Modern Vespa

I have been riding a Vespa GTS 300 since 2009 prior to that it was Suzuki GSXR750 from 1987(new to me in 1990).
In any case I have a dilemma to deal with.
Do I sell my Vespa now or not. Why this question..
The last few years riding in NYC hasn't been fun- from bad crappy roads to more aggressive driving by cagers more pronounced post COVID, lack of enforcement of basic rules like cagers not using turn signals to making u turns across double yellow lines etc and the icing on the cake congestion pricing getting enforced in Manhattan (means it costs $4.50 to get in from Brooklyn into the lower part of Manhattan) which makes it economical for us Vespa riders to take it in to the city and use it as a mode of transport.
So given these issues I am trying to decide if I should keep the Vespa and ride less frequently and just pay the four hundred odd dollars for insurance and have this Vespa as a luxury toy or suck it up and sell it.
Others may see it differently, definitely more Vespa's on the road.

Are scooters charged the congestion charge? You say it makes it economical to ride in, but the context suggests you may have meant uneconomical.

If they ARE charging motorbikes and scooters, create a big stink, as PTWs reduce congestion!

Yes powered two wheelers with a plate & registration are charged $4.50 from 5 or 6AM till 9PM. I stand corrected that it doesn't make sense economically.
A round trip subway ride costs $5.80, if you park at a meter which is becoming more and more necessary as free public parking spots are dwindling and there isn't a discount for a PTW for parking. There was a time they wouldn't ticket PTW's parked at the meters but the last few years they are ticketing PTW's and not seeing the ticket on the vehicle isn't a defense if you find out later (via the postal service) that you missed paying the ticket issued.
So using the Vespa as a mode of transport going into Manhattan isn't cost effective. I can live with that but combine that with the joys of riding being slowly but steadily being eroded I'm questioning, and thought I would hear members of my chosen family to voice their opinions.
It isn't a decision that is necessary to be made for economic reasons but for other reasons. If I don't ride the Vespa on a daily basis and only use it on weekends for joy rides that would be fine but sadly I don't see joy rides happening as long as I'm living in NYC. There isn't any joy in riding in NYC lol.

If it is more fun than the $400.00 per year it cost to insure your vespa, then keep it.

Stated differently. How many times would you have to ride under better conditions would it take to make it worth it keep the Vespa? The joy of riding could easily add up to more than $400.00 per year. Sometimes a single ride can be priceless.

That may be your answer.

See what others say. There is part of you that wants to keep the bike, otherwise, you would not be asking.

Solutions: 1) get a fake plate, then you will not have to pay parking tickets or congestion pricing. 2) Sell the 300 and get a 50 so that you are considered a Limited-Use-Moped which means insurance of $20 year.

I can't consciously break the law.
I would be no better than all those that bitch about breaking the law & getting away with it.
As Keven Harrell states, there is a big part of me that doesn't want to sell the Vespa and I am looking for people to say it is "ok" to keep it even if I get to ride it fewer and fewer times.
If I do sell the Vespa I would probably buy a mid mount electric motor for my bicycle and use that as my mode of transport.
But I doubt I am ready to let go of the Vespa and looking for validation is the basis of this dialog..
Who knew that Modern Vespa not only imparts knowledge about Vespa's or share recipes or travels it also offers some therapy as well..

OP....you don't sound ready to sell your Vespa, yet.
If you do (now) you will be looking to buy a replacement in no time. Keep/ride it until the Fall then decide.

Hmm. As someone who lives in a largely uncongested world, it's hard to relate. I have to consciously head in one direction for city traffic...and it's light by comparison. I think economics, or, probably more properly perceivedeconomics is a driver for me, but second to the joy of riding. I guess only one person can truly decide if it balances out in favor of riding. I'd say for me, if you already own the scooter and it's not a PITA to maintain it/store it safely, I'd still try to hang onto it for joy riding. But, the world, and life changes. So best of luck with your decision.

Is it stored in a garage, or does it live out on the street? If the former, I'd say keep it, if the money isn't that important. If the latter - get rid while the prices are up as it's spring. Out on the street it won't last that long if unridden.

