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« on: April 19, 2015, 01:34:19 AM »
After a very happy year of ownership, I sold my 2011 Like 200i yesterday. I found a 2007 Vespa GTS 250 way out in the middle of Nowhere, Texas (actually, Saragosa) with 400 original miles and I had to buy it. Which set in motion the sale of the Like because I don't have the money or space to keep both.
I appreciate the higher cruising speed of the Vespa, its comfort and 110 other little things but that in no way means that I'm downplaying the overall goodness of the Like.
I bought mine used with 800 miles on it and sold it with just over 2,900 miles on the clock a year later. Except for those muffler heat shield bolts that like to extract themselves, it has been completely reliable and runs better now at the end our year together than at the beginning. The brakes are its strongest point (maybe a little better than the Vespa's) followed closely by its styling (also a little better than the Vespa's - my opinion anyway). Loved the top box, loved the fuel economy (70 mpg) and loved the freedom I felt cruising the back roads. Wasn't so thrilled about the seat (though my butt seemed to tolerate it better than many others on the forum), the top speed (215 pounds, 58 GPS miles per hour) or the headlight (ugh!). My favorite ride was 75 miles in the Big Bend Country on a perfect fall day with mountain curves, abundant wildlife and no automobiles in sight.
In the end, I needed a little more top speed for my back road adventures and I have never been able to avoid buying a motorcycle (or scooter!) that is being sold at 60% of book value. Usually, it is just better if I don't go and look! That's what my wife says anyway.
I sold it yesterday to a first time scooterist who had a ball on a 50cc rental scooter in the Caribbean and wanted more. He was thrilled to get it and I felt good about selling it to him. Like most of us, he had done a lot of internet research on Kymcos and fell in love with the classic styling of the Like. I know he will enjoy it as much as I did.
Think I'll keep hanging around the forum because my gear-head tendencies will keep me curious about what's going well with your Likes and what is breaking.
Ride safely friends. If you are ever on FM307 east of Midland and see a silver Vespa whisper by, that's me headed out into ranch country for another back road adventure.