Modern Vespa

Good AM...I'm new here and looking for advice re pricing my ride (previously posted under For Sale/Wanted).
It is a brand new 2007 Vespa GTS 250ie (garaged/covered since purchase) with only 5 miles on her.
Garaged/covered since orig purchase in 2007.
Professionally Serviced (April 2024) - flushed tank; cleaned fuel line, injector, and spark plug; oil change; new gas; new battery.
New matching Shoei helmet (gift) to new owner.

ASKing $5K...is that in the ballpark? Or a wish and a dream?

Would appreciate any advice.
I have an offer on the table for $3K, fyi.

Cheers and happy riding.
-Brent

That is a lovely scooter! The GTS looks great in YELLOW. Now $5K might be a little high but it is a one of a kind opportunity and that only requires one motivated buyer. I'd advise you to be flexible on price (it will need a few more things like changing out rubber parts), but I'd expect you to do well above $3K.

Dooglas...thank you for the suggestion. The "purchaser" is getting a little quick on the draw (talking wiring $, scheduling shipping, etc). I'm going to cool my jets and chill a bit...plus it looks damn good in the garage!

I think if you are patient, you will get your price considering you had it serviced. Location comes into it, of course, but I think you have it right. Now you just need the right person with the right money.

Tierney...Thanks for the advice. It has only been listed for a couple weeks...and heck, it was sitting for years and years. No huge rush for the time being. Plus, summer is upon us and I don't mind adding to the odometer!

Personally, I think $3k is more like it. Plus it'll need new tyres just because they've aged out. I'd risk them on a 50cc pottering around town, but not on a 250 doing 80 on the freeway.

Jimc...thanks for the 411. Tires look perfect, but I know with time (like you said) might be an issue.
Appreciate the assistance and input re $.

That is a lovely scooter. I would tell your buyer that $3k is your December price if it still exists, $4k is your September price if it still exists, and $4500 is your best-offer-now price.

Juan_ORhea...excellent idea. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers.

Brent, with such a rare bird as yours, I would ask Bring A Trailer bringatrailer.com if they would be interested in hosting it on their auction site. Their fees are low, and you can set the reserve price. Just a thought…

Pino...great idea. I'll definitely look into that option if there is not enough local interest. Regards...

I hadn't thought of that, thanks for the reminder.

Agreed, but I would not turn away $4k from the right person now either.

Thanks for the input...I'd take a hard look at $4K now

My experience is that first you get the grinders, who want to get it for nothing. A lot of them plan on flipping it, or have no idea how much a Vespa is worth, compared to other "mopeds". And it's discouraging. But now that people are getting their taxes back, you're going to run into that person who has been jonesing for your bike and finally put their money together. If you were in a retail location, it's definitely a $5K bike and since you're not, $4-4.5 seems attainable. Look at what's out there for $3K in a GTS, and you will see that you're in a good position. And no matter what they say, or how much they bitch and moan, don't let anyone test ride it. Once it goes over, it's a $2500 bike. And the person who dropped it isn't going to pay to fix it.

Anyone can test ride a scoot I'm selling. After I received my full asking price in hand and have signed the title over, of course. Seriously, I agree with Motovista. I sold my last motorcycle, a 2022 Honda Rebel 500, about 2 months ago. The buyer wanted a test ride. I let him sit on it, I rode it up and down the block so he could see, and did a cold and hot start in the driveway, but no test ride by him. He told me he had been riding for years, mainly dirt bikes, but never applied for a road motorcycle license. So that was a no-go for me. Anyhow, he wanted it bad, gave me the cash, we signed the title and a bills of sale. He then took off up the street a dropped it. Tore up the tank, and the right side of the scoot. I told him I would help him replace the parts if he bought them. We loaded it on the trailer and I haven't heard back, thank God.

Much wisdom in this post tread. Tierney has the absoulely proving the point story. No test riding a two wheeled vehicle. They drop it (because they are inexperienced in riding that machine) and walk away - "Sorry".

