Modern Vespa

I am considering getting a Primavera 150 Touring and getting rid of my:

2007 LX50 - my first Vespa and still an absolute joy to ride, except uphill

2008 GTV250 - beautiful and fantastically engineered, but a little big for what I need

2005 PX150 - the sweet spot on size and power, but I'm just not that good of a mechanic

I have convinced myself that the three Vespas I have are irreplaceable, but I'm trying to convince myself to say "so what" and get a brand new Vespa that hopefully won't have the drawbacks of mine and get more attention since it will be my one and only.

Any thoughts to help me decide will be greatly appreciated!

I'm of the mind that a nice 150 is a all anyone needs in a scooter. Does everything a scooter was originally designed to do..
Need bigger - get a motorcycle.
Mine is the Liberty 150.
O.S.

Primavera 150 Touring was my choice. I am quite happy with it. I do not ride on the freeway however.

But one note - I still have four bikes. Hard habit to break.

Chris from CLE

I really favor a newer model of almost anything. There is some satisfaction in
looking at your group of scooters in the garage. I say, sell and get new.

I will probably keep my GTS300 Super even after I am to old to ride. Just
sit on it in the garage. But, I am not in the market for another set of two
wheels.

Good Luck, go new.

Bob Copeland

Keep the GTV

I am a Liberty 150 person also. Unless someone is invested in the classic Vespa look, why pay twice as much for a scoot with the same motor? I like the bigger wheels for dealing with city potholes and couldn't justify paying more for a scoot than my 2008 Honda Fit (what I drive when it snows). To each their own.

Can you explain what you need, and why the GTV 250 is a little big for that?

What kind of riding do you mainly do? That would determinate for me what sells and what gets kept. Personally, I would really like the PX. Let me know if you sell.

It is a good opportunity to start a collection, add and one, then another and again and again ...

I would only disagree with this if someone needed to highway commute or wanted to tour on a scooter. If that was my deal, and I had the money, then I would get a Beverly. $1K more than a Primavera, but more bang for the buck.

I am an addict, that's my story and I am sticking with it…. And I am not ready to retire but there are times I need incentive and my newest Vespa Primavera is that, and yes i pat in and tell it that sort of stuff…
Did I need it? NO, did I consider trading in 1 or any of the other rides. Absolutely NO! Did I think it over well, actually yes I did.
Am I making payments? Yes, at 3.99% interest, and yes, I will again be paying it off early, this is the 3rd scooter I have financed through Sheffield and it works well for me.
Will I enjoy riding it? Yes, and yes I will still ride the others…

Since I don't ride on the highway, I don't need the size or speed. The 150 and the 50 are easier at stop lights and stop signs since they are so light.

It's all around town driving really. I took the GTV to the mountains once for camping and I didn't like the little bit of interstate I had to ride. There are hills on the way to and from work that bring the 50 down below the flow of traffic. I might sell the PX. I'm in Northern Virginia.

You won't have any trouble selling the PX. Or any of them for that matter, asking prices are stupid high right now. Price them reasonably and they will move. Personally, I quit riding highways a couple years ago and think a 150 would be ideal. I'm looking.......

This

It sounds like you have ridden enough scooters and miles to make the right decision for you.

The Primavera will probably be perfect.

My brother bought one last year.

We swapped scooters, I had my hot rod, Vanessa and him on his new Yacht Club.

Riding his felt so smooth and refined compared to the five times dropped Vanessa with her loud exhaust.

I thought it might be the nicest scooter I had ever ridden.

Go for it!

Bill

Sell off the all but the 250cc. Never say never and you may one day want to go somewhere on an interstate. Having a 150 and 250 gives you wide latitude. A good around town scooter along with a good around town/long distance runner.

Or just buy the 150 and get a 250 to 300cc motorcycle.

Bingo. You clearly know how and where you ride. A 150 Prima sounds like a cool fit.

