Modern Vespa

Yeah, that's an antic, all right...

Chris,

It would appear that your concerns are correct. This looks to be a bodge and I think you'd agree after reading up on this forum that it's not really worth the money. I'm sure there is a reason why it has been sitting up for the past 3 years so my advice would be to walk away. If I may ask, how much was she willing to sell it to you for?

The next question is whether or not you're interested in a brand new looking scooter or just want to get your hands on a scooter. If you want a scooter I'm sure some of the people here can point you in the right direction and assist. There is also scoot.net that has classics for sale. It may or may not run right away but as you've read this group can help with wrenching if you're up for the challenge. Good luck and well done on the looking before you leap.

Funny, its listed on Scoot.net as a Stella:
http://scoot.net/classifieds/forsale.html?id=44497

ha.

If she is riding soooooo fast that her scarf is floating out behind her why ohh why does she have her foot on th ground, hand on th brake even though th front wheel is off th ground, and has just come down a bank then across a gravel path at 'speed', possibly this should be in th dirt bike scooter post?
Hardcore chick!

I met a local lad today who just picked up a bodge from some spineless bastard in Portland.

He had no idea what the hell I was taking about......

There is simply no escape.

Jimh,
A guy we know "accidentally" bought a bodge from a guy in portland. I wonder if its the same guy...

I feel bad for the guy cause he didn't know about bodges until he was the proud owner of one.

He let me take it for a spin, and I was sketched out for no good reason except that I knew it was a bodge...

oct

Owner states per Craigslist ad:

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/mcy/4035446061.html

Sadly, I am having to part with my beloved Vespa. I have been looking forward to having one all my life as I love the idea of zipping right around here and there. I purchased this behemoth a couple months back. But I scraped my knees something awful on the first ride and have been too nervous to ride ever since. Relatively new - a steal for $2000 if you've got the guts.

Call or text 314-604-XXX7 if you are interested. [img][/img]

Haahhaaaaaa lol.. Best pic choice of the year!!!

Amd that sucks.. it's like a plague, like a cancer!


I'm not convinced about the bodgieness of that one Phranc!.. they don't usually do a motor like that! I'm not overwhelmed with the scent of Pho here! ? anyone else? I could be wrong though!

Is it possible for everyone to post the ad and a picture/text when submitting a Bodge ad? If the ad is deleted, the photo's are gone/lost to the community. At least if they are documented and posted here we have a library of photo's and the stories. I also put ads in the local CL to tell people to come to this forum to start their research before buying ANY Vespa.

I'm not convinced about the bodgieness of that one Phranc!.. they don't usually do a motor like that! I'm not overwhelmed with the scent of Pho here! ? anyone else? I could be wrong though![/quote]

I'm no expert, I am mostly a P/PX person. I'm just going on a few things like the yellow boots, spare wheel cover, 10" wheels, square Asian license plate frame, front fender chrome and the front leg shield crest. And if he hurt himself, what damage did he do to the bike? The background is very Asian also, the gate, planters and the pavement. I've been to Vn enough times to think that is a typical residential area in VN.

I'm no expert, I am mostly a P/PX person. I'm just going on a few things like the yellow boots, spare wheel cover, 10" wheels and the front fender chrome and the front leg shield crest. And if he hurt himself, what damage did he do to the bike? The background is very Asian also, the gate, planters and the pavement. I've been to Vn enough times to think that is a typical residential area in VN.[/quote]

Yeah.. copy all that! you probably right.. the lack of an lml p syle motor is what's throwing me, but stranger things have happened...

Hi,
I don't think this is a bodge just a "personal taste resto". It has 8" wheels and correct motor and kick start lever.
For some reason bodge wizards don't like to keep those items.
Fabio

Does not fit the whole story. The background is Asian. No place in the States, little alone the St Louis/Columbia area has a residential area like that, especially the tropical plants and those style of planters. I know I have said this before, but I go to Vn every year. I will be in Vn 6 weeks starting in January. I know this as a typical Vn residential background. I also know that some of the scooter rebuilders are starting to pick-up their game a little. Vespa's are a hot trend in Vn and the rebuilders are dropping some of their previous sure-tell-signs of what a Vn rebuilt scooter looks like.

