OP
UTC

Member
Joined: UTC
Posts: 42
 
Member
Joined: UTC
Posts: 42
UTC quote
Hey guys, I just sold my vintage smallframe and am planning to buy the Gt200 or the GTS250. Im really looking towards the GT200. I was wondering if the scoot will give me any problems if I use it as my main ride....back and forth from my work everyday and for pleasure riding. Im planning to put alot of milage on it...I want keep the car parked and avoid public transportation as much as possible. What problems..if any will crop up?

thanks
@solid_steel avatar
UTC

Addicted
Vespa GT & Vespa LX
Joined: UTC
Posts: 517
Location: Southend-on-Sea, UK
 
Addicted
@solid_steel avatar
Vespa GT & Vespa LX
Joined: UTC
Posts: 517
Location: Southend-on-Sea, UK
UTC quote
Biggest problem, or at least shock, will be the service costs (after a traditional 2-stroke) if you're doing high miles...
UTC

Lurker
Derbi Atlantis
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1
Location: Seattle, WA
 
Lurker
Derbi Atlantis
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1
Location: Seattle, WA
UTC quote
Hi all- I too am considering the GT200. Wondering what sort of dealings Pac NW people have had with Vespa Seattle? Thanks!
@kevin avatar
UTC

Addicted
2005 GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 789
Location: Washington, DC
 
Addicted
@kevin avatar
2005 GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 789
Location: Washington, DC
UTC quote
Service is expensive, but so far I have found my GT to be very reliable (16 months old, 2800 miles). I do mostly city riding in all kinds of weather (except snow & ice). It is running great.

I really have no complaints and while the GT is a pricey ride, I believe is is nonetheless a good value.

Kevin
@grant avatar
UTC

Member
"Between Scooters"
Joined: UTC
Posts: 32
Location: Austin, TX
 
Member
@grant avatar
"Between Scooters"
Joined: UTC
Posts: 32
Location: Austin, TX
UTC quote
I have 5400 plus miles on mine and have had next to no problems. It has been surprisingly reliable.
@kevin avatar
UTC

Addicted
2005 GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 789
Location: Washington, DC
 
Addicted
@kevin avatar
2005 GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 789
Location: Washington, DC
UTC quote
Semi-related comment: For what's it worth, I have had great experiences with Vespa Washington. I think they are top notch. I've seen on other boards complaints about some Vespa dealers, so I thought I'd toss that out there.

For us consumers it's important to reward good business practices...and to punish bad ones.

Kevin
UTC

Enthusiast
GT250
Joined: UTC
Posts: 65
Location: Seattle, WA
 
Enthusiast
GT250
Joined: UTC
Posts: 65
Location: Seattle, WA
UTC quote
Vespa Seattle
have 6500 miles on my GT - bought new in July 2004. So far no problems whatsoever except one flat tire. Use it to commute almost on a daily basis from Seattle to the East side (for non Seattleites - 13 miles, across the floating bridge over Lake WA on a freeway).

Happy with Vespa Seattle, although the service is somewhat expensive.

cheers,

berndt
@gjco avatar
UTC

Hooked
GT 200-His, LX150-Hers, Road King-Ours
Joined: UTC
Posts: 274
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
 
Hooked
@gjco avatar
GT 200-His, LX150-Hers, Road King-Ours
Joined: UTC
Posts: 274
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
UTC quote
I only have 1400 miles on mine and haven't had a single problem (knocks on wood). I drive it on good weather days to work and back (44 miles RT) and as often as I can on weekends. It's a great ride!
@jrsjr avatar
UTC

Molto Verboso
Nazgul
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1985
Location: North Chesterfield, VA
 
Molto Verboso
@jrsjr avatar
Nazgul
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1985
Location: North Chesterfield, VA
UTC quote
Re: Vespa Seattle
Berndts wrote:
have 6500 miles on my GT - bought new in July 2004. So far no problems whatsoever...

