The scooter photographed earlier this year at the 2011 NY Scooter Club Block Party. Photograph Courtesy, Vespa Brooklyn.

As the year begins to draw to a close, if you’re considering your first scooter in 2012, history shows us that now is the time to scour the web for used scooter deals.

As we enter the Winter many owners decide not to invest in another year of riding and price to sell. Come Springtime as the market for used bikes hots up, so do prices, so if you plan ahead, there are deals to be had now.

Today on CraigsList, past contributor to NYC Scootering, Melissa, is selling her beloved 2009 Vespa S150. The bike has a unique red and black two-tone color scheme, and comes ready to ride with a complete matching riders kit – a medium red copter helmet, gloves, raincoat and scooter cover. The scooter and her owner were recently featured in a CNN Money editorial on scooterists.

Melissa’s asking the Blue Book value, $3100, or best offer and can be seen in Park Slope. Head on over to her CraigsList post to get in touch.

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Given the economy, it’s no surprise that Piaggio is keeping the pressure on moving inventory with the latest in a line of discounts. It’s also a way to help national Vespa dealers clear last year’s stock of some of the carburetor models that have re-emerged with fuel injection this season.

Piaggio are calling it their Hot Vespa Summer (apparently no-one told them it’s raining in NYC right now.)

Through October 31st, a local trip to Vespa SoHo, Vespa Brooklyn, Vespa Queens, Vespa Jersey City, or Metro Scooter (apologies to any of the local dealers I missed) could net you the following deep-discounts:

$1200 off the Vespa GTV 250
$1000 off the Vespa GTS 250
$500 off a carbureted Vespa S 150, LX 150 or LXV 150
$400 off an LX 50 with two-valve engine

You can check out VespaUSA.com for the break-down on the scoots but know that some of them have been retired from the site with their newest equivalents taking precedent.

As always, there’s some small print:

* GTV 250 offer good on new and unused 2008, 2009 and 2010 models.
* GTS 250 offer good on new and unused 2008 and 2009 models.
* S 150, LX 150 and LXV 150 offers good on new and unused 2008 and 2009 carbureted models.
* LX 50 offer good on new and unused 2008, 2009 and 2010 two-valve engine models.

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This image of the new matte titanium finish on the GTS 300 Super doesn't do it justice.

Vespa continues to move from strength to strength with the recent announcement of three new colors for the 2011 line-up. Celeste Blue on the LX50 4V and LX150 i.e. Metallic Bronze on the GTS 300 and Titanium on the GTS 300 Super.

I got a chance to drop by Vespa Brooklyn earlier this week to see the new colors. The matte finish of the Titanium in particular is drool-worthy. The dealership also had most of the recent two-tone additions in stock as well including a very dapper Red/White on the S150 i.e. and Espresso/Bronze on the LX150 i.e.

Visit your nearest Vespa dealer to check them out in person.

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Image courtesy of VespaUSA.com.

PiaggioGroup Americas have begun their latest promotion. This time to encourage new riders for the 2010 season while allowing local dealers to work through their stock of retired carbureted models.

The promotion will help clear the way for the company’s recent introduction of the “i.e.” fuel injected models which run cleaner and at lower fuel consumption while allowing potential riders to pick up some fantastic machines at a discounted price.

Through July 15th, anyone purchasing a new or unused 2008-2010 non fuel-injected Vespa S150, LX150 or LXV150 at local dealers will get $500 off the MSRP.

For more information, click here.

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We’ve heard rumblings of a fuel-injected upgrade to the various flavors of Vespa’s current 150cc line for some time, but this month Piaggio made the announcement official.

Piaggio’s use of the word “upgrade” means that the 2011 “i.e” models will replace the current line-up with the MSRP indicating a slight price-hike of $200 on dollars on the S150. Expect a similar price bump on the rest of the line-up. The models should be available at local dealers this spring.

For now, vespausa.com has not been updated with the new models but photos of the new models can be seen at the brand’s facebook page. Here’s hoping the delicious Taormina orange LX150 is coming stateside.

