Modern Vespa

B o d g e welding

more B o d g e welding

bondo

bodge tastic

fuck sake that thing is a death trap

Patchwork quilt

death trap is one word for it

(This is on San Francisco Craigslist right now.)

I'm selling my vespa vbb that has been completely restored. Has less than 400miles on motor. serious people leave your name and #




(Here's two more serious bodges from Soquel, near Santa Cruz. The Rally is real.)

Three vintage scooters for sale in Soquel, CA. Each is priced at $3000.:
1. Piaggio Vespa GS (Gran Sport) -- Vespa's mod hot rod of 1959
2. Innocenti Lambretta SX 200 1966 -- top of the line Lambretta
3. Piaggio Vespa Rally 200 Electronic 1974 -- a fast Vespa, first to have electronic ignition

All are "collectible" models.The first two were purchased overseas, then crated and shipped here. The SX200 was fully rebuilt by West Coast Lambretta Works (in San Diego). The Vespa GS was rebuilt by Moto Amore in Santa Clara.
The Rally was purchased in Santa Cruz and rebuilt by First Kick Scooters in San Francisco.
Photos of these classic scooters can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/Scotprof/20100620#

(Finally, this one of adorable cuteness. I emailed her to ask if it had ever been in Vietnam, but no response.)

http://www.lisacorbett.com/Site/Blue_Roosters_Attic.html
click on slideshow for bigger pictures

150cc of adorable cuteness! I have loved my scooter for many years. Had it fully restored only to have recession kick my butt. I really think its the best looking vintage vespa I've ever seen - honest... sniff. i really want someone who will love it and try really hard to keep it and enjoy it for at least 5 years. It is a blast with lots of moxie and storage spaces and a horrible little weak horn that cracks folks up - so puny! Scooter itself though is great cuz it's like a mini Harley and folks WILL see you , hear you and then give you the thumbs up cuz they're so taken aback by it's coolness - ha! e me if interested. Also spare parts, extra seat cover, filters, cables, etc.

SHIPPING COST - JC motors transport ED - 800-730-3151x233 - door to door - about $600

OR fly to Boise for about $130 and U-Haul it back.

...$3000 FOR A SX200? Why haven't one of you West Coasters bought that beauty yet?

white rubbers and two tone paint does not necessarily mean bodge. I have white rubbers, which were on mine when I got it, but I know the lineage of the bike, its a US model. Its not like white (technically its a grey) is only available in Nam... I also have two tone paint, of which I did myself. I have also put on cowl door trim because that damn thing would keep chipping the paint because of how sloppy the hinge is...

Just looking at this one its hard to say if its Bodge. Its a bit on the funky side looking, but I dont see 10 Vespa badges, yellow boots, miles of chrome, and some other blatant signs... Id probably have to look at it in person to know (pull the tank and/or inspect closely).



This is just plain hillarious!

I emailed this seller as soon as it was listed on eBay asking about the scooter's origins in the hopes that she would post the reply within the listing and that would serve as a notice to warn others. She did, but just listen to the song and dance she gave: What a load of crap.

Incidentally, it appeared to me that she was selling at least one more of these shitheaps on eBay under a different alias. And now she is moving to Costa Rica. Sounds legit.

I'd like to add a bit to the responses to this question. Just my opinion.

Back in the day in France, the French had a somewhat unique way of customising their ACMA Vespas. For example, as far as I can tell, they were the first to use 2-tone paint jobs en masse (even before the mods in Britain I believe). There were also several prominent French accessory manufacturers that produced crash bars and other embellishments in chrome and stainless steel and these were very commonly found on ACMA Vespas.

Basically, what we see as Vietnamese b0dges are an attempt to replicate a crème de la crème ACMA Vespa as seen in 1950's France, complete with the 2-tone paint job, 2-tone seat covers, crash bars, and other shiny embellishments.

So, in conjunction to what has already been said in regards to your question (i.e., the close relationship between France and Vietnam), perhaps it makes good sense why Vietnamese b0dges have their characteristic appearance, and this is why b0dges are sometimes advertised as "ACMA style".

