Modern Vespa

Okay you drew me back one more time. Your description may cover some MV riders but it's certainly NOT the lifestyle I was referencing. Maybe it's kinda like the MAC/PC discussion going on...I dunno. You're looking for me to describe something that I believe is abstract. I think it harkens back to easier times, sweet Italian style, and an appreciation for simple things. Maybe that applies to all scoots, but I doubt it.

BTW, based on your posts, it seems to me that you do "get" the lifestyle, Vespa or no.

"Serious", however, describes cancer, war, hunger, etc, etc, etc. Not scooting.

I'm going for a ride...happy scooting! And wrenching!

Mj, I think it has something to do with this:

https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic7040



Brendan

Brendan...I didn't know you posted this just prior to my latest...I swear! Thanks for the assist!

Thanks, I read a bit of that thread, but I don't want to read through 17 pages of people talking about how many Macs they own. Sort of solidifies my point above about MV riders having disposable income...(I do strictly use macs at home and in my work though)

Anyway, the OP of that thread is referring to scooters in general. ScootPA was referring to modern Vespa riders specifically as the ones who live the lifestyle and other scooters aren't part of that.

Thanks for your response!

Nothing to add, just wanted to see 38 quotes inside each other.

That's pretty cool - like a pyramid....

Come on, seriously... Ok, I do have disposable income but some of your other criteria listed as part of the 'lifestyle' doesn't fit me MJ. (not that you care or that it even matters) but you are greatly over generalizing things if you are trying to base the MV 'lifestyle' on a Mac thread. But I know, to each their own.

Actually, I wasn't the one who based the MV lifestyle on the Mac thread! If you care to read above, it was 2 other people. Ta da!!!

HOLY SHIT!

Perfect,
I know you will be accused of "painting with a broad brush" and people will be ass hurt....

But that is as dead on as it gets. (As far as "perception" is concerned)
(And it is probably why there was EVER a "Vintage VS. Modern" argument in the first place.......)


Well played......


Riding a bike isn't a lifestyle....Being obsessed with said bike & whatever is connected to it via culture,music,etc.

That is a lifestyle.


Vespa isn't the be all & end all of scooters it has just become one of the most recognizable.
I personally think all of mine are pains in the ass...But I would go insane without them.

Here is the rub right here in the statement above ......that always seems to come up with discussions like this.


If the original criteria stated doesn't apply to you.......
Then they are not referring to you.

People should step back a little & look at the whole picture before being offended by a general statement.

What a turn this thread took.....I like it.


To the statement above...???
Way to make it heavy...

"Serious" is whatever happens to be important to one person or a group of like minded folks.

Not just your description.


Neat...

This thread had me barfing from the beginning. I'm afraid however that it might get locked since I turned it away from the modern Vespa cuddle fest that it was...

I am with you....
I shall now hypnotize all of those living the "lifestyle" back into submission.




LOOK AT THE CUTE PUPPY.....LOOK AT IT DAMMIT & CUDDLE...

Chill.

All would agree we are in a car culture, with m/c's along for the ride even taking advantage of using roads meant for car culture and maximizing the advantages with 2wheels.

Subsect of m/c (1%er) culture is scootering, a broad stroke of the brush meant to encompass all step-thru's and set them aside from their step-over brethren.

Within the scoot culture, there's of course many sub-sects. Divide it how you will. vintage vs modern, maxi-scoots vs traditional sized engines, or the various brands.

But amongst the owners themselves we each get into it and out of it different things. Some are more commuter types and it ends there, neither contributing nor taking from their bike all of the social aspects that scooters can afford their owners.And then there are many of us who enjoy all the ally's and other social aspects of scootering. It's a degree of interest and appreciation. Also one of investment, financially and time.

Amongst the commercially available scooters on the market, Modern Vespa owners are more likely to participate in the social aspects of riding. More so then Vino riders. More so then Metropolitan riders. I think this is what ScootPA was getting at.

Bajaj and Genuine Stella riders perhaps are highly socialized in scooter culture, but their market isn't widely accessible and I dismiss them in this argument simply because we can't get them in Canada.

No, <i>YOU</i> chill!

Now get on your Lambretta and go and ride it before somebody accuses you of not "living the lifestyle." Oh wait...it's not a Vespa, so it doesn't count. Nevermind!

