Modern Vespa

So I ordered a front rack (by Vespa)through my dealer who by the way is a 100 miles away, and when I finally get the part in 8 weeks later, and check it out. There were no instructions and no drill template. I downloaded the instructions but can't find the template anywhere. Besides driving a hundred miles and kicking my no longer dealer square in the (.) what would guys or gals suggest .

There are a few different front racks, if you post a photo, it might help narrow down which directions you need. For example, my Vespa GTS front rack doesn't require any drilling.

not sure if this will help but scooter west has a lot of vides on how to do things to scooters and I am sure others on the internet also may have had these issues, so give it a google search. I bought my front rack from Scooterwest it was one that did not require drilling so was easy to hook up if you are not happy with yours perhaps you can return it and look for others. best of luck


larry

The one I have is model 672321 by Piaggio , it fits the GTS super (the wife's), and the GTV. I have watched the videos on SW installing is not the problem. Drilling the holes in the right place is. Have downloaded a great set of instructions.

My GTV300 came with one from the factory. If no one has the pattern I'll make one from my bike.

That would be great Thanks

Hi,

I do not think any drilling is needed for any of the racks I've come across. What is the part number on the one you got?

Thx

This is the instructions I have
RONT RACK ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS VESPA GTS Super - VESPA GTS/GTV 1)Remove the snap-lock name plate on the central cover and unscrew the underlying screw 2)Remove the central cover 3)Execute boring on the central cover using the duly cropped template (the portion to be cropped differs between Vespa GTS Super model and Vespa GTS/GTV model) and on its chassis (using the blue portion of the template which is the same for all 3 Vespa models). 4)Insert internal bracket 672319 via the entryway under the headlight 5)Assemble upper bracket 672290 and tighten with 709116 lock nuts 6)Assemble central bracket 672317 and tighten with 122675 screws and 12536 washers 7)Reposition the duly perforated central cover 8)Insert 3 spacers 672320 and their relevant 672330 gaskets and implement torque lockdown. 9)Position the front rack 672321 10)Lock down with 672380 screws and 834951 washers in the upper part and with 672340 screws and 834951 washer in the lower part. Torque tig

Step 3) is the template I need

I don't know what they were thinking, and in fact, it may be a solution in search of a problem, but on some of the new racks, Piaggio does require that you drill two holes in the metal chassis of the scooter and attach the rack to the plastic tabs that hold on the glove box. I woud stick to anything but that before I'd drill holes into my bike and attach the front rack to plastic tabs.
Down the road, if the owner decides they don't want the front rack, or they sell the bike to someone who doesn't want the rack, they have two big holes in the front of the chassis to deal with.

Last edited by Motovista on Mon Aug 25, 2014 5:47 am; edited 1 time in total

From the instructions I just drill 3 holes in the horn cover that holds the rack on more secure than the clamp on style.

The LX rack requires holes in the Chassis and horncover.. What do they anchor the new rack on the GTS to? I think they are trying to go for a cleaner look.

There are three holes drilled in the horn cover. I will tell you it is very ugly if you remove the front rack after. I'll post pics with measurements in a moment

Pics hope these help. The actual holes look to be 1/2"





















Last edited by CDRPierce on Mon Aug 25, 2014 9:32 am; edited 2 times in total

So if the holes are to ugly and I agre) you could get a new horn cover for when you go without the rack. (Making OEM rack even more expensive)

Our Derbi required holes to be drilled to attach a top case to the rear rack. When we removed the top rear cover there were dimples in the location where you needed to drill holes for the OEM rack. Maybe there are dimples on the inside of your scooter cover showing where to drill like there were in in ours.

I agree. I believe GSC eliminated those fugly "knock-outs" all Buddys once had for their rack and went this route. Of course a good drill bit and some skillz with same are a must.

They could always be filled with plastic or nylon plugs or stainless screws.

If any one is trying to install a Vespa front rack you will need this.

Just got the front rack on thanks for all the help.

Nice install!

