Vietnamese Scooter Restoration Update
September 15th, 2006 at 9:44 am by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider"
When we wrote about the booming scooter restoration business going on in SE Asia, particularly Vietnam, many comments from scooter enthusiasts warned of the dangers of buying these rebuilds but I was careful to point out that just because some were bad it didn’t prove they all were.
We used Huy’s Scooters as an example of one of these rebuild shops and a comment we received last night is from a customer of Huy’s Scooters, telling of his troubles with the Lambretta he purchased. He started a website that addresses Vietnamese restorations and the photos from his purchase don’t look very good. From the minor dings and dents to a misaligned frame and the major rust and corrosion plus bad welds and lots of body filler, it looks a lot like the scooter he received confirms the warnings from the scooter crowd.
This is disappointing to say the least. I’ll be contacting both of the parties involved to find out more of the background to this story. It’s impossible to make any general conclusions here however this particular scooter is a horrible example of workmanship and if it is typical of what is turned out, it’s also a warning to proceed with caution.
Stay tuned …
Posted in Motorcycle Business, Vintage Motorcycles, Workshop & Tools
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93 Responses to “Vietnamese Scooter Restoration Update”
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September 20th, 2006 at 4:11 am
I imagine the peddlers of these scooter-shaped junk piles laugh themselves to death as they shove them into shipping containers. Huy’s last email reads like an excerpt from a con artist how-to booklet. Maybe he doesn’t represent the average scooter mechanic in Viet Nam. But he does represent the average scooter mechanic who is trying to sell junk to English speaking suckers in North America and beyond.
Maybe an honest Viet Namese scooter mechanic will step up to the plate one day and take on the task of destroying the con artist stereotype. But there would have to me many dramatic reforms in VN for this to happen on a signifigant scale. If nothing else, socialism does succeed in making everyone under it’s power so poor and miserable that they will gladly disregard ethics in order to eat and have a roof over their heads- even if the roof is made from packing crates.
In effect Huy is the Nigerian scammer of the cycle world.
January 4th, 2007 at 5:20 am
I have just purchased a scooter from Vetnam (Harrington group) and it is due to arrive at end of this month. I wll send you details of bike and my experiences todate once my local dealer has done a thorough check over of the scoot. I have done a lot of research about their scooters from references and investigation into their company. So lets see……
January 4th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Phil, please keep us posted. It would be great to find at least one of these companies doing an honest business.
January 11th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
i have recieved pics and have spoken to their MD and Scoot manager. I have reseached their company details and have checked out two references in UK and seen scoots. At this time they look great. Mine is due to arrive 28th jan 2007. keep you posted….Phil
January 17th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Have paid the deposit on a scooter from Harrington through a company in Scotland so I await any information good, bad or indifferent with bated breath!!
January 19th, 2007 at 10:16 am
nat let me know how it goes and i will do same for you. Mine hopefully arives at end of jan phil
January 19th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Phil, will do. Ordered mine through vivovespa in Scotland. Have spoken to the fella there about any concerns and he seems genuine and sure of quality of what he is selling. Have read mainly good things about them although some not so, hopefully will be ok. Should be getting mine around end of march What have you gone for?
Cheers Nat
January 20th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Nat
I have ordered a Lambretta SX200 clone. I spent 6 months reseaching the market and checking out the companies and taking out references. All refrences both on Vespas and Lambretta were good to very good but they were supplied by the company so I was a liitle skeptical still. Spoke to both the MD (english guy) and Scooter manager (an american guy). They supplied pictures of my finished Lambretta. They shipped it before Xmas and it is due to arrive end of Jan (took about 3 months to restore. I decided to have a new engine rather than recon and also a new disc brake and petrol tank and a few other items based on my research (tanks just rust inside). I know the paint jobs are excellent cos MD based his car restoration business on new ICI paint even though I went for an all white job. I have arranged for my local dealer to inspect it when it arrives and intend to write up my experince and the report from dealer to as many web sites as I can to help others thinking of doing the same thing. The main attraction was the relative cheap labor costs as quotes in UK and Italy were too high for me. So I have taken the gamble and lets see. As soon as I got it I will drop ou an email davis-phil@hotmail.com. Best regards Phil
January 20th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
email address is DAVIS_PHIL@HOTMAIL.CO.UK
January 24th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Just been reading the thead regarding lambrettas from Vietnam. Ordered mine direct from Harrington Group at the begining of December and arrived begining of Jan as promised. Picked it up from the docks at Felixstow and have to say it was well crated and no visible damage. When I got it home and out of the crate it was just as I had hoped. I too had done a lot research before parting with my money. The paint is excelent (white with targets sparyed and not transfers) and all numbers appear genuine with no welds to indicate anythig dodgy. Have started it up and it did so on the 10th or 11th kick and now starts up on first kick. Ridden it down the road and althought not been on one since the late sixties it feels right. Am about to get it mot’d and on the road for a bit of summer fun.
Doubtless there are a lot of shady bodgers out there and not only in Vietnam but also in this country but from my expeience so far Harrington Group are not one of them.
Regards
Crazy Dave
January 24th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Thanks for that Dave, seems we have been on a similar venture. Lets start providing feedback via email so that we can help all those people trying to do a similar purchase to us and Nathaniel.This way we can either prove or disprove the statements about Vietnam scooters. Scootrs get a similar positive write up and I know the person that bought from Huys was so dissapointed with his purchase enough to create a website and he is looking for feedback about Harringtons and others. So assuming that your scoot doesnt fall apart in next 6 months and mine is simalar quality to yours we will be able to help our fellow scooter friends. Hey maybe we can meet up and have a harringtons scooter ride out in the summer. My email is davis_phil@hotmail.co.uk. thanks
January 24th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
hey dave forgot to say that the prices in UK are unbelievable for restorations when i did my reseach and i wonder sometimes if this vietnam bashing says something about market protection. Global warming maybe the hot topic at the moment but the ability to purchase from cheaper global markets becomes attractive and realistic if the quality is good. Hey why not! car/bikes manufacturers have been doing it for years. You never know where your car has been built these days. In fact when i bought my Honda VFR yrs ago and imported it from Amsterdam cos the price was 000s cheaper the local UK dealers wouldnt touch it because they claimed it was different specification and not warranted by Honda (left and right hand drive on the bike - no diff except for speedo and light). When the dispute between honda and the EEC was eventually sorted and my bike was serviced by my local dealer the mechanic said it was exactly the same as UK bike)……Oh the price for uk bikes dropped at that time more inline with European prices…..LMP (local Market Protection)!!!
