( 50 cc model pictured, also available in a 150cc. Click HERE to jump to a dealer selling this model for $899, or click HERE for the 150cc's page from the same dealer for $1199 )
OK so this Motobravo Paparazzi Scooter has gotten my attention, nice retro look and a great marketing gimmick, so I decided to do some Googling and see what I find...
Well what I found makes me a little weary of this scoot. First off, if I asked you what country of origin a product called Motobravo Paparazzi might have, what would be your first inclination? Mine was Italy. BUZZER! Wrong! This is a product of China. So right off I am put off that perhaps this company is trying to be misleading, and having been warned to be skeptical of China Scoots, that'll be Strike One!
Next a look at Motobravo's Scooter Line on their website shows me that every other model they make looks like it came from the set of the Karate Kid, that being: Cheap and Ugly and 80's Styling. So obviously this Paparazzi model was their attempt to re-brand an otherwise crappy line. That'll be Strike two!
Lastly one of the upsides seems to be the low price, however this seems to be because some assembly may required on your part. Hmm, I'm not sure a good selling point for an entry level scooter is to make the entry level rider put it together. Short of the assembly issue, don't you just have to ask yourself how can a model so similar to the Honda cost less than half as much?
That'll be strike 3!!!
Long story short: The Motobravo Paparazzi seems to be a stylistic rip-off of the Honda Metropolitan, with an Italian Name slapped on it to get the novice buyer to subconsciously associate it with quality products like Vespa.
That being said . . may we suggest a Honda Metropolitan
As always, in the interest of fairness, if you have good things to say about the Paparazzi 50 or 150, let me know.
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3 comments:
Hi there,
I just bought a 2007 Paparazzi on Craigslist this afternoon. I haven't really gotten a chance to ride it for more than a few minutes, but I will certainly update you in a few weeks on whether or not I enjoy the ride.
Megan
This scoot is identical to a Schwinn Laguna 50, and numerous other "Brands" and "Models". A high percentage of the scoots today are manufactured in China, higher price point Buyers require higher quality from the Chinese factories. So, as you may notice, the zippier looking scoots, and these "Retro" models, have many "twin" counterparts, offered by different sellers under different brands and model names, they are all "basically" the same. Some of the issues I have read about, in the lower cost models are electrical wiring and hoses, failing relatively soon after purchase. Some buy the scoot, and for a few dollars, replace the entire hose and wiring structure, before putting it on the road. But what it comes down to is this; for the most part, they are identical, with the exception of body style, they're all running a GY6 engine, which is a Honda clone. some have another type of engine, but they all are copying Honda and Yamaha. For high end Quality, may I suggest the much better (and pricier) Vespa....this is the King of scoots
Hm.... I was hoping for some commentary about the scooter from someone who has actually owned one or at least tried it out. I can formulate every conclusion that you can by looking up stuff on the internet... oh well.
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