Bar Italia Classics

First off Bar Italia Classics has moved again! Their new address is 14 819 Aetna st literally one block down from the old shop. Secondly, this has got to be the best classic Vespa shop in LA. No matter what you need for your Italian two stroke Christian has got you covered. He is super knowledgable, been in the seen forever and has a sea of parts. Went in there yesterday for a spark plug and hoping he could install my fuel switch and ended up cleaning/​rebuilding and installing it all on the house. Now I’ll be able to finally get the BAD WASP back to her former glory. Thanks brother!

Maybe they are good at restoration… but they are not very good mechanic. I went there several time as they are the only place that repairs vintage Vespas in a 50mls range, but every time was a disappointment. I would drive off after a repair, to then go back after a 5 miles drive as the issue was still there. After the last big job ($ 1800), my Vespa was never the same… as in «it got really bad, and never drove properly again». I decided to tow it to a further mechanic who, by looking at it, thought I attempted to fix it myself as whatever job performed was done poorly…
Nice guys but… sorry…they should take a few more mechanic lessons

This is my first review ever on Unilocal. This business is the reason why I joined. I have never had such a great an easy experience than I have had with Bar Italia. I brought in a 1962 Vespa with a side-​car that was usable at the time only as a planter. The communication was great throughout the entire process. After all is said and done, I know have a GORGEOUS beautifully restored WORKING classic. I stand by the fact it could not have been done with out the professionalism and attention that they have shown. I am a neophyte when it comes to anything before 2001 and Christian has taken his time on several occasions to go over with me the workings of my Vespa (from how to load fuel, and how to make adjustments, if need be, on my own)
They turned this chia pet planter of a rundown Vespa into a Sprawling forest of a classical beast. I can not recommend them enough.

It is nice that there is a shop that specializes in vintage scooters. Bar Italia have been at this a long time and are well established. The in house restorations I looked over were good and correct. The name is worth a star here.

So, I’d have to say that some of these negative reviews sound like some sour grapes or someone with a personal score to settle. I don’t buy some of the accusations in the least.
There have been so many vintage scooter shops in So Cal over the last 20 years (most of them, if not all, have now long since closed shop) that I’ve probably used them all at one point or another. My husband and I finally gave up on all of them and did our own work until Bar Italia opened. At other shops I’ve had wrong hardware and some slightly questionable parts installed, at other shops I’d been advised I could do a simple 125 – 150 conversion on a handle bar bike which was incorrect and cost me countless headaches and $$$ (that shop then just simply walked away from my project and left me with a non-​functional bike), 3 other shops couldn’t find a serious and persistent clutch problem which finally required a retapping of my cases because someone along the way stripped one of the bolt holes. Other shops have sold me incorrect and inferior accessories with no heads up that they might cause problems for me. I could go on and on…
Bar Italia, hands down, has been the only shop that I’ve taken my bike to and its come out running even better then I expected when I pick it up. They are the only shop I’ve used so far that actually seemed to have an interest in things working properly from top to bottom. Bar Italia is the only shop where I know the expert advice is correct and they will walk me through any pros and cons of decisions that need to be made. In a nutshell, They actually CARE about the quality of work they put out there. If people are complaining that things take a bit longer then expected, all I can say is that I’ve seen Kristian work and he is very meticulous. If things take longer, it is because they require the attention. Kristian and Kara are top notch.
If people have a personal beef with them, or bring in a bike and expect it to get put to the front of 20 other customers and it takes too long, all I can say is that you can’t please everyone.
I’ve seen them take huge chunks of time out of their day to hand out free advice to customers. They are honest and themselves passionate enthusiasts. I consider myself lucky to have them here in So Cal to help me out.
I love these guys but go there and decide for yourself.

This crew is just what my classic needed. First my scoot fit the bill, old and not a south-​east asian knock off. Gotta respect people that are up front with not wanting to work on bogus vintage scoots, mine aint shiny but it’s real.
Second they do great work; not super speedy but quality. Which I value way more. Two week turn around is fine by me. They have fair prices and are were willing to sell me parts for things I want to do on my own, never had a car mechanic be willing to do that.
Yes they have a lot of machines getting worked on, they are BUSY, but they care enough to entertain my questions (I try to keep my «personal» time short though, dont be THAT guy. duh)
This place is a solid 20 mi from me but I would truck my little VNC over 200 miles to get this kind of love.

These guys are great, and very helpful. They had almost everything I needed for my scoot. I will be getting all my future parts for my scooter here, and I’ve already referred someone to them and will continue to do so in the future!

Kara and Kristian are awesome. They definitely know what they are doing. I worked with them on a film as scooter extras and when the vintage scooters on set began having mechanical issues and the on-​set «scooter mechanics» could not figure out how to fix them after hours of trying, Kristian had them running in 20 minutes.
Ever since then I have been a regular at the shop and they have never done me wrong. They are always super nice and helpful and their shop dog, Simon, only make the shop even cooler.
One thing is for sure, your scooter is in good hands if you bring it to Bar Italia

cool

First of all its actually 14 837 Bessemer St.
all i have to say is that they do know their stuff, i got sold a lemon and they fixed it up for me in less than a month which is good since they are pretty busy. I got a brand new motor and pretty much paid for that and a small amount on labor. I’m pretty happy about how everything turned out.

Horrible with updates and follow up. Weather it’s for the restoration or a follow up tune up, I never knew when I would have the scooter back. The work they do is good but the poor customer service easily offsets it. If you have work done here be ready to wait and wonder.