February 4th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Hi - I was interested to read the comments about Harringtons. We did no research and know nothing about scooters - bought a Lambretta LIS150 from Harrington on e-bay on a whim last September then started seeing all the negative comments online. Ours arrived well crated and exactly as they described. We had a flooding problem - carb jammed as slight rusting on the inside of tank. Harringtons arranged a contact to come to our house - fixed the problem easily and without charge. Otherwise it starts and runs very well. We have got the MOT and Authentication certification and was just registered against a 1965 plate by DVLA. We have ridden about 30 miles - absolutely no problems and looks very good. Perhaps we were lucky, perhaps we will live to regret it. The biggest problem is the perception devalues the scooters. Scooter Surgery condemned it by e-mail without ever seeing it as best thrown away - needless to say we did not take it there.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:07 am
to the website owner…Looks like we are getting positive feedback about Harringtons and also the quality of scoots. Is this bad press put about by non vietnam companies or just based on the Huys experience. Whatever it is we need some positive statements or the negative ones about Harringtons published on this thread. At the monment I am gettting the distinct impression that there is a”conspiracy” to keep from buying scoots from nam!!! Comments please Phil
February 11th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Hi Phil,Nat et al.
I’m gonna pick up my scoot from Vivo tomorrow. I saw the scoot in the garage at vivo and fell in love.
I’m just a little dissapointed that he didn’t tell me it was a vietnam import. I was led to believe it was ‘Italian Built’.
Wouldn’t have made any difference. But I just prefer to have the whole picture!
Will
February 12th, 2007 at 4:54 am
Cheers for that Will.
What scoot have you gone for? Are you getting it checked over by anyone?
Let us know how it is.
February 12th, 2007 at 8:46 am
thanks Will for your comment do you know who built it in Vietnam. I would like to collect all our experiences and write an article once we have all had time to see the quality over a little time. But isnt just great to be on a scooter!!! Regards Phil
February 26th, 2007 at 7:40 am
phil et al, noticed that you comment you did plenty of research about restored scooters on line. i’ve done the same while i look for a reason not to get a restored lambretta from vietnam, the company name that i came across plenty of times with a good reputation was scootRS - why did you think Harringtons were going to be better than these guys? i haven’t ordered one yet but am about to so looking for more advice.
cheers, richard - australia
February 27th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Hi All, My scooter has arrived in this country later than I thought (shipping delayed). I have uncrated it and arranged for my dealer to inspect and MOT it. As soon as this has happened I will write up findings. I have waited this long so it should be much longer Many thanks Phil
March 5th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
>>the company name that i came across plenty of times with a good reputation was scootRS
They have a really thorough review about them on that site that the story mentions with tons of photos and it was very positive http://www.scoot-central.com/7.html
I’d be real wary of Harringtons from everything I read. I found these in Google:
http://www.droppedin.com/2005/12/scooters_in_springtime.html
http://www.scooterbbs.com/board/DCForumID13/214.html
——————–
Some fake posts here it looks like. I came across this and did a search and didn’t see anything good. Do a search on the LCGB forum about these guys to get some honest opinions from people in the know who aren’t selling anything.
http://forums.lcgb.co.uk/phpBB2/index.php
Some comments I found:
Its one of the Harrington jobbies, have had a few over here, have had to change so far, ignition, wiring loom, headlight, tyres.
Why do people still buy these.
Stay away! i bought a series 3 150 special from Harrington. The bloody thing hardly ever started! The parts they used were from different series three’s bodged together. all nuts and bolts were cheap and not made ifrom stainless steel. All badges are cheap and look it! The bodywork is all filler! Do yourself a favour and always buy from a rep in th UK. Read up on what your after first. Cambridge Lambretta have a great write up on what to look out for when inspecting a Lammy.
I learnt the hard way thanks to harrington. Lost £800!!! They also do not tell you about the extra shipping costs….
I’ve seen five of these imports personally. They have all come into a local scooter shop that I frequent often. They all look nice and shiney with chrome bits added BUT although they have been built on Italian frames they are bl**dy dreadful. On all of the engines I have seen they have all needed a complete rebuild. Clutch plates sh*t, various blobs of weld stuck to anything metal, chains well worn….the list could go on and on. Even if you were to replace the engine with an Indian jobbie at approx £500 you would still have to change all the lighting, check and probably replace the brakes, lighting etc. Buy one …. No way.. Just my opinion
my mate spent 4 hours at the IOW trying to fix an LI special for a bloke that looked great on the outside and cost £3000, but turned out to be a total load of rubbish which needed completely stripping and starting again. they are basically a very expensive restoration project! why do people still buy these things, as it’s already been said why not use an established dealer? using these t**ts is putting decent dealers out of buisness as they cant afford to sell quality spares and bikes for the same price as the s**t that charlie is knocking out! also a little bird has told me that some scooter related journalists are investigating several uk based firms who are dealing in these bikes and are putting evidence together suggesting certain dealers are selling dangerous scooters.
See how the front wheel sticks out beyond the mudguard? It’s correct.
Now look at this harringtongroup picture: (photo)
This is why you don’t want to be buying these pretty shiny turds. You could die!!
——————–
Well David, I know you sell scooters from the Harrington group. I bought the blue/white SX replica last summer (I’m from belgium, remember ?)
The scooter looked good, but engine…. Had about 40km without problems. By now there’s another 1000 euros spend. New cilinder + piston, new carbu, crankshaft, gearbox… In fact the engine had to be rebuilt totally. And even worse: the rear shock absorber was simply broken !!!! You can kill someone like that !!! I don’t mind spending money on scooters. But when I pay more than 4000 euros and have been told that the scooter is in ‘top condition’, it would be fine if the scooter is ready to ride…
————
“Their stuff is Sh1te aviod like the plauge!!!! ”
“I have seen 3 of Harrington’s scooters at a shop in Notts,
TV175, Li3, Lis.
Nice paint, shame about the build and mechanical stuff (CRAP)
Advertises as concourse restoration, now that is funny !!!”
———————–
Ask any member of the Lambretta Club of Great Britain about ‘Harrington Scooters’ and the word superb won’t be mentioned…not sure if it’s the same company, I think it is, but this one is best avoided at all costs.
—————————
March 9th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Hi Nat/Phil,
Sorry I’ve been away for a while.
Got the scooter, and to be honest all seems pretty good at the minute!
The only issue I have is the front end does dip a fair bit under moderate breaking. But as I’ve never had a scooter before I’m not sure if this is normal or not? It stops pretty well.
I’ve read all the above and agree that things may need looking into buy an indipendant party like the tv people and it would be great to get involved.
I think what we all nead to remember though is that these are 1960’s vespa’s and i for one wasn’t expecting bang up to date engineering. These middlemen in the uk seem to take away all the headaches of importing bikes.
I love my vepsa. Just enjoy the ride and don’t get too hung up.
You can see it at http://www.myspace.com/willkhotmailcom
Take care
Will
March 16th, 2007 at 7:39 am
Hi Will
An interesting site!!! Can’t actually see your scooter on it though?!?!
