Modern Vespa

Good evening,

Always wanted a Vespa and just picked this one up. It was an import. Can anyone tell me about it and the accessories. They look to be period correct.

Thanks in advance,
J

Bodge?

What is the correct collective noun?

As this is clearly a newly-restored (ahem) vintage Vespa, I am moving this to Not-So-Modern.

Though I am not completely sure how well it will be received.

Sorry to tell you, OP, but that's pretty much a classic SE Asian (SEA) import, typically Vietnam or Indonesia, but also potentially Pakistan. What's referred to in the vintage community as a "bodge."

If you have any way to get your money back, I'd strongly suggest you do so. There's plenty of folks on here who will go above and beyond to connect you with an authentic, reliable vintage Vespa.

It looks like it's supposed to be a Sprint, but who knows what the actual bits came from. For example, the floormat on the tunnel is for a P series bike. The accessories are classic SEA

If you're lucky, the motor will last 200 miles, at which point it will probably need to be replaced. The frame may be made of multiple other bikes. The body is as much bondo as steel, and is potentially flat out unsafe at any speed.

Check out the Bodgespotting thread, though probably not all 114 pages at time of this writing, and you'll realize your bike would look right at home in there.

If you decide to try and make a go of it, you'll have to do the work yourself, because you'll find pretty quickly that you literally can't pay a vintage mechanic to work on it. It's not worth the risk to them, plus everything they touch turns into a Pandora's Box of fail.

Not what you were hoping to hear, I know, but better you find out now than after you've been sucked into the money pit and still don't have a rideable bike.

For the record, this happens a lot. People get taken by the shiny paint jobs and buy before they really understand what they're getting into.

I say this because I don't want to the OP to feel like we're singling him/her out for abuse or being unduly harsh because we collectively don't approve of SEA "bodge" Vespas. I mean, we don't approve, but it's not personal. It's just a longstanding problem in the Vespa world, where someone shows up with a brand-new bodged bike from SE Asia and ends up not being able to get it fixed when it inevitably breaks.

We hate that this happens. We hate that people get suckered. We hate that these bikes are incredibly unsafe.

We don't hate the OP.

What jess said.

Jordbird, we WANT you to have a great experience with a vintage Vespa, and most of us will go above and beyond to the extent feasible to make that happen.

Don't be put off by all the naysayers. If you are happy simply enjoy it.

sure, enjoy looking at it.

but riding it until something fails potentially putting your life at risk? that's a hard pass from me.

OP brought sadness, that's what that is…

Just joking…

But looks like a Frankenstein bodge. If you want to restore it to period correct. Most of it will need to go… and then it might not be possible. It'd be a fake. so would probably be easier buying another bike.

OP… good luck to you (that's if we see you again…)

There's no chance of all bodges being created equal, they're cobbling together and tarting up whatever they can get their hands on, they aren't chopping up and combining frames for fun.
Based on that if it were mine I'd be taking the tank out and getting in with a camera along with searching for any thick patches of filler to see what I've got.
There's more than likely going to be some big problems but I wouldn't write it off without finding them, if it's salvageable I wouldn't aim for period correct just usable.

A refund might be better if the OP can get one, but if not a thorough inspection is surely better than either never riding it or just risking riding as it's.

true, but they're all equally crap. that much is a fact. 20+ years of seeing these things has proven that out.

To answer your original question, "what did I just buy"?? Other than the great replies you have gotten so far, I consider what you have is a static piece of art. If you don't get your money back - and I hope you do - you may to try and sell it off. Not to a another newbie but to a restaurant or another business for display purposes. But as Jess mentioned, you are not alone in the decision of your purchase. Many have come thru here after the fact. Some have treated it like a hobby to make them somewhat right. They spend a lot of money and time to do so. And in the end, most quit the project and it winds up as yard art. I would ask that you post back and let us know what you are feeling about it. The Forum is here for you.

the pink one looks legit

OK, Let's all take a breath.

OP: Can you let us know the frame and engine serial numbers and post some pictures of the engine and underneath? We are here to help. Thanks.

Yes but the teal one has a bad ass rack on the front.

I believe it's gotta be from Viet Nam. The sheriff's badge wheel cover on 10" wheels, the glove box added and all that shiny chrome is usually not found on Indo (made there under license)or Paki (imported from Italy) bikes which we don't really see many of here regardless. I do see unrestored old Paki bikes in various condition showing up in England though.

Full disclosure, I own an Indo Super. It's a solid bike, also w/ a pretty paint job. PT Danmotors Super-T & more

This seems like a reasonable plan:

The pattern is always the same.

New poster - hey look at this great bike I got - it shiny, what is it?

Forum - it's a bodge and pile on commentary

Original poster disappears

It's difficult to tell from my old iphone 6, but it looks like the Super Sprint has a pair of Progrip 714 Rally grips on it? If so, those are high quality dirtbike grips used on many rally bikes.

it's true.

..on the flip side, at least in this case many of the responses were helpful and not just the usual raspberries and/or Nelson laughs.

VIN numbers don't really matter with bodges. Most of the time they're restamped…

OP: apologies for your first foray into our forum. We're really not a bunch of pretentious, self-righteous pricks.

Unfortunately, it's a case of the truth hurts.

