Modern Vespa

If you ever need to take your scooter in for service, how do you transport it? I have a ramp that I don't like. I was wondering if I should get a wide ramp, or one of those hitch mounted carriers. Has anyone used one of those? Before anyone asks, I'm not riding the scooter across the Delaware Memorial Bridge and then walking home. 😂

What vehicles do you presently own - car, truck, SUV?

2021 Tundra. That's how I brought it home, but the dealer loaded the bike. When I unloaded it with my skinny ramp I almost dropped the bike on myself.

Picking this up probably next year so we have it ready to go when we move out of MD.

https://towsmarttrailers.com/products/dirt-bike-trailer-sport-bike-trailer?variant=40859619459120

Rent a small U-Haul 4x7 trailer if you don't want to load it in the truck. For less than $20 and a few racket straps, it goes a lot easier than loading it in a truck bed like the Tundra.

If you use it often enough and have a place to store it, a trailer like this is handy. For me, renting one is makes more financial sense.

I was considering this:

https://www.harborfreight.com/600-lb-capacity-motorcycle-carrier-57720.html

We have two scooters, one car with a tow hitch, and a move from MD to CO in our future. Plus then we can haul them to Teton/Yellowstone/Black Hills and ride around.

Sounds good!

We recently were lucky to purchase an older Kendon standup trailer for sale, but before that, we used a skinny ramp or rented a U-Haul. We had considered getting a wider ramp and using it to walk up alongside the scooters on the thinner one.

az_slynch has hauled a ton of scoots using hitch carriers, trailers, and truckbeds. Maybe reach out to him to see what he recommends.
The link for the thread that I swiped the picture from:
https://modernvespa.com/forum/post2615568#2615568

I'll check it out. My truck sits much higher than that, so the skinny ramp sucked. If I stick with a ramp, I'll definitely need one I can walk next to it. Thank you.

There are a number of good YouTube videos on loading a scooter into a pickup using a ramp. Watch the one from Robot at Scooterwest..

make exact appointment time----ride in---and wait-----or do it yourself.

If they have their act together appointment should not take long....I have some experience ----using 2 wheels as main transport for 67 years---my bikes/scooters are bought for transport----time out of service not fun

A ramp requires 2 people, sure you can do it by your self, near misses or drops are more likely
Uhaul will have a trailer with a ramp & a cutout for the front wheel many times

The receiver carrier can block your turn signals, buy a pair of the magnetic trailer lights, they plug into a 4 pin flat.
These carriers are easy to load by yourself.
A tie downs between the scooter/carrier & the truck can help with the side to side rocking. Another solution is a receiver tightening device

Your solution will depend on how often & how far you need to move the scooter

This is a 50cc scooter and I'd need to take it on major highways over an hour from home which I cannot do, and across the Delaware River. It's not feasible, I need to transport it there.

We are looking at RVs and may use the hitch mounted unit to carry the scooter on the back of the RV. Still trying to decide.

I have an old 2004 Toyota Tacoma that I bought mostly to haul scooters.

It is a simple one with standard wheels, tires and suspension.

I found a curb near my house where the ground rises up from the road and curb.

When the truck is backed up to the curb, the ramp is almost level, making it simple to push it into the truck bed.

At my mechanic's shop he helps me get it down and back up on a level parking lot.

I have a Harbor Freight hitch carrier. Mine is the lighter weight aluminum one that doesn't have the flat floor. If they had been carrying the one shown in a previous posting, I would have bought that one.

But I have used mine several times without incident.

Bill

The HF aluminum hitch carrier on an old modified mobility scooter lift:

We bought this utility trailer from Lowe's or Home Depot last year for hauling wood around and it was about 1500 bucks but it works perfect for my scooter when I travel about 2 1/2 hours east to get my bike scooter serviced.

With the front up at 6 feet long but when you drop the front down, it becomes 8 feet or the perfect length for a sheet of plywood. It's got ramps up the back and it's light enough. The only need a 2000 pound towing capacity on your vehicle. Your Tacoma easily does that.

Edit: or maybe you have a friend that has one of these trailers already and just borrow it. You only need it for the 600 mile or 1000 km or the 6000 miles are 10,000 km service.

I hope I can tow that. I bought a 6000 lb + travel trailer today. 😂 looking for a weight distribution hitch for my Tundra now.

You need 2 ramps for the ramp method, one for the scooter and one to walk along side to be safe. I usually just throttle it up while I walk along side up the ramp.
I have used a Tilt a Rack hitch mount with my rv for many years and about 30,000 miles for my LX150. The rack itself has a 400lb capacity but watch your receiver capacity.

Ted

This. Or the dedicated U-Haul Motorcycle trailer with the built in ramp. It's safe, cheap, and easy. $25 with insurance. You can do it 30-40 times for the cost of buying a trailer, and you don't have to store it.

Probably a lot more affordable options than this, but, it works well for me lol

This looks like a knock off of the Black Widow hauler I bought a few years ago. I found mine on Amazon and was delivered directly to my house. It does weigh about 100lbs by itself. It's currently on sale for <$250.

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Widow-MCC-600-Motorcycle-Carrier/dp/B00WFIJ362/ref=sr_1_6?crid=KHRRARPEFQ5X&keywords=black+widow+motorcycle+carrier&qid=1692888445&sprefix=black+widow+motorcycle%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-6&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0

I've hauled my GTS hundreds of miles with this and it's rock solid. The anti- wobble device works really well. Stores nicely on the wall in my garage.

Another great option is to rent a Uhaul moto trailer.

Carl are those straps rubbing on the paint? If so, may want to take it to a welder to add a bar a bit further back and further out, to clear the body, before the paint gets damaged. Food for thought.