Happy with Vespa Seattle, although the service is somewhat expensive.
My experience, exactly, except with Vespa Charlottesville. Same miles and lack of troubles. Got mine in April 2004. I rode mine across the USA in 11 days last year, too. All fun, no aggrevation.
UTC

Enthusiast
GT250
Joined: UTC
Posts: 65
Location: Seattle, WA
 
Enthusiast
GT250
Joined: UTC
Posts: 65
Location: Seattle, WA
UTC quote
that said, I do have a bit of the clutch/belt slippage that's discussed in another thread. It hasn't really annoyed me enough to do something about it, but my service is coming up, so will mention it.
@vespagt avatar
UTC

Hooked
Joined: UTC
Posts: 114
 
Hooked
@vespagt avatar
Joined: UTC
Posts: 114
UTC quote
solid bike. recently doing alot of freeway... i've even estimated i've gone as fast as 95 mph full throttle downhill.

'em 12" wheels haven't fallen off yet! 2000 miles strong.
@beale avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
None! I sold it :(
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3247
Location: Burlington NC
 
Ossessionato
@beale avatar
None! I sold it :(
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3247
Location: Burlington NC
UTC quote
GT 200 daily rider.
Got mine june 2005. Now at 3500 miles, and going strong. No issues, good scooter, Beale.
@greasy125 avatar
UTC

Sergeant at Arms
Weird 80's Vespas & Cool Vintage Lambrettas
Joined: UTC
Posts: 14690
Location: The state of insanity, SoCal
 
Sergeant at Arms
@greasy125 avatar
Weird 80's Vespas & Cool Vintage Lambrettas
Joined: UTC
Posts: 14690
Location: The state of insanity, SoCal
UTC quote
only issues i've seen crop up are from not servicing the bike regularly or properly. also, i have a few clients that expect their GT to perform like a motorcycle and ride it as such. that's when the expensive repairs come in.

if you ride it properly and maintain it religiously you can roll it till the wheels fall off.

service is expensive.

sometimes you'll find a GT with a few teething problems. once ironed out they're nearly flawless.

best,
-greasy
@theoz avatar
UTC

Sir Frets-A-Lot
Vespa GT250ie/L, Honda Ruckus 50, Honda NT700V, Honda CB125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11197
Location: Bee eff eee.
 
Sir Frets-A-Lot
@theoz avatar
Vespa GT250ie/L, Honda Ruckus 50, Honda NT700V, Honda CB125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11197
Location: Bee eff eee.
UTC quote
greasy125 wrote:
only issues i've seen crop up are from not servicing the bike regularly or properly. also, i have a few clients that expect their GT to perform like a motorcycle and ride it as such. that's when the expensive repairs come in.

if you ride it properly and maintain it religiously you can roll it till the wheels fall off.

service is expensive.

sometimes you'll find a GT with a few teething problems. once ironed out they're nearly flawless.

best,
-greasy
What do you define as "riding properly"? I try to maintain it pretty well... try to treat it right But "riding properly"... what does this mean?
@greasy125 avatar
UTC

Sergeant at Arms
Weird 80's Vespas & Cool Vintage Lambrettas
Joined: UTC
Posts: 14690
Location: The state of insanity, SoCal
 
Sergeant at Arms
@greasy125 avatar
Weird 80's Vespas & Cool Vintage Lambrettas
Joined: UTC
Posts: 14690
Location: The state of insanity, SoCal
UTC quote
not running it against the stops all the time.
whacking the throttle open at every possible chance.
doing the "stop light eliminator" drag-strip show all day long.
big on the gas big on the brakes over and over again all herky jerky style.

you know, basically riding like an ass.

if you ride it like it's expensive it'll treat you better...
*laughs*

all kidding aside, if your expectation is that a GT is going to perform like a motorcycle and you ride it as such it will break.

i have two clients that thought their bikes were motorcycles and rode them like it. both have roughly 7500mi and one has a stripped crank and the other melted his rear brake like, over heated the motor, stripped his waterpump and blew out the exhaust. i have other clients that have roughly 12K on their bikes without anything more than regular service.

take it for what it's worth...

best,
-greasy
@theoz avatar
UTC

Sir Frets-A-Lot
Vespa GT250ie/L, Honda Ruckus 50, Honda NT700V, Honda CB125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11197
Location: Bee eff eee.
 
