Hi and welcome to the forums Scootgirl.
I'm a recent convert to scooters and a new owner of a Bolwell VS125. I'm also a fan of HART where I did my rider training here in Sydney. My recommendation would be to do your training and get your Ls first, then take as many test rides as you can. If you have the option, try renting/hiring a scooter to consolidate your training and give you a feel for riding. You'll find that it's hard to pick a clear winner on performance alone given that a lot of the scooters that you'll test ride will only have a few kms on them and won't give you a true feel for how they'll perform. Also, if you're a first-timer, it's hard to know how one engine feels against another...or maybe it's just me.
I also had narrowed my list down to 3: the VS125, the Fly and the Agility. I narrowed it down by budget firstly - as much as I'd love an Aprillia, Vespa, Yamaha or Honda, I figured it's good to start on a decent, cheaper scooter and learn first so by the time I 'grow up', I'll know/feel the nuances between the higher-end brands. I also cringe at the thought of dropping a Vespa and I know that one day I will drop my scooter as I learn....so I'll do that on a cheaper scooter for now.
In the end, my choice came down to the Fly and the VS125. I ruled out the Agility right away. Strangely enough, I thought it would be the Fly until I rode all 3. I couldn't get off the Agility fast enough and found it irritating. I felt cramped and I struggled to find a comfy position on it - I couldn't get a good view with the side view mirrors and found I had to slouch to see in them properly or lean back. That's surprising considering it's a small scooter and I'm only 5'3" and 56kg. I also found that the engine dropped the most when I eased off on the throttle, and it had covered the most kms! Apologies to the Agility owners out there....it's me, not the scooter.....
The Fly - great scooter, smooth and the most comfortable of the lot. Side view mirrors were fine and controls were good, except for the horn which I struggled with (important to me in case I need to use it in an emergency). It only had about 5kms on it when I test rode it so the engine felt tight but it was still a great ride - went where I pointed it and easy to control. The underseat compartment was OK but not that big.
The VS125 - love at first ride. Not as comfy or refined as the Fly...but just had that bit of 'mongrel' about it that I liked. Accelerated well, rode well and like the Fly, obeyed my every command. It just felt right, even turning right (my weakness) and side view mirror placement was perfect. Horn easily accessible and didn't have to fumble or mistake the indicators for it. For some reason, I find that I can lean it into corners more than the others and it feels surefooted. The other selling points for me: the big underseat storage, although I was disappointed that my medium sized full-faced helmet didn't fit inside and the positioning of the petrol cap under the handlebars. To me this is better than under the seat where an overfill could splash into the underseat compartment. I also like the position of the tail lights - it sits higher and presumably more visible to drives following. Check out the tail lights of other scooters when you drive behind them and you'll see what I mean - Vespas and Aprillias (the Mojito in particular) have lower tail lights and are harder to see.
I could go on and on...but don't want to bore you. Hope this helps, and good luck!
