Modern Vespa

got my first flat tire, and the dealer says that in Massachusetts they can't plug a puncture, the tire must be replaced. $99 for the Michelin and 1 hour labor, plus $30 towing charge (Vespa roadside assistance paid $200).... and then wait one week while they order it..... and then that's what it costs to fix a flat on a Vespa LX 150 ie.

Don't intend to sound bitchy, but if I knew of all these expenses (and this is only the lastest) of my Vespa that I bought in September 2012, I would have gone shopping down at the car dealership.

Buy yourself a plug kit and next time it won't cost you so much.

+1-I've ridden two rear tires that were plugged with the messy string stuff to the tire's normal end of life. Almost 3000 on one after the fix. Pretty good. You can save some money by ordering your own tires and have them on hand when you need them and just take them to a motorcycle shop that will balance and mount your tire. Never done it myself, but there are a ton of folks here that do.

But be careful if the hole in your tire is in the sidewall-then just be safe and get a new tire. Vespa shops won't do the repair on a punctured tire because of the liability.

I knew I'd find a sympathetic ear and sage advice on this forum... but I wish there was a disclosure sheet on the true costs of owning a Vespa. For example, I read somewhere that Piaggio says the cost of a Vespa comes to $2,000 a year. But where do they get that figure? Does anybody agree?

Yes I wish the dealer kept tires on hand, then I would have to wait a week with my 150 in the shop. but i suppose they think its easier to inconvenience the customer than to tie up money in inventory....

ITseems its so much easier in uk for a tyre ,most car tyre shops
will order tyre for you and most of time its next day delivery ,
and our scooter shops usually carry some standard tyres ,
it must have been your back tyre that had puncture ,
cos that takes longest to do ,
ive just fitted a rear tire on my gts300 price £38 pirelli diablo

had to take muffler off then big exhaust bracket and bottom bolt of suspension leg ,undo wheel nut and locking pin, did take a while to do

We bought our '07 in '07, and we haven't come close to $2000 yet. I had a flat that was fixed with the slimy green stuff to get me home (two nails) several years and nearly 5000 miles ago. Just replacing that tire this weekend.

Hi Alan,

Some areas are better served than others when it comes to dealerships and supplies. You appear to be in an area that is less well served?

At the risk of sounding insensitive, now that you've had this experience it might be a good idea to order some of the basic parts and supplies that you'll need for your scooter, and have them on hand before you need them, just to save yourself the grief of waiting for a part to arrive. It's easier to order a pair of tires on the web, and you'll likely pay less for them as well. Also things like oil filters, air filter, oil, etc are great to keep for when you need them.

I've had a pair of tires changed once at Cycle Gear...you might find a local source for tire changes that could be more convenient for you. Not all motorcycle dealerships are friendly to the idea of changing tires that you supply, but some will do it.

Hope you continue to enjoy your scoot.

buy your tires yourself and keep them in the garage for when you need one. this alone will save you 40% on price. Then you can find any shop to do the tire change. You also won't wait a week when you can have a tire in a couple days when you order them yourself. Hard to beat motorcycle superstore for pricing on them.

It does sting a bit to pay that much for what seems to be a tiny tire. I've just replaced a tire on my scooter that I'd purchased used...and had been plugged already. Needed to be replaced soon anyway, so went for it. With no shop within an hour from me, decided to buy online and bring the wheel and new tire to the (non-Vespa) shop I'd bought from. Other than messing up and buying the front tire size by accident, got a tire within a few days for around $80, and the shop mounted it for $25. (Pride in a job well-done, priceless )

With help from the forum (video and all), it's pretty simple to change out the wheel on your own-probably 30 minutes of my time. Still seems pricey, but asi es la vida. As per other posters, having a plug kit handy for an uncomplicated puncture is a great idea.

I'm keeping the front tire for eventual replacement, as well as will likely buy a replacement rear well ahead of time just in case. I don't want to be left waiting again if I can help it.

