Seattle to San Diego, scooter version
August 8, 2016 12:20 PM Subscribe
Can we travel Highway 101 and Highway 1, from Seattle to San Diego, in July of 2017 on new scooters and sell them as slightly used in San Diego?
Amerivespa2017 is set for Seattle in July next year. We would like to attend by flying in, buying new 250cc to 300cc scooters, and then after the big four-day Seattle party, taking two weeks riding down the 101/1 to San Diego. Our plan is to resell the scoots there to a dealership and fly home. This plan was hatched due to the high cost of shipping our own Vespas from Memphis to Seattle and back, probably in the $2000-$2500 range total for both scooters both ways.
Has anyone here done anything like this on two wheels, and if so, do you have any advice for us? Right now we are specifically looking for info on the plan of buying new in Seattle and selling used in San Diego.
Amerivespa2017 is set for Seattle in July next year. We would like to attend by flying in, buying new 250cc to 300cc scooters, and then after the big four-day Seattle party, taking two weeks riding down the 101/1 to San Diego. Our plan is to resell the scoots there to a dealership and fly home. This plan was hatched due to the high cost of shipping our own Vespas from Memphis to Seattle and back, probably in the $2000-$2500 range total for both scooters both ways.
Has anyone here done anything like this on two wheels, and if so, do you have any advice for us? Right now we are specifically looking for info on the plan of buying new in Seattle and selling used in San Diego.
To see if it's worth it, call a few places in Seattle to see how much you'd be paying for the new scooters (include tax, registration fees, insurance, etc). Let's call that total number X.
Then call a few places in San Diego and say "I have a scooter with these specs and this mileage. How much would you buy it for?" Let's call that number Y.
X - Y < $2500, it's potentially worth it.
posted by erst at 12:29 PM on August 8, 2016
Then call a few places in San Diego and say "I have a scooter with these specs and this mileage. How much would you buy it for?" Let's call that number Y.
X - Y < $2500, it's potentially worth it.
posted by erst at 12:29 PM on August 8, 2016
Best answer: Have you tried Uship?
Consider used Vespas initially. If you buy new ones you will be hit with some immediate depreciation that would be lessened by buying used ones in the beginning. Also, talk to the dealer in Seattle and San Diego. It may be that it works for them to get inventory down to the Cali market anyway, so there may some advantage in arranging something beforehand.
Having said all that, I'd be surprised if you would find a way that was significantly different to $1250 deprecation/insurance/taxes etc on each scooter. A new one would easily lose that much, I'd have thought, plus the out of state registration costs maybe. Make sure you check your numbers thoroughly first.
posted by Brockles at 12:39 PM on August 8, 2016 [2 favorites]
Consider used Vespas initially. If you buy new ones you will be hit with some immediate depreciation that would be lessened by buying used ones in the beginning. Also, talk to the dealer in Seattle and San Diego. It may be that it works for them to get inventory down to the Cali market anyway, so there may some advantage in arranging something beforehand.
Having said all that, I'd be surprised if you would find a way that was significantly different to $1250 deprecation/insurance/taxes etc on each scooter. A new one would easily lose that much, I'd have thought, plus the out of state registration costs maybe. Make sure you check your numbers thoroughly first.
posted by Brockles at 12:39 PM on August 8, 2016 [2 favorites]
If you are taking two weeks for this trip, what about the cost of food, accommodation, and gas?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:42 PM on August 8, 2016
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:42 PM on August 8, 2016
BTW - even a used 250-300cc Vespa costs a lot more than your standard Korean or Chinese scooter of similar engine size - the Vespas tend to make considerably more power, and I can guarantee you the ride quality on the unibody Vespa is going to be superior.
$2500 is not enough, in my opinion, for two Vespas that will produce enough power to make this trip safely. You might be able to find a Kymco people 250 or something along those lines for that price point.
posted by Thistledown at 12:43 PM on August 8, 2016
$2500 is not enough, in my opinion, for two Vespas that will produce enough power to make this trip safely. You might be able to find a Kymco people 250 or something along those lines for that price point.
posted by Thistledown at 12:43 PM on August 8, 2016
$2500 is not enough, in my opinion, for two Vespas that will produce enough power to make this trip safely.
