Total Motorcycle Community Forums

and more craziness!

ROADS? Where we are going we don't need roads!

Scooters are cool.

blues2cruise wrote:Scooters are cool.

Scooters are cool, but overpriced ones are not. Price on the Vespa USA website is $4899. I can get a Honda PCX150 for $3439, and get Honda stone-ax reliability to boot. As well as 10mph higher top speed, and 14 inch wheels instead of the Vespa's 11 inchers. If I needed a scooter for short in-town commutes, I would get the Honda over the Vespa hands down. Vespa is marketing urban chic to the 20-somethings, and charging a pretty penny for it. (Gee..... style over substance...... sounds like a certain American motorcycle company I know.... )

Hell will freeze over before I'm caught paying almost 5 grand for a 150cc scooter. Uncool.

You can debate practicality, reliability, value-for-money, or performance, but if there's one thing this Vespa (and Vespas in general) have going for them; they're arguably the only scooters that are truly objects of desire. Which is I guess is why some people are willing to spend the extra dough. Sometimes you can't rationalize or put a price on that special something that makes you turn around and take one last look before you head into the house.

Grey Thumper wrote:You can debate practicality, reliability, value-for-money, or performance, but if there's one thing this Vespa (and Vespas in general) have going for them; they're arguably the only scooters that are truly objects of desire. Which is I guess is why some people are willing to spend the extra dough. Sometimes you can't rationalize or put a price on that special something that makes you turn around and take one last look before you head into the house.

I'm with Thumper on this. Yes, you can get cheaper, more reliable, more power and better tech with say a Honda scooter.....but the Vespa marque and its look have a certain something that transcends mere shoddy monetary or economic rationals...there is no reason or logic to it, it just is.

ceemes wrote:

Grey Thumper wrote:You can debate practicality, reliability, value-for-money, or performance, but if there's one thing this Vespa (and Vespas in general) have going for them; they're arguably the only scooters that are truly objects of desire. Which is I guess is why some people are willing to spend the extra dough. Sometimes you can't rationalize or put a price on that special something that makes you turn around and take one last look before you head into the house.

I'm with Thumper on this. Yes, you can get cheaper, more reliable, more power and better tech with say a Honda scooter.....but the Vespa marque and its look have a certain something that transcends mere shoddy monetary or economic rationals...there is no reason or logic to it, it just is.

You guys sound like the Harley faithful.

jstark47 wrote:You guys sound like the Harley faithful.

You're exactly right, in a sense. I wouldn't spend on a Vespa or a Harley, but I do recognize that they've got "it". Call it a combination of heritage, decades of exposure in pop culture, current style. Heck, it's also due to years of marketing. Vespa and Harley, as well as several other brands, have that (cringe emoticon) "mystique". And, no surprise, they do charge a premium for it.

Grey Thumper wrote:

jstark47 wrote:You guys sound like the Harley faithful.

You're exactly right, in a sense. I wouldn't spend on a Vespa or a Harley, but I do recognize that they've got "it". Call it a combination of heritage, decades of exposure in pop culture, current style. Heck, it's also due to years of marketing. Vespa and Harley, as well as several other brands, have that (cringe emoticon) "mystique". And, no surprise, they do charge a premium for it.

Lets just call it good marketing. It is a wonderful think when your marketing department can get people to give you extra money just to buy the image you have created for your products. It makes them feel good about themselves, it makes them feel special, and the company makes a lot of extra money.

You should see all the stuff Mrs. Hanson has in our master bath just to make her feel better about getting old.

Hanson wrote:You should see all the stuff Mrs. Hanson has in our master bath just to make her feel better about getting old.

Hanson, this time ya got me literally laughing out loud at this!!!!

(and Mrs. Stark is in the next room sleeping.... hope I didn't wake her! )

Slightly OT, but since Mike is posting Vespa craziness . . .