Modern Vespa

And XMax has four valves and a much larger front rotor.

Hmm, this was a topic of merely passing interest a week or so ago. That was until SMIDSY. Now looking for a replacement for the GTS250 and seriously considering the XMAX 300. It looks like a good scooter.

Oh, ouch! Sorry to hear this. Aside from choosing a new ride, how the heck are you?

I am a bit battered and bruised. Sore right leg and knee. Hopefully just soft tissue damage.

Aloha! Oh, this is X-Lite x 661 Airman (x-lite is a top brand of Nolan as i've heard)

Sorry to see that mate, glad you are ok!
New X max is the great scoot, last week end i could keep up on twisties with a Ducati guy it wasnt hard core ride for him, but still. It keeps surprising me on cornering, with it's stability and informativity of the front. I do not compare withPX, no point, but i remember my GTS, x max is much more confident ride. I would like to have more legs stretch though, i'm 32 inseam. GTS is maybe more comfortable in this respect.

Oh ouch, glad you aren't seriously hurt etc.
While you decide on getting a replacement for the GTS, do you think you may work on this one slowly and pulling the bent metal out and straighteningit out etc.
Could be an interesting projct to take on.

You need the comfort seat. It's a factory item.
http://www.yamahaclothing.co.uk/x-max-300-comfort-seat-7241-p.asp
Moves the seating position about an inch further back and is very comfortable. Looks great also.
I'm probably going to pick an XMAX up next month myself.

This really gets me peeved. ALL M/C manufacturers do it.
One needs to spend an additional 244GBP just to be more comfortable on their product. Oh, and you get a cool logo. That's all.

Yamaha's description of the seat:

Exclusively designed stylish seat to replace the original, offering added comfort.
Creates additional comfort
Features embossed X-MAX logo
Same high quality material and finish as the standard seat
Features metal plate with engraved Yamaha logo


Is it asking too much for "comfort" to be built into the standard seats?
Especially since it's the "Same high quality material and finish as the standard seat"

Do not get me wrong, standard seat is comfortable and looks quality as well, i just want to move a bit back, that`s another story. Customizing is always something above of the "normal" pricing, that is true.

May i ask if any decision made?

I could add that myself is missing the feeling that i own a vespa, pretty much every day

There is definitely something to be said about owning that VESPA. Every time one comes on craigslist I check it out. I feel as if I am still leaning towards the Vespa but really tempted to see the BMW when it comes out. They are all sweet but, a Vespa is a Vespa!

The et4 has been ultra reliable and have spent lots of money and more so time getting it to the point where it is. The dealer offered $400 to trade it in. HAHAHAHAH it is worth more as a furniture piece in my house.

So still undecided but that GTS Matte is WOW!!!

Yes, indeed. I have owned and ridden a lot of scooters in my day. I enjoy new and different scooter experiences. But having said that, I can't imagine not having a GTS 300 ABS in the garage. It is simply a great all round scooter. Classic design, looks good, rides well, enough power to do the job, etc.

I was (am) in your same boat. Similar laydown of by GTS on 3/29. I absolutely love my GTS, but was pining to try something new. I really wanted to try the BMW C400X, but not even sure when they will be out and have some doubts about being the first on one of those. Picked up an XMAX 300 last week. Too soon to say whether I'll like it as much as my vespa, still breaking it in and getting used to the change. So far pretty easy scooter to manage and a super smooth operator. We'll see. I still think I will be back to Vespa someday, but needed to see for myself what the other side had to offer.

Funny, same here! on a XMAX 300 3rd week now, still running in. And while i`m mostly enjoying the ride still thinking maybe i went wrong and should buy GTS 300 instead.But anyway it`s never too late to get back .. until you dead, or broken

My helmet is one issued to me just before I retired from the department its a bell . we used and still do for our motor unit which I was in charge of for a while.
Standard police issue.

Please keep me updated with your choice. My problem is that I enjoy my ET4 (other than those Mickey Mouse mirrors which drive me nuts) but would love more power on the GTS since I live in the suburbs now with more hills and longer distances. Deciding in August what to buy.

If the choice is only one I'd say Vespa is staying below 400 CC. The Vespa will do everything the other scoots will while being the only one that is a Vespa. I would miss going down the parking spot and not seeing a Vespa there yet alone riding one. They really are beautiful scoots and a great ride with reliability thrown in.

The BMW is a nice scoot but maintenance cost will be higher. I love my BMW but the 650GT is a different type of scoot than the 400. I'd love to try a ride on the BMW 400 though. The way the guys at BMW Motorrad put it to me the C650 is a motorcycle disguised as a scoot and the 400 a more true scooter.

is it true that bmw use kymco engines?

