Vespa vs. Buddy

I'm in the market for a scooter. I've been looking at several different rides, but my final four choices come down to the following five.

Vespa LX 150
Vespa GTS 250
Buddy 125
Stella 150
Scarabeo 200

First off, they are all awesome looking. But the Scarabeo is just a little too tall off of the ground. Same with the Stella, but its not designed to have both feet on the ground at a stop light. The GTS is, in my opinion, too expensive. This leaves the LX 150 and Buddy 125. These choices are obviously without having a chance to ride them (Weather sucks) and see what the differences are between them. I'm trying to figure out which one I could get. If price were not an issue, the LX wins hands down. But, price is an issue. The Buddy is two grand cheaper, but doesn't feel like its two grand cheaper. It feels solidly built, and I haven't found much negative to be said about it. However, it is smaller up front. The Vespa has a little wider front shield, which is something I like.

But, you might ask "why not the Stella?" The Stella is a modern version of a classic Vespa/Lammy, reaching back to the days of 2-Stroke-Smoke, Mod music and a crapload of cool. I damn near creamed myself when I saw one for the first time. But here's why I won't get one now. First, its a manual. During the MSF course, I stalled at least 107 times in a two day period. Second, the bike is an inch too tall off the ground. That might not sound like much, but that was inch in my tallest boots. In other shoes, I wouldn't be able to reach the ground. Third, I've slept on concrete floors that were more comfortable than that "padded" seat. Finally, she's a polluter. One of my reasons for moving to a scooter is to lower my carbon footprint. This does not help in the slightest.

Basically, the Vespa LX 150 is still in the lead with the Buddy as a close second. The GTS is a nice "if everything works out" bike. The Stella is a beauty, but not practical. Like a trophy wife, she's useful only under certain situations.

Interesting Observation: If I could get the LX 150 in burnt orange, I would sign the papers tomorrow. I'm not a fan of it for most things, but it is wicked awesome on a scooter.