I have the Faco front rack on my GT200. I really wanted the Vespa one but it was a lot more expensive. Also, the Faco front rack does not require you to drill any wholes in the horn cover. Here is the link to the Faco front rack:

http://www.scooterwest.com/items/?_pageCCS=t#page=/item_details/Faco-Front-Folding-Rack-w--Tabs-for-Legshield-Bars-GT-GTS-GTV/10718

I am going to add the side cowls and the front cowls down the road.

I thought about the Faco rack but really liked the Vespa rack ,as did my wife . Took me a lone time to get the template from the dealer but after that it was a quick install.

Hello from Belgium,

I just bought a (second hand) front rack to fit on my Vespa 300 GTS but don't have the drilling template.

Probably this template is necessary to avoid holes "on the wrong places..."

Could anyone scan/e-mail me such template ?

Here in Belgium we are in the middle of the winter and the Vespa sleeps in the garage for the moment. But I can wake it up just to fit the rack.

Thanks,

Geert
geert.merckx@advalvas.be

For the Vespa riders with a new front rack:
Be careful to not carry anything on your front rack that blocks the air flow to your headlight. A blocked airflow will allow the heat of the headlight filiment to blister the front lens of the lifght, A new headlight is relatively expensive.

Second that. There's been a busy thread on the GTS Owners CLub page on FB on this issue, and quite a few owners have posted on melted headlamps. It can happen just idling for 5-10 minutes as the lamp apparently needs good airflow (from riding) to cool sufficiently. Throwing a jacket over the lamp for a few minutes also caught out a few owners. Anything on a front rack covering the lamp is asking for trouble.

One owners misfortune in the pic below, and a more extreme one in this eBay listing... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/04-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-VESPA-200L-GTS-250-300-HEADLIGHT-MELTED-LENS-LAMP-PARTS-/231435865825?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35e2a70ee1

Might you still have the parts list for this rack? My dealer recently snapped one of the mounting bolts. I need to see if I can get a replacement before I attempt to fabricate one.

Thanks,

Joel

Joel:

I also over tightened my bolt and ended up removing the broken portion of the bolt - it is sort of "T" shaped or shouldered kind of bolt - not something you are likely to find. I then tapped the thicker portion after removing the broken piece and found at a local hardware store that had a "stud" which was metric. Replaced that portion and it was as good as new. Hope this helps. If you have any questions PM me.

Jim

Thanks, Jim!

Once I get it back from the shop, I may take you up on the offer. Not sure what damage was done. They were very apologetic, but I'm not sure I'll be able to find a replacement part for it.

Joel

I have found a number of metric bolts suitable for replacement parts on my scooters in the McMaster-Carr Catalog

I know this is an old thread, but here is the template file, directly from Vespa.

GT13PA 1B001482 front rack template.pdf
Description:		Download
Filename:	GT13PA 1B001482 front rack template.pdf
Filesize:	258.38 KB

Those that do not require drilling have limited load (weight) capacity. I have the Faco rack featured in the video, and am about to remove it do prevent scratching from the suction cups which do not seal.

Another problem with front racks is the limited clearance you can get between the top of the rack and the bottom of the headlight. Some owners, including me, have had the headlamp rubbing against the top of the rack when the handlebars are in the straight position. I put a couple of washers behind the bottom mounting bolts that just gave me a couple of mm clearance between the rack and the headlamp. Try to avoid using the front rack as a 'grab' point for lifting and positioning the front end of your scoot when it's parked in a tight space

I put a front rack on my 2020 GTS 300 super. It took about two hrs, The imprint for the drilling holes are imprinted on the back of the horn cover. It requires a step drill bit, but its not hard to do. Scooter West has a Utube Video on the installation.

All the above are reasons why I chose the FA Italia front rack.
On or off in around 5 miinutes - even at the destination, if you prefer.

Same with my FACO. I guess if you want one on all the time for bling, it's no big deal, but for cleaning and general aerodynamics, mine is off 95% of the time.