It stays out on the street. i cover it up a cover and in the winter the Termoscud gives some additional protection from the elements.
It has been cared for very well and so far it has held up well over the last 6 yrs I have had it. Funnily I had been putting off an oil/filter change along with a new spark plug which I normally do in the month of April, as I was contemplating if I wanted to hold on to it or sell it. After I wrote this post, I ordered the parts and will do the maintenance in the next week. If I still decide to sell it, the new owner will have a freshly serviced Vespa.

I had the same feeling too, but if I wait till the fall I would just hold on to it.
Funnily while I was thinking about selling I was looking at what is up for sale and there are few Vespa's to choose from in NYC but if you spread out 250 miles around there are a few out there but they are pricey for sure.

An e-bike sounds like the way to go, at least as far as commuting.

Early weekend mornings aren't enjoyable?

Wow! $400 per year to insure a 300 Vespa?

That's more than I pay per year for my Triumph Rocket 3.

Just goes to show that there's a few benefits to living in 'flyover country'.

Just my 2¢, even though circumstances differ.

I live in a smaller city, but agree completely with everything you said about drivers. Riding in town is much less enjoyable than it used to be. Fortunately it doesn't take me long to get out of town for an enjoyable ride.

Ten years ago I changed jobs and my daily commute changed from 40 miles round trip to 4. My rationale for riding a scooter to save gas money was all but gone. Then I bought an electric car that was cheaper to drive than any of my scooters.

Anyone can rationalize that you don't really 'need' a scooter. I just rationalized that I don't need to spend money on a new bike when we have three perfectly serviceable bikes in the garage.

Between the two bikes I have to keep plated and insured it's hundreds a year in Michigan. But I'm not going to get rid of them because I no longer need them, even though I don't ride as much. And it's still cheaper than the cost of a therapist.

In my opinion, if the cost isn't keeping you from paying other bills, I would keep it.

Could you go cold turkey for a couple of weeks and see whether you miss the Vespa?

Money wise, ask yourself the question, if I haven't got the $400 to pay for insurance, what am I going to treat myself with the $1.10c I've got left in my pocket each day?

Yup, that's how I am thinking, I don't have a garage, it stays on the street and every couple of days I have to move it for alternate side parking. When I do ride now it is for maybe a few miles to run some errands on the weekend.
Economics isn't playing a decision, even though congestion pricing makes it not worth it which is all about the economics.
But to keep it while it sits idle for much more time than before is where the question comes into being pragmatic one way or the other.
As of now I am going to service the vehicle in the next week or so, give it a good wash (S100)/wax(Harley's) and ACF 50 under carriage protection which I always do this time of the year and again in october. So once all that is done and I take a friend out to Montauk & back on it, will help clarify if I should be pragmatic/practical and sell it or hold on to it for the few moments of joy I may get when things change in the city.
Who knows maybe all the crap happening in the world is dampening my spirits and I'm just channeling that depression on to this...
Peace mates

There's a lot of that going around. It's why I hang out here on MV. Good bunch of people and it's always upbuilding. Nowadays we have to do whatever we can to hold onto happiness.

Hang onto that bike.

My 2 cents is to keep it for say, 6-12 months, without using it to commute and then decide.

One might consider and factor in replacement cost/availability if you chose to sell and then wanted one again.

I haven't been riding mine much lately, but it is cheap to keep at a few hundred a year.

I bought a 2004 MINI Cooper S JCW R53 track prepped car recently that is so much fun, literal laughing out loud fun, to drive my GTS has been seeing less use.

Do you not have a friend or family that could store your Vespa in a warm garage, it takes little space, you might need it later in life if things change.

