Pros and cons of a 50cc Wasp (vespa ) scooter?

Question

I am planning on buying a 50cc Wasp (Vespa) scooter. Can you tell me about the pros and cons/benefits of getting it? What kinds of things have you heard about it?

A lot of questions I know, but really want some info on it. Thanks and I appreciate your time for this.

Answer 1

The pros are:

Excellent fuel efficiency

Cheap to run and maintain

Cheap insurance

Free parking (if you are careful)

Nippy about town (can weave through stationary traffic)

No licence/simple test required

The cons:

Cannot ride it outside built up areas (too slow)

Dangerous (only protection is what you are wearing)

Easy to steal

No weather protection

Little storage space

Dangerous in bad weather

Cannot take a passenger

They are expensive when new and depreciate quickly

That's about it really. I drive a motorbike every day to work and I manage fine. If you live in a built up area a 50 cc is ideal. They can manage about 30mph so they are fine as long as you don't take them on ant roads that are faster. In theory cars should slow down for you, and leave plenty of space when over taking but in practice that seldom happens.

You may think this is overkill, but buy all the protective gear (helmet, gloves, jacket and trousers). I came off my bike at low speed (due to a wet manhole cover) and ended up badly bruising both my knees. I could barely walk for days. If I had been wearing my biker trousers I would have probably been fine. Fortunately I was wearing my jacket (with impact protection) and gloves otherwise I could have broken my arm or a bone in my hand.

Take lessons too before you start out. If you have never ridden before it is daunting and if you get a few lessons at least you will have some road awareness and will be safer.

Hope this is helpful

Answer 2

Pros:

They're cheap

They're very, very fuel efficient

They're easy to park

They're easy to ride in city traffic

Cons:

You may need to be scraped off the front of a Mack truck after it hits you.

Answer 3

One huge disadvantage to the whole scooter concept is the low power, higher emissions and limitations of the scooter as a mode of transportation.  Despite the smaller size and less fuel required you are still forced to get a license, obtain a motorcycle endorsement, park on the street and ride with traffic - meaning if there is a jam, you are stuck with all the cars.  

You are essentially a bicycle with a motor - except you don't get the flexibility a bicycle offers.  Heck at 50 CC you can barely go faster than a proficient cyclist!

Consider - Any commute under say 5 miles in an urban setting and you aren't really saving much time on a scooter when you account for traffic over say a bicycle.

If you are looking to save money by switching to two wheels - maybe consider a standard bicycle.