Hi Everybody,
Seeking your advice and expertise.
I just purchased a used GTS 250. After I got it delivered to my home and started riding it around the neighborhood to get a feel for the bike, I noticed that sometimes in a turn the back end will feel like it "skips" a little bit. Can't really think of a better way to put that, except to say that it almost feels like the tire moved over a little bit. Didn't notice it in the test drive. Which I guess makes sense. It only happens sometimes, so I guess I got "lucky" (or unlucky) and it just didn't happen then.
I'm going to admit that I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to buying a used scooter, and there's some stuff I bone-headedly missed in my excitement to buy my first Vespa. I feel like one of the things I missed could be causing what I'm experiencing but don't have the knowledge to say for sure. Or it could be something else entirely that you guys know about and I don't.
Also, as long as I'm seeking advice from the experts, I'm going to throw this in: if any of this constitutes a condition where I should NOT ride it to the shop for repairs and get a tow instead, definitely let me know. I'd rather ride it, but when push comes to shove, a tow's a heck of a lot cheaper than a visit to the emergency room.
Ok. So here's what I missed (that I know about so far):
1. The back tire looks like it was ridden over-inflated for a fairly long time. Most of the tire looks great, like new in fact, and probably why I failed to notice that the strip down the center is pretty flat and pretty dang bald (maybe 1/8" tread or less in some areas).
2. On the test drive, I did notice that the rear suspension felt a little on the spongy side. Not terrible. Just a little bit. Thought to myself, "no problem, I can buy a little time by cranking up the preload." But I forgot to check what the preload was set at. Turns out it was at 3 already, so not a lot of hope there. Shocks are gonna need replaced.
I'm not feeling like I got a lemon yet. I went into it knowing it was probably going to need some work. And considering the fact that I entirely financed the purchase by selling my used 2002 Vino 50 and 2014 Buddy 50 that I wasn't riding, it almost feels like I got it for free. So even if I have to put some money from savings into repairs, it still feels a whole lot cheaper from my perspective than a new GTS for $7,000 + $2,000 in dealer fees (yeah, that's what they charge here in Chicago).
Just so you don't think I'm a total idiot, here's some of the good news: No rust (if you can believe it, except a bit on the muffler), body in near perfect condition (one small scratch on the glovebox door), brakes seem good, front and rear rotors nice and glassy smooth, wheels free spin with ease, handlebars travel side to side freely with front wheel raised, new belt and rollers.