Anyone own a Vespa or some other Scooter/Moped?

GuilewasNK

GuilewasNK

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I'm thinking about getting one due to the current state of gasoline prices. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations? My commute to work is only a few miles and there is a stretch of road where 45mph is the speed limit. I am not looking for anything fancy and I'd like to keep the cost reasonable.
 
Whenever I think of a vespa or moped, I always think of the joke we used to tell.

Mopeds are like Fat Chicks.
They are fun to ride, but dont let your friends see you on it.

I drove a moped once, it was horrible, and I never wanted to do it again.

Since its only a couple miles away for you it might not be so bad.
 
I think Vespas are cool. I have always wanted one but dont have a use for any sort of moped. Nothing around here is close and people drive like maniacs.

Just dont trick it out with like 50 mirrors and stuff :p
 
Honestly, I'd ride a bicycle to work if it wasn't for the fact I have to take deposits to the bank everyday. At least with a moped I'd be able to do it in a reasonable amount of time.
 
Vespas are nice, but a little overrated

Piaggios are nicer i think. Those 3 wheel Piaggios are retarded.

Get a motorcycle.
 
[quote name='VioletArrows']
http://www.mp3.piaggio.com/index_eng.html (I have no idea why the website is in Hylian.)
[/QUOTE]

Holy crap. I thought you'd be kidding about the Hylian remark, but that is exactly what the text looks like.

Vespas are neat, but I don't know how masculine people consider them. Not that it honestly matters. I'm just saying it's always a girl telling me that they want one.
 
[quote name='Strell'] I'm just saying it's always a girl telling me that they want one.[/quote]

I never see anyone but guys riding them, and there's at least 5 of em out in the parking lots at school...
 
[quote name='GuilewasNK']Honestly, I'd ride a bicycle to work if it wasn't for the fact I have to take deposits to the bank everyday. At least with a moped I'd be able to do it in a reasonable amount of time.[/QUOTE]

Well, there goes my recommendation for a bicycle.

As for a scooter bringing your masculinity into question, I've only ever seen guys driving around on them. I'd drive one myself, but my bike suits my needs just fine as my commute is quite short.
 
I would totally love a vespa, but I am a big guy and I just know there would be a remix of the "fat man in a little coat" anytime I was seen on it :lol:
 
IMO, I know scooters get great gas mileage, but so do motorcycles. Ive got a 2001 GSXR 1000 that even throttling all the time gets close to 40 mpg. On long road trips gets closer to 45.

I realize that is a stretch from a scooter, so consider a 450, 500, or 600 cc motorcycle. Most of these get excellent mileage as well and you can find really nice shape bikes from the 90's from $1,000 - 3,000. Look at the fairings, chrome, etc., someone who takes care of the bike on the outside will also take care of the engine. Would recommend buying a used bike from a private seller, dealers are completely capitalizing on this potential $4.00 gas price and will take you for a ride! :whee:
 
I think vespas, mopeds and scooters are hideous... but my supercharged Xterra is raping me at the pump, so I'll be looking into a motorcycle or dirt bike soon.
 
I'm going to have to go with the get a motorcycle option. I've got a 113ci beast of a cruiser that has been tuned to within an inch of its life and I still get 150 miles out of a 3.8 gallon tank before switching to the reserve. I'm sure if I redid the settings on the chip and made it more econmical as opposed to loud and obnoxious I'd be looking at closer to 180 miles out of the same tank.

Royal Enfield makes a super cool retro looking 500cc in the neighborhood of five grand. The first time I saw one I thought it was a classic that should sell for $10k+, that's how sharp they are. Look at the Craigslist ads for bikes in your town and you'll get a good idea of what things are going for. You say your commute is short and sweet, so don't be afraid of a little bit of weather. Hell, I ride in the snow sometimes...
 