Hello I am just starting my journey in the search of a vespa. I really like the early 60's vespa. I have been looking around and researching. I have found this scooter I am not afraid of a project. I still have lots to learn about vespas i dont know the difference between models yet. Anyway I found this vespa and I went to take a look at it. I dont know if i should suspect it of being a bodge. But it has been over sea.

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mcy/4026773780.html

The guy said he bought it 1 year ago and stripped it down and has been fixing it up. It has 10" wheels. It has kilometer on the guages. I has dual seats, So as I am new to these things I was ready to jump on it. But after doing some research maybe this is a bodge? It looked solid as far as the body was. Any advice would be appreciated.

I'm curious also, here is the photo from the ad[img][/img]

Well...given that I can find the exact same picture here and here and here (and the list goes on and on and on), I'd be pretty damn surprised if that's the bike that will be sitting there when you show up.

The only potential upside in the deal is that googling his phone number doesn't produce a list of sketchy craigslist postings other than this one.

Super sleuth? Black Ops?

That's a nice scoot! But I do wonder why they lowered it so much at th rear?
But if you take away th white component... Then it looks like a pretty good non-bodge resto.... But what the hell did they do a th rear? My guess left out th top shock spacer

i say the chapped knees i would find rather uncomfortable and no doubt could be common in blustery weather

"Very pretty, classic with all the chrome you could ever want. Runs great. Low mileage on rebuild. I took this in trade and never ride it so it needs a new home."

Just adding the photo's and sellers comments before the post goes down.

Bolting the "crash bars" to the cowl makes them them worthless at providing any protection as they will just bend or rip the cowl the first time they hit the ground.[/quote]

The "chrome" from Vn is junk and I hate to admit it but I had them installed on my P's that I keep in Vn. Why? Well a crash in Vn is a crash, nothing is going to protect your scoot. They are installed b/c they are close to the cowl and protect the paint when the parking attendant parks the scooter. Often when parked at a restaurant or out somewhere, scooters are literally packed in so tight they can be touching each other. They are not strong enough to rip the cowl, if hit too hard or on impact they pop off at the welds lol.

So any ideas or tips for me??

Post them up here and you will get honest opinions and feedback vector.we shall help all we can

I call it a Bodge. Am I correct or did I tell someone wrong? Who is Minnesota Motorworks? They seem to have a few questionable scooters on hand.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/bar/4040609192.html

[img]

We have a classic scooter shop in Blaine and are open to potential trade offers on this completed restored 1965 Vespa Sprint 150.

Everything was completely refinished or rebuilt on this bike back in 2008 since then it has only 200 original miles and was just recently given a full tune up by our shop.

This bike runs amazing and looks just as well.....

If you are looking for an amazing collector and piece of history this is it. I am open to trades mostly for other Powersports toys ----- sleds / atvs / trailers + $ cash $

952.484.5xx6 [/img]

lessee...to my semi-experienced eye playing this game, there's a hacked on legshield glovebox. 10" wheels. Square Asian-style license plate frame. Trapezoid headlamp. Helmet Hook. Squared tail light (not sure about that one, but I thought 60's VBB's all had tear-shaped tail lights). Looks like a PX or some sort of 70's+ front fender. Maybe a higher-profile glovebox lock.

And if it's "restored," then where is the period-correct trim on the fender & cowls?

Lastly, the king n' queen seats with spare tire rack may be great for cyclo-whores and being loved long time, but not so great for being not-a-bodge.

This is hideous, and why does everyone think Cozy sidecars are originals? The paint is baaad. Drives me crazy, esp the price.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/mcd/4020963136.html

Here it is folks - a limited and rare classic 1968 Vespa Sprint 150 w/ an original Sidecar

This machine is a piece of history and amazing collectors item - it has a very classy flat matte black paint job and a rich caramel leather interior that has weathered nicely adding a very rich flavor to the machine!

