Stella VS Vespa 150 lx.... A 6 month trial

[onedeed26]

Hey my name is DD and I am a registered nurse living in oxford, Mississippi.

I have been wanting a scooter for a year now....soooo instead of being the frugile girl I usually am I bout a brand new Genuine Stella 4 stroke green with the tan seat and I have to say it was love at first sight.

BUT the plot thickens..... Before even riding it I started to have thoughts such as, "What if I ride it six months and I get sick of shifting and dealing with the extra maintenance that goes into riding a manuel bike." "What if it's too hard?"

Well when my mother found out I had bout a scooter instead of being angry like I had imagined she would. She listened to my story and told me I should convince my dad to buy a 2010 vespa 150lx that a coworker had just decided to sell. That way I could ride them both over the course of 6 months to a year and make up my own mind. Wow what awesome supportive parents I have. Shame on me for doubting them.

So now I've got both bikes. I am working on registering both of them. I have passed the written part of my motorcycle test and need insurance on them to get the full endorsement.

My current feelings...... yes the vespa is way easier to operate.... almost brainless, except for watching out for drivers who dont see me. Me and stella though..... we've only been together 2 weeks and we got a relationship. There is so much more to the a manuel shift and I have to say the challenge is a whole lot of fun.... most the time.

I know this is a personal choice that no one but I can make, but I would love to hear anyones opinions or suggestions

Thanks
Scooter nurse

[Keith]

My current feelings...... yes the vespa is way easier to operate.... almost brainless, except for watching out for drivers who dont see me. Me and stella though..... we've only been together 2 weeks and we got a relationship. There is so much more to the a manuel shift and I have to say the challenge is a whole lot of fun.... most the time.

I hear ya! I've got a Stella and a modern scooter too. It's exactly as you said and I know just what you need to do. Keep them both.........

[ericalm]

I own both, and I love owning both.

SO much depends on your personal tastes, needs, circumstances, etc. They are very different animals, which is why I appreciate them both. The Vespa will probably be more reliable long-term if you're going to put tens of thousands of miles on it, but the Stella has a 2-year warranty and, let's face it, it's fun as heck to ride.

I ride daily through pretty heavy traffic. Don't get sick of shifting, and I do a lot of it. The Stella is my usual daily commuter. The Vespa is reserved for longer, faster and more difficult rides. I also use the Vespa leading more of the group rides I do because it's easier.

Owning either is more of a labor of love than owning something like a Buddy. The Vespa is more expensive and can be very costly to own over many years. Parts are sometimes a huge pain in the butt.

If a satellite fell on my garage and destroyed both scooters and I got a huge insurance payout and could buy two brand new scooters, I'd probably get the same two, an LX and a Stella.

Okay, most of this probably isn't helping you. My suggestion: Since you're a new rider, spend more time on the Stella at first. You'll develop better riding habits. It might be more challenging to build your skills and become a proficient rider while switching back and forth. And confusing. I still sometimes go for the nonexistent rear brake pedal on the Vespa and recently grabbed the rear brake level as if it were the clutch.

Once you're a more confident rider, ride the heck out of both of them! Try them out in different riding conditions and environments. If you travel the same routes frequently, do a few days on one, then a few on the other.

Then keep them both. One's in the shop? No problem!

[Tom]

My current feelings...... yes the vespa is way easier to operate.... almost brainless, except for watching out for drivers who dont see me. Me and stella though..... we've only been together 2 weeks and we got a relationship. There is so much more to the a manuel shift and I have to say the challenge is a whole lot of fun.... most the time.

That's a great way to say it. It's what I love about a manual, it keeps you HERE while you ride. If you want to pay attention, ride something that requires attention. I love vespas to death, but I wish they would still make one with a manual transmission...

That's not to put down either, my feelings on this couldn't be any more subjective if you think about it. Have fun!!

