Stella vs. PX150

Post by **ericalm** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:41 am

Found this interesting comparison chart online, linked from a thread on MV. As both models are a little rare in CA (though earlier Vespa P-series are not), I haven't had a chance to check them out side-by-side. I do remember being very impressed with the quality of the paint and fit and finish on a PX I recently saw. It was stunning, and I immediately wondered how the Stella fares in comparison.

Shane Wilson · Post by **Shane Wilson** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:48 am

90mpg my ass.

I love my Stella but she doesn't get near the same milage as I do on my Buddy.

Granted, I only have 1257 miles on Stella, but I'm not thinking the milage is going to get better than 70mpg or so. (Especially now that i've started tinkering with jetting and such).

alienmeatsack · Post by **alienmeatsack** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:53 pm

I got around 80 on mine stock unless I got on it a lot. With the mods I have now it's more like 60.

Gotta love the Stella though. Classic good looks, fun, that engine sound. Sweet.

Thank you Vespa for the PX150, without it, we'd have no Stella.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:43 am

ericalm wrote:Found this interesting comparison chart online, linked from a thread on MV.

It is interesting. Sure seems to show some advantages for the Stella. Wonder why, though, that the PX150 is listed as only coming in green? I have seen them in several colors around here including red and black.

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:12 am

Dooglas wrote:
ericalm wrote:Found this interesting comparison chart online, linked from a thread on MV.
It is interesting. Sure seems to show some advantages for the Stella. Wonder why, though, that the PX150 is listed as only coming in green? I have seen them in several colors around here including red and black.

Yeah, there was a Serie America (I think) in green that year. Other colors were available, but I think they probably just used the specs from the Serie America.

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:21 am

that supposed difference in mpg is a head scratcher esp given that the Stella is heavier. It makes sense it is disputed.

Stella fans don't kill me- but arent these less reilable than a Buddy or Vespa? It seems like every one I know with one has had something go wrong and spend lots of time in the shop.

Style wise, I am smitten. I am interested to see the rumored 4 stroke automatic. My utilization is all urban so shifting is a no go. Do we think the 4 stroke CVT will be more reliable? I just can't fall for style and then have lost time on the road. Do we know where this will be made and what the price point will be?

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:30 am

peabody99 wrote:Stella fans don't kill me- but arent these less reilable than a Buddy or Vespa? It seems like every one I know with one has had something go wrong and spend lots of time in the shop.

From everything I've read or heard, yes, they are less reliable.

Shane Wilson · Post by **Shane Wilson** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:26 am

I'm not sure that less reliable is exactly the proper way to think about it.

The more I think about it, the more I think that it's really a matter of knowledge.

Had I known more about the workings of my scooter, I would have known that my kill switch was the culprit the day mine failed. I would have been up and running in five minutes.

The Stella is more of a commitment to self-maintenance than a modern 4T, but I wanted something to get my fingernails dirty. As long as I continue to gain knowledge about her workings, the more self-reliant I'll be.

On another note, my commute is all urban and the shifting is not a problem in the least.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:20 pm

Seems like manual shift classic scoots are a choice made for personal reasons - not practical ones. Once you decide you want to ride a classic scoot, then you start asking yourself which one? You either go with an older restored scoot or a newish one. The Stella is really the only new one out there. You can find near new PX150s and also the 4T Bajaj. If you are with me so far, I would expect that a Stella is as reliable as anything else in this genre and probably more so than the older classics. Surely Stella riders out there have opinions and experience on this one.

kazoo · Post by **kazoo** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:11 pm

Thats the same talk I heard about the Royal Enfield; and from my experience with it the thing was so simple to work on it really wasn't an issue. Replace clutch cables. Repair wire connections. Points adjusted. Valve adjustments. Chain adjustments. Then again, if my commute absolutely depended on it, I might look to something else. Maybe.

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:14 pm

I guess from a style perspective I am stuck on the metal frame and looks of the Stella and PX150. The lx150 does not quite cut it if you like the really old look. I wish I liked getting dirty and shifty and having a bike in the shop, but I don't, so why can't I have something sweet?

a 200 auto stella sounds awesome (I will take powder blue please). I am just worried it would be a POS. Where would it come from?

I guess I just need to trust Genuine and my dealer more, they have always been good to me.

