Carrying Along a Vespa?

[noreen&sal]

Good old days

[TouringDan]

When I go camping by myself I remove my cap and take my Ducati 750ss with me. It is heavier than a small scooter but is a lightweight by motorcycle standards. It weighs about 420 lbs wet. It fits perfectly in the back of my 6.5 ft bed Tundra because it has a reasonably small wheelbase and 17" wheels. It was one of the criteria when selecting the Tundra and the bed size. It just touches the front of the bed and the tailgate when it is closed. I put the side stand down and strap it to all 4 corners of the bed. The suspension springs are slightly compressed. It is not going anywhere while I drive short of an accident.

I load it by myself using a single ramp and always need to find a ditch or a slope to make it easier to load. My old TV was a 93 Chevy van and it was real easy to load in the back of the van, but the Tundra bed is a lot higher even though it is only 2wd. I walk it up the ramp using the throttle. No problems yet, but it is not easy since I have bad knees. I always look for a spotter if one is around. But if not, oh well. So far, so good.

Here are some photos at Rocky Knob campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway where I stayed to go to the Floydfest Music Festival last year.

Dan

[TouringDan]

T7389sg

My first motorized 2 wheeler was a 57 Lambretta (I think) that I bought in 1961 when I was 15 years old for $35. I will never forget the freedom that scooter gave me. I could go all over the city and did not need to pedal. I painted it silver/blue and put some plastic braiding over the clutch, brake and throttle cables and put a coon tail on the back. Boy was I cool. I wish I had a picture of it.

I always wanted a Vespa Scooter. I always felt they were the Airstream of the scooter makers- a timeless design.

Dan

[t7389sg]

I agree Dan. Did yours look like this one?

[silverbacksurfer]

Originally Posted by t7389sg

i agree dan. Did yours look like this one?


Attachment 153608

thats a beauty.

[TouringDan]

Thats it! Yours looks much better than mine did. Mine was a solid color with blackwall tires. It looked awesome to me though. I remember the freedom that scooter gave me.

I grew up in a suburb of Detroit. I could not ride it in the suburb because I was only 15. I would walk it 5 blocks to Detroit proper, and then ride it there to my hearts content.

Thanks for the photo.

I have looked at new Vespas, but I don't like the automatic transmission. All my cars have always been manual shift except for my TV, an 08 Tundra.


Dan

[Globie64]

Doh! I was made to sell my '80 P200E when we moved up here 6 years ago. The money went to new upholstery for the Airstream. You guys are making me miss my Vespa.

[desertair27]

How about a little Honda ct 70, street legal and fun to ride. Not the fastest thing but a great versatile little bike.

[Bermshot]

Man, it's great to see some real scooter enthusiast in this forum. I was Dallas's oldest scooter dealer when there weren't but a handful of the old shifty scoots still around town. I finally sold out in 2005 with Vespa Dallas taking over my old store.
I've sold down most of my scooters but still have a Vespa Rally 200, the PX 150 in my pic above, a Sears Alstate Saber 50, Cagiva Predator(H2O 50cc), Suz Burgman 400 and a handfull of smaller Honda from the 80's.
@perryg114.
We did build a couple of sleeper scooters that would embarrass a stock Harley off the line until they could grab 3rd. One of my customers did put NOX on his Honda CT 70 drag/show bike that was hitting high 9's in the 1/8 mile !
I have an unfinished project in the shop I intend to put a Polaris 400cc 2 stroke motor in a Honda Helix chassis, should be able to get mid 50HP in a high 200 lbs bike.

[perryg114]

I have a Honda CT and an SL 70. I learned to ride on a CT70. They are cool little bikes. It probably would not hurt any of us to pedal instead of ride.

Perry

[desertair27]

Originally Posted by TouringDan

When I go camping by myself I remove my cap and take my Ducati 750ss with me. It is heavier than a small scooter but is a lightweight by motorcycle standards. It weighs about 420 lbs wet. It fits perfectly in the back of my 6.5 ft bed Tundra because it has a reasonably small wheelbase and 17" wheels. It was one of the criteria when selecting the Tundra and the bed size. It just touches the front of the bed and the tailgate when it is closed. I put the side stand down and strap it to all 4 corners of the bed. The suspension springs are slightly compressed. It is not going anywhere while I drive short of an accident.