[ericalm]

My current feelings...... yes the vespa is way easier to operate.... almost brainless, except for watching out for drivers who dont see me. Me and stella though..... we've only been together 2 weeks and we got a relationship. There is so much more to the a manuel shift and I have to say the challenge is a whole lot of fun.... most the time.

That's a great way to say it. It's what I love about a manual, it keeps you HERE while you ride. If you want to pay attention, ride something that requires attention. I love vespas to death, but I wish they would still make one with a manual transmission...

They do, but it's only sold in Europe as a limited edition. It's a 2-stroke PX125, so it's tuned for very poor performance to meet EU emissions guidelines.

The "millennial" PX150s didn't sell too well in the US (at around $5K). You can still sometimes find them "new" in dealers (outside CA, though I know of a CA dealer that has a couple brand new, never-ridden ones right out of the crates). There are also some post-2000 PX200s that have been imported as "grey market" bikes. A little harder to find and even slightly used go for more than a new Stella.

[badbodhisattva]

The Stella is cooler-- it's an objective fact and should be taken into consideration.

[onedeed26]

wow blogging about scooting is almost as fun as scooting..... almost. I have bee thinking about keeping both of them since i bought the vespa and if i can afford to I probably will.

I got the vespa 150LX used 2009 or 2010 I think for about 3K. Only had about 650 miles on it and in really great shape. Got it from a friend and coworker who had twins which makes for a total of 5 kids and no time to scoot. Her loss and big gain for me.

SO, I'll tell you about me and stella's minor mishap even though I'm thoroughly embarrassed about it. I had been riding it for about a week and gaining a little confidence with shifting and riding in traffic. I planned a trip to the beach and was gonna store the bike at my boyfriends for the weekend because he has a garage. Five feet from the garage there was a bit of sand and gravel that I had ridden over several times throughout he week and for some reason I turned it over or wrecked it (whatever you call it). No major injuries for me or stella, but after thorough inspection I realized that the front break worked but the tail break light did not. So I took her in to get her fixed.

Hopefully she will be back home tuesday when i'm not working and i have time to go pick her up.

Don't laugh,
DD

[Tack One.]

nah, dropping a bike is never a laugh. good to hear you're not hurt. a few scary moments while learning tend to teach you a LOT about what's safe or not.

In the end, I think you'll really enjoy the stella more. twist and go just isn't for me. I got my stella about 2 months ago, and that just opened up the world of bikes to me. now I'm going to buy a larger motorcycle, and keep the stella for downtown commutes.

two wheels couldn't be more fun.

[onedeed26]

Hey guys.....

My next big question is about the break in period. So I got stella back and almost everything is in order, but after riding the vespa things feel different. I notice that stella is a whole lot bumpier and my shifting capabilities have definitely regressed some.

What i really wanna know is will my stella really ride that different after 500 miles. Will my shocks break in some and be less jarring. Or will there always be this huge difference between the stella and the vespa.

Also, I ran out of gas going up hill... kind of scary..... but overall what an adventure this has been.

DD

[brandonwilliams929]

Hey my name is DD and I am a registered nurse living in oxford, Mississippi.

I actually live in Oxford too and just recently bought a Genuine Buddy! Is there any kind of club or group of people that meet who drive scooters in Oxford or on the University? If not, I'd really be interested in starting one so that I can learn more about the scooter world.

[onedeed26]

yes that would be great.... it would probably more feasible to do one on facebook since I'm not sure all of oxford is aware of this awesome forum. I'd love to meet up sometime and ride. Also and I'm aware and ok with if you turn me down, but I've been dying to try out a buddy. So I'd be willing to let you try out my vespa or stella in exchange.

Anyway..... yes definitely a scooter group in oxford would be awesome. I have definitely seen more scooters in oxford. So far i have spotted a lady on honda metro, some guy on a black vespa, and an older man on a white scooter but I havent been able to tell what make or model (looks newer though).

PM [phone number removed by admin!] if you ever feel like riding or checking out each others rides

DD

[ericalm]

Hey guys.....

