Modern Vespa

No problem with me or the bike - I have been riding for 50+ years. Switched to scooters 9 years ago, due to a deteriorating hip. New hip a couple years ago, I am in better physical condition than I've been in a decade and decided to get another motorcycle. I picked up a Honda CTX700 DCT a couple weeks ago while we're in Arizona visiting our daughter. Space is a concern, as our cargo trailer only holds 2 bikes... and my wife isn't giving up her Xmax.

So, this weekend, I'll get some photos and get it listed on the Phoenix Craigslist (and hope I don't have to deal with a bunch of weirdos).

If I had the space for both, I'd be keeping the Vespa. Not an easy decision. I appreciate the info and interaction here on MV.

This CTX is bike #32 for me, so I know if I decide on another change down the road, there will likely be another Vespa.

Jim

Live long and prosper on the CTX. It is a great bike and DCT is the hot set up for the future.

Stick around MV please. Us weirdos are all you need.

The scooter passionate are my kind of weirdos. Last time I listed some music gear on Craigslist, it seemed every spammer responded with "I want to buy your item..."

I am a definite Vespa fan - and this is a good place for those of us who appreciate the brand.

We are kindred spirits - I have been riding over 50 years as well and at last count have owned over 50 bikes/scoots. Good luck with the Honda. I had one a few years ago, same model. While it was a good cruiser, the feet forward position put too much pressure on my lower back - not good. That and I did not like the downshifting aspect of the auto feature, too rough for me. If I do it again (and I probably will) I would like to get another one - more likely a NC750X, but without the DCT as I enjoy shifting with a clutch.

One of the first things I did to the CTX: floorboards. I have them positioned so the foot placement is a bit closer to the seat than the stock pegs... combine that with the Corbin seat, which has decent lower back support, and it is more comfortable than the stock position. So far, so good.

Just over two weeks with this, and I am a fan of the DCT. If I am just bopping around, I use Drive mode, occasionally switching to Sport mode when I want more engine braking. I haven't felt is was rough on downshifting, but the Vespa is so smooth by comparison. I did try on an NC750X at a Honda dealer, and it is too tall for my 30" inseam... more an issue with getting on the bike than coming to a stop.

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Well, it is official: I listed the Vespa on the usual sales sites. It has been a few years since I sold a motorcycle, and that went fast and smooth. I have mine priced just below book value. Here's a link to the blog post...

https://captnjim.blogspot.com/2022/03/officially-for-sale.html

I was admiring the lovely lines and design of this scoot while taking the photos today. I wish I had the room to keep it.

I put an ad here in MV:

SOLD! [Goodyear AZ] 2020 Vespa GTS 300 HPE

It has been years since I've listed a bike for sale. FaceBook Marketplace seemed like a logical place to list it... logical? We are in Arizona currently, it first came up on Marketplace with the mileage in kilometers and the price Canadian... but showed the proper location in Goodyear, AZ. Deleted and redid the ad, with no changes - it put it in US dollars, but still km for the mileage. Close enough.

As a married guy, I have to show that I am making an effort to sell it. The spousal unit checks the various places I've listed it... and tells me what I am doing wrong. It comes up right on my Macbook Pro, but not the same on her iPad. I am reasonably tech capable: I told her to stop looking, unless she wants to buy it. Apparently, that isn't funny.

I sold three motorcycles in the past year (to buy my Liberty 150) and I took them off of FB Marketplace because I got a slew of weirdos.

I stuck with Craigslist Denver and each bike sold within 2 weeks of listing. They were odd ball bikes too (2018 CSC TT250, Honda CT90 with a Lifan 125 swap, and an Orion RXB150-Chinese big wheel pit bike).

A Vespa at a good price (as you mention) will sell quickly.

As an aside. Whenever I sell on Craigslist I meet the people at a public place. Not at home. Usually a Safeway or a Church parking lot that are both close, so I can walk home after the deal.

I sold the Vespa this afternoon. A bittersweet moment - it really is a great scoot. The guy who bought it owned a Vespa in the past, so he knew what he was getting.

We met in the parking lot of the Police Station, I gave him the "once around" and answered questions. Started it. Showed him what comes with the bike. I told him, "If you want to do a 'test ride,' you will need to sign the Bill of Sale and give me the full amount. If you drop it or mess up the bike, you own it. If you decide it isn't what you wanted and the bike comes back in the same condition, I will give you all your money back and tear up the Bill of Sale. If you decide you want the bike, we will do the paperwork on the title."

Done deal. It went as I had hoped and I wished him "safe riding." He texted me when he got home (about 40 miles) and said the bike is great! He said he is looking forward to riding it to North Carolina (we are currently in the Phoenix, AZ, area).

