Comments on: Required Vespa Maintenance

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Tue, 03 May 2016 11:47:27 +0000

In reply to Jon Crispin. Drop me a note if you are in town. Always good to meet other riders. I'll check for your post on Modern Vespa. My jacket is a First Gear Kilimanjaro. It's been exceptional and I use it when riding from about 75F to -15F. Great jacket. Here's a link to my first reactions with it.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Tue, 03 May 2016 11:30:18 +0000

In reply to BWB (amateriat).

Other than the fuel pump most of my issues with the GTS have been wear related. But as you know, or will find out, there are lots of little things that wear faster on a scooter than a motorcycle. Tires, drive belts… But I like the scooter enough to keep going.

Good luck on your road test.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Tue, 03 May 2016 11:28:15 +0000

In reply to Tball. I've had more than a few dreams about Triumph motorcycles. So far they have remained dreams...

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Tue, 03 May 2016 11:27:07 +0000

In reply to Mike D..

In ten years I have ridden two scooters — 13K on the LX150 and 32K on the Vespa GTS. I’m sure I can easily double the miles on the GTS. It’s always a dilemma when it comes to expensive — when to repair, when to move on. For me repair still seems reasonable. Hope I’m right!

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Tue, 03 May 2016 10:48:57 +0000

In reply to G.Dennis Robertson. Sorry. I was going for literary tension!

By: Jon Crispin

Jon Crispin — Mon, 02 May 2016 16:04:10 +0000

Hi Steve. I really enjoy reading your blog. I have a good friend in State College who is also a photographer. It would be great to get together sometime on one of my visits to see him. / I just picked up my 2012 GTS after it was in the shop for the past 4 months. Long story, but I am working on a post for Modern Vespa. My screen name there is Blackguard and I hope to have it up in the next day or two. And a question about your riding jacket. Make and model? Thanks, Jon

By: BWB (amateriat)

BWB (amateriat) — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 02:53:48 +0000

Well, I won’t tell you that new GTS’ aren’t nice – I certainly love mine – but I had a hell of a time finding a decent used one. And buying this one certainly left me feeling a bit knock-kneed, financially speaking. The difficulty finding a clean used one tells me that people don’t easily let go of ’em unless they wreck ’em (hence the surfeit of salvage-title examples on craigslist et al). Don’t know how many miles you’ve put on yours, but over on MV I’ve read of people putting well in excess of 40,000 miles on theirs, so they seem not too easy to kill.

That being said, it’s just a bit past time for me to bring the bike in for its first scheduled once-over at the dealer. Deciding whether to do this before or after Road Test #2. Will sort this out after the weekend.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 23:49:22 +0000

In reply to RichardM. I suspect that it did kill the battery. Hopefully I've intervened before destroying the new battery.

By: Tball

Tball — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 13:32:58 +0000

My addiction to motorcycles began with a Triumph twin.
After 50 plus years and 36 machines of various ilk…Triumph again has tickled that special place in my soul.
Their marketing department and development guys know there are more just like me.
Be careful…or part of your service trip may include a well orchestrated walletectomy.
Dreaming is free…imagination too.

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 13:31:24 +0000

I am curious how many miles you have stacked up in 10 years? My scoot is in the garage rear hanging from the garage rafters & CVT removed. The parts need to make necessary repairs are around $1500. If I get another 5 years and 47,000 miles of service I will be happy. I don’t have the side effects of living in snow & ice to contend with.

When I had my Riva I had to redo the top end. The Burgman being water cooled by the time that needs to be done I will probably be looking for something new.