Modern Vespa

Hey guys,

been on the site for awhile now and now comes my first post. I am a teacher and I have a very very short commute to school everyday. I rode a Vespa in Newport RI on vacation 3 yrs ago and fell in love with it! Now, this summer its time to buy one.
Tomm I am going to the dealer in CT(where I live). Currently I am looking at the 2010 S 150 in Dragon red. I will not use it for highway use or freeway use. Just kicking around town and having fun, also driving it up the road to school. I actually don't really know to much about scooters at all. One thing I do know is I need a motorcycle liscense to drive this model because its 150cc's and the seat height is over 30 inches.

I hear vespa is having a 500 dollar off promotion until july 15th.
Does anyone have any suggestions or questions that I can ask the dealer tomm so he doesn't take me for a ride finacially?
Do these guys usally come down in price if I pay most in cash?
Also, I live in a small town, would I get in serious trouble if I didnt get my motor licsense? besides a fine?

Any suggestions let me know before I go to the dealer tomorrow. thx guys

The offer to pay "cash" should not get you a lower price than a personal check, bank draft or financing. Any dealer offering a lower price for cash is probably hiding income. Checks clear in less than 24 hours and bank drafts are usually converted at deposit. Finance companies often transfer funds electronically.

Try instead for extras or accessories thrown in for little or no cost. A good place to start is the 625 mile first service which can run $150, depending on the dealer. Sometimes you can negotiate the dealer prep which can be a couple hundred bucks. Title processing and temporary plates are state fees and you will usually have to pay those.

I would hope you will carry insurance at least for liability and hopefully collision damage too.

If you don't have the required license endorsement, the insurance may not pay in the event of a claim, and the state may press charges in the event of an accident if you are an unlicensed driver.

Finally, take a motorcycle safety course as soon as possible.

Oh, be prepared to furnish us with an essay of 500 words describing the absolute joy you experience with your new Vespa!

Congratulations and welcome to our world.

cool, thanks man! Ya I know I have to get my lisecnse first. I will try to have him maybe throw in some accesories, maybe some chrome bars or a chrome rack or something. Another question I have for anyone out there

what is the difference between the LX 150 ie and the S150? The LX is 100 dollars more, but other than that they seem identical. what do you guys suggest?

o and also, where is a good place to buy a helmut and how much do they cost?

thx for the response!

The difference is in the looks only, except I don't believe the S150 has the immobilizer, which is a valuable deterrent to theft. That is one reason the S is a bit cheaper.

whats an immoblizer? I'm a newbie, i really dont know to much about these things or cars in general. lol

is the LX wider than the s150? I looked on the vespa site and the lx seems beefery? can u explain the difference in looks? thx bud

As far as I know, they have the same frame. The difference is in the seat and maybe the handlebars/headset

The immobilizer is an electronic gadget that reads a microchip in the ignition key. It is part of the ignition lockset and interfaced with the engine management system. A protected Vespa without the proper key is almost worthless, other than for parts.

The engine and body of the S is exactly the same as the LX.

The LX has a locking glovebox, and very slightly larger lower plastic panels and front fender. It's also got the round headlight and mirrors, while the S has square-ish ones (though the mirrors can easily be swapped out). The S comes with a different seat, but again, that's completely interchangable with the LX seat. The S does have little glovebox trays behind the legshield, they are just open and not lockable.

The immobiliser is basically a radio transmitter similar to those found in newer cars. It will not allow the bike to be started unless it detects a specific key with a programmed chip in it. It makes the bike pretty much impossible to hot-wire, should someone steal it. The S does not come with this feature, while the LX does.

Most accessories are the same for the LX and the S, with the exception of front fender guards and windscreens.

thx guys! I'll let you all know how the dealership goes tomm

S150 or LX150 should serve your purposes well.

Please keep in mind that the Dealer needs to make a profit to stay in business...use your gut feel and discretion during your negotiations. With that being said...just my thoughts...