The irony here is that I might be expanding to two bikes next year, the second likely being an olde 150 if I find one cheap enough, as something of a backup to Melody (based on my dilemma of the last five months, and since she's my Main Axe for motorized transport).

Do keep us apprised of your choices there!

Keep the GTV

I'd keep the 250 and the px150 and adios the 50.

you can always trade out that 250 for cash and consideration on a new 150/125 if you've decided once and for all that you're just gonna stay in town riding.

and right now, you could probably get decent cash on that 50

Keep the PX for special occasions and get rid of the other two and get the Primavera is what I would do. I like the simplicity of air cooled and the 50 is pointless unless you're in a place where you can ride it with a car licence. I reckon the Primavera is the prettiest of the moderns too.

Which of your current three to do you ride the most? If the GTV, then sell the other two, and buy the Primavera. If, after a while you find you don't ride the GTV anymore, other than to make sure it gets ridden, then sell it too.

I've not ridden one of the 150cc Vespas, but, have ridden other, 125-150cc scooters. My GTS250ie is a much better fit for my riding on the roads were I live, but, your situation is not the same as mine. I personally prefer the power of the 250, plus its 12 wheels roll over the bumps of PA roads much better than 10/11 inchers. I've got a bunch of motorcycles too, so, I don't use my scooters for long distance riding, but, certainly could. The 250 will do 75 MPH, and is quite comfortable cruising at 60 MPH on back roads.

All that said, given your comment about the GTV being "too big for my needs", and also about the LX50 and PX150 being much easier at stop lights, then maybe you don't need/want it any more.

At the very least, my opinion on 50cc scooters, is they're way too limited, except for truly urban settings, but, even then, most 50cc scooters are the same size and weight as a 125/150, what's the point of them? The only advantage of a 50 is that many states don't require a motorcycle license. It isn't hard to get a motorcycle license, so, even that isn't an advantage, except maybe for rentals rented by non-riders, which is not the best idea safety-wise anyway.

Anyway, I've rambled enough. I say sell two, keep the GTV, then, possibly sell it later too if you don't ride it after getting the Primavera.

A good compromise would be to buy the Primavera and keep the PX. That would give you a cool vintage shifty scooter to ride around for nice weather and on special occasions. Then you would have the modern everything works all the time twist and go for your day to day riding.

You should make that 150 an SMax or PCX for the places you ride. They have water cooling and a little more power than most 150s.

Clear. Although I think the GTV 250 is also not really fit for the highway.
But I understand your reasoning.

I also almost never use the scooter on the highway. I use it mainly on normal roads with typical speeds of 70 - 90 km/h (44mph - 55mph).

I made a choice between a 125-150cc and a 250-300. I drove a 125cc Vespa a few years ago being on holiday in Italy and found it just did not have the power to me feeling comfortable in daily traffic. Therefore I have chosen the Beverly 300 and very satisfied with the scooter.

But indeed a 150cc has a benefit in being lighter and more easy in handling and that seems to be important for you. So then I think a Primavera 150 could be a good choice for you.

I checked out that PX150. That is quite a unique Vespa. Only sold in the US and only sold for 1 year in 2005. It was the last 2 stroke and shifting Vespa ever sold. And it is quite rare. Probably that explains the high asking prices.

Personally I like this advice. For the past 15 years I have always had at least one 250/300 Vespa/Piaggio scooter in my garage. And it is not for riding on the Interstate. I love to ride on rural roads and two-lane rural highways. On those routes most cars and light trucks are doing 55-65 mph. Just a bit too fast for a 150, especially with a few hills. I kept a 300 scooter in Florida near Ft. Myers for a number of years and rode in rural areas around there. Great winter rides - but other vehicles definitely did not keep their speed below 55. And, in my experience, the 250/300s are the most versatile of the classic format scooters. Do fine in town and great in the countryside. Definitely not just for Interstates - in fact I almost never ride one on an Interstate as it is not an enjoyable ride IMO.

Thanks everybody for the help.

