Let's See....Hmmmmm By kz1000st (Read 3,680 times)

[cyborg]

Oh you are absolutely correct this is THE most driving factor on me building so many bikes and cars I wanted better,,, so I'd take 914 Porsches and stuff a 454 Vette mills in them,,,lol ,, good fun,,,good luck catching me on mullholland with that one,,,, every car and bike I owned got the rework it "needed",,, my wife at the time thought I was crazy,,, she was half right,,, there are companies out there that will do it for you if you have the chips to do it,,, BUT some people equate high dollar with quality,,,, it just isn't so,,,

[kz1000st]

Matt;

Compare the Suzuki to the Primavera. The Suzuki is a fuel injected, water cooled, overhead cam engine with two cylinders. The Vespa is an air cooled, single cylinder, overhead cam and yes, fuel injected with three valves. The Zook is as technically advanced, built from equal materials and will run rings around a 155cc Vespa. Both on size and engineering. This business of monocoque frames is baloney. It's pressed steel like a Honda Cub. By 1969 Honda had all but moved away from that.

It's one thing to pay for technical excellence like a Porsche and Ferrari over a Vette. It's another to pay more for a "Name". Like a Harley CVO Road King over a Victory Cross Roads. Or a Vespa Primavera 155cc over a Suzuki GW-250.

I won't even go into the "nose in the air" attitudes of too many Vespa owners. Not you, please don't be offended, but check out ModernVespa.com sometime for the towering attitudes.

[cyborg]

I Joined and abandoned modern Vespa for the elitism there,,, bunch of snobs,,, this I do not need or want in my life,,,

[fugaziiv]

Jul 25, 2014 10:59:41 GMT -6 kz1000st said:

Matt;

Compare the Suzuki to the Primavera. The Suzuki is a fuel injected, water cooled, overhead cam engine with two cylinders. The Vespa is an air cooled, single cylinder, overhead cam and yes, fuel injected with three valves. The Zook is as technically advanced, built from equal materials and will run rings around a 155cc Vespa. Both on size and engineering. This business of monocoque frames is baloney. It's pressed steel like a Honda Cub. By 1969 Honda had all but moved away from that.

It's one thing to pay for technical excellence like a Porsche and Ferrari over a Vette. It's another to pay more for a "Name". Like a Harley CVO Road King over a Victory Cross Roads. Or a Vespa Primavera 155cc over a Suzuki GW-250.

I won't even go into the "nose in the air" attitudes of too many Vespa owners. Not you, please don't be offended, but check out ModernVespa.com sometime for the towering attitudes.

Haha, no offence taken. Is a Porsche actually more technically excellent than a current Vette?

Funny side story though... I started liking Vespas simply because of the floorboards. Their design allows for roomy floorboards, something that many of the Asian bikes lack. Apparently the monocoque frame opens things up, and I've got big feet, so they work for me. But yes, they are expensive for what they are. It's why I purchased mine used, and waited for smoking deals to pop up. I've had my eye on a GT200 for a few years now, and only finally managed to score one at a price I was comfortable with a few months ago. No way was I paying MSRP.

Are they actually worth the additional cost? That's really subjective. Hit up Modern Vespa and naturally you get a resounding yes, ask the same question here and the results will be different, but each forum has a different focus. Scooters here, Vespas in particular over there. I find it hard to knock a brand that has a passionate owner base though, be it through marketing or just the result of an excellent product, it's great that they'me managed to cultivate that attitude.

I'm a member over at Modern Vespa as well, although I don't post there. Just like any forum, they've got good members and bad. They do tend to be a bit snobbish sometimes.


