I have discovered that the Vespa GTS 300 is a retro styled modern scooter with great capability.........
This scooter is just nothing like the old vespas and Lambrettas of yesteryear.........(not like there is anything wrong with them...i love all two wheeled machines especially if they have a engine!)This powerful scoot has a CV transmission as well as being a fuel injected, overhead cam, water cooled, 4 stroke scooter with disc brakes at both ends and an electric start! Above all, it's reliable. The starter turns over confidently and the motor chuffs along in a very respectable fashion, much like a bigger 4 stroke single would. It feels so much more than your average 300cc 4 stroke single, and yet it is also very smooth. It is clearly a very well thought out unit. I like the way the Fuel injection has a slight whistle, much like a bigger bike. The standard exhaust doesn't really sound very manly, but I've kept it that way for reliability,and also too much noise can be a distraction!
The acceleration surprises me every time i open it up!......its a buzz...it really is!
Amazingly, slower big bikes such as cruisers ect don't stand a chance away from the lights. The CVT transmission helps here, you're still pulling whilst the bike rider is shifting gears, you would even need a fast sporty car of prestige level to beat this baby off the mark!
gts 300 rules at traffic light get-aways.......no need to be worry to much when you head off to the front of the traffic queue....you won't be in the way when the lights hit go!
The handling is absolutely fantastic.....sure-footed all the way.
With a pillion on board it seems to act exactly the same a riding solo......no power loss at all ....hills it eats them up!
The price is high, but I think that the Vespa is one of the best scooters out there, plus it's really nicely designed, presented and very very very well built. Pride of ownership must count for something too. I also notice that here in England, the modern Vespa has a really good resale value.
The only things i would of loved to have had on this wonderful scooter would be a gts250 rear rack....this should have been standard fitment and a spare px style interchangeable wheel......oh and a kickstarter (in case of battery failure)....like the gts250 came with as standard!....................Its a perfect scoot...........these bits are just part of my dream wishlist!
The iconic status of the Vespa GTS is not just a PR stunt or image-making for the sake of it......it is a work of true art! Sitting in its comfortable seat then riding this machine made of pressed steel instead of plastic immediately communicates the enormous chasm between Japanese plastic and Italian soul. But the Vespa turns out to be just as reliable as any Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha, and the Piaggio 278cc engine and clutch delivers the smoothest power delivery and the chassis the best, most planted feel of any scooter or motorbike I have driven, including many well respected machines (vfr750) ect. Just three minutes on the Vespa will make you understand why this scooter really is the perfectly formed, exquisite piece of engineering it promises to be when you look at its simple beauty side-on before you climb aboard.
Everything is perfectly placed, from the elegant drop down glove box, to the neat recess for the toolkit, the superb pull out pillion pegs,and the intelligently sited controls. Critics of its "lack" of under-seat storage should consider how compromised the look of this beautiful object would be, and the seating comfort, if it was to fit two full face helmets. In fact the underseat storage is fine for a good two days worth of shopping or supplies, and the snug and generous vespa top box,should you choose to fit...... is the answer to more space, plus the option for a front luggage rack which if anything enhances the looks even more. The only criticism might be the price, because in all other respects this Scooter is utterly sublime with its great handling, excellent ride and a stunning engine which smoothly accelerates you to speeds which no scooter of this size would be believed possible of achieving until you experience it. Keeping up with all but the most pressing and illegal motorway traffic is effortless, and on most A and B roads the Vespa can out-manoeuvre nearly everything on the road. It really is that good. This scooter has given me easily the most fun I have ever had on two wheels, so much so that I don't thing i need any other type of motorcycle again , because it is versatile, comfy, a hoot to ride, beautiful to look at, simple to run and a pleasure to own!
golly i sound really vespa bias!
but its how i feel about this wonderful little big scooter.
regards
Len@RE-GLAZE-IT GLAZIER DERBY
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