American Scooterist

LA DOLCE VESPA! (And at such a good price!)

Looking for the perfect vintage Vespa? How about a rare handlebar Vespa, in the original factory green and perfect in every way? We're talking brand spanking shiny new here, zero miles and untitled from the manufacturer. You would be the first owner! Go ahead and send me out for drug testing - this is for real. Well, sort of: Did I mention that this wonderful Vespa also comes with a beautiful woman, all for the low price of only $1500? In some countries, the woman alone would cost you that. Still not joking here - but maybe I should fill in some of the details.

This beautiful brand new handlebar Vespa is a stunning porcelain sculpture entitled, of course, "Roman Holiday". It's a limited edition work of art offered by Giuseppe Armani of Italy. Only 3000 were made. The whole thing, from the base to the top of the lovely woman's flowing red hair, must be about 18" high. And like all things Italian, it is stunningly beautiful. I happened across this example of fine Italian art in the Italian Pavilion of the World Showcase in EPCOT at Disney World in Orlando Florida. It was on a shelf, back behind the checkout counter- Well out of harm's way. I found it anyway. There's just something about a Vespa- They get noticed. The young man working behind the counter was equally thrilled by this sculpture. And why not? He was Italian, and had a Vespa himself. This young Italian student and I had more than our love of Vespas in common: Neither one of us could afford that incredible porcelain work of art. Too bad, so sad. Life must go on, berift of art. Well, this art, at least.

How about you? Did you win the lottery last week? Looking for a $1500 art investment? How about a great excuse for a Florida vacation? You can either book a quick flight to Orlando International or call the Mouse at (407) W-DISNEY. It's a great piece of work and hey, it would look great next to that bust of Elvis you've got on the mantle.

Chow!

Chip Haynes, VCOA #221

Clearwater Florida  

American Scooterist

Sheer Beauty

Hello Vespa folks,

My Vespa "project" is a 1977 (manufactured in '75) Vespa Rally 200. I recently rescued it from a friend's backyard. Although there's much rust, there is yet "sheer beauty" somewhere inside!

Mike Yadrick

VCOA #1739

Seattle, WA

American Scooterist

Can Anybody Help?

Dear Vespa Owners,

I have a 1977 Rally 200 that I would like to sell to someone who would appreciate its usefulness and fun. This is my second Vespa; my first is a 1966.

This Rally 200 has been mine since November 13, 1980. I am the second owner. The serial number is 0016323, model VSE1. It did not have the factory turn signals on it when I got it. Other than that it is original. It is burgundy. The only thing not working is the speedo. The inner cable broke down by the wheel where the cable makes a sharp bend. From '81 through '87 it was ridden daily when I worked three miles from home. But since then I have ridden it very little. It has about 5,500 actual miles on it, but the odometer shows less. It has always been garaged and still is to this day.

I am not trying to get rich selling a scooter I have had for eighteen years, but I would like to get a fair price and find it a good home.

Steve Kropff

8854 Prince Road

Lakeview, OH 43331

(937) 842-9600

American Scooterists,

I have two Vespas I want to sell. One is titled 7-30-68. Its manufacturer's number on the title is VNB6T 019114. However, the following information is stamped on the frame: V9A1T *12071*. Somebody told me it is a 1960 scooter. Can you please tell me what year this scooter is? Note it's the red one in the enclosed picture. It is a 90ccc model.

The second scooter is titled 5-25-59. The manufacturer's number on the title is VS5T 0057250. This is, I am told, a 125cc model. Both scooters have good compression and good bodies, not rusted out. Can you give me an estimate of what these are worth?

Your help will be appreciated. Thanks.

John Hontz

HC-1, Box 30

Indian Lake

White Haven, PA 18661

johnw.hontz@ncx.com

American Scooterist

Queen of Folk, Queen of Vespa

No voice in the history of American folk music has resonated with more beauty than that of Joan Baez. In the '60s her achingly pure soprano voice earned her the title "Queen of Folk." She should also be renown as "Queen of Vespa." In the late '50s her main ride was a Vespa. The bike belonged to her father, a professor at MIT. But she felt guilty riding it because she knew he needed it. So when she went to work for Boston Vespa, where she helped get new buyers get ready for their licenses, she bought him a new 150 GS.

