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| Who are Thompsons Scooters? | |
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Our relationship with Piaggio started back in the '60's when John Douglas Thompson, an ex RAF Armourer with a love of Motorbikes and Scooters, purchased St Albans Scooters, who were agents for Piaggio and Innoccenti (Known colloquially as Vespa and Lambretta to most people) The trading title J D Thompson Motors ltd was used from 1973 onwards, as by this time the company portfolio included Motor car sales and service in addition to Scooters. When JD (As he was known) retired in 1987, the business was run by his son John, himself a Biker from an engineering background, being a qualified technician and MOT inspector. When Piaggio (UK) were opened, Thompsons became official UK dealers for the full range of Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera and Derbi machines, and soon gained a reputation for straight no nonsense dealing, and a high quality of after sales service. In 1999 they were awarded Dealer of the Year (SE region) for excellence in Sales and service, followed by similar awards in 2001, with 2002 being even more fruitful, as the first recipient of the Online Dealer of the Year as well as the now familiar Regional Dealer of the Year award! By 2003, firmly placed in the top 10 UK Piaggio dealers, John Thompson set about improving the overall buying experience, with MENU servicing, a fixed price version in the style offered by large luxury Car manufactuers, but FIXED for the lifetime of ownership! In 2004, the time it takes to prepare a new Scooter were increased by four times to allow for the partial dismantling and 'Weather proofing' of every new machine, to take into account the accelerated corrosion caused by the use of Rock Salt on British roads. Levels of after sales service have become legendary! If we told you we once drove across France and Belgium to help a broken down customer at no cost whatsoever, you wouldn't believe us, but it's absolutely true, the customer rode home the day after, and the fact is documented on the Piaggio X9 owners forum! 2006 ushered in a new era for Thompsons. In a move from the old premises of Thirty years, now earmarked for redevelopment, the Service department moved to a newer Industrial site with custom fitted workshops and an Internet Cafe for customers to enjoy the new While-U-Wait service (designed to reflect the distance some people travel to use the award winning facility) The PiaggioSpace Showroom moved to Bricket Wood on the outskirts of St Albans, now within 15 minutes drive or ride from London, Luton, Potters Bar or Rickmansworth, as it sits under a MINUTE away from both the M1 (J6) and the M25 (J21a) offering unrivalled parking and accessibility. That's who we are! |
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| Where are Thompson's Scooters? | |
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SALES Our new showroom is in Bricket Wood, on the outskirts of St Albans, in a very easily accessible place! There is a short stretch of dual carriageway between the M1 (Junction 6) and the M25 (Junction 21) called the A405. We are on the Old Watford Road, which runs alongside the dual carriageway, and can be accessed from either end. 97-99 OLD WATFORD ROAD BRICKET WOOD ST ALBANS AL2 3UN 01923 661262 (ANSAFONE IF CLOSED) (Open Tuesday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:30 and Saturday 8:30 to 04:00 CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY!) SERVICE Our new Workshop is based in Hatfield Road, St Albans, just behind Milcars (Mazda) Hatfield Road is the A1057 which links St Albans and Hatfield. UNIT 6 EXECUTIVE PARK HATFIELD ROAD ST ALBANS AL1 4TA 01727 850808 (SERVICE) 01727 834605 (PARTS) (Open Mon-Fri 8:30 to 5:30) USE AA ROUTEPLANNER OR MULTIMAP FOR FULL DIRECTIONS BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME! |
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| Do you deliver scooters? | |
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Yes, we employ a full time driver, and your scooter will be delivered at a mutually convenient time and date in our dedicated Mercedes van. The cost depends on where you live, though, so if you live in Scotland maybe try your local dealer!! We deliver to London for £40-60*, Most of the Southeast from £45-85, The Midlands for around £80 and other areas can be quoted by request. It may be more fun to ride the bike home if the cost exceeds the convenience however! *Congestion charge £8 may apply. |
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| Where are Piaggio scooters from? | |
