Which scooter?

[dessiato]

Buy a small car, it'll keep you both dry in the rain, warm in the winter, and will be safer too.

 

[ChrisFilter]

Buy a small car, it'll keep you both dry in the rain, warm in the winter, and will be safer too.

As above, I have a car. You can't drive into central London unless you're very rich, very patient and very selfish.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Fuck me... seeing the LML in a new light now - a 2.4km wheelie

Thats very , esp as the bloke just has a turban for protection.

 

[Cloud]

I dont like the new breed of twist and go scoots so I'd be going with the vespa copy.

I like a machine I can fiddle about with myself and having owned a modern piaggio scoot, its about as user servicable as a modern car which is why I bought a third world 125cc motobike.

 

[soulman]

Fuck me... seeing the LML in a new light now - a 2.4km wheelie

I guess it comes down to your needs as a commuter, and what speeds you're expecting in an inner city

 

[ChrisFilter]

I guess it comes down to your needs as a commuter, and what speeds you're expecting in an inner city

Indeed, hence my sway towards the Sym. More practical all round.

 

[FunkyUK]

IMHO, all the Syms I've seen looks like cheaply-put togetehr shite. A 3 year parts and labour warranty is useless to you if your local daeler cannot actually get the parts. (Aprilia used to be (3 years or so ago) shocking for parts they are far better now)

The LML is a rebadged Vespa - probalby using old tooling (which will now be really fucking old) - so expect relaibility issues - and despite them being "workhorses" , expect the LML to need regular maintenace \ tweaks to keep running on a day to day basis. May be harder work than you wnat for a daily commute.

The Fly looks like a new Piaggio Zip? if so, this is a tiny bike, and your pillion will suffer. However, this will likely be most relaible / easier to get fixed quickly.

Of your 3 choices, Personally I would choose the LML - for looks, it's 2 stroke (Isn't it?), and because i'm handy with a set of spanners.

HOWEVER

You say you're doing your bike test ?- I would get something made by piaggio / Aprilia / Gilera with a 4 stroke 250cc engine (or up to the 33hp limit) - especially as you will be carrying a pillion most of the time.

HTH

 

[ChrisFilter]

That was my concern about the Sym, but I've not read a bad review. In fact, several reviews have said it puts the big name manufacturers to shame. The parts issue is a concern though, admittedly.

 

[I'm Simes]

Buy the Italian bike - the others will fall to bits and there isn't a strong dealer network.

 

[ChrisFilter]

Buy the Italian bike - the others will fall to bits and there isn't a strong dealer network.

The LML is essentially an Italian bike, it can take Vespa parts.

The SYM is famed as being reliable, but yeah, fair point re: dealer network, but there are 7 in London.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

The LML is a rebadged Vespa - probalby using old tooling (which will now be really fucking old) - so expect relaibility issues - and despite them being "workhorses" , expect the LML to need regular maintenace \ tweaks to keep running on a day to day basis. May be harder work than you wnat for a daily commute.

The tooling is the best in the out there - it has to be to turn out close to 2 million units a year ( I was reading about this in scootering mag a few years back). Piaggio have a controlling stake in LML and get a royalty on each scooter so its not like they junked their lines on the Indians and did a runner, the Italian Vespas have been full of indian parts for years anyway.

Just reading this thread has made me scour the free ads for an early 80s P200e, despite not needing one and having no time to ride it.