So, the end of the Vespa era for me (for now - I know better than to say "this is my last bike"), but I will still be doing plenty of riding. Just a bigger motorcycle. A word about that motorcycle: there are a couple people who have commented about the bike, generally when I'm parking, but nowhere near the amount of attention the Vespa attracted. Not that I am looking for that attention - I ride for the way it makes me feel - but, it is interesting how people are attracted to that lovely Italian styling.

In a couple weeks, we will be heading back to Texas. Our cargo trailer holds two bikes, and after getting that CTX several weeks ago, we were sitting on three. If I had the room, I would have held onto the Vespa.

Thanks to all the Vespa folks here who have made me feel welcome. I will still check in once in a while... because I am still a scooter guy.

Great to hear the sale went well. Perhaps one day the lure of that 'Italian styling' will have you back with the Vespa brotherhood. Best of luck with your new ride.

Dont want any Negative Feedback. But can you be a Scooter Guy if you dont own one?

Yes. Yes you can.

You can also not be a scooter guy even if you do own one.

Well, my name is also on the title for my wife's Xmax... and that is officially a scooter. But, I think znomit's statement is right on. I appreciate all kinds of bikes, but I have a soft spot in my heart (some might say my head) for the scoots we have owned... 32 bikes over the years, only 5 of which have been scooters. When I had a Harley Ultra and my wife had a Goldwing, I still called them "scoots."

The scooters kept me riding at time I thought I was done. They re-energized a passion for me. I will always be a scooter guy.

Love it.

Someone thought I was blasphemous a couple weeks ago for saying that step-throughs are great for people with disabilities, injuries, and the like, but in your position I would have done the exact same thing Jim. Switch to the scooter when it makes sense to, switch back if I'm lucky enough to have more options down the road.

...but you know you can have more than one bike at a time right?

I know you know this, but I just want to be the bad influence who tells you to start a fleet lol.

All two wheelers provide the same feeling of wind in your face and
a great sense of exhilaration.

Even though I have recently bought a larger Maxi Scooter, I just can not
get away from the classic Vespa. It is just a separate feeling that many
on this forum feel.

I will probably never sell my Dragon Red Vespa GTS300 even when I
am to old ride. I will sit on it in the garage smoking a good cigar
remembering those memories on the road.

Congrats on your new machine.

Bob Copeland

Thanks for the "congrats", guys. With our wandering lifestyle, it really has to be one bike each. When I bought the CTX (good timing), I assumed I would ride the Vespa and the CTX as much as possible while we're in the Phoenix area, and make a decision on which to keep. It is not that the CTX is better than the Vespa - they are very different. But, with my hip situation greatly improved, I wanted to try a motorcycle again. I have no delusions that this will be my last bike (if my health holds up), or that I won't want to go back to something smaller and lighter at some point. 32 bikes over the years - I have a track record.

The two Vespas I owned were both great and were absolutely the right bikes for me at the time. We tried having a second bike (first me, then my wife) each, and it means that something has to live outside and something gets left behind when we go traveling for several months at a time... with a cargo trailer that holds two bikes, behind the motorhome.

If we were to move (not something in our near term plans), I would consider more than one bike. Yes, I am aware that it is perfectly legal to have more than one bike... I also know my situation best. This was not a decision I made lightly. I have had the same wife for 50 years (later this year) - that was a life-long commitment... the bikes we've owned... while I have a passion for riding, I am OK making a change now and then on the conveyance.

One thing that has stood out with my time around scooter folks: they seem to know themselves and ride what they want, not what someone else thinks they should be riding. I had that same attitude long before getting that first scooter. Still do. But, I also know the pleasure of riding a Vespa. Definitely not a spur of the moment decision.

That's awesome. Keep on enjoying it! Sounds like you are better at letting go of good things than I am lol

What a fabulous and inspiring post.
If I had told my 16 year old self I would own a Vespa by my 60th birthday and would absolutely love it I would never of believed it. A born motorcyclist who appreciates good design and old stuff now lives in the real world. A world that cares less about what others think. Live and let live.

Hi Slug

Welcome to MV and get them new scoot pics up asap

I was going to send Cap a PM about how excited I am that his hip surgeries are over with. However he hasn't posted since last year. I hope he is enjoying his motorcycle.

He is and still posts over in Battlescooters on ADVRider. He even has his own thread. Starting with https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/all-about-scooting.1276440/

Thank you. That was a good glimpse into his latest adventures.

That's very well said. Thanks for pointing that out. I've had similar thoughts.