[quote name='Hex']Go for a Fаggio. You ought to be able to find one near Ammunation.[/QUOTE]
....is that a joke name or something real?
 
funny this topic came up. i have a v8 and its costing me bout $70 a week for my 36mile round trip commute and a little city driving.
ive all but settled on a kawasaki 250r, its designed like a sport bike, looks very much like a zx-6r but its only a 250, its classed differently than a sportbike so its cheaper on insurance and riders report getting 75mpg. they also report its extremely fun to ride, something that may be hard to say about a scooter.
i figured it at 60mpg and id be spending about $12 a week in gas.
at this point i think id be stupid not to get one.
 
[quote name='strongpimphand']....is that a joke name or something real?[/quote]

Are you kidding me? This is a video game website, too... :[
 
[quote name='paz9x']funny this topic came up. i have a v8 and its costing me bout $70 a week for my 36mile round trip commute and a little city driving.
ive all but settled on a kawasaki 250r, its designed like a sport bike, looks very much like a zx-6r but its only a 250, its classed differently than a sportbike so its cheaper on insurance and riders report getting 75mpg. they also report its extremely fun to ride, something that may be hard to say about a scooter.
i figured it at 60mpg and id be spending about $12 a week in gas.
at this point i think id be stupid not to get one.[/quote]

How much does the bike cost?
 
[quote name='strongpimphand']....is that a joke name or something real?[/quote]

Thats a reference from Grand Theft Auto

I don't understand all the references that are made on this website sometimes so I'm surprised I got that one..
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']How much does the bike cost?[/QUOTE]

msrp is $3499.

if i were buying a scooter (i have to travel 15 miles each way on a freeway) id buy a honda ruckus, those things arwe awesome.
 
Meh, my masculinity is not tied to my mode of transport. I have a Honda Metro. I ride it whenever I can. It's fun.

It much easier to deal with than a motorcycle.

-No special license
-One simple throttle
-My insurance is $40/ year
-registration is $5/year
-I can park it (legally) on the sidewalk
- Gets 100 mpg
-I don't bother the hell out of everyone with my "pipes"


Granted it is only 49cc and maxes out at 40 mph but for a 7 mile commute to a big city. It is awesome.

The Honda Ruckus is nice too but I like the large well the Metro has for carrying stuff.
 
[quote name='usickenme']Meh, my masculinity is not tied to my mode of transport. I have a Honda Metro. I ride it whenever I can. It's fun.

It much easier to deal with than a motorcycle.

-No special license
-One simple throttle
-My insurance is $40/ year
-registration is $5/year
-I can park it (legally) on the sidewalk
- Gets 100 mpg
-I don't bother the hell out of everyone with my "pipes"


Granted it is only 49cc and maxes out at 40 mph but for a 7 mile commute to a big city. It is awesome.

The Honda Ruckus is nice too but I like the large well the Metro has for carrying stuff.[/QUOTE]

honestly, id really like a ruckus but my freeway commute kills it.
im going to another dealer friday to try and iron out a purchase,
if i get it for msrp out the door ill be buying ii.
 
My fiancee has a Vespa LX150, and loves it. She only does city driving, but it cut down her commute time by about 5 minutes each way, and it gets something like 70mpg. It costs her less than $7 to fill up the tank @ $4.00/gal. It's also way easier for her to park here (parking is hard to come by in most parts of San Francisco).

I'm actually rather jealous and considering getting my own scooter at some point.
 
[quote name='Xevious']Thats a reference from Grand Theft Auto

I don't understand all the references that are made on this website sometimes so I'm surprised I got that one..
[/QUOTE]
lord.....shit went over my head!

isn't the $$$gios on vice city?
 
[quote name='usickenme']

-No special license
-One simple throttle
-My insurance is $40/ year
-registration is $5/year
-I can park it (legally) on the sidewalk
- Gets 100 mpg
-I don't bother the hell out of everyone with my "pipes"

[/quote]

Wait... wait, what!? No motorcycle license is required?! What's the range on a one of these?!

Where is the cut off for needing a motorcycle license??
 
I don't know why not needing a motorcycle license would be such a selling point for some people... it isn't like it's hard to get one.
 
For your needs, I would avoid the Buddy/Vespa type of "you pay for the name" scooters. Instead of paying $3-5,000 for a used scooter that will crap out in a few years anyway, spend
 
dOOd... that thing is sweet looking! but dOOd, it has as much power as my fucking car... I choose life.

