Rarely use ebay so I have been very careful when selling 'Stacey' our MotoVespa to make sure the listing is as honest as possible, detailing what we have done to restore her and what her blemishes are. We included photos of damage, two video clips of her running. We tried to be as detailed as possible.
We had over 1000 page views and 40 people putting her on their 'watch list'. We felt we were asking a fair price but had also said we were open to reasonable offers.
So this morning, I took her for one last very short ride around the village to check all was still running smoothly......and her throttle on the handlebar broke! It turned right over itself so I couldn't shut throttle off. Came as hell of a shock! At a road junction too.
Cut long story short, the little lug inside the headlight casing is aluminium and part of the casting on an old scooter. This had suddenly fractured through old age allowing throttle handle to rotate over itself and so stretch the throttle cables. A real pain and very dangerous.
So I have ended the ebay listing. I am sure I will take flack on this one but it strikes me it was the right thing to do. I could have continued and reduced the price but then someone might have continued to drive her and then caused or had an accident. Although it would have been their choice to do so, I would have felt responsible. I have a friend who can weld a new piece in somehow, he thinks, even though it is aluminium.....he has an idea apparently......but that is a few weeks away as he is snowed under with other work.
We can wait. We can trailer 'stacey' up to hi in a month or so and she can get fixed and then we can start again. She has never broken once since we restored her a few years ago..........and now she does just as we try to sell her.
I wonder if she is trying to tell us something?
We had over 1000 page views and 40 people putting her on their 'watch list'. We felt we were asking a fair price but had also said we were open to reasonable offers.
So this morning, I took her for one last very short ride around the village to check all was still running smoothly......and her throttle on the handlebar broke! It turned right over itself so I couldn't shut throttle off. Came as hell of a shock! At a road junction too.
Cut long story short, the little lug inside the headlight casing is aluminium and part of the casting on an old scooter. This had suddenly fractured through old age allowing throttle handle to rotate over itself and so stretch the throttle cables. A real pain and very dangerous.
So I have ended the ebay listing. I am sure I will take flack on this one but it strikes me it was the right thing to do. I could have continued and reduced the price but then someone might have continued to drive her and then caused or had an accident. Although it would have been their choice to do so, I would have felt responsible. I have a friend who can weld a new piece in somehow, he thinks, even though it is aluminium.....he has an idea apparently......but that is a few weeks away as he is snowed under with other work.
We can wait. We can trailer 'stacey' up to hi in a month or so and she can get fixed and then we can start again. She has never broken once since we restored her a few years ago..........and now she does just as we try to sell her.
I wonder if she is trying to tell us something?
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