Stella scooters

I've got a 2005 Stella. The Stella is actually a LML Star that's been catalyzed and rebadged for the U.S. market. Bit of history: in the 70's, Piaggio opened a factory in India to meet world demand. Piaggio eventually abandoned the factory, and the company LML took over and continued production with all the original tooling. In 2003, Scooterworks, a Chicago based scooter parts center, began importing these LMLs, sticking a catalytic converter on them, and putting a "Stella" badge on them, to evoke something that sounds like "Vespa".

A Stella is a clone of a late 70's Vespa PX150. They initially were extremely popular with the vintage crowd. Ironically, Piaggio, who initially rebuffed the Stella as antiquated machinery, realized they had a market to cash in on, and brought out the new Vespa PX150, which is identical to the Stella save for a few minor details. Vespa boutiques push their product as Italian quality (hmm...) but the PX150 is actually comprised of components from many areas, including India, which are assembled in Italy.

The Stella differs from the new Vespa in that it gets better mileage, and it is about 60% of the Vespa price. I've heard that it is quicker, but I haven't ridden a PX150 to compare. Many Stella riders ditch the cat, rejet, and wind up with wheelie machines.

If you want one, act quickly. The Stella is currently unavailable in CA because its 2-stroke motor doesn't meet emissions requirements, and in 2006, the rest of the U.S. will adopt CA's standards vis a vis 2 strokes.