And no... don't ask what I have for a car.
 
[quote name='paz9x']funny this topic came up. i have a v8 and its costing me bout $70 a week for my 36mile round trip commute and a little city driving.
ive all but settled on a kawasaki 250r, its designed like a sport bike, looks very much like a zx-6r but its only a 250, its classed differently than a sportbike so its cheaper on insurance and riders report getting 75mpg. they also report its extremely fun to ride, something that may be hard to say about a scooter.
i figured it at 60mpg and id be spending about $12 a week in gas.
at this point i think id be stupid not to get one.[/quote]

I highly recommend the Ninja 250R - especially with the sexy redesign. It was my first motorcycle and I loved it. It's light and maneuverable, you'll learn to flick it around corners and love it. I can confirm the excellent gas mileage. It also has awesome resale value as there are always smart new riders looking to start out the right way.

The only complaint I've ever heard about the bike (from people that aren't fake macho posers) is that it looked like something out of the 80's. With the way it looks now, there's seriously no reason not to get it. Enjoy it, paz.
 
[quote name='Synergy']I highly recommend the Ninja 250R - especially with the sexy redesign. It was my first motorcycle and I loved it. It's light and maneuverable, you'll learn to flick it around corners and love it. I can confirm the excellent gas mileage. It also has awesome resale value as there are always smart new riders looking to start out the right way.

The only complaint I've ever heard about the bike (from people that aren't fake macho posers) is that it looked like something out of the 80's. With the way it looks now, there's seriously no reason not to get it. Enjoy it, paz.[/QUOTE]

thanks =).
i cant wait to get off work and head over there. i was talking to a buddy at work,who rides a gsxr740 and he was impressed by the design of the bike. i think it looks better than most of the 600cc supersport models.

i looked at some 600cc sportbikes and found it odd that several seemed to get under 40mpg.
 
The 600's m.p.g. is based on a high rev on the tachometer. 600's are built on this spec, however if they are less than 40mpg it can't be by much.

Good choice on a 250, like I said eariler, the lower cc bikes are attractive and are just what you are looking for.:cool:
 
Both my friend and his wife ride motorcycles, he also recommended a 250 or a SV 650

This is one Modded.

normal_exhaust_2.JPG
 
I own 2 honda Ruckus and love them. They are huge in Japan, and many aftermarket performance parts are available. Check out Total Ruckus. com. 100 miles per gallon, and the coolest scoot you will see anywhere. They are the best purchase I have made in years. Its been perfect for scooting around New Orleans. Iv already dropped serious cash on mods.
The community around these things is great as well.
 
I started looking into a Honda Ruckus because of this topic and the skyrocketing gas prices. I have two questions open to anyone who owns or knows a great deal about the scooter.

1. Would this be a good method of transportation in the suburbs?

2. How do you keep someone from snatching it when you park and go into a store, restaurant, etc.? (The scooter only weighs 181 pounds!)
 
well no luck for me today. the dealer didnt seem like they really wanted to sell the bike.
they dont have any in, i knew this, theyre getting some next week. i told them i wanted one and id be willing to atleast leave a deposit if not outright buy one today.
i couldnt get them to give e a price on the bike. they said, "the msrp is $3499 then theres some fees, itll be about 10-15%" so i figure ok 15% is about $4k total. sounds decent enough to me. but when i asked again for the price the guy said that because they didnt have one in to get a VIN they couldnt really say.............so after i said im not going to give you money unless i know how much it is and add, ive heard pretty wide ranges off prices, someone was given a total price of $5k, he says, "yea thats about right" so how in the hell does 10-15% equal $1500.
anyway i asked what the fees were as they should only be tax title and license. he tells me theyre going to charge for freight and destination. those fees are already included by the manufacturer in the msrp. i told him i wont pay those fees and id buy it somewhere else.

blah, sorta bummed.
i really have a feeling that because the bikes get such good gas mileage that theyre trying to stick it to people as theyr ein high demand.
 