Still beautiful at fifty-seven, she recently toured Europe and American to promote her latest album, Gone from Danger. Before her concert at Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, she held a book and record signing at Border's Books. Here is a photo of the Queen of Folk signing my copy of her memoirs And A Voice to Sing With. There is a VCOA T-shirt in the box on the table, a gift for the Queen of Vespa. When I asked what model Vespa she gave her father, she replied, "The biggest one available in 1959. I loved my Vespa. Hot damn." The man with the camera in the background is Warren Rasmussen (VCOA #878), another Baez fan.

Richard Weiderman

VCOA #217

Grand Rapids, MI

American Scooterist

Old Vespas Never Die

Congratulations on another great issue (Spring '98). It may be the best issue yet. You covered about everything. One thing I would like to see is an article on John Gerber. He has such knowledge about scooters and their history.

I have come across a story you may want to print. My friend, a longtime Vespa fan (I sold him a 1980 Vespa when I was a dealer) Joe DeSisto, who lives in Fort Pierce, Florida, owned a 1951 Vespa when he lived in Salto, Uruguay. See enclosed picture. This picture was taken in 1951 or '52 of his family on his Vespa. He owned this scooter for many years and sold it only when he moved to the USA. In February 1998 Joe and his wife went to Uruguay to take care of some business and look up old friends. While there he wanted to visit his mechanic friend who used to work on his Vespa. His friend had died but the repair business had been taken over by his son. Joe talked to the son and the subject of the old scooter came up. To Joe's surprise the son had the old Vespa stored in a shed. There it was, in bad shape but mostly all there. But due to red tape and high cost Joe doesn't think he will be able to bring the old Vespa back. Now how about that for an "old Vespas never die" story?

Jack Clark

VCOA #585

Vero Beach, FL

American Scooterist

Better the Second Time Around

Hello to All in the VCOA,

Before I go any further, I would like you to overlook all the mizpilled wurds and the messy handwriting. Thanks!

I used to be a member a while back, but I let the subscription run out because my first experience with Vespa (a '79 P200E) was, to put it nicely, not fun. I paid around $3,500 to have the bike painted and pretty much restored back to new. I bought it from a major dealer (I'm not out to slag anyone so no names will be given). He provided a warranty, thank God. So here's what made me hate Vespas.

The taillight kept popping (exploding). Someone put an American bulb in the European light cover. I found out after the nineteenth bulb melted through the plastic.

The kickstand fell off the fifth time I used it. Someone slapped it on with the cheapest bolts I have ever seen. No aircraft nuts, lock washers, heat-treat ratings.

The float in the carb got stuck everyday and flooded the bike out while riding. A new float fixed the problem, but until the shop sent it out I must have taken the carb off at least thirty times to unstick the float.

The neutral light never worked to begin with. Soon the signals and all the rest of the handlebar controls failed. The wiring loom was routed wrong. The loom cover finally gave out about four days after I received the bike. It took a week and a half to fix. The whole time I had no transportation. The neutral light finally worked though. The kickstarter broke. I've gotten really good at bump-starting Vespas. Turns out it was a really used mechanism. The shop should have put in a new one to start. The voltage regulator went out, killing my Yuasa battery about twelve days after receiving the bike. The replacement took two weeks to arrive. I had bought a bicycle by then.

When I got my first major flat, I took the side cowl off only to find a flat spare. Upon closer examination I found the repairman pinched the hell out of the tube putting the new tire on. The dealer replaced the tube, but I was still mad. When they painted the bike, someone didn't cap off the gas or oil tank. Paint flakes got into both the first time I took the caps off. What a mess. The paint would turn into mushy goo and clog everything it passed through. I finally got all the paint out-after two days of no-stop work. I'm glad I bought the bicycle!