MikieTaps · Post by **MikieTaps** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:52 pm

a 200 Manual Stella, with a performance transmission would be boss

250cc would be even better

Eazy · Post by **Eazy** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:28 am

ericalm wrote:
peabody99 wrote:Stella fans don't kill me- but arent these less reilable than a Buddy or Vespa? It seems like every one I know with one has had something go wrong and spend lots of time in the shop.
From everything I've read or heard, yes, they are less reliable.

I don't know about that, stella took 700 miles on it in 3 weeks before it got totaled and I didn't have any problems. Started everyday and pulled all 280lbs of me to 55mph on many occasions. I've seen quite a few scooters in my day that can not say the same thing, especially the '08 buddies and their vapor-locking

We had one that came in on the same shipment as mine with a bad stator but genuine promptly fixed that.

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:29 pm

mechanically, are manuals or CVT's generally more reliable? I guess it depends on who makes it.

Eazy · Post by **Eazy** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:42 pm

peabody99 wrote:mechanically, are manuals or CVT's generally more reliable? I guess it depends on who makes it.

I would like to say CVT's

Manuals require a lot more user interaction, which means they're is a greater chance of user error causing damage.

But boy are manuals fun.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:56 pm

I don't know if 700 miles on one scooter is sufficient in determining reliability. That was one reliable scooter—up to 700 miles, at least. Across the board, most owners I've heard from say that the Stellas require more maintenance skills. (They say this with pride!) I've also heard from a couple dealers that they're not as reliable as the Buddy. (Not my dealer because, you know, we can't buy them in CA.)

Post by **illnoise** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:36 pm

That chart gets referenced a lot, but some of it can't be true.

If the metal in the Stella weighs more or is thicker, that doesn't necessarily mean it's better metal, it just means it's a different composition. And i've never understood how they can make thicker pressings using the same presses that Piaggio used. (unless the older Ps had thicker frames than the newer Ps, which may be the case.)

"5-port" is a marketing term that's Piaggio (and now Genuine) has exploited since the 70s. I'm not sure of the exact story, but I've always read that the Vespa 5-port engine doesn't meet the technical description of a real "5-port engine." I don't think the Stella does either. Could be wrong though. It is, of course, better than the standard engine, so it's fair to bring it up here, with that caveat.

I doubt fuel economy is THAT different. The reed valve would improve economy, but not that much. I'd bet the Stella figure is accurate and the Vespa figure is low.

The Stella does have a reed valve, but it's used in conjunction with the rotary pad to reduce fuel consumption. It's still, at its heart, a rotary-valve-induction engine.

I imagine there's a horsepower variation and the Stella's better, but I doubt they're that different.

The weight difference is suspect, but it could be true. Could just be heavier trim or components on the Stella, or even a different painting method, and/or the frame weight. Again, HEAVY doesn't mean BETTER, and a lighter scooter is arguably faster.

not sure why the Stella's 5cm narrower and 5cm shorter, could just be a different rear bumper and different mirrors. That's not much difference, i think the bodies are the same.

a 1cm seat height difference isn't much of a dealbreaker, either.

The "Bitubo" shocks and "Grimeca" brakes are always hyped for the Stella, but both are copies manufactured under license in India, and not as high-quality as the aftermarket shocks and brakes sold for the P-series. I've noticed lately Genuine has quietly switched to Gabriel shocks, which might not even be gas-charged.

The overall quality of the P is better than the Stella, for sure. There have been arguments all over the place about this, people saying the stella metal is thicker (not sure about that), that they're made in the same factory (could be, for all I know), but the P is just clearly better when you compare them side to side. I wouldn't say it's $2000 better, but it's better.

If you found a new 1980 P150 in a crate and looked at it, I have no doubt it'd beat the crap out of both of them, though. They just don't make stuff like they used to, and even Italy's famously questionable quality from back in the day is far better than the quality anywhere today. The Stellas are worth what they cost, but they DO have problems, and so do the new Ps.

It's all moot, because Piaggio's discontinued the P. Which would I buy? Well, I'd rather have an earlier, rounder Vintage vespa, so I wouldn't bother with a used P, though a used P200 would blow either away. In the real world, I'd buy the Stella for its warranty and because I think Genuine is a more responsible (and local to me) company and they do so much to promote scootering in America, so I like to support them. If I had infinite cash resources, I'd buy the P, but more for resale value than anything, they're arguably better, and will hold their value better, but like I said, they're not perfect, they're not as solid as a vintage P, and the Stella's a better value than a modern P.

