2-wheeled Life before the Vespa ET4

Some years ago, a friend horse traded an old BMW R80 for an even older Lambretta scooter. At the time, I was riding a Suzuki 650 thumper. It was called the "Savage" but was quite civilized, really. Still in production, the Savage 650 exemplifies simplicity, reliability, and efficiency... though lacks passion. We swapped bikes for a short ride and I became enthralled with the feel of the scooter. The old Lambretta possessed many qualities of the Suzuki, but inspired passion as well. Fast forward many years and a handful of motorcycles into the future. After a long break from bikes, I began hitting the local shops, looking at Ducati, Motoguzzi, and others. I loved the classic lines of the European bikes, especially the new Triumph T100 bonnevilles. And while perusing the San Diego Reader classifieds read an ad for... you guessed it... a 1960's Lambretta 125.

I answered the ad and visited the Lambretta to check it out. It rested for years at Montgomery Airport in old old hangar, a naked frame and engine, rusted and layered in cobwebs, dirty and molded, seat cracked and paint faded. Restoration was far beyond my capability and the price was far too high. I thanked the gentleman, a retired attorney and hobby pilot, but left unsatisfied. The search ensued.

About a year ago, a Derbi Red Bullet showed up in the classified ads. Curious, I investigated online, digging into the sites I was becoming somewhat familiar with: Modern Vespa, Scooterville, Scooterwest, girlbike, 2 stroke buzz, and provoscooter. Provoscooter forum even has a forum for Derbi bikes. Apparantly, Piaggio bought Derbi, a smaller Spanish company, some time ago. Derbi now puts piaggio motors in its scooters, and the Red Bullet (a red Atlantis), possessed a 50cc ET2 motor. The price was right so I took it home. Mechanically, it was solid. Derbi makes a quality product and the 50cc motor is bulletproof. My respect and yearning for Vespa continued to grow throughout the year, especially as the Derbi struggled to get up the steep hills (really not a hill like in the midwest or east coast, but a mesa). Most of San Diego is built on top of and around its many mesas and canyons, and consequently, many steep hills are encountered. I made the Derbi work for me, using it to go to work on occasion and for short trips to get movies or groceries. It never once let me down. But it really only went about 45 mph, and substantial hills often forced me into the bike lane. In Kansas, Oklahoma, any other flat land the Derbi would prove to be a competent and utilitarian second vehicle... but not in the Mesa and canyon strewn landscape of Southern California. After a year, I sold a the Derbi to a young man moving to the midwest... somewhere in north Texas I think. His intention was to use it for transportation as he completed bible college. An interesting fellow, he had served with US Marines for one hitch and wound up in Iraq, "a little west of Bagdad". All he was interested in now was finding a little piece.

That brings me to the ET4. Memorial day. My girlfriend was working and I was bored. What to do? Go look at motorcycles... only one shop open today, though. Ironically, the same shop I bought the Suzuki savage from so many years before. I arrived in the late afternoon and made my way through the used bikes.. and there it was. A Royal Blue ET4 parked inbetween an old burgman and an older Yamaha Riva. The Vespa was dirty and the sun's light produced a purplish effect on the paint. Several young men wandered about the lot, sitting astride powerful sport bikes and cruisers. The Vespa looked small and weak, almost feminine. I sat on it and thought, "this might be it". The salesmen largely ignored me. Perhaps it was the little effeminate Vespa in the middle of so many testosterone inspiring behemeths. When asked about it, the salesmen knew nothing about the Vespa, or even how much they were asking for it. I made an offer of 2700.00, which I felt a fair offer. I asked to ride it, but they wouldn't let me. Apparantly, it had just arrived as a trade in and they hadn't yet checked it out. They wanted it overnight, so I resolved to wait another day. Two days later, (I couldn't get away from work before they closed), I picked up the Vespa. The mechanic who did the service check met me at the door, "This thing has a lot of poop to it and its beautiful cleaned up". He was quite impressed as were the sales staff. They asked me how fast it would go, gas milage, etc. Funny, they had sold me the bike but I was "the expert". I'll get it in for service at motorsport scooters as soon as they can accomodate it, and in the meantime just enjoy.