That's not what they are saying. They're balancing $2,500 shipping costs versus (Price or two new vespas - resale of same two new vespas).
posted by Brockles at 12:47 PM on August 8, 2016
That's not what they are saying. They're balancing $2,500 shipping costs versus (Price or two new vespas - resale of same two new vespas).
posted by Brockles at 12:47 PM on August 8, 2016
Have you asked on modernvespa.com ? There might be someone willing to help you out on either the Seattle or San Diego front. Sometimes there are people that need their scooters ridden to/from rallies, or willing to sell/purchase at either end.
posted by xtine at 12:55 PM on August 8, 2016
posted by xtine at 12:55 PM on August 8, 2016
Response by poster: The cost of the trip is not really relevant to this question, as the travel costs will be the same whether we ship ours to Seattle and back or we buy new ones there...
And Brockles is correct, we are comparing the cost and depreciation of new scooters to the cost of shipping our existing Vespa 250cc and 300cc scooters to Seattle and back. We do plan to do the math and make the phone calls that erst recommends and get all our numbers right before we pull the trigger. Right now, based on expert advice here, we are looking at a Honda Forza and a Kymco People 300.
Mostly, I'm looking for advice on other hidden costs that we aren't aware of, the actual feasibility of this plan, and if anyone has actually done it. For instance the oil change, we had not thought of that!
posted by raisingsand at 12:56 PM on August 8, 2016
And Brockles is correct, we are comparing the cost and depreciation of new scooters to the cost of shipping our existing Vespa 250cc and 300cc scooters to Seattle and back. We do plan to do the math and make the phone calls that erst recommends and get all our numbers right before we pull the trigger. Right now, based on expert advice here, we are looking at a Honda Forza and a Kymco People 300.
Mostly, I'm looking for advice on other hidden costs that we aren't aware of, the actual feasibility of this plan, and if anyone has actually done it. For instance the oil change, we had not thought of that!
posted by raisingsand at 12:56 PM on August 8, 2016
Best answer: I've ridden my Vespa GTS250 from Santa Monica to Vancouver, BC all the way up the 1 (and 101 on the small stretches that 1 cuts off). I camped majority of the way, during August. It took about a week to get to Seattle, and was loads of fun. Advice I would have for anyone that wants to do something similar:
- Windscreen. I didn't have one and I took the brunt of wind and experienced road fatigue after each day. coastal winds are real.
- Layer up. It can get *cold* up the twists of the 1 especially near Big Sur, and even in the summer months it can feel like winter.
- Make sure to have a map or listing of local scooter/motorcycle shops around your route. I didn't have a mechanical problem except once when I leaned the scooter on a campground and leaked oil and freaked out (I called my mechanic and it turned out to be nothing). But I also carried a spare tire and spark plug, so if in case either failed I wouldn't have to wait days for a part to arrive at a store and be stranded.
I did ship my scooter from Seattle back to Santa Monica, and using uship it was $600 to ship two scooters back.
posted by xtine at 1:04 PM on August 8, 2016 [4 favorites]
- Windscreen. I didn't have one and I took the brunt of wind and experienced road fatigue after each day. coastal winds are real.
- Layer up. It can get *cold* up the twists of the 1 especially near Big Sur, and even in the summer months it can feel like winter.
- Make sure to have a map or listing of local scooter/motorcycle shops around your route. I didn't have a mechanical problem except once when I leaned the scooter on a campground and leaked oil and freaked out (I called my mechanic and it turned out to be nothing). But I also carried a spare tire and spark plug, so if in case either failed I wouldn't have to wait days for a part to arrive at a store and be stranded.
I did ship my scooter from Seattle back to Santa Monica, and using uship it was $600 to ship two scooters back.
posted by xtine at 1:04 PM on August 8, 2016 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: xtine, was that $600 each or $600 total for two?
posted by raisingsand at 1:08 PM on August 8, 2016
posted by raisingsand at 1:08 PM on August 8, 2016
I'm really interested in xtine's trip, because I honestly can't imagine riding a Vespa on the 101 at any speed for long (and there are some pretty big stretches where the 1/101 are the same thing--doesn't the 1 end near Mendocino? and doesn't the 101 end at the Oregon border?). The other options, like I-5, are heavy shipping routes--not exactly placid freeways for a pleasure ride.
