Modern Vespa

You are going to love the 350, great bike for putting around. I took a test drive on one and only stopped from buying because the dealership offered so little on my machine on trade in. I knew I could get a lot more selling on my own (+$1200!). As in many things (especially motorcycles/scooters), if you use it for its intended deign and purpose, you will be fine. It's not a highway burning or touring machine - there are scoots designed for that. It is a backroads, city and country lane bike. Use it for that, and you'll love it.

Exactly - intended purpose is key.

I had a 400cc scoot at some point (Malaguti's version of the burger van) and whilst it had a top speed of 80mph+, it wasn't exactly a motorway cruiser, and it wasn't a fun bike to ride at all. Great for shopping errands or commuting though. Tons of room under the seat plus a top box included, and a decent glove box. Cracking for what it was designed for. 👍

In case it wasn't clear, all of my comments were speaking proportionately.. For context, I used to work for Harley-Davidson. If you wanted to be a dealer you needed millions up front, plus millions in financing approval, plus a location of a huge size that is visible from a major highway.

Whereas, back then, the nearest RE dealer was in a building you didn't even want to ask to use the bathroom in.

When I was working for a different motorcycle manufacturer, one of our dealers was also a genuinely kind, good, salt of the earth guy.

…but if I was a shady feller who's willing to throw away his reputation just to screw you out of a few thousand extra dollars, which manufacturer am I more likely to sign up with? When you let just anyone be a dealer, you're more likely, proportionately, to get some bad people. Is that the UK version of an axe to grind? If so, I came into motorcycling as a broke student, and to this day don't like seeing people getting misled or taken advantage of.

For my offline job I rescue people who's bikes. I see when it's the owner that has failed to maintain/neglected their bikes. I see when the bikes have failed their owners. And I see a lot of disproportionate trends which cause concerns.
Online, I warn people about what I see offline, to help people make informed choices.

If you made a thread saying you wanted to buy a Suzuki GSXR, I would say "hey wait, make sure you test the regulator rectifier /charging system on that first!" because I see a crazy disproportionate amount of issues with that on those bikes.

But you didn't say GSXR, you said RE, hence the RE disproportionate issues warnings. Maybe you don't get paid to help people with these things, but I often do…

An interesting thread. While reading I was reminded of all the manufacturer and dealer horror stories I've heard that were being relayed as cautionary tales to avoid one machine or another.

I've heard the "I will never buy another Vespa" to "BMWs are the worst motorcycles ever made." And everything in between.

When I decided to buy my 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan several friends told me I was crazy. All they do is stall. And the internet is full of stories about stalling Himalayans.''

I purchased mine with my eyes wide open. I didn't care about roadside assistance. And I'll worry about the 3-year warranty if a need for arises.

Someone down the street bought a new Mercedes SUV. It has been in the shop numerous times for weird stuff but I dare say most of them aren't.

I just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

My Himalayan is running great and taking over the off-road riding from my GTS!

And this, other that maintaining the bike properly, is what you should do. What anyone can do. There are no perfect machines, they all have faults. It just comes down to whether you enjoy it and are willing to put up with any problems that come along. Most problems are easily fixed if patience is there. And as long as forums are like this one - where help is freely given - you'll be just fine.

Sat on a Himmie - quite accessible for me considering what it was (I'm sure it's the only off roader I could buy due to my height!). 👍

Sat on a Scram and found those bulging triangular covers pushed my legs out too far to stop/start in traffic comfortably. Just goes to show that you should never go by the specs alone (theoretically I should have sat 5mm lower).

Ps Chap a few doors down bought a BMW M2 and had no end of trouble. He sold it in the end - way too much time to and from the dealership. A car of dreams tuned into a nightmare. He's not a 'tuber so hardly anyone would know about it. I'm sure every vehicle brand has it's lemons.

People knew the issues, gave you fair warning. You considered the issues, and made an informed decision.

All is well and as it should be.

PS: I have two BMW motorcycles. Of all my bikes, I'm shipping one of my BMWs to Italy to ride two-up across the country next month because I have zero concerns of reliability with that bike.

But that doesn't mean your friend who said "BMWs are the worst motorcycles ever made." is wrong either.

There are certain models of BMW I would not recommend to anyone, at all, ever. Some models of bikes just, proportionately speaking, are more likely to fail more than their average competitor would.

150 miles so far. No weirdness or warning lights. No strange noises or ticking. Mirrors came loose on the first long ride - clearly a dealer installation brain fart.

It goes, and most importantly it stops. Insane tank range. Very easy to ride. Very manoeuvre-able in traffic. Very easy to park and/or move. No storage, but a box will fix that if I require it.