Scooter Repair

Most Japanese, Taiwanese, and Italian scooters can be repaired cost effectively regardless of how long they have been sitting or what is wrong with them.

Note that “cost effectively” DOES NOT mean they can be always be repaired “cheaply,” only that it will likely, but not always, cost less than buying a better scooter on the used market.

Japanese Scooters

In my opinion, the Japanese build the finest machines on the planet. I am a total weeb for Japanese motorbikes, cars, and motorsports. The Japanese design and build robust machines that generally won’t self destruct when neglected; they simply stop running until repairs are performed.

Honda Scooters, the Metropolitan, Ruckus, and Elite

I work on all years and types of Honda scooter, including rarer/older models not pictured here.

Yamaha Scooters, Vino and Zuma Models

I work on all years and types of Yamaha scooters, including rarer/older models not pictured here.

Taiwanese Scooters

Scooters designed and/or built in Taiwan are 98-100% as good as scooters designed by the Japanese.

Many “Japanese” scooters are actually made in Taiwan or assembled using parts made in Taiwan (and China, oddly enough).

“Country of Origin” can get very confusing when it comes to scooters; what matters most is who is paying for the quality control effort with respect to how the parts are manufactured.

I work on all years and types of Taiwanese scooters, including rarer/older brands and models not pictured here.

Genuine Scooters

Genuine is a North American company that got its start selling a scooter that was made in India but originally designed in Italy, the Genuine Stella, which are based on “largeframe” Vespas.

They also market re-badged versions of Taiwanese scooters made by PGO like the Genuine Buddy and Rough House.

Genuine Stella (India)

Kymco Scooters

Kymco is another high-quality Taiwanese scooter manufacturer.

I work on all years and types of Kymco scooters, including the rarer liquid-cooled models like the Super 8 and 9.

Italian Scooters

The Italians invented the scooter. These bikes are expensive and stylish; they deserve to be taken care of and even pampered.

Vespas are unique in that they use a steel unibody-type frame. Because of this, body damage is expensive and difficult to repair (it has to go to a body shop, like a car); however, they ride better than just about any scooter on the road.

Modern Vespa

I work on all years and types of Modern Vespa scooter.

The 2001 Vespa ET2 was the first “Modern Vespa” marketed to the North American market, though these days the “LX” series bikes are more commonly seen on the roads here in Colorado.

Vintage Vespa

I work on older “largeframe” and “smallframe” Piaggio and Vespa scooters on a case-by-case basis.

If your older Vespa needs extensive work like mechanical and/or cosmetic restoration, it is best to take it to a shop that specializes in these machines.

Modern Piaggio Scooters

Made by the same corporation as modern Vespa, but they use a steel “under-bone” frame with plastic panels.

Aprilia Scooters

Very fast, high quality scooters; however, if you own a “fuel injected” DiTech model, the best thing to do with it is to convert it to a carburetor. Repairing these bikes is often expensive and time consuming if they haven’t run in a long time.

Multiple Scooters

I have always offered significant discounts to owners of multiple scooters and/or motorcycles if I’m working on all of them during the same trip.

The proper number of motorbikes to own is always “N + 1” where “N” is the number of bikes you currently own 😛