Bb.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:54 pm

Great analysis, Bb.

I recently had a look at a PX150 and have to say that the fit & finish were still a notch higher than the Stella. Vespa excels in certain areas and aesthetics and details is one of them. That said, if given the choice between a used one and a new Stella at roughly the same price, I'd pick the Stella.

Not having any kind of shifter, well, I'd be more than happy with a beat up P200 that ran well and that I could ride the hell out of. Not my "dream scoot" but at this point if I had the money and found a decent deal, I'd be satisfied with a P series for sure.

Especially because I know I can find a used P in CA.

1cyl · Post by **1cyl** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 11:44 pm

I've owned 7 Bajaj scooters, 5 Stella scooters, and 1 '05 PX150, all new. (My other motorcycles and scooters don't have much to do with this rant... so, I'll skip 'em.)

I can say with some legitimate hands-on experience the differences between the PX and Stella:

Vespa- MUCH better fit, finish, hand grips, polished levers, and on-and-on.
Stella- OK fit and finish, better value for money, more power (stock).

Vespa- POOR resale value. (If I would have had to pay retail, anyway.)
Stella- Cheaper, initial purchase price and better % of resale value.

Vespa- Flimsy, thin metal body. In fact, the floorboards will bend if you sit on a new '05 Vespa px150 on a showroom floor if on it's centerstand!
Stella- Strong steel and flimsy centerstand. (A better choice IMHO

)

Vespa PX or Stella? Stella.
Bajaj? In some ways, better than Vespa or Stella!

But NOT AS FUN TO DRIVE!

Susan Pegsmen · Post by **Susan Pegsmen** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:27 am

1cyl wrote:I've owned 7 Bajaj scooters, 5 Stella scooters, and 1 '05 PX150, all new. (My other motorcycles and scooters don't have much to do with this rant... so, I'll skip 'em.)

I can say with some legitimate hands-on experience the differences between the PX and Stella:

Vespa- MUCH better fit, finish, hand grips, polished levers, and on-and-on.
Stella- OK fit and finish, better value for money, more power (stock).

Vespa- POOR resale value. (If I would have had to pay retail, anyway.)
Stella- Cheaper, initial purchase price and better % of resale value.

Vespa- Flimsy, thin metal body. In fact, the floorboards will bend if you sit on a new '05 Vespa px150 on a showroom floor if on it's centerstand!
Stella- Strong steel and flimsy centerstand. (A better choice IMHO )

Vespa PX or Stella? Stella.
Bajaj? In some ways, better than Vespa or Stella! But NOT AS FUN TO DRIVE!

Bajaj dirt cheap here in Georgia on resale

Neducati · Post by **Neducati** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:51 pm

I'm picking up my 2005 tangerine Stella tomorrow morning. It's my first scooter, so I have no point of reference to compare it to the Vespa or Bajaj, but the deal was good so I bought it.

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:42 pm

Neducati wrote:I'm picking up my 2005 tangerine Stella tomorrow morning. It's my first scooter, so I have no point of reference to compare it to the Vespa or Bajaj, but the deal was good so I bought it.

BTW, Susan - love your avatar - you gave me a good laugh on a gloomy Friday morning here in Harrisburg, PA.

Congrats!

Neducati · Post by **Neducati** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:57 am

Here is a photo of my Stella.

PeterC · Post by **PeterC** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:23 pm

Beautiful! I initially was looking for that Tangerine color, but they stopped making Stellas for a while, so I bought a green one that was available. That's an interesting seat; I can't really tell from the photo - is it textured?

dademoss · Post by **dademoss** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:06 pm

Nice Scoot!

I am sooo jealous, but it wont be but a couple months before I can post a picture of my Stella

Neducati · Post by **Neducati** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:53 pm

PeterC wrote:Beautiful! I initially was looking for that Tangerine color, but they stopped making Stellas for a while, so I bought a green one that was available. That's an interesting seat; I can't really tell from the photo - is it textured?

Thanks, it's a Piaggio seat, but fits the Stella better than the stock one did, and it's much more comfortable. It has a basket weave texture on the main part, with distressed leather ends.

