Modern Vespa

Well, Im going to be a freshman at Uni. of connecticut. and I'm planning on getting a vespa!

here is where I plan on getting it: http://www.scootercentrale.com/

I need recommendations as of which model to get..my apartment is only 1 mile from campus so there/back is all the scooter will be used for!

Id like something simple, easy to use

Around the $2,500 or less price range

A pink one would be nice

Where can I get the add on or w/e so my small dog can write with me?



some questions..

They are very good at keeping snow off the roads and such. but would riding my vespa on a cold/rainy day to campus be dangerous?

Is parking/keeping my vespa outside OK? or does it need an indoor garage?

whats a good website to find accesories for it?

thanks!

Fran

You may be challenged by securing a used Vespa for under $2500. I checked the website of the shop you're looking at...and I didn't see one that might fall into your price range.

Would you consider a Honda Metro? My wife rides one and really enjoys it for getting around the neighborhood. Not certain if you've ridden a moped / scotter...if not I'd recommend you check it out before you make a decision.

Bottom line...do more research on what you need...assess your needs and then make an educated decision...if a Vespa is unobtainable at the present time...get something that will satisfy your needs...then upgrade to a Vespa.

Hmmm, how about a pink pair of Chuck Taylors and $2450 towards your college fees!

Too slow Boulty
How about:

Helpful!

1 mile?

how about the bus, or one of these:

http://www.xootr.com/kick-scooter_mg.html

i use one around the office, and they're great.

just don't see the sense in spending the cash if you're only going to ride a mile each day. make sure you also factor in the amount of a helmet, protective gear, etc. with the purchase... easily $500+ more. that, and an MSF course adds up quickly.

on the other hand, i'm sure if you did buy it you would be taking the LONG way to class!

Surely youd use it for more than that?
No sunday drives? trips to the store?...

Get your self a nice push bike. My mate picked up a 60 year old triumph (*) town bike for £12 the other day. Thats what id get if i was gonna travel 2 miles a day a few times a week

if not a 50cc bike would do you fine for that trip

Don't mind the comments above, they are just having you on.

I think the best scooter for you would be a Genuine Buddy rather than a Vespa! It's closer to your price range. They don't have a pink scoot ... but the powder blue is nice! Take a look here: http://www.genuinescooters.com/scooters/buddy/buddy_3.html

You might also consider a Fly 50! http://www.piaggiousa.com/scooters.php#/home/Piaggio%20BV%20TOURER%20500 just click on "Scooters" and then look for the Fly 50 at the bottom of the page.

Good luck!

First of all, Scooter Centrale - Vespa Hartford is a great place to buy your scooter. In fact, they can answer all of your questions and get you outfitted properly.

I would recommend that you get at least a 150 scooter. The Buddy's are a good little scoot as are the Fly's. Vespa may be a little higher than you want to spend, but they did just come out with at pink LX150.

You can get a little basket in the front of the scoot for your dog to ride in. I know someone who carries his dog in a baby sling that he wears when riding. Of course, the dog only weighs about 7 pounds, but it works well and the dog loves to ride. Some folks have attached baskets or small crates to the rear racks on their scooters.

You can get a cover for your scooter if you're going to be leaving it outside during bad weather. You'll also want a good chain/lock to secure it when your at class or at home. All of this stuff is available at Scooter Centrale.

Congratulations and good luck! My oldest daughter lives in Boston and has her S150 in the city. She loves being able to have the freedom of riding and exploring the city, as well as being able to get to class or work at her convenience.

be very careful, once you pick up a scoot you will become super addicted

As far as riding in inclement weather, it can be done. I'd recommend taking a motorcycle safety course which will help in any weather thrown at you!

Good Luck!

i was thinking buddy...craigslist. you'll find something in your price range, just keep checking.

If you're only going to use it for 1 mile trips, you'll drain the battery. The scooter needs to be ridden for longer trips so the battery can charge.

Also, does your budget include safety gear and accessories?

If it's only a mile, how about a bicycle? My significant rides her bike to campus, and that's 5 miles away. You can buy a REALLY nice bike for $500, and save the rest for a rainy day.

