Modern Vespa

Alright, this is going to sound like a ridiculous comparison. I just sold my Kymco 50cc 2 stroker because I need something that can REALLY get me around town and on the highways every once in a while -- basically as my primary mode of transportation.

I have been looking at a bunch of scooters, and need to stay BELOW $4000. What I have been able to source so far that appeals to me are:

A brand new Scarabeo 200
or
A used BV500 with 6,500 miles.

Scarabeo would end up costing about $500 less.

My concern is that it isn't powerful enough. I would generally get the BV500 in a heartbeat, but I am just concerned that buying a scooter with over 6000 miles isn't a great idea, especially when parts availability is somewhat limited. Nothing like a warranty.

What do you guys think i should do?

a BV500 with 6000 miles sounds barely used to me, 500cc of power at the flick of the wrist, you know you want it.

Less than 7000 miles on the BV500? I wouldnt be worried about that.
Parts? Again I wouldnt worry, provided you have a good Piaggio dealer reasonably local.
You've ridden both? and they are equally comfortable?
Check its been serviced when it should have been, then go for More Power!
The BV500 will do everything you could ever want........

Probably easier to get parts for the Piaggio anyway. Aprilia dealers are scarce and don't usually deal in the volumes a Piaggio or Vespa dealer does.

My preference would be the BV.

P.

I would say Scarabeo, I like the bigger wheels, and it will come with a warranty. 200 is quite a step up from a 50 and can be quite zippy! Aprilia is sister company to Piaggio and I would surmise that parts would not be that hard to come by, as you are buying new from a dealer, (unless it was august, per usual). Where are you in MA and what kind of traveling will you be doing?

I have the BV 250, and if the 500 is anything like it, you will love it. Where in MA are you? I bought my BV at Vespa of Plymouth, and would reccommend them for questions and service.
Go Piaggio!

for any highway driving you need something bigger than a 200 cc i would go with the bv the bike is only just broke in.

Upsides:
* The nice thing about a BV500 at 6K miles is that most of the issues that might arise have already been detected and fixed. Just make sure that the service was done at 4,000 miles. That could cost you an extra $400 and the valves really need to be checked/adjusted at that time. I believe your next service will be at 12,000 miles. And no, 6,500 miles is nothing on a BV500.
* The gas mileage is fantastic for a big scooter. I consistently get 60mpg.
* Very, very fast for a scooter. Better on the highway, than around town.


The downside:
* For a scooter, this is a very heavy bike. You won't really notice it when riding, but definitely when pushing it around and parking.
* Service is very expensive. That is probably true for any Piaggio, but taking all that plastic off to do a valve clearance check is time consuming. Now, if you plan on doing an oil change yourself, it is very easy. Much easier than on my ET4, where I usually take the exhaust off.
* You'll want a bigger windscreen, if it doesn't already have one. IMO, the short one is horrible.

Personally, if I road 80% around town and 20% on the highways, I would buy something in the 200/250 range. The BV500 is cumbersome and a little awkward around town. (This is just my opinion.) When I bought my BV back in 2005, I was planning to buy a GT200, but decided it would be nice to have a fuel injected, 460cc bike that would be hard to outgrow. I've regretted it ever since. I've had a lot of fun on the BV, but it is really more scooter than I need. (I'm a minimalist, so take that with a grain of salt.) Also, I'm selling my BV500, so anyone interested in it, please don't read this post.

Shane

For any Freeway riding, you need something bigger than a 200. For any highway in the 55 mph range, it is perfect. I ride my ET4 on back road highways all the time and it is only a 150.

I would go with the 500 if you plan regular highway use. You could also search for Kymco Exciting 400-500, Yamaha Majesty 400, Suzuki Burgman 400 and Honda Silver Wing 600. These may be bigger than what you want but are available used in your price range and the Japanese scoots have a dealer network that cant be matched by any of the euro scooters. I would consider the dealer more important than the scooter if its your primary transportation.

What good is the perfect scooter if its broken and cant get fixed in a timely fashion. My wife really wanted to move up from her Metropolitan to an Aprilia 5 years ago. Before we could decide the only dealer who was selling Aprilia dropped the scooters but kept the bikes. We ended up with a Suzuki (good choice, great scooter) and now have Vespa's. For us they are toys not everyday transportation.

plus, the bv shares a drivetrain with the x9 and the new scar500, so parts are more likely to be in stock. The scar200 is a unique drivetrain.

Here is some damned good advice and an interesting counterpoint to the "bigger is always better" argument. (Obviously I share this point of view. If I were looking for a highway cruiser, I would be considering a wider range of motorcycles than simply maxi-scoots)

I'm gonna disagree with the idea that you must have something larger than a 200cc scoot to ride on the highway/freeway.

I have a GT200 and routinely jump on the freeway here in California and crank up to around 70mph indicated.

Now if I was going to do lots of freeway all the time I agree it would be a good idea to get something a bit bigger...though in this case larger wheels would be as important as a larger engine.

My 2 cents.

I have a BV500 that I bought strictly to ride on the many, rural country roads around where I live and also in the mountains that are about 15 miles from my home. I also have a GTV for running local errands and riding in town.
Both scoots have their upsides and downsides. Their best assets are that the BV has substantially more power for over-45mph riding and the GTV is much more nimble in traffic. Since the BV weighs over 100 lbs. (dry) more than the GTV, it also feels heavier when you're riding it in slow or stop & go traffic but over 45mph, it feels solid and glued to the road like a good motorcycle will feel. They're both great scooters but it just depends on what you're primary riding is going to consist of when you have to make a decision as to which one you should buy.
*My wife has a GTS and says the BV500 is much to heavy for her to ride comfortably under any type of riding. She is 5'8"/130 lbs, so I think how tall you are & your weight/strength will also have a bearing on what each person will feel comfortable riding on a regular basis.

