Question by Manny: I need HELP buying a scooter? Anyone know about this?
Hi, I was wondering if anyone had advice on whether or not this scooter is a good buy in this market.
Considering fuel injection and tech advances, I’m a bit skeptical of whether or not this is a good deal.

2007 Vespa LX 150 for $ 3600 USD (after taxes), black color
Chrome-Plated Touring Kit
Chrome-Plated Front Carrier LX
Top Box
800 Miles
Paint and all other aspects appear to be in mint condition
Comes with 6 month warranty

My other candidates are the new Piaggio Fly 2011 (same price all in), 2011 Aprilia Scarabeo 200 (a little more), Genuine Scooter Company Blur 150cc ($ 500 more).

This pretty much sums up how I’ll use it:

1. This is purely for inner city use.
2. It will be parked on the street.
3. My girlfriend’s got to fit comfortably on the bike as we’re attached at the hip.
4. I’ve never rode scooters/motorcycles before

Best answer:

Answer by Mr. Smartypants
Vespa, Piaggio (Vespa’s own parent company) and Aprillia are all Italian. Meaning they are beautiful and ‘sexy’ and desirable. But I think the Japanese brands give you more for your money, plus they are more reliable and long-lived. There’s a reason why the Japanese have come to dominate the motor vehicle business around the world.

But the Vespa and the Aprillia would suit your needs just fine. They would both be very easy to learn and to ride, and a very convenient way to get around a city in good weather (though dangerous if you’re not careful). Scooters all have automatic transmissions so if you can ride a bicycle, you could just hop on a scooter and ride it away. They are very stable, with a low center of gravity, and very small and light, so very easy to manage.150cc is bigger than you need in a city where your top speed is going to be 40 or 45 mph, but it’s nice to have a little power in reserve, and you never know, you might want to take a cruise out into the country some weekend.

A 150 or 200cc bike is big enough to carry your sweetie on the back, but the comfort of these bikes is subjective, a matter of individual taste. Before signing on the dotted line, you should at least bring her in, both of you sit on the bike and see how much room there is.

The Genuine Scooter Company, I never heard of them. I looked them up, and I would bet you this bike is not made in the US, it’s just called an ‘American’ bike. I would be very wary of it. Scooters have become very popular in the last few years and there are maybe a dozen new brands which, I’m guessing, are made in China, Korea, Taiwan, etc. Nobody knows which of these companies are going to survive the next 5 years, so when you need parts you might find yourself out in the cold. Plus they don’t have the build quality of the Japanese bikes, or even Italian bikes.

What do you think? Answer below!