Sir Frets-A-Lot
@theoz avatar
Vespa GT250ie/L, Honda Ruckus 50, Honda NT700V, Honda CB125
Joined: UTC
Posts: 11197
Location: Bee eff eee.
UTC quote
yay I do none of those things

come on GT last baby last.
UTC

Lurker
Piaggio BV 200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 2
Location: McPherson, KS
 
Lurker
Piaggio BV 200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 2
Location: McPherson, KS
UTC quote
BV 200
I ride mine almost daily (except in snow) and I have quite a few miles on a 2005 BV 200. We have a Wednesday lunch ride that usually at least 200 mi. round trip So far no problems at all. Southwest Sports in Salina, KS are great, but like all a little pricy. $ 65. per hour bottom price. Ride safe
@larrydj avatar
UTC

Hooked
Vespa GTS Super 300ie
Joined: UTC
Posts: 187
Location: Steamboat Springs, CO
 
Hooked
@larrydj avatar
Vespa GTS Super 300ie
Joined: UTC
Posts: 187
Location: Steamboat Springs, CO
UTC quote
I'm riding my GT daily, including rain days, and love it. 1700 miles, and no problems so far. That little seat cover thing that is tucked under the front of the seat is actually pretty handy. When I get to work, I cover the seat on days it might rain, and then when I go home, I can quickly remove it, and I have a dry seat. Very practical.
@addicted avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
Consume Less & Share More
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3130
Location: New Jersey, USA
 
Ossessionato
@addicted avatar
Consume Less & Share More
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3130
Location: New Jersey, USA
UTC quote
The previous two posts remind me of the movie, "Groundhog Day".
The previous two posts remind me of the movie, "Groundhog Day".
The previous two posts remind me of the movie, "Groundhog Day". Laughing emoticon
@marvin_the_martian avatar
UTC

Member
1964 Lambretta 200 Racer/2002 Bajaj Legend
Joined: UTC
Posts: 15
Location: Philly
 
Member
@marvin_the_martian avatar
1964 Lambretta 200 Racer/2002 Bajaj Legend
Joined: UTC
Posts: 15
Location: Philly
UTC quote
I ride mine almost daily 60 miles round trip. 6 months and 5000 miles later, no problems except the belt slipping thing. If you have a short commute, it's probably overkill. I plan on getting rid of mine in the spring if a get a job closer to home.
Ed
@christine avatar
UTC

Addicted
Vespa GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 792
Location: Toronto, Ontario
 
Addicted
@christine avatar
Vespa GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 792
Location: Toronto, Ontario
UTC quote
GT is a great commuter
I bought my GT with the intention to use it as a commuter bike for many years to come. My husband steered me away from a motorcycle and towards the GT and I'm glad he did.

I have ridden it to work 31 of the possible 35 days since I bought it. It's a 52 km round trip on both residential and main artery roads. I skipped bad weather days at first since I am a new rider, but I'm very comfortable with it now. In the last souple of days I have ridden through a significant squall line (which spawned an F1 tornado not far away) and some wet snow flurries. The GT handled great in all that heavy rain, gusty wind and slushy roads.

Once I get all the proper rain and cold gear no one will be able to pry me off the thing. I just wish I could figure out a way to ride in snow, ice and salt without risking scraping up my nice pearlized white paint!
@ataritron avatar
UTC

Hooked
GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 130
Location: Florida
 
Hooked
@ataritron avatar
GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 130
Location: Florida
UTC quote
I bought my GT 200 a year ago and now have over 10,000 miles on it. I took it in for the first service at 600 miles and was charged a whopping 150.00 so I did my own service from that point on. I even recently changed my transmission belt after making a clutch removal tool with parts I bought at Home Depot. Changing the oil and filter is easy, just don't do it while it is on the stand, it makes a mess. I get my oil from Scooter Parts Direct and also my tires. I have found that motorcycle dealers tend to change the tire for much cheaper if I take it off myself and bring it to them. I really love maintaining the bike myself it is a great part of the experience.