1. If you have a credit card with a high limit go ahead and hand them the charge card however...offer cash and see if they'll adjust the sell price by 3% since it ends up being a "win / win" they don't pay the 3% service fee...they get cash and you get a 3% reduction in price.

Some Dealers may not opt to even take a charge card or will already have factored in a price reduction based on a required cash sale.

2. Per the prior post ,you could discuss but you might be better off using a presumptive close and be firm... "And this will include the first service @ no charge...right?".

3. No one except yourself makes the decision to purchase...you can always graciously thank the Dealer for their time turn around and leave...you owe no reason for leaving...again "Thanks for your time and I'll let you know." Use the "broken record" if you need to...repeat...repeat...repeat and leave...you can always come back.

4. The entire process can be rather challenging...regardless I always shake the hand of the seller and tell them I appreciated the opportunity...sale or no sale. This can be a lot of fun!

Lastly...know your "walk away point" (no deal)...that's the price that will not make you feel good. However, if you can both agree to price that both are good with...that's a successful negotiation. It's not good if either side feels they took unfair advantage of the other....that's just me.

Whoops...regarding not getting a license...I know that in City and County of Honolulu a Learner's Permit is good for one year...you need to take at least one try at the Road Test and if you don't pass you can renew for another year...however you still will need MC insurance.

Good Luck!

I'm sorry, but this guy's a teacher and no one is going to call him out on misspelling license 3x?! C'mon, now...

o and also, where is a good place to buy a helmut and how much do they cost?


HELMUT!!

made my night...thx.

listen guy, it was late in the night when I wrote it. I thought this was a friendly forum, not a holes like you

Okay, just came back from the dealership. They have alot of vespa's in stock. I'm really in between the s150 and the LX ie. Really unsure which one to get.
the guy also mentioned a scooter called a Buddy? Anyone hear of them or are they junk?

He also advised me if I wanted to get a vespa to go with a 50cc instead of 150cc considering I will only drive it around town. For those of you that drive just aroundd town, do you have a 50cc or higher? Thx

Two parts to the question:

1. S150 vs. LX150...styling definitely different as other nuance between the models...I believe the performance would be same.

2. 50cc vs. LX150...I've ridden both types and (personally) I would prefer to added power to get up hills and the occasional jaunt on the highway.
Note sure if in your County considers the 50cc as a moped or motrocycle it would be registered as such...should confirm this.

Thinking out loud and probably creating more confusion to you decision making process...you could go and find a two-cycle ET2 (older Vespa 50cc) and have it kitted (modified) to a 70cc and it's a good "tweener" scoot. However, IMHO just stick to 50cc or 150cc choice.

You can get your best deal if you find another dealer and pit the two against each other ("Well, Dealer B offered me a price of X dollars out-the-door. Can you beat that offer?). Go back and forth between dealers until you get a price that's closer to your budget. I played that game when I bought my Vespa GTS 250, and managed to get close to $1,000 off the original quoted price. Always work from the out-the-door price, because the dealers play the same game nowadays as the car dealers. Don't get the 50cc scooter on the basis of lower costs, less license and insurance, etc. You'll end up trading it for something that is infinitely more versatile and satisfying.

Well, if it were me, I'd definitely go with the 150. I had a 50 and could only stand it for about 3 months. We have too many hills around here.

You might want to try a used model like this one: http://hartford.craigslist.org/mcy/1800295136.html It's being sold by the dealer in Hartford.

around town or not i would go for the 150cc. you'll want that extra power...AND if you decide to venture around you'll have the option. if you buy a 50cc i think you will be upgrading soon. what town do you live in? i live in CT and familiar with the state. also, what dealer are you visiting? there are plently of places that sell vespas then there are vespa DEALERS who actually specialize in vespas and/or scooters.

and ignore the morons that have nothing to do but criticize other people. if i remember from the thread he only has three posts so that behavior isn't indicative of the forum.

Id go for the 150cc over the 50cc, that extra little bit of power can make all the difference on the road. I have only ridden a 50cc bike when i was doing my CBT (compulsory bike test in the UK) and my gosh!!! it was sluggy. fine for plotting around in traffic but i can think of many instances when that little bit of extra power has made a huge difference. take them both for a test spin and see what i mean. from the safety aspect id go for the 150cc

Good luck and enjoy your vespa!