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Nearly all new Piaggio, Gilera and Vespa models are made in Pontedera, Italy, around 30 miles from the Leaning tower of Pisa. The Piaggio family made Aircraft and Locomotives until the Second World War when a lot of Italy had been destroyed by bombing, leaving a whole nation without any effective transport. Enrico Piaggio enlisted the design skills of Corradino D'Asconia, a gifted young aeronautical engineer, to create a simple yet effective way of mobilising the Italian population and the resulting 'Vespa' (Wasp) took to the streets in 1946 to much public acclaim. Only a few hundred units were sold in that first year, but many thousands followed afterwards, and now over five million Vespas have been produced! The rest is history.... Nowadays, Piaggio (Including Vespa and Gilera) are Europes largest manufacturer of two and three wheeled vehicles, with a large portfolio of exciting. and in many cases unique machines. Nearly every innovative feature fitted to modern Scooters has been as a direct result of the efforts of Piaggio designers and engineers, while the Vespa marque is one of very few names which are instantly recognised the whole world over! Even in Scunthorpe, what a hole LOL.....* *Yes of course you were going to order one from me until you read that...idiot... |
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| How about servicing and repairs? | |
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Regardless of WHO supplied your Scooter, you are entitled to take it to any Piaggio/ Gilera dealer in the UK for servicing and warranty work. If you chose to avail yourselves of our renowned quality of service however, we have an award winning service centre, with computerised booking system and excellent parts department. CALL (01727) 850808 FOR SERVICE, OR (01727) 834605 FOR PARTS! We will undertake any repairs to Piaggio/ Gilera/ Vespa machines as long as they were supplied by any UK dealer. If you have purchased a machine elsewhere, and your local dealer is not giving you the service you deserve, call us and we will endeavour to sort any problems out. Please note our FIXED PRICE SERVICING only applies to machines we have supplied.... |
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| What licence do I need? | |
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MOPED (50cc/ 30MPH MAX) Age 16 or more with either a provisional licence and CBT, or Full PRE 2001 Car licence (CBT only required if test passed after 2001) or a Full Bike licence. LEARNER LEGAL 125 (125CC/ 14BHP MAX) Aged 17 or more with Provisional licence and CBT or full Bike licence only. OVER 125CC Full Bike licence only. Please refer to DVLA website for exact details, as this is a quick reference (But accurate) guide for most riders. PLEASE NOTE, THE MP3 AND FUOCO ARE CONSIDERED AS MOTORCYCLES AND THE SAME RULES APPLY! |
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| Do you do CBT training? | |
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When you buy a Scooter or Bike from us, we will fit L plates free of charge, and deliver you and the Scooter to our local CBT training centre, First Vision, who have a training centre at St Albans, only a mile from our main showroom! Vision Motorcycle training can be contacted on 01727 891088 for bookings on Saturdays or Sundays and currently charge only £60 for a full CBT course. Vision now run a CBT PLUS course, which is a follow-on from the CBT for riders who wish to enhance their riding skills from the rather basic CBT level. The CBT PLUS is ALSO great for riders who DO NOT NEED a CBT, but want to gain confidence before riding an unfamiliar machine. The course takes four hours, and costs only £60! Vision offer training from CBT level through to Advanced training to RoSPA Gold standards, when you will obtain the highest civilian qualifications which are similar to Police Motorcycle standards but without the Blue lights and diplomatic immunity....(Sorry Officers) We sponsored the RoSPA advanced Scooter test a year or so ago, which means every Scooter owner in the country will now be able to do a RoSPA test especially for their own machine! Visit Vision online at www.visionmotorcycletraining.co.uk |
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| ...But scooters are just toys, I want a proper motorbike...?? | |
