Modern Vespa

Hi friends, I bought a 300 Super some months ago and installed a malossi exhaust. The bike feels like its pulling to the right.

i.e. If i let go the handles on a flat road it veers right.

Any ideas, shouldn't be the exhaust right ? is this just the design and more of a rider issue )

That sounds like a front fork issue. Could your front wheel be cocked slightly to the left? If so, when you let go of the bars, it would tend to turn to the right.

They all favor one side or the other.
But...don't let go of the handlebars....even better

If you felt it puling to one side while riding normally, that would be one thing, and it might be something to be concerned about.

Which way it pulls when you have no hands on the bars is probably not worth worrying about at all.

When it is on its centre stand and you put some weight on the back to lift the front wheel, does the wheel always move to the left? Mine does this due to the cables pulling the bars a little. The result is that it feels like it is pulling a little.

Its actually the fork, and brake and other mechanisms on the left side, of the single-sided fork that makes it drop that way. On the older style Vespas it titlted to the right to correspond to the fork on the opposite side.( See my avatar picture) It's in the design.

As for the scooter pulling to the left, or even right in motion, every Vespa Ive ever owned has favored one side or the other for this reason, or a less than even balance by design of the scooter itself, a tire bias, rider attitiude, or other reason. In fact you can often see that "favorite" side in the tire wear, usually the front.

Keep in mind that a bike will naturally pull slightly toward the low side of a crowned road.

check your tire pressures

Thats a very good point.

Not forgetting if its a used machine it could have engine mountings gone.. While holding the front brake stationary, and blipping the throttle, does it squat evenly or pull to one side??

I had read about the pulling cables somewhere on this forum, but i think your explanation makes more sense.

Thanks everyone for the insightfull replies. Its going in for a service tomorrow. Now I have a few more ideas to take to them.

I was contemplating taking off the Malossi exhaust to see if that makes any difference ..

lets see, still love the bike !

I see there is some consensus on this. I haven't seen the issue yet on my scoot. Maybe because of the spring return throttle, I just haven't been riding without my hands on the bars. I'm getting one of those O-rings to hold the throttle open. When I get it, I'll try some straight and level no hands riding, and see what it does. In years past on my motorcycles I know they tracked straight and true, without any noticeable tendency to pull to either side.

Patient: "Doctor it hurts when I raise my left arm."

Doctor: "Dont raise your left arm."

I knew I should have been a Doctor...

Why? Seems frivolous and un-necessary, I mean you arent gonna ride with no hands are you?

Laff of the day!

Matt I can ride my Harley with hands off the bars for half mile or so on a flat road with CC on. I would never take my hands off my vespa bars ever..

You see, that's what I'm curious about. I just want to know, and not for any particular purpose. Well, except for picking my nose, that is.

The term "tank-slapper" was invented around Harley-Davidsons, (I'm sure you know that ) so youre fortunate.

My GTS wobbles anytime I wish it too as well.