Modern Vespa

You may remember I stoped by a week ro two ago, thinking of buying a vespa. Well after your posts and thinking about it further I think that vespas aren't going to be the 'best' choice for me, even if awsome and viable.

I really still want a scooter though, for one because make a LOT more sence then motorcycles to me. Yea, motorcycles look 'cool', but they don't seem as practical to me. I would feel like I'm not doing it right uness I'm laying flat on the gas tank, staring straight forward and weaving between trafic (something I don't think is ever safe to do, unless the trafic is parked)

The design of a scooter is better because you're not stradling the vehicle. You're not laying on top of the vehicle. You can just sit on the vehicle. Granted there are motorcycles that are like that, but most of them are the ones with the handlebars elevated several feet above the seat, meaning you look like you're riding a rather large tricycle.

Anyways, the scooter I'm looking at right now is the X9 Evolution 500; still a Piaggio product, but certainly not vespa. It's got storage space, two seats, (of course) a very nice design, and it's not too big, not to small.

More practically importaint is the fact that it boasts a max speed of 98mph, and even if that's an overestimate I don't see that I'll ever have need of a vehicle that goes more then 70 or so.

I've read it's very good for highway traffic, but what do you guys know about the X9 Evolution 500?

Oh, and P.S. The only colors I've seen it in are gray, another shade of gray, and gray with dark blue. Does anyone know if there are any more varying color options?

The X9 is a good bike, arguably still the top of the range, but now no longer produced. For once the published top speed is an underestimate, one was clocked on a track at 112 mph. They will happily cruise all day at 85-90, very comfy, large storage, they love the twisties, and the service interval is now 6000 miles. Range is well over 150 miles before reserve comes on, and there's another 30-40 miles left in the tank after that.

In comparisons they often don't get the number one slot in various categories - but they are consistently number two in all those.

The few standard 'problems' are well known and can all be sorted quite cheaply. A mint second-hand one with over 20,000 miles on the clock and full service history will have had all these sorted anyway. Don't expect to buy one that cheaply, they hold their price very well.

IMHO a very good choice of maxi-scooter, I've thoroughly enjoyed mine.


Over the years they've come in all sorts of colours. The panels come off very easily and they are not that expensive to be resprayed.

Thank goodness!! I was wondering what happened to you.

If they're no longer made then why is it still listed on Piaggio's site? Does that mean that they can't be found new anymore, or just that someday they'll run out of them?

The reason you see that info on piaggiousa.com is because Piaggio doesn't update their site.

That really threw me for a loop as well, when I was looking into my BV250. I think the info for my scooter is still from '07, because it never updated with different colors, or the fact that they added fuel injection in '08 -- much less anything about the current '09 models.


- KeV

That's a whole mess of suck... but yea, we're americans, they're europeans... it's normal for a company to focus on it's hometown.

Gaming companies all the way in japan don't do that though. SqareEnix keeps it's american site pretty up-to-date. Then again, despite a huge population (for their space) they don't have the market size america does.

But of all the scoots on piaggio's site that was the most awsome one!

Not to say the MP3 isn't very fun and unique, but the x9 is the most stylish of the lot.

Oh wait, I forgot the IMHO.

I'm gonna get flamed now ^_^.

Gross

What? It's nice and shiney!

...how do I add picks to post?

Under the message body there is an add attachments area.

Yes, those are very nice pictures....oh! You were talking about the scooter, I see.

Well as I was saying...they're very nice and shiney!

I'm just giving you a hard time. I don't like them. I think that they look like every other scooter on the market. That's why I dig Vespas. They look very different. I would love to own a vintage one someday but my GTS will do for right now.
To each his own
or her, we have to be PC these days.

What's funny about their site is that you can click on "Promotions" and see little pictures and prices for their '09 models -- but when you click on the scooter it takes you to the old info. Laaaaaaame!!

The X9 does have a pretty, futuristic "dashboard" (or whatever they're called on scooters).


- KeV