Old vespa or new stella?

[seraph]

Guys - this thread is seven years old

So your advice for the original poster is a bit ... late

acidjazz bumped the thread to ask about registering 2-stroke Stellas in California, as they were never sold there (since they couldn't pass CARB). As far as I know you're allowed to register a not-sold-in-CA vehicle once they're, what, 3 years old? So I'm not sure why the Stella would be any different.

And Ken OBSC, the Stella followed the same path as Bajaj. Both Bajaj and LML started making Vespas in partnership with Piaggio, and when Piaggio pulled the plug they kept running. Bajaj just happened a few decades earlier.

[JerryH]

The Stella (sold in other countries as the LML Star) also used to be a real Vespa. Vespa had a deal with LML to make scooters for them, the first ones were built with original Vespa tooling. Eventually the deal fell apart, as did the tooling. LML built new tooling, identical to the old, and started building them again, under their own name. They actually made a few improvements, like making the body out of heavier metal. Any part that fits a P series Vespa also fits a Stella/Star, even the recessed Piaggio emblems on the horncast. LML copied every last detail. You might be surprised just how many vintage Vespas are out there with LML engines in them.

As for the Bajaj, I'm not entirely sure about those. They were never built by LML, and there were never any 4 stroke P series Vespas. But they are so close to Vespa style and construction there has to be a Vespa connection somewhere.

[seraph]

Originally Posted by JerryH

The Stella (sold in other countries as the LML Star) also used to be a real Vespa. Vespa had a deal with LML to make scooters for them, the first ones were built with original Vespa tooling. Eventually the deal fell apart, as did the tooling. LML built new tooling, identical to the old, and started building them again, under their own name. They actually made a few improvements, like making the body out of heavier metal. Any part that fits a P series Vespa also fits a Stella/Star, even the recessed Piaggio emblems on the horncast. LML copied every last detail. You might be surprised just how many vintage Vespas are out there with LML engines in them.

As for the Bajaj, I'm not entirely sure about those. They were never built by LML, and there were never any 4 stroke P series Vespas. But they are so close to Vespa style and construction there has to be a Vespa connection somewhere.

Bajaj had the same deal as LML going back into the '60s. A friend of mine has a '66 Bajaj which is an identical copy to a Vespa VBB. Do some Google searching for Bajaj Priya (their name of the VBB copy) and the early Bajaj Chetak - it was a Vespa Sprint, I think.

Coincidentally, PGO, the Taiwanese scooter manufacturer responsible for Genuine's lineup (minus the Stella), also used to make P-series Vespas on contract.

[JerryH]

Originally Posted by seraph

Guys - this thread is seven years old

So your advice for the original poster is a bit ... late

acidjazz bumped the thread to ask about registering 2-stroke Stellas in California, as they were never sold there (since they couldn't pass CARB). As far as I know you're allowed to register a not-sold-in-CA vehicle once they're, what, 3 years old? So I'm not sure why the Stella would be any different.

And Ken OBSC, the Stella followed the same path as Bajaj. Both Bajaj and LML started making Vespas in partnership with Piaggio, and when Piaggio pulled the plug they kept running. Bajaj just happened a few decades earlier.

It would be nice if you could register a 2 stroke Stella in CA after it was 3 years old. But I wonder if the owner has to have owned it for 3 years? Otherwise anyone could buy a 3 year old 2 stroke anywhere and register it in CA. Mine is now 3 years old.