We all knew this was coming. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be sans-scooter here shortly. I’ve realized that I’d much rather ride a small motorcycle day-to-day than this fine piece of italian stamped steel. It’s no commentary at all on this fine machine, or on scooters in general. It’s simply the best route for me at this time. I’ll have other scooters, and soon — there’s no doubt about that. For now, this one has got to go. You can see the Craigslist ad here.
Nathaniel,
Beautiful scooter, and a great buy!
But here’s a couple questions. I see on Craigslist that the carburetor was just cleaned, at 6000 miles. Did the carburetor really need to be cleaned with so few miles on the Vespa? What exactly did you do in cleaning the carburetor, and what did you find in cleaning it? Were all the jets clean, for example? Should I have my carburetor cleaned (I have a Vespa GTV 250 with 6000 miles on it)?
Is it recommended to change the gear oil at 6000 miles, or are you just providing an extra margin of preventative care? How often do you change the oil?
In that my Vespa is the same year and same mileage, and nearly the identical model as yours, what would you recommend in the way of preventative care for my Vespa 250? Mechanically, it has run perfectly from the day I got it. It’s smooth, quiet, comfortable, with more power than I’ll ever use.
I hope you’ll return to Vespas at some point, and will continue blogging about them at some point. That said, your blogs on motorcycles has sparked my interest in someday obtaining a smaller, older motorcycle. Can’t see me ever giving up the Vespa, though.
David,
Your Vespa and mine share the same chassis, brakes and suspension, but they have two very different engines. Your Vespa doesn’t even have a carburetor, as it’s fuel-injected. So don’t even worry about it. As for when to change your oil or perform any of the maintenance your Vespa will need over the miles, you’re going to need to consult your Owner’s Manual and work with your local mechanic. Stay up to date on that stuff and you’ll enjoy a lot of miles on it, I’m sure.
Like I said in the post, I’ll have other scooters and I even know what my next one will be. It probably wont happen until next season, but it’ll be a mid-80s Honda Elite 250. There’s a story there, but I’m not going to tell it just yet. Stay tuned.