Modern Vespa

these are some of the bikes at bbank kawasaki

oh what to do

me and some guys were eating next door so i strolled over to take some pics and scratch my head

i've been scratching my head for YEARS

Where all good scooters go to die? A very slow painful neglected death behind bars, as they watch the lucky scoots...scoot past?

what is that, is it some italian scooter mechanics workshop or something
i see alot of p series there


looks like a mechanics place i know south of here only theres many more pe at this burbank thingy

it looks like they're liquidating them, though... they just keep running craigslist ads, offering complete, non-running PEs for $899... rotating the pictures.

Where do you suppose those came from? Abandoned customer bikes? They mostly have a very early-80s mod look to them. If I were down there, I'd pick one up for a project. they mostly look like they're in original condition, and fairly complete. I've seen non-running P200 engines for more than they're asking for a bike.

Jimmy, next time you are there hop over and cut out a piece of Super frame for Dullivan. Best use that could come from those sad sad bikes.

jimmy has gone sleepy by by's me thinks


but what is a burbank thingy i know theres not much point in me asking when im ozy but you know ive gotta ask why so many p series are just collecting dust


scratching head

Burbank Kawasaki-Vespa was a local dealer. I'm pretty sure they sold some new bikes in the '80s. I don't know what exactly they do now as I haven't been over there since the '90s, but they used to stock a few parts and sell some bikes then. Even 15 years ago the scooters they had for sale were really weird mismatched collections of parts.

Someone else local probably knows more than I do on the history.

oh ok that explains it ...spose itd explain that red one espeshly

no wonder theres the head scratching

OH MY GOD!!!!!!! I'd love to be somewhere close to there! I'd be in paradise there, why are you all so down on it???

There is NOWHERE like that in the UK!

Clive

[quote="why are you all so down on it???[/quote]

i don't know!?

i just bought my P this summer, and it's actually more weathered than the bikes BKV is selling, and it seems like no one is interested. LA seems to be one of the most expensive markets for vintage bikes (P's especially)

weird economy right now.

in the same area, there's this guy trying to sell a (supposedly non-)bodge with half an engine for $1900

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/1355479234.html

I'm going to check it out this weekend as there are way too many to pass by for that price. Any one else going to go? Maybe we can meet up.

Someone grab me a smallie while you're rummaging around in there 8)

I've been seeing the ads on Craigslist...looks like a mini gold mine. Could be a great investment if you had about 5k or so you can offer them the whole lot.

Don't go to all the trouble just to get me part of a frame. It's really not that big a deal.

Now, if you're going to get me some floorboards too, let's talk.

this guy has them...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vespa-metal-floor-board-floorboard-VBA-VBB-VBC-VLB-GL_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em14Q2el1262QQhashZitem1e56b2a076QQitemZ130303565942QQptZOtherQ5fVehicleQ5fParts#ht_637wt_1016

sorry, i have been very busy

the shop sold bikes in the 80's as hp said

what happened is he also rented alot to the film industry as set dressing and running bikes

eventually they broke down and he did'nt offer any service as time passed

so, through the years the bikes continued to be rented and falling into disrepair

he still rents them as non running set dressing for music videos, commercials, tv and movies

these bikes rent for 500 to 1000 a week, NON RUNNING

so he was never in a rush or need to sell

end of story

he is now selling a couple of them

among the collection is a few small frames, many p's, two px 125's, a few smoothys(super, veloce, sprint, ?)

when i look at them i feel old and sun rotted, dusty and unkept

they have been sitting in the lot, under constant socal sun

this scene will not change anytime soon

ouch 500-1000 rent for non running vespa
this guy sure are lucky as my friend only get 100 for movie rent and it come back with scrach so he need to fix it and it cost more then 100

yea, about 100 a day

if it is running he can get more

1000 was a little extreme

i rented my p for 200 a day and my body for 200 on a commercial

if you have a bike that is a featured vehicle you can get 500 to 700 aday for you and the bike

these kinda gigs are not a common occurance

still ur lucky for have 200 a day, my friend px have a siund system and a slick paint after the shoot been taken it come back with scrach paint and a broken sound system so it became a lesson for my friend to not rent his ride ever again as a commercial property or a movie property and only rent it to me and its for free

theres plenty of blank canvases there for you

So I did the 1.5 hour drive to check out the Vespas but the person who posted the craigslist ad was not there. I arrived around 11:30am and immediately check out the Vespas for about 30mins:

Most are P200's or 150's
3 small frames
1 Rally 200
1 GL (?)
couple of grande's

Most are complete and have very little rust.