Here’s the full press release:

NEW YORK, April 1, 2010 – Italian manufacturer Piaggio, recognized for ground-breaking technology and legendary style, has equipped its 2011 Vespa S 150, LX 150 and LXV 150 models with new 150cc electronic fuel-injected engines that are even more miserly at the gas pump than the previous generation. Consuming 15 percent less fuel than its predecessor, the new powerplant wrings up to 85 miles out of each gallon of gas, all the while delivering an endless supply of fun and riding thrills. In addition, the new engine design also provides stronger, smoother acceleration in stop-and-go traffic, an especially important performance trait for metro commuters.

Green Isn’t a Trend – It’s a Commitment
While fuel price peaks and valleys have introduced thousands of consumers to the benefits of scooter ownership, choosing to swap some driving miles for riding miles isn’t just a trend when gas costs spike. For environmentally conscious consumers, it’s a lifelong commitment. The addition of the new 150cc injected engine family within the popular mid-range category adds even more reasons for consumers devoted to reducing fuel consumption, carbon emissions and congestion to make the switch to two wheels.

The electronic fuel injection system on the new 150cc injected engine ensures the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is optimized at all times and allows the single cylinder unit to pick up more smoothly and progressively from lower engine speeds. As a result, riders enjoy strong and smooth power delivery, especially in the relentless stop-start conditions of urban riding. The benefits of the new engines can also be appreciated on longer journeys where extended stretches of roadway come into play. And, owners who want a fast getaway will notice improved cold-starts, thanks to fuel injection.

Strong, clean and well-mannered at any speed, the 150cc i.e. equipped Vespa models are capable of zooming up to 60 mph. The unique, steel unibody Vespa frame provides greater rigidity and a more stable ride, while the superior trailing link suspension is designed to better handle potholes and other hazardous conditions. The front-disc braking system allows riders to safely make sudden stops on a dime, which is great for cities where traffic rules the road.

“Vespas are one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to contribute toward a cleaner, greener transportation landscape, and our new fuel-injected 150cc engine range makes it even simpler,” said Paolo Timoni, CEO of Piaggio USA. “Mid-scooters like the Vespa S 150 i.e., LX 150 i.e. and LXV 150 i.e. are tailor-made for confident urban commuting, and a 15 percent increase in fuel-efficiency is yet another great reason to add a scooter to your garage this Spring.”

Vespa has been and continues to be synonymous with fuel-efficiency and performance in North America and Europe. The new 150cc i.e. family upgrades the most popular models into a powerful league of their own, without compromising the long list of premium features. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for Vespa 150 i.e. models starts at $4,399 for the 2011 Vespa S 150 i.e. For more information, visit www.vespausa.com.

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In this video, Maureen shows us every step of the conversion which should take about an hour. The conversion kit itself is available for $59.00 direct from Motorsport Scooters. The kit allows US contemporary Vespa owners to remove the black plastic turn-signal pods that have been added as an afterthought to the scooter design to meet US road requirements.

And if you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to check out Maureen’s excellent LX/S maintenance videos here.

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I’m not quite sure which marketing guru decided there was simpatico between Vespas and video game workouts but Piaggio have announced their holiday offer, and anyone buying a new Vespa this holiday season will get a free copy of Electronic Art’s Active Personal Trainer for the Nintendo Wii.

Here’s the offer in full:

Buy a new Vespa LX150, S150 or LX150 this season and you’ll get the following:

• $500 off the MSRP.
• A free 2-year extended warranty valued at $350.
• A free copy of EA SPORTS Active fitness program for the Wii.

To learn more about the offer, head on over to the press release at Vespa’s North American site. You can read all about EA SPORT’s Active package at its official page.

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Vespa Brooklyn have just announced an amazing deal commencing Columbus Day. Take $1000 off all 2009 Vespa LX150s, S150s and GTS250s in stock.

In addition, you can get $500 off the MSRP off the LXV150 and GTV250 stock they have.

