..kinda dead here...

[wordslinger]

..rode my usual 17 miles in the other morning...21 F....

..coldest i've ever made that treck in was 18 F ...

...if you layer to retain body heat, and then shell that to keep the air out, it's a comfortable ride...

[wordslinger]

Who's this Zombie you all speak of?



http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?action=profile;u=674

[streido]

I've been looking for someone to talk scooters with and wandered over to the ModernVespa forum, well don't go over there, a lot of negative people around there

Vespa forums suck, 99.9% of the folk on them are assholes who have no personality and wont help anyone out. I joined at least 5 of them but dropped out after less than 5 posts due to the members and their attitudes.

Vespa = Snobes

Thats like saying black folks deal crack???

I ride a Vespa and believe me, i am far from a snob. Most Vespa forum members = snobs. Most of the club and rally events are the same, i avoid them like the plague.

[08087]

Vespa forums suck, 99.9% of the folk on them are assholes who have no personality and wont help anyone out. I joined at least 5 of them but dropped out after less than 5 posts due to the members and their attitudes.

Thats like saying black folks deal crack???

I ride a Vespa and believe me, i am far from a snob. Most Vespa forum members = snobs. Most of the club and rally events are the same, i avoid them like the plague.

Well an object can't be a snob, I was obviously refering to those that tent to ride them in the US specificly, many in the yuppie towns around my area ride them as a status symble. Oh and Black folk do sell crack, so do whites and browns and yellows and reds.

[08087]

Who's this Zombie you all speak of?



http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?action=profile;u=674

Still never heard of him.

[axy]

Well, after a few years of regular posting here, I think I am giving up. There is very little valuable info here.

I guess it has to do with the nature of the vehicles (scoots), they are often sold, not driven too much, for most people they are 3rd or 4th vehicle, there are not many scooters in the Western countries compared to Asia and Africa, and people from there obviously do not use forums. Most questions are newbies' questions, but if you have a serious problem, chances that you will get a good advice here are close to zero.

This does not mean that I will not be posting, but that I am bored of Sea Foam, questions about premium versus regular gasoline or what engine oil to use and when to change it...

[redhandmoto]

Vespa forums suck, 99.9% of the folk on them are assholes who have no personality and wont help anyone out. I joined at least 5 of them but dropped out after less than 5 posts due to the members and their attitudes.

Thats like saying black folks deal crack???

I ride a Vespa and believe me, i am far from a snob. Most Vespa forum members = snobs. Most of the club and rally events are the same, i avoid them like the plague.

Vespites here (and I was one) sometimes tend to be...a little doctrinaire, a tad chauvinistic when it comes to waving the brand-flag.  Damned things are very expensive in the US.  It can sometimes be hard to obtain parts in a reasonable time, and the attitude of Piaggio USA is unhelpful.  Style/form/fashion/brand pride are bigger factors than sheer function & reliability.
In Britain and continental Europe, I should think that ownership, infrastructure, and support are all much easier, and that the brand does not necessarily carry quite the iconic status that it does here.

[axy]

Damned things are very expensive in the US.  It can sometimes be hard to obtain parts in a reasonable time, and the attitude of Piaggio USA is unhelpful.  

This means that Piaggio is in line with Kymco's after-sales customer care strategy. 

[old geezer]

This says it all...

http://wickedscholar.wordpress.com/tag/modern-vespa/

[Vivo]

Well, after a few years of regular posting here, I think I am giving up. There is very little valuable info here.

I guess it has to do with the nature of the vehicles (scoots), they are often sold, not driven too much, for most people they are 3rd or 4th vehicle, there are not many scooters in the Western countries compared to Asia and Africa, and people from there obviously do not use forums. Most questions are newbies' questions, but if you have a serious problem, chances that you will get a good advice here are close to zero.

This does not mean that I will not be posting, but that I am bored of Sea Foam, questions about premium versus regular gasoline or what engine oil to use and when to change it...

