The Vespa VNB I purchased.

So, I have decided to get a scooter.  That part was easy.  Now comes the tough part.  A search for the perfect scooter, one that fits my needs, and ultimately, my personality.

There are so damn many to choose from.  I have been looking at some of the great websites dedicated to scooters, trying to determine which one is right for me.  It seems that more than many other objects that we own, the model and style of our scooter, more outwardly expresses our inner complexion and tastes.

The first step was determining that I wanted a vintage scooter.  I can appreciate the benefits of the more modern scooters (automatic – no need to clutch and shift, warranty, etc.), but find myself drawn to the ‘lines’ of the older models.  I have a good friend who has a total of 5 scooters, some in various states of disrepair (in parts and pieces in the basement) and some that are in perfect condition.  He has given me some good tips for choosing – and I think I am starting to narrow it down.  There is some debate about whether the late 70′s model Vespa, the “P” series is in fact vintage, but as newer designs have flooded the market, it’s clear that they owe more to the traditional style and function than to the newer breed.  It’s decided.  A vintage scooter it is.  A bike made sometime between the years of 1960 and 1980 will be the one for me.

The second step was deciding that the Vespa brand is right for me.  Maybe it’s an emotional attachment to the ones I saw everywhere in Italy, maybe it’s that they have become synonymous with the concept of ‘scooters’ (like Kleenex for tissue), or possibly that I am not too familiar with many other manufacturers.  But let’s be honest here… most likely, it’s because the character Jimmy rode one in the lyrics of the Who album Quadrophenia.  Man, did that thing look awesome on the cover of The Who record.  Mirrors and chrome, the tire in a special holder behind him…perfect!  It has been pointed out to me that the movie version of the rock opera had Jimmy riding a Lambretta, but I’m old school, and my first love will always be the original 1973 album.

My search for vintage Vespas turned up hundreds, if not thousands of bikes for sale.  Being new to the trade, I wanted to make sure I bought one close to home, so that my friend could come with me to check it out.  The idea of not being able to see it up close, for a first scooter, was not appealing at all.  I wanted to trust my friend’s hands-on evaluation, but more importantly, I was curious about how I would feel when I first saw it.  Without sounding too corny (probably too late for that!), there is an emotion that is triggered inside me when I see antiques, an instant attachment to the history of the piece.  That’s what I was hoping for with this scooter too, and viewing it on the internet would not suffice.  I had also been forewarned on many sites about the trouble with “vietbodge” bikes, and this is something I wanted to avoid.

After a ton of research, I finally found on Craigslist, what seemed like a great vintage Vespa, about 30 minutes from my home.  A 1962 restored Vespa VNB.  As many well know, Craigslist can be a bit of a nightmare, but immediately I could tell that this guy was not one of the creeps that I dread, lurking on that site in the for-sale classifieds.

My friend and I traveled up to where he is, meeting in a large parking lot for a good, long test run.  From the moment he pulled up, the beauty of this thing amazed me.  As mentioned earlier, antiques can give me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.  This antique did not disappoint.

Body inspection, check!  Engine inspection, check!  Lack of creepiness from seller, check!  Time to head back to his garage for the extra parts he has for me, as well as all manuals, printouts of schematics, and meticulously documented ownership.

But then it stalls.  Hmmm.  Can’t get it going again.  Strange, and certainly anti-climactic.  Throw it in the back of the rental van, and take it over to his place, where he can go through the carb.  He is definitely embarrassed, and I am certainly getting bummed out.

No luck at his place.  He says, “if you guys are not in a rush, I usually go over to a local guy’s shop to help out on Wednesday nights, and he can definitely get this going in 2 minutes.  He has an amazing collection of vintage scooters, and he is the guy who rebuilt the engine to 150cc.”  When he said vintage scooters, my friend’s eyes lit up, so he’s game.

Although I know the mechanical side of these beauties is a big part of ownership, I’m not looking to purchase a scooter that isn’t running on the day I buy it, so off we go!

The “collection” we ended up seeing was more like an armada of scooters.  More on that next time…

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