Vespa Rant

Though you can tell the build quality of the Vespa's are up to par and it's hard to argue their 64 year history, I just don't get it. I even chose my favorite color in the photo here and the Vespa is still ugly. The gas mileage ain't that great at 50-60mpg compared to the Vino's claimed 96 from the factory. On top of that, the Vespa's are way pricey. It's not just the initial purchase that's costly but also repairs. Metal fender scooter? I can't imagine the cost for parts plus shipping the heavy parts and installation in the event of an incident where a repair needs to be made.

The 2008 Vespa S 150 looks way old school. I don't know who thought of the square headlight, but it looks like it's from a 60's Chevy. The top speed on this puppy is 56mph which is under that of a Vino which is only a 125cc block. The design flaw as pointed out by our guys at Motorcycle USA is a huge problem - chrome on the dash blinding the rider. Assuming the Vespa's look would maintain its expected aesthetic, I was still hoping for something more sporty from something labeled S in it's name.


I guess the idea is don't fix it if it ain't broke and I know Piaggio's not looking to compete w/their Asian counterparts, but still. I'm not sure who'd pay $4,400 (that's probably the value of your mom's car now!) for this thing when you can get a Vino for $2,300 new. That's a $2k or 87% difference!

This makes me remember the time when I was filling up my 1.2 gallons at Chevron when a guy compliments my scooter asking if it was a Vespa. I replied, "Looks like one, but it's a Yamaha and tons cheaper." I still remember when I told him it was only $,1,500 used. I didn't learn until now that the gas mileage on the Vino's also tons better. It also leaves the Vespa behind in performance. Why get a Vespa? No clue.