Modern Vespa

Hi MV.

I just got my moto license and started looking for a Vespa.
As it is my first scooter, I don't want to get a new one and have decided
to get something less expansive- a used Vespa.

I found this deal online and it is hard for me to decide if it is a good deal or not.

Here is a deal:

2007 Vespa GT200 with 13k on it.
Pros: It has a brand new battery, one of the tires was replaced too, regular servicing, has a red key.
Cons: its been knocked over a couple times and has some dents and scratches on the side and rust on the muffler.

Check the pictures and tell me what you think is a fair price for it.

Thank you very much!!!

NADA says low retail is $2,915. I would say less than $2,500 with the damage. Maybe much less. What are they asking?

I want to hear more suggestions and then I will post the listing price.

Thanks Hachi

It's hard to tell the damage...black doesn't show up good....
Rust on the muffler, a little cleaning, and painting with some black barbecue paint will fix that up....
Mileage is high, there are a lot of low mileage perfect ones out there.......
Winter is coming, and in the North, prices do go down, in the spring, they go up....
I would say $1200 to $1500, if it's only scratches and no major dents, this time of year.....would be a fair price....

Whether that's the one for you or not I don't know but you would love the GT200. It is an exceptional scooter.

The GT200L is one of the best Piaggio ever built. I have two of them with an aggregate 35,000 touble free miles, one with a sidecar.
I would guess a price of about $2,000 to $2,250 less repairs and paint. I wouldn't get it repaired or painted until I had ridden it at least 3k miles in case I dropped it.

The mileage is no problem. I am almost at 45,000 on mine and, after normal maintenance plus a new camshaft at 40,000, it is still running great.

My brother has one with 21,500 miles that has never had anything more than oil changes and normal maintenance since 2005.

Price: I would say between $1800 and $2200. I, personally would go low with the offer.

But at any price, the GT is a wonderful machine.

The first change I recommend is a black seat to replace the tan one.

I'm from NYC and I've been seeing that ad for about 6 months now. There's got to be a reason no one has bought it yet.

I seriously look on Craigslist for Vespas/scooters at least once a day for friends and for fun (to see what's out there).

I'm not saying its a bad or a good deal for the price... But it's been unsold for about 6 months and its always up there for sale.

Having looked about in my area, I'd say the numbers others have posted around 2K upwards would be reasonable. If it hasn't sold in 6 months I'd have a few questions.

I can't imagine anyone here on the forum hasn't found their Vespa riding expAnsive

Ditto.

If so I looked at this scoot and passed. It needs a lot of tlc.

Aloha and welcome to the forum from Hawaii. Love the 200's and their a great scooter. Can't go wrong but heed the words of your fellow New Yorkers.. Check it out thoroughly before you buy it. Hopefully it'll be ok. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

I do exactly the same thing, everyday checking craigslist.

The owner will be taking Vespa to the shop, so I want to be there and see what the service guy says.

Thats the only thing I can really do to make sure there are no major problems.

I personally think the price is decent but could be a bit lower (as a buyer). As someone said here on MV, high mileage is ok if it's properly been maintained (and at a right price). As for cosmetics, that's up to you on how you are about it.

Hmmm... So did I miss how much they are asking? How did those reflectors manage to stay on for so long? No accessories and a paint job will be required if you are a stickler for perfection. It looks like they have removed all the accessories. I would probably pay no more than 2 grand.

Don't take the dealer's word as gospel. The dealer and the seller may be hiding something from you. I would suggest you take the bike on a test ride. If you are new to the Vespa scene, bring a knowledgable friend with you. Don't rush the test ride. Let the dealer/seller know you will be keeping the scooter for several hours.

Inspect the scooter for leaks. Go thorugh the pre-ride checks rigorously:
Coolant level
Engine oil level
Gear box oil level
Brake fluid level
Suspenson and steering checks
Tire thread checks
Lights and intrument panel checks

That will give you a pretty good idea of how the scooter has been maintained.

Ride the scooter at different speeds and different terrain. Make sure it handles to your expectations.

Good luck and welcome

With 13K miles it needed more than just one tire replaced! If you get 5K out of those bad boys you're doing pretty well.

I think one thing that matters (if you get a good price) is how you feel about aesthetics. If you're a utilitarian, commuter rider who's gonna run it till it drops anyway if the price is lower due to scratches it's great.

The owner is asking $2300.

IN MHO this price is a tad too high.

Thank you so much for all of your responses!

Highly appreciate your opinions!

Just got a message from one of the members who tested the bike and
the response was "it runs like crap".

I was thinking if I can get the owner to come down in price significantly
and then fix it up to make it run nicely.

But a lot of you said that with 13k miles on it is a good purchase only if it runs nicely and was taken care of on regular basis.

What should I offer in this case? 1400-1500? Or less?

I don't really care if it has scratches, and I agree it will help to get the better price.

The main concerns are safety and reliability, want to make sure that I am not going to have to spend more money on fixing it than the bike worth.

The pressure is on the seller... We know for a fact that it's been hard to sell that Vespa.