From my research, I would put a Scarabeo 200 last on my list, if you don't go for a bv 500, then Id still go lookign for somethign else. A BV 250 is a pretty sweet ride IMO.

I have a BV250 and my husband has a Sacarbeo 250. We've had a fairly difficult time locating a service facility for the Scarabeo.

I ridden both bikes and I much prefer the feel of the BV250. Though I do like the look of the Scarabeo much more, the seat is more comfortable for long rides, and it seems to have better pickup. The Scarabeo doesn't have a pet carrier... which I find annoying. As a passenger the Scarabeo is MUCH more comfortable.

They're both big wheel scoots which I prefer for long distance commutes and traffic. One thing I have noticed is... other bikes wave to me more on the BV than the Scarabeo.

Personally I would go with the BV500, 6.5k miles is nothin. If I could trade my BV250 for a BV500 I would do it in a nano second.

Personally, I don't even like riding on the freeway with the BV500. That is one of the reasons I don't need/want the 500 anymore. It's kind of fun finding a slower alternate route and far more interesting. But yes, you can definitely ride on the freeway with a GT. Realize that 70 indicated is only around 63 mph. Around here, the speed limit on freeways is 70-75 mph. When I'm doing 80 indicated, they are usually passing me like I'm standing still.

Shane

Buy the one you'll feel cool on ridin' down the street.

JWM

From what I've read, it seems there is only a big difference in acceleration from 30 mph on up, but from a standing start to about 30 a 200 and 500 aren't really worlds apart. Is this true?

God I can't decide.

I really appreciate all the help though!!!

At the end of the day, I want the one that is going to be the most fun.

I wouldn't buy either if I lived where you live. That 200 looks chinese to me, it is a different engine then the GT200 which is the leader. I saw one of those BV200 and it deffinatly looked different. I might be wrong and if it is a leader 200 then that is the one you want. Forget the 500 in North America, if you lived in London ok but your dealer will have to have the diagnostic equipment to repair it and you will be paying for it as there are few of these around and the mechanics will have little experience repairing or servicing them, they will be learning on yours.( the master 500 is a great engine but parts are expensive and I doubt plentiful in the US.) IF you are not attached to the Italian thing then the Burgman 400 is a great and proven scooter, then there is Honda as well who make excellent equipment. If it was me I would be looking for a used GT200( more fun, most reliable, better resale, parts very accesable) forget about getting on American freeways they are not hospitable places for anyone on two wheels other then when moving slow at rush hour, but if you have to then deffinatly better on a 400 or 500cc bike. Good Luck.

Yep, that's true. But when you hit 25-30mph, the 500 will walk away easily from the 200. Also, when you accelerate to pass someone from 35mph and up, the 500 is in a totally different category than the 200 or the GTS. At 55-60, my GTV doesn't have a lot of oomph when it comes to passing power but the 500 gets up and goes with no sweat and pulls hard all the way to 80+ mph.

Yep, the acceleration on the BV500 is exceptional. When I'm doing around 55 and I need to pass someone, it is a whole lot of fun.

+1. IMO a good honest thinking opinion here...
Sometimes we scooterists (and especially motorcyclists) get caught up in all the media ad hype about moremoremore POWER.

When it really is quite obvious that for many situations less is indeed more, and is usually a lot more fun most times too!
Buying more bike than you really need (in case of, what?) quite rapidly becomes a real paininnabutt!
(BT,DT!!)
Consider where you do most of your riding, and buy a scoot sized towards that, is my now ongoing credo! 8)

Alright. Well I have decided to rule out the BV500. I just don't think I'm going to be on the highway more than 15 or 20 percent of the time, so the ability to go 80mph rather than 65mph just wont make a huge difference for me.

So now, given the worries about reliability, I am now considering the Scarabeo 200 and perhaps a used burgman 400 or a kymco of some sort.

I can't afford a Vespa that will go as fast as I need it to go (all close to $4500 new), so what would you guys do in my situation? Need to stay under 4k, and want something that will be fun to ride that accelerates briskly. Would you go for a burg 400 used or a brand new scarabeo 200?

Well....how much of a hurry are you in? Slightly used can be just fine.

For example, here's a link to a Vespa for sale on Craigslist, a 2007 GT200 bought from Vespa Boston that has only 312 miles for $4500:

Vespa on Craigslist in Melrose, MA

I know that's a bit higher than you have in mind, but you could always try offering the seller $4k cash and see if he/she will take it. If you don't try you won't know.

Of course if you're willing to wait you can keep scanning for an older model or one with more mileage. Something will turn up.

Good luck!

Well that's just the thing. I've been shopping around for the right scooter for some time now, and I always seem to get outbid at the last second or find a used scoot that has just a few too many miles.

I also will be financing the scoot, so I need to buy from a dealership.

It doesn't sound like your needing to buy one today, so I say wait a little, save a bit more, and buy what's really going to float your boat...something that you won't have any questions or doubts about.

Larger displacement is nice...my vote would be a 250 or higher. You'll be in east coast traffic, so any extra "umph" you can get is not going to be wasted.

Find a dealer you LIKE. Talk to them about what you want to do, and they'll point you in the proper direction. Aprilias are no trouble for me, but then I live near one of the best motorcycles shops on the planet for all things Italian. It sounds like it's tougher where you are...so why not look at Hondas, Yamahas or Suzukis. All will have reliable scoots, most likely some creative financing deals too, and a large dealer base. I've used a network called OTDcyclesports...maybe there is something like that in your area.