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Hmmmmm...Here are the REAL facts! I have owned the worlds fastest production bike, and ridden it at 200mph, wheelied at 80mph and been riding all manner of bikes and scooters for over 20 years. I still choose to ride a Piaggio because it gets me to work and back just as quickly as the 1300cc Suzuki used to, and I feel a lot safer and more comfortable in normal traffic conditions too. For day to day use, Scooters are far cheaper to run, and need a lot less owner care than a regular 'bike. As a result of this, we are constantly taking large motorbikes in part exchange against Scooters, even from hardened bikers and Police motorcyclists who have just had enough of the downsides of modern bikes! We have off-the-shelf scooters that will out accelerate a Ferrari from 0-60, pull wheelies and perform stoppies too and the latest Piaggio X9 500 has a 40bhp fuel injected motor for 100mph cruising, on-board RDS Radio, 'phone, intercom and many other features that motorcyclists can only dream of, so scooters are NOT toys, they are very highly developed small wheeled motorbikes with brilliant handling, and enclosed bodywork for superior aerodynamics and storage space. The world of Scootering has just been changed forever, with the new Gilera GP800 being announced for 2008! Fitted with an 850cc V-Twin powerplant, it will whisk the GP up to nearly 130mph, and looks like no other scooter. Yet.... By the way, I do not condone or encourage speeding, poor quality riding or law breaking, and our scooter team have several advanced riding qualifications from RoSPA and the IAM who both have advanced scooter courses which are well worth getting involved in! We introduce many of our customers to Bikesafe, a course run by the Police to make all our lives safer. Do it NOW! |
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| How often do Scooters need servicing, and how much does it cost? | |
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The manufacturers schedule servicing depends on the EXACT model, but here are a few guidelines; 50cc 2T Mopeds.................................3000 miles/ 12 months 50cc 4T Mopeds..................................4000 miles/ 12 months 124cc 4T Scooters..............................4000 miles/ 12 months 200cc 4T Scooters..............................4000 miles/ 12 months 125cc to 500cc Fuel injected models..6000 miles/ 12 months* 800cc Gilera GP800.............................6000 miles/ 12 months** (NOTE All these machines require a one-off FIRST service at 600 miles/ 4 months. This is to ensure the bike has bedded in) MENU SERVICING! When you buy a new Piaggio, Vespa or Gilera from us, you become part of our growing family of customers who qualify for MENU servicing. This means your bikes service charges are FIXED at our Menu rates as long as you own it, saving you money and allowing you to budget running costs more accurately. Because of our outstanding quality of pre-delivery preparation, we only offer this cost-free option on vehicles we supplied and serviced from new. Services alternate annually between INTERMEDIATE (£99.99 all inc) and EXTENDED (£129.99 all inc) once the FIRST service (£39.99) has been carried out. Extras such as Tyres, Brake pads, Belts etc are not included. *High mileage users of 400 and 500cc Maxi Scooters, supplied by us, can benefit from a four year fixed price of £200 +VAT for each and every service, which includes everything apart from brake pads and tyres. This includes a valet and courtesy bike for the day. The first service would be free under this option. **High mileage GP800 owners can benefit from a fixed price of £250 +VAT for each and every service. This includes everything, even the Chain and Sprockets at the required intervals, but excludes tyres and brake pads. We will allocate a whole day with a Master technician, and the bike will be returned valeted too. Includes a top-end courtesy bike! This ONLY applies to machines we supplied... |
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| How economical is a scooter? | |
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In terms of fuel consumption, most of the two-stroke 50cc scooters achieve around 65 to 75mpg of unleaded petrol, while the four-stroke models which are 125-250cc will achieve up to 80mpg with a little restraint! We now have the Vespa LX4 50 and Fly 100's, which will travel around 100mpg, which must put it into top slot for sheer economy. Fuel economy aside, don't forget the cheap road tax (£15 for 50-125cc models, and £30 for the 200+cc models) and lower maintenance costs than cars. Open university have recently quoted the energy efficiency of a scooter per passenger mile to be the same as a bus, and we have found that you can buy AND run a new scooter for less than the cost of a bus ticket or train pass.....The choice is yours! |
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| Are Scooters exempt from the Inner London Congestion Charges? | |
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YES! All powered two-wheelers pay nothing other than the normal rate of road tax. This includes the new Piaggio MP3 (Which is classed as a TWO wheeler! You don't even need to register the machine with Uncle Ken... |
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| What sort of delivery times will I expect when I order a new Scooter or Motorbike? | |