Matt

[cyborg]

As i can see it in this thread i don't get the value in the italian stuff other than the "panche" of owning one,,,personally i can't justify the cost,,,i got the stella because it's a large frame shifter scooter,,,,the et is a small frame auto,,,and service is a breeze on the stella with one lever side panel removal and carries a spare ,,,there is a tool for every job ,,the scooter is just perfect for rather large grocery and store runs,,,saving fuel all along the way,,,some people use †hem as toys,,strictly for pleasure and i understand it,,i ride almost every day probably 340-350 days a year by choice,,i put over 4000 +miles on my bike since december and 1300+ on the vespa,,,,,small displacement motorcycles definately have a place in my life ,,,i blew it all these past years with all the hyper exotic crap i was into,,,total waste of money,,,i could have bought the suzuki with the cost of just the exhaust system on my last ducati build,,,,if i had to do it over again i would have gotten my original choice of the bi metro,,,and still may get one,,,

[jct842]

Not naming companies, just the Asians could easily take a 2 cyl vert engine and manufacture a real scooter "with floor boards" and frame mounted engine with a real swing arm to sell as a maxie scooter very easily. All of the Asians have the technical know how. I got big feet too and if I have to climb them over a damn hump I might just as well put them over the seat of a motorcycle and end up with a ride that is at least 1/3rd less than a humped scooter.

As far as I am concerned it should be against the law to call it a scooter if it does not have a full flat floor board period.

[fugaziiv]

Jul 25, 2014 12:51:29 GMT -6 jct842 said:

Not naming companies, just the Asians could easily take a 2 cyl vert engine and manufacture a real scooter "with floor boards" and frame mounted engine with a real swing arm to sell as a maxie scooter very easily. All of the Asians have the technical know how. I got big feet too and if I have to climb them over a damn hump I might just as well put them over the seat of a motorcycle and end up with a ride that is at least 1/3rd less than a humped scooter.

As far as I am concerned it should be against the law to call it a scooter if it does not have a full flat floor board period.

The hump is necessary for a stiff chassis, since most scooters use tubular steel for the frame. Without the hump the higher powered bikes have a tendency to flex a bit mid corner when the power comes on. It feels weird.


Matt

[jct842]

I have been wrong once or twice before but I doubt if I will ever buy a "scooter" with a hump again. If I was a bit younger I think I would just weld up a frame to suit me. Square al. Tube welded side to side maybe 18 1" of them is not going to twist, would not weigh any more than a hump frame might cost a couple hundred more.

[kz1000st]

You know what they say Matt. "If I have to explain it to you, you just don't understand."

My palms still sweat when I see a Kawasaki CG1000 Concours for three grand on Craigslist.

[fugaziiv]

Jul 25, 2014 17:33:03 GMT -6 kz1000st said:

You know what they say Matt. "If I have to explain it to you, you just don't understand."

My palms still sweat when I see a Kawasaki CG1000 Concours for three grand on Craigslist.

Dude, you and me both! What a great bike!

Matt

[JR]

Well if that makes your palms sweat this should make you foam at the mouth!

newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/mcy/4547986037.html

[Bashan]

Jul 25, 2014 11:49:46 GMT -6 fugaziiv said:

I'm a member over at Modern Vespa as well, although I don't post there. Just like any forum, they've got good members and bad. They do tend to be a bit snobbish sometimes. Matt

WHAT!? Matt...I...am speechless! There's another forum? We're not snobbish at Doc. :-SJust better. Rich

[fugaziiv]

Jul 28, 2014 22:29:10 GMT -6 JR said:

Well if that makes your palms sweat this should make you foam at the mouth!

newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/mcy/4547986037.html

Y'know, it's funny but HD's don't do much for me. Well, I take that partially back. Find me a nice xr1200 and that's a Harley I'd actually ride.

Not a bad price through on this one all things considered.


Matt

[kz1000st]

I want my next bike to be a rapid transit shuttle, not a cruiser. A Concours with bags and shaft drive will get me there like, now. I had a Z shafty, loved it. A Z sport tourer would be my dream bike. I looked the other day on CL and saw them for under two grand. I had to tie myself down.

Edit: OK. wait. I like the new Harley Street 750. It's a plain looking, current engine design that isn't saddled with chrome. Plus it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

[kz1000st]

The plot thickens.

canadamotoguide.com/2014/07/18/suzuki-gw250-long-termer-update/

For those of you that are concerned that the quality, fit, and finish of the bike may be compromised due to it being manufactured in China, let me put that to rest. I haven’t found anything on the bike that is second rate. The paint finish, quality of the chrome, plastics, and welds seems right up there with anything made in Japan.