Yes, a new scooter. Where’s the old, you ask? Funny story, that. So, the Honda was having an electrical issue, and after much wembling, Jen convinced me to take around the corner to our mechanic[1]. He said he didn’t know much about them, but would be happy to poke around when he had the time. So, it sat there for a month or so. He found the source of the issue, and after many phone calls, found the part. There was much rejoicing.
A few weeks ago, about a day after he told me the part was on its way, Jen emailed me during the day. “Something in the neighborhood is on fire, maybe the old bar.” I thought I should poke around after work, but alas, I forgot. The next day, she calls me. “Mike was just here. Remember that fire? It was in his garage. Remember our scooter? It’s just a pile of melted plastic.” I wasn’t too upset, given that between our insurance and his, I’d get some cash for it (though likely not much). I set about looking on Craigslist for a new ride. Two options quickly presented themselves: a 2008 Vespa LX50 with only a few hundred miles, and an Aprilia SR50 Factory with lots of miles, but owned by a mechanic. I spoke with an acquaintance who knows scooters, and he said that either would be a great buy. The Aprilia owner wasn’t quite sure he was ready to sell, so I went off to look at the Vespa.
The owner was in McKeesport, so I climbed in the van on a Sunday and headed out to look at it. The owner was selling because she moved there, and it was too hilly to use as regular transportation. As I climbed out of the river valley, I thought, yeah, this is pretty hilly terrain for a little scoot. As I wound past housing projects and run down houses, I began to wonder if this wasn’t an elaborate plan to kill some gullible city slicker. I parked the van on a steep, cobbled hill, and found the house. I can say that the owner didn’t kill me, and the Vespa was secure in a garage, in absolutely pristine shape aside from needing a new battery. I took it for a spin, confirmed that it did work, besides an occasional stall at idle, and decided it seemed like a good deal, and I should make plans to buy it.
A day later, the Aprilia owner calls and says “yeah, I’ll sell.” So I make plans to look at it while being vague with the Vespa owner about buying her scooter. A day later, I call the Aprilia owner again to set up a time, and he says “yeah, man, I was taking out to the store, and boy it was going like the stink, ’til it stopped about 100 feet. I think the injectors are bad, but I’m not sure.” In the interim, I had convinced myself there was something foul with the Vespa, since how could the owner sell it for less than folks were selling Mets with more mileage? And now, without the trusted source of the Aprilia (my friend knew this guy personally), what was I to do?
As all this was happening, things were moving along with my insurance. An adjuster called to tell me he talked to the mechanic, and yeah, the scooter was a total loss (it was clear that he had many more important things to do, and he was looking for the simplest way to clear this scooter off his plate). As he began to tell me what they’d offer, he was quick to temper my expectations–“things depreciate, you know”–and I was already prepared for a few hundred dollars. Then he told me the number, and I had to hide my surprise–I was getting more than we initially paid for the scooter. “Yes, I understand…I think we can live with that,” I said.
This suddenly gave the scooter search a different dimension. Do we look into getting a new scooter? We could afford it now, with just a little bit more cash from our coffers. I argued both sides (the Vespa, or a new Piaggio or Buddy) for a few days, and finally, the cheap skate financially responsible part of me won, and we decided on the Vespa. I was still a bit nervous about the thing not running after ten minutes, so I convinced the owner to drive it to the AAA in White Oak where we’d transfer the title. I figured if it didn’t make there without stalling 50 times (or didn’t make it at all), I could cancel the transaction and we’d drive a bit further up the road to Mosites and buy a Piaggio.
The Vespa did, indeed, make it to the AAA, and it made back to Pittsburgh (riding along Route 30 on a 50cc scooter is interesting). The battery was indeed dead, and after a bit of searching, I managed to find a replacement (which precipitated a ride to the North Hills on the scooter). It still sometimes stalls on idle, but cleaning the carburetor and mucking with the mixture should take care of that. Yes, it’s baby blue. It currently has stars on it. So what?
[1] The guy who rides a motorcycle that is possibly bigger than our van.
Posted on 14 July 2012