September 8th, 2007 at 2:13 am
RE HARRINGTON GROUP SCOOTER
I HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED A L150 SPECIAL WHICH I HAVE TRACKED BACK TO BIENG SUPPLIED BY THE HARRINGTON GROUP. HAVING ONLY RIDDEN IT FOR TWO DAYS. IT DEVELOPED A VERY NOISEY GEARBOX SO I TOOK IT TO A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE (CLOCKHILL SCOOTERS) . ON REMOVAL OF THE SIDE CASING I WAS HORRIFIED TO FIND MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE INTERNALS WERE EITHER A BAD WELD REPAIR OR SLEEVED WITH SOFT METAL BUSHES.WHICH ARE NOT UP TO THE JOB.AFTER 600 POUNDS OF REPAIR.IT WAS WORKING AGAIN BUT NOT FOR LONG.ON THE WAY HOME IT SIEZED UP THIS WAS NOT DUE TO BAD OIL AS I ONLY EVER USE THE BEST IN ALL OF MY SCOOTERS IT WAS DUE TO ANOTHER BAD PART IN THE ENGINE. NO LITTLE END BEARING INSTEAD IT HAD A SHODDY BUSH PRESSED INTO THE CON ROD WHICH AFTER A HOUR OF REMOVAL WAS BLUE
AS BLUE CAN BE SO AFTER PAYING 2250.00 FOR THE SCOOETR THE WHOLE REPAIR BILL WAS 1000.00ON TOP **PLEASE BE CAREFULL WHEN BUYING ANY VIETNAM SCOOTER**DONT GET CAUGHT OUT LIKE I DID
September 20th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
What has happened to that Phil chaps feedback is he still Alive would love to hear how his scoot is going like a lot of others
September 20th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Anyone seen that phil chap since he got his scoot
September 21st, 2007 at 10:20 am
Seems difficult to find anyone who owns one of these harringon scoots who can give a conclusive opinion. I was considering one and did get some positive independent feedback from an owner but this forum justs make me think of spending the three g’s on a hot tub for the wife instead. Cant find a uk agent for scootrs and since every top quality vintage scoot I have seen advertised just looks like a viet rebuild being advertised as something else looks like I’m stuck with my crusty px, at least its genuine.
September 24th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I have seen a few and too be perfectly honest if you could buy without the engine and wiring for about a grand they would be great. I hasten to add that if you ever stripped off the paint only the good lord knows what Charlie has under it !!!!
September 28th, 2007 at 1:41 am
Dear all,
I hope this is OK for me to list on a public forum. I am the company owner of harrington group in Vietnam.
Just wanted to have my say really.
Firstly we have now sold more than 800 scooters worldwide, and we continue to restore but these days we only sell to trade.
With lambrettas, we now only supply scooters with brand new SIL 200 cc engines. We use the complete unit with gearbox, elec ignition and 24mm jetex carb. We are also encouraging stainless steel fuel tanks.
The reason being, it is important to remember that these scooters have been used for the last 40 years- used alot more than a similar scooter in the west. While we have in the past taken every measure to restore engines as well as can possibly be done. these engines are 40+ years old and have been rebuilt on numerous occasions- often with dubious care. While in the main we did not have problems with our engines- issues did occur. No matter how much money you put into an engine rebuild, it is still a used 40 year old unit. The SS fuel tanks avoid debris from rust in the tank. Of course it is impossible to properly seal the inside of a fuel tank, during the long and hot journey by sea, fuel and vapor evaporate causing slight rusting in the tank- then fresh fuel is poured in on arrival, and the rust gets through to the filter and carb. SS tanks eliminate this issue.
It is a different story with vespas, the original casings are bullet proof-for a reasonable price you can get all quality parts required for a total rebuild (IF YOU IMPORT THE PARTS - LIKE THE PROPER RESTORERS DO!)- You can build these casings up to engines that are as good as or indeed better than new.
Not wishing to throw a cat amongst the pidgeons…In my opinion, although i prefer Lambrettas to look at and ride…. You cannot beat vespa for reliability and simplicity.
We are enthusiasts and we care about what we do, we care about the enthusiasts who buy from us. We are not in business to make a fast buck- we want people to be delighted with their scooters purchased from us. Nothing pleases us more than having emails and pictures from our customers who have just won a prize at a show, or just returned from a long rally or just want to send us a photo of themselves with their pride and joy.
I think it is important for would be purchasers to do some research, and not go for the cheapest option. ScootRS and Saigon Scooter Centre really deserve their good reputations- they do a proper job. I am not in the position to be able to unbiasedly comment on ourselves- i will leave that up to our many customers around the globe.
What damages the reputation of scooters from Asia is the junk scooters that people are selling on ebay for a ridiculously low price- such as £895 including shipping. I have absolutely no idea how the do this! It literally costs us more than that to restore any vespa.Not to mention either shipping or a profit!
I hate to be a bringer of ominous news, but please people be carefull who you buy from. Unrestored scooters here are not so plentiful now, and they are a hell of a lot more expensive too.I hear the trend now is to buy taiwanese PX frames, completely modify them to look like a vbb or similar, restamp the chassis number and provide with fake deregistration paperwork.
Please do not think i am saying this so that people buy from us. As i mentioned earlier, we only supply trade now- and are completely happy with the size of our scooter operation, we build to order and supply to people we have been dealing with for a long time.
It is just a sad state of affairs that for every restoration company in Vietnam that does care about their quality and standards, there are scores of those who do not. Infact most sellers have no knowledge of scooters. they are in it for a fast buck, and buy from the infamous little sweat shops most of which are on one of 2 notorious roads that churn out junk death traps-they then simply throw them on eBay.
The old saying you buy cheap- you buy twice has never been more true.
So my advice, if you wish to buy a scooter for personal use, go to scootrs.com or saigonscootercentre.com you might pay twice as much as the ebay hawkers, but you will in the long run save money not having to rebuild a death trap, and most importantly you will have a safe enjoyable ride. Before anyone mentions it- we are not associated to either of these companies in anyway- neither are they with each other.
Incidentally Huys scooters have not disapeared. Due to all the bad publicity and terrible reputation they have changed their name. It is still Huy and the same standards - their new website is http://www.astravietnam.com
Have a look at their website, then have a look at ours. http://www.groupharrington.com 90% of the photos they are using have been stolen from our site!!!! How flattering!
I have asked him to remove them but to no avail.
I expect nothing else. From what people say about him- it appears ‘con-man’ could be an accurate discription.
So please be careful, you can get a great scooter from Asia for a very good price- Go with the big guys, If you want to see before you buy, there are people in the UK who stock and sell properly restored scooters from Asia (ours and other peoples). I am not going to mention our resellers names- because that will look like i am trying to plug for business! I dont want that, all i want is for us guys who really try hard and care not to be tarred with the same brush as the scumbags who do not.
Just do your reasearch and dont be fooled by the eBay chancer fraternity.
Happy and safe scootering!