It is funny, they refer to any widebody as a ACMA whether it be a VB1 or whatever.

the french have been messing with Vietnam since 1620. that is, until 1954.

b.o.d.g.e

Really appalling stuff there

I have noticed that used bike showrooms have started to sell veitbodges here in the uk

Check this site


http://www.thevespawizard.com.au/Asian%20Imports.htm

[quote="thestigjjj"]Check this site


http://www.thevespawizard.com.au/Asian%20Imports.htm[/quote

Nice link...thanks for sharing!

What is he talking about?

http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/atq/2476759380.html

Chuck

Wow, that's quite a story.

Quite an idiot. $17k? Off your rocker.

I'm worried about that guy's mental health.

OMG, that had me laughing my ass off. What a load of crap...

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/mcy/2469499606.html

This GS looks like one... it looks like a GS, but the accessories and paint are god awful!













http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/mcy/2498337538.html

Two vintage scooters for sale in Soquel, CA. Each is priced at $3000.:
1. Piaggio Vespa GS (Gran Sport) 1959 -- Vespa's mod hot rod of that era
2. Piaggio Vespa Rally 200 Electronic 1974 -- a fast Vespa, first to have electronic ignition

Each is a "collectible" model.The Vespa GS purchased overseas, then crated and shipped here. It was rebuilt by Moto Amore in Santa Clara.
The Rally 200 was purchased in Santa Cruz and rebuilt by First Kick Scooters in San Francisco.
Photos of these classic scooters can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/Scotprof/20100620#

Farkled, maybe, but not necessarily a bodge.

I'd joked to a friend that the GS below (one of the first scoots in a local museum exhibit) has a lot of the telltale bodge signs and might be mistaken for one by some people: bedecked in chrome, 2-tone paint, colored center stand boots, etc. But the accessories are all Italian, original Ulma chrome. It's all the real deal.

Eric,

Yes, that one's the real deal. We restored it. All period-correct accessories. It's in the Petersen Museum exhibit for the next year.

Unfortunately because of the v i e t b o d g e s if you were to show up at a rally with that thing no body would seriously believe it was all original period bits...

BTW, I think it looks homely (to put it nicely). All that over the top chrome just looks funky (not in a good way).

Not my style, but GS owners I know were admiring the accessories. You can't see them in that photo but the cowl trim has blue insets, something many had never seen before.

Saying the chrome is over the top is kind of like asking, "What do they need all the lights and mirrors for?" when you see a Mod styled one.

But that's kind of the point. The Vietbodges look the way they do for a reason. Many of us can recognize them (most better than I can), but the most obvious signs aren't always right!

to view that as a 'bodge'??!! Those who did must had know balls about original accessories.

Most "mods" nowadays started with liking VESPA for their clean original form. However after they finishEd that " all original nos factory" restorations, it kind of gets bored.

So they started to collect accessories and "bling" up the ride. So having an "all original factory" bike, with a funky paint job and accessories that worth more than the bike is I believe another level up.

It's been to plenty of rallies and won awards.

It's pretty simple: The people who know what they're looking at, well, they know what they're looking at. Everyone else's opinions of it don't matter.

There are accessories on that bikes worth more than most other bikes that show up at rallies.

I posted the GS as a way of helping to inform people, not in order to sneer at those who don't know any better. Many of us don't know better much of the time, but others sometimes seem unwilling to share knowledge rather than hoard it.

What do you think of the GS hjo posted above?

Calm down, Eric. I was referring to the poster I quoted.

I'm so calm it's in my name. Virtually catatonic at times.

What about that other GS?

what's up with this site swapping out the word ' b o d g e' with hemmorhoid?

ha.

the bar italia bike looks original it's interesting to see the asian bike accessories, they're similar to the original ulma ones. and those two-tone, highly accessorized bikes look like '80s mod bikes... which i think is part of the reason everyone has gotten so true to original with restorations. nearly all the GS restorations i see are silver or white, and minimally accessorized there days.

that brown one, though. it's got some weirdness. that awkward glove box, the double legshield trim, the piaggio plate frame, cowl guards that are attached to the cowls, and that weird PX ignition drilled into the headset fin. looks off...

Bodge?

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/mcy/2509395292.html

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2509064542.html

the super: definitely us market.
the vbb: probably us market. hard to tell. looks pretty original. and cheap!

That vbb is on 10 inch wheels. Unless the owner can prove he made the upgrade (?) himself, I would tend to think this is a bit suspect...

it says it has 10" wheels, but does it? there isn't a clear shot of the hub, but those actually look like 8"