Kris redeemed himself some by wrenching on the Lambrettas that broke down on a group ride. You have to do an end run around the woman at the front desk, then you are OK. And watch out for his defective Vespa petcocks; they leak. I found better quality parts from India on Ebay.

It took me a while to get comfy into buying a scooter, and I was wanting one for years. This was cos I always kept skeptical of who I bought it from, and where they got it from.
This was until I found myself riding my bike down the orange line path and ran into this shop.
Kristian is an awesome cool dude, and Kara is awesome as well.
If you want to buy a good scooter, from good people come here you will not be let down.
Example:
My scooter was not starting and I called the shop. Kristian drove over and hooked me up with a spark plug, and helped me get it on the raod right away.
I can’t wait to purchase my next scooter now!

The crew over at Bar Italia have been top notch every time I have ever needed any help. They have even taken time to walk me through procedures over the phone. They have given me advice on what would be best for my scoot, even if it meant I wouldn’t be buying anything from them. It feels like they are more interested in keeping my scoot on the road than taking my money. They have worked on my 1960 allstate and it runs like a dream.
These guys rock! Their sale bikes are a little pricey, but that’s the price you have to pay for a quality restoration. This shop has some of the friendliest people working there. Did I mention the dog? Yeah … he rocks too.

I’ve been going to these guys for years. So it’s easy for me to say nice things about them. I do it because I trust em to tell me the truth when it comes to my scooter. It isn’t this or that, it’s this.
Always quick to lend a hand as well on what the problem might be and how best to get it fixed quickly and safely. They are very knowledgeable about more than just the scooters they work on and are very open to discussing vintage rides of all types. They also live what they do for a living. They are avid riders so understand the needs of their customers which is a huge bonus.
The recently moved into this new location which is a little better than the last one around the corner. Nicer shop area and separate work station area make it perfect to see what’s being done while checking out the finished product at the same time.
If there’s one thing to remember though that perfection takes time. You can either have it fast (and wrong) or right (and safe). So stop by the new shop and say hello. It’s well worth the trip.

Where do I start in my nightmare experiences. Too many to post, but this is the poster shop for over promising and under delivering. I brought scooters in and had to pull them after 2 years of sitting. In return I got a scooter side scratched and floorboard cracked. When they did a botched resto for me, they tried to charge me 3 days labor to put on new vespa floorboard strips. They lost a lot of my parts. Their work constantly has problems. If you call and ask for progress, the female owner will hang up on you repeatedly. A motor that was promised to be done in a week took over a year to get back and has had nothing but problems since. I picked up my «finished» scooter and within a mile the rear hub came off held on only by an undersized cotter pin. The best part is the owner was there when I nearly crashed, and later handed me a new cotter pin and bitched to me that he was sick of my scooter. Steer clear of this shop. They don’t know how to run a business, they owe everybody and will close within the year with a lot of unhappy people’s scooters stuck. Looking at the Unilocal users that are leaving 5 stars is like reading a list of their known personal friends. Many of these people are in the same scooter club. If you want to get burned out on dealing with scooters, I highly recommend this shop.

Are you shopping for a vintage Vespa?
Do you own a vintage vespa?
or lambretta?, or classic style (shifting motor scooter)?
This is where you want to go for parts, service, and anything else Vespa related.
Kristian, Kara, and Gary have years of experience and are honest on top of it.
The work is guaranteed at a fair price.
make sure and check out the Vintage Swap meet they hold. next one is Sunday, Dec. 6.
Vendors set up between 7 and 8 a.m. Doors open to the public at 8 a.m. and they stay open till everything’s gone. +free coffee and donuts
They also have a monthly ride … I think it is the first Wednesday of every month. Meet up at the shop at 8:00.

Yes, I am a little biased, as I have become good friends with Gary and Kristian (and new addition Kara). But with good reason. Bar Italia Classics is not only the only place in town (greater LA area) that sells and services ONLY vintage/​classic Italian scooters (as in manual-​shift Vespas and Lambrettas), but they are the very best at what they do. Do not bring a modern Vespa (automatic transmission «Twist & Go») here, nor should you bring a scooter that spent any part of its life in Vietnam (where the scooters are deathtraps held together by bailing wire and Coke cans). You will be turned away in either case. They only work on the dreamy classic scooters you know and love.
Gary handles paint and body restorations. His work is show-​quality and he has done some amazing custom jobs.
Kristian is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the internal workings of scooters. He knows all the quirks these vintage machines can throw at you — he’s definitely the «Scotty» of scooters. He can fix anything, as well as make some incredible non-​stock upgrades.
They’re both very friendly and go out of their way to answer customer questions.
If you’re even thinking of buying a classic scooter, this is the place to go.
If you already own one, you’re doing yourself and your machine a disservice by bringing your scoot anywhere else for repairs, maintenance, a new spark plug, or a ground-​up restoration.

These guys are awesome. I always drive down from Ventura with my girlfriend to Bar Italia for all our scooter repairs… don’t look elsewhere, these guys are experts on vintage scooters! They are friendly, honest, and passionate about scooters!

went in Saturday to pick up a fuse and a bulb… Its very cool. I met a guy Gary (owner)… hes a one man show, at least this saturday i was in there… Got a show room with some super rides and got a serious shop going back stage. parts everywhere and cool stuff i would love to have enen though i dont know what it is.
I am a amerture vespa guy with a lame P200… with very little knowledge of the scene or whats going on GARY was very helpful and took time to talk about what ever i needed to know…
If you lookin’ for a local spot with cool people, regge/​rock on the stereo and no NEW style vespa crap this is the spot… also, there is no where else to go in LA. so get use to it… support and ride on !!! I RECOMEND THIS PLACE!