Nathan Redfearn
September 30th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Nice one Nathan but your breaching to the converted on this forum, dont think anyone here would do anything but take care when buying from Asia. Coincidentially visited Battlesbridge Motorbilia today - restored vespa standing in a field like a private sale - brand new Harrington supplied and waiting registration - like I say every vintage Vespa just turns out to be from Asia. Chap selling it says was your cousin and gets choice of the best, couldn’t undo steering lock and tried to kick start it by jumping astride it like a motorbike and predictably couldn’t. Also said only thing done in Vietnam was the legshields everything else finished in Bristol including the paint and already MOT’d - how MOT’d when not even registered bit of a puzzle. Looked very nice but from where I sit anyone looking to buy a vintage vespa in restored condition needs to be aware and ask the seller for history just like when your buying a second hand car - as someone who owns cars, Mbikes and scooter my personal opinion is imports of scooters (not just Asian and not a dig at any one firm) has wrecked the market since other than a deceptive dating certificate your buying on face value and looks alone for silly prices. Nice number of classy vintage motorcycles at Battlesbridge, the handful of scooters were poor in looks and quality by comparison, can see why scooters like Harringtons appeal.
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Well still wait to hear from Phil davis is he still alive or too busy fixing his super scoot ?
Come on phil we await with baited breath
October 4th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
When I was shopping around oft mentioned supplier of Harrington scooter in Edinburgh told me they don’t refurb front forks as a norm on classic scooter VBB VBC custom etc (Oops Phil maybe should have asked about your dipping front end). They did have a recent supply of new VBA frames and were moving into production scooters rather than restoration - now would that be new new frames like reproductions - not like one the ones Nathan mentions I hope.
October 6th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
No I have not dissapeared. For the last 8 months I have been living and working in Russia but have been back to Uk and have ridden the Harrington Scooter. When I am next in UK I will update you with my experiences. They are up and down so no easy answer guys but i will explain all. I am back in about 3 weeks so I will update you then Phil
October 18th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Anybody else buy one from All Vespa? I did, and would like feedback from other people who have as well..
Cheers!
October 23rd, 2007 at 6:44 am
Have had my Vespa Sprint from Vivo Scooters since May and have done about 1000km on it. Had a problem with the spark plug cap coming off when I first got it. I emailed Adam at Vivo, he told me this is a common problem and offered to send a more modern one down to me, I actually bought one myself (the princely sum of an couple of quid) and put it on myself (if a Luddite like myself can then anyone can). I have had a few queries about the scoot and Adam has always responded very promptly.
I had the bike serviced by a local Lambretta restorer and he said it looked good although he wasn’t 100% sure about the tires passing an MOT as they are Japanese and don’t have the Euro standard mark. Also there is no bulb in
I have got a problem with the kickstart jamming at the moment, the Lammie restorer didn’t want to fix it as Vespa’s aren’t his area of expertise so I am taking it to my local Vespa dealer. I’m assuming he will ‘delve’ a bit deeper and be able to give me a more in depth assessment of the standard of restoration. I will post results as and when.
November 13th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
just a few lines to say i have went and boughta sx clone type lambretta and i am a little worried by some negative feed back if the product is not up to standard i will repy to this and view my opinions i will keep you all posted scoot should be here in dec 07 i am in a club and membership to national scooter groups
November 21st, 2007 at 7:24 am
Have taken the brave step of ordering a Vespa from ScooterAZ. The correspondent featuring on this site visited the premises in Vietnam and subsequently bought a Lambretta from them. He deemed it satisfactory but not perfect. I have paid my deposit and expect the first photographs to be sent soon. Its a pity because I should be excited about the project but instead fear the worst after all of the bad publicity. So fingers crossed. I’ll let you know when it turns up!
November 27th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Very interested Len. I’m looking at buying a VBB from ScooterAZ myself. What type and engine model have you gone for? Please let us know how it works out for you and what the nasty import duties are.
November 28th, 2007 at 9:06 am
Ok Dave I will keep you informed. I opted for a 150 sprint as it was the nearest to an SS180 that I could find. Familiar story but I owned an SS180 when I was 16 (38yrs ago) and would like to recreate it if possible. I opted for a 200cc engine with chrome bubbles and mudguard with plenty of other bits bolted on. I hope to hear from them soon and will let you know about the dreaded import duties and other costs.
November 28th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Cheers Len. Fingers and toes crossed for you. She sounds cool!
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Hmm… well its been 8 weeks now and not a word from ScooterAz about the progress of my scooter. I emailed Nyugen (owner) on Christmas Eve but he has not replied. Starting to look dodgy!
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Oh Oh, You pay him much up front?
January 25th, 2008 at 6:04 am
Received an email last week from ScooterAZ saying delay is due to chroming issues and that it will be ready soon. I paid them $500 as a deposit (approx £250). I was a little reassured by their reply and told them I look forward to seeing the photographs!
January 26th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Good Luck Len, I bottled it on the Viet import and bought one from a guy in Portsmouth UK. Guess what, after the delivery driver had gone I noticed a sticker on the engine stating the part had been supplied in Indonesia. When I quizzed the seller he admitted that it was an Indonesian import. Its now in the local scooter garage getting the engine sorted (it doesnt select the gears very well and the pull away is very jerky. They’ll probably find much more to boot). I got it quite cheaply so lets see how it goes. Dave
January 28th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Sorry to hear the guy from Portsmouth wasn’t up front about his source. Will you have to pay for the engine work yourself or is the UK supplier going to help out? Apart from that what type of scooter have you got? I was so comitted to getting back on a scooter again that I sold my car and bought a new Piaggio Xevo X8 while I am waiting for my classic! Should it ever arrive. Its great to get back on two wheels after all these years. I hope your Indonesian import eventually does the biz for you!
February 7th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
In 2007 we at CLOCKHILL SCOOTERS worked on full engine rebuilds for the vespa vbb and lambretta from the harrington group. how awful for the customers to have bought such beautiful looking scooters for such a lot of cash and then having to have the engine, cables and frame accessories put right. we are taking on alot of these still and already this year we have had three come in. give us a bell if like others you are stuck with not knowing what to do. 02476397027 or clockhil@aol.com
February 9th, 2008 at 1:58 am
The news is bad. The engine is just not worth saving. Most parts are worn out and shimmed up with drinks cans / bodge and the casings have some kind of araldite in most of the threads / holes so something is amiss there to. I am looking at a new PX/LML engine fitted at a cost of £700ish. When I contacted the seller he advised me that the retail value of my bike was £2000 (something I was unaware of at the time) and I got it much cheaper (£950), with free delivery so what was I complaining about!! What goes around chum, PORTSMOUTH ISN’T THAT FAR AWAY. Anyway Len still hoping yours comes good. Any news yet?
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:41 am
Well its crunchtime!! ScooterAZ have emailed me pictures of my scooter and the photograph dates all correspond to yesterday 20 minutes before they emailed me. It looks smart (although a little dusty) I can only hope and pray the mechanics don’t reflect some others that have appeared in these postings. I’m going to gamble then when it gets here you can all tell me I’m a mug! It looks pretty so I can always wheel it up to the pub and just pose alongside it!