I am an insurance agent. Multiple examples of "the wife gets a motorcycle so she can ride with her husband, drops it in the driveway on the first ride". Then she is scared and they sell the vehicle at a loss.

My adult son Brian, wanted to ride my first scooter (Piaggo Scarabeo 150). I took him over to the school parking lot. Had him practise starting out slow and stopping. Practise slow left an right turns and quick stops. Two hours of this and he was checked out and off and scooting.

Also, the same thing applies to cars (not as bad).

Bob Copeland

Good AM...Motovista, Tierney, and Bob...thank you for your thoughts, advice, and wisdom in this area.
Got it..NO TEST RIDES!
Thanks for the price point reference.
The weekend is soon upon us...

Only 5 miles on the clock and then... "Professionally Serviced (April 2024)", does that mean the coolant hasn't been changed for 17 years? 🤔

Also, I'm not sure how a 17 year old scooter with only 5 miles on the clock can have an air filter blow-by bubble with this much oil staining? 🤔

Touring300...good questions. I'll review with the tech who did the service. I know the mileage is accurate...as my stepdad never rode it after purchase. he got scared due to the steep driveway. I'd push it out to the driveway every now and then just to check her out.

How on earth did you resist riding such a beautiful machine all those years?

JBlackLund...it was challenging, and I was busy. Not a good excuse, but it is what transpired

At 17 years there is no "might" about it. The rubber is old, surely hardened, and likely cracked in some places. Tires definitely belong on the list for whoever will be the owner/rider.

Dooglas...that will be mentioned off the bat. Thank you. Safety 1st!

Nice bike! I'm not far, but not in the market. I would hit you up if I was.

RE test rides: I had a Yamaha YSR 50 that I modified with a pipe/jet kit. It ripped up to 40!

I had a guy come over to buy it from an ad in the paper (pre Craigslist obv). His girlfriend gave him a ride to my house. He wanted a test, so being young and dumb, I let him. He wheelies that thing out of my driveway and you could hear him blocks away.
The gal started to leave, I asked her if she was going to wait for her b/f. She said she didn't know him, she just gave the guy a ride.


Uh oh. He did come back about a half hour later and paid for the bike. That was the last test ride I gave when selling.

cogind...whoa, close call for you. Happy it worked out. Thanks for checking in...and, are you sure you don't want to add to your collection?

Several years ago, I had a guy come to my house wanting a test ride on a Kymco I was selling. Initially, I was gonna let him take it for a short test ride, until I asked him to produce proof of a motorcycle endorsement on his drivers license. He admitted he didn't have it, so obviously I didn't let him do it. Since that experience, I've never let a prospective buyer test ride any of my bikes regardless if they have a motorcycle endorsement: it's just not worth the risk.

Mopedlar...agreed. Definitely NOT interested seeing it sail off into the sunset. Thanks for the input.

On the one hand, I want to click on the positive symbol, because it's a very good example of what can happen, but it seems bad to upvote about someone dropping a bike.

Well, I don't blame you. I was horrified when he dropped it. Luckily, he slowed down for a curve and wasn't going that fast at all. He, himself was not hurt except for his pride. I told him to take it to a parking lot for his first ride, get used to it and take it easy. It's a pity it turned out the way it did, but it could have so much worst for him and me.

Mrs jimc, AKA Ivana Tinkle, used to manage Vespa Walnut Creek. No test rides were allowed, and anyone who wanted to ride a scooter off the lot had to show at least a m/c permit and full insurance. More than once so-called 'experienced riders' would take off, careen across the road and smash into the verge opposite, once totaling the bike they'd just bought (on finance!) a few minutes before.

They were warned about the take-off power of a CVT, but obviously dismissed that as they obviously knew better than a mere female of the species...

just starting it and letting it idle over the years. not actually riding it.

Interesting.

The local Honda shops would not let me test ride a bike before buying.

Scooterwest let me test ride a 23, which I then bought.

Not sure what their policy is, if anybody can test ride or they have seen me pull up to the shop every few months without smashing into anything, that and my previous GTS looked great.