We found this Vespa out in Boston and we knew we had to bring it home - while the Flat Black is definitely not original, it adds a very unique and one of a kind look to it!

There are less then 100 miles on the odometer and everything on this machine functions correctly!!! Tires are brand new, it starts right up on the first or second kick and the bushings on the sidecar only show light wear to them.

Keep in mind still this is a 50+ year old machine but for a classic I am more then impressed with how it has held up.

THIS IS A MUST SEE.......

Call, text or e-mail for more info or a showing - 952.484.5xx6

Ignition key/switch next to the choke.

Why do they put an ignition switch there. I see that all the time in Vn on VBB. If they have to have an ignition switch, why not hide it in the glove box or something? I picked up a '62 Allstate with an LML engine that has an 8" hub. I have not gotten to it yet, but I was going to hide an ignition switch in the toolbox if I needed one.

Is this an Indian resto?

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/mcy/4043414956.html

Looks too good to be true. Also, no title and was told "it doesn't need one". I'm pretty sure that's not true in NJ.

That's 100% an American market Rally. Looks like the wrong front fender, either from a Small Frame or a 150 Super, and the badge is in the wrong spot on the legshield...

Why too good to be true? $2500 isn't super cheap. Looks like a solid bike, though. still has all the parts that get lost (turn signals, the plastic fuel switch)... It even has the 6v sealed beam headlight (rare).

Oh yeah? I'll go check it out then.

I thought that it wasn't dirty enough for a 35 year old bike.

It definitely needs a title, though.

Actually, the saddle seat, buddy seat combination is correct for a sixties sprint. That looks like a normal helmet hook and front mudguard too. It's everything else I'd worry about. Usually it's dual saddle seats on the bodgery.

She was going to sell it to me for 2,500 which is what she bought it for. Thanks for the advice. I think I am going to go with a newer scooter first as I need it for transportation and look at a classic a little later.

The reason I asked about the price was to determine how much you are willing to spend on a bike. For $2,500 you could very well get a classic that could be a daily rider for you. It may not look as new as a modern but if you're looking for the classic look of something that's still reliable you could definitely find one within your price range.

http://www.mbmotorsports.com/used/Piaggio/1957-Piaggio-Vespa-Tinton+Falls+NJ-9c3253670a0a0002006726d62a691e57.htm

Look at this abortion. A used car dealer that has a lot of old and new cars, nice looking. A friend calls me a says a 1957 Vespa that looks like new. I say its likely a bodge without even looking at it. But I go up and see it. I tell the owner of the place its a bodge from Asia and its probably made out of multiple frames. He finally admits its a friend of his who bought it from Vietnam. I tell him its a death trap. He says the normal buyer would not know. Has some nice cars on the lot but I would never buy anything from him hearing that. But I might flip a 1973 Mercedes to him this weekend.

A 1957 Sprint!

http://www.mbmotorsports.com/used/Piaggio/1957-Piaggio-Vespa-Tinton+Falls+NJ-9c3253670a0a0002006726d62a691e57.htm

Look at this abortion. A used car dealer that has a lot of old and new cars, nice looking. A friend calls me a says a 1957 Vespa that looks like new. I say its likely a bodge without even looking at it. But I go up and see it. I tell the owner of the place its a bodge from Asia and its probably made out of multiple frames. He finally admits its a friend of his who bought it from Vietnam. I tell him its a death trap. He says the normal buyer would not know. Has some nice cars on the lot but I would never buy anything from him hearing that. But I might flip a 1973 Mercedes to him this weekend.

A 1957 Sprint!

For sale in the UK via Facebook . . . .

Not saying its a bodge . . . .

A black 1959 Vespa. Less than 200 miles since total restoration. Clear Ohio title. Stored in garage always since restoration.
Restoration was done in Vietnam and imported by a reputable dealer in Massachusetts.

Only taking calls! No texts or emails. Too much SPAM on this ad for some reason.

That was posted ad.Looks like there coming from Mass too.