Modern Vespa

Make it a double. My kids won't stop asking me to get one!

for the kids you don't want a leaning sidecar, better to be able to pick them up in the air.

Howdy All,

It's been a crazy busy summer for me, so I've been out of the loop for a while. I hope you all are enjoying your summer thus far. This popped up not to far from me. What do you think?



https://topeka.craigslist.org/atq/d/topeka-vespa-150-piaggio-scooter/7651753610.html

Hec

If it wasn't apparently from Viet Nam, 1900 would still be way too high for non running & and title not mentioned. But the apparently MANDATORY glovebox & 10" conversion plus the giveaway chrome collar on on top of the fork tube, and lots of other obvious clues... an easy pass for me here unless it was close by and easy to inspect AND that body is REALLY as good as it looks. But that crapshoot motor is apart for a reason and it's likely not worth fixing, so price is STILL too high for me.

Interesting looking paint though, but I have to wonder what's under it. I bought something similar but not from Viet Nam, plus with a whole lot more new parts for a whole lot less money. Keep looking, they're out there just getting harder to find and prices for even nonrunning good ones are going up.

Looks like Bondo on bad metal to me

hot garbage. don't let somebody else's problem become yours for a bunch of money that's better spent else where.

how's the P coming along?

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/d/fremont-1966-vespa-piaggio/7652125355.html


Another DanMotors

The run in sticker that was added after that ghastly green paint is the ONLY thing that says DanMotors to me, the rest all screams Viet Nam. I'll just quote myself: "... the apparently MANDATORY glovebox & 10" conversion plus the giveaway chrome collar on on top of the fork tube, and lots of other obvious clues...". Maybe they know Viet Nam bikes have bad reputation and have come up with this little scam?

But this says 'Made in Italy' so who really knows? Regardless, $4000.00?

Is there even any metal in that thing, or is it 100% bondo at this point?

The way the center seam fades away as it heads under the PX floormat doesn't bother me at all. Nope. No, sir...totally normal, that...

Chuckled…

And it's literally cracked everywhere, the bondo just couldn't take sitting around for that long

Zowee! So much here
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/mpo/d/sacramento-1965-vespa-scooter/7662258845.html

"in insanity great shape"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/276025831645?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=2yiK95bdTjW&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=aGE-dcX4Q7q&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Monstrosity mate…

How does it even get into a state like that?

I guess it's time for The Talk...

Sometimes, when the back of a VBB loves the front of a VBA very, very much, they share a special hug with their friend PX in the middle, usually after too many shots of welding stick. When that happens, if they roll around in bondo, cheap chrome, and lies, that's when a bodge is made.

So inhumane…

Why unleash such thing into the world??

Yeah, I don't understand why they deleted the glove box.

I think it would be fun to throw together a Frankenstein bike with whatever was on hand and make it look mint. No reason it couldn't be a solid running bike with correct welding and metal work.

Seen some great bitsa bikes on this forum, but these bodges are nothing like that. Poorly done, unsafe and passed off as something they are not for stupid money. Glad I never bought one. I wouldn't have known better unless I had spotted poor metal work and body filler.

Maybe like this one? This fine Vespa appears to be in such excellent condition & kept so immaculately clean!


needs a SECOND moon cap up front!


I had to share, apparently a rare 1963 model I wasn't familiar with and only $6300 .

https://spokane.craigslist.org/mcd/d/coeur-alene-1963-piaggio-vespa/7655227508.html

Wtf is with the heinous janky springs they're putting under the seats on these things?! Did they pull them out of a sofa?

"original pastel blue paint"
"signature round headlamp"
"great care taken to preserve its original allure"
"saddle seat with white piping"

somehow, they forgot to mention the iconic yellow boots

I sent them this : https://vespavirgin.com/how-to-tell-if-a-vespa-is-from-vietnam-22-ways-to-know-for-sure/

From the ancient Roman roads, to the Ho-Chi-Min trail, Vespas, which means wasp in Italian, have been everywhere…except for this one since it only has 35 original miles on it.

1962 Vespa in excellent condition.

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rds/mcy/d/surrey-upper-west-1962-vespa/7661133003.html

Someone has a shipping container (now storage locker) full of bodge VBB's with sidecars out near Tierney...

Remember this one?

https://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/mcy/d/hendersonville-1960-vespa-with-sidecar/7654575623.html

Well, it's got a red twin:

https://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/mcy/d/hendersonville-1960-fully-restored/7655370674.html


Bodgetastic!

And only at $19,900. Save your pennies, kids and you can get one of these someday.

Sounds like someone with big ideas thought they'd get into the import business without knowing jack shit about Vespas.

But it's "perfectly restored"!!!

at first look I don't think this is a bodge. 10" wheels and two tone sure but everything about the body looks correct from the one photo.

$20k for a bodge?? Someone's been heavily smoking the hookah…

Yeah, But " All Metal Restoration with No Fillers."

I don't think that's a roundtail rear end, but that could just be the model year being off by one. Agree that it's hard to say from the one picture.

The VIN they listed is suspect. It has a P-series tunnel cover. Glovebox? Wrong floor rails, key under the seat.

There's more to that "hack" than a sidecar.

Was that continuous FB trim available outside of SAE ? In fact, was it possible to buy all the typical bodge trim ? Could you have built a replica here ?

*Redacted* ?

Do you think this is a bodge?
Claims to be brought over from Italy 30 years ago. Is the red piaggio badge a sign?


Bodge?

the full wrap SS trim is floating around out there *somewhere* because I've seen it pop up on a few legit bikes.

but if somebody was being cheeky and building a bodge replica here, they've certainly nailed it.

mudflap on the front fender, exhaust stub, SEA seats, chrome grab rail, floor mat, glovebox lock, chrome gas cap. tube on the spare is installed wrong...

at first blush, I'd say no. maybe a crappy Italian resto.

those bars are typically found on P series. the wrong grips are forgivable. the kickstart looks funky. chrome fan shroud is odd... as is that headlight rim. that mirror mount is weird, but whatever. the red badge I've seen on indo bikes, but those are all over e-bay too.

without more pix it's hard to say. but given it's euro headset there's hope.

ETA:looping back after looking at this on the big screen... px center mat is super sus. and the brake pedal looks wacky AF.

I'd want to see some paperwork, provenance, or something. numbers would probably tell the tale, too. in person it'd likely be obvious if anything was afoot.

Last edited by greasy125 on Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:39:54 +0000; edited 1 time

I don't like the PX center mat on there.....

There were many didn't know jack shit customers.
I was there during the early to late Balibodge era. A 20' container could hold 10 or so scoots.
There was a dedicated guy, maybe paid in little more than food, whose job was to hammer things straight. Axles to cotter pins. Nothing was wasted.

Painted bright and shiny, cheap add-ons from India, then filled into a container. Saw this repeated many times.
I could smell the epoxy across the street.

What an eye !

Leaning more toward a bodge?
Does anyone have any info on this red piaggio badge? Was that ever a stock emblem?

I swear that is the infamous "sandle chock" vespa. Too bad the old pics are gone.

The Bodge of Bodges.