April 18th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Shipping company have informed me that the scooter should arrive at Southampton on April 25th. This is over 5 months since I placed my order and paid my deposit! Should be a masterpiece after working on it for all these months.
April 24th, 2008 at 4:29 am
Good news Len, do you remember what it was you ordered? Baited breath time. You will get pictures and post them somewhere we can see her?
May 9th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Scooter finally arrived from Vietnam a few days ago. I arrived home to find an enormous crate left in my driveway! Brilliantly secured inside the scooter had been perfectly protected and all the chrome oiled. Early indications are that it seems just fine no filler or bodging found as yet and frame number appears to be completely authentic (1965 Vespa 150 super)and applicable to the model. Only problem was that the battery was flat upon arrival. It is going for MOT soon. Once it has been given the all clear I’ll try and find a site to post a photograph on. So far I am very pleased. Oh and the total cost of importing it with all duties and charges paid plus delivery to Norwich was £341.00
May 27th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Hello, Sorry if this sounds like repeating the process but what’s the latest on best buys?
I want a classic vespa and I’m very tempted by Vivo’s site. Seems like most here have had little trouble from Vivo compared to others? Am I right?
May 30th, 2008 at 3:21 am
It is very true that there is a lot of crap restoration done in Vietnam. All the horror stories are true and there are a lot of terrible shops. Viets specialize in jury-rigging just about anything, regardless of worth or lack of worth.
That said, there’s a handful of shops that are gems and stand by their work, some of which are also quite cheap. I’m not going to advocate for any one of them, but as a Saigon resident and Vespa rider I can assure you they exist. In the last 2 years I’ve put 20,000 km on my ‘69 Sprint, and I bought it for $800 US…
May 30th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Greg, I cant speak for Vivo’s quality as I never got that far. I ordered my scooter in September 07 and was told I would have it by Feb 08. I asked for assurances that it would not take any longer as I wanted it for work and he assured me it wouldn’t. Feb came and I still hadn’t heard anything despite being told I would be kept informed every step, so I contacted vivo for news. Vivo said they would chase it up. 3 weeks later i hadn’t heard anything so I sent another email. Again I was told they would chase it up, worryingly because they weren’t answering vivo’s emails or phone calls, completely making a mockery of vivos claim that they are involved with the build from start to finish. Once again I heard nothing so I sent another email expressing my concern. I then received an email telling me my scooter wouldn’t be ready until at least May, 3 months later than I was promised. Perhaps most worrying though, at this point they offered me an Indian Baja scooter that they had in stock, a scooter they promised me they simply did not deal with. “All our scooters are genuine 1960’s Italian built classic vespas” according to the vivo site. Strange then that he quite openly told me that all their scooters were built in India as in their opinion Indian scooters were better quality than Vietnamese scooters. I’ve since found out that vivo’s scooters come from a Vietnamese firm called Harrington’s. I decided I had had enough and asked for my deposit back. After a nervy couple of weeks wait and few heated phone calls I eventually received a cheque. I was about to put it all down to experience when I received a letter from my bank telling me that the cheque had bounced. After another week and about a dozen heated phone calls -which incidentally he wouldnt answer unless I used someone else’s phone or withheld my number- I eventually received my cheque. All in all not a very positive experience I’m afraid.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
just a few questions to put a spanner in the works,after owning many vespas and afew lammys over the years ,decicded i would buy a restored gp ,after a lot of research deciced to buy one from india as they supply a brand new sil engine and the scooters were made there til around ten years ago ,surely this is a safer option ,does anyone have any feedback on buying gp200 from india ,the bottom line seems to be that we all want good quality scooters at rock bottom prices ,nearly all the scoots for sale here in oz private or from a shop come via vietnam ,indoneisia etc and to buy the same scoots restored in the west cost three time as much,i would gladly pay $2400 for a scoot restored up the road but they dont exsist
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:24 am
Trevor, thanks for the info about Vivo’s. Shame their website looks so nice really!
I am gutted, really want an old classic but need to rely on it as I commute daily on mine and can’t seem to find a reliable shop!! Vivo’s do have vids on youtube of scooter rallies where most people look happy! It’s just finding a satisfied customer that’s the hard bit!
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:43 pm
only just found this website.
i bought a vbb from vivo in summer 2006. i think it was originally restored by harrington. there have been a couple of issues with it but, on the whole, i think it was worth what i paid and, if you are thinking of buying one, don’t be put off PROVIDED YOU GIVE IT A LOOK OVER BEFORE BUYING. (that advice would go for any vehicle bought over the internet.)
that said, i wouldn’t regard it as a regular commuting scoot (go for a px if that’s what you want) and you need to be prepared for a bit of spanner work!
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
ps i’ve spent less than £100 on “essential” spares for it since buying, plus about double that on other stuff i just wanted. (can give further details to anyone who wants them.)
i had to drop the engine once to do something but - so far - haven’t had to split it. if that became necessary i would probably just get a new lml engine from eddy bullet instead.
and personally, i wouldn’t go for the two saddles again. a dual seat is far more practical. squeaks less too.
June 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 am
Greg, It was the professionalism of the site and apparent quality of the scooters that seduced me. Add that to the impression Vivo like to give that the scoots are all sourced and built by experienced professionals at their Vivo India branch and it’s hard not to be impressed. In reality Vivo simply import scooters from Vietnam, add a few extras and sell them on at a profit. To their credit, they [why do I keep saying 'they' and 'their'? From what I can gather, Vivo is one bloke!] do seem to use the more credible of the Vietnam dealers. There are just too many inconsistencies and contradictions between what vivo say and reality.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I have to admit that I was rather surprised to find out that Vivo apparently import restored scooters from Vietnam as it clearly states in their ad in Scootering magazine that their machines are not restored in Vietnam.
I was thinking about buying a classic scooter from them, but after what everyone has had to say about them I am having second thoughts..Can anyone recommend a reputable dealer where I can buy a restored classic Vespa at a reasonable, non rip off price? Cheers
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I wonder if anyone knows what eventually happened with Len Holman’s scooter, still no conclusive updates…
I am considering an import scooter despite all the bad advice and the favoured option is scooteraz at the moment but i’m slightly concerned about the long wait Len had for his. I guess you have to wait and wait and wait on these things.
I’m actually going to Vietnam soon (well by the end of the year) and i may just wait til then and go see Scooter AZ myself. That way i may be able to ride the bike a bit over there before shipping it myself.
Any scooterAZ customers happy or otherwise, please post!!!! asap
June 4th, 2008 at 3:10 am
Hi Vince.
I have sent off my photographs and details to the Vespa Club of Gt Britain to obtain authentication of year of manufacture enabling me to register the scoot with the DVLA. They phoned me to check over some points and believe it to be a 1966 produced frame but the serial number on the reconditioned engine is one they don’t immediately recognize. I specifically asked ScooterAZ for a 200cc engine. The engine looks in good nick but apparently the Vespa Club are keen to establish where it was manufactured. Hence the delay which is a little annoying but necessary. All I can say so far is that the scooter goes up and down the drive well!
