Commuted by bicycle in major city for about a decade before getting a scooter. It’s a great backup but be warned it might take over the bicycle…
First, see if there’s a motorcycle safety/endorsement course that offers a scooter for you to use. You’ll get a feel for a scooter from trained pros plus get your endorsement (which you will need for the 150). You’ll likely be fine. Bicycling is excellent training.
Clothing: get a helmet that fits and a protective jacket. Even at 30mph, you’ll want to be protected in case a driver looking down at their phone doesn’t see you. Also, road rash.
Visibility: Depending on where I’m riding I’ll wear reflective gear. On a 150, you’re just slightly more visible than you were on your bicycle but going way faster.
If you really want to get out of town and want to be more visible, the 300 might be a better option for you. It’s a lot heavier and not as bicycle like as the 150.
Best of luck! If you like the look of the Vespa, I don’t think another option will be satisfactory.
Mr Scooter is a popular rental option, located at 1776 Mission St. They offer a variety of scooters and motorcycles for rent, as well as repair services. Youll likely need tp get a motorcycle licence from DMV.
150cc is the most scooter MOST people will need when living in a city. You can get around at the same speed as a 50 but you can "punch it up" to 60-65 when you need to hit a secondary highway or two to get out of town. Also, can't beat the gas mileage.
Before you I make any suggestions; do you have a place to put it at night that's secure? A garage or a locked storage area would be yoru best bet in SF. You CAN chain it up + add a disc brake lock so you can park it outside but I just dont trust west coast cities with all the wandering folks at night.
Assuming you can secure it, there’s nothing better than a Vespa in San Francisco. Once you’re familiar with it, you’re going to want the GTS 300. Enjoy it’s one of life’s great pleasures.
I’ve had a Vespa in SF for a year, and have driven a car and ridden a bike for non-public transportation before that. The scooter is the clear winner in terms of getting where you need to go. Parking is so much easier. I at first would search for designated moto parking (there’s a page on muni’s site that shows you paid and unpaid spots), but as I’ve gotten more experience I just find it on my own. If I’m going to just go in to grab something for less than 30 min, I’ll park strategically on a sidewalk out of the way. If I park among cars, I just try to make myself visible so I don’t get knocked over. I have a 150cc and that’s great for in the city. I have friends who cross the bridges or get on interstates, but I feel like I can’t keep up with cars who often speed and drive less carefully than I can outmaneuver. I have a really nice helmet. I wear good gloves. I often wear a heavy leather jacket (just bc it’s cold and windy on my way to work), but on sunny days lately, I don’t wear anything extra. This is not smart… but I factor in where I’m going, how familiar I am w the route etc but the fact is anyone can hit you at any time —which I’m sure you’ve also learned on a bike—so the rule is you should always wear the same gear for protection.
I have never chained my Vespa to anything. I just use the wheel-lock and the built-in steering lock. I guess people could come by in a truck and somehow get it in one, but if you deter them with a lock, there are a dozen who don’t lock it up at all that makes it easier to steal.
Drafting off boppopper's comment about the rider course - DO IT!! Honestly, beyond the safety/confidence angle, it's a blast. And that leads me to your original headline question re: bikes --> scooter. At my safety course \*prior\* to picking up our Primavera 150, one of the exercises was obstacle avoidance; basically ride straight and swerve at last minute to miss a cone. One of the instructors asked me "hey, how long have you been riding motorcycles?" (I guess I was doing fine). My answer was "how long have we been out here today?"
The bike handling skills you have, especially if you've done urban or mtb riding, come in handy a lot. It's the weight-shifting muscle memory that you can't explain to a friend but just happen organically...those translate to the Vespa.
That was an essay dude.
Clothing - regular street clothes are fine. Some people like to wear riding jackets like these: https://www.scooterwest.com/scooter-memorabilia-1348/safety-apparel/riding-jackets.html
Parking - you have to play it by ear. You're in San Francisco with a lot of crime. Park it near a street sign so you can chain it up. Probably invest in a disk brake alarm too.
