[rkness16]

I bought a Lance Venice 150 in March of 2008. I've got over 3000 miles on it and changed the oil for the 1st time today. I bought it online from a place in Oklahoma and it was delivered to my house in SoCal in a crate.

My commute is only 2 miles and the scooter, while kind of junky, is about what I'd expect from a cheap Chinese knockoff that I bought for $1200 online.

Highlights:
* At least 60 miles to the gallon
* Has started every time
* Reasonably comfortable, easy to ride, and quick.

Lowlights:
* Mirrors constantly loose
* Horn just started honking intermittently as if the bike has Tourette's syndrome.
* Back brake barely works. All of my stopping power is in the front.
* Idle seems to be very temperature sensitive. Bogs down and dies at a stop in hot weather.
* Idle is very uneven.
* Throttle cable got loose and fell off once.
* I'm 6', 235. Top speed I've ever gotten was 52 when it was fairly new. 48 since then.

Keep in mind that until (1) the throttle cable was reattached and (2) I changed the oil today, I have done absolutely no maintenance to this bike whatsoever. It gets me to work and back 5 days a week. It even had me thinking about an upgrade to a real motorcycle until I layed the bike down and fractured my ankle. Cracks and scratches on the bike, but I was back on it right away.

All in all, this bike met my expectations for basic transportation. I'd rather have a better bike, but it was all I could afford and it's worked out okay. In the same financial and short commute situation, I'd probably do the same thing.

I too purchased a lance venice last year and have put just over 2000 miles on it (currently 2400 miles). I bought mine on Craigslist from a guy who got it from Lance Powersports in Ontario CA with an extended warranty. I paid $950 for it with the 2 year extended warranty. I lived about a mile away from work until I moved 2 weeks ago. Now, I live about 25-30 minutes away (just over 11 1/2 miles for those non-SoCal people). The commute thus far has been just fine. The scooter has no problems taking off and reaching the speed limit with ease.

So far, my scooter has been running well with a few minor hiccups. I've had some of the same problems rkness16 has had.

- My throttle line became loose, which, when I tightened it up, it ran fine.

- My rear break is VERY weak. I've tried tightening it up per the owner's manual instructions, but it doesn't seem to help. I stop using 80% front break

- The front brake ABS isn't really ABS. I ate it about 2 weeks after owning it because squeezed the front break too tight and my front wheel locked up (trying to stop in a hurry for a light that just turned yellow). Luckily, I ditched the bike sideways instead of flipping over the handlebars. (Bike only had 2 minor scratches)

- My idling seems to fail when it's either too hot or too cold outside. There's probably only a handful of days out of the year my scooter doesn't die after starting it the first time.

- Mirrors become loose with the slightest bump.

- I'm 5'11, 215 and found that the comfortable top speed 45ish mph. I hit 53 mph this weekend, but it sounded like the engine was about to self destruct.

Overall, the scooter has been a great ride. It's light, small, and quick which makes me able to go anywhere and everywhere. I get anywhere between 60-80 mpg depending on my driving habits. Along with rkness16, I completely agree it's not top of the line , but after learning its quirks (and what machine doesn't have those?) it's been quite reliable and the amount I've saved by using it has made it a worthwhile investment. It's comfortable, easy to operate, inexpensive to maintain (quart of oil, gear oil), cheap to insure ($112 a year for 5,000 miles), and enjoyable to ride. Given the same set of circumstances, I'd buy it again.

I just bought a used Lance 6000 miles. After reading your posts I know what to expect but it was cheap 500 buck oh well let me enjoy the ride while it lasts. ")