Bashan Verona 50

[ghcoe]

Ordered a Verona 50 from greenearthscooters.com for my son. As far as I can tell it is manufactured under the Bashan name. Guess I will know more when we receive it. We were able to pick it up as a new 2013 model for the low price of 669.99 shipped! They actually reduced the price $120.00 after I ordered it on line, so hats off to them for doing that for us.

More updates to follow....

[katoranger]

That sounds like a pretty good price. I like the front disc brake.

[Weldangrind]

I like the style of that scooter, and I really like the price.

[ghcoe]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I like the style of that scooter, and I really like the price.

I know. My son liked the price at 789.99. When I told him they reduced the price $120.00 he was pretty happy since he has to pay us back for the purchase.

[SpudRider]

I eagerly await your updates. Please post photos of your scooter after it arrives.

[ghcoe]

Well the Verona 50 did turn out to be manufactured by Bashan. We had to assemble the unit but it really was not too bad. The instructions that were included were almost useless. Pictures were too small to see what they were talking about and the descriptions were just as bad. Had to put it together with mostly common sense. This might be a little intimidating to someone not mechanically minded. After we got it put together we went ahead and changed out the oils. Took a bit to get started, but once started it ran fine and restarted with no problems. Probably just needed the fuel to work it's way through the system. Unit does seem to be quite solid unit, which for the price we picked it up for I was not too sure how that was going to turn out.

The scooter does have a nice classic look to it. Gage cluster and script has a nice retro look and really adds to the vintage styling.

We did not really like the fact that the speedometer and odometer are in kilometers. MPH is available though, for your convenience in small script.

Motor runs very smooth, even in the higher rpms. The idle does seem to want to float some, not always wanting to return to the same rpms once the throttle is opened and closed again. Could be that it still needs some run time to even things out some.

I was surprised to see in a scooter of this price range that it include a trunk release in the ignition switch. It did need some adjustment though, to make it work properly, and I am a little iffy on the set nut on the cable. It was a little loose and I could not tighten it too much with out it stripping. I got it as tight as I dared to go and then put a drop of lock tight on it.

The welds on this unit are quite good in some areas and a little splattered in others. Most of the ugly welds are where you really have to look to see them or are hidden behind panels. Body plastics look to be well aligned and are clean of blemishes. The battery cover seemed to be the only panel that was not quite right. Took a bit of persuasion to get it to fit. Still not quite right but it is on. Some trimming may be in store for it.

[SpudRider]

Indeed, that scooter has a beautiful, classic appearance.

[ghcoe]

So they blended old styling with new tech. Front and rear turn signals as well as tail and stop lights are LED. Great for taking the load off of the charging system. Not real sure if I like myself though. I think I would rather have a conventional light system and install LED lights myself.

Being a 50cc it takes a bit of time to get up to speed. Definitely no reserve power, it seems you are ether going all go or all no. Brakes are pretty awesome though. No long brake times on this one. Maybe once the motor gets broke in it will have a little more get to it. You have to sacrifice something for that 100+ mpg though, right?

All in all I think it is a great little retro looking scooter for the price. Motor seems to be of good quality and I am hoping for some more giddy up once broke in. It does blow my mind that you can get a complete scooter for the low price of $669.99 shipped to your door and really it was better than what I was expecting. With speed limits 20-35 in our area it will make a great little close-in commuter for my son for sure.

[culcune]

Nice! My first encounter with a scooter was 30 years ago. My good friend at the time got a Honda Spree to get him to high school and back and to my house, etc. We lived in Northridge (my parents still do), at the edge of the San Fernando Valley, so my earlier teen years were spent on ten speeds riding uphill for a few miles, which would get pretty hot in the summers. The only upside was my friends all had swimming pools, so you can imagine being drenched in sweat, riding the last few blocks--uphill, only to be able to jump into a refreshing pool. Downhill was quite fun, too...

Back to the Spree--I think it was the most cooooolest thing having something so small with all the street equipment able to take you pretty much anywhere especially since you only needed to be 15 and have a driver's permit at the time. My friend would occasionally play with the exhaust, and it was funny to hear a little 2-stroke screaming up and down the street.

Over the next year or so, we got driver's licenses, although my friend was kind of 'naughty' and did not. My friend figured out the perfect balance point, and once he initially pulled up the front end, could drag his feet in a riding wheelie (not a real wheelie, per se) indefinitely. I once measured a mile and a half of him riding a "wheelie" following in my car. Even with all of us having licenses, it was still a really cool feeling of freedom the idea of a small-engined scooter.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by ghcoe

Took a bit to get started, but once started it ran fine and restarted with no problems. Probably just needed the fuel to work it's way through the system.

Exactly right. The fuel pump is vacuum driven, so it will only pump fuel while the engine is turning over. If your Son ever runs it out of fuel, he will have to repeat the process.

Originally Posted by ghcoe

The idle does seem to want to float some, not always wanting to return to the same rpms once the throttle is opened and closed again.

Sounds like that could be a vacuum leak. Maybe take a few moments to ensure that the intake tube is tight.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by culcune

My friend figured out the perfect balance point, and once he initially pulled up the front end, could drag his feet in a riding wheelie (not a real wheelie, per se) indefinitely.

I did the same thing on my Vespa when I was 14. Loved it.

[ghcoe]

Installed a performance CDI and coil. My son is reporting better acceleration and a better top speed. He is able to hit 40MPH now, before he was only reaching about 36MPH. Not much of a difference, but enough to matter on the street.

[tortoise]

Somewhat oddball 50cc engine configuration . . looks similar to a 125/150cc with forward oriented kick start lever and no starter bendix hump on the CVT cover.

Top image is representative 139QMB 50cc 4-stroke scooter engine.

[ghcoe]

1P39QMB is stamped on the motor. Still has the lower pivot point and small air vent for the CVT like the upper picture. totally different CVT cover though. Starter is like the lower picture. Different for sure.

[ghcoe]

Just did some looking. It looks like the 1P39QMB most likely sports a 64cc bore.