You are fine with the pickup and a ramp. Find an incline that you can use to flatten out the angle. Use the rear brake to control the bike, and if you have a side stand, use it to hold the bike upright while you climb up into the truck and attach the tie downs. Use cam buckle tie downs. Put the one on the left side first, and tighten it until there is no slack, but it's not putting extra pressure on the side stand. Then attach the right strap to the handlebar, and pull it until the bike goes upright, off the side stand. This is usually right as far as compression of the front suspension.
Done.

If you get into trouble unloading the bike, or just want to take it down without using the ramp, you can grab the back end of the bike by the rack, and let it down gently onto the ground. Then squeeze the rear brake, and you can pull the bars back and around so the front wheel clears the bed, then slowly let off the rear brake so the front end goes down. Try not to bounce it too much. It won't hurt anything, but it's hard to control the bike if it's moving uncontrolably. The rear brake allows you to control the bike quite a bit, once you get used to the mechanics of loading and unloading the bike.
If you get into a position where you don't have a ramp and need to load the bike into a truck, you can use the rear brake to allow you to pivot the front wheel up onto the tailgate of the pickup, then pick up the rear end of the bike and push it into the bed. You might need to use a tie down to keep the front wheel straight while you lift and push the bike onto the truck. Once the rear tire is on the tailgate, you can usually balance the scooter upright with the right arm while reaching forward and putting the side stand down with the left. Then crawl up into the truck and tie it down as described above.

https://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle/ramps/single-runner/p/MC-STEPRAMP-1737/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_5unBhCMARIsACZyzS34FRd0cKTqhUNtsJxfOlIsrwMyF2Zw0JKWOfAyd3Pi9AEBh9BSYfkaAhupEALw_wcB

I have a black widow type of hitch as well. I love it, and have carried bikes and more bikes thousands of miles, behind my 2010 Tundra.

I also really like my Home Depot Ramp. It gets borrowed way more than the hitch. This ramp has a relief in the middle which gives you the opportunity to move around the bike and reposition.

It is worth every penny. Motovisa sait it right just find a little incline to back the truck on to. and you will be fine.

This is the Ramp https://www.homedepot.com/p/CargoSmart-12-in-W-x-90-in-L-750-lb-Capacity-Hybrid-S-Curve-Centerfold-Truck-Loading-Ramp-Includes-1-Ramp-3086/300563111?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D28I-028_034_RIDERS-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-SMART_SHP&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D28I-028_034_RIDERS-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-SMART_SHP-71700000090520797-58700007648833826-92700069166032930&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_5unBhCMARIsACZyzS3zKMr6YQEORqNGKkkM_7qaXg35O8Pk_dGM0uQ3nomVJRODJ5KkpN4aAiJvEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Found this for a good tip today! https://youtube.com/shorts/profBhutheU?si=LvXY2SBWGBM0ExsS

When you use a ramp to load the Vespa on to the truck, and don't have another person to help, the best thing to do is have a milk crate on the side of the ramp to use as a step to climb onto the tail gate while you walk the Vespa up the ramp. Depending on how skilled you are with using the throttle, you can power the Vespa up and slowly walk up with it. , once on top you can use ratcheting straps and ratchet it down. dont put it on the center stand, When securing with straps, press the front brake down while ratcheting.
You should be able to do this in about 15-20 mins max.

No AAA roadside assistance?
I got a 200 mile RV and motorcycle tow package

I have this AAA package also. They will tow it to the dealer but it's up to you to get it home once it's fixed.

I found this out the hard way.

Uhaul motorcycle trailer only $14.95 for the day

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.5n3S8cjP9qGjTZU-xyjS5gHaFj%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=160b493f5762e8429ab728c47d213ff21c61adcf34083b12b2887a8ad8f08da7&ipo=images

Go for the Aluminum one instead: https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/trailers-towing/hitch-cargo-carriers/motorcycle/400-lb-receiver-mount-aluminum-motorcycle-carrier-62837.html

I just picked one up this weekend and helped a friend assemble it and add it their mini-van. It's lighter, cheaper, and well made IMO. I loaded a Vespa 2009(ish) 50S to test how well it worked. We ended up flipping the screw down "wheel chock" thingies to the up position. With one of the pins located at the very end, the front wheel rested nicely at the far end of the carrier, and the screw-down chocks were perfectly placed. I regret not taking pictures. Scroll through all the pics at HF site and you will several pics of scooters (Some well demonstrating how NOT to tie down a scooter )

All that aside, I bought some double ramps for my Ford Ranger to load my scooters. I push the scooter up one ramp and I walk on the other. I back the truck into a curb, or in a dip or a driveway connector to lower the tailgate to a more manageable level

You give up 200lbs carrying capacity with the Aluminum one. Carrying a 350 lb GTS over long distances will cause fatigue of the metal.

The OP has a 50cc Vespa.

Get one of these for your pickup. I got one and it is a one-person stress-free loading operation.

https://www.neo-dyne.com/

It is pricey but worth every penny.

just get a ramp and ride it on to your truck. no problemo

didn't get the whole process but the gist is clear.

I've been renting the U-Haul 'motorcycle' trailers for years when I needed to transport a bike/scooter someplace local for service and didn't have a ride back home after dropping it off.

I don't think I pay more than $16 for them for a 24 hour period though I seldom need one for more than several hours.

I rented one most recently when my infamous GTS drive belt incident left me on the side of the road.

I would buy an MC trailer, but it's just so cheap to rent a small U-Haul that I can't justify the expense when considering how seldom I actually need one.

I have occasionally just loaded a bike into our pickup but I need dealership-sized loading ramps on both ends of the trip to feel comfortable loading and unloading even machines as relatively light as a GTS300.

This problem has been solved by creating a different problem. Now I have 2 vespas. A 50 and a 150. This is what I bought to go pickup our new Vespa.