My 2 cents - actually my Father's 2 cents - "Better to sell it and regret it, then keep it and regret it."

nah don't have that kinda luxury... Part of me would say be pragmatic but the joy one may get at some point in time is what makes me want to keep it.
I am going to do the service I do for it every year and then shall decide. We shall see how the world is conducting itself in the next few weeks, that is affecting me.
My neighbors who are doctors one is a OBGYN and they have a child who is trans gendered are considering about leaving the country, things like that make for an interesting conversation and time to be living in.
In the meantime I am enjoying this evening sipping some Brooklyn Kings County Whisky and chilling.
Peace

Damn the weather today in NYC is perfect scooter weather. 70 and sunny. Go out for a ride somewhere nice and that will answer the question for you. I live in the nearby 'burbs (just N of the Bronx) and just scooted to the vet to pick up some dog pills and it made an otherwise mundane task the highlight of my day.

I say find a way to keep it. I was really into Honda Hawk GT650s. A cult bike, it was ahead of its time with an aluminum twin spar frame and a single sided swing arm. Years ago I sold my ET4 because it was so darn slow. I found an unloved Hawk for sale locally, and rebuilt it bolt by bolt. It was an 88, sold it to buy a Ninja, a few years later found an 89 close by that didn't run, enjoyed rehabbing that one. I loved riding them too, fit me perfectly.

A 91 showed up locally with almost no miles, sold by a guy who bought it for his girlfriend. Only problem was he forgot to tell his wife!
This was a museum piece, sold the 89, and this was going to be a forever bike.
A few years later, I bought a sports car, and the bike just sat. On its center stand the bike was a little bigger than a mountain bike, and even though I had plenty of space to keep it, I sold it to another collector. I talked myself out of keeping it.

I shouldn't have. Don't do anything rash. Wait a bit.

What a joke you get what you deserve when you choose to live where you live. My opinion New York sucks! Sorry if i hurt anyone's feelings.

Ouch that was harsh, visited NY once for 2 weeks, friendly people if they looked up from their phones, bit noisy but no different from any major cities in Europe or UK, have the best ribs and meat I ever tasted 15 years ago, probably all carrots and soyabean steaks now however I can imagine if they take away congestion charges it will be worse for anyone on 2 wheels even Ebikes, as for choosing where you live, life is not always a choice but a deck of cards you get a good or bad card.

Why would you think that?

One of the loveliest things about New York is that nobody there could possibly have their feelings hurt by someone from "Royal Oak".

Yeah, those Michiganders ... never take anything they say seriously.

Nah I am not hurt by what ya state. Despite all the negatives about NYC I choose to live here and it isn't a decision I regret. NYC has more positives than the negatives for me to sustain and thrive.

Whenever we start to compare cities/countries etc we never do justice as the comparisons are never apples to apples. Every place is good/bad and has purpose and meaning to the people live there.

On another note I changed engine oil, replaced oil filter and replaced the gear oil as well. Have to replace the spark plug and clean the air filter and replace the coolant and I will be set with the yearly tune up for the Vespa.
I have to deal with gear oil stain on the concrete ( damn wind blew the slide chute modified milk carton I had placed to drain the gear oil) and I was on the other side and did not see till it had spilled on to the floor. Hoping that the goof off the neighbor lent me will be able to remove the oil stain.

ISWYDT.

Here's the perspective of an outsider looking in. I live in Brooklyn and I've been reading this forum because I've really been wanting a Vespa so bad! I had a car when I moved here 22 years ago, but eventually became a true New Yorker and bailed on the car. I got a ride one up, roadster a couple of years ago and enjoyed the autonomy, but I don't think I'd ride it all the way up to the Bronx. So from my perspective, having a scooter would allow me to go a lot more places. It's not as convenient as a car, but it's about a third of the price of having a car in New York. My mom lives in Boston and I saw that I could drive out to Long Island and then take a break from riding while I sit on the ferry and enjoy the view and then continue the rest of the route on small roads. That sounds like a lot more fun to me than taking the bus which I've been doing for years. Anyway, if you wanna give me your scooter, I'll take it off your hands!

Well I enjoy my Vespa, just riding on crappy roads with people around me who don't obey basic traffic rules etc makes me not enjoy riding much.
I have been to Boston, Washington DC, The Berkshires etc on the Vespa and it is wonderful to get out of the city and ride on either back roads or in my case riding on I 95 to Boston doing a steady 70mph.
If I decide to sell the Vespa I shall reach out to you and see if there is a deal to be made.