Just test rode a Stella..

Been driving by a scooter dealer on the PCH in SD. Finally swung by and looked at the scoots, mostly Vespa. I was surprised to see a Stella, thinking that it wasn't legal for sale here in CA. Well they just switched to a 150cc 4s single. I was offered a test ride which I eagerly accepted, never ridden a manual scooter before. It sounded like a dirtbike.
Really fun to ride after I got used to it. It's supposed to be able to do 60 mph at up to 140 mpg..
I like it..Not just retro, but rather a new antique.

I had an '05 Stella. Loved it. I have not been able to ride the new four stroker version, but I am interested. There is definitely a hole in my heart where Stella used to be.

Same here. I had a 2003 that Was one of my two favorite bikes. Bikes come and go,
but I really miss my old Stella. Sold it to start a business. Now, no business, no bike

Save a GRIP of $$$ and buy a used 2-Stroke Stella, I guarantee that you will have more fun and retain way more residual value when it comes time to sell it.

They do look nice. I've been resisting the urge to test ride one. Lots of info on them here http://www.modernbuddy.com/forum/index.html
It would make a nice 2nd scooter. I would have to keep the 400 Burgman.

Stella! Stella!

I took Stella for a test ride once, and I thought this was the worst two wheel machine I've ever been on. Dismal, wobbly steering, hopeless brakes - this wasn't just 'old fashioned', this was downright dangerous! Manual gearchange system is not that great, and the foot brake on the floor is in terrible position, so the rider has to take their foor off the floor just as they need to brace themselves the most... again, this is not 'delightfully quaint' in my book, it's just poor ergonomics, period. Paint, fit and finish of very average quality...I could go on, but I won't. I found not a single redeeming feature on this bike - I'm glad I had the experience of riding it once, and I do not intend to ever come near one again.

We all know that, owners included, and no one actually cares.

Sure, but I think it is only fair to warn potential newcomers who might get sucked into the whole retro deal what reality lurks behind that image because it's all fun and games until you have to stop in a hurry - visions of Audrey Hepburn won't help you much then :)

Visions of Audrey Hepburn will always help you

I have several bikes of which the Stella is one. It does ride differently then a modern bike but you do get used to it. It really is a fun safe bike, easy to work on, excellent front brake, great in the rain because of the fairing. Its a lot more fun then a modern honda scooter , one of which I also have. Horses for courses

And by the way I don't consider a Stella to be Retro as such- it really is the real deal. Basically the same as a 70s Vespa.

I think it goes without saying that everyone should test ride ANY bike before
purchase, but yeah, the suspension/brakes and overall stability is horrible,
especially if the tires are bad (I've ridden some 1980s original Vespas).

☝☝
This

When I got mine, the people who dropped it off told me since I am so used to
riding motorcycles, the Stella is going to be hard to ride at first. "Yeah Right!"
sez I after laffery subsided, pointed to my garage that had a FX, DR650 and ZX-9 in it . . .
But Wow, it was very hard to balance. Later, it was no big deal, and I put in lots of great
miles with no problems whatsoever. I read later that the 2-stroke version's motor is offset
for some reason that makes stability a little shaky til you get used to it. The 4T is more central
though, so it is 'sposed to not have these quirks. Who cares if BMW riders think its substandard,
It's one of my favorite bikes ever, I would buy another one today if I had a place to put it.

Yeah, the entirety of the engine is to the right of the bike on the 2t Stella/all vintage Vespas. Inside the monocoque frame, right under the seat, is the gas tank. On the left side: a spare tire and a battery. The 4t uses a tube frame construction in this area, so I guess the engine could be more centered under the seat. I'm not actually sure if it is, though.

They are wobbly and unbalanced. They have weird but sharp steering and what feels like 15/85 front/rear weight distribution.

They are a design from the mid/late-'70s with barely any upgrades. The factory that makes Stellas was a Piaggio factory making PX150s in the 1980s, and not much has changed. They have a fantastic (for a scooter) front disc - it will lift the back wheel, just a hair - but other than that, it's a 1970s bike. And lot has changed in (other) scooters in the last 35 years.

If you think the Stella is bad, never, ever, ride a vintage Vespa. Significantly worse suspension, significantly worse brakes, and some have smaller 8" wheels!

I effin' LOVE my Stella, and sold my Vino 125 to keep it. She's a finicky bitch, and can be a nervous handful to control, but goddamn I just love riding it!

Do you guys still get the original Vespa PX there?

It's available here, the 125 and 150cc 2 strokes.. costs just a tiny bit
more then the LX50.

Come on man! That shit was funny. Nobody seen A Street Car Named Desire? BTW - I totally dig Stellas and would own one. If for no other reason I would ride it around a yelling, "STELLA! STELLA!"

No Vespa stopped selling shifty bikes here in the late 1980s when they abandoned the US market altogether, and when they came back in the early 2000s (late 1990s?) they only brought CVT bikes. They sold the PX150 here in 2005, but only for that one year. As I recall, they cost a bit more than the Stella/LML Star.

In our market we used to get PX200. That was discontinued a couple of years ago, then last year they brought back a new PX150. But at over A$ 6,500 it is an outrageous rip-off when a 300cc TGB (good Taiwanese brand equal to SYM or Kymco) sells for a little bit over 5,000. I really don't know where they get the gall to ask for this sort of money, and even more importantly, where do they find the suckers who buy these things?

Yeah, we had the PX200 too but it won't pass the current euro norms for exhaust emisions, and the PX125/150 wasn't available for maybe 3-4 years
but they just brought it back.

I'd love to own one even if I know it's worse then any of the modern CVT
Vespas or even any of the clones, but there's something about the 2 stroke
feel and the ackward gear shift..

I just spoke with a new owner of the PX150, says it's a lot slower then his
1990s PX200, but that the build quality is a lot better. He says that 50mph
is more or less the fastest comfortable cruising speed (with regards to how
much the engine screams).

He didn't want to test the top speed until the engine broke in, so after about
60 miles on the odo, he reported back on that too 65mph indicated!


That's more or less the same as my Agility 125 with 9hp.