Modern Vespa

Varsity Cycle is advertising Sunbrella brand scooter covers for Vespa LX and ET models. They also have GT200 and GTs250 covers available on request. http://www.varsitycycle.com/acatalog/Vespa_Marine_Accessories.html

Has anyone here bought one and was it worth it? The price is rather high at $420.00. They don't have any images on their site so I don't know if it will work with the Vespa top case ... but am quite interested.

I bought a generic scooter cover in Florida a month ago and one grommet has already torn away from the fabric as it is very windy where I live. The scoot (although on my covered porch) is exposed to the elements. I need something substantially built which is both wind and water resistant to do the job.

I can have a sailmaker make one for me out of Sunbrella here quite easily ... but why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to?

Anyone?

The first time I saw Sunbrella products was on St Croix, USVI. Caribbean Sea Adventures used their products on their Catamarans running to Buck Island Nat'l Reef http://www.nps.gov/buis/ when I crewed for them in the early 80's. I was amazed at the sun resistance as well as the products moisture resistance. As we both know those two features are equally important in the VI. (last visit on returning to Las Vegas our suitcases were full of clothes that felt like they were pulled from the dryer 20 minutes to soon!). As director of Horticulture for The Mirage I regularly specified their products. $420 seems excessive especially given that your local source will insure a proper fit. As you've noted in he past and we experienced it's easier to fix a problem on Island than on the mainland. Although I'm not to sympathetic about the trials and tribulations you face since you live in paradise and I live in MN! Have the local guy do a custom for you! You'll save money and feed a local! My B-day is this week and a bottle of Pussers is at the top of my wish list! I can only imagine how much fun it would have been to Vespa around Tortola![/list]

Yeah, you are probably right ... I should have one made here. I just thought it might be easier if there was one which was well built ... but then I figure it is likely pretty heavy and the shipping costs would likely be ridiculous.

You can buy Pussers online you know! See http://www.pussers.com/

I don't know where you live but there are a number of places in the U.S. that also sell Pusser's. See http://www.pussers.com/find/

You mentioned Minnesota. Couldn't find any outlets there but there is one in Michigan:

KING RICHARDS WINE & SPIR 3231 FRANKLIN ST, MICHIGAN CITY, IN 46360

One in Wisconsin:

KELLYS LIQUOR 2131 8TH ST SO, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI 54494

THANKS! But worry not I found it here...more US Pesos than I'd like but it's been found!

0.00 mi HY-VEE INC 1475 SERVICE RD, WINONA, MN 55987

Michigan City is in Indiana...weird, but true....

Wish I was somewhere warm...got snow last nite!

I'm sure Tony, the owner of Varsity, is just having a local canvas shop make them. He has sold several scooters to owners of LARGE boats and these are probably made to cover the scoot while it is on the boat. You would probably do better, price wise, having it made locally. Any good boat canvas maker can do a good job and make the cover to your specifications.

Janine

Sunbrella fabric costs a lot more that equivalent-weight canvas, but lasts a lot longer. You'd end up with an awfully heavy and bulky scooter cover.

Well "weight" is kind of the point here. My porch faces SSE and as such, is exposed to the prevailing winds and rain. The trade winds are normally in the 12 to 15 knot range at sea level. I am 400 feet above sea level where the winds are frequently in the 30 knot range and on squally days, we often get gusts of 40 to 50 knots. This is why the generic scooter cover I bought in Florida a month ago is already starting to deteriorate. As I mentioned, 1 grommet has already separated from the fabric and the cover gets buffeted by the wind pretty severely. It balloons up all the time no matter how carefully I attach it.

Hopefully, the weight of the sunbrella fabric, will reduce the "balloon" effect and (if designed properly) with sufficient tie down points, it will last at least a few years. As I won't be taking it with me on rides, the weight and bulk really isn't an issue.

I figure the cover can be designed to hang by a line (on a small pulley) fixed to the front end of the cover on the inside of my porch pillar. This will make it very simple when bringing the bike back onto the porch to store overnight. I won't have to look for the front of the cover and I won't have to worry about where to put the cover when not in use. Just undo the line, pull the cover over the bike and cinch it up. To leave, just let off the cinch, lift the cover off the bike and use the pulley to hang the cover against the pillar, using a type of "lazy jack system" (it's a sailing thing) to hold/tie the cover back against the pillar and keep it from being blown around. Should be simple enough to do.

Of course the front end of the cover will have to be double reinforced in order to hold it's own weight when hanging ... but that's no big deal. I'll post some pics when it's done.