Motorcycle.com

La Dolce Vita in Napa

I have a second home in Napa, California and my wife was tired of me hijacking her car when we would both drive up in one car. So we had the brilliant idea of me getting a scooter so I could go om my daily appointed rounds of coffee, food shopping, wine tasting and cooking classes without leaving he...r marooned in the house.

I did a quick internet survey, and noticed the 2009 Vino Classic and a friendly local Yamaha dealer right smack in the middle of The Napa Yacht Club and The Oxbow Public Market, my daily beginning and end points. So off I went , ordered a 2009 Vino Classic in the very compelling two tone white and tan with the saddle colored seat, including optional windshield and rear white basket.

After doing some searching, my dealer found exaxtly what I was looking for, and it arrived a week later. I bought a helmet, riding jacket and gloves, designated a pair of black jeans and hightop ECCO black boots and my riding ensemble was complete.

It's been three weeks now and 10 rounds trips to downtown Napa, and I'm overjoyed with the 2009 Vino Classic. First of all, it is very stylish and Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn's Roman Holiday would have looked even better on a Vino Classic.

I've gone 60 miles and used a 1/2 tank of gas (.6 gallons of regular or about $1.25. Great gas milage!

The Vino Classic is only 174 pounds, so it's very easy to handle, roll, and kick up on it's stand.

The acceleration is perfectly adequate for around town driving , but it can get a little dicey if you find yourself on a main road with traffic moving faster than 35 miles an hour. Avoid the temptation to take it to 40 MPH. It can do it, but that's not what it was designed for. This machine is a good looking cruiser, not a race car.

Parking is a breeze.The nostalgic design
gives you license to park it anywhere because it's a prop that makes any restaurant, bar, cafe, market or museum that's behind it look better.

The under seat storage has plenty of room for a full face helmet , gloves,keys, wallets , etc..

The best part is living the European lifestyle and filling up the rear basket with fresh fish, poultry, meats, charcuterie,fruit, vegetables and a big loaf of Model bakery French Bread protruding out of the back of the basket.

Then I make my return trip home, unload my basket, and start cooking.

While Napa has fantastic food and wine , the city streets can be in appalling shape . On a smooth road the Vino Classic suspension is fine. But if you go into one of the meteor sized potholes in downtown Napa,you may come out of it but your Vino won't.

I subsequently test drove the 2009 Zuma 125 , thinking I needed a more robust suspension. Boy,I've gotta say, that is one knarly mean machine.The throtle response and power are breathtaking, but I felt it was more scooter than I could handle. So I'll just go around the pot holes in my Vino Classic( although i do lust in my heart to drive through them in a future 2009 Zuma 125). Read Full Review

Great little Scooter

Hello All. I live in the Midwest, not the best year around climate, but for 5-6 months, scooter riding can be fun and frugal. The 2009 Vino Classic is a great little scooter, high quality, and tough. It is not a highway scooter with top speed limited to around 35-40 mph depending on load weight. But... in a town/city environment it can't be beat. Good peppy acceleration for a little scooter, handles in and out of traffic very well, easy to park. With a basket attached to the rack in addition to the under seat storage, it can haul a lot of stuff. Gas mileage is very good but not quite the 110 mpg advertised. The retro styling with the motorcycle style handlebars is very cool. I get a lot of positive comments about the scooter. Read Full Review

Classic 4T

The Yamaha Classic 4t 49cc is a great little scooter. It is strictly for one person. Quality is excellent. Great in town or urban scooter. Top speed 35-40 mph which is very dependent on weight. Acceleration and uphill is very good for a 49cc. Gas 90-95 mpg. Don't believe the 100-110 mpg hype, unless... you never ride over 20 mph. It has a high compression. You should use premium gas. You can use regular (no ethanol), but you will get pinging and loss of power if you run regular for very long. The owner's manual is in error for max load of 178 lbs, which is the curb weight. Actual max load is around 300 lbs Read Full Review

BEST BUY ALL AROUND

I live in a small city Redlands, California and have owned both the 125 and the classic versions. Both of the models are superb in dependability, gas mialege, and style. The 125 I have driven up to speeds of over 60 MPH, and I have to admit for a small scooter it can be very riveting going over rail...road ties and pot holes ... if not downright dangerous. I thought I was going to flip end over end. If you need speeds that high then get a small motorcycle. With the classic version, you will not have this problem, and certainly no anxiety attacks going over road hazards. Both models have excellent fuel economy and reliablity. With gas going higher, this will no doubt become the most sought after animal for the road. I can right a book about both these models. Bottom line is that it is good as its gets for putting arround town, reliablity, and fuel economy. Read Full Review

Pure Fun

Awesome machine that exudes quality. I am 240lbs and the Vino Classic is both comfortable and packs enough power to get me up and down hills. I am thoroughly enjoying this beauty and would highly recommend to anyone considering a 50cc class scooter. Read Full Review