Symbas Around the World!

magnato1 · Post by **magnato1** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:30 am

Ok, someone posted this link in a thread the other day and I have been unable to stop reading it. I can't find the thread where it was posted. It's so awesome what these people are doing/have done (not sure if they're done with the trip yet). What I want to know from all you Genuine experts out there is, could you do this trip on a Stella? The bigger tires on the Symbas would obviously help in a lot of terrain, but I am more wondering about the durability of the Stella, could you depend on it on a trip like this? And which would be better, 2T or 4T?

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.p ... 79&page=14

Drum Pro · Post by **Drum Pro** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 6:11 am

What a trip. I don't know if a Stella could endure that much of a beating. I imagne if I was going to do something like that on a Stella, I'd want a 2T...

neotrotsky · Post by **neotrotsky** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 6:44 am

Everytime I see that thread, I still wonder if I should of held out for a Symba.... They are just that damned cool

magnato1 · Post by **magnato1** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:41 pm

Personally, I don't love the look of the Symba, but I do like that they are manual shift. They had them at the shop where I got my Cali Classic and I had a chance to look it over, but after reading that thread, I have all kinds of respect for them.

SYMbionic Duo · Post by **SYMbionic Duo** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:08 pm

Well there is the guy who rode all over Asia, north Africa, and Europe on a Vespa PX. Rather 3 trips, 3 Manual Shift Vespas.

Can't remember his name, but his bikes are in the Piaggio Museum in Pontadera.

redhandmoto · Post by **redhandmoto** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:26 pm

SYMbionic Duo wrote:Well there is the guy who rode all over Asia, north Africa, and Europe on a Vespa PX. Rather 3 trips, 3 Manual Shift Vespas.

Can't remember his name, but his bikes are in the Piaggio Museum in Pontadera.

Giorgio Bettinelli.

and no one has translated his books into English!

magnato1 · Post by **magnato1** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 1:18 am

I read some stuff about Bettineli, pretty awesome how far he has traveled on these little bikes, but it sounds like he was also completely backed by Vespa. I don't know if that means that they paid for his repairs, or sent a mechanic along with him or what, but pretty awesome nonetheless. Also, where do I sign up for that job?

jd · Post by jd » Fri Nov 16, 2012 1:50 am

These riders have more endurance than the Symbas.

I owned a new SYM Symba for a couple of months last year and got rid of it because it's not a very smooth riding bike. The suspension is unsophisticated and the ride wasn't much different from my moped's. The ride on our Buddy 125 was so much better that we bought another Buddy and sold the Symba.

Don't get me wrong. The Symba was a fun little bike, and I loved the way it looked. I also dug the manual shifting. But it beat me up if I took it more than a few miles. Bang! Bang! Bang! over each bump.

jd

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:22 am

Welll hey, the Symba IS an old design. It is basically a Honda Cub. It is what it is. Like saying a Stella is a less sophisticated ride than a Buddy. True, but it all depends on what you are going for

.

Southerner · Post by **Southerner** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:54 am

Their versatility is amazing and there are pictures posted online of Honda Cubs carrying horrific loads so I guess they're tough enough. Would had to gotten something other than powder blue myself, though.

The shifting is a cinch. Centrifugal clutch. Just like my old Mini-Trail.

Enclosed chains are out of favor but still mondo practical.

az_slynch · Post by **az_slynch** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:05 pm

Well, now I have something to read over lunch breaks next week.

Thanks for sharing!

magnato1 · Post by **magnato1** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:50 pm

az_slynch wrote:Well, now I have something to read over lunch breaks next week.

Thanks for sharing!

I know, I can't stop reading it. I've been reading every night for at least a week. And now I have a serious travel bug. When I am not reading the blog, I am looking at the upgrades, improvements, necessities I would need to add to the Stella for a long road trip (front rack, gas can, tent, iPhone charger, better tires, full face helmet, spare parts, etc. etc.).