Any information is valuable if there is a need for it. It could be scoot related or otherwise. This scoot forum not only gave me some info on scoots but a lot of other ideas, insights, and understanding the cultures of REAL people.  By the way, in our country, Vespas are associated with pizza deliveries only...

[08087]

This says it all...

http://wickedscholar.wordpress.com/tag/modern-vespa/

Bingo!


I for one have found very usful information here from members like Vivo, Old Geezer, Axy and that person people refer to as Zombie (who ever the hell he is). Sure it's not every day that in depth topics of scootering and repair pop up but the info is here if you need it or someone is willing to find it for you. Personally I stick around this forum for the members, I can get the info I need pretty much by doing a search and not participating if I wanted to be a dick.

So if you all like the idea I stick around pat yourself on the back, because your the reason I'm hear.

[axy]

When you all say Vespa, do yo refer to classic style Vespas that have manual gearbox, new style CVT Vespas, or Piaggios in general?

Piaggio in Europe is generally associated with lower quality compared to main competitors and high performance, especially Minarelli 2stroke engines. Can be easily altered and there is plenty of performance parts available.

Vespas do have their following here, but not that much after simplicity of 4 stroke CVT scooters took over. It used to be something different during 50s and 60s when Vespas and Fiat 500s (Topolinos) made entire Italian nation mobile after World war II.

Vespa scooters are not that popular because small ones have small tires so they do not handle as good as their peers in the group. There are bigger 250 and 300 cc Vespa scoots, but they cost a bit more. Still you can see a few in the streets.

Anyway, spare parts for Piaggios are very easy to obtain, especially for us living 60-70 kms from Italy.

[streido]

In the UK Vespa classics, ie the proper geared ones, are still very sought after and hold their prices well. You wont lose money if you buy one and keep it well looked after. You will not buy a geared Vespa here for under £1200 or so unless its a wreck. Tbh once you get used to them the smaller 10" wheels are not any worse than modern 12" scoots in handling and performance, and in many cases they are better. A lot has to do with the setup you run, as with any scoot, and as Axy says we have no problems in Europe buyng spares or perfomance parts at all. The Mods made Vespa and Lambretta huge in tbe UK in the 60's, we had a revival in the late 70's-early 80's and since then they have still been the scooter of choice for most scooter riders. Sure you pay more but when you sell it you get that back. These older Italian scoots were made to last a lifetime, I doubt there will be such a demand for 20+ year old Kymcos in the future? As for the new ones with the cvt and no gears, they are not considered as real Vespa or Lambrettas, just as the new mini or new beetle is not a mini or a beelte and has very little in common to the original design.

I still like my little kymco for nipping around town or using in bad weather for work but it is night and day to my geared vespa in all ways.

[axy]

I still like my little kymco for nipping around town or using in bad weather for work but it is night and day to my geared vespa in all ways.

You must be a fan, NHF, but in reality, classic Vespas do not handle or brake compared to scoots, even 50 cc. I give them credits for the engine power though.
However, pure performance is not the reason why people buy classic Vespas.

p.s. I pased my motorcycle driver's exam on Vespa... My father had Prima NSU with two bicycle-style separated seats with springs underneath somewhere at the very beginning of 60's.

[streido]

Well Axy that is the main reason i bought the Vespa to begin with, to sit my test on it. Over here the laws state you must sit your test on at least a 125cc geared motorcycle capable of reaching 65mph, there is only one scooter that can do this, the Vespa T5, which is what i have. Its the only scooter allowed here, otherwise i would need to sit it on a bike, which i dont want at this time, so i went for the Vespa. I know what ypur saying re performance and handling but tbh the only thing against mine is the brakes, they are not as good as my modern Kymco, the rest can be upgraded, ie suspension, tyres etc. Mine handles pretty well, never had any issues other than it couod do woth disc brakes but i want to keep it vintage looking. Its a sleeper, looks like an old slow classic but goes like pocket rocket. Still scares the sh** outta me at times when you open it up away from stopped and it tries to throw you off the back  . For everyday use the kymco twist and go is easier but the Vespa is far more fun and lets you feel more involved when riding. But yes, i am a fan, so i am bias