Stella as a reliable city commuter?

bkozz449 · Post by **bkozz449** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:48 am

Hi everyone, new member here! This forum seems to have lots of knowledgeable folks, so I was hoping I could get some purchase advice.

Here's my situation: I live in Los Angeles with one car, and the fiancé gets that car most of the time. I mostly bike commute, but there's a couple times a week where that's not practical. I won't be doing any highways, and the fastest surface roads I'd drive on would be around 45mph. I love to tinker, mod, and do my own maintenance.

I know the Buddy would make the most sense, but the Stella 4t with the manual shifting, and old-school design is what I'm really drawn towards.

Problem is, I've read several horror stories about the engine and electrical system, and it has me spooked about using it as actual transportation. If it just takes a little more wrenching and research to keep the Stella happy, then I'm all about getting the Stella. If it's more of a "it's a great scooter until the bearings grenade your engine at 1200 miles", then I guess it's the Buddy for me.

What say you, oh experienced scooterfolk?

maribell · Post by **maribell** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:52 am

Well, the problems you just listed are that of the 2T. No one knows much about the 4T as of yet, so I really couldn't say. That is the risk you take of being an early adopter.

I don't know much about tinkering, but I know that if I don't do it I am going to save myself a few headaches.

10gallonhat · Post by **10gallonhat** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:49 am

As mentioned, the "problems" are two stroke related. Those concerns are one of the reasons I bought a Buddy in '07 and shied away from a Stella. In the end, the problems probably wouldn't have been that bad and I bet I would have loved the Stella.

Assuming those problems aren't there in the 4T, I say roll the dice.

Plus, the 4T Stella now has a 2 year warranty where the 2Ts had only a 1 year warranty. Which at the very least means Genuine is going to stand behind this scooter and take care of those of us who are early adopter if need be.

Oh - and for now, there is only 1500 of them being made - 300 in each color. Which means it's a pretty unique scooter to own.

mr bill · Post by **mr bill** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:17 am

Hello Bkozz449,

Get the Stella 2T
Yeah there's some hangups but no big deal
It wont blow if you don't modify, kit, or improve.
45 to 50, use synthetic oil and you'll be cool.
Last of the real scooters.

My Thoughts

Cheers

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:09 am

I would fully expect the electrical problems to be part of the 4t experience.

All bets are off when it comes to the engine. Its an all new design, it could suck or it could be awesome, or anywhere in between.

I have 1200 miles on a 2t, and there hasn't been anything that has made me second guess having it as a daily driver. The electrical issues don't affect the scoots ability to get you down the road, and I believe it was only the first flight models that had engine problems.

You will cuss when your headlight decides to take the night off, but it won't leave you stranded- at least mine hasn't.

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:10 am

mr bill wrote:Hello Bkozz449,

Get the Stella 2T
Yeah there's some hangups but no big deal
It wont blow if you don't modify, kit, or improve.
45 to 50, use synthetic oil and you'll be cool.
Last of the real scooters.

My Thoughts

Cheers

I doubt somebody in LA really has the option of getting a 2T. Not without some hassle at least.

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:23 pm

Also, most of the 2T electrical problems were with the earlier Stella models, the later builds have been very reliable. I know of many people daily commuting on them without any issues.

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:04 pm

I have a late 2t with all the classic electrical problems (kill switch, headlight, and gas gauge).

Its not just early models.

That said, the engine has been totally solid through 1200 miles.

maribell · Post by **maribell** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:17 pm

I only have the gas gauge problem. Namely that I only use about half a tank before the gauge shows empty. Not a big deal, as the Stella has a 2 gallon tank. Stella just ticked over 1000 miles yesterday and she is going just fine as a daily commuter.

10gallonhat · Post by **10gallonhat** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:00 pm

I think the fact that they are in LA does rule out the 2T for the most part. I also think the electrical issues are not a huge deal with the 4T considering the 2 year warranty. The biggest factor is how close you live to a dealer who can do the warranty work. If there are minor electrical issues, they should be fixable and free, right?

Shane Wilson · Post by **Shane Wilson** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:25 pm

I have over 11K on my '08 and it has been quite reliable.

The kill switch went on me and the gas gauge doesn't work, but I don't consider those to be any big deal.

JSharpPhoto · Post by **JSharpPhoto** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:33 pm

you don't need a gas gauge on a vintage scooter. You have to turn the fuel tap to "reserve" once you're low of fuel, that's all the evidence you need that it's time to get gas. The Stella, if treated properly, will return the favor. They're the next best thing to a P200 for commuting. Have you thought of buying a used vespa P series? rather than a new stella? A good condition, running p200 should run you 2800-3000. And because they're old enough, and no doubt with more than 7k miles on them, you shouldn't have a problem registering it in LA.

Howardr · Post by **Howardr** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 5:13 pm

Initially, I worried about my Stella also. I now have over 6000 miles on my Stella and have never had a problem that left me stranded anywhere. It stars every time and runs like a champ. I'm in Tucson and have ridden with temps in the low 30's and as high as about 120 degrees. I been on rides over 150 miles and have never had a problems.

GET IT, you'll love it!

Howard

KRUSTYburger · Post by **KRUSTYburger** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 5:32 pm

I would say go with the Stella if like the Stella.

EXCEPT:
If you live in an area with steep hills you will wish you went with a twist-n-go.

bkozz449 · Post by **bkozz449** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:52 pm

Thanks everyone for your advice so far!