Also the first time I let the tank get to reserve, I find that the petcock was stuck after running out of gas and fiddling with the tap. Needless to say I carried a ton of tools with me at all times. Examining the fuel tap, I find the hookup rusted in place. The dealer sent me a new one, but it should have been done right in the first place. After finding out the state where I bought the bike had a messed up lemon law (my lawyer looked into it for me) I sold the bike about two months after I bought it for $1,500,just to get rid of it. That was my first experience with Vespa.

So I went out and bought a Honda Helix. Get ready: Tires are $55 each, not including labor to put them on. The Vespa was $35 each and it only took me half an hour to install one. You cannot patch a Helix tire--no tubes--and plugs fall out. If you get a flat on a Vespa, you can still patch it. Tubes are good sometimes. Also, rear tire pressure is impossible to check on a Helix. You cannot remove the windshield on the Helix, a misfortune in summer. Full-face helmet, jacket, gloves etc., get very hot without a breeze.

Mufflers are $290 plus $10 for packing, not including the labor to install. Additionally, they rot out and break a little too easily for me. About fourteen thousand miles will kill one. And I've never ridden on salty roads or let any road grime cake up. My bikes stay clean. The slightest gust of wind will knock a Helix over when left unattended. It happened to me twice. The first time I had the bike on the center stand. The second time the bike was on its side stand with the parking brake applied. I still think the windshield makes them fall. When the bike falls, mirrors are a casualty. They cost $60.

The Helix lacks soul, character, and charm. Aside from the four small problems above, the bike is a tank. General service (oil changes, inspection of items, etc.) is very easy. But they are also on a Vespa. The Helix is just boring. It's great transportation but boring. Everyone, Harley riders, rocket bike riders, young people, old people either enjoy the Vespa and ask you about it, or they tell cool stories about one.

And I found it funny that everyone who told me a story said the Vespa never gave them problems or troubles. So everyone put pressure on me to give Vespa one last try. The first one was a lemon, plain and simple. Besides, I miss the charm the Vespa had. It was unique, different, cool. So, let me resubscribe so I can keep up with the classified ads, learn a little more history, and enjoy all the stories.

I'm still a bit paranoid about buying another Vespa. As you can see I had a lot of little surprises. But I'll try once more. I love the look of Vespa that much. I'm kind of looking for a Rally 200 or a GS. If you know any up for sale not listed in the classifieds, drop me a line or call.

By the way, here are my ten rules of the road.

I use Amoco 93 Ultimate, the clear advantage, all the time. Everyone recommends it.

I use Spectro T2 synthetic two-stroke oil exclusively. The seller and repair shop and other Vespa users swear by it. I change oil every thousand miles with thirty weight non-detergent Havoline oil. I know every thousand miles seems strange, but I had two Toyotas and one Dodge Omni last me well past 300,000 miles for the Toyotas and 200,000 for the Omni. I never exceeded sixty miles per hour for maximum cruising speed; in fact, I averaged fifty-five, even on Highway 95 north going to Richmond, Virginia. How do you think I got such trouble-free, high mileage out of my other vehicles? "Easy on the gas and brakes equals easy on the wallet" to quote Consumer's Report.

After a long, constant running speed I let the bike idle for a few minutes so as to not put a thermal overload on any of the external engine components. I learned this little trick years ago when I owned my own lawncare business with all two-stroke power tools. Idling lets the motor dissipate heat better. I don't ride the revs like a rocket bike. I change gears every ten to fifteen miles per hour. No racing form the lights crap either. Okay, maybe once I put a stuck-up Corvette owner in his place--worked his ass up to sixty-five mph! I hardly ever use the 75mph top speed unless it is to pass trash trucks on 95 south or an oil-burning Cadillac.

I never let anyone ride my scooter, unless I'm teaching him or her under close supervision. My friend let someone ride his Lambretta. The rider crashed it hard. I keep the bike super clean, even in places you can't see, like the engine. I keep tires at proper inflation, checked twice a week for safety. Not only do I take pride in my Vespa; I take pride in being safe. I never ride on bald tires or worn-out bakes. I always wear safety gear. And lastly I keep the bike under a good quality scooter cover when not in use. Dow makes the best one for about $80.

Sam Prisk

VCOA #1068