Modern Vespa

Hello people

im new to the forums but have been monitoring the chat with regards to the fuoco/mp3 500

i am picking mine up within the next 5 days in demon black.. i just wondered whether there is anything i have to specially look out for problem wise with the bike or anything in paticular which might wear unusually such as hoses and so forth.

regards

I can't answer your question since I've only had my 500 for a week. But, Congrats!!!! You're gonna love it.

Have them test charging system before it leaves the shop to ensure hidden fuse isn't blown.

And look at coolant hoses by radiator fan motor to make sure it's not touching the fan motor. If it is hitting, get a tie-wrap, put a piece of shrink of over the tie-wrap and tie the hose back away from motor.

Wayne B

Hi Styles!,
First off, welcome to the family! You're absolutely gonna fall in love with it!

Secondly, KUDOS FOR ASKING THIS BEFORE PICKUP!! There is a good list of things you should do at pickup. I'm hoping OTHER WILL PITCH IN(nudge, nudge lol), but this should get you started. I would advise taking this list with you and NOT LEAVING UNTIL the dealer has done all of this(which should be free):

-Ensure all the tires are properly inflated FOR A RIDER YOUR SIZE and based on whether you'll be riding one peson or two. Most dealerships will inflate it to a set psi, but can't possibly know the wgt or usage

-Next, look at the top of the Mp3 Forum list. There's a post entitled EASY HOSE FIX or something very similar. Make sure to Read that entire post and bring some black ties with you. Have the dealer understand the problem and stop it before you ride off.(you may have to clamp/tie this yourself), but I figure if this is done before you ride it, then there's less wear and one less thing to worry about.

-Next, Make sure the shocks are adjusted the way you would like. I know this may sound nick picky, but it is WAY easier for the dealer/service area to adjust these while you're there AND should anything break, there's no question of fault. I say, if you're paying what we pay for the 500, we should be treated with at least the customer service that other car owners get(you wouldn't pull off in a new car who's shocks made the ride uncomfortable). You can find several good post on shock adjustments and how they affect ride on here. It only takes the mechanic a few minutes to adjust so I would take the ride out around the block and if it feels "bumpy" or "bouncy" then they probably need to be firmed up(taken down a notch).

-This one is near and dear to my heart...because it took me 2 purchases and practically beating the dealer over the head to do it. DO NOT LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP WITHOUT ALL, ABSOLUTELY ALL, OF THE MANUAL/WARRANTY BOOK FILLED OUT AND SIGNED AND DATED BY THE APPROPRIATE DEALER/SERVICE GUY. I literally had to make 3 trips to convince the dealer to fill it all out. He would give me lines like "this is just a back up and its all electronic now anyways". Don't budge. No signature and address, etc. ....no deal. This warranty book(and the sticker/paperwork you should receive within a month or two) IS YOUR ONLY PROOF of warranty should data get lost/dealer go under/you go to another dealer.

-Finally, and this is completely optional, on both my mp3 purchases, I have asked for the first service for free as it is the end of the break in period and comes so early. It is around 650 miles and makes sure that all the things that can go wrong during break in have passed and the bike is running well. Trust me, and I'm sure others will back me up, that 650 miles will fly by, literally. I was in the following weekend on both of my rides. The service can normally cost $150-250$!!! That's a lot to be forking out for a brand new, one week old vehicle. It can really sour the taste of the fun you're having. Just be up front. I told my dealer, "I'm not trying to take you for a ride or anything, but I'm just not willing to see you in a week and hand over $200 for maintanence on a vehicle I just bought. No one, I mean no one, who bought a car would do that." It's an easy thing for them too. They're only using roughly an hour of work for the mechanic(if he knows what he's doing) and about $20 in oil/fluids. The first time I had to ask(and suggest that the purchase depended on it) and the second time they just gave it to me because they knew my opinion of it. I think any service after that is reasonable, but of course, that gave me time to find a certified mechanic down the road who does my checkup for $50 and fluid costs.

I hope others can chime in, and above all, DON'T BE AFRAID TO BE A LIL PUSHY ABOUT GETTING THESE! It is YOUR MONEY and once you're out the door, they're on to the next customer. Many, many dealers do not perform proper PDI and thus, many people on this forum, including myself, have to make several trips back, haggling for things that really shoulda been done at the shop. I hope we can save you that minor hassle to what is an absolutely, life changing, wonderful piece of technology.

thank you very much for the warm welcome luthorhuss

in the u.k the dealer network for these bikes is very poor to my knowledge because i have done a fair bit of research on them and in the u,k it seems you can only get them when they are ordered from gilera/piaggio into the dealerships

when it comes to the tasks you have mentioned such as having the suspension adjusted i will get that done when ihave rode it home because my next door neighbour is a bike mechanic and has been for approximately 20 years so i will get him to check everything when i get it home..

i was tempted 2 trailer it home then get it checked but that aint a possiblilty because i would want to ride it home.

is there any other problems to be wary of?

regards

If you have not found this site already, check out http://mp3scooterclub.co.uk. There is some talk in there about dealers, good & bad. It may help.

None that I think will pop up at pickup. I don't know if you've done this already, but its a good idea while you're waiting and during your first week or so to go through the forums and look for 500 specific posts. You will find out about common 'problems' such as stalls, engine cutoffs, and seat sensor issues. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to scare you about the 500, every scooter/cycle/car has issues of some sort. What I'm really saying is that this forum is a great resource for saving time and money and also alleviating worries. Many of the minor things that popped up when I first started riding immediately triggered my "Great, I've bought a piece of crap" response. But soon I discovered others who had those same issues and had them fixed or eliminated in very quick and painless fashion. And besides 'problems' there's a world of great content about every little adjustment/mod/customization you could want from adding louder horns to adjusting the seat to adding more power or a windscreen.

The only thing that ABSOLUTELY take the time to read before pickup/riding are the post on the bike falling over. Getting used to the lock mechanism for the front wheels usually takes folks a few weeks and most lay downs occur within the first week in the driveway or near the home. This seems to be true especially of smaller riders whose legs have trouble 'flat footing' the bike when riding. Just take it slow, read the owner's manual on this issue, and don't be afraid to get practice in the soft grass.

Make sure the horn and all the lights work. I discovered only recently that my license plate light had no bulb in it!

Make sure you get the charging system checked before you leave the dealer, if it's not charging you won't make it home.

There is a fuse right by the battery that has been known to blow and the battery does not get charged. You will get about 6-12 miles and the engine will die.

Wayne B

cheers for warning me.

just found out that the bike has now been delayed.... i was meant to be able to go after work tomorrow to pick it up but now its been delayed. so now i might be waiting for anything up to another week...

its all ok because ive still got my aprillia RS125 till i pick up the fuoco

regards