Right now at 10,000 my Gt200 runs almost better than when I bought it, what a ride!
UTC

Member
2006 GTS 250 and 2002 PX200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 15
Location: Norway
 
Member
2006 GTS 250 and 2002 PX200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 15
Location: Norway
UTC quote
Hi.
I live in Norway and have just passed 11.000 km on my GT 200 2004 model. The only problems I had so fare is a new rear tire after 10.000 km and a new belt for the transmission. I also had to change the transmitter for the gas odometer. I am planning to order a red GTS 250 next spring.
I am also the owner of a PX 200 2002 model. I am a member of a norwegian scooterclub called Restless Scooter Club. The GT 200 is a very good scoot in my opinion.
Bernie.
@robardin avatar
UTC

Hooked
Black '06 Piaggio BV500; Black '05 Vespa GT200 (sold)
Joined: UTC
Posts: 350
Location: Flushing, NY
 
Hooked
@robardin avatar
Black '06 Piaggio BV500; Black '05 Vespa GT200 (sold)
Joined: UTC
Posts: 350
Location: Flushing, NY
UTC quote
marvin the martian wrote:
I ride mine almost daily 60 miles round trip. 6 months and 5000 miles later, no problems except the belt slipping thing. If you have a short commute, it's probably overkill. I plan on getting rid of mine in the spring if a get a job closer to home.
That doesn't quite make sense to me; why would a shorter commute make the GT "overkill"? What are you going to do if you get a job closer than 30 miles away -- take the bus? Drive? Get a smaller scooter? Jog?

I ride mine to work every day I can (barring pouring rain, snow or ice on the ground); it's about 11-12 miles one way in city driving of varying density (including a short stretch of highway riding) and it takes me about 35 minutes each way, compared to about an hour under normal conditions via mass transit (often up to an hour and fifteen minutes).

I guess it boils down to what prompted you to get a GT in the first place. I weighed getting the GT over a smaller scooter like the ET4, and what tipped the scales for me (literally) is the fact that I'm 6'2" tall and 230 lbs. The ET4 was just too tiny for me. I also appreciate the GT's smoothness and dual disc brakes, and have taken it on the highway up to 75mph (on the speedo) with no problems.

To me it's the perfect union of a scooter's nimbleness around town and curb-parkability and a larger motorcycle's power.

I would get a GT250 if (a) I didn't already have a GT I'm perfectly happy with and have customized to my liking, and (b) if I didn't detest that new digital cluster so much. WHY WHY WHY?
UTC

Hooked
Joined: UTC
Posts: 447
 
Hooked
Joined: UTC
Posts: 447
UTC quote
Bought two of 'em in June '04. One is a 2005 with 1400 miles, zero problems. The other is a 2004, 2600 miles now, ridden almost daily. Carburetor replaced under warranty due to a gas leak they couldn't fix. It's an early 2004 built in October 2003 and had a Dellorto but Vespa USA shipped a Keihin as a replacement. First service is expensive but after that it's mostly oil changes & spark plugs & air filter cleaning, which can be done yourself if you're handy. I imagine major services which involve the belt are probably expensive too.

Also the fuel lines on both developed lots of small cracks in them after six months. Maybe this is from the winter fuel they use here in Denver. No one has figured that one out yet.

Excellent urban assault vehicle. Handles great, lots of suspension and very forgiving aside from that once-in-a-great-while wierd shimmy at the handlebars when I let off the throttle at around 30 MPH.
@kingbc avatar
UTC

Hooked
GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 124
Location: Redmond, WA
 
Hooked
@kingbc avatar
GT200
Joined: UTC
Posts: 124
Location: Redmond, WA
UTC quote
Mike Clam wrote:
Hi all- I too am considering the GT200. Wondering what sort of dealings Pac NW people have had with Vespa Seattle? Thanks!
I just bought mine, so my service needs have been minimal. I will say that for the few issues that I have had, they take great care of you. They try to solve the problem, not just play the CSI game.
DoubleGood Design banner

Modern Vespa is the premier site for modern Vespa and Piaggio scooters. Vespa GTS300, GTS250, GTV, GT200, LX150, LXS, ET4, ET2, MP3, Fuoco, Elettrica and more.

Buy Me A Coffee
 

Shop on Amazon with Modern Vespa

Modern Vespa is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com


All Content Copyright 2005-2024 by Modern Vespa.
All Rights Reserved.


[ Time: 0.1175s ][ Queries: 29 (0.0805s) ][ Debug on ][ 313 ][ Thing One ]