It is ridiculous NOT to repair most tire punctures. Shops claim that it's a liability issue but my opinion is that they just want the extra money that they make from selling you a new tire, etc. etc. etc.
I carry a tire repair kit and a supply of CO2 cartridges (with the CO2 adapter) on every bike that I own at any time. I have never had a sticky string plug work it's way out of a tire that I've repaired. I've had two punctures that were made by large objects and in those cases, I used the sticky string repair and when I got home, I removed the tire and patched it from the inside. I own my own tire changing equipment because I don't like being held hostage with too-high tire and labor prices for a simple service. I always have a spare set of tires for each machine that I own sitting in the garage in case a tire is damaged beyond repair (rare circumstance but it can happen) I also own my own trailer so I'm not dependent on tow services.
At a minimum, buy a sticky string tire repair kit with the reamer & installation tool plus some CO2 cartridges and the CO2 adapter and always carry it under your seat.

First of all Alan, it was a pity that you had to go through that. That was a real drag I am sure. One thing that you have to consider is that it always cost more if you have a roadside emergency rather than a planned servicing.

The advice about having some basic parts and supplies on hand is a good route to go. For example, I had a bad front tire that I had to replace. Rather than take it the shop and have it sit there until the tire came in I ordered a replacement tire on the web and had it in two days. I then took off the tire / rim from the bike and took it to the shop. I waited about 30 minutes and they handed me back the rim with a spanking new tire on it. Total cost was $35 US for the tire mounting. Not too bad.

Another way to keep the scooter costs down is to learn how to do some basic maintenance yourself, if you are so inclined.

I seriously doubt your average Vespa costs anywhere near 2k per year to maintain...I would think more like 500-700 would be correct for your scoot.

Lesson learned early Alan, do not allow this to hinder your great riding experiences ahead of you! Stay on this forum and ask questions, a lot of wisdom here Learn as much as you can about your Vespa especially on the things you can repair/maintain yourself such as tires, oil, etc. Invest in some tools, and equipment such as tire changer (HF), bubble balancer(HF), impact wrench/impact sockets(HF), oil, filters, etc. you'll save a bit of money and feel as though you've accomplished something other than smearing your rear end all over your seat. My experience in basic annual costs are just under $2K (but does not include major work or annual "check-up" which I leave to trusted services here in San Diego):

1020 Gas (Shell Premium)
230 Oil/filters
180 (3)Tires
235 Ins. w/towing
215 Registration

Enjoy your ride and LEARN

the gas, ins w/towing and the registration should not be included in your MAINTENANCE costs. the insurance and registration is a local thing and gas well you have to put gas in to ride and those costs vary as well by where your at. guys in CA pay alot more for it than I do for sure.

Buy a small 12 volt air pump, and a tire repair kit....about $20.....Leave it in your pet carrier....
For tires, get them at dicount tire shops on line.....Motorcycle superstore even has places that they will ship them to, and will mount them for a lot less than a dealership....When is the last time you bought tires at your car dealer?????
Most Vespa dealers sell tires, but that is not what they like to do.....Tires grow old, as all rubber does, and are not worth to stock.....I would rather have them stock Vespa parts then tires!
Scooter riding in the US are a sport, and you do it for the love of the sport, not the cost!

funny you should say that. I needed new tires for my truck when I was in Ca a couple years ago. being retired military I checked with the local base and they made a very good price. Then a few days later I was driving past the local Ford dealer and the big banner said they would match ANYBODYs price and beat it. Well I threw them the quote from the base and they did by a couple bucks, I went to pick up the truck and pay and low and behold they beat the price and I also got buy 3 get 1 free installed. bottom line I got 4 tires on my F150 for under $300 and they were BF goodrich same tire that came stock oem on it.

First of all---learn to do work yourself. Vespas used to have spare tire and wheel.

Carry Hand pump/tire repair kit, plugs being better than string/tools to remove wheels if necessary

All of this above just as means to get you home. Then if tire is worth repairiing, it needs to be plugged from inside, many tire shops will do this for you.

I use "Ride On" for balance (many bike shops cannot balance "little wheels"-- Ride On also seals small tack or nail holes in tread area. $15 a bottle, available at better bike shops.

First find out what is recommended and approved tire for your model---My source for things I do not buy at dealership is Dennis Kirk----then keep a pr of tires in garage for just in case.

Cost of owning scooter in US ain't cheap---ride 20-40,000 miles a year like I do on scooter and I am very sure lease of cheap car would be better, Hyundai has $119 Accent lease right now---car has heater/A/C--long warranty.....but I made choice many years ago to ride only bike/scooter for my transport. Good Luck

I purchased a spare set of wheels off Ebay, with good tires. Now I can just swap wheels when needed and get the old ones remounted at my leisure.

