Scooters vs. Motorcycles

What’s the difference between a scooter and a motorcycle?
While there can be many differences between scooters and motorcycles there are three main characteristics that distinguish a scooter. They include its frame design, transmission type, and weight.

The most obvious difference a scooter possesses is its step-through design. More comfortable than straddling a large fuel tank, scooters have a seat position that lets riders sit with their legs in front of them behind a wind deflecting shield. The design also puts the engine to the rear of the passenger, thus protecting the rider from oil stains and engine heat while at the same time lowering the center of gravity.

A second major difference is that many scooters now feature automatic transmissions. Using a continuous variable transmission, modern scooters accelerate smoothly from 0 to top speed without a gear selector or clutch. This makes scooters more convenient to ride in congested areas as well as easier to operate so one can concentrate on safety. Finally, a scooter is typically much lighter in weight than an average motorcycle. This makes them more maneuverable, easier to store, and more practical to transport.

Making a Purchase

Does Vespa Atlanta accept credit cards?
Vespa Atlanta does accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards for payment. Depending on the interest rate associated with your credit card, it is likely to your advantage to either pay in cash or finance your bike. In addition, we periodically offer special incentives for financing or cash payments. For more specifics, contact us today.

How hard is it to learn to drive a Vespa scooter?
The learning curve on the Vespa scooter is very quick. Vespa & Piaggio’s automatic transmissions, low centers of gravity and dual hand brakes make the scooter very easy to drive. These characteristics often appeal to individuals who are riding for the first time or after a long period.

Do I need a motorcycle license before I purchase? How will I get it home?
You do not need a motorcycle license in order to purchase a scooter. However, you must obtain all required licensing and review motorcycle laws and tips prior to riding your new bike on public roadways. For this reason, we do have the option for home delivery of your new purchase. This allows new bike owners to familiarize themselves with their scooter prior to riding in traffic.

Can Vespa Atlanta ship a Scooter or Accessory Order to my location?
Nothing would make us happier. Vespa Atlanta takes great care in preparing scooters and accessories for shipment. In addition to home delivery by one of our scooter technicians, our relationship with local shipping companies allows us to re-crate scooters in their original packaging for shipment to your residence. As the least cost alternative, vehicles arriving by local carrier require only the reinstallation of mirrors following the removal of the scooter from its crate. Shipping costs vary by location and we’d be happy to provide you with a quote.

Can I still purchase scooters and accessories from Vespa Atlanta if I live outside the Atlanta area?
Of course! While we make our home in the Atlanta area, Vespa Atlanta services and delivers to areas throughout the southeast including Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. For accessories, we are happy to box and ship items to Vespa enthusiasts throughout the United States.

Does Vespa Atlanta ship accessories outside the United States?
We realize that many items available in the US may not be available worldwide. For this reason, we have shipped items to as far away as Tasmania, Australia. Due to the frequency of credit card and other types of fraud worldwide, we only ship items on a case by case basis. These transactions often require a secure payment transaction and a $150 minimum order.

Do you have any catalogs or brochures for bikes, accessories or parts?
While not all of our accessories and parts are available for viewing in a printed brochure, one can view many of these items by clicking here. If you would like a printed brochure of any of the scooters mailed to you, please fill out the information request form here.

Will Vespa Ship my scooter for me?
Since we deal with shipping and crating on a day to day basis, we’d be happy to assist you in relocating your scooter.

Does Vespa Atlanta accept trade-ins and buy backs?
Yes, in many cases we are able to accept good condition, used scooters and motorcycles for trade-in or repurchase.

Can Vespa Atlanta customize my scooter?
Yes. Part of the fun of owning a scooter is individualization. Limited only by the imagination, we have created two tone bikes and bikes in one of a kind colors for many customers to make their riding experience even more fun.

Financing

Does Vespa Atlanta provide financing?
Though we do not have any in house financing or layaway programs, we are able to provide financing through our preferred financing partners. For more information, please visit the Financing section of this web site.

How much are payments?
Payments for your new purchase will vary with each customer as they are a function of the plan type, rate, and amount financed. For a look at what a new scooter may cost you, feel free to call and talk with one of our salespersons. For more information, please visit the Financing section of this web site.

