Modern Vespa

I am looking at getting a Piaggio Liberty 150 and wonder if there really is a shortage. I get the sales pressure in general and, I'm sure the high price of gas is adding to sales pressure. Then I wonder about the availability of the Italians to produce export models as well due to various COVID and supply shortage impacts.

I live in far East Texas, Dallas is my closest dealer and AF1 is ~350 miles away so, my 'local' options are severely limited.

What is stock like in general? Are there real shortages? With a $2999 price, what else should I expect to pay for dealer prep and shipping? I'm not bottom feeding but, I also don't want to be taken advantage of either. Basically, I don't want to pay an 'inflated market premium' disguised as a freight charge or dealer prep charge. A scooter should not cost more than a $20,000 motorcycle to package and ship!

While I like to build a customer-dealer relationship, that just isn't practical where I live so, mail order and self-service are going to be my best friend with this ride! Hopefully, I won't have to become a contortionist like I am with my KLX-250S to do routine maintenance (carb is the worst on my little Kawasaki).

Best Regards,
Sid

Buying your first motorcycle/scooter is frustrating because we are used to buying cars. With a motorcycle, you will pay freight (some have freight adjustment now), you will pay dealer prep, you will pay tax and also motor vehicle/clerical fees. Some places have BS financing fees.

A $3000.00 scooter will can easily be $4700.00 out the door and unless the bike is new old stock or used, there is no negotiating.

John

We (forum members) did a total out the door price thread. I just woke up and have to run out soon or I'd try to find the thread. I posted the whole breakdown on my Liberty. I still think its fair overall as I'm happy with the scooter.

Now, shortage? My local (100 miles away) has a few 150s in stock at all times. So I don't think "rare" or "in demand" should apply to a Liberty in order to inflate the price. That being said I know everything is going up. All ebikes got an automatic $400 added on the price!

But you gotta pay to play sometimes, just not artificially inflated prices. Any dealer will give you a printed OTD price that's good 30 days. Get ones for a new Yamaha Zuma 125. Honda PCX. Maybe a Lance Cabo 200i. A KYMCO Like 150. It will give an idea on what fees are being added and maybe you could use that to make the Liberty a better deal. Oh, and don't even mention your'e doing everything yourself. Act like It'll be coming back to them for servicing if asked.

Let us know the results! The Liberty is sc00ter approved!

John, this isn't my first motorcycle. I have been riding motorcycles for about 4 decades and currently own three of them.

Thanks sc00ter! Really helpful. Buying psychology is a real part of a purchase like this. Yes, I really try to support my 'local' dealers (tractors, cars, motorcycles, etc.) but, when they are 3 hours each way, I can do a lot of work myself in 6 hours and save the wear and tear on my car and gas money! Some things, however, I just won't do with my aging hands and weird contortions that don't work with my bad back and rebuilt shoulder!

The Liberty is squirrel proof, durable and easy to work on. YouTube has this legend that goes by Robot and he does free tutorials on Piaggio products. I've learned so much about the Liberty from his videos. Nothing is to foldy on the Liberty. I sold my motorcycle lift awhile back so it's ground level now but I've survived all the services myself, with help from my wife on some of them!

Do you have a moment to find this thread? I looked and never found it.

Thanks!

Hello Sid
You should expect to pay right at $4000 for a new Liberty 150i which is MSRP at $2999.00.....this is the price I paid in 2017 ,for my new 2018 Liberty...$4K.
You're not being selectively ripped off, and has nothing to do with current market or shortages!
Piaggio adds it up this way. It is a superb Vietnamese assembled scooter of Italian design.
I love mine.
You will too.
I get my spares from AF1....mailed to me here in Ohio.

O.S.

I just purchased a Lib 150S at Vespa Portland last month $3,918.50 out the door, did not even try to negotiate. "Shut up and take my money!" Good scoot my wife is loving it.

(No sales tax in Oregon if you don't count the 1/2 of one percent luxury tax on vehicles)

Watched for about a year+ for a good used one on the market and nothing was coming up that checked all the boxes.

I was quoted one at nearly $5K with a hard sell that they were flying out the door. Delivery prices and dealer prep are also several hundred different between the sources I checked. One shop wants an extra $240 for paperwork!

The hard sell used car lot approach is a real turn-off to me personally. I'm sure if I was on the West Coast, this would be a lot easier. Unfortunately, I'm basically in the middle of nowhere in terms of scooters if I don't want a cheap Asian or a Japanese one from the big 4.

Being nickeled and dimed generally bothers me a lot even if it is only a few hundred dollars as it seems dishonest and a bit "bait and switch". If you need to sell it at $3500, price it that way. Don't tell me it is $3000 and then add an extra $500 above the factory costs as a market premium adjustment.

Some are still made it Italy...you can tell by the VIN. At least that is what my dealer told me.

Not sure about a shortage, but even AF1 is just "taking orders".

My local dealer in Denver hasn't had any 150's since I got mine in October 2021.

