Modern Vespa

My regular shop stopped servicing Piaggio. Next closest says they will not touch anything over 10 years old.

A&S, Roseville - NOPE
Elk Grove power sports - NOPE

Anyone know of a place I can go to in Northern California?

I think the inconvenience of service is an issue we're all facing.

I'll be due for the 6k mile service in just a few months. I think San Francisco (Scuderia) is the service shop I hear most often - but getting to San Francisco and getting there is quite the chore... I'll check out if Livermore, Walnut Creek or San Rafael places offer service too.

San Jose BMW aka Vespa doesn't want to touch MP3s anymore, even though I have a 20+ year relationship with them as a BMW bike customer and they still sell and service regular Vespas.

I know Rockridge Two Wheels (Berkeley) will service MP3s - but there must be somewhere much closer to Folsom!

Perhaps an independent, unless the tilt-lock needs sorting. Standard service is pretty damn standard...

I would rather stay in the valley or Sierra foothills and avoid the Bay Area.

My Tilt-Lock is leaking internally but I can live without it once I disable the beep.

You might want to consider doing the wrenching yourself.

It is very satisfying, helps pass the time, and it saves a nice bit of coin.

I have done it myself once. Well, three of us got together. 'Free time' is more of a problem now. That and self-confidence.

I understand. If you're dependent on a dealer for service, the US is about the worst place to have a MP3 since Piaggio treats North America as a dumping ground/outlet mall for products they can no longer sell on their hometurf.

Still, you shouldn't need 3 persons to do the simple stuff.

Subjective statement no? Since you don't know the capabilities of the person making the comment you cannot make a judgement on whether it is "simple stuff." I've rebuilt a top end of an MP3. I could say it is simple. It's not for someone who has never done it. It wasn't for me. Took a lot of time and research since I am not a mechanic. Degrees of mechanics.

Three of us MP3 500 owners who had various tasks to perform so gathered in a garage to help each other out.

Yeah, I probably could do it myself. I'd rather not. I'm more of a software person. Also, not much room in the garage. Also, working on the MP3 hurts my knees.

Possibly these guys in Reno, their cutoff is 20 years old in general
Certainly easier than bay area, by appointment [across the street from the Peppermill Casino]
https://rideeurocycle.com/
tel:(775)358-3500

They are dropping like flies. Already talked to Elk Grove PS. They said no to anyting older than 10 years becuase "liability and parts can't be gotten"

I found an independent repair shop that will touch my 500! Best part is that they are not hours away. They will not be able to help with anything that touches the computer (re-MAPping) or such so I need to keep an eye out for that still JIC.

hey unfair... which shop?

i will never do anything about my vehicles except cleaning, checking oil levels, and keeping tire pressure. my time is too valuable and i don't do stuff i don't enjoy unless i get paid very well to do so. i'd rather pay a good pro so i don't waste my time.

could i do it? undoubtedly. do i want to? hell no. i have better things to do on my free time.

you'd think more independent shops would catch up on the need given the fact we northern cal people ... don't love to but can spend $. i'll try to persuade a near one in my area code and shall post if i do so.

it is indeed a shame the way Piaggio seems to operate in the US with the MP3 specifically. i heard from more than one shop they are very hard aka unprofessional to work with in the USA, so we owners may be a bit effed longer term. the fact a 10 year old motorcycle is refused service -as stated in this thread- is horrible.
i'll enjoy my MP3 but will have zero issues to trash it id support and reliability issues arise given Piaggio's attitude in the USA an specifically around the MP3. the Vespa 300 has good support. as do alternatives.

I'm in Maryland and have found a small independent shop that will work on my MP3s, which is great, but one of the techs forgot how the tilt lock works and dropped the bike back in April. The owner immediately told me he'd replace all scuffed tupperware from that drop.

Except in ordering the parts from Piaggio, it took over 3mos, nearly 4, to get the parts in (originally told 1mo and then repeatedly extended), and even then at least one wrong part was sent—apparently the grab bars are different between the Sport and Business model? Piaggio sent the Business model part and I have the Sport.

So yeah, it's been a little frustrating for the shop. Piaggio is not very helpful at all.

If Piaggio took the North American market more seriously, they might make more of a dent in terms of marketshare.

FIAT's American re-introduction and its abysmal failure is a good comparison. Same with Alfa, Maserati, Piaggio, etc. For almost all car manufacturers, the American market is the most important one. As Frank said so well "If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere"

You can't be half pregnant. You're either in it to win it, or you're not. But this yo yo marketing and market presence (today we're here, tomorrow we're gone again) is not doing any of these Italian manufacturers any favors.

And while they have progressed since the malaise era of the 70s, all these Italian manufacturers leave a lot to be desired in terms of build quality and reliability. Example, when Honda introduced the 1st gen NSX the boys at Ferrari realized that the days of spaghetti engineering were over.

The north american scooter market is limited, mere scraps compared to cruisers & quads
The Piaggio group is very idiosyncratic, prolly italiosyncratic is more accurate, the engineering viewpoint has its way, unique as the American or Japanese versions
Designed to be not for everyone

My local dealer carries Exotics & act as if they are the only game in town because they are
Changing that perception would require not just a rebranding but a different way of doing business, that the organization is not capable of doing
I don't have any experience with dealers of exotics that varies much from this mode
Part of the price
Piaggio as a corporation has a similar attitude, happy to fill some niche markets on terms they dictate

That is such a BS line. Piaggio made the Gilera Fuoco (same as your 2008 MP3 500) till 2017, so parts are 100% available. I bought a windshield last year. If you can still get a windshield you can get anything from the manufacture
And as far as liability, for what?

Web-tech is right

They stopped producing the Fuoco in 2017 but parts are plenty
Building the second new Gilera Fuoco with a 500HPE advanced now
Can buy everything including frames subframes seats and tubberware new

all other parts are the same like on other Piaggo 400/500 bikes

Only thing thats hard to find are the frontlegs from the Fuoco or Mp3 RL/RST onlu LT legs for sale now so the front will be sitting at 46.5cm a part instead of the 42.5cm

It's a shame because, based on how often I get asked questions from total strangers about the MP3 I think the need is there - at least here in Silicon Valley.

Italian reliability has come a long way though. Even in the late 80s, when I had Fiat Uno, the poor thing did over 130k km minimally maintained and I did wring it at top speed from Germany to Spain many, many times. Never ever broke down, even once. My early 90s Duc was a disaster though. It would smell rain clouds 50 miles away or something and sputter and die. I have an Alfa Romeo as we speak and it's been rock solid. And the MP3 has a good reputation among those that have a good service shop around... and the Vespa 300 is pretty indestructible. Even old ones. I kept a Vespa ET4 150 at my sister's place in Spain, and it's still going strong after over 20 years. Still looks pretty good, too. The key is taking care of stuff, in many cases (except for the Duc 851 grrr).