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Say it ain't so...

Kib

By Kib
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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Kib Whistle-Stop

Kib

Posted
Posted

There's no motorscooter shop in G.R. ??????

Looked for a Vespa dealer, only thing close is a Lincoln-Mercury car dealer in Holland.

Looked for a Genuine (Buddy) dealer, only thing close is a outdoor & sporting goods store in Holland.

Looked for a Kymco dealer, found a G.R. dealer that appears to sell scooters as an afterthought.

Odd, because between all the college kids and urban cats in the city, you'd think someone would be all over that...

I've always maintained, an active scooter community is a good sign of thoughtful community.

[EDIT: Attn: Mod - could you fix my inability to type correctly in the topic? "Say it ain't so..." Thx.

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Kib Whistle-Stop

Kib

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Thanks for the repair, Dad...

It would be way cool to have a Vespa dealer in town. I picked one up about a year ago after getting out of "Nothin' but Big Car" friendly Detroit. Great way to tool around town, grab some groceries, get a little fresh air and get 70 miles-per-gallon in the process. Guess I'll have to wait until gas gets back up to $3.00+/gallon before folks once again see the light.

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zenstyle Hamlet

zenstyle

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"I've always maintained, an active scooter community is a good sign of thoughtful community."

Why yes, it is.

That "place" in Holland is no scooter dealership, believe me. There used to be a Vespa shop in Holland, but it was run by snotty kids who were only focused on sale, not maintenance. I have to idea why the Lincoln/Mercury place is thought to have scooters, and even if they had them, I would never recommend buying one from a car dealership, heavens to Murgatroyd.

There is an excellent dealership in Detroit:

http://www.detroiteurocycles.com/page/140on/Home.html

The owner's name is Jeff, and the whole staff has the customer-care thing down to a science. They are wonderful.

Please, do get a scooter; this town is full of them if you're paying attention, and whoever said "don't call it a moped" is correct because I would have to come over there and hit you.

Scoot on, brother!

~~~Zenstyle, fierce rider of a Vespa LX50

post-5766-1169440648_thumb.jpg

post-5766-1169440648_thumb.jpg

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MAU Whistle-Stop

MAU

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Posted

Ya - the guy at Vertigo sells refurbished mopeds.

The Honda motorcycle dealers also sell a few varieties of mopeds which are easily supped up to the speed of a scooter. Which is what i did with my Metro.

ETA - i DO call mine a scooter, but in the eyes of the SOM scooters with a certain engine size are considered mopeds. But ya, i always correct people when they call it a moped.

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cityslicker Whistle-Stop

cityslicker

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This is how we roll downtown---and it is the only way to roll in our minds... 1) Fast 2) Inexpensive 3) Stylish 4) No parking tickets :)

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q302/ci...72/PICT0005.jpg

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q302/ci...72/PICT0004.jpg

A pretty cool spot for a downtown scooter/moped shop, would be 16 Ionia Ave, SW!!!

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Kib Whistle-Stop

Kib

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Zen -

Yeah, those guys that run Vespa Detroit (Detroit Eurocycles) are great !!! Right before I bailed out of Detroit I visited them a couple of times and they were terrific. Ended up buying a ET4 in Fort Wayne. I still need someone to keep it purring after I move to GR., I popped for the extended factory warrenty so I really need a Vespa dealer proper.

Nice little Aprilia, cityslicker !! Nice to hear about liberal parking where you're at. I've always felt if they arn't going to provide spots on the street, and using a automobile parking spot is a waste of space, the sidewalk works great as long as you're not creating a hazard.

MAU - As far as the SOM is concerned, I believe anything over 50cc is a "motorcycle" (or scooter), needing a license & registration. In my mind, if a two-wheeler has pedals and a <= 50cc engine, it's a moped.

BTW - If you guys are lookin' for something that's real fun, and should have no problem with the snowy streets of Grand Rapids...

Available this spring !!!!!!!!!!!!

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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It looks like to start a Vespa/Piaggio dealership, you have to have prior experience running a vehicle or powersports dealership (makes sense).

http://www.vespausa.com/dealers/becomeadealer.cfm

Although I can see opening a "previously owned" scooter dealership much more easily. Vespa probably wants a ton of franchise cash to get started?

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Allison Slater Town

Allison Slater

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Actually come to think of it, there's some shop on S. Division... I think either just north of 68th or just south of 60th.. somewhere near the reconstructed section, that had a bunch of motor scooters on display in their front lawn all summer, as well as various cars. I don't remember what manufacturer they were. I distinctly remember them being on a street corner on the East side of Division.

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jbr12 Hamlet

jbr12

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I've been considering getting a Vespa or similar scooter for around town... Are they safe in winter at all? Would I need a separate car once the snow hit? People had them all over in St Thomas when I lived there, but they were dangerous when the roads were wet due to the steep mountains and sharp corners...

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dtown Town

dtown

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Ive been wanting to get this one, no a scooter, but its still cool.

lxyellow.jpg

Ive got almost enough money saved for it, but im going to buy a car instead. So, no moped for me, for now anyway.

Its Tomos, a Czech made bike. Im not sure how it will handle winter weather, but i know some people ride them in the winter. And if my POS go-ped ive got can ahndle 4 inches of snow, i think tis one could handle it ok, too.

Theyve got some cool saddle bags and stuff for them, too, so you can carry quite a bit more stuff.

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