Modern Vespa

I have been considering getting a sidestand For my GTS 300. But, I would like to know more about its operation.

By this I mean, Does it remain in the down position Until you kick it up with your foot (Like a normal motorcycle) Or is it spring-loaded And flips up when the weight of the Scoot is taken off of it?

Spring loaded. It will flip up the moment it is no longer supporting weight.

Many people like them, but I took mine off.

Not only was I worried about the scoot falling over if someone or something bumped it, but I used to scare the hell out of myself scraping the damned thing in turns.

I installed a side stand on both of my '05 GT200 scooters and they are about all I ever use. However, I am not an aggressive enough rider to ever have them scrape in a turn. They do automatically retract when the weight is removed from them.

Modifications can be done to make it lock in place - but then in some jurisdictions you'd need to add a micro-switch in series with the kill switch to make it road-legal.

My UK GTs came fitted with side-stands - they are used on extremely rare occasions, perhaps when needing to park along a slope.

We've never bothered to add one to any Vespa that didn't come with one fitted.

I have a sidestand on my GTS 300S...mounted it right after I got the scooter. I use it ONLY for when dismounting the scooter, whether in the garage or outside when dismounting to park. The disbelievers are correct when they say the sidestand is an unreliable device for long term parking, especially outside, where someone may bump it and the scooter goes down. But, I find it extremely helpful for the use mentioned above.

Karlu
Las cruces, nm

Thanks, I appreciate all the info and opinions. Personally I don't like the idea of it not staying down when the weight is taken off of it; So I'm going to pass on getting one.

You didn't have one fitted as standard on your GTS300? I thought it was standard spec, so someone must have taken it off...

They're spring loaded (double-spring) so they flick up when 'some' of the weight is taken off. That's led some to flick up prematurely and drop the bike onto its side, damaging the panels etc. Its an often debated topic - here's a typical past thread that might help you...

GTS Super sidestand

Actually, I bought it brand-new from a dealer. Maybe it's not standard equipment in the US. However I can see there is a place to attach it. I agree, I would be worried that it would spring up prematurely and the bike with dropped.

Location location location.

I had a side stand added to my GT200 because I found the centre stand really hard to use, but I've since gotten the hang of it. I use the side stand only briefly, and if the scoot is in my sight. A friend of mine with a GTS250 uses the side stand exclusively, and she has found her scoot on its side because someone sat on/touched it and the stand sprung up. Very scratched as she has no crash bars.

My motorcycle friends were not impressed with my sidestand. They could not believe that it was not designed to lock.

Quite the opposite - very definitely designed NOT to stay down then the weight is taken off! Imagine the mess if you were to take off with it still down and then lean into your first slight left-hander. Stand digs in, bike does some impressive flip and you're left staring at the sky wondering what happened! I followed another scoot just the other day who had the stand down after they pulled off, struggled to pull alongside in traffic to warn him but thankfully he noticed whilst sat at the next set of lights. Could have been very messy.

The side stands do seem rather a confidence test to use though, rather like that team building thing they get you to do where you close your eyes and fall backwards, hopefully to be safely caught by a colleague behind you! You come to a stop, kick the stand out with your left foot and hold it there, which means that you sat on the scoot upright supported by your right leg on the floor. So to get the bike on the sidestand you have to just 'drop' over to the left, which really takes some guts in my case with no leg available to catch you. You're fine if you confidently hold the stand out fully with your foot, but if you falter and your left foot half goes for the floor, you run the risk of lying down sideways as neither foot not sidestand are in a suitable place to prop the bike.

Or am I doing something wrong here? I've taken to getting off the bike before deploying either stand now, usually the main one. But that's no guarantee it will still be upright when you return. Went out the other morning to find my GTS on its side against another bike in the line-up with a huge scratch and two dents in the side where another bike had fallen into it, presumably causing a bike version of domino rally.

Very, very annoying

anyone who has a 300 stand and wants to sell it let me know...

That's why motorcycles have an ignition interlock built into the side stand. The probable reason they don't have side stands on Vespas sold in North America is that it is cheaper to eliminate the side stand than to install an interlock on the scoots. The spring loaded stand is certainly cheaper and simpler than an electronic interlock.

The other annoying thing is if you aren't wearing skinny jeans the side stand catches your pant cuff when you put your leg down. Skinny jeans are my riding jeans of choice more aerodynamic!

Trust me on this,. there are some of us you DON'T want to see in skinny jeans. I do have a side stand, use it just like the other poster. When I dismount I engage the side stand. get off do what ever and then rock the scooter back up on the center stand. I shattered my arm/shoulder two years ago and can't really handle holding it stable for very long.

If you carry marginally bulky stuff on the parcel hook such as a laptop bag, or if you have a Classic Rack footwell rack and it's loaded with stuff, the side stand is virtually essential as a way to dismount safely unless you unload the parcels first.

This.

R

i don't use it alot, but it comes in handy