Disagree here. Drop an LX and drop a Buddy or People 150 in the same spot at the same speed under the same conditions and I'm pretty certain that the plastic bikes would be far cheaper to repair. If the frame of the plastic bike isn't bent you can just put on new panels and be done. On the Vespa you've got to get the dents hammered out then have it repainted. Those things aren't cheap. Agreed. Won't be that way forever. Shortly after the Buddy launched a number of accessories became available for it. The ride and handling of a Vespa have pretty much nothing to do with the steel monocoque. On the automatic Vespas Piaggio has used quality shocks and has put some time into suspension tuning. PGO did the same when the created the GMax/Genuine Blur (still the best handling scooter I've ridden).

2 cents or No Sense:

I own a Vespa family, Piaggio MP3.
Sometimes I wonder about quality/build also, especially when you read enough about mishaps and malfunctions.
Still, I think it's about the ride, the handling, the look, and the feel.
Ferrari is high maintenance, but is undisputed in reputation.
I can find a brand new Honda, Yamaha, or Burgman for the same price with a maintenance free Japanese engine.
But, like the "feel" of a Harley Davidson, it is incomparable. It's Italian!!! 8)

No other vehicle, except a horse, can you hop on and ride so easily, and derive such simple joy from it.

So, do your due-diligence, and buy what you can afford and what YOU like.

Mark Twain said, "You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I'll tell you what his 'pinions is."

There must be a Haiku out there somewhere that descirbes this thread.

I do NOT have a vespa "yet" but I would like a GTS. Does this mean I'm not in the scooter "lifestyle?" And just so you know there are "others" that are passionate about their scooters too! I know its hard to believe but, I've seen their forums also!

P.S. I don't own a Mac but I sell them all day long!

P.S.S. I have some broken Ipods (shame on me)

Hey Prine,
That is a sweet ride you have there. Is it yours? Where is it taken? It looks like Hawaii?
When I sold my Harley, my Harley friends stopped calling me.
I don't want to own a brand to join a club.
I am here because it's a good group of people with a new innovative machine, period.
It's not a Vespa or a Honda or a Harley.
It's a 3 wheeled motorcycle with front parallelogram suspension.
If China had made one first, I would have bought it; they couldn't have made it any less quirky mechanically.
Sorry Pasta Lovers. Tough Love.
xoxo

Vehicle choice - whether it is a car, a motorcycle, or a scooter - often hinges on a whole range of factors, from economics to features to perceived "value" to ... well, to romance.

My husband chose a Triumph Bonneville because, to him, it "looks like a motorcyle should look." It has a classic design, is well made, runs beautifully, received almost universally positive reviews...and it gives him joy to ride it. Practical beauty is a wonderful thing. Sure he could have spent less on another bike, but he saved up for this one because it was the best overall "fit" for him.

Similarly I love my GT200. I bought it used but in almost perfect condition, and it is the physcial size, classic styling, power, and features that attracted me.

For some people a car or a scooter is only a means of transportation...a way to get from here to there as cheaply as possible. For others it may be a statement of status or position. But for for me I look for a combination of value for money, reliability, good design, fit, and reliability. I love a classic or vintage look, and the Vespa gives me that, plus the power to ride on the freeway and the stability to handle the capricious winds in my area.

As the architect and designer William Morris said: Have nothing in your life that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

To me my Vespa GT200 is useful AND beautiful.

Not that I agree entirely, but since I bought my ET4, when I have said I "bought a Vespa", I have had at least 5 people ask me "a real Vespa?". I think that says something, but I may not be actually sure what. Perhaps just name recognition or is do they know that the Vespa is special? Don't know, but love saying "yes, a real Vespa" and hearing their response (usually "wow" or "cool" or a similar sentiment).

I think it is similar with computers.

for ex.

are Mac's really worth the extra money? If you ask anyone who uses one they will say "yes! absolutely!" but if you ask someone who doesn't, they will likely say "no", simply because they just don't understand the difference.

and when you buy your scooter (whatever brand it may be) and you tell someone you bought yourself a new scooter they will automatically ask, "oh! a vespa?!?!?!?!) how you want to answer that question is up to you.



"if you can't innovate, you can simply imitate"

Ar you asking me this question? Because you replied to my comment. It you actually read my posts you will see that we are arguing the exact same thing. Perhaps you meant to reply to the poster who said only Vespa riders live the lifestyle?

Same exact color and setup as mine. Alas not mine. Smokey Moutains MJ: You are correct. It was meant for other poster.... what can I say, love your avatar more.