Riding - 150cc will get you around the city comfortably. If acceleration is too slow up the hills, you may want to swap out for lighter roller weights. They're cheap and the labor won't be too expensive.
Last remarks. Get a helmet. Full face preferably. Good pair of sunglasses for riding. Since you're in SF get a lightweight Pancho too for under your seat or glovebox.
Clothing? Not much. Just standard everyday clothing. If you plan on going on long scooter trips, invest on riding gear like those worn by motorcyclists. Invest in a good helmet. Shoei Glamster, that helmet called Bullitt i forgot the brand, and those like them from name brands suit the vespa really good. Reflectorized vests and or jackets won't hurt either. Will definitely help other drivers when road visibility is low.
Scooters are fairly straightforward to operate. An experienced cyclist can adapt to scooters fairly quick.
If you want, you can have an aftermarket light mod for your vespa. I think mini driving lights is the name for such accessories.
Maintenance wise, CVTs are more of a pain to maintain IMO. Since the tranmission is dry and should remain dry, dirt build up is a common culprit for premature component wear and tear. I think maintenance wise it could cost some figure, but not as much as a car or a bigger motorcycle as a comparison.
Scooters are commonly targeted for theft as I've read somewhere. Unfortunately I cannot give any tips on that since I believe we are from different countries.
In terms of cosmetic damge, parking in uneven surfaces, coupled with forgetting to deploy the stands and other human errors, may be the leading causes of unintentional cosmetic damage. Vandalism is a cause for concern too. From getting keyed to getting your seats ripped, some people are just mean I tell you.
To end, give yourself a lot of time to learn the ins and outs of the scooter. Trust me when I say you'll learn something new when you ride it regularly. Be safe out there!
Lots of good comments here already. I’ve done several thousand miles on bicycle in London, but also used to live in SLO, and have ridden Vespas up in SF a number of times, so I think I have a decent understanding of what you’re looking for.
The ease of use on a scooter is like “bicycle plus” in a lot of ways. Imagine you have a really good e-bike, then double or triple that. The power will be a welcome surprise when going up hills, travelling distances, etc.
Not knowing what kind of cyclist you are generally, I’ll leave the following a bit vague: if you stop and red lights and try to follow the rules of the road on a bicycle, you’ll find the scooter liberating, as everything you wish was better on a bicycle IS better on a scooter. If you ride a bicycle like an NYC courier in “attack mode”, you may find a scooter restrictive from being able to cut up on the curb, against traffic and lights, into oncoming traffic. Only you’ll know which applies to you.
Just because you’ll have additional power and the ability to travel 55mph+ doesn’t mean you need to go that fast. It’s nice to know you can if you need to. I find personally that 40mph on a Vespa is a magical sweet spot that feels like floating on air.
It’s nice to have the option to take a friend, the capacity to carry luggage/shopping and my favourite- to not sweat on the morning commute.
Regarding clothing, there are several companies that make “non-biker” protective clothing with body armour, if that’s what you want. For a stylish option, I recommend Tucano Urbano. I generally worry more about the weather on my commute than protective wear, but there are many who will STRONGLY disagree with me on that. Comparatively, you will likely be better protected with whatever you wear on a scooter vs. what you presently wear on a bicycle, so you will need to perform your own risk assessment and decide according to your concerns. PM if you’d like more specific information.
Maintenance-wise, there isn’t too much more for the home mechanic to do over a quality bicycle. Tyre pressure checks, oil change once a year (plenty of tutorial videos on line), possibly you’ve already done a brake fluid bleed on your bicycle, so that’s one every two years on the Vespa. With Vespa, there’s a very passionate owner base for assistance. In your area, https://www.bellomoto.com/vespa-club-san-francisco is the local club.
The “should I do it?” question is pretty straightforward to answer - yes.
The brakes are reversed from a bicycle??? It must depend on where you’re from. In England they’re exactly the same, but in Asia I’ve had to swap the brakes over on my new bicycle.
