Since I purchased the Vespa I have fretted over the adequacy of its 149cc engine in terms of performance and durability. A quick look at the riding world tells me that nearly everyone else on the road has opted for more power. The same evidence exists in the cage world. Obviously need and experience points to larger and more powerful machines.
There are a few people on the road with scooters, bicycles, or walking but it hasn’t done much to calm my fear that I made a terrible error in chosing a scooter. This past weekend I got up early and decided to ride for about four hours. The ride provided some interesting data related to my concern with power.
On the road at 8AM heading east for a quiet, relaxed ride. Five miles from home I notice my glove box is hanging open and my registration and insurance information are gone. Luckily a retracing of the 5 miles found the paper laying on the road at around mile 1. This sort of thing used to drive me out of my mind but I found this little side adventure just more reason to ride.
I rode up Brush Valley and turned north at Livonia to cross the mountains towards the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. The roads seemed abandoned with almost no traffic until I neared Lock Haven. I stopped at a Sheetz for a breakfast sandwich and while sitting outside in the shade three Harleys rode up each carrying a passenger. I always marvel at the physical prowess of people who can ride with short sleeves when the temperature hovers around 60. I’m wearing overpants and a windbreaker under my riding jacket.
After breakfast I ride through Lock Haven and head north on Route 120 which hugs the river into the mountains. I have the road to myself and wonder why they bother paving it. I catch up to a group of Goldwing riders and lose them only when I make an illegal stop on a bridge to make a photograph.
I decide to ride up to the top of Hyner View which looks out over the river valley. It’s about a 1300 foot climb along a winding road.
Saw no one along the road or at the overlook despite the fact that the weather was beautiful. As I left I passed a lone BMW rider at the bottom of the mountain.
From there I rode on to Renovo, an old lumber and railroad town.
I’m not sure what people do in Renovo now. I suspect most commute to Lock Haven or other places of employment.
I cross the river and head south through Sproul State Forest. This road is remote. No powerlines, no houses or buildings, just empty. My kind of place.
A few whitetailed deer walking on the road reminds me to slow down and pay attention to detail. This is not the sort of place you want to be falling down. Last week a rider lost control of his bike and went off the road. He was found several days later after the birds and animals had some time with him.
Passed a lot of old and abandoned businesses and I find the slow decay of our past intriguing.
Pennsylvania is loaded with areas undergoing this kind of transition. It’s good to see before it ends up a commercial cobweb of Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and Home Depots without a sliver or personality or community.
Without going into a lot of detail the ride was relaxed and with the exception of climbing one hill at 40 MPH I never felt I needed more power. Still the power issue remains. And I can’t quite figure it out. Here is what I know. In terms of performance the Vespa will out swerve and out stop most more powerful bikes on the road. Both these activities are definitely safety features. It will not give throttle response to “speed away” from trouble. I remain dubious about this as a safety feature. I have heard the same thing about cars over the years—“I need that power to pass”. Yeah right.
Moving away from the purely safety issues into speed issues I think bigger engines are at there best. If you want to ride on limited access highways at sustained speeds of 60 MPH or more a little scooter is not the choice to make. If you need to commute at cager speeds then you need power. But I don’t want to ride on those roads and when I do it not to rapidly get somewhere but more a change of pace. I rode on I-99 on the way home but had to get off after one exit because a bee got under my helmet. I hate hearing that buzzing sound when the thing was sort of trapped near my ear.
The last consideration for power is image and ego. We all know the drill and it applies to cars and motorcycles and the lure and seduction of power is evident all around us—money, homes, clothes, stuff, and cars and motorcycles. This “need” is personal and each of us have to make our own decisions.
Does the scooter have enough power? Depends on what you want to do and what you expect. For me, today, it is fine. Tomorrow? Who knows….
Time to go for a ride.
steve… i’ve just bought a lx150 and love it. i ride nyc and find it’s really convenient for local errands, picking up the kids, etc.
i’ve decided that i’d like to add chrome “crash bars” on the (lower) back and have been unable to find any online. not sure what type i’m supposed to get for this model.
any suggestions of online sites that sell equipment for the lx150?
Steve, I visit your blog often and enjoy reading your thoughts.
I have a 250 GTS. It packs a little more power than the 150 engine. I love it! I still feel tentative at highway speeds although it can hit 75 mph.
I think that in the world of motorized vehicles that one must make compromises. The Vespa is a perfect vehicle for anthing less than highway riding. It is not perfect for highways. Some claim to use it on the freeway regularly. I did that for a bit, but I am much happier spending the extra 10 minutes on my urban commute using surface streets.
You hit the nail on the head with the ego point. A 500cc motorcycle is as big as you need to ride any road in the world. Anything bigger and it is just ego. I should know, I have a 650 cruiser and a 750 sportbike. And I am usually the smallest bike when I ride in groups.
Why is bigger better? So you can reach 100mph in 6 seconds instead of 9? I am all for innovation but that we “need” a bigger bike has always been laughable to me.
andy: Motorsport Scooters in San Diego has a wide selection of chrome parts for the Vespa LX. They have a Website showing all kinds of stuff—
http://www.scooterwest.com/
I just ordered some things from them myself and they had great service and fast shipping.
jack: The Vespa GTS is a nice machine. I’ve ridden it before and it seems extremely powerful comared to the LX150. You’re right about comprimises. I find the active process of comprimising with the scooter pretty exciting. Always keeps me thinking…
james: Ego…. it is a curse and a blessing. Some great things come from ego and some really wild rationalizations too. Like fancy cars there is a lot of the “look at me, look at me, look at me” with motorcycles (and scooters).
