We are a Scooter Club and a Vespa Club, so it goes without saying that the Classic Vespa becomes the subject of our posts by default. It is impossible to ignore 70 years of history. However regognizing history in a post in a lot different than owning a Classic Vespa. It is not only Vespas. There is a fair amount of Lambrettas (A rival from the 60/70s) as well. Recently the Stella from Genuine Scooters in Chicago (an Indian Clone) have made the market more atainable. As it represents the most common of Classics, the Classic Vespa is what we will be talking about here.

First, what is a Classic. We mean a 2-stroke, 4-Speed with a Clutch Scooter. Regardless of its year, these 2 distinctions seperate this type of ride. 2 Stroke. That means it does not run on Gas alone. The Gas is mixed with the oil either automatically or manually. Like an Lawn Mower. 4 Speed. Or even 3 on some models. With a Clutch. This is usually a left hand shifted clutch & shifter. Usually there is a Foot Brake for the rear drum Brake. They are different animals. Much different than our 4 Stroke, Automatic Transmissioned Modern Scooters. The whole “Stroke” aka “Cycle” thing indicated the type of engine it is. A 4 Stroke has an oiling system and 2 Stroke does not, so that is why the oil is mixed in, usually every few hundred miles. No oil changes on a 2 stroke.

They sure do look alike. Vespa has done quite a job on maintaing their brand image. Retro styling and brilliant Marketing has made the transition from Classic to Modern seemless. Many think that today’s Vespa is a desendant of the old Classics. They really are not. They look the same and that is about it. They ride different, they act different, they are different.

Buying one is different too. They require lots of research, as every one is different. We live here in NY and it is not easy to get maintainence on our Modern Scooters either. The dealers are pretty spread out for us Long Islanders. BTW, the dealers want nothing to with your Classic. When it comes to service & maintainence, you are on your own. You may get lucky and find someone locally, but you should be very handy with the tools before even considering buying a Classic. There is a great restoration place in Brooklyn, https://scooterbottega.com – so be prepared to transport it there.

It is a very different mindset. It is not as easy as Twist n Go. Our Modern Vespas are amazingly easy to maintain. They are very reliable and capable. The larger GT models attain speeds that a Classic can never really do. However, riding a 2 Stroke with a 4 Speed is more fun than a barrel of Monkeys. The torque is amazing and they are little Wheelie machines. The power up to 50 mph will suprise the hell out of you. The joy and pain of Restoring any old machine is itself it’s own kind of fun. Tracking down and fitting parts is just the start.

If you have any questions about buying a Classic, contact us and we will try to help you, Scoot On… Marbles Mahoney