How do I apply to see if I’m approved?
We can accept and submit financing applications both over the phone and here in our store. This will allow us to let you know both your credit limit and credit level in as little as 5 minutes.

How easy is it to get approved?
We have had great success with getting riders out on scooters with our financing partners. Generally if you can apply and receive a credit card, there is a good chance that you will be approved.

Riding Laws

Do I need a motorcycle license to ride a Vespa or Piaggio scooter?
Laws vary by state and by model, but in Georgia as with most other states, you will need a class M endorsement or motorcycle license for vehicles that do not qualify as mopeds. Generally, vehicles over 50cc are considered motorcycles. For more complete information, please visit the New Rider Info section of this web site.

Is there a helmet law that applies to scooters?
Laws vary by state, but in Georgia as with most other states, you are required by law to wear a helmet. Plus, it is your skull after all, which is definitely your most important asset—we would hate to see anything happen to it. Vespa Atlanta carries a wide variety of stylish and comfortable helmets for purchase.

How hard is it to get a motorcycle license?
While it is very easy in GA, motorcycles license requirements and testing vary by state. To obtain a motorcycle learners permit in GA, one need only to take a 40 questions multiple choice written exam at a testing facility. The questions come directly from the Motorcycle Operators Handbook and one must answer 75% of the questions correct. With this license, a new rider is permitted to ride their vehicle during daylight hours with no passengers on all but expressways for a period of six months. During the six month period, one can continue to renew their learner’s permit or make an appointment for the motorcycle permit driving test. The test is conducted at various DMV locations and consists of three simple tasks conducted with your own scooter on a closed course (parking lot). The individual tasks are outlined in the back portion of the GA motorcycle handbook, which is available at the testing facility or online at www.dmvs.ga.gov/forms/motormanual.asp.

For more complete information, please visit the New Rider Info section of this web site.

Service/Maintenance/Warranty

How often will I need to service my Vespa/Piaggio?
Maintenance on Vespa scooters varies by engine type. Generally, each scooter will undergo a break-in period of 600 miles or 4 months which is followed by the first service. Following the initial service, two stroke engines require service once a year or every 3,000 miles. Four stroke engines require service once a year or every 2,000 miles.

Do I need to bring my scooter to Vespa Atlanta for service?
While mobile service is on the horizon for Vespa Atlanta, we currently perform all of our warranties, repairs, and services from our store in Duluth. If you are unable to bring the scooter to us, we do have towing and pickup options available as well as rental totes and trailers. For the services, we attempt to make our turnaround time as quick as possible so that we can get you back on the road enjoying your ride. In many cases, we can perform the service while you wait in our customer area. We do ask that you call ahead for a waiting service so that we can ensure a technician is ready for you when you arrive.

Do Vespa/Piaggio scooters come with a warranty?
The warranty for the Vespa and Piaggio scooters covers manufacturer’s defects for the first year with no mileage restriction. Some scooter models also have extended warranty options as well as Roadside Assistance programs. Exclusions to the warranty are outlined in the warranty booklet and may limit coverage of paint, chrome, and battery to the first six months.

Does Vespa Atlanta service other brands of scooters?
Vespa Atlanta’s trained staff of technicians is happy to service other makes and models of similar type scooters. While our expertise lies in the scooters that we sell, we can perform minor service work for a variety of bikes. Since parts are not always available, for more extensive repairs, we recommend that owners bring their bikes back to their point of purchase for larger jobs. There is a 1 hour minimum shop labor fee for service and repairs on all non-Piaggio/Vespa scooters. Unfortunately, we do not work on standup, mobility, or electric scooters.

Will Vespa Atlanta pick up my scooter?
Yes, to make ownership and service easy for our customers in the metro Atlanta area, we offer both towing and pickup of scooters for a nominal fee. Of course, the towing of scooters with warranty problems covered by Piaggio’s roadside assistance program are eligible for towing reimbursement. Finally, we also provided discounted rates on trailer rentals for customers to trailer in their own bikes.

Can I service my own scooter?
Servicing your scooter does take some mechanical expertise and the right set of tools, but for those wanting to perform their own services we will offer assistance when possible. Keep in mind that improper servicing and damages resulting from them are not covered under warranty.