My next big question is about the break in period. So I got stella back and almost everything is in order, but after riding the vespa things feel different. I notice that stella is a whole lot bumpier and my shifting capabilities have definitely regressed some.

What i really wanna know is will my stella really ride that different after 500 miles. Will my shocks break in some and be less jarring. Or will there always be this huge difference between the stella and the vespa.

Also, I ran out of gas going up hill... kind of scary..... but overall what an adventure this has been.

DD

The Stella break in procedure should be followed for 600 miles but it will continue to break in until around 1500 or so.

It will never be as smooth a ride as the Vespa. The shocks, brakes and dynamics of the scooter are just different. The Stella is a slightly cruder ride, which I kind of appreciate when I'm riding it.

BTW, I removed your phone number from your outer post. Really not something you want to post in a forum! If you want to share it with a member, you should PM them or have them PM you.

[onedeed26]

my bad

[onedeed26]

What is the break in procedure?
Didnt know about the phone number thing..... facebook is a public forum and its on there...... whoops

[ericalm]

What is the break in procedure?
Didnt know about the phone number thing..... facebook is a public forum and its on there...... whoops

Yeah, but you can approve who sees your number on Facebook! (I don't put mine on there…!)

Break in (for both scooters) is basically to vary your RPMs for the first 600 miles and not ride it at wide open throttle for long. People have different procedures for this and some get pretty religious about it.

Those who favor a "soft" break in would have you baby the engine and not go wide open throttle at all. I'm in the "hard" break in camp. I say flex it like a muscle and take it through its full range. Take it all the way up, but don't ride it like that for a sustained period.

After 600, get the oil and filters changed and switch from dino oil to synthetic.

[kitty]

Interesting topic, curious to see how it pans out. I have never owned an automatic car and find them super boring, so naturally this bleeds over to scooting. I was dead set on a Stella, I've wanted one for about seven years (lived in CA at the time so it was not an option) finally bit the bullet and said it's time. Located one at a dealership about a half hour away, went in to see it, put it on hold, got my permit, went back and bought it. The dealership put me on a 50cc twist and go to start, and I have to say it was kind of nice. I wondered if I made the wrong choice and maybe should have gone with an LX150. I keep thinking about it, and keep coming back to the conclusion that I'd be bored with it VERY quickly.

She'll be here this week and I get to start teaching myself how to shift it. I'm sure I'll be fine, just like a clutch pedal in a car, but no feet.

[ericalm]

I wouldn't drive a manual car in LA again. Pain in the ass, parking sucks, this city eats clutches. Yet I ride the Stella most of the time. Just works, I guess.

[kitty]

I lived in LA, Orange County, and now the NYC suburbs. I don't care how much traffic I am in, I will never own an automatic car. Seems like a waste to give up the chances you have to let it loose, for the times you can't. Plus I've never really spent any time in an automatic, so shifting is just a regular part of driving to me.

[BuddyRaton]

I lived in LA, Orange County, and now the NYC suburbs. I don't care how much traffic I am in, I will never own an automatic car. Seems like a waste to give up the chances you have to let it loose, for the times you can't. Plus I've never really spent any time in an automatic, so shifting is just a regular part of driving to me.

I always make sure there is some burnout rubber in fornt of my house. Just marking my territory!

[brandonwilliams929]

If anyone in Oxford, MS sees this thread and wants to be a part of a scooter club, then join this group on facebook!

This would be a great place to talk (digitally or in person) about the many questions that come with owning and maintaining a scooter. Join the club here:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/172689846194980/

Thanks,
Brandon

[Rusty J]

I wouldn't drive a manual car in LA again. Pain in the ass, parking sucks, this city eats clutches. Yet I ride the Stella most of the time. Just works, I guess.

The ability to slip around cars takes a lot of the "stop" out of stop-and-go traffic. That helps...

-Rusty
Vespa LXS 150
4T Stella, perhaps?