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Fresh orders will normally be delivered to us within a week, and we can prepare your new machine for delivery within a day or so. Reckon 7-10 days for a beautifully prepared Scooter. |
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| Do you de-restrict mopeds, and what are the legal implications? | |
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To be classed as a moped, a machine needs to be 50cc or less, and not capable of more than 30mph. However, all Piaggio 50's were designed as full-power machines and will have been limited or 'restricted' to 30mph so we can sell them in the moped class. We can 'de-restrict virtually any nearly new or used machine so that full performance is restored, along with better running and fuel economy! The cost is £65 for air-cooled engines, £85 for four strokes, such as the new zip, or Fly 50 and £99 for liquid-cooled machines (i.e. Runner, NRG dd, DNA) Please be advised this is a much more complicated procedure than before, and we are quoting for the FULL derestrict, not just a gear spacer removal... Your moped will now do between 45 and 55mph, and use less fuel too. The legal implications are complex (such as re-registering the moped as a '50cc motorcycle...) and most owners choose to simply ride the unrestricted moped as before, which we cannot condone as a dealer, as the onus is upon you, the rider to stick within the limits of the law. It is legal to ride an unrestricted moped if you are 17 or more, with a CBT certificate, or full bike licence, but if you are 16, or only have a full car licence it is not. We will derestrict any new machine but will make you aware of the regulations (i.e. you now have a 50cc motorcycle, which needs to be re registered as such, and you need to be licenced and insured for it....) to stop you sueing us when you get caught doing 55mph in a 30mph speed limit! Around 75% of mopeds we supply have been de-restricted, so it's a popular thing to do. It is your responsibility to ensure the machine complies with any local legislation. Book your machine in with our service department on 01727 834605! We do NOT answer Email enquiries about derestriction, as most questions are answered here, or will be at the time of booking. |
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| How much is road tax for a scooter? | |
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At the moment the road tax for all our 50's and 125's costs £15 for a year , the 200's and 250's cost £31 per annum, and the 500cc models cost £46. There are no changes expected. All bikes are exempt from the Inner London congestion charge which means it will be free to ride into London and use one of the free parking bays provided, but if you take a car it will cost you! Most Railway stations do NOT charge for Scooter parking, which could save you £3-4 per day and a lot of fuel too... |
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| How do you accept payment? | |
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You can pay by Cash, Most major credit cards, Switch, Solo, Debit card or Cheque. (Credit cards are the only form of payment that attract a 1% surcharge however) If you want finance, we recommend that you use a personal loan, as the rates on the High Street are far lower than Motorcycle finance companies at the moment. This choice could save you £££'s... Checkout www.moneysupermarket.co.uk for the latest rates. |
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| Can I use a Scooter on the back of a Camper? | |
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We have many customers already enjoying using a Scooter in conjunction with a Motor Caravan! I have one myself in fact, and find it very handy when stranded on a remote Campsite with all the decent Restaurants and Shops a few miles away. You will almost certainly be limited by weight (Rear mounted carriers usually handle up to 130kg) so we have a great selection of 50, 125 and 200cc machines which are suitable. The first thing you need is a Towbar and Scooter rack (Reckon around £750) and the best people to see are WATLING ENGINEERS who design and fabricate them especially for your Camper, and supply all the esentials too, such as Electrics, Lights and Straps. http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/index.html We can then supply you with the perfect Scooter to complement your Camper, and Lifestyle! |
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JD THOMPSON MOTORS LTD.
Sales: 97-99 Old Watford Road, Bricket Wood, St Albans, Herts, AL2 3UN
Service & Parts: Unit 6 Executive Park, Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4TA
Sales: 01923 661262 Service: 01727 850808 Parts: 01727 834605