loss tonight.

Larry
i think you mean a 2nd place for the winter months.

where are you looking for a winter place to go to?

I have a 2008 aprilia sport city 250 I am thinking about letting go also have a 2008 piaggio mp3 500 that I can make you a good deal on as well.

The reason for letting these go is I am seriously thinking about getting a yamaha niken. send me a pm
I appreciate the input but I am not that far yet not even sure when I will retire but as I love my scooter I am just trying to get info on a second scooter for when I do decide to retire and not even sure where we will go. I just enjoy researching this.


larry
@waspmike avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
LXV 150 3v ie. Midnight Blue (Sold) Now Honda Zoomer X
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Posts: 4106
Location: Kingdom of Lanna
 
Ossessionato
@waspmike avatar
LXV 150 3v ie. Midnight Blue (Sold) Now Honda Zoomer X
Joined: UTC
Posts: 4106
Location: Kingdom of Lanna
UTC quote
Re: A second scooter
LarryMK wrote:
I just enjoy researching this.
larry
The best bit. Actually doing it is work.
UTC

Ossessionato
2018 Vespa GTS 300 ABS- Bianco
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Posts: 2208
Location: E. KY
 
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2018 Vespa GTS 300 ABS- Bianco
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Posts: 2208
Location: E. KY
UTC quote
In my opinion it matters where you retire to and how you get there.
Here's some food for thought:

To explain, we go to FL and much like Bueller, we live in our small RV trailer for about 6 weeks or so after family time during the holidays. I retired in 2001 so we have been at this awhile. When bought a scooter a few years back I hauled it to FL and rode it in several areas. Obviously the weathers a nice treat but the riding is all FLAT! and not to my liking nearly so much as riding our bicycles as FL has many bike trails, both easy and serious. When you get off pavement some of them are more difficult and interesting whereas the scooter riding is still flat. Heavy traffic in many areas as well as it's a state that might be too popular overall. We'd ride together for a dining out night but disliked the heavy traffic once we left our state park peacefulness and out and about.
A scooter is very easy to load in a pick up truck and tow an RV too. Even if you don't tow it's still easy to trailer your own scooter or move it in the bed. If you don't have a truck, perhaps you can trailer it behind what you drive?
I no longer haul my scooter there and we ride bicycles only which now travel in my truck bed instead of the scoot. Florida is a great place to recreate on the water, ocean, streams and lakes aplenty! so we spend time doing that activity too.
If you choose AZ for the winter months (you got that backwards in your original post as you said you'd be leaving Chicago in the summers-ha!) my position changes. The riding there or in S NM is great! IMO, of course.

To me it's all about health (first and foremost!) then-vehicles, riding preferences, budget and location, location.
Enjoy the planning and here's wishing you great health as you enter retirement. Yeh, the Bears lost a good chance to do something big. I'm not a Bears fan but am a Danny Trevathan fan & love the sport.
@cdwise avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
GTS 300, Buddy 125
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Posts: 8866
Location: Knoxville, TN
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@cdwise avatar
GTS 300, Buddy 125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 8866
Location: Knoxville, TN
UTC quote
waspmike wrote:
Larry,

Keep your eyes open for a used Honda SH300. Big enough? Reliable enough?
Can "winterize/summerize" easily.
Not available in the US.
@jkj-fz6 avatar
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BV400, Primavera 150, Yamaha Zuma 125
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Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
 
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@jkj-fz6 avatar
BV400, Primavera 150, Yamaha Zuma 125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 4204
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
UTC quote
LarryMK wrote:
so what do you all think about a Suzucki Burgman? In thinking about a second scooter I also wonder about getting a larger scooter like the Bergman or even the BMW, curious what people think about them? and yes they are expensive, but so far this is just thinking. I am having fun searching the internet about these.
I had a Suzuki Burgman 400. I never had any serious problems with it in nearly 25k miles, but honestly, I like my BV350 that replaced the Burgman much better. The Burgman's leg forward position got uncomfortable after a while, and its weight took some of the "scooting" fun out of riding. Of course, some of my Minn-Max friends with Burgman 650's and 400's will probably disagree.

Have fun! 8)
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