Nothing personal on the buyer or the folks who have commented. No ill feelings, well maybe to the bodge bike.

What happened? Nobody slammed the OP for buying that scooter. People just stated their opinions. Nobody likes getting burned by a seller but a buyer should know what they are getting into. The OP obviously knew about MV so that person could've asked the forum before making the purchase and been saved a bodge. The thing that bugs me is the OP never responded. Not even a "Hey thanks guys". If the OP wanted a shiny static display power to him. If an Italian restored and rideable scoot was the plan, he got burned. If it ends up being safe and rideable I'm happy for him.

It was in fact, generally speaking, a very courteous collective response. I think the Garncarz's apologies comment you quoted was just a recognition of the sheer volume of the "You bought garbage."-style replies? Or rather, the volume of replies, none of which were affirmations for the OP's purchase.

Maybe the OP just never circled back to the forum? But, I can also see the OP perceiving all the replies (no matter how nice) as a "Not Welcome Here" mat.

Well you do have a pretty good point. After reading the OP's posting, he seems pretty stoked about the purchase. No where does he ask for a critique. I'm kinda wincing when i say this, but maybe next time someone shows up here to proudly inquire about their newly acquired pride and joy is to just sugar coat it? Yes it's a bodge, but as long at they're happy with their purchase, then no harm no foul to them. Besides, a BaT Bodge currently have a much higher resale value than most any other legitimately rebuilt vespa...or lambretta for that matter.

Other than this part, I agree with you.

Sure, it's possible that people can own bodges and be happy, but that's only applicable after someone who knows better (if it's not them) has been able to pronounce the bike safe for the road.

Past that, other than the general mismatch between expectation and whatever their reality is going to be after a few days or maybe weeks, they can knock their bad self out.

Unfortunately, odds are that person is maybe going to be wearing a helmet, possibly gloves, and most likely NOT armor when the wheel falls off or the frame breaks or the motor seizes hard and they find out they don't know how to ride through a skid.

Of course i disagree with me as well. But man can be a stubborn creature (at least this man ((me)) can be one). I personally take no offense to someone calling my junk unsafe...as long as they can back it up with a little bit of documentation. There's LOTS of prideful people out there who can't handle that.

Perhaps the answer to keep one time posters from getting butt hurt about said comments on their newly acquired SEA scooter, is to have only one elected MV member to gently break the back news to them, then all the other members can simply give a lip service on how shiny and clean it looks?

At the end of the day there really is no right way to do it. Somebody just spent a grip of cash on a polished turd, and someone(s) else lets them know that indeed they did, and it's now time to wheel the bodge to the corner of the living room as a show piece, never to be ridden.

I think something that could be useful in this situation is a wiki specifically describing:

1) why SEA bodges are unsafe
2) how to find out if it's unsafe
3) what to look for to identify a Bodge.

So next time a person pops up, someone can welcome them to MV and link to the wiki for more info. This way it's not a bunch of members commenting and discouraging the OP.

What do y'all think?

4) how to find a local scooter shop work on a bodge
5) how much over $10,000 should i expect to pay for a shiny BaT bodge
6) after i buy my bodge, should i put a drip pan under the engine or just drain the oil so that my living room carpet doesn't get stained

I'm currently (albeit slowly) putting together a sticky for bodges.

so basically, the next time somebody jumps on with a what is this and what's it worth and should I buy it, we can just link 'em right to it.

the addendum to that will be (eventually) a wiki article.

so, stay tuned for that.

Needs more seo friendly words, because I can imagine new owners won't be searching "bodge". It'll have to be "buying a new Vespa, warning signs" or something like that.

Nope the OP didn't ask for critique, BUT they did ask for how's their "accessories" lol. Which everyone told him about how they are.

I belong to a bass player's forum as well and I have seen unscrupulous would-be sellers pose as potential buyers with pics of the counterfeit Franken-basses going, "Thinking of buying this off my brother in law. Do you think its worth 1,200 bucks??" And I'm lookin at pics he took of his own monstrosity. Trying to pass it off as a Rickenbacker or something of value. Just trying to gague if his handiwork would go undetected amongst a group of experts. Seldom ends well for the guy - and then he's in the wind.

OP if you're reading this I'm not casting specific aspersions your way. If you really got the raw deal everyone says then I'm truly sorry.

Ha, on mine, it was literally cut out from another frame and just welded into my frame. Total points for creativity and audacity.

Finally. Thanks for solving the bodge problem.

You know… I'm going the other way entirely…

These one-and-done posts wherein someone showcases their new bodge, and folks in the know hip them to the unfortunate reality of their purchase, whereupon OP disappears…

Functionally, it amounts to trolling.

I was thinking that too.

Ok, maybe we ALL aren't a bunch of pretentious self righteous pricks?

I mean really, it's a fucking scooter and a guy came and asked for help on a scooter forum. And everybody piled on. You know it's not like it's the Concoure de elegance and the guy showed up with the counterfeit '62 Ferrari 250.
Seriously folks, how about a little perspective?

How many of these posts are actually importers and their marketing strategy.

He posted with the question - "What did I just buy"? The members on here did not call him an idiot, or run him down. They told him what he had bought. Many (including myself) piled on and asked if he could get his money back. The way I see it, a reply from the OP would have been nice. As it is, I wonder if it was even real.