Stella or Chetak?

[scootertrash]

I'm kicking the idea around to get a metal/retro scoot and the prices for both of these are right. With a Zuma in the family, having another will give me bonding time with my son, the main operator of the Zuma. I like retro, simple, high value durable stuff, which is probably why my hifi is tube, my motorcycles are air cooled and my boating preference is sail.
How do these two scoots compare in durability, engine life, performance, ease of maintenance, fuel mileage ect? They are priced within a $100 of each other...

any input is appreciated!

[Srbenda]

Someone might correct me, but I don't think Chetaks are made any more.

I do know that Stella's have a much more vibrant community surrounding them.

[scootertrash]

This is true, but there is a lot of stock left. Is fuel on the 2s Stella premix or oil injection? Anyone know how long a top end will go on a relatively stock Stella?

[Photog]

Originally Posted by scootertrash

This is true, but there is a lot of stock left. Is fuel on the 2s Stella premix or oil injection? Anyone know how long a top end will go on a relatively stock Stella?

There are 30,000 mile daily driver Stellas out there on stock parts with minimal futzing done to keep 'em healthy (i.e., no major money in 'em). I'd say 15K-20K ain't an issue if you're not abusing it.

And when you need it, rebuilds aren't that expensive.

No doubt in my mind that if my Stella were my only vehicle I'd be confident in it getting me around reliably (in stock or mild mod form) for work, errands, and play. They're rugged.

The Stella is autolube--just dump oil in the reservoir and go...and keep an eye on consumption on the new ones to make sure it's working. Bueller had a defective autolube system but that was a defect. They're generally a no-brainer.

I'd suggest going to www.scooterworks.com and ordering their free catalog. It'll give you a great idea of how cheap the PX series is to own and maintain.

I love the Chetak--it's clean-burning--but I think the Stella is the deal. You can throw the Vespa PX catalog at it (the parts interchange except for the rotary valve engine guts) and it's durable.

Though the Chetak looks like a PX series Vespa there aren't many interchangeable parts between the PX and Chetak, compared to the Stella. Great bike, though.