Hi . . after being short of two engine-powered wheels for a few years, as a result of making savings to help support my two daughters through Uni, I'm now ready to take on a twist-grip once again . . In the past I've been fond of "Big Trailies" -> www.onmybike.co.uk <- but since the sale of that F650 I owned a couple of scoots, an Aprilia Leonardo 250, then a Gilera Runner 200, and had great fun with them, but then sold that Runner and gave the cash to my first daughter.

Now both daughters are working I have an occasional pleasant surprise when a couple of hundred quid drops into my account from either of them, so methinks it's time for another two powered-wheeler, so I've spent a lot of time browsing in Fowlers of Bristol, which is close by and web-surfing.

My head says a Vespa GTS 300 with front and rear racks will be the most practical for shopping, parking-up and general use, but my heart (which is currently winning) tells me the Yammy T-Max 530 is the one to go for, so I'll let head-and-heart fight it out for a couple of weeks, then I'll let anyone interested know which wins

Hello

Hi Trevor and welcome.

hello, both are worth having

Hi and welcome aboard.

Yo Trevor...

I hope you can give them both a try before you decide.

The TMax is great for shopping! It's almost like a "family" scooter. lol


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Welcome mate two very different animals... have a try before you buy, keep us informed, its whether you think the 530 deserves the asking price... personally i like to buy used (cant afford owt else) and do it myself servicing, factor in if buying new as guarantee means dealer service, and the cost involved is a good asking point, before talking hard cash

burgman 400? its as quick as you ever need it to be on UK roads, been around since 1999 so plenty about in anyones price range. better on mpg too, i think.

i've just bought mine and only ridden it 12 miles, but in those 12 miles JEEZ it was fun! once exhaust is sorted and electrical gremlin has been exorcised, i'll let you know how it feels over larger distances

Thanks for all the replies . . yep, I'm gonna try both before purchasing . . and oddly enough the "turning circle" of both are quite important to me to get it into my awkward garage (or outside parking space). Having owned Big Trailes in the past that was never a problem . . and I think the Vespa might win on that score having wiggled the bars on both scoots in Fowlers the other day, so I'm gonna try the manoeuvre on both on my test drives.

I don't plan to consider any of the Burgman scooters, or the big Honda, as I'm looking for something with a slim (motorcycle-style) back end, and the T-Max fits that criteria nicely. Yes, I know the Vespa ain't exactly slim, but it's a 'Classic' so it's forgiven on that count.

The Aprilia SRV 850 (Maxi-scoot) Fowlers have in stock looks very appealing from the side, but if you've sat on the pillion seat of that scoot your legs need to be about two feet apart at the knees to place you feet on the Pillion-pegs, and I know my missus won't go for that . . it was even uncomfortable for me . . what the hell were Aprilia thinking

I've got to wait for a nice fat cheque from one of my clients to pop into my bank, and then it's the beginning of bargaining time with Fowlers, to see if they will match other (fairly local) dealer's prices