Hmm, when I got a bubble on my front tire (thread pop) my Vespa dealer said to order one online and have it shipped directly to him from one of the online dealers that offer 1-2 day delivery. Otherwise he'd order one for me from the warehouse and it would be there in 2 days. Sometimes they've had a tire in stock but not necessarily the one I wanted (with 6 scoots in 3 states replacing a tire can come up unexpectedly).

I have never waited a week for a tire and usually they are in the next day whether in Houston, Denver, Lake Geneva or California. Note when touring we carry a plug kit.

FWIW, I haven't spent $2,000 on any of our scoots in a year. Thinking hard about it maintenance on all the scoots - by which I mean scheduled and "surprise" repairs like the blow out that shredded the Scarabeo tire on the way back from DC (not fun) on all of the scoots in a single year. This year was probably the highest with first major service and new tires on both one of the BVs and the Scarabeo, new tires on one of the others and oil changes on all of them at least once I still haven't hit $2,000 including insurance (with a 19 year old boy on our insurance too) and registration. I won't include gas or depreciation in the maintenance costs either.

Great idea as long as the wheels are not damaged, i.e., out of round or cracked (hairline), etc.?

I won't ride on a repaired scooter tire so I think you made a good decision to replace it, however you obviously paid out the butt for it.

And I think a dealer who doesn't stock a rear tire for that bike should just close their doors.

I rode on a plugged rear tire for 3K or so til it wore out. I'd do it again.

When you want to convince somebody, don't start the messege by being condescending.


Edit-For grammer

You could stock your own tires
Lots of people of here do that, I always have a full set.
Dealers can't stock all the tires that are needed, and tires age. You want a tire that has been sitting on a dealer shelf 3-4 years ?
And you could get it for have that price, another reason dealers don't stock tire, people don't buy highly marked up dealer tires.

Go to Motorcyclesuperstore.com and buy a set of tires for you scooter.

And get a plug kit so you don't have to be towed to the dealer next time.

to add to this

the dealers might stock a tire but not the one you want and try and talk you into what they have in stock versus ordering the one YOU want.

I've taken a Vespa 12" wheel and new tire in to a tire shop,Les Schwab here in CA., and had it dismounted and the new tire mounted for $7.50 and it took them about maybe 10 minutes. Once they mounted the tire in the wrong direction and corrected it when I brought it to their attention and I was still out of there in 10 minutes for $7.50.
The Vespa dealer wanted $40.00 to mount the tire even if I bought it from them.

I think the reference was to total cost of ownership. Here is the quote:
>>Piaggio says the cost of a Vespa comes to $2,000 a year.<<

What should be included in that is depreciation and cost of money. If you add ALL cost involved, not just maintenance, $2000 might actually be a realistic number. So, if someone wants to save money, they should not buy a new Vespa. A good used car will run cheaper.

I've had my GTS for over six years now. That would be $12,000--minus the fun credits. So, for me, it was practically free

you can't compare registrations. mine is $17 a year and my insurance rates are different than others as well. And how much a gallon of gas is not part of annual maintenance.

Perhaps mileage should also be taken into consideration when it comes to annual costs? I ride 66 miles a day 5 days a week 80-90% of the year (gotta love the SoCal weather!!), this and the fact that I use the most expensive gas (best gas IMHO) is part of the reason why annual cost of gas is kinda high. And yes, this is all inclusive annual costs, whether it be under the MAINTENANCE column. I believe there are costs in MA that match or exceed CA such as some taxes? But to each his own my list is just a reference for y'all and nothing more...

Cheers

Very sage advice. I keep spares of most consumables. If I don't need them now I know I will need them soon. And there is always the possibility that a buddy of yours will suddenly need one of them.

Ill add my 2 cents to this thread.

I share a garage with 4 buddies of which 3 of us go to the race track and we through tires like crazy. We ended up buying a tire changer between the 4+2 other guys and within 2 tires changes each it has paid off by itself, and then some. We bought a NOMAR tire changer and just recently I used it to change the rear on my GTS. Total cost was probably about $70, tire included. I have the classic model (http://www.nomartirechanger.com/products/1) and back then I had paid around $900 bucks for and it is now around $645. We also got a manual balancer and to be honest ist more accurate then the electric ones, not for nothing they use manual ones in motogp too.