Here's where I am at the moment: my local dealership won't take the GTV 250 in trade so I am going to forgo the Primavera at the moment. I am going to try to sell the LX 50 now and just not be price sensitive about it. Next step is to get the PX 150 fuel blockage issue fixed with the idea that it be my one and only. I cannot find anybody who is competent to work on it so I'll just have to figure it out myself. Until the PX is ready to be my one and only, I will keep the GTV and enjoy it while it lasts. When the time comes to sell, I am going to take a lot of good pictures and list it on eBay together with the Termoscud lap apron and mittens, pointing out the chrome, top case, front rack, etc. and hold out for a decent price.

Talking this through with everybody's input has helped me see things more clearly. It was really hard for me to find the PX. I bought it in 2010 or '11 off eBay from a guy in Rhode Island who had bought 10 of them from a liquidation sale (they fell flat on the US market back in '05). It was still in the "box" with 0.3 miles on it when it arrived by a transportation service I had to arrange. It has been good to me. I need to be more patient with it. I think ultimately having only one Vespa will make it easier for me to give it more attention and keep it running. It's just so frustrating that I can't find a mechanic. It's not that I can't find a decently priced mechanic, I just can't find anybody who can answer the simple question, "Do you work on PX 150s?" without responding "What is that?".

Thanks again for all the input!

I won't say what you should keep. I will tell you that multi bike ownership is a good thing. If you have warranty issues(hope not) and the parts take 3-6 weeks to arrive, what are you going to ride? If you DIY like me, you can ride the backup bike and not rush(i like to clean everything well) the service.
And don't forget the crash bars(low speed drop bars). Lots of posts about dropping scoots.

You say you have a fuel blockage issue on the PX. That should not be a complex problem. Any mechanic that has knowledge of older Vespa's should be able to solve your problem, I would expect.

I think I just found the guy. He used to work for the dealership where they told me they do not work on two stroke manuals. He now has his own shop. Seemed knowledgeable and confirmed that he does work on bikes that the dealer refuses. Crossing my fingers...

I know I am in the minority, not being a Vespa guy, but I think you should keep your favorite larger displacement Vespa and get a Liberty 150.

Someone else suggested a PCX or SMAX. I eliminated both of these for complexity...too much stuff (bodywork, water pump, etc) to remove for service. The Liberty is so simple and shares the same engine as the Primavera. And, $700-800 less than an PCX or SMAX or $2500 less than a Primavera.

I think the Liberty 150 is the perfect city vehicle, even after just 100 miles on mine.

Be it known that I almost bought a new P200E in 1980 and test drove a really old Zundapp that I LOVED, but while it ran well, it wouldn't shift, so I passed. So, I do love the classic look and sensibility. I ended up with a '73 Honda CB125S for $300. Took me thru 2 years of commuting to college...in Ohio.

I'm pretty sure I fixed the PX myself tonight. I got some help from the not-so-modern side, this is the thread if it's of any interest:

PX 150 fuel blockage

I suggested the PCX and SMax to Amateriat. The PCX will do near 70 mph, the SMax around 80 mph. Neither the 150 Vespa or Liberty will reach those speeds. Amateriat rides big highways commuting to NYC and back.
He has the need, the need for speed.

You'll be surprised how little you miss something after you've sold it.

Most of mine don't last more than 2000 miles then they have to go.

I miss every bike I ever sold. Would have kept them all if not for she who must be obeyed.

Ha, that's funny. I only regret selling one bike and I didn't have to ask anyone permission to buy it in the first place.

My attention span is short and I always have my eyes on the next thing.

Believe me, it's a curse.

My GTS just rolled over 2,000 miles and I feel like I'm just getting started! Still a joy to get her out of the garage to ride!

I think I did that in one weekend once

I used to keep pairs of contrasting bikes for variety's sake. My last pair being a Ducati SS and a pre-unit Bullet that kept me entertained. A Vespa shifty and the latest Primavera would be a good mix.

How did you get on with the Bullet ?

I'm looking at a 2005 model now.