Scott bought (a new) moped

About a month after we moved here last year, Scott bought a used moped from a French expat for pretty cheap. He convinced me that it was safe, with helmets, and that it would pay for itself in a matter of months because he'd use it every day to go to work and sometimes on the weekends.

On our new purchase (don't worry, the helmets just aren't pictured). 

I admit, I've warmed up to it, and it's a great way for us to zip around the city amid snarling traffic. So when he told me he wanted to upgrade to a legit moped (read: not one where he was the third owner and it's busted up on one side and the brakes only sorta-kinda work) I didn't have a problem with it.

Hou Jinxia, our amazing translator/negotiator/savior. 

To help us negotiate on price and ask the right questions, we asked our amazing Mandarin teacher, Hou Jinxia, to accompany us to the store. She seemed excited to help us; she had no clue what they cost and her father had told her never to ride on one, so this vehicle of sorts was a mystery to her.

Scott only wanted to buy a Yamaha, which has good safety records and includes a lithium battery, which is about five times lighter than his current 80-pound battery. The trick was finding an authorized Yamaha store, a more difficult task in a city known for its good fakes.

Love her. 

So on a recent Sunday morning, the three of us ventured to Haidian, a neighborhood filled with universities and tech companies, on the west side of Beijing, where an authorized dealer set up shop. Scott quickly settled on the model he wanted, but negotiations stalled. We were able to get a 10% discount because of the holiday -- National Week -- but the shop owner wouldn't budge beyond that, something we hadn't experienced in awhile, considering our bargaining skills have improved.

Scott waits for his new bike. 

Three hours later, we ended up paying the price the owner wanted and then had to wait for the mechanics to adjust the brakes, install the battery and let Scott ensure he was set. We finally zipped home on a brand new Yamaha, happy to be on a safer bike. Now I just hope Scott's locks are secure enough that we don't get the new thing stolen!

A happy man ready to ride.