My Buddy is on order

[Tazio]

Well finally did it. Went to NoHo Scooters today and ordered a Buddy 125 Italia with the brown seat, grips and mat. It should be delivered later this month.

I really drooled over the Vespa GT60 and GTV250's but having little experience with two wheel motor power I want to start small.

I bicycle about 8000 miles/year and on reading the California Motorcycle Handbook I was surprised at how almost all of the hazards are the same with any two wheeler

Do plan to get all the safety gear and take the Motorcycle Safety Course before I do any riding.

[planowayne]

Fantastic, congratulations Tazio! I've been an avid mountain biker and road cyclist for years, and have just moved into the motorized two-wheeled world myself. Although the hazards for cycles and scooters are similar, I'm finding the handling characteristics are surprisingly different.

Enjoy your Buddy!! That series Italia is one fine looking machine.

[ericalm]

Hey, Tazio,
Congrats from a fellow SFValleyite and happy NoHo Scooters customer. If you'd like more scooterists in your MSF class, let me know. I'm ashamed to say we still haven't taken it. I know a few other people who've procrastinated, so maybe we can get a group together.

Mike has been selling Series Italias faster than I can get in there to look at 'em!

[San Francisco]

Well finally did it. Went to NoHo Scooters today and ordered a Buddy 125 Italia with the brown seat, grips and mat. It should be delivered later this month.

I really drooled over the Vespa GT60 and GTV250's but having little experience with two wheel motor power I want to start small.

I bicycle about 8000 miles/year and on reading the California Motorcycle Handbook I was surprised at how almost all of the hazards are the same with any two wheeler

Do plan to get all the safety gear and take the Motorcycle Safety Course before I do any riding.

Fine decisions indeed. Don't fret not getting a Vespa. IMHO while they are
nice, they are way overpriced. I have had about 200 motorcycles and scooters
and I could have bought some Vespas, new or used, this time around
[bought two Italias instead]. But I just can't bring myself to pay $5500
for a scooter.

Here in San Francisco I see those shiny new Vespas all the time. When I do
I don't think "Gee, wish I could get one." Instead I just think at how
overpriced they are.

My motorcycles cost about $10,000 to $15,000. I simply can't break out
the wallet to buy a scooter that cost over half of what a good superbike
would cost [my R1s]..

And while vintage Vespas are cool, especially in this town, I don't have the
patience to work on them, or have them worked on [the hills around here
are very hard on bikes and scooters].

And IMHO the Italia's fit and finish is pretty damn good. The 2007 model
is most impressive, so much so that when buying a scooter this week we
ended up buying two Italias. That says a lot in my book.

Bottom line: there is no need to feel a need to upgrade from the Italia.
It's as good a scooter one could ever hope to find.

I love Vespas and I think they are the ultimate scooter to have. Maybe
I'm just too much a tightwad when it comes to scooters. I mean, I do
overpay for the Ducati bikes I have [albeit I always buy used Ducatis so
I don't have to take such a big hit]. I digress, forgive me.

[Tazio]

Ericalm,

The idea of getting a group in the SFV together sounds great. It would also be nice if we could take the class using our own scooters. The only class that has been recommended to me is the Simi College one and they use 350cc motorcycles with manual shift.

I don't mind a manual shift. I've never owned an automatic but in taking the course it's one more thing to learn that's not needed with TNG.

[Corsair]

Many congrats :inhale: ahh... new scooter smell ...lol

[ericalm]

Ericalm,

The idea of getting a group in the SFV together sounds great. It would also be nice if we could take the class using our own scooters. The only class that has been recommended to me is the Simi College one and they use 350cc motorcycles with manual shift.

I don't mind a manual shift. I've never owned an automatic but in taking the course it's one more thing to learn that's not needed with TNG.

There's a class at the West Valley Occupational Center right in Woodland Hills that'll let you take it on your Buddy. I know taking the class on a motorcycle would totally throw my wife off: she's been practicing on the Buddy and has never ridden anything else.

They do the whole thing over a weekend—one classroom session followed by a riding session on Saturday, then the second riding session on Sunday. Currently, there's only one class scheduled for May and it's almost full but I'll see if they're planning on adding another.

http://www.riderite.net/

[Tazio]

Eric,

Thanks for the info. The one at the West Valley Occupational Center sounds great and only a few miles from the house. As soon as I get the Buddy, I'll sign up for the next available date.