June 4th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Cheers for the reply Len,
what bike exactly did you buy? and would you mind giving a breakdown of the costs including taxes etc? I have heard it said that some companies offer to reduce the cost on the forms so that you pay less import tax and duty, is this advisable in anyone’s opinion?
Have you had a good look at the mechanics of the scoot? Hopefully you haven’t found any hardcore bodges! Good luck with that…
June 4th, 2008 at 8:23 am
oh god, what a mine field this really is, i am too thinking of buying a viet scooter, and after research on the net, am in a state of complete confusion, I have read numerous reports on how bad the viet stuff is, and has anyone seen the photos of the lammys snapped in half too….!!! pretty scary….!!! there are some lovely looking bikes, but also aome of the forums seem full of snobbery too (if there is such a thing in the scooter world)a lot of criticsm seems to be about the authenticity of the refurb, stand rubbers, wrong size wheels, seats etc, a lot of negativity to wade through if you are just wanting something to have fun on in the sunshine.
The only reputable one i can find with no bad reports and some good ones is ScootRS in viet, anyone any experiences…? They seem to do quite a thorough job, although how can you really tell..!! and their prices ar much higher than most coming out of viet.
I can post the photos of the snapped lammys if you guys want to see…!!
I will keep reading this forum in the vain hope that we hear some success stories..!!
June 4th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
anyone had any dealings with vivo in edinburgh , and does anyone know if he is still sourcing his stuff from Harrington or elsewhere, someone did mention that they may be doing their own restore work
Thanks
Paul
June 5th, 2008 at 4:06 am
I bought a 1968 Sprint from Vivo in May 2007. I did have to wait a bit longer than initially anticipated but Adam there kept me informed of what was happening.
It does look great but I did have a few problems with it, the kick start quadrant had to be replaced, the gear change cracked and had to be replaced and the stand fell off!! However since then it has been working well. When it was in for repairs the mechanic said he thought it was generally a good restoration. I suppose you have to expect a few problems with something that is 40 years old!!
I found Adam very helpful and he would always answer my (many) emailed questions promptly.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:13 am
Nat
thanks for that, i emailed them yesterday , so far no reply, i know they were getting their stuff from the harrington group, who have had some bad press, and asked if they were now sourcing from scootRS, we all know the places to get them from in vietnam, i would have just liked an answer as to who their supplier was, and to actually drive up and take a look at a bike, better than ordering blind i would say, i will keep you updated
Paul
June 5th, 2008 at 4:55 am
In response to Vince’s question about the cost of import.
UK Import handling £50
UK Haulage £100
Import service fee £45
Port security fee £3.50
VAT to Customs £52.83
HM Revenue & customs duty £20.14
Use of deferment charge £25
Total £341.47
June 5th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Len
what sort of condition is the scooter in..? does it look and ride ok..?
any info appriciated
Paul
June 6th, 2008 at 7:17 am
Paul
If you would like me to email you pictures (or anybody else who may be interested) contact me at angelmiddle@aol.com. I notice that Vespa Club of Gt Britain have cashed my cheque so they must have been able to successfully date the scooter. I am not expecting the mechanics to be brilliant and I do expect to have to spend money on it but it runs and sounds ok to me. Compared to the Piaggio X8 400 I ride on a daily basis it is crude, noisy and vibrates but then that’s how I remember them being 40 years ago!
June 6th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Thanks all
Still no idea what to do!!!(LOL)
Might ring Vivo and see what they say. How long did it take for yours to arrive Nat??
June 6th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
well i emailed vivo 3 days ago and have heard anything, wondering if that was because i asked who the supplier was, my bet is if they are not using harrington group anymore because of the reputation. They would be wise to use scoot RS, they seem to be the best of the lot and seem to have a good name as opposed to the rest of the viet bodgers. I am seriously thinking of ordering from them, build time seems to be around 7 - 8 months, probably the same as supply from vivo, cost to the door from scoot RS seems to work out around £1800 to £2k, which is not bad when you think you are getting a vintage 66 vespa, regardless of where its been restored, there is a good site which has reviewd some of the builders, check out scoot-central.com
June 8th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
len
many thanks for the photos, the scooter looks amazing.
June 10th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Greg
It took about 3 months to arrive from memory. I think there were some shipping problems. Adam kept me informed of the progress (or lack thereof). I took it for a spin yesterday and everything seems fine at the moment (without wishing to jinx it). As I said, I had some problems but all has been fine for the last 6 months or so. At the end of the day it’s a bike that is 40 years old so some problems are probably inevitable. From what I can gather they put new engines in their restored bikes now so that should help things
June 11th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Nat, Cheers mate. Will have to get off my arse and talk to them about it. See what they can offer me. Vivo that is. As reliability is an issue with me getting to work in London, i need to get that clear in my head!
June 11th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Greg
I have to say if you are looking for a scooter for commuting you are probably better off with a PX or LML as I would have thought that would be more reliable. I have a PX for normal use and keep the Sprint for ‘Sunday best’.
June 13th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Nat
To cut a long story short, I’ve already got an LX125 at the mo which I got knocked off of. Got paid out £1400 by other side’s insurance and got my bike back, put a new brake lever on and apart from a couple of scratches, it’s as good as new. Was just considering selling it for £1200ish and getting an old style vesp. But like you say, 40 year old bikes will have the odd hiccup!! I do see some on the roads though when i’m commuting (so some people must do it!!) and thought it was worth looking into.
June 14th, 2008 at 2:16 am
guys, after much research i think maybe scootrs are the best bet, they do advertise in scootering magazine and do supply a lot of parts to the vespa guys in the UK, I am planning an order in the next couple of weeks and am going to ask if i can document the complete build on a website, if they have nothing to hide i cant se why not..!!! their website states 7 months build, probably the same length of time from vivo but saving circa £800 - £1k in the bargain too, it was a toss up between scootrs and scooter az who len dealt with, im not expecting a perfect scooter, after all it will be some 40 years old, and i could end up a great del of money out of pocket, but im taking the point of view that they all cant be viet bodges…!! and len certainley looks as if he got a good deal, should have the beginings of the website up this week if anyone is interested to follow it, will post the address up here.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
well ive out my site up in the hope that it will help us understand the vietnamese restorations a bit better, but already Sean from scoot-central.com has told me that scootRS are a bit guarded about photographs and the like, which is a shame because it makes you wonder if there is anything to hide, anyway check out http://www.vespa-italia.co.uk I will be adding a general forum soon too for all makes of scooter.
Paul
June 16th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
It has been a while since I have been to this site. It is great to see the forum and the input.
