(NBR) Number 6! Another one in the stable!

[BuddyRaton]

Saturday our group did a nice long ride. Diva Bocette and I went 2 up on the Burgman so on Sunday morning I was just goofing around and checked craig's list.

You know...surfing scooter porn.

I ran across a listing and gave the guy a call, no answer so I left a message. I called again about 20 minutes later and he said some guy was coming over in about a half hour to look at it. I figured that that was the end of it but I said I would call back to see if that guy bought it or not.

He called about a half hour later returning the message I had left on his machine. I reminded him that we had already talked and he said that the other guy was a no show.

I hooked up the tilt a rack loaded up Mrs. Raton and Allie the Wonder Beagle and we headed down there in the motorhome with a stop at the ATM.

We got down there...about 40 miles or so...met the guy and started looking it over. About 2 minutes later the other guy showed up. After a little he aske if I was going to buy it. Yup! all he said was."well...you got here first...good luck with it!'

It starts first kick but the shifter was locked tight, I've gotten it loosened up a bit so I think its just the tube.


I couldn't let it pass


Here is the listing


1979 Vespa P200E - $475 (North Miami Beach, Florida)
1979 Vespa P200E Scooter

This is a classic Italian 200 cc, 2-stroke, 4-speed, steel body scooter.

Positives:

*starts right up
*only 5400 original miles
*carburetor rebuilt
*new tires and inner tubes
*body in decent shape for its age
*powerful engine - much faster than the putt-putt 50 cc scooters
*electrical system in good shape
*new front and rear brake pads
*new heavy duty rear shock absorber
*new gas tank
*new brake and shifter cables
*60+ miles per gallon
*new spark plug
*any and every part easily available through scooterworks.com
*classic Italian design
*I have the title and registration for the scooter

Needs:

*engine starts, but the gears won't shift;
therefore, the scooter can't be ridden yet
*needs new battery
*needs some body work; some rust on floorboards
*needs new seat

Narrative:

I bought this scooter five years ago from a man in Ft. Lauderdale. It had been sitting in his garage for about 25 years basically unused and was in excellent shape. In fact, it only had 1200 original miles on it. Even though the scooter is 30 years old, I am actually only the second owner. The scooter was really reliable, and gradually I started replacing some of the old parts. I rode it to work every day for a few years and experienced no major problems. With minimal mechanical skill and a manual, I was able to do all the minor repair work and adjustments myself. I found I could get any part (and I do mean any--from little rubber gaskets to light bulbs to cables to tiny brake springs) cheap from Scooter Works, a company in Chicago. (See scooterworks.com.) In fact, it is much easier to get parts for the old Vespas than the new ones! I found, though, I had to start taking my daughter to preschool in the car and so I pretty much stopped riding the scooter. One day I wanted to ride it, but discovered I could no longer shift the gears easily. Eventually, I could not shift the gears at all. (The Vespa clutch and gear shifter are located on the left handlebar grip.) Try as I might, I could not figure out how to fix this problem. I don't know if the problem has something to do with the cable gear box or internal transmission. In any case, I stopped messing with the scooter and it has been sitting in the yard for over a year. The body is in good shape, though the humidity is beginning to take its toll. Still, I think the scooter is certainly salvageable and a good project bike at a fair price. A heavy duty cable lock, heavy duty chain, and scooter anchor are also available.


YEAH...I BOUGHT IT!

[bigbropgo]

Great find! That price is crazy low. People buy those things for much more even if they don't run. SCORE.

[Kaos]

Holy crap! Why can't I get one that price??? Can I fly down and take it off your hands?

[laxer]

Saw the pics on MV, it really looks good for the price, congrats!

[hcstrider]

That sounds like an amazing "barn find".