Yes, made in Taiwan and overseen by BMW. There was another thread on the board recently where it came up. Kymco knows a thing or 2 about scooter engines and BMW knows this. The retooled C650 engine is pretty impressive.

And don't forget the Kawasaki J300 is just a re-badged Kymco. No room for tired old prejudices in modern business.

the Yamaha xmax300 looks sweet too and the price point is great. Unfortunately only available in white in the US market.

Well said. 8)

Will the Vespa ride on the highway at a true 75 MPH smoothly? If not, it doesn't do everything the other scoot's do. This is not to say that the Vespa is in any way not a nice scoot' or that it is the only "Vespa" in the group. I consider the Vespa to be a bit of royalty. It doesn't have to be the best when it's royal.

Despite the above speed "limitation", here's another vote for the BV. It is very stable at 75mph (gps verified). I don't feel like it actually has legs to hit 86mph even if I'm fully tucked, but it is more than capable handling daily commute and weekend long cruises.

surely the Xmax is a great ride, and it weighs about the same as the BV, but it wasn't avail when I bought the bv and doesn't have the Euro-scooter look.

It does, and I have, regularly.

In fact, this was one of my main stipulations in choosing a scooter over my initial choice of a midsize motorcycle (at Le Wife's request), since this was going to be my sole means of motorized transportation, and not just a weekend plaything. Whether I need to hit the next town or the next state, it has to do it, and without "stretching" it. I also wasn't terribly interested in the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing aspect of too many maxis, with their extra weight and MC-like behavior at low speeds in tight traffic. This is, for me, where the GTS hits the bullseye: not the biggest, not the fastest, but just big enough and more than fast enough. And, man, is it fun.

You did the right thing. You bought the latest in technology. Best handling scooter on the market.
GTS is over a decade old in design. Old tech bike.
I used to own a GTS 300 and I could never go back to a GTS after testing the XMAX.
I got a yellow one on the way along with the Onlins and Akropovic.

A 300GTS that cruises at an honest 75 MPH without breaking a sweat. Hmmmm.

From memory, that's on the limit. Hardly cruising.
Mine was wide open on a straight and on the limit got me 130kph before it hit the limiter.

It's no fun riding a GTS at that speed.

You wishing for one, or have one? Mine will go 75 mph, but cruising it at that speed for any length of time ain't my cup of tea. Or the scooter's.

still confused.... I need to see them all in person to decide. No nearby dealers....

Aye, there's the rub.

We can go on all day (waitaminute...we all have gone on much longer than that) about our personal faves and why you should consider them, but I think we all agree the the proof is in the riding, or at the very least getting to sit astride all three to get a rough lay o' the land. Vepsa dealerships, admittedly, can be rather thin on the ground, depending on locale, but any one you find should have a GTS to look at; Yamaha dealers are easier to find, but a lot of 'em likely won't have an Xmax on-hand for a while; and the Beemer? Possibly even tougher at the moment.

I really wish I had a surefire answer for you on this. Ultimately, I want you to roll away on a ride that makes you happy, whichever you choose, and I'm sure most everybody here feels the same.

Maybe a trip to Europe would let me see all three on the road and try them out.

If you could swing it, yes. I saw plenty of GTSs and Xmax' in Vienna last year.

Thanks amateriat, but seems this yelow x max is old 250 , which is completely another bike we are talking about.

Hi, i can now talk out of own experience. I`ve changed seat to the comfort one, and no, it doesn`t move you any back, however looks and feels so great and worthy, also, gives real comfort to the butt and lumbar.

My 2 cents:

First there is a huge difference ins stability between the eT4 and the GTS. When I first moved from an ET4 to a GTS I though how big and heavy the GTS was in comparison. I'd never have taken my ET4 on the freeway but the GTS not a problem. Riding it up to Colorado from Houston two weeks ago I bounced off the rev limiter at an indicated 90mph on I-25 after I left the cannonball riders in Trinidad to head to Breckenridge.

Second, I wouldn't consider the BMW because of style and maintenance costs. I don't like the maxi scooter style and all of the maxiscooters I've ridden are far less nimble around town than any of the more traditional styled scooters. We've owned a Burgman 400 as well as BV and Scarabeo 500s. I've sworn off any BMW car or bike after owning one and discovering just how damned expensive they are to have any work done on them.

The Xmax is a good scooter but I don't like the styling. Since your primary use is around town I think you'd find the Vespa more conducive to the type of riding you normally do.

If you want a bigger wheeled scooter I'd highly recommend the BV350. When our Sports City was taken out in the Harvey floods we needed to replace it since it was the daily rider for my son to university as he doesn't have a car. After looking at what was available in the 250-400 range we decided on a BV 350. I flew to New Orleans to pick up a NOS 2016 with