As far as what Paul mentioned above that ScootRS is guarded about their facility which is not meant to throw a conspiracy theory about the shop. I think it is because there are so many copycats in Saigon and a lot of shops want to mimic his operations. The owner of ScootRS is Canadian and brings western business practices to S.E. Asia which is good but the local are also try to learn this quickly. I think he is wise to be guarded ScootRS that he wants to keep one step ahead of them. Whenever I go out to different shops in Vietnam, I always see these prototype of products like headsets or exhausts that are ScootRS knock offs. The castings on these thinks are so poor that you would need a half can of body filler to make them close but they would still be off.
Anyway, I get a lot inquiries to my website, http://www.scoot-central.com, of who is good and who is not in the Viet Scooter world. If I had to buy a scooter tomorrow it would be ScootRS for the fact that they have the most new replacement parts in Vietnam. I was just in Vietnam and went by ScooterAZ and ScootRS. ScootRS is the most professional out of the two. When I met with Harington, they were using 200cc SIL motor imported from India. When I was at ScootRS, I saw a Lambretta LIS150 that was pre fitted together before painting. Their costs are not cheap but the quality is better than most. I just spent close to $1000. usd to get my ScooterAZ LIS150 road worthy, (not including the motor work which I asked Matthew not to do. The truth of the matter is that I have 2 complaints toward ScooterAZ which are fairly serious and none against ScootRS.
Remember with any scooter you are buying sight unseen, you should budget some money for repairs. Also plan on having the bike inspected. I even at the point where I recommend spraying the inside of the cases and the internal to remove any resin left over from bead blasting. I just had an incident where my gearing and Layshaft got real loose real quick, (after 100 miles), and on closer inspection it looks like there was excessive wear from some sort of grit left behind from Vietnam.
If you go to Vietnam, you would be shocked at some of the places where these scooters are being built. Scooterist is drawn to these Viet scooter for their low price. I find more and more as Vespa and Lambrettas are drying up in Vietnam, that there are starting to see more and more welded together scooters which are real scary. The cost of a used scooter has shot up also. These shops cannot buy any scooter for less than $1000. usd. Hence the visit to the junkyard and then to the welder is coming into play. Oh yeah, a lot of Bondo also. AstraVietanm aka Huys sold me a LIS which I was going to resell but I found out the frame was tweaked within my first hour of getting the bike. This led me under the scooter to find some really bad weld on the frame which led me to sandblasting the frame to find out that the frame was welded in three spot from 3 different scooters. VERY DANGEROUS. I got a replacement frame from a local scooterist but now I find out that Huy cut the legshield down to make it fit on the old welded frame. This was after I went and visited Huys operations and saw some of his work. I think these shops get busy and Vietnam does not undserstand quality control yet nor customer service.
I wrote to much as usual but my final word are to be very careful around these shops because you could out a fair amount of money.
I welcome anyone who has purchased a scooter from Vietnam to visit my website and offer a review. It was meant to be driven by the community of scooterist. Thanks
June 17th, 2008 at 1:09 am
great comments Sean, your website http://www.scoot-central.com should be the first stop for anyone looking to buy from vietnam, its good to get the views of someone with first hand experience.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Guys, looking for anyone to start populating the forums on my site http://www.scooter-italia.co.uk trying to start a general forum for all italian scoots, already talking to the vespa wizard in OZ and a guy in Canada, Len i think you may have registered…? sent you a personal mail on the site, anyway just looking for any help and experiences good and bad from all yous scooter owners, and import scooter owners, photos etc greatly appriciated.
many thanks guys
Paul
July 26th, 2008 at 8:59 am
hi posted some months ago i bought a sx200 clone with a “NEW” engine body work v good spray job BUT the engine was reconditioned with a sub std crankshaft gave up after 600 kms this was not a new gp engine and i had to spend 600 and more euros to fix this BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN BUYING iwill not be doing this again best advice yours john
July 26th, 2008 at 9:05 am
hi posted some months ago i bought a sx200 clone with a “NEW” engine body work v good spray job BUT the engine was reconditioned with a sub std crankshaft gave up after 600 kms this was not a new gp engine and i had to spend 600 and more euros to fix this BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN BUYING iwill not be doing this again best advice yours john ps the flywheel was set to 21 degrees manual states for unleaded fuel should be 19 degress for better functioning
July 31st, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Hi,
I just ordered an Li150 special from Saigon Scooter Centre. I did quite a bit of research before going that route, but there is surprisingly little specific info on the web about SSC. Most sites (including scoot-central and the Harrington guy on this site) mention that they are one of the two most reputable restorers in Vietnam (the other being ScootRS), but very little detail is given, and I have yet to find someone online who has actually bought a scoot from them. Everyone with satisfied experiences seemed to have either gone expensive with ScootRS or cheap with ScooterAZ. Is there anyone out there with direct experience with SSC?
You might wonder why I plonked down cash with ith SSC with such nebulous info. There were three reasons, really.
Firstly, they were a wee bit less dear than ScootRS, but mentioned in the same breath as ScootRS on internet forums (shouldn’t the plural of forum be fora?). I was cutting it a bit fine with the finances, so while I decided not to buy a “maybe-okay-scooter that I could probably fix later” from ScooterAZ or the like, ScootRS was a little too pricey for my budget. If it weren’t for SSC, I would not be buying a classic scooter at all.
Secondly, I used to be a Triumph enthusiast, and in that experience I got pretty good at recognising the difference between a real enthusiast and a pretender (at least I *think* I can recognise a fake). My conversations with Pat at SSC were pretty spare, and I didn’t give up a lot even though I pretty much knew what needed to find out about the build. Pat’s suggestions and advice were spot on, and had that feel of authenticity that I was looking for. As dangerous as this sounds, it was the vibe of the thing that convinced me.
And thirdly, as a rule I try to avoid flashy professional looking shops (franchise stores or onsellers are the worst), and deal with smaller shops where the proprietors went into business to support their own obsession. I do this with mountain bikes and darts shops as well, which are my other personal obsessions. The owners of such shops are often also the mechanics, and when they are not working on a customer’s bike, they are out riding their own love-of-their-life machine. These shops are the most likely to give good practical advice, because what they are doing is more of a religon than a business, and I want to talk directly with the guy whose got my scooter’s grease under his fingernails. SSC attends, and takes scoots to, international rallys, and they host local Saigon classic scooter events. Probably the most impressive along those lines was last year’s Saigon to Hanoi trek (you can read a blog of that crazy adventure on their site). When I read it, I thought “you know, that is something _I_ would do”. You don’t do that sort of thing to sell scooters. They are taking a trip through Cambodia and Laos next year, and I would give the non-essential body part of their choice to do that trip (although my wife wouldn’t let me).
So that’s it. I am comfortable enough with Pat and SSC to send them my hard earned grocery money, but I would certainly sleep better if there were someone out there with first hand knowledge.
cheers
Bill
August 16th, 2008 at 1:11 am
hi Bill
Well I’ll throw my bias upfront, I live in Saigon, and count Pat from SSC as among my close friends.
