Scooterotica

Donnie wrote:

10 inch Terror wrote:

Doom Patrol wrote:Most aren't anti for the sake of it. Their observations are based on genuine experience. Personally I've seen a Scomadi on which the headlight had dropped out. It looked as if it had previously been held in with sticky tape. Is that anti?

Obviously not. It's the ' it's made in China ' or ' I'd rather buy a Honda Melody ' that are anti. I did ask for real world comments, good, or bad, so if someone owns one and isn't happy, then I want to hear about it. Just because someone doesn't like the look of something, or where it's made, it doesn't make it bad. That's just anti for the sake of it. I personally don't like choppers or cut downs, but I keep that to myself. You don't have to own one to have an opinion, but it has to be based on fact, surely? My mate did say his light packed up the 1st week, but has been fine since. Perhaps the headlight units are an issue?

You're gerneralising there to say the least, my experience of chinese scooters is over several years working with scooters and researching them when a rep came round to see if i wanted to stock them, they are shite, with a capital S, they may go a year, if you are lucky 2, then they're scrap.

My personal opinion other than that above is if you are buying one as it looks like a lambretta then buy a lambretta, if you want comfort in an auto then have the balls to buy an actual auto with some years of developement behind it, GTS 300 pisses all over the scomadi. Im not a fan, they are great for a to b, but anyone that mods them up or believes they are the same as a classic geared scooter? twats.

A totally Chinese built scooter including motor and quality control made for the Chinese market will undoubtedly be crap. We are not talking about that though. It's mainly for a UK / EU market using a proven Italian engine / parts and under a quality control to UK standards. I've never met Frank or Paul but as businessmen they'd be committing financial suicide if they allowed them to be built to fall apart. As a totally new product things can and will go wrong and certain dealers give better after care than others. I've never said once it's a Lambretta or it will replace the 3 I already have. I just want something different than what I've been riding for 30 odd years. If someone has had problems then that's what I want to hear so I can weigh up my options if it's worth shelling out on one or not.

jonzo172 wrote: I do take umbrage though with those that glibly attempt to rubbish a product they have no real experience of.
If you say these are your or your friends or your friends friends genuine experiences I would find it hard to defend them if they were true.

John, you know the bike/person I'm on about ( and the guy is one of the nicest/straightest respected scooterists in the area) almost EVERYONE in the local area knows his woes and its absolutely appalling the way he has been treated/fobbed off.....and dare I say it ripped off ! OR are you saying the bike/dealer aren't at fault at all here and he's been treated fairly ?
A bad reputation will spread like wildfire and can be gotten/had in a very short time in this ultra modern t'interweb age (with blogs, forums like this etc) where as a good reputation can/will take years to accomplish. Just like a good product will, but as I said If you treat your customers like that and word gets around, no matter how good your product is, you wont have many (if any) customers to sell it to. Or you would at best be damaging your reputation/sales etc

Padge wrote:

jonzo172 wrote: I do take umbrage though with those that glibly attempt to rubbish a product they have no real experience of.
If you say these are your or your friends or your friends friends genuine experiences I would find it hard to defend them if they were true.

John, you know the bike/person I'm on about ( and the guy is one of the nicest/straightest respected scooterists in the area) almost EVERYONE in the local area knows his woes and its absolutely appalling the way he has been treated/fobbed off.....and dare I say it ripped off ! OR are you saying the bike/dealer aren't at fault at all here and he's been treated fairly ?
A bad reputation will spread like wildfire and can be gotten/had in a very short time in this ultra modern t'interweb age (with blogs, forums like this etc) where as a good reputation can/will take years to accomplish. Just like a good product will, but as I said If you treat your customers like that and word gets around, no matter how good your product is, you wont have many (if any) customers to sell it to. Or you would at best be damaging your reputation/sales etc

I'm sorry Padge and we are possibly getting off the original post here but I am not aware of the local scooterist you are eluding to?
Please feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss this further.

PM sent john

10 inch Terror wrote:
A totally Chinese built scooter including motor and quality control made for the Chinese market will undoubtedly be crap. We are not talking about that though. It's mainly for a UK / EU market using a proven Italian engine / parts and under a quality control to UK standards. I've never met Frank or Paul but as businessmen they'd be committing financial suicide if they allowed them to be built to fall apart. As a totally new product things can and will go wrong and certain dealers give better after care than others. I've never said once it's a Lambretta or it will replace the 3 I already have. I just want something different than what I've been riding for 30 odd years. If someone has had problems then that's what I want to hear so I can weigh up my options if it's worth shelling out on one or not.

I think you really want a load of people to come along and tell you theyre great if you believe that the chinese scooters I and others are talking about that are shite are only for the chinese market??? Do you really think that people have directly imported chinese scoots, of course these are made for the european market, still rubbish.

I'm thinking of an big auto for the commute. Whilst I like the look of the scomadi, the lack of a dealer network where I am (Kent) puts me off. Also, the storage space doesn't seem as good as, say, a Gts. As far as the Chinese argument goes, ive been shocked at the (many) reports on FB of Gts' going rusty, having bits fall off and failing. Even our 50 year old girls are better than that!
Having said all that, I think I'd get the Gts, due to that dealer network and because they've been around a bit longer

Take a leap of faith. The people I have met with Scomadis love them.
If I get to an age where I can't clutch anymore, this will be on my shopping list.
Remember the first Minis in 1959; diabolical ! Now look at their success.

Donnie wrote: Do you really think that people have directly imported chinese scoots, of course these are made for the european market, still rubbish.

Yeah and there's a good reason why they can be had brand new for £700! To compare the two is ludicrous. I've seen Chinese scooters close up ( my nephew and his mates all had them ) and I've seen a Scomadi up close. They are two completely different animals.

Chris in Margate wrote:Take a leap of faith. The people I have met with Scomadis love them.
If I get to an age where I can't clutch anymore, this will be on my shopping list.
Remember the first Minis in 1959; diabolical ! Now look at their success.

As "10 Inch Terror" has yet to reach 50 I doubt that he remembers much at all about 1959.