Vespa's - advice

_Jimlad_ · 31 Jan 2011 at 15:28

OK well my office is relocating and although its only 4 miles from my house i need transport for going to different schools and im simply not willing to pay £7 a day parking with my car, possibly more than once as the two local car parks do not allow re-entry if i leave, which will happen, plus i need to be able to zip home and walk the mutt at lunch.

So i have decided to get a moped and i have always loved Vespa's my question really is to any owners or people in the know, im after a 125cc and wondering which model to get, i want a retro looking one and need the biggest framed model, as im a big boy.

I don't have a budget in mind as i have a bit saved up, however i don't want to buy brand new, i get anal with new stuff, i don't want this to be something i get upset about when i get a stone chip!

Morba · 31 Jan 2011 at 15:47

pedal bike? its only 4 miles.

ajstan · 31 Jan 2011 at 17:20

I cycled to work for the first time today - 2.2miles, was pretty cold to start with but soon warmed up, I really quite enjoyed it

I reckon you should cycle as well

DanTheMan · 31 Jan 2011 at 17:42

I used a 2009 Vespa GTS 125 Super to commute from Bolton to Manchester for 6 months between June 10 and Jan 11 until recently buying a car due to having a dog and needing to do motorway miles. In the summer it is the best thing in the world as it halved my commute to around 30 mins but in the winter it was very cold. Rain wasn't a problem as I had waterproof gear.

In terms of what to look for, I'd personally only consider a modern vespa and the GTS Super model at that. The GTS Super is the largest framed model and imo the best looking, I'm 6ft and I fit comfortably on it. I averaged 90mpg regardless of how it was driven and obviously parking was free. I actually have it for sale if you do decide to pursue this.

Wicksta · 31 Jan 2011 at 18:03

Morba said:
pedal bike? its only 4 miles.

He says in the post that despite working just 4 miles away he needs transport to get to different schools.

4T5 · 31 Jan 2011 at 18:13

You want an old PX125 with a kit on it. :cool:

timbob · 31 Jan 2011 at 18:33

An old 60s Lambretta is quite obviously the only way to go!

_Jimlad_ · 31 Jan 2011 at 18:46

Wicksta said:
He says in the post that despite working just 4 miles away he needs transport to get to different schools.

very true and i need to make it home for the mutt most days, or it cruds on my carpet!

4T5 said:
You want an old PX125 with a kit on it.

yeah seen a few on ebay, its distance really, not that many for sale in Hampshire area right now.

timbob said:
An old 60s Lambretta is quite obviously the only way to go!

yes i would love one, but they seem to be very pricey, Vespa's seem like the next best thing

DanTheMan said:
I used a 2009 Vespa GTS 125 Super to commute from Bolton to Manchester for 6 months between June 10 and Jan 11 until recently buying a car due to having a dog and needing to do motorway miles. In the summer it is the best thing in the world as it halved my commute to around 30 mins but in the winter it was very cold. Rain wasn't a problem as I had waterproof gear.

In terms of what to look for, I'd personally only consider a modern vespa and the GTS Super model at that. The GTS Super is the largest framed model and imo the best looking, I'm 6ft and I fit comfortably on it. I averaged 90mpg regardless of how it was driven and obviously parking was free. I actually have it for sale if you do decide to pursue this.

cheers for the info mate, i will search a little more for them, im down in Southampton so i guess getting hold of your one would be tricky! you got any pic's though?

Furthermore what do people reckon to the LML stars? my understanding is they are vespa's made in india?

ash_scotland88 · 31 Jan 2011 at 20:38

Surely if you have to go on site for the job they should pay for the parking and milage?

timbob · 31 Jan 2011 at 20:52

ash_scotland88 said:
Surely if you have to go on site for the job they should pay for the parking and milage?

Try telling that to NHS workers working at their local hospitals. I know a few, and they have to pay to use the pay and display car parks at the hospital.

Costs them a good few quid every day.

_Jimlad_ · 31 Jan 2011 at 20:58

ash_scotland88 said:
Surely if you have to go on site for the job they should pay for the parking and milage?

You would think! Welcome to my world at Southampton city council. Not only have I been moved but they also aim to give me a 5% pay cut

_Jimlad_ · 6 Feb 2011 at 10:29

i got one!

Dogbreath · 7 Feb 2011 at 10:39

timbob said:
Try telling that to NHS workers working at their local hospitals. I know a few, and they have to pay to use the pay and display car parks at the hospital.

Costs them a good few quid every day.

The workers at my local hospital (Derriford in Plymouth) aren't even allowed to use the (horrifically expensive) pay and display! The council also put double yellow lines on all the roads around the site, which has just moved the problem to the residential areas in the vicinity. Utter retards run the hospital, but then again it is the NHS so no surprises.

_Jimlad_ · 7 Feb 2011 at 11:10

yeah its a joke with this whole parking thing. My employers put in my contract i need a car for my job and then move me to an office with no parking. i could pay £7 for all day and then get called to a job at 10am....... then return in 1 hour to find i need to pay again for all day parking, its that bad with the local car parks.. if you leave you cant come back! Anyways problem solved

thedoc46 · 9 Feb 2011 at 21:17

_Jimlad_ said:
yeah its a joke with this whole parking thing. My employers put in my contract i need a car for my job and then move me to an office with no parking. i could pay £7 for all day and then get called to a job at 10am....... then return in 1 hour to find i need to pay again for all day parking, its that bad with the local car parks.. if you leave you cant come back! Anyways problem solved

Nice, I had a PX50 way back when i was 16yrs old. Lost it pronto, the day I was 17 mind, for a car and a TZR125 !!!

_Jimlad_ · 9 Feb 2011 at 23:42

thedoc46 said:
Nice, I had a PX50 way back when i was 16yrs old. Lost it pronto, the day I was 17 mind, for a car and a TZR125 !!!

yeah my first bike, they were quick when the revs hit 7000rpm back then

wozzizname · 10 Feb 2011 at 08:31

I had a Vespa p200e back in the 80's - I went all over the place on it, from my home in Kent up to Scarborough, Morecambe Bay and the Isle of Wight for scooter rallies.

I don't know how much they've changed since then, but my Vespa was always extremely reliable, much more so than Lambrettas.

_Jimlad_ · 10 Feb 2011 at 09:59

yeah im looking fwd to the IOW rally this year. im looking fwd to getting out on mine hopefully over the weekend, i took it apart and swapped some bits over, should be road ready by the end of friday night and read for Saturday... im excited always loved the vespa's

thedoc46 · 10 Feb 2011 at 15:11

_Jimlad_ said:
yeah my first bike, they were quick when the revs hit 7000rpm back then

Nice, I used to swap over the YPVS to upside down, which meant a low sluggish start but as soon as it went past 4k vrooooooom... At least for back then ..

Had so much fun on that thing. I remember the police stopping me after going round and round a roundabout trying my darn-est to get my knee down, saying "who do you think you are? Barry Sheene.." My answer was ummm actually yes.