[quote name='paz9x']well no luck for me today. the dealer didnt seem like they really wanted to sell the bike.
they dont have any in, i knew this, theyre getting some next week. i told them i wanted one and id be willing to atleast leave a deposit if not outright buy one today.
i couldnt get them to give e a price on the bike. they said, "the msrp is $3499 then theres some fees, itll be about 10-15%" so i figure ok 15% is about $4k total. sounds decent enough to me. but when i asked again for the price the guy said that because they didnt have one in to get a VIN they couldnt really say.............so after i said im not going to give you money unless i know how much it is and add, ive heard pretty wide ranges off prices, someone was given a total price of $5k, he says, "yea thats about right" so how in the hell does 10-15% equal $1500.
anyway i asked what the fees were as they should only be tax title and license. he tells me theyre going to charge for freight and destination. those fees are already included by the manufacturer in the msrp. i told him i wont pay those fees and id buy it somewhere else.

blah, sorta bummed.
i really have a feeling that because the bikes get such good gas mileage that theyre trying to stick it to people as theyr ein high demand.[/quote]

Unfortunately, you're right about the high demand. However, $5K is a complete rip. I wouldn't pay more than $4000-4200 max. Seriously. Just keep calling around. While it's true that dealerships don't make a mint on motorcycle sales, the good ones know how important it is to make and keep a customer for later purchases. Tell them, nicely but firmly, you want to lay out around 4,000 and see who wants to take your money. I've dealt with the few dealerships since I got into motorcycles, and all are not created equal. It boggles my mind that some of them are run by a*sholes who know jack about customer service.

Basically, the freight and destination is negotiable and you should be able to talk them down. If they force you to pay freight and all those junk fees, they should throw in a jacket or a helmet or at the very minimum, offer you a discount on gear. Tax, title and license is a set amount.

Stick to your instincts and do not overpay. If you really can't find a decent dealership, you'll be able to find slightly used 250's on craigslist within a couple of months when the squids think they're ready for liter bikes.
 
The Ruckus tops out at 45 mph (stock). It works great for me in my 20 minute commute threw NOLA subburbs for my night job. It really shines in the city though, where you can squeeze threw traffic and park ANYWERE. Just wait until I get my CDI and performance exhaust!! Its a very fun and relaxing mode of transport.

I actually have 2 because my first was stolen. a week later it was seized by the cops and I got it back in perfect shape (lucky)!! But i learned my lesson. My scoots now have audiovox alarms.

Nothing like the look on peoples faces when I role out and "beep beep" disarm my Ruckus.

Oh and the Ruckus has a spot underneath the seat to hold a bell U-lock.

I seriously have at least 2 people a day walk up and ask me about it. People cant keep their eyes off it..
 
yea it puzzles me. im sitting there looking at a $400 helmet and a jacket almost as expensive and theyre trying to charge me $5k for the bike. i will not buy gear from them now, for any reason.
i did some research and i know there are 2 dealerships about an hour away that people have been able to get
 
[quote name='paz9x']yea it puzzles me. im sitting there looking at a $400 helmet and a jacket almost as expensive and theyre trying to charge me $5k for the bike. i will not buy gear from them now, for any reason.
i did some research and i know there are 2 dealerships about an hour away that people have been able to get
 
i highly recommend the aprillia or hyosung. the smaller asian brands often offer better warranties/features (such as digital speedometer) because they're lesser known and need those incentives to be competitive. with vespa you're paying for the name and style.

a ninja 250r, or other small sportbike, (again hyosung or lesser known brands offer better features/warranties) you can get a leftover from 2007 for about $3500 (that includes tax, title, registration, freight, fees etc) i actually spent the day yesterday checking out prices for a new bike. a new 2008 ninja ex250r starts around $3500 before that 10-15% fees.
 
I got a Honda Ruckus and love it. There are a lot mods you can do. I get about 80 - 90 miles a gallon. http://www.newenough.com/ to get some cheap gear. Riding a scooter has made me change how I drive a car. I don't rush so much. I am more aware of what's around me. When I ride my scooter I have to be more aware of what others are doing. You are a lot harder to see. Good luck in whatever two wheeler you get. Always wear your gear even for short rides.
 
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