+1 on the 150. I easily accelerate to 50 km/h on steep hills and there is a stretch of my daily commute where traffic hits 70 km/H in a 50 km/h zone and I keep up easily. I rented a 50cc Vespa before buying the 150cc and the choice became clear. On the 50cc with a slight headwind I couldn't keep up with traffic going up a hill. When you can't pace the traffic you really become very vulnerable. For the $100 dollar in extra price I would get the LX150. The locking glove box is more than worth the extra dollars.

Sorry, really really sorry, but I can't help it.

I'd write LOL but I'm using a full keyboard, and I'm not texting. You did say you're a teacher, I'm guessing math...

Signed, "not a holes".

thanks guys. U are really helping me out alot here. I think I will def go with the 150 cc. Your all right, its just not worth the 39mph even going around town. I do have some hills around me, plus if i did get the 50cc i know i would want to upgrade to a 150cc in no time. it just makes sense. Now I have to buy this thing before july 15th so i can get the $500 off the total price!

And also if you buy it quick, you can do it before the GTS crowd comes in and starts talking you into getting a 250...

One more note--if you have decided on the 150, and the LX150 has an "i.e." at the end (as mentioned above), and the S does not, personally, I'd opt for the LX for the minimal price difference . . .

The "i.e." means that it is fuel injected--a newer feature on the 150, which should make it a bit peppier and net better fuel economy.

good thinking about the ie. I didnt even realize that. Thx man.

Go for the 150cc bike, IE or not.

As for the price, if you get a good feel for the dealer and their ability to provide quality service in the future, it may be false economy to save a couple hundred dollars up front when in the long run, saving $200 is nothing relative to joy of scooting, the overall cost of a scooter, gear and insurance; and knowing the dealer made enough on this sale to allow them to stay in business for when you need service later this year or next spring.

I have never heard anything bad about the Buddy scooter, made by the Genuine Scooter Company. My lady and I looked at them before we fould our LX150 and my only complaint was the size of it. I am 6'0" and it seemed to be far too small for me. The LX is a nice size for my height and controlling it is very easy.

If you would like more info on Buddy scooters, check out http://www.modernbuddy.com/forum/index.html

Good luck on your decision and welcome to MV.

Thanks for sharing your purchase journey. I love buying a new scoot and get to be excited vicariously through you! Good luck, ride safe and have fun!

I'd go for the LX150ie also. but if you like the style of the S, it does come in an ie version too..they just may not have one in stock.

I'd snag up a 150Sie as my next scoot if possible.

thanks for sharing your experience with us!

Forget the 50cc bike if you're a beginner!

Here in the UK, we make our kids start on the little bikes, but I think it actually takes a lot more skill to successfully use a small engined bike.

On ANY bike you have to be totally aware of what'sgoing on around you, but if you're worrying about holding up the cars behind you - and they start going past when there really isn't enough room - you don't have enough concentration left to avoid problems...

It's not speed that kills. It's people taking chances...

(Oh, and I use a Sfera 50cc, an ET4 125cc and a BMW K75 750cc...)

Bob3D

Guys, I can't thank you all enough for the informative responses to my new journey. I just sent the paper work in to take the begginer motorcycle class. I am taking it in mid-July. I am 100% positive that I will buy a scoot by the 15th because of the $500 vespa discount.
So as soon as I get closer to taking the course and buying the scoot I will let you guys know.
My plan was to pay half cash and the rest on credit card. I don't have the $4300 cash I can just dish out, so that is why i was thinking half cash half credit card, this way I can make payments.

If i have any questions which I'm sure I will have I'll pop in here and ask. Thanks again guys. I appreciate it

Welcome to the forum. I say go for the LX 150 IE. Don't know if the S is fuel injected. Not having carb problems would be heaven. Don't get the 50cc it's a 4T and doesn't go fast or even close to speed for that scooter. Good luck