#scooterscene

For the love of Scootering!

Do you want to dip your toe in to scooter ownership, but don’t want to make a huge financial investment? Then a cheap and cheerful 50cc scooter might be for you! Yep it will be slow and somewhat speed restricted, but the fun factor is standard equipment! 

Now you might be thinking cheap and cheerful means plastic fantastic! Well, not always...at least not with this bargain priced 50cc Vespa lx50!

The looks are there, yep the quality is there, the sound too is also pretty infectious! So whilst you won’t be winning any traffic light dashes and you will top out at less than 80km/h (on an unrestricted model), all the other ingredients are straight mid range Vespa lx, yep an uber cool summer machine! 

This particular machine has covered a mere 6000 kilometres and is in almost perfect condition (small mark on one side that does not appear to have penetrated the paintwork) and with 6 months registration, this machine is ready for summer! Now the price...take a seat, all of this for only $1300...let’s say $1100 with a little negotiation...yep, a bargain! 

With a couple of years under its belt, another 7000 kilometres and I would say you could sell it for the same price or even a little more if you are prepared to wait for the right buyer! Depreciation will not be part of this scooter ownership proposition!

So...if you are ready to get scootering, are chasing the polished Vespa image and are prepared to settle for something second hand, you can do it for close to $1000! 

If you are interested in this machine don’t forget to complete a full mechanical and history check and then let your fingers do the walking and give this person a buzz!

Ultimate Commuter

Does your commute involve a quick stint on the freeway as well as the need to negotiate inner city streets? Navigating potholes, gutters and kerbs just part of your everyday? Big wheel scooters with at least a 150cc engine should be littering your shopping list! 

But which one should you choose? If you budget is less than $3000 you can rule out a new machine, but jump in to the classifieds and you will find heaps of quality machines like this one from SYM! 

This machine is the venerable SYM HD200! Made in Taiwan, equipped with a liquid cooled 171cc engine that propels this machine with vigor, it is one of the best machines on the big wheel scooter scene! Yes underseat storage is at a premium, and the dash and instrumentation is only basic, but take it for a spin and the engine’s meaty growl and secure handling will mean all is forgiven!

This particular unit has a mere 4500 kilometres under its belt and appears in good condition. It is also equipped with a top box to alleviate any storage shortfalls! Now, sit down and take a look at the price! Yep that figure is less than half the new price, in other words a steal! 

So ensure you get a complete mechanical and history check and then start you summer with a piece of kit that has style, performance and presence that will make you the envy of every 125cc machine you leave in your mirrors! 

Beats Walking! 

I remember when the little Honda Today made its first appearance on Australian roads, for a mainstream manufacturer to have such a price leading model, it literally changed the cheap and cheerful scooter landscape overnight! 

Yes, it was not the type of Honda we were used to, with the product being sourced from China, but it was well built, super economical and a 4-Stroke for around $2.5k rideaway! That is all before you consider its super low seat height, light weight and quiet running, making it the perfect learner machine, or alternative to a second car especially in states where no motorcycle license is required! It also looks pretty smart especially in sunny yellow! 

How about this used example? Well at less than 4 figures rideaway, in great condition and including registration, it is solid value! 

No, it is not going to set the world on fire, but you have little value to lose, and with care and servicing your little Honda should just keep on running all summer long! 

But, before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you complete a thorough mechanical and history check, to ensure you are continuing to smile many miles away!!

A great buy is sometimes about more than price!

A Vespa GTS 300 Super for $5950 does not sound like the usual Scooter Scrooge bargain buy! But this machine is a lesson in one of the essential ingredients in a second hand scooter...history!

Take a closer peek at this advertisement, at the description and at the pictures! Yes this is this owners garage! Yep this machine is one of many the owner has and has had a pampered life! Indeed it has lived indoors and even has its own stand mat for protection! 

With low kilometres, a full service history, lots of useful accessories, you can buy this machine with much confidence that you really are getting a near new machine for a bargain second hand price!

Spotting a bargain is not just about the price, especially if a lack of care means extra expenditure is just around the corner. When viewing an add look for other signs and signals that speak of a great deal and a genuine bargain and that smile as you ride out the door will likely hang around for a while!

PS...and what a machine this is!! A beastly 300cc motor, full Vespa metal body, contrasting black and white trim....even from a less than perfect home this would be worth a look!! 

But as always complete a full mechanical and history check and being a coastal scooter a corrosion inspection is a must...then it might just be time to engage with this awesome machine to make the most of the coming summer!

Bargain Black Beauty

Is the scooterists holy grail a Vespa 300?? I tend to think so, and this machine for around 50% of the new cost puts it within the reach of many!

Full metal body and its powerful 300cc (almost) heart makes this a machine of envy! This models additional top box and small screen only add to the equation and then take a look at the price!

$5000, for a registered, low kilometre, pampered Vespa GTS 300...I have just bought my plane ticket and am planning a meandering coastal trip home!

This machine will unlikely lose value with 20,000 extra kilometres and a couple of extra years under its belt, especially in desired black on black a truly striking machine!

So...make sure you do a complete history and mechanical check and then engage in this Black Beauty, become the envy of every other scooter rider in the road and never reveal the price you paid!! This machine is truly champagne appeal for the cost of a tinne! 

Perfect Commuter, Perfect Price

With a 150cc liquid cooled engine, ABS brakes, large wheels to navigate those nasty potholes, the Piaggio Medley has to be one of the best mid size commuters on the market!

But with a price of close to $6000 rideaway, it is out of reach of many and is about $1k more expensive than the comparable SYM HD200, and even more pricey than Aprilia’s retro Scarabeo 200! So, what about a lightly used machine?

With less than 200 kilometres and a couple of years under its belt, this Medley in high spec ‘S’ trim (with extra detailing) is a bargain at just $4000!

Being a newer model than its competition, having superior NVH levels, and long 10,000 kilometre service intervals you could even argue this is both a head and heart choice being great value in both the short and long term!

Piaggio’s too tend to hold their value better than the competition and I would predict you would lose less than $1K with a couple more years and many thousands of kilometres under its belt!

Being dealer stock you should be able to safely assume both mechanicals and history have been checked, but insist on an oil change if one has not been completed since new! 

Then rideaway on a machine that can tackle both the city and the highway with aplomb and truly make the most of summer!