Modern Vespa

Hi, all!

Last week I traded-in my Yamaha Zuma 125 (my daily commuter/errand getter) for a Piaggio BV350! I already rode my Zuma more than my Aprilia Shiver and now that I've got a scooter that is freeway-capable I'm not sure when I'll ride the Aprilia! I love how fast the Beverly is-it's like I'm riding a proper motorcycle but with the convenience of a scooter because, hey, it's a scooter.

Warning: Thumbnails link to large photos!



I just need to add a mount for my iPhone and a top-case for groceries and I'm all set. The wife can keep the cage, I'll ride the scooter. [/i]

I traded in my Shiver for the BV350. The Shiver is a great bike but the BV does just about everything I need and I have put more miles on it since I bought it that I have on any motorcycle, over the same period. Nearly 5000 miles now and still loving it.

Funny you mention trading in your Shiver for your BV350...that was an option for me but I knew having the BV would make the Zuma utterly superfluous whereas I could see riding the Shiver...sometime. The decision on which one to trade-in was easy.

You probably have the nicest scooter in Vegas now, along with anyone else who bought a BV. Did you get the $700 rebate? Would you mind saying what your out-the-door cost was? (ya don't have to, of course). It would help to know the OTD cost to help other people compare the BV to other scooters and motorcycles in the same price range and performance level.

I'd rather not state the OTD price. I did that once about a dual-sport I bought years ago and regretted it-too many people are convinced that their negotiation skills are superior to everyone else's and are all too eager to point our your failings.

There were no rebates available that I was aware of. I checked Piaggio's US website for any offers and all I found were reduced-rate finance offers. The dealership offered a financing deal that worked for me which I took them up on.

I will say that I had a good experience at the dealership and would not hesitate to buy another bike there if I had an opportunity to do so. There are dealerships here in Las Vegas I could say exactly the opposite about.

That is a nice opening... so many pics of such a great scooter.

Of course I am partial to the BVs..

Welcome!

Cracking looking scooter. 8)

There is a $700 rebate that you should have received. I see no reason why you shouldn't have received it. The rebate has been posted for months on the Piaggio USA website.

Welcome!!

Nice scoot! Have fun!

^^^^^ +1 Enjoy the new scoot!

-Craig

WOW
What a beautiful scoot

Welcome aboard from a fellow Vegas Valley Vespa guy! I'd suggest a ride together but since your engine is 7 times larger than mine, I don't think it would work out well. Enjoy & don't forget the sun block. If you haven't done it already, this Mount Charleston is a fantastic ride & a great way to get to know your new ride.

Welcome to the forum and to the world of BV ownership....it's like a club or something!!!

You're right. I don't see how I missed that when I checked the Piaggio site. I'll talk to the dealer about it.

Update:

Spoke to the finance person at the dealership and she was apologetic about missing the rebate offer. She assumed the person who put the deal together had checked and, of course, I overlooked it when I went to the Piaggio site looking for the current offers (yes, I'm blind!). After she checked the Piaggio site herself she didn't hesitate to confirm that they would honor the rebate but she wasn't sure how they would make that happen and had to ask the owner. I'm waiting to hear back after the accounting person has had a chance to weigh in.

Heya. I've been there a few times on my Aprilia but wouldn't mind repeating the ride on the BV. You're probably right about a ride together not working out...the BV's (kinda) got power like a motorcycle and it's hard not to want to use it every time an opportunity presents itself!

But still, if you've got a ride idea PM me. As long as it isn't a Formula 1 weekend I might be free to join.

Aloha and welcome to the from from Hawaii. Beautiful scooter and you win the prize for the coolest (and most) pics. 8) Be safe

Welcome. So you've gone from zippety-zip to rockety-rocket. I guess in your area you have to ride fast to cool down. Verry nice scoot and great ergonomics. How did the Yamaha handle the summer heat?

The Vegas heat is actually not that bad because it's a so-called "dry" heat. The folks in the southeast have it bad because they get heat and humidity. On a 110 degree day all you need is a full-coverage (textile), mesh jacket and 15-20mph of forward motion and you're good.

My Zuma never had any issues with the heat. It was an air-cooled engine. My water-cooled Aprilia, OTOH, would overheat in stop-and-go traffic to the point where I'd have to pull over and shut-down for 20 minutes to let it cool down.

I'm curious to see how the BV will fare when we get to the hottest part of this Summer. The test will be down on the Vegas Strip on a hot night to see how it copes with bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Welcome from across the pond, both to MV-land, and to the growing clan of BV owners. All looks familiar to me Your initial impression matched my own, and I still feel the same.

Regards, John W.

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome!

For 2013 they only offer the matte silver and the gloss black color combos here in the States and I much prefer the matter silver. I was lucky that the last two BV350's the dealer had were both matte silver! It's really a nice looking machine.

I'll have an answer soon...

Welcome from the Upper Midwest!

Nice scooter....and introduction. Smiling because despite ample encouragement, it can be like pulling teeth to get a photo....and you started off with a dozen!

Thanks!

Re: The Photos. I started out on dual-sport motorcycles so I cut my online teeth with respect to bikes on F650GS.com and ADVrider.com. ADVrider.com users are nothing if not junkies for photos and I happened to post my BV's pictures on the Battle Scooters forum there soon after I bought it. I only discovered MV a few days ago and copied over the photo links here.

I know I like to see large photos of other people's bikes (especially when clean and/or new) so I post the same when I get the chance.

I've just been having another look at your photos and I have to say that the silver and red are the perfect combination. It looks great.

I join the others with a hearty welcome to MV! That's a mighty handsome scoot. Congrats! I have been Vespa-centric for so long that I don't know much about the BVs. You (and the other BV riders who posted) have changed that. Off to investigate!

Victor

Thanks.

For my part I want to learn more about Vespas myself. I confess that despite being a Piaggio customer (BV350 now and my Aprilia Shiver since 2010) I'm not very familiar with how Vespa models break-out.