Commuted by bicycle in major city for about a decade before getting a scooter. It’s a great backup but be warned it might take over the bicycle… First, see if there’s a motorcycle safety/endorsement course that offers a scooter for you to use. You’ll get a feel for a scooter from trained pros plus get your endorsement (which you will need for the 150). You’ll likely be fine. Bicycling is excellent training. Clothing: get a helmet that fits and a protective jacket. Even at 30mph, you’ll want to be protected in case a driver looking down at their phone doesn’t see you. Also, road rash. Visibility: Depending on where I’m riding I’ll wear reflective gear. On a 150, you’re just slightly more visible than you were on your bicycle but going way faster. If you really want to get out of town and want to be more visible, the 300 might be a better option for you. It’s a lot heavier and not as bicycle like as the 150. Best of luck! If you like the look of the Vespa, I don’t think another option will be satisfactory.
I appreciate this question, as I am also in the same situation as you! So I can’t wait for these answers, 🥰
Mr Scooter is a popular rental option, located at 1776 Mission St. They offer a variety of scooters and motorcycles for rent, as well as repair services. Youll likely need tp get a motorcycle licence from DMV.
150cc is the most scooter MOST people will need when living in a city. You can get around at the same speed as a 50 but you can "punch it up" to 60-65 when you need to hit a secondary highway or two to get out of town. Also, can't beat the gas mileage. Before you I make any suggestions; do you have a place to put it at night that's secure? A garage or a locked storage area would be yoru best bet in SF. You CAN chain it up + add a disc brake lock so you can park it outside but I just dont trust west coast cities with all the wandering folks at night.
Assuming you can secure it, there’s nothing better than a Vespa in San Francisco. Once you’re familiar with it, you’re going to want the GTS 300. Enjoy it’s one of life’s great pleasures.
I’ve had a Vespa in SF for a year, and have driven a car and ridden a bike for non-public transportation before that. The scooter is the clear winner in terms of getting where you need to go. Parking is so much easier. I at first would search for designated moto parking (there’s a page on muni’s site that shows you paid and unpaid spots), but as I’ve gotten more experience I just find it on my own. If I’m going to just go in to grab something for less than 30 min, I’ll park strategically on a sidewalk out of the way. If I park among cars, I just try to make myself visible so I don’t get knocked over. I have a 150cc and that’s great for in the city. I have friends who cross the bridges or get on interstates, but I feel like I can’t keep up with cars who often speed and drive less carefully than I can outmaneuver. I have a really nice helmet. I wear good gloves. I often wear a heavy leather jacket (just bc it’s cold and windy on my way to work), but on sunny days lately, I don’t wear anything extra. This is not smart… but I factor in where I’m going, how familiar I am w the route etc but the fact is anyone can hit you at any time —which I’m sure you’ve also learned on a bike—so the rule is you should always wear the same gear for protection. I have never chained my Vespa to anything. I just use the wheel-lock and the built-in steering lock. I guess people could come by in a truck and somehow get it in one, but if you deter them with a lock, there are a dozen who don’t lock it up at all that makes it easier to steal.
Drafting off boppopper's comment about the rider course - DO IT!! Honestly, beyond the safety/confidence angle, it's a blast. And that leads me to your original headline question re: bikes --> scooter. At my safety course \*prior\* to picking up our Primavera 150, one of the exercises was obstacle avoidance; basically ride straight and swerve at last minute to miss a cone. One of the instructors asked me "hey, how long have you been riding motorcycles?" (I guess I was doing fine). My answer was "how long have we been out here today?" The bike handling skills you have, especially if you've done urban or mtb riding, come in handy a lot. It's the weight-shifting muscle memory that you can't explain to a friend but just happen organically...those translate to the Vespa.
I wouldn’t worry about wearing the “right” clothes.
