Modern Vespa

O.K. I have a Aprilia Scarabeo, and the thing I've noticed is the lack of parts and I have also noticed here on MV that a lot of times Vespa owners wait a long time for parts to be delivered.

Now, I really like to scoot but it seems it can be just too much a p.i.t.a. to repair or have repaired either brand of scooter.

My question is, are there any scooters out there that have a excellent parts distribution that's comparable to automobiles or motorcycles?

For me, the aesthetics of a scooter are way secondary to reliability and parts availability.
This business of Italians taking all of August for vacation might be quaint, but really is just another nail in the coffin of dealing with scooters.

I walk into Vespa of long beach and ask for parts,pay and walk out. I have not ran into a parts wait unless it was a part that is not normally stocked and my wait was 4 day.

Any of the Japanese brands (Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki) have good distribution. Honda's are extremely reliable.

The Honda SH150 was recently released in the States

Quite similar in power to the Beo 200, I believe

Next spring I will most likely look into the new for U.S. Honda SH150, even though it is stupid expensive.
I'll probably take a huge hit on reselling my Aprilia, but life is too short to wait for Guido to get back on the job.
I tried to order a kickstand in July but AF1 Racing, my go to guys for parts, said I would have to wait for September.
I mean jeez, it's just a kickstand. What if I have a need for a major engine part?

I say go with a honda. Sorry about your aprilla

I'm not defending Italian business practices, but you probably ran up against the phenomenon of Ferragosto--in the month of August the country essentially closes down.

The real problem is the fact that your dealer doesn't stock parts. I've never had a problem getting parts or accessories for my Vespa.

Now, about the Honda--I've owned 5 different Honda motorcycles. The problem is, there are so many different models, so many years, that most Honda dealers don't stock uncommon parts either. If the distributor has it, you get your part in a couple of days. If not, you wait.

By the way, that SH150 looks GOOD!

P.

You should really check out a forum dedicated to the brand you're interested in before buying. The owners are the ones with the straight scoop, but remember all models have their own weak spots/design flaws, so don't be put off by that.

Good luck!

Harvey

I love my '08 GTS 250, but my best buddy just recently (in the past 2 or 3 weeks) purchased one of the Honda's others are talking about here. I've ridden it a little bit, and must say that it is a very nice machine. Quiet, smooth, and with the bigger wheels, much more stable at slow speeds than a smaller wheeled scooter. With the Honda quality and reputation, it should be a decent machine. When Honda introduces the 300 version of this 150 in the U.S. (which is only available in Europe right now) I would be tempted to trade for it. In the mean time, I'll continue to enjoy my Vespa 250.

I've had both a Honda Metro and Yamaha Vino. Both were excellent bikes. If you scrutinize the forums on those bikes, you wil find people that have had occasional problems as well but both are generally reliable machines.

When I purchased my GTV, I asked the dealer about reliability and the extended warrenty. He told me that properly maintained, he hasn't seen many problems and recommended against the extended warrenty. He says I'd be better off just properly maintaining it. They've been in biz for about 7 or 8 years.

[url]www.urbanscootin.com[/url] is a website mostly about Honda Metropolitan but other scooters as well. Nice site. Jeff also started http://www.shcooter.com/forum/ for the Honda SH150 tho the traffic is a little slow but the info is pretty good. Lastly, seemed like the best site for the Yamaha Vino is http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Vino125/.

Reliability is also paramount to me as well. The notorious Fiat (Fix-it-again-Tony) gave Italian vehicles a poor name. By contrast, the fit and finish of the Vespa is excellent and according to many here, the Vespa, properly maintained, is a relaible machine.

Miguel