Modern Vespa

Hi all



ok, so i bought one of those far east resto`s off ebay, what things shall i check for when i collect it??? OK before i got shot down the first thing i will do is take it to my local garage for a full service and going over, before i even take it on the road....


2ndly i`ll need to register it, can any one tell me how/.any tips?


3rdly i know this is a modern vespa place, so i dont wanna offend anyone by posting, if there a vintage forum anywhere on the internet..because i have looked and cant not find one at all......


thanks in advance, aaron

Scooterbbs.com is what you're looking for. They'll offer you lots of suggestions on your new scooter.

and call you names.

Thinking of going vintage?? : please read

Due to the Revolution I'm not as up on British law as I could be BUT--there must be some concession for: lower tariffs, less environmental concern, etc. due to the scooter's age. Hopefully it's exempt from most things a newer scoot would be subject to. I suggest you get acquainted with a good local scoot shop and scooter club and ask them about this.

You might try www.scoot.net and "links" for a long list of world-wide scooter clubs.

Hey.
I'm a Brit. Try: http://www.innercity.freeserve.co.uk/

They will point you in the right direction. I hope you are one of the lucky ones. Viet bikes don't have good reputation. But I have seen one run perfectly for two years and is a beautiful renovation.

Oh thats so mean~
They are going to rip you so hard on the BBS board.

You better stay here it's way more kinder and thats what your going to need.

Bricktop, you are definitely welcome to post.
Vintage or modern it's all Vespa

thanks all, i have been in touch with my local scooter shop/garage

http://www.grandprixscooters.co.uk/

and looks like when i collect the scooter it will be going straight in to their workshop for an mot and full service and given a good going over before i even get it home!


the price i paid for it was a good deal, although now i`m of course more then a little apprehensive, and hope it turns out to be a scooter story with a happy ending, as its my first!


thanks all, aaron

I hope this is the case for you.

Not to put a scare into you, but my buddy a few years ago bought a vietnamese VBB off of ebay. He took it to Supersonic Scooters in columbus ( i don't know if that shop is closed now or not...but it was looking that way last i checked ). Supersonic ended up needing to replace just about every part on that bike... new engine, new frame, new fork. They pulled parts off of the thing that were so bad they went right into the trash..... welded-up broken pieces, junk parts, parts that were so badly sandcasted and formed that they had no business being on something meant to hold the weight of a human body - let alone push you down the road at 50mph.

In the end his $500 vbb from vietnam ended up costing him over $2500 to have everything replaced that needed replaced and then painted to match.

What sucks is that a VBB is RARELY WORTH $2500. I personally wouldn't pay over $1600-$1800 for one.... maybe going as high as $2000 if it was all original paint and was unmolested. So you end up putting all sorts of money into a bike where it really doesn't have the market value that you'll ever get back even close to what you put into it.

Ah well. I guess telling you the horror stories aren't going to help anything. Hope your experience is pleasant.

-Eric