I dare say that my ego gets a boost from being seen on the Vespa as odd as that might seem to some…
Steve,
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and some of the best pictures. A living brochure for why one should buy a VESPA! Thanks!
Kindest Regards,
Jerry
Steve,
You make a good point here. The LX150 is adequate for any road but the freeway/expressway.
However, I have found that the 250cc engine in my latest Baron is the perfect powerplant for that chassis.
You minimize the need for “power to pass”, but I wouldn’t dismiss it so readily. I want to be able to maneuver in all dimensions on the roads, and that includes acceleration.
I will not tolerate a big, fat SUV or truck blocking my view of the road ahead. But on a 150cc machine, they have to cooperate… the have to “allow” me to make the pass. Or I have to fall back and make more space between us, but I have a real hard time with that option.
On the 250, I just twist the throttle and squirt around them before they know what’s happening. I find this much more satisfying.
I’m still not comfortable on the freeway, but I know I am capable of travelling there if I must. I can’t say the same about the 150.
Sorry this is so long.
Ride well,
=gc=
Steve,
Great blog you have going here. I just bought an LX150 last week and am loving it. You make great points and observations about ego and it’s relation to speed and power. Living here in San Francisco is both awesome and annoying for scooterists. We have no shortage of SUV pigs and other incompetent, uncaring ‘cage drivers’.
My Vespa has helped reinforce patience for me. I refuse to let my ego best me when I’m on it. I tend to just chill and lay back and let the ‘lost’ frustrate themselves around me. I used to drive a high-powered sports car and ride a 600cc sport bike many years ago, so I am familiar with power. But in the end, it really is about the journey, not the destination and how fast you’ve gotten there.
Thanks for sharing.
Jerry: Glad that the ideas I post here have some use to you and others. there is just something about this scooter….
Gary: I understand the desire to pass and the need to have some power to do it. My Vespa doesn’t have it. Tempermentally I am a slow driver and rider. I have never been one concerned with speed or getting out in front instead always being content to hang back. My first car was a 1962 Ford Falcon, 3 on the tree, 144 cubic inch inline six, slower than slow. I think it set the pace for my transportation life.
Having said that there are times I wish I had the power to “zip” past or through things. But I have misgivings about where that desire would go. For me it may mean faster and more agressive. Maybe after I mature a bit more I can handle the extra power…
And you’re right about freeway driving. If I had to commute at those kinds of speeds or at distances beyond 20 miles the 150cc engine would not be appropriate.
Michael: It is about the journey! Everything else sort of falls away….
steve
Do you know any website that sells LX150 parts for a reasonable price? I am talking about maintenance parts such as filter, brake pads, drive belt etc…
Thanks
There are a lot of good sources for parts and accessories. I use Motorsport Scooters at:
http://www.scooterwest.com/
They have lots on their web site and if you call them you’ll find they can get you practically anything.
Other sources are Scooter Parts Direct:
http://www.scooterpartsdirect.com/
and if you are looking for performance items for modern Vespas try:
http://www.vespaspeed.com/shop/
Good luck!
steve
Thank you very much Steve for part info. I am planning to buy a LX150 ,but for 5K , I can buy three generic scooters. I am having a battle to convince myself! What is your opinion as a Vespa owner? Besides the good looks and design, is it worth the price?
Thanks again
You definitely pay a premium price for a Vespa and I’m not sure what you get for that price is tangible—better performance or longer life for instance. I think Piaggio is able to charge that price because people want to buy into the Vespa look or heritage much the same way people pay a premium for a Harley.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a good machine, but you’re right, you can get a less expensive scooter from Asia.
I think the important things to consider are:
Do you have local dealer support? This is important for service and repairs unless you are going to do everything yourself. And if there is not a dealer is there a mechanic around who will work on your scooter.
Parts availability. Piaggio does not have a stellar record of stocking parts in the U.S. I understand that there are times you have to wait for things to be shipped from Italy. There are inexpensive Asian scooters on the market that you’ll find difficult to get parts for.
Aesthetics. I’ve found over the years if I don’t like the looks and feel of something whether it’s clothes, cameras, or scooter, I just won’t be happy. I spend what I need to get something I will actually use. In this instance I wanted a Vespa and paid $1000 or more for that look.
There are lots of good scooters around. Honda and Yamaha both make good ones. Kymco and Baron do as well. And the Genuine Scooter Company gets rave reviews for their machines:
http://www.genuinescooters.com/
Good luck!
steve
i have a vespa et2 with pirelli sl38 tires. i live in florida and need tires that handle well in rain etc. i need sticky tires. i keep getting different opinions of different brands of tires. continental zippy – michelin s1 etc.
i know the pirellis don’t wear that well and the other brands get longer life….
can someone tell me what is the best tire for my et2?
thank you.
p.s.
if the pirellis are the stickiest and best handling i can stay with them even though they wear faster.
thanks for the help
scott: The PIrelli’s wore just a bit faster than the Michelins and Continental Zippy’s I have run. For the kind of riding I have done (save for snow and ice) all the tires have been great.
Steve, great article, as always!
Scott, I’m not sure I can let your comment on Pirelli tire wear slip past. I just replaced the front tire (Pirelli) on my 2010 GTS 300ie after 10,000 miles. During those miles I’ve replaced the original Pirelli rear with two Michelin Power Plus although the newest replacement was only 100 miles ago. Still, 3 tires in the rear while the front Pirelli (original equipment) still had some tread left.
Well, my experience with Pirelli tires have been faster wear than other brands but by far the best ride and performance of any tire too. Front tires don’t count though for me because they always last longer. I guess I have to admit that all my thinking is centered on the rear tire. Silly me…