I did the Hanoi run with him, but I was smarter than the rest of the boys and went only as far as Nha Trang, so while they were freezing their collective sacs off up north, I was getting beachside massages :). I join and sponsor his annual charity run out to local orphanages every Christmas, and semi regular trips that he pulls together every month. I am going to have to give the Cambo-Lao trip a miss unfortunately, my brother’s wife will be having a baby back in Australia at the same time.
So - bias acknowledged, one final disclaimer - I am not especially an enthusiast. Pat is a Lambretta-tattooed guy passionate about his scoots. Me, I am just some guy who stumbled on this site today who rides a scoot to work every day.
Pat did my Vespa for me about 2 yrs ago, painted to my ex-gf’s request in bronze with a flame job (you can see it on the Hanoi run pics page).
That bike gave me maybe three problems in two years. Personally, I think that is a pretty damn good record.
With the SSC bikes, basically everything on it was either imported from Italy, or else fabricated to scooter-geek standards by his team in his workshop out in Tan Phu (about 10 mins past his house/office/showroom.
Each of those issues, he fixed without complaint, and generally speaking without charge if it reflected anything even remotely faulty. And if it was my fault, it may have cost me a drink or a slap upside the head
He recently came to me with an ‘have I got a deal for you’ offer, and I have traded in the old Vespa and he is restoring one fresh for me. The old one is being exported (if you are lucky, you may be getting that one…great bike!). I should receive it in a couple of weeks.
Anyhow, you asked for feedback from people who ride SSC bikes - I ride an SSC bike almost every day, and couldnt be happier with it. Your gut was right when you talked to Pat, he knows his stuff, he loves what he does (despite the constant grumbling his mates have to endure).
I have plenty of friends here with Vespas/Lambrettas purchased from sweaty shirtless dudes on Ly Thai To Street, and I can think of only one of those guys for whom it hasnt been a disaster. Those guys are the bane of his existence as they are sucking the country dry of bikes, and giving the good guys a bad rep.
Hope that puts your mind at rest somewhat.
Cheers
Matt
August 21st, 2008 at 1:09 am
Thanks Matt. Pat’s doing a Lambretta for me, but your Vespa does look pretty sweet. I wasn’t losing much sleep, but it’s still good to hear a happy customer story.
cheers
Bill
September 7th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Further to the purchase and arrival of my Vespa 150 Super from ScooterAZ.
Hallelujah!! Exactly 10 months to the day that I first ordered my scooter I rode it out on the road for the very first time!
Its been 38 years since I last rode a Vespa and how nostalgic. The reasons for the delay to date has already been documented on this site but I skilfully managed to create some more. Armed with my new MOT certificate and all the other paperwork I proudly marched into my local DVLA office to finally register the scooter. Two minutes later I walked out facing more disappointment and delay as the dating certificate from the Vespa Club had one digit out from the frame number listed on all of the other original documents. Another week had to pass for a new dating certificate to arrive. Back to the DVLA they accepted the paperwork but insisted that the scooter go for examination at their testing centre. They only do it on Tuesdays and were booked up so I had to wait yet again. But this week she went for what I was hoping was her final test. In and out in 10 minutes they found it conformed with all legislation and gave her a clean bill of health. So was that it? Of course not! The DVLA issued a registration number I measured the number plate area on the scooter and went to get one. I needed a 6×5″ plate but that was not possible it had to be 7×5″ which doesn’t fit properly. To make matters worse this size is a ‘Showplate’ and won’t be legal after November 1st. At the end of my tether I bought it and with a little ingenuity it is fixed to the bike.
This morning I stood looking at her on the drive and found it impossible to believe that I could get on it and go! She started up first time as always, clutch in and with a little trepidation off we went round the block. Brilliant very pleased! The attention she attracted was enormous. Men of a certain age were desperate to talk to me about it at the petrol station and once home more walked across the road to view and ask me all about it. Over the next few hours I re-learnt the joys and despair of owning a 60s Vespa. My next trip out halted at the end of the road. I had failed to turn the fuel lever fully on! Now I was ready for a quick 5 mile visit to a friend’s house. Several stop starts while I avoided downpours and I was off. I was on an open road and loving it then disaster it made strange noises and stopped.
In despair I began to curse ScooterAz for ripping me off for being no better than all the cheap Vietnamese sweatshops who scam the western world with bodged scooters. I made a few calls from the side of the road but nobody was home. I opened the panel on the battery side to discover the negative lead had slipped off! I hadn’t put it back on properly months before when it first arrived. I reconnected the lead and off we went apologising to ScooterAZ as I went. Was there anything else more stupid I could manage? No problem! On the way home she stopped at a crossroads I pushed it across the junction opened up the battery panel and this time was greeted by huge plumes of smoke. I had not put the restraining strap back across the battery! It had fallen out of its cradle and both terminals had welded themselves to the side panel. I waited a short while for things to cool down peeled the battery off the panel, resited it checked the terminal connections and miraculously off she went! She still goes well but I must have damaged the electric system somehow. I don’t think the lights are as bright and the horn sounds a bit spluttery. Despite this setback I am as happy as Larry with my scooter. Apologies for rambling on a bit with this post but after my big investment both financially and emotionally over a long period I can’t wait to share my good news!
October 9th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Hi to all Vespa/Lambretta lovers,
i am a Scootering reader from Nice , France
See lots of adds of UK based buisnesses that proclaim to sell
“in house” restored Vespas , but visiting their sites from the pictures that i see i get the impressions that most or all theese scooters are restored in Vietnam or came from there??
What do you guys know about VIVOscooters.co.uk ?
this Schotland based company looks like a Vientam reseller?
Do you know any Genuin UK restoration company that uses genuine parts and has a Website?
thanks in advance,
greets from Nice, France
October 19th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Hi Guys, sorry to see all these problems youre all having with restored Vespa’s. Just to let you all know that here in South Africa there is also a vespa restorer. I dont know if they ship them out to other countries but maybe you can contact them via e-mail. Also the exchange rate between the UK and SA makes the bikes very cheap. Check their website : http://www.vestoration.co.za There are also some nice pics of restored Vespa’s. Cheers, hope you find this usefull.
October 19th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Hello me again, also check out this website in Cape town. http://www.scootdr.com
November 2nd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Hi, has anyone already purchased a vespa from vivo scooters recently? Have paid the deposit for a classic VBA with the new lml engine. I notice that all the problems with these imports seem to belong mainly to the engine/gearbox? I will be posting my own experiences here when the bike arrives. Due date January. Any information regarding vivo’s reputation would be apreciated.
Johnny
November 16th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
i fell for the charm of the Vivo site and ordered a vivosprint in may .Its now late November and still waiting
November 18th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Hi Ian, have they given a reason for the delay?
Have you had any pics of the build etc..?
Would like to hear your verdict when the bike arrives.
You can contact me at j6chn@tiscali.co.uk