Try to learn to do tires on ur own, especially tires. There is so many benefits to it. You can get tires cheaper and wont cost a thing to change after the purchase of the machine. There is also another thing to consider most dealers have those powered machines and its very easy to get a scratch on the rim using those machines and most likely the dealer is also pissed since you didnt buy the tire from him.

To own a vespa/bike is really not that expensive, its the dealers that make it expensive and people not willing or knowing how to do their own work, no offense. I say this because when I first starting working on my own bike I was astonished at how some things we so easy to do and the amount of money "some" dealers charged to do said job.
$225 is a ridiculous amount of money for a tire change although I recently learned its somewhat of a pain in the ass to do the rear on a vespa, but IMO the dealer should of given you a brake since you bought the tire from him.
I try never to take my bike to the dealer, NEVER. Not only I know they over charge but the work some do is just hideous. I just bought my GTS 300 and there was a scratch on the glove box panel, mirror came lose, mirror cover didnt have a screw and clip, missing battery holder, steering off and missing brake fluid on rear. I AM VERY VERY PICKY WHEN IT COMES TO MY TOYS and notice everything. I then bought some crash bars from them and they said they would give me a deal if I allowed then to install. I said "OK FINE" , he result is that the crash bars were put on crooked and they did another small scratch on the bottom of the scooter. Im currently waiting on a new glove box under warranty and I told them that I will bring then my scratched one and install the new one myself. There all the same, difference is that some people dont notice.


BTW anyone that needs to change tires in the NYC/Queens area feel free to give me a buzz. I just ask the money for the material (weights and lube) and that you do it yourself. I will help you out the first time to show how the machine works. My tools are ur tools but stay in my garage.

Not sure where they are getting $2,000 per year. I have had my 2007 GTS 250 for 3 years. (Bought used in 2009, previous guy had exhaust gasket replaced and first service done) and ride about 1,000 per year. (Obviously, the Vespa is not my every day rider.) I have spent $300 to replace faulty Voltage Regulator and a tune-up, 14.2 gallons of gas at about $3.50 per gallon, per year, so $49.70 per year for gas, and my insurance runs about $200 per year. Therefore, I spend about $350 per year for gas, insurance and repairs. This will go up noticeably next year, when the battery is probably due to be replaced, maybe new tires and maybe another tune-up service. But those are pretty reasonable expenses, especially considering I am not handy enough to do much work on the bike myself.

If you want to lower that cost even more, ride less

Not meaning to be offensive, but to point out that, of course, with higher use the cost goes up. By far not only gas, but maintenance will then kick in a lot sooner and higher. So, those $2000 may be for an average European rider who uses their Vespa regularly, and not for a USA rider who uses it for a few fun rides per year.
Also, depreciation of your Vespa was not factored in.

Just so. Let me see - averaging 24,000 miles a year, UK costs:

Petrol: GBP2,400
Tyres: GBP420
Belts, filters, rollers, oil: GBP560
Tax, insurance: GBP300

So without depreciation and doing all maintenance myself, GBP3,680.
That'd come down to ~USD4,000 in the US with the difference in fuel prices but higher parts cost.

Get a dealer to do the work, add USD1,200 at least in labour charges.
And still no depreciation (or finance cost) factored in.

10-14,000 miles per year:

Insurance:, registration and state inspection: $229
Tires: $170
Gas: $720
oil changes, belt, rollers: $431 (2 oil changes, 1 major service which I do not do myself in Houston, same service in Denver add another $200-230)

$1,550 US not including depreciation but I don't consider gas, insurance/mandatory fees or insurance to be maintenance.

feel your pain.... i haven't flatted but if i did, i'd call my local shop for a tow, no doubt. there are great shops in l.a. (vespaso, noho scooters) that i'd trust to fix me up fairly quickly. but yeah, they need to make a living. i paid an extra $20 over mailorder price for my heidenau but didn't have to store/haul it there... so i'm ok with it.

but look, as others have said, either feel comfortable doing maintenance yourself or just be ok paying for the privilege of having a vespa.

i'm ok with oil changes but not sure if i'm up for removing wheels to bring in for tire changes...

i've come to grips with the vespa being a luxury item and am happy if i come semi-close to "breaking even" with it -- ie. better mileage than the car, time saved not waiting in traffic, free parking at airport, etc.

just happy my wife let's me keep it!