I load it by myself using a single ramp and always need to find a ditch or a slope to make it easier to load. My old TV was a 93 Chevy van and it was real easy to load in the back of the van, but the Tundra bed is a lot higher even though it is only 2wd. I walk it up the ramp using the throttle. No problems yet, but it is not easy since I have bad knees. I always look for a spotter if one is around. But if not, oh well. So far, so good.

Here are some photos at Rocky Knob campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway where I stayed to go to the Floydfest Music Festival last year.

Dan

That's a mighty nice setup you have there!

[desertair27]

Originally Posted by Bermshot

Man, it's great to see some real scooter enthusiast in this forum. I was Dallas's oldest scooter dealer when there weren't but a handful of the old shifty scoots still around town. I finally sold out in 2005 with Vespa Dallas taking over my old store.
I've sold down most of my scooters but still have a Vespa Rally 200, the PX 150 in my pic above, a Sears Alstate Saber 50, Cagiva Predator(H2O 50cc), Suz Burgman 400 and a handfull of smaller Honda from the 80's.
@perryg114.
We did build a couple of sleeper scooters that would embarrass a stock Harley off the line until they could grab 3rd. One of my customers did put NOX on his Honda CT 70 drag/show bike that was hitting high 9's in the 1/8 mile !
I have an unfinished project in the shop I intend to put a Polaris 400cc 2 stroke motor in a Honda Helix chassis, should be able to get mid 50HP in a high 200 lbs bike.

I'm having a hard time picturing a CT70 as a drag bike but it sounds like fun! You wouldn't have any pictures of it would you?

[desertair27]

Originally Posted by perryg114

I have a Honda CT and an SL 70. I learned to ride on a CT70. They are cool little bikes. It probably would not hurt any of us to pedal instead of ride.

Perry

I'm with you Perry, the bicycle is really the way to go.

[Globie64]

It is pretty funny, how many Airsteamers also have vintage scooters, we appreciate cool wheeled objects. I do agree with the last two, pedaling is the way to go, and no two-stroke exhaust.

[SoCal Drive]

A pal of mine from college got a grant to study in London after we graduated, when he got settled he bought a 50's era Vespa for about $40. Drove it the whole time he was in England including a road/camping trip to Scotland with some his "Mod" friends. Just before he came home, he lost it on a rainy, wet cobblestone street. His Vespa slid under a double decker bus or as he says, an icon crushed by an icon.

I had a BSA 440 Victor single when I was in high schoolanother iconic machine!

[TouringDan]

Desertair, Globie & Perry

I also take my bicyle with me for riding around the campground, the music festival (if allowed) and around the city if I take my truck into town. The photo below is at Julian Price Memorial Park on the Blueridge Parkway near Boone, NC.

Dan

[whitsend]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

If you're in a nice rural campground? Cycle good. Big city? Death trap. Paula

Here in the "Hill Country" southwest of Austin, TX the hundreds of lawyers & doctors that cruise the beautiful winding county roads on their Harley's are referred to as "Organ Donars".

Looks like a ton of fun, but not all that safe over time. Accidents happen and when riding a bike sadly you are usually going to end up on the short end of whatever bad happens . I think riding a little Vespa in an RV park should be fine. But as Paula said, older bones are a real consideration.

[TouringDan]

whitsend

You are sadly correct. I don't ride as much as I used to and only in uncrowded areas, but having an accident is always in the back of my mind even more so with the number of cell phones that distract drivers. Unfortunately it is in my blood, so I still ride, but as safely as possible.

I no longer ride with my wife though. She broke her hip 3 years ago after tripping over some cords on the floor in her class room. I can't even think about what would happen to her bones if we had an accident on the motorcycle.

Dan

[perryg114]

I remember the last time we went camping there was this guy riding a bicycle around with one of those little 2-stroke motors on it. It was starting to get old though about lap number 6.

Perry