Due Belle Vespa

This morning was the painful trip to Vespa South Africa to collect Anastasiya, my Vespa ET8/LX150 after a major service and fixes. A long time ago a main member of the VLV, the local Vespa Social Club, once said to me that Vespas are priced unaffordable to the general public was because that they trying to keep the plebs out of owning a Vespa. Since then one of the Vespa South Africa's managers said that was not true. But what does one believe when one sees their costs of doing business with them. Hence my fear of taking my Vespa there for anything but this time I had no choice as Anastasiya was due for a major service. Sigh.

This major service which included one litre of engine oil, a bit of hub oil, an oil filter, a spark plug, front brake pads, transmission belt and rollers, and one and a half hours labour, all in all cost me R2801. The extras which they did was replacing the speedometer cable for the 3rd time in 11,000km, clock battery which never last but is a mission to replace, a hook in the glove compartment which was broken by Vespa when they rebuilt Anastasiya, a left rear indicator lens, serviced the starter motor, and an extra hour for labour. The extras cost me R1280. Grand total it cost me R4081, uhmmm so nearly 50% of the value of Anastasiya according to Outsurrance, went to servicing her. Imagine me paying 50% of the value of a car for a service.

Anyway, the service manager also said that Anastasiya’s engine was sounding a bit rough so he adjusted the valve clearances and suggested I get Vespa to open up the engine but it has not been that long ago since the rebuilt by Vespa and should be fairly new. With minor serves done, how can the engine sound rough after 11,000km unless something bad has gone wrong since Vespa rebuild it, double sigh. Like the question that is never answered is why is the speedometer cable breaking every 5000km of use?

Driving back home I felt that Anastasiya was very sluggish and not her normal self. What have they done to you dear Anastasiya. Triple Sigh. It seems that her spirit is broken along with mine. Sadly I parked her next to Scarlet my new Vespa GTS 3001e Super. Now I am not sure what to do with her and Vespa South Africa.