No updates to their website yet, but give them a call to learn more.

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Following last week’s pod mod, it’s time for mod number two – adding some “go faster stripes” to my new scoot. The thinking here is three-fold:

One, adding something that’s going to increase my visibility particularly at night. Second, adding an element of individuality to my bike. Third, and maybe I’m just speaking to myself here, but customizing the scooter away from its stock form in an attempt to deter theft.

I have no evidence to support this last point but parking a brand new stock Vespa on the streets of New York City for the past few weeks has felt like an invitation for theft. At least this way (assuming the stripes stay) I could pick the bike out of a crowd.

Close up of the leg shield.

The job took all of 15 minutes, with two rolls of tape ordered from identi-tape.com who promptly shipped to me from their broad selection of reflective, hazard and colored tapes. I only added two short lengths to the front leg shield being a fan of more restrained embellishment than some of the more decorated scoots out there. A quick flick of a scalpel allowed me to cut to fit.

The tape rolls.

I bought both tapes in one inch widths. The checkered tape is pure decoration, but the silver tape is reflective and meets federal specifications for safety, reflectivity and resistance to wearing.

Together, the tapes cost me less than $15 plus a small shipping charge.

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I’ve spent the first few days of modern scooter ownership working on a hernia until I found out that lugging a 250lb metal body dead-weight onto its center stand is, like many things in life, more about technique than brute strength.

Not only could I not get the damn thing to rock back onto it’s stand, but worse, was getting close to dropping the bike onto either myself of the concrete. I was pulling the bike so hard that I was lifting the front wheel a good foot or so off the ground and thoroughly unbalancing both myself and the bike.

Fortunately there are some good folks out there on the web who are ready to provide some sanity to the situation.

Turns out I was making three classic mistakes:

First, I wasn’t centering the bike vertically so that as the stand touched the ground it was distributing the weight evenly across both feet.

Second? I was standing in entirely the wrong location, and trying to do more work pulling with my arms that pushing down on the stand with my foot.

Third. I was trying to bring the stand directly down from the scoot, onto the ground, and into a parking position in one foul swoop.

What should I have been doing?

Thanks to a little research, so you don’t have to, here’s how:

First – stand to the immediate left side of the bike. Place your left hand on the left handlebar grip and grip the brake and your right on top of the seat to steady the bike. At this point you are facing the side of the bike rather than facing toward the handle bars.

Second, and this was my biggest mistake – slowly bring the stand down with your right foot until it makes contact with the ground. Now stop. The task here is not to immediately hop it onto the stand but rather to steady the bike and bring it upright. Once the stand has reached the ground, carefully rock the bike gently toward and away from you while pushing gently on the stand until you feel both feet bite the ground. This means that the bike has secure footing and is standing exactly perpendicular to the ground.

Now, in one swift movement, release the brake with your left hand as you step down on the center-stand foot pedal with your right foot as if stepping up onto a stair. While doing so, keep your left hand on the left grip and your right hand on the seat but only for the purpose of steadying the bike. It’s the step-down that does all the work, and releasing the brake even on a flat surface should give you enough momentum to initiate the roll. My mistake prior to learning this was to waste all my energy heaving with my arms rather than pushing with my foot.

Ker-clunk, and voila. The scoot should snap back a few inches onto its center-stand. If you need a little extra oomph, a slight tug on the grip with your left hand will initiate a slight roll back as you push down on the stand.

Need to see how this plays out? Check out this video on YouTube that shows even a 110lb woman can do this with ease:

Notice the brief pause where she rocks ever so slightly to ensure it’s exactly perpendicular with both stand feet hitting the ground evenly. She does it swiftly but it’s there. And from the reverse angle:

For the purpose of safety I found stepping completely off the ground as this woman does a bit nerve-wracking but she’s obviously doing this to completely leverage her entire body-weight.

Lesson learned. I’m now popping onto that center-stand bad boy with ease.

Scooter newbie … making mistakes so you don’t have to. ‘Till next time.

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