Of the 8 scooters i have owned in my lifetime my vespa has been the biggest PIA there is. I love the way it handles and looks but that's as far as it goes. By far my LT (piaggio) is far superior in performance but i don't like the looks or ride half as much Absolutely NO problems with the LT which still has it's original 2003 battery and intact evap hose (it's been overfilled also). For the life of me i can't understand why there is so much of a difference in the LT and LX models since they are the same scooter except for tires and body For me owning a vespa isn't about the lifestyle. Hawaii is about as anti lifestyle in that regard as you can get It's just that i wanted a vespa. My honda helix's needed very little to keep them happy. My vespa however knows it is the top banana and as such needs to be treated accordingly Some days i wish it would just get over itself Ah but i love him even though he is a PIA

The only way to make an adequate judgement is to ride an Asian scooter (Kymco, PGO, etc), and to ride a Piaggio or a Vespa.

I hate Piaggio's attitude about customer service. I hate the parts availability, but they ride like a dream. There is nothing Asian that even comes close. Pay special note to how they ride and handle at very slow speeds. The Italian scoots are stable and balanced. They give the rider a feeling of control that is completely missing in an Asian scoot. When I rode a Kymco B&W 250, I was wobbling all over the place when I was moving at slow speed. It was almost like trying to balance on a bicycle without moving. The Italian scoots could make circles at idle speed with the handlebars completely turned to their stops without wobbling, or offering a feeling that the bike was going to tip. They are just incredible.

I wouldn't buy anything else. Now if only Piaggio would figure out the customer service issue, we'd have Nirvana.

C

+1 to that. I went from a Buddy 150 to a GTS. The Buddy was a good ride, no question, and well-made.

On the GTS, however, the balance is so superior, it's kind of a Cirque de Soleil experience. At just above idling throttle, it is almost gyrosopic in stability...

Classic!! That's perfect!

When I opened this thread this morning,
I was thinking there really was nothing more to say on this subject...

But this statement sums up the whole Vespa experience just perfectly!

dacessn here, you know, the guy who started this thread to begin with even though it took a lot of weird ass turns and twists. Anyway, I think the answer to my question "Are Vespas worth the $$$" is YES!!


Thanks for the help gang.


Look forward to visiting with you along the way...went to MSF over the past weekend...will do some serious Vespa looking this coming week...either LX 150 (new) or GT 200 (used).

Thanks again and peace out, dawgs!!

As usual Dru, very wise commentary and counsel!!!!!

Certainly better value that a Blue Oval Gas-Guzzler. try some 40% pa

heres the story

I tend to analyze things in to the ground myself. I bought a Vino, I rode a month, in two weeks I was CERTIAN I had made a mistake for my commute needs.
I bought a Vespa, I have not had one moment of buyers remorse.
(Sold the Vino very quickly at full dealer price so that was good.

I asked so many questions about if I should buy a Vespa that some quick decider purchased my Yellow 250. The supply was running out and I had to move or wait all summer for an order or the '09s. Or drive to another city to find one. So I moved. I tossed out my resale worries after selling the Vino, the market is hot, but I am not getting a scooter for resale, I want to keep it a long time and not have to buy another for a long time.

Please don't take this as a rude comment: if you are not certian after all this time, you may not want one at all. Or finances are a huge factor.

Like a PC purchase, purchase the best and the biggest you can afford (within your specific needs of course) and it will take good care of you for years to come. Get the $200.00 PC and find out how much upgrade RAM, Cards, Ports, Software add up.

I traded up from a vino 125 to a gts 250. wow what a difference. you should definitely make the switch when your resources so allow. You will not be sorry that you did.

interesting thread. I love the GTS, but would own a Honda, if they weren't so butt ugly. I like to ride and not twiddle with the machine. In Europe, Honda sells the SH300 (do a Google) and it's lovely. Why we get the cartoon "Power Ranger" models is beyond me. I love the Vespa's all steel body, the classic looks, and the style, so to me, the answer is a qualified YES.

Has anyone ridden an SH 300? I too would be attracted to the Honda penchant for reliability and parts availability, but would really like to know how it rides compared to the Italians.

C

http://www.thescooterreview.com/reviews/scooter-reviews/94-honda/251-honda-sh-300


Enjoy!

C

two words: Hell YES!!!

Try the Kymco People S 250, I have to remind myself that it's a scooter.

I'm going to get an MP3 400 but I'll keep my Kymco for when it breaks down..