Good luck.

I'm betting this scooter will be used for more the 1 mile each way.
We know how addictive scooter riding can be, now don't we? 8)

+1 on the gear, though.

Try getting a scooter and just sticking to the 1 mile trips If you move to a new town I can think of nothing better than having a scooter to explore on.

Besides, if you want a scooter, buying a bicycle instead is going to feel crap. Sensible yes, financially sound, yes, any fun? About as much fun as putting a fork in your eye

That last phrase sounds as if you may be speaking from experience.

I find bicycle riding torture. I do fully intend to get one because it's good and healthy, but I find it hard to spend money on something which I don't like

I used to love mountain biking when I was young. I'd be tearing all over the place, jumping off rocks, falling off once a day at least...then I was old enough to have something with an engine and since then pedalling feels like being forced to do something I don't want to do

Given the choice between the worst, shittiest, most beat up scooter, a 7-colour smoking shitbox of a car, or a perfect and expensive bicycle...well pedal power would lose.

I'm in agreement...if you want a scooter, a bicycle is not a substitute.
I have a nice bicycle, but my scooter is...well, my scooter.

And you can go a lot further on a scooter than a bicycle. Actually, I don't (shame on me) bike as much as I used to for a couple of reason, one of which became plainly apparent recently...

I feel much safer on my scooter. I took a short local trip on my bicycle (about 10 miles) and did not really enjoy it as much as I used to.

Why? Well the area I live in is not very bike friendly. I don't necessarily mean the cars, but the roads and the local geography. I just got a little tired of having to squeeze onto 12" wide, gravel covered berms and wheel-locking sewer grates and cars roared past close to my elbow. And for those of you who live and bike in flat places, it's just not the same everywhere. Very hilly here and even a short ride can be an endurance test.
Around my house, even a short bike ride is not always that much fun, and this might be true of the original OP's commute, too.

On the flats, like bike trails, I can go for hours and miles and miles and enjoy every minute. And that's where I plan to do most of my riding from now on.
8)

Here's a few tips...

First, don't try riding with your pet until you're very comfortable riding the scooter by yourself! I speak from experience. I occasionally carry my Chihuahua in a little front pouch on my chest (it's made specifically for carrying small pets around). First thing she did on my around-the-block test ride with her was try to jump out when she saw a cat. Had I been an inexperienced rider, I probably would have dumped the bike, the dog, and myself. But I had enough experience to be able to handle suddenly taking my left hand off the bars to hold back my dog, leaning my body backwards to help stabilize the wiggly dog, and still brake with my right hand and keep the bike moving and stable all at the same time. Now, I can anticipate issues like that, and handle both dog and bike without any problems. I still don't take her for very long rides, though. She'll get bored and then get wigglier than I can safely deal with.

As for riding in bad weather, that is entirely up to you. Again, I would suggest that you wait until you have some experience behind you before you try it. But if you feel you can be safe enough and understand the risks, you can definately ride in bad weather. I've done it plenty of times. But I also do my best to plan ahead so that I don't have to. I make sure I can access the weather radar on my phone, and if it's really bad, I'll just put off my plans and stay where I'm at. I call ahead somewhere to let people know I'm not going to risk my safety, and they usually agree with me.

I am trying to digest your interest in carrying a small dog on a scooter. I don't think that is a very good idea.

True, it's not the best thing in the world to be doing... however, there are those of us who do not have a car, do not take our dogs very far to begin with, and do not do it very often. Like me.

I mainly do it to keep it a "familiar" thing with my dog on the offchance that there's an emergency situation where my dog can be transported somewhere, and I'm the only one who's around to do it. And so I don't have to beg the neighbors in the middle of the day for a ride to a routine vet visit that's a mile farther than my 12-year-old dog is willing to walk.

I have been extremely tempted to take her to a local short.slow group ride. My dog has always loved jumping up on my scooters to sit and wait for me, so I'm amused by the thought of her seeing more than one at a time.

Have you seen Hawkeye the scuba cat????

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/7605-howstuffworks-scuba-cat-commercial-video.htm