Here are some close ups:

Post by **ericalm** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:18 am

Neducati wrote:
PeterC wrote:Beautiful! I initially was looking for that Tangerine color, but they stopped making Stellas for a while, so I bought a green one that was available. That's an interesting seat; I can't really tell from the photo - is it textured?
Thanks, it's a Piaggio seat, but fits the Stella better than the stock one did, and it's much more comfortable. It has a basket weave texture on the main part, with distressed leather ends.

Very nice; first thing I noticed in the pic. I recently saw this seat on a PX150 for sale and thought it was really sharp. Looks great on the Stella!

eel vs stella! · Post by **eel vs stella!** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:02 pm

can i buy Vespa P series service manual and work on my 2006 Stella? they seem so similar tho. (':idea:')
i love my green Stella!

the manual i found is called Haynes Manual, P series. http://www.scooterworks.com/Haynes_Manu ... _P2229.cfm
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KCScooterDude · Post by **KCScooterDude** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:14 am

ericalm wrote:Great analysis, Bb.

I recently had a look at a PX150 and have to say that the fit & finish were still a notch higher than the Stella. Vespa excels in certain areas and aesthetics and details is one of them. That said, if given the choice between a used one and a new Stella at roughly the same price, I'd pick the Stella.

Not having any kind of shifter, well, I'd be more than happy with a beat up P200 that ran well and that I could ride the hell out of. Not my "dream scoot" but at this point if I had the money and found a decent deal, I'd be satisfied with a P series for sure.

Especially because I know I can find a used P in CA.

Scooterworld in KC has a nice black PX (2005?) sitting next to two Stellas. I lust after the Stella and will own one one day, but I have to say that PX has fit and finish very similar to the 2000s LXs or ETs. Wow. Huge difference.

Again, I'm not hating on the Stella. I want one and wouldn't even pay for the PX at the used price, but it is a looker.

Dan Buddy · Post by **Dan Buddy** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:46 pm

My two cents. 1st love my Stella. Picked her up Spring of 08 all shiny and new and since then I have put just under 6000 miles on her.

Had a minor issue with the headlight and stuck choke (wouldn't pull out) within the first couple hundred miles that the dealer corrected. Since then she has been running great. On my 3 spark plug, got about 2200 mile on the first on so I have been changing them every 2000 miles. I have been filling her up every 125 miles (need to switch over to reserve at about 140) and she takes 1.4 - 1.5 gallons every time. So I would say I am getting low 80s for mpgs and I am not a skinny guy.

I normally put about 22 miles a day on her going to and from work. 11 mile trip with some city traffic and a couple 1-2 mile 45mphs stretches.

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 12:52 am

I just bought a new 2008 orange Stella. Don't have it yet but its on the way. I bought it because I want a 2 stroke and I own a Buddy. By that I mean that I trust Genuine and that tips the scales for me. I'm not so concerned about fit and finish as it will only be apparant on the day I wash the beast once a year.

A faded Stella or Vespa is a thing of beauty.

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 2:04 am

After putting 2000 miles on a Buddy, and now 200 miles on a Stella, I can say that the Buddy is a better built bike.

Fit and finish of the Buddy is better, and it has been almost trouble free reliability wise- the only issue was the hose from the oil tank to the pump got a little loose and was leaving drips of oil on the ground.

The Stella is a lot balkier. On the Buddy, it would start instantly, ad I could twist and go half throttle to the end of the block, at which point it was warm and ready to run. With the Stella, It usually stalls out with the choke out, and needs to be warmed up for about 45 seconds before I can put it in gear and get moving.

I already need to take the Stella in- after 200 miles, the front brake has nasty vibrations happening. The light switch seems to have gremlins- I have been riding at night and had the headlight turn off- reseating the rocker switch got it back on, but this should NOT HAPPEN.

After 200 miles, The underside of my Stella is covered in 2 stroke sludge that has come out the exhaust. That's not very cool.

The Stella is a hoot to drive, and I LOVE banging gears. However, I KNOW I will be spending more wrench time. Deal with it- it is not on the same level as modern scoots.

Modern Buddy

Stella vs. PX150

Stella vs. PX150

Re: Stella vs. PX150

Re: Stella vs. PX150

So they're very much the same....