Comments on: Vespa GTS 300: The Town and Country Ride

By: Bryce

Bryce — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:31:50 +0000

The scooter is nice, for those of small vertical stature. Have just had a very interesting experience with a friend of mine, who is looking for a
replacement for her nearly three year old Yamaha Virago. In two years and a bit this machine has been to Colorado twice, Washing DC and state one each and to West Virginia and also This year's BMW rally plus numerous trips to Otawa Ontario and Montreal return. She has almost 55,000 kilometres on the clock and was wondering if an MP3 of
larger displacement would do the trick. Well she tried, and I tried and in both cases, nope, not happening. Sure they could shave down the front of the seat to lower it, ab it, but in the end neither the 250 or new almost 500 cc Piaggio MP3 was suitable. She was unable to spread her legs far enough apart to sit on the scooter.

The engineering on the front end of the dual wheels is superb, and from that standpoint alone the machine is very very good.

However, I sat on the machine and found it bulky. And of course I couldn't fit on it as once again my legs from knee to boot extended over the top of the handlebars. Yes
the handlebars could be extended, to fit but, given all, wanted?

Oh and the 12,000 kilometres major service is C$800. The enclosed
toothed drive belt alone is $180.00!

And the balance weights/drive wheels? front and rear have to be changed as wlll.

WE both declined. She is concerned about the longevity of her Yamahaha.

One problem she's having is proper service. Yes we have a local shade-
tree mechanic who is excellent however generally; with the recession now taking hold, there seems to be fewer and fewer dealers of foreign machines than has been seen in the past.

She did find that she could sit on a 1200cc Harley Davidson, except the weight of the machine was a deterrent, my friend is maybe 98 pounds, dripping wet and approaching her 65th birthday.

So we shall keep on looking.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:36:50 +0000

Jeff: I thought the 300 Super was smoother than the 250 until I had a new rear tire put on. Now they are both equally smooth on the road.

The 300's steering is tighter though. Subtle but there.

Mr. Riepe: I await your acquisition of a scooter and subsequent posts on Twisted Roads. I'm sure you will attract far more female attention with a Vespa than you do with the BMW. It may interfere with your riding --- an argument against having one.

irondad: You know you want a scooter. Desire betrays your otherwise manly intent on Sophie. Come over to the dark side...

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:32:40 +0000

Sojourner rides: Harv has the better answer. I’ve never ridden a scooter with a windshield. I love the air blast, even in winter. Makes me feel alive!

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:31:19 +0000

Orin: A luggage rack is a must in my book. Someday I am going to add a front rack to my GTS. Give it the BMW 1200 Adventure feel.

Harv: After riding a lot of other machines the scooter remains the most fun. Pure fun. Not talking about what might be best for a certain ride but just the smile it never fails to bring.

Riding motorcycles is different. I never loose the feeling that I am operating a machine. Not that it's bad but the scooter just seems purer or something. Very odd and hard to describe.

By: irondad

irondad — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:02:26 +0000

God forbid I would ever start thinking like Jack Riepe, but I have to agree with him. Always in the back of my mind is the convenience of a scooter for more local riding. Honestly, though, I don't think I could ever commit to just a scooter with no larger bike available.

Having one of each, though, would be ideal. Just when I get over the idea, you have to go and put up a post like this. Then it starts all over again.

By the way, you are such an outlaw!

Not only do you park illegally, but you have the nerve to take a photo of it! My kind of guy.

By: Jack Riepe

Jack Riepe — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:43:40 +0000

Dear Steve:

You are correct in your analysis that a motorcycle can be more effort than it's worth for a few errands around town. As you are aware, I have a vintage (14-year-old) BMW that weighs in at 560 pounds. You have to run this machine a good half hour to guarantee a solid charge back to the battery, and parking in town is not always guaranteed.

I think the time will come when many bikers will simply have both in the garage.

Fondest regards,
Jack • Reep • Toad
Twisted Roads

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:25:23 +0000

The way you have been talking about the Vespa 300 I thought you were going to announce that you own it. I own the 250 GTS and love it. I have thought about the 300 but was told that it wasn’t as smooth as the 250 GTS.

By: American Scooterist Blog

American Scooterist Blog — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:12:44 +0000

Sojourner, I have a tall windshield cut down to my proper eye height. I find them to be a great advantage. All my motorcycles but one have pretty substantial windshields on them.

The advantages are that the bike will take the gust more than the rider and this makes it a bit easier for the rider to hold better control of the bike. They're great in the rain if cut to the proper height because if you need to you can duck behind them. They're great for passing lakes (think Minnesota-land of more than ten thousand of them haha) because you pas sthrough literal swarms of large and small bugs. Lately fog has been part of the evening rides, and if the 'shield takes the damp hanging in the air, you stay drier and warmer longer.

Yes, the make any bike have to push through strong gusts but they afford an amazing amount of protection for the average rider. I'll go so far to write that with the bike taking the brunt of wind sheer etc, the rider is less buffeted and more likely to stay in better control. And no, its not like riding in the wake of a semi all the time. Unless the wind is very strong you'll become used to it to the point you may forget its doing what its doing (for you).

Hope this helps,
Harv

By: Sojourner rides

Sojourner rides — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:23:45 +0000

I saw a Vespa recently with an attractive, tall windshield. How do you fare in the wind? Is it fairly stable? I was in a 30mph wind and felt as if I’d become air borne on a motorcycle…just wondering about the scooter in wind. Neat pics.

By: American Scooterist Blog

American Scooterist Blog — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:30:52 +0000

I really liked the comment that bigger is just bigger. I own motorcycles from 500 to 900cc displacement. I'm never on them because the LX150 is more fun. ANd because when you get right down to it, there is no such thing as the perfect motorcycle. Once broken in, I don't care what it is, climb a hill and you'll (not you personally) have to twist the throttle a bit more. Maybe if they took those mega displacement engines and built some sort of googly minimalist frame around one the torque would match the grade of climb, but that's just silly.

Very few bikes are built with enough torque Not to have to roll on the throttle to climb the average hill. Weight to power would be a better question if power meant torque. But the average spin doctor wants weight to LOUD.

I just wish I didn't go through tires so quickly on the LX150. But, as they say, nature of the beast.

The 300 would absolutely kick all other bikes out of my garage. Of course I want one! ;)

Harv