I wanted to buy a small frame and a P but Leon who stated the hours of 11:30am - 3:00pm (Sat, Sun, Mon) was a no show. Massimo (very nice guy who works at the Burbank shop) called Leon twice and I waited an hour with no call back. After which I left to get a bit to eat. I returned and still no call from Leon. Massimo called Leon one more time and Leon eventually called back. He then asked for me to return on Monday which was not an option for me. We then tried to find the paperwork for the two vespas but only managed to find one. They were unable to sell me the Vespa (needed Leon again) and asked me yet again to return on Monday.

So after 4 hours, I just left

I must say the staff were very nice and made every effort to help me but it seems Leon who does not work there is the key person.

I left my # for Leon to call me so maybe I will get a call back................

if you read a post i did about a year ago on this place, you'll read that the guy is a mon guy only

I did not think of looking a year back as I'm new to the forum. He did list the days as Sat, Sun and Mon (11:30-3:00) which he now changed to Sun-Mon only. Massimo and I saw the listing this morning at the Burbank shop. O well he has my # so lets see what happens. Thanks

sorry jaxs, did'nt mean to sound like an a-hole

i got frustated with the guy back in dec 08

i called and called, then i would stop buy, and call

mind you, he wasn't interested in selling back then

i am in that area often

let me know if i can help

No problem and thanks as I may need you help with contacting Leon. I will let you know if he calls me today. Thanks again

Never heard from Leon so I sent an email to the Cragslist ad so maybe he will reply...........................................

looks like now he's trying to sell them all as a package.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mcy/1372498527.html

a bit unintelligible. but $14k for all 19?

makes more sense now why he has them all still, even after weeks (months?) of CL ads...

I happen by chance to be close by so I stopped by this afternoon and met Leon. So the deal is he would like to sell all of them to a whole-seller due to lost titles. They are searching for the titles and/or other paperwork as I was leaving. There are about 17 left which are mostly P series. I left my number and hopefully they will find the correct paperwork to sell me me one of the P series.

8) Call us if anyone needs P-Series used parts. Burbank no longer has any scooters for sale. 8)

good work MS

i was hoping someone would buy the pack

great end and beginning to those bikes

i won't miss seeing them in that lot at all

I agree with Jimmy James...better to see these things put to good use other than just rotting under the LA sun.

Max - what were all the bikes? Mostly P-series? The ones in the picture seemed to indicate a couple smallframes, sprint, etc.

We haven't picked them up yet. Looks like most P-series, some American some Euro, two grandes, and what appears to be a sprint and a VBB. We've only seen the pictures he posted. We plan to put a some together for shop bikes and for sale, and part some out for the rare american-only parts.

Hey Max,
Let me know if there is a GT in the bunch... or when you guys get them at least, I'd like to take a walk over there and check them out.
tater

i saw 3 smallframes(two of which were painted the same,prob for a movie), super, what appeared to be a rally, sprint, and a px125

but that was a month ago

seems some bikes have sold

ha!

i think i'm familiar with the VBB in the bunch. if it's the same one, it has a p125x engine...

not bad!

Max

If you read this post, I was there twice to purchase a White PX125E (Vin is 102791) with no luck. Will you sell it to me please? I am good customer of Motorsport. Alex, Eric and Steve all know me as I'm the guy rebuilding a 1965 Sportique.

Thanks

Jaxs

I was there yesterday and all the small frames where gone. There were:

1980's 50cc
1980's 90cc
1970's (?) Euro 90cc.

I asked Leon about them and he stated that he was going to keep them. Everything else was mostly a P series and possible a Rally and a VBB.

Interesting that the list of scooters is shrinking after we agreed on a price.

Give a holler to Steve at the shop. I think he's picking them up. You can catch him Tue-Sat 10am-6pm at the shop.