Vespa Santa Monica

Posted on 20 March, by admin under Vespa Helmets

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Vespa Santa Monica

Is the vespa a wise bike choice for traveling here?

I live in Santa Monica and Want a way to visit my friends who live in like monteclaire, ventura, and long beach. Would a Vespa be able to travel well enough? I know some scooters have problems with distance but these places are not to far away.

I want a bike that isn't that big and that I can sit up on regularly and not hunched over like some of them and a vespa just looks like the perfect choice.
I just like the way the Vespa looks and it's very inexpensive. Yes Ventura is I think 55 to 60 miles away.

not the wisest or unwisest, but unless you get a big scooter, which you say you don't want, riding for distance can be more of a challenge on smaller scoots

if you're a first time rider know trips like this, especially in traffic, should see you taking a beginners riding course and lots of riding practice. also understand relatively speaking, a Vespa scooter (Vespa brand) is inexpensive when compared to a new car, but otherwise it is most likely the most expensive scooter make sold in America. a 50cc Vespa starts at a little over $3000 and dealers aren't known to discount, or cut fees. and you do not want to go to Ventura or Montclair on a 50cc scooter, much less mix it up much in traffic.

that said, you can get a 150cc Vespa (or other model) scooter and ride to Ventura, LB, or Montclair, but you would need to be a "true scooter rider." meaning taking surface streets, and finding the quickest routes. for instance from Santa Monica to Montclair you might take Olympic through West L.A. and downtown L.A., left on Soto in ELA, onto Huntington Drive through South Pasadena, San Marino, and Arcadia and Monrovia, to Arrow Highway and onto Montclair you go. you would only make 3 or 4 turns until you reach Arrow Highway, then just ride straight into Montclair. that is MY way of getting there, google maps will give another, longer way. but either way you could count on a nearly 2 hour ride one way, and without breaks.

so if you enjoy riding and love your friends, it's doable. but you gotta LOVE riding! it's a commitment

SM to Ventura shows 60m and 2 hours at the speed limit down PCH, and to Long Beach shows 30m and about an hours ride. all these are estimates by car and at the speed limit.

a "faster" scooter wouldn't help on these kinds of surface streets, so a 125cc or 150cc would be fine to keep up with traffic. a 150cc Vespa would cost around $5000 - $5500 "out the door" after tax, fee's, etc. they are very nice scooters, but lot's of other great choices exist, new and used. good "Vespa style" scooters up to the challenge of long distance commutes are

Genuine Buddy, 125cc standard, and 150cc "International"
Piaggio Fly 150cc
Yamaha Vino 125 (kinda slow 125cc, though)
Kymco Like i200
Sym Fiddle II 125

all these are small(er) scooters with smaller wheels, with Vespa's "classic" style. more choices exist with bigger wheels (16in) and may be better for long commutes comfort and stability wise. but since you say "isn't that big" i won't mention those, as they are significantly bigger. of all those listed above, i like the Genuine models, myself. and even their 125cc models are strong. they are on sale at NoHo Scooters at the moment

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mcy/1892946238.html

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