Modern Vespa

Hi, I'm Amber, I'm interested in buying a vintage Vespa (hopefully around early '11) and was hoping to get some tips and advice from those in the know. I know virtually nothing about scooters and am basically trying to educate myself as much as possible in the hopes that I don't get swindled - or end up with a scooter that's going to fall apart or otherwise cost me a fortune.

I'm more looking for a scooter that's already been restored than a "fixer upper". Having said that, I'd be extremely grateful to anyone who's able to offer any advice, particularly in regards to the following points:


Year/ models which are good for beginners, and why.
Year/ models which are better to avoid, and why.
What to check before buying
Any questions I should be asking the seller
Any documentation or other things which should be included with a scooter sale
Approximate cost for a reliable vintage scooter (I'm not looking for top of the range, just something cute and reliable if I'm honest)
Any possible pitfalls that can be avoided
Anything else which you think a person just starting out with scooters should know - links etc would be much appreciated.


Thanks in advance to anyone who's able to assist

1st and foremost , if you are wanting vintage then you will have to have tools. and lots of them. sure you can take it to a mechanic when something goes wrong, but if you do that every time it will quickly go from a $3500 scoot to a $5000 scoot.

what im saying is your first question should be: do i have the mechanical skills and tools to perform the daily maintenance of a vintage scooter?

Important - Please check out the following link:

http://scoot.net/faq/Asian_Restorations

You want to avoid the highly polished chrome accessorized scoots on Ebay coming from Asia. You will find countless threads here and elsewhere concerning this topic.

Starting out, you would probably do well with a P series Vespa. Parts are abundant for these models. In your situation, make sure the scoot you buy is in running condition. That way you have a nice starting point. Get some tools, manuals etc. as well as find a local mechanic who can help you out when you get into trouble. Before long, you will be wrenching your own scoot and enjoy the satisfaction of maintaining and riding a vintage machine.

Trust this helps. Best of success!

My opinion is this. If you are not mechanically inclined, or dont have someone in your immediate family who is, then get a new scoot. Again, its just my opinion. 40-50 year old scoots are cool for sure, I know. I also know they are a lot of work.

Here's another useful perspective:

http://2strokebuzz.com/2010/08/05/22-bit-by-the-vintage-bug

Good luck.

-matt

"but in general, people restore bikes for themselves, not to sell."

i love 2strokeBuzz

Buy a 74' Rally that's in good running condition. You will be very happy.

Amber,

You don't really say why you want a vintage scooter. Transport, to look cool, what?

And it is not clear what degree of mechanical skill or commitment to repair (just a matter of money if someone else does it) you are up to.

How about telling us that and we can dial in better recommendations.

A true vintage, in my optinion, is anything prior to the "new series or new line" as so designated by Piaggio. That means the P series are not vintage. They have, however, the same general configuration as the vintage machines.

Having said that, I am adding a coupla P200e's to my stable. Bought them cheap. All they need is six months of love and repair.

If I really want to ride vintage, I'll take the Allstate. If I want to go classic, its the GL. If I want to go far and fast, its the Rally 200. The P's will be my "truck" and loaner. The line-up will have more options when I finish the GS160Mk1, the Cushman and the VB1. So many projects, so little time.

Oh, and don't buy anything with yellow feet, ready-to-launch stand, wings on the front of the legshield, pastel paint with white seats, shiny-chrome bling or that says People's Republic of Vietnam on it.

Jim
(from Denmark)

Thanks so much for all the replies. Definitely a lot of food for thought.

In regards to the Asian imports, I've seen some Australian companies operating out of Vietnam who claim to do high quality restorations at low prices (eg: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Vespa-Scooter-Original-1960s-Vintage-VLB-SPRINT-/170522061828?cmd=ViewItem&pt=AU_Motorcycles&hash=item27b3e82c04 ) Any thoughts on these? Still trying to get my head around all the previous info.

Jim, I'm interested in owning a vintage Vespa for a number of reasons. Primarily inner city transport to and from work & study, hence the importance of reliability. I'd be using it on a daily basis and definitely wouldn't want to be breaking down all the time.

It's not important to me to "look cool", but it is important to me that I like the look of what I'm riding... 'Cause, well, I'm a girl and I like pretty things

I have zero mechanical knowledge, but I'm pretty good at researching and then fixing things. I guess that makes me somewhat mechanically minded. That said, I don't have any mechanic friends or family members.

I definitely don't have buckets of cash to throw around, but I don't mind putting money into a scooter if it's a long term investment. It would frustrate me if I were constantly paying for new parts on a scooter that didn't seem to be improving. Is that often the case with vintage Vespas?

Anyway, thanks again

i wouldnt buy one of those

which state are you in? there are honest bikes around

What Josh said +1.
Buy a PX 200 and you'll have a reliable scoot.
My mate who's in Melbourne is finally selling his Asian import scoot.
Owes him a rude amount of money.

He's keeping his P series because its his daily ride and super reliable.

I'm in NSW (Newcastle). I've been keeping an eye out on what's around in the Hunter/ Central Coast/ Sydney regions, but I'm really not able to pick a good buy from a bad one (yet!)