To Jsharp: I'm sure I'd love to work on an older P series, but that could easily turn into more of a project than I have time for when I need this thing to be reliable transportation.

Based on your advice, I did a quick craigslist search for used vespas, and it looks like there are barely used late model 250's for 3500-ish. That's much less than I thought they would be, so maybe that's the way to go!

Sure it's not a manual, but everything else seems like a step up for what I'm looking for: reliable, neat styling and plenty of power for keeping up with speedy LA traffic.

to Krusty: yep, there's a lot of pretty nasty hills in my commute, so maybe a manual isn't such a hot idea after all.

JSharpPhoto · Post by **JSharpPhoto** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 7:17 pm

hills are fine on a manual. that's what 3rd gear is for. but maybe a manual isn't what you really want. they're not for everybody.

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:24 pm

JSharpPhoto wrote:hills are fine on a manual. that's what 3rd gear is for. but maybe a manual isn't what you really want. they're not for everybody.

Yeah, no problem with hills. Portland is all hills and I've been riding a shifty Bajaj around for the last 2 weeks with no issues.

10gallonhat · Post by **10gallonhat** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:30 pm

This fear of Stella's reminds me of an article I read about people who self-diagnose themselves with illnesses on the internet.

Generally speaking, message boards are most frequented by the people who have had the problems looking for answers. They are spread out across the whole globe, but creates the perception that there is a large frequency and concentration of people suffering from the same problems.

The reality is it is a small percentage of the population (or stella owners in this case).

Assume 500 people have encountered the same problem and posted on MB. That is a pretty small percentage of the total number of Stella owners.

In other words, I wouldn't worry about the problems people have reported too much. You might have a few issues, but that's a risk with anything you buy.

If they were that widespread, people would be lumping them in with the cheap chinese scooters (which do have widespread problems).

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:58 pm

if you want to hop on and ride and not worry about a darn thing then a stella 2 stroke or 4 stroke isnto going to be for oyu
but i have almost 5000 miles of commuting on mine and the only issues has been the headlight problem the ground was a mistake during set up

and i have a bigger carb and a somonini pipe on mine
now how is the new engine going to work out no one knows just yet but genuine has decided to give it a 2 year unlimited miles warranty so they must think it will be a good engine

cmac · Post by **cmac** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 4:09 am

Okay, I'm 21 college student with a stella as my primary vehicle.
It is possible to have just a scooter as your primary as long as you're committed. It sucks to ride in the rain but it can be done with a simple rain suit. I ride on roads up to 55mph constantly with my stella and can keep up with traffic perfectly fine. SHIFTIES are 10x more fun than twist n go's....sorry but it's just true. My stella was one of the first ones made back when Genuine got back up and running so mine has had SOME mechanical issues, which if you don't have a mind for learning how to do work on your own, would have been fairly difficult to do. Is it the most reliable scoote? No. Is it the most unreliable scooter? No. For the most part will it run when it should and look freaking awesome while doing so? YES. I'm glad I didn't get a non vintage looking and riding scooter, it's just more fun. But I do fall in love with older motor vehicles.

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 4:46 am

Actually, NoHo Scooters has 2 or 3 low mileage 2t Stellas for sale. You should go up and check them out. There's also a 4T there for a few more days before it goes off to get reviewed.

The pre-'08 Stellas are fairly easy to get these days and can be registered in CA with no problems.

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:44 am

cmac wrote: SHIFTIES are 10x more fun than twist n go's....sorry but it's just true.

I've been riding my Buddy a bit while I work on selling it. The first time I got on it this spring, I rode it for about a tenth of a mile before I thought "I'm going to fall asleep."

The ride is just too smooth, and my left hand and right foot kept telling me they were bored and needed something to do.

bkozz449 · Post by **bkozz449** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:06 am

Anachronism wrote:I've been riding my Buddy a bit while I work on selling it. The first time I got on it this spring, I rode it for about a tenth of a mile before I thought "I'm going to fall asleep."

The ride is just too smooth, and my left hand and right foot kept telling me they were bored and needed something to do.

Exactly!. Come to think of it I've ridden a an auto 3-wheeler, auto waverunner, and a bunch of fast auto cars, and they've all been boring once I got used to the speed. My car is a 6-speed miata, and we live in a hilly/gridlocked area... and I guess that's manual-transmission-hell to most people but I love it.

Whelp, I've made my decision: Stella it is! I called my friendly local dealer, and they said that they would happily take my money in exchange for a preorder. Woo!

Oh crap.... now I have to pick a color!

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:54 am

since you mentioned the gts 250, I will say they are great. Very reliable and comfortable to ride. I also have a Buddy which I love. Either are great commuters. The Buddy is more nimble and easier to park, the Vespa faster and more comfortable to ride. I balk at new vespa prices, but as you can see if you consider used, you can get some great deals. As important as the bike you choose is finding a good dealer for service.

PS on looks alone the Stella is IMO the clear winner, however I am not a wrencher and could not deal with all the little and big issues that come up...with the 4 stroke though I have not idea what to expect.

10gallonhat · Post by **10gallonhat** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:25 pm

bkozz449 wrote: Whelp, I've made my decision: Stella it is! I called my friendly local dealer, and they said that they would happily take my money in exchange for a preorder. Woo!
Oh crap.... now I have to pick a color!

I went with Slate Blue... although I think the seat is also blue, which I may end up switching out for black.