Modern Vespa

Coming from a LX150 my initial reactions are

1. this thing is not nearly as maneuverable as the LX150 - though i think it may be tires?
2. Huge wobble - on the 150 i would often ride with one hand coming back from starbucks with a venti frap... im afraid to do that on the 250 the wobbling is intense


When turning, it doesn't feel very stable, it keeps feeling like its going to drop on one side or the other, it's really weird. It's almost as if the tires are bald, but on the exterior they don't look too bad.

Is the turning thing normal? I test drove a new 300 at the dealership and i dont remember it feeling this bad. Must be the tires?

I knew about the wobble going in but the turning part is kind of a weird feeling coming from a LX150 where I would flick this thing in and out of cars.

What tires are on it?

Wobble and turning feeling heavily depends on the tires!

Welcome to the fold!

They are both Michelin Pilot Sport SC

Sorry, I can't comment on those, I have never ridden on them. I know my pirelli GTS's always felt as though I had to fight the scooter to corner, the PP are a lot more neutral. Have you checked the pressure?

check your tire pressure. there is always a little shimmy when riding with one hand on a GTS. easy fix. use both hands.

You can ride a GTS with one hand easy... just give her a firm grip... I only get shimmy around 30 mph if I have super light grip on the bars (like im testing to see if it still shakes)

Check those tire pressures!!!

I run 26-30 on the front

and 32-40 on the rear depending on load.


Welcome to the GTS fold... I had an LX... I LOVE my GTS & GTV

My '09 GTV ran Michelin Pilot Sports and after nearly 5,000 miles with the rear tire quite worn,I experienced my first wobbles. The wobble was mild and went away completely with two new Michelin Power Pures.

My GTS rides like that when the tire pressure is low.

Allow me: wobble or not, it's probably best not to.
Conventional wisdom and all.
Just saying.

I have Michelin City Grips on my GTS and it handles very well. However,mike others have said, the incorrect tire pressure will cause the issues you are having. Also, make sure that the headset bearings are properly tightened.

I came to the GTV250ie after riding a Genuine Buddy and at first I thought it was less maneuverable. It didn't take long to get used to it, and now I find it very maneuverable ... Not as clickable as the Buddy, but the trade off is fine because the GTV can handle bumps and such much better. There are some bumps that would have thrown me off the Buddy that barely registered with the GTV.

By "clickable" Im sure you meant "flickable" (?) but getting acquainted with a new bike, any new bike is important before making any judgements regarding ergos and handling.

Ive seen people tossing Goldwings and other large tourers around in some very tight stuff, and making it look like they are riding scooters, small scooters, instead of 7 or 8 hundred pound land yachts.

Get used to a bike, any bike and the handling will seem different than you initially thought.

good point guys, I think the tire pressure is probably low.

It definitely feels similar to how my 250 ninja feels when it is low in tire pressure.

I just figured they'd check for it since i paid for a pre-purchase inspection.

The Scooter is Perfect, wabbel is normal. you paid TC motor sports 50 bucks and they did not check air in tires SAD case.

Your former scoot?

No it was Dereks Scooter it was tits some people seem to look for problems to fix.. he should start with the wiki page here a see that its normal for a gts to wobble

I have read here and elsewhere that tires can degrade over time whether used or not. If your tires are original, they could be going on six years since manufacture.

damn autocorrect.

Great idea! Its been generally decided that even a GT/GTS that doesnt wobble now, CAN wobble at some point.

And MV's most experienced and respected members* all seem to agree: both hands on the bars is best!

*speak with some other long-time PTW riders to find out what they do, and don't recommend while operating a PTW....and what they havent made a habit of doing during their riding careers.

Confusers....gotta love 'em!

But yeah, knew what you meant.

Agreed, sort of. Being a new owner the OP deserves some slack. Just cuz you, jesse, know the scooter doesn't negate the fact that the OP has had an unpleasant experience. Perhaps even a bit of disappointment. Let's go ahead and help him through without simply go to the wiki first. Fuck all, *I* forget it's there. Perhaps with some guidance the wobble can be reduced. From my recent thread I discovered there are those who've managed their wobble to be able to do just as the OP wishes. Ride one handed. I'm in the don't do it camp but sending someone to the unorganized hell that is the wiki just doesn't cut it.

Oh, I'm not in the least bit disappointed. I'm 100% happy, the scooter is super clean and nice. Only got the prepurchase done because it was $40. Side note derek great guy and extremely accommodating. Just wanted to verify the extent of the wobble with other people, didnt mean to start another thread i guess if thats an issue.

The wobble is part of the deal with these....even for those that havent experienced it. Yet.

Enjoy, and just be aware that it can wobble so ride accordingly.

Nah, you're golden. Us old timers get grumpy at repeat questions sometimes. For no good reason really. Enjoy your very nice ride! By reading various threads and the wiki you MAY be able to ease the wobble. Check air pressure as suggested first.

13" yorban reports to fix wobble