Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

hey guys. ive been studying scooters for a while now, and saving money to purchase one. i sent my wife to school with the $400 i had saved (along with more obviously).

so im researching some more. ive considered Yamaha Vinos, Honda Metropolitans and a cheaper older scoot like a Spree. do any of you have other scooters? what are your personal experiences? id like to stick with something Japanese and/or major name. (no geely's etc) if you only have a Spree or Sprees, tell me what you think of it.

thanks guys, and be honest. i want to get a decent scooter thats fun/safe/reliable. i know Sprees arent the speediest little beasts out there, and i was hoping for 40-42mph (not that id ever need to go that fast, but a little more power never hurt anyone).

BUT! if the price is right...

-adam

My spree was fun and very worth it for the everyday up and about. Being an '85 however, it took quite a bit of maintenance, which was still fun and fullfilling if you have the time for it. I have recently bought a vento zip r3i 50cc and will tell you how that goes as I get more aquinted with it.

I started with a very reliable old spree. I have two project spree's right now. But i did move up in the world, I bought an '03 Aprilia Scarabeo. It is a very nice 50cc bike. It will do about 50 Mph stock. Very nice ride and amazing acceleration. I smoke my old spree so easily at a stop. But with a sticker price of $2500 before taxes on sale.... It should be, lol. But trust me. It was worth every penny of it.

Sprees are great scooters to start off with. Not to mention, they are usually pretty cheap to buy from people who don't appreciate the spree for what it is. I bought mine from a guy who didn't have time to ride it for $150. The Spree is also quite easy to fix should something go bad in it. Good luck with your quest on finding a scooter.

P.S. Vespas are really great bikes too, but are highly expensive.

Matt Kruger
a.k.a. BluPhire

yeah i really like the new vespa ET2. it looks like a nice bike, but its priced TWICE that of the Yamaha Vino, and id be willing to bet that parts are cheaper and more available for the vino. plus, 70cc kits, pipes etc are available in abundance for the Yammy. id kinda like to get a new-ish scoot so i dont have to worry about reliability right off. i want to get acquainted with the bike, so i can ENJOY working on it.

the idea of a new scoot isnt entirely out of the picture either. actually, im about a year to a year and a half away from paying off my pickup, and i own my wifes car, and our other car. so if i could find something in the $2k + or - range, it wouldnt be unthinkable. i'll look into the aprilla that was mentioned.

thanks guys, and keep the opinions coming!

-adam

ps - the spree i was looking at sold...

Man, i got ripped off on my first spree. I could not find one locally but besides the moped shop downtown . So i bought my first spree there for $550? i think it was. But even its brutal abuse in the past (it was evident) it ran great and still does. But back to my reason for the post Spoolboyy , Here is the site http://www.aprilia.com/portale/eng/scarabeo.phtml
Click on 50 Street, that is my model, myne is a little different (side case on motor and my color) maybe its the american model? I may post some pictures if you are intrested.

-Tippmann98

nice bike! i hadnt really thought about a big wheeled scooter. you bought yours new for $2500? that doesnt sound too overpriced for what you get really. what color is yours? stock top speed of 50mph? not bad.

-adam

Trust me, big tires are a lit nicer and handel like a big bike. I am rather fond. Myne is the color of this fender
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... gory=35607
Yeah, i have gotten it to 50. They also make i think it is 70cc, it may be 80cc overbore kits for them also. Preformance mufflers are manufactured for this scooter also.(i plan on getting one along with overbore) It is a great buy.
-Tippmann98

nice color. yeah, the big tires would improve the ride/handling immensely im sure. what about that SR50R/Factory thats on their website? is that available in the US?

that bike looks way sweet.

-adam

I am not sure, but i hope so. That thing does look awsome, if nothing else.... It probably could be imported.

I forgot to say, but i did see a used one when i went to buy my scarabeo. So i am thinking yes.

sweet. yeah, that thing looks like it could eat most scoots for lunch. but its probably $3,000+

oh well...

-adam

Yeah, but... Its cool lol. I think that thing would prefotm nicely. All aprilia's really do. I mean, its made in italy.. lol

check out my vento zip r3i. it has some pretty nice specs:

http://www.midessamotorcycle.com/ventozipr3i.htm

and a price tag of about $1500.

That thing is pretty sweet, is it brand new? Do you have to get it street legal? How much are payments, or did you pay for it in cash?

Matt Kruger
a.k.a. BluPhire