What's the best way to make $500 in 2 weeks? Flip a SCOOTER!

April 5, 2021

Like so many other projects, I found the scooter listed for sale on Nextdoor for a pretty reasonable $300.

 At the time of purchase, it was not running due to a dead battery (or so I was told). In general, ALWAYS take what a seller says with caution unless:

1. You are willing or able to lose whatever money you are going into it with since you are unable to test how it's running, the accessories, and any other components associated with the vehicle
2. The item/vehicle is so cheap that in a worst case scenario you break even. The scooter fell into this category

I paid the kind woman her full ask (didn't even try to negotiate on this one), loaded it up on my trailer, and brought it home (had to make one stop at Target to help my father purchase a new TV). Here it was loaded on the trailer driving home:

 

Once I got home, I started doing my basic research because I had no idea what this scooter was. Turns out that it uses the Piaggio engine, which is the same as what the Vespa 150CC used in the same era. This was great because parts were readily available and it’s not as unique as the name “Aprilia Mojito” originally made me think.

The first part that I ordered was a battery later that same day (Amazon Mighty Max battery for like $20). I left town for a few days on a work trip and when I returned home, I threw the battery in. To my amazement (and no it’s not generally this easy when buying non-running vehicles), it cranked right on with no issues. I tested the accessories (blinkers, horn, brake lights, gauges, etc.) and to my amazement, everything just worked.

The fun part of any project is that first ride on whatever new project you have; this one was no different. I took it down the street and back, no issues. Decided to go a bit further and the scooter started breaking up (felt like a no gas issue). I live about 2 miles from the gas station, so I decided to ride it there and fill it up. I had several stalls and all-in-all it wasn’t running great. I put a 1.5 gallons of premium gasoline in and like clockwork it was perfect.

From there, I rode it home with no issues. Rode it about 3 miles from my house other direction, no issues. Said “screw it” and decided to ride 7 miles or so with no issues. This continued and I ended up riding about 60 miles in a 3-hour span, all with no issues. Ended up meeting with a few friends and had to line myself up for this shot:

At this point, I decided that I had my fun with it and that I have other projects that need finances (namely the 4Runner). I listed on Facebook Marketplace for $1,500 and no response (sadly this isn’t one of those occasions where things work out immediately, but it pays to be patient). Lowered the price a couple of times over a week period and finally sold for $800, which was a bit less than what I originally wanted, but sometimes it is better to take a small win than hold something too long.

Not sure what will replace the scooter yet (or if anything will at the moment), but there are plenty of other projects that need attention!