We have a 1969 VW microbus and people hate sharing the road with us, sometimes aggressively so--especially on the 5, but also on the 1/101. Plus, I think of the winds that whip through the Gaviota Pass, or at the upper portions of the Big Sur stretch, or north of the Golden Gate toward Petaluma, or ... those wag us pretty good and and make driving at our highest possible speed a pretty hairy affair sometimes. And it's not just Big Sur that gets cold, we're in the middle of the coldest July/August in several years.
If I were to do a trip like this, I'd try to avoid the 5 or 101 as much as possible. If you've got a couple weeks and enjoy consulting maps for backroads, this could be an awesome trip.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:20 PM on August 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
We have a 1969 VW microbus and people hate sharing the road with us, sometimes aggressively so--especially on the 5, but also on the 1/101. Plus, I think of the winds that whip through the Gaviota Pass, or at the upper portions of the Big Sur stretch, or north of the Golden Gate toward Petaluma, or ... those wag us pretty good and and make driving at our highest possible speed a pretty hairy affair sometimes. And it's not just Big Sur that gets cold, we're in the middle of the coldest July/August in several years.
If I were to do a trip like this, I'd try to avoid the 5 or 101 as much as possible. If you've got a couple weeks and enjoy consulting maps for backroads, this could be an awesome trip.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:20 PM on August 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm really interested in xtine's trip, because I honestly can't imagine riding a Vespa on the 101 at any speed for long (and there are some pretty big stretches where the 1/101 are the same thing--doesn't the 1 end near Mendocino? and doesn't the 101 end at the Oregon border?).
You're right, the 1 does "end" near Mendocino and it's basically the 101 along the coast the rest of the way up. The GTS only felt uncomfortable around the stretches of the twisty central california coast when I would sometimes get tailgated by F-150s and speedy cars and also slowing down because the wind would buffet me from side to side while also trying to wipe off fog from my helmet. It got hectic at times but there were sections to pull away to let traffic pass (and to also get a great photo).
However, after that central coastal section it was a really breezy ride, especially into Oregon and Washington where cars are not as aggressive. The 101 up the coast of OR/WA is *very* pretty and has some turns but it is not congested as CA is and flows like a backroad.
The only time I got on the 5 was on the border from Canada to Washington where it was either pretty much side streets or 5 until Seattle and that isn't bad at all (although I am used to riding on LA freeways all the time).
Also to keep in mind, while the GTS250 can get up to 65-70mph on a flat road quite easily, it may struggle to 30-40s on the uphill twists.
posted by xtine at 4:26 PM on August 8, 2016
You're right, the 1 does "end" near Mendocino and it's basically the 101 along the coast the rest of the way up. The GTS only felt uncomfortable around the stretches of the twisty central california coast when I would sometimes get tailgated by F-150s and speedy cars and also slowing down because the wind would buffet me from side to side while also trying to wipe off fog from my helmet. It got hectic at times but there were sections to pull away to let traffic pass (and to also get a great photo).
However, after that central coastal section it was a really breezy ride, especially into Oregon and Washington where cars are not as aggressive. The 101 up the coast of OR/WA is *very* pretty and has some turns but it is not congested as CA is and flows like a backroad.
The only time I got on the 5 was on the border from Canada to Washington where it was either pretty much side streets or 5 until Seattle and that isn't bad at all (although I am used to riding on LA freeways all the time).
Also to keep in mind, while the GTS250 can get up to 65-70mph on a flat road quite easily, it may struggle to 30-40s on the uphill twists.
posted by xtine at 4:26 PM on August 8, 2016
Response by poster: The Uship numbers are in and they are surprisingly reasonable. We will be shipping our 250 and 300cc Vespas to Seattle, taking two weeks to ride to San Diego, and then shipping them home. Thanks to all for the advice!
posted by raisingsand at 5:08 PM on August 9, 2016
posted by raisingsand at 5:08 PM on August 9, 2016
« Older Who Shall Rid Me of this Meddlesome Folder? | Help me sort out workplace culture time management... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
As for selling to a dealer, that's gonna be hard to do - they've already got inventory and might not be interested in taking on more, slightly used inventory.
You're going to need an oil change at the 500-600 mile mark, and following the break-in procedures is going to slow you down a little, too.
posted by Thistledown at 12:29 PM on August 8, 2016