Modern Vespa

Yamaha Morphous, Honda Helix, and the Honda Big Ruckus are low slung and easy to handle. Good used examples can be found for reasonable money, look on craigshelper. They may not be as speedy or stylish as a Vespa but parts and service are abundant and they are quite reliable.

hey, thanks everyone for all the suggestions!

i've been riding for a little over a year, both daily commuter and for fun, and have nearly 10000 miles on my buddy. i'm a decent and confident (but hopefully not stupid) rider. have taken the msf and have great boots:)

on san diego freeways, i'm not sure a stock 150 will cut it. i rode my husband's lambretta uno on 163, and topped out at 65mph wide open with no extra in case of emergency or hill; not real comforting on busy roads with traffic flow of 70+mph. i definitely wouldn't want to try that on the 8 or 5! even my buddy 125 can go 70mph (indicated) without too much effort. one reason i'm looking at vespas is because they have that retro style and still look like scooters. i like that look and am not big on the look of the sym or honda. while i know those are good bikes, i kinda want to still look like i'm riding a scooter. otherwise, i would ride a motorcycle.

everyone has been saying "sit on them" but i'm a tad frustrated. it does me almost no good to spend 30 mins in a shop sitting on a standard seat on a 250. i already know it's too high and that i won't be able to touch the ground safely like that. customizing the seat will be a necessity in almost any scooter i buy. even my buddy has a shaved seat. when i bought it the ability to put both feet squarely on the ground gave me a bit of extra confidence... at this point, i'm not as worried about it; i am very comfortable one-footing it. i rode a friend's Lx 150 and while reaching the ground wasn't the greatest, it wasn't impossible, had the seat been shaved an inch, it would have been much more comfortable. and the lambretta was too high to be comfortable, but definitely ridable.

SDG, i'm wondering, is there a shop that has a shaved seat around or a bike with a lowered suspension? i mean, how else could i try it without first buying the bike and having the work done and then possibly being SOL? if it turns out i can't ride something like a 250, i'll be a bit disappointed but far from heartbroken; i just wish i had a good way of figuring out if it's an option or not.

Adjusting the stock suspension to its lowest setting can get you 1 inch closer to the ground. If you decide to order a Corbin seat for the GTS i know that they will custom make it for you and that will get you another inch - 1.5 inches closer to the ground as well.

Why don't you get a Mp2 250? You can lock it upright at stops and you don't need to put your foot down.

I don't know of a shop that has one. Maybe ask Sherry of the SD meet-up group. In addition to her lovely '58, she has a new 300 that was getting a custom (lowered) seat.

Another thing to bear in mind: it isn't just the height of the Vespa seat; it's also the width. I hope you find what you're looking for!

My license was taken in a country where safety is A and O (Sweden), and where you need in average 20-30 hours of practical training and a theoretical course of about a month, followed by 2 tests, so my 5 cents are that you are tought to leave the bike in neutral and to put down the right leg for safety reasons, which are:

1. Save your leg. The left leg would exit out in the passing traffic.
2. Save yourself. If falling while standing still, it's probable that you fall on the side you're leaning at. Again, you don't want to fall out in the traffic.
3. Risk of disengaging the clutch. Again, you don't want to jump start out in the traffic.
4. Again risk of disengaging the clutch. Your bike could speed away in if you would get hit from behind, injuring bypassers.

Finally, I can't think of any situation where it could be necessary to "get away quick"; even if someone is approaching you from behind probably you:
1. wont see him until it's to late, or
2. probably panic and drive out in the traffic in front of you, or
3. always panicing and disengaging the clutch to fast and fall over.

maybe a local scooter club would let you hang out and try to ride a scoot youre considering. It is frustrating to be considering spending 5K or more on a scooter the dealer wont let you test ride!
I am 5'4" and the GT was a little challenging for me at first height -wise.If you are a good rider and have some experience and confidence you can get used to it.I see you posted you rode 10K last year thats a good sign. We cant ride that much here due to weather.
Maybe if you tried riding a smaller Vespa ( from a friend or a dealer) to see if you really want a Vespa because of the ride handling acelleration etc. you can get a better idea of which direction to go.
My hubby tried to talk me out of the Vespa because of cost. Once I rode one I was hooked. I told the salesman it was good they were holding my purse or I would have never come back from the test drive.If a Vespa is what you really want you wont be satisifed on anything else. Ive had mine for a year now and have no regrets.

PS buy used, if you change your mind you wont lose $$$.