My scooter got scratched and dented, what do I do?
Vespa Atlanta is a full service dealership that is able to return your scooter to its former glory with a premium paint job and OEM parts. We’d be happy to work with your insurance company or provide you with an estimate.

Do you restore or work on vintage Vespas?
Vespa Atlanta specializes in the newer model Vespa scooters. Since replacement parts may be difficult to find for vintage bikes, we are limited in the amount of services that we are able to provide owners of vintage bikes. If we cannot assist you, we’d be happy to refer you to someone who can.

Technical

What are the performance and other specifications for each bike?
All specifications for each bike are listed in the Scooters section of this site.

Why do the scooters have differences in fuel economy?
The different engine ranges and models of scooters have varying Miles per Gallon (MPG) for several reasons. Things that will make an effect on MPG include vehicle weight, engine type, the number of valves per cylinder, and water vs. air cooled. In addition, individual factors such as rider weight, riding environment, and how one accelerates will also have an effect on the vehicles overall fuel economy.

What is a CVT Transmission?
A continuous variable transmission (CVT) is a type of automatic transmission that incorporates a centrifugal clutch, conical drive pulleys, and belt to transfer power from the engine to the rear wheel without the use of a manual clutch. The system works by first transferring power from the engine’s crankshaft to the “driving pulley”. The “driving pulley” is connected to the cone shaped “driven pulley” via a “V” shaped-belt. Once a certain engine RPM is reached, a centrifugal clutch engages connecting the driven pulley with the rear wheel and the bike begins a slow seamless acceleration from 0 to top speed. All of this is happening while the rider is only required to twist the throttle handle! Thus the nickname “Twist and Go.”

What is the difference between a two-stroke and a four-stroke engine?
The terms two-stroke and four-stroke engines refer to the engine type on a scooter. Also known as two-cycle and four-cycle, these terms are meant to describe the combustion process that the engine uses to create power. Two-strokes engines are lubricated by burning a small amount of oil which is mixed with gas and resemble the small engines on leaf blowers. Four-stroke engines are lubricated by a separate oil source and take after ones car. The main difference will be that one will need to add oil to a two-stroke scooter and get oil changes periodically on a four-stroke engine.

Do I need to mix the gas and the oil on a two stroke Vespa? How much?
Modern Vespas use an automatic oil mixer that does this for you. The two stroke bikes have a separate reservoir for both oil and gas. One just needs to ensure that they add more oil once the low oil warning lamp illuminates on the scooters dash display. Typically, a full reservoir of oil will last approximately 4 tanks of fuel.

Where can I buy oil for my scooter?
While we sell the oil for all of our bikes and would be happy to ship additional oil to you, appropriate oils for the bikes can be found at most any motorcycle shop. When choosing an oil for your bike, it is recommended that you use a synthetic two-stroke oil formulated for motorcycle/motorscooters on the 50cc bikes and a synthetic 5W-40 SAE for the four stroke engines. Using inappropriate oils may damage or reduce the power of your engine through excess deposits. Refer to your owner’s manual for further details.

Other Questions

What is the best way to take my Vespa on vacation with me?
Once you fall in love with Vespa, you are going to want to bring it along with you to the beach, the mountains, and everywhere in between. For this reason, we sell both hitch carriers and full trailers which were designed with our bikes in mind. They will help you transport your scooter safely and conveniently wherever you are headed. Should you not need one but once a year, consider renting one of our store trailers. Of course, these items will require that your vehicle be equipped with a hitch ball or 2” hitch receiver.

Do you rent Vespas?
No, unfortunately we are not able to rent our scooters for riding purposes due to insurance and license limitations.

Where can I find information about joining a Vespa club?
Vespa clubs are a great place to meet others passionate about Vespa. Please visit www.vespa.org to learn more about Vespa clubs or click on the Fun Stuff section of this site.

Will riding a Vespa help me find dates?
We’ll make no promises but, it can never hurt to be seen with a sexy Italian model.

Does riding a Vespa make me more attractive?
Yes, especially to Vespa Atlanta staff. If you have any other questions, just email us at info@vespasatlanta.com.