Their main business is Vespa, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, & Triumph. They typically only sell Liberty 50's or 150's and ignore the rest of the Piaggio line, so maybe not a priority for them.

BTW, my S was $4646 OTD. This included the scooter ($3099) freight charge ($550), optional gap insurance ($300, if the bike was totaled or stolen and the insurance company decided not to pay enough to replace), Dealer handling fees ($345), and sales tax ($352). My registration and plates were then $102.

If I take out gap insurance, sales tax, and registration, your price is a lot cheaper than the Non-S models I asked about.

Thanks!

I'm in NYC and we have a dedicated Vespa/Piaggio/Moto Guzzi/Aprilia dealership here.

My 2022 Vespa GTS 300 SuperTech with OEM flyscreen, rear rack, and top case has an MSRP of $8,669 ($7,749 scooter + $920 accessories). The out-the-door price is just under $11,300 and includes the following:

* $695 destination fee
* $510 dealer prep fee
* $300 credit card fee
* $230 DMV fees
* $876 tax (8.875%)

In terms of stock availability, the sales manager told me that of the 100 Vespas they have coming in soon, 60 are already spoken for and the others often sell within hours of coming in. Their Piaggio scooters are also quite popular so I would imagine those are in a similar situation.

Not sure about costs on scooters, LOL, I am making payments on that "work incentive" that I added here last fall. And I am in central IL, where Harleys are very popular and often occupy a garage or space outside the house…. And get ridden when others go for a ride…
But I am now being often asked about scooters, costs, mpg and where to go looking. And because most of those asking think Walmart is high fashion I am sending them to Powersports in Springfield as I know they will not go the cost of anything Piaggio makes and lately my local shop, Powersports has had a nice selection of OK quality scooters. For many, that and used is the place to shop, for some of us, it's worth the cost difference to buy Piaggio. I do try and steer people away from new Honda's as many are now made to NOT be owner friendly when it's simple maintenance like an oil change. I will say that Harleys around here are not often purchased to be ridden often, which doesn't make sense to my somewhat practical mindset. My scooters get rotated, and ridden. They are my work transportation once it's warm enough for that short run and until it's too cold. Yes, on damp days, but not if it's raining hard.

yea, my bad, I didn't notice your list of bikes. I think I didn't have my coffee yet at that point. : )

The thread discussing prices was before Covid, so I'm not sure that would be accurate, plus I couldn't find it. But, my OTD price:

Well, if Liberty prices OTF'nD are approaching $5K......I'd be over at the motorcycle dealer looking at nice leftover Honda bikes!
O.S.

I have been considering a KLX-300SM/SuperMoto and a Yamaha R-3.

However, my many years and 10's of thousands of miles on a KLX-250S suggests I'm ready for something other than cramming a week's worth of groceries in a backpack. Fewer glass jars today would make that a heck of a lot easier though! Big panniers on a KLX are not practical in my world either!

The Yamaha R-3 is a bit of a sleeper being essentially a 'standard' with some body plastics. That 321cc twin is pretty smooth too.

Both of these will run real Interstate speeds if you don't mind running the engine at ~7K RPM constantly. I have demoed both of these and in 6th gear, it is essentially 10MPH per 1,000 RPM until aero drag limiting kicks in. I personally had both up to ~80MPH true ground speed without any drama and more 'gas in the tank' to go faster but I was on an urban ring road so, I called it good there on the demo.

This is why I didn't buy new. I was going to finance a new bike. A treat for myself, until I saw the OTD bottom line. When I found the GTS 250 for $3500, I didn't hesitate. Well, my investments being in the dumpster also factored in lol.

And you can achieve somewhat comparable performance (and more functionality) with the GTS series Vespas if you are drawn toward a CVT scooter. Very much a personal choice. Certainly the GTS is more expensive new, but they are readily available used and have a good reputation for longevity. Ride what you like - and like what you ride.

Couldn't find anything on craigslist. Have you tried facebook marketplace. Here's something to wet your whistle.

https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2022-Piaggio-LIBERTY-150-S---White-%28TAKING-ORDERS-NOW%29-5018124144

I just bought a 2022 Liberty 150 S last week. Everything in the show room was sold. Dealer had 5 or so coming in , and only one in the model and color I wanted, so I dropped a deposit right away. It was $4500 OTD (including 7% sales tax.) I am in NJ.

Just went hunting my sales slip from Summer of 2017. I helped unbox my red s model ($3,099.00) and left a deposit and the next day I paid it off and they delivered it to my house about 40 miles away.
My late brother made a phone call and obtained a $200 dealer courtesy discount for me. He managed a couple of dealerships in Dayton.
Yeah, no idea....
But I was OTD for $3787.57.
So, actual would have been just under $4K
My paperwork shows $500 charged for Freight and setup.

I did tip the delivery guy who followed me home down I-70 $20.
Pretty cool seeing that red scooter doing nearly 80mph on that trailer!
O.S.

sold this Burgman 400 to buy the Liberty, which is more my speed. Here it is waiting for the shippers to pick it up from my driveway. A guy 2700 miles away bought it!