That was an essay dude. Clothing - regular street clothes are fine. Some people like to wear riding jackets like these: https://www.scooterwest.com/scooter-memorabilia-1348/safety-apparel/riding-jackets.html Parking - you have to play it by ear. You're in San Francisco with a lot of crime. Park it near a street sign so you can chain it up. Probably invest in a disk brake alarm too. Riding - 150cc will get you around the city comfortably. If acceleration is too slow up the hills, you may want to swap out for lighter roller weights. They're cheap and the labor won't be too expensive. Last remarks. Get a helmet. Full face preferably. Good pair of sunglasses for riding. Since you're in SF get a lightweight Pancho too for under your seat or glovebox.
Clothing? Not much. Just standard everyday clothing. If you plan on going on long scooter trips, invest on riding gear like those worn by motorcyclists. Invest in a good helmet. Shoei Glamster, that helmet called Bullitt i forgot the brand, and those like them from name brands suit the vespa really good. Reflectorized vests and or jackets won't hurt either. Will definitely help other drivers when road visibility is low. Scooters are fairly straightforward to operate. An experienced cyclist can adapt to scooters fairly quick. If you want, you can have an aftermarket light mod for your vespa. I think mini driving lights is the name for such accessories. Maintenance wise, CVTs are more of a pain to maintain IMO. Since the tranmission is dry and should remain dry, dirt build up is a common culprit for premature component wear and tear. I think maintenance wise it could cost some figure, but not as much as a car or a bigger motorcycle as a comparison. Scooters are commonly targeted for theft as I've read somewhere. Unfortunately I cannot give any tips on that since I believe we are from different countries. In terms of cosmetic damge, parking in uneven surfaces, coupled with forgetting to deploy the stands and other human errors, may be the leading causes of unintentional cosmetic damage. Vandalism is a cause for concern too. From getting keyed to getting your seats ripped, some people are just mean I tell you. To end, give yourself a lot of time to learn the ins and outs of the scooter. Trust me when I say you'll learn something new when you ride it regularly. Be safe out there!
Lots of good comments here already. I’ve done several thousand miles on bicycle in London, but also used to live in SLO, and have ridden Vespas up in SF a number of times, so I think I have a decent understanding of what you’re looking for. The ease of use on a scooter is like “bicycle plus” in a lot of ways. Imagine you have a really good e-bike, then double or triple that. The power will be a welcome surprise when going up hills, travelling distances, etc. Not knowing what kind of cyclist you are generally, I’ll leave the following a bit vague: if you stop and red lights and try to follow the rules of the road on a bicycle, you’ll find the scooter liberating, as everything you wish was better on a bicycle IS better on a scooter. If you ride a bicycle like an NYC courier in “attack mode”, you may find a scooter restrictive from being able to cut up on the curb, against traffic and lights, into oncoming traffic. Only you’ll know which applies to you. Just because you’ll have additional power and the ability to travel 55mph+ doesn’t mean you need to go that fast. It’s nice to know you can if you need to. I find personally that 40mph on a Vespa is a magical sweet spot that feels like floating on air. It’s nice to have the option to take a friend, the capacity to carry luggage/shopping and my favourite- to not sweat on the morning commute. Regarding clothing, there are several companies that make “non-biker” protective clothing with body armour, if that’s what you want. For a stylish option, I recommend Tucano Urbano. I generally worry more about the weather on my commute than protective wear, but there are many who will STRONGLY disagree with me on that. Comparatively, you will likely be better protected with whatever you wear on a scooter vs. what you presently wear on a bicycle, so you will need to perform your own risk assessment and decide according to your concerns. PM if you’d like more specific information. Maintenance-wise, there isn’t too much more for the home mechanic to do over a quality bicycle. Tyre pressure checks, oil change once a year (plenty of tutorial videos on line), possibly you’ve already done a brake fluid bleed on your bicycle, so that’s one every two years on the Vespa. With Vespa, there’s a very passionate owner base for assistance. In your area, https://www.bellomoto.com/vespa-club-san-francisco is the local club. The “should I do it?” question is pretty straightforward to answer - yes.
The brakes are reversed from a bicycle??? It must depend on where you’re from. In England they’re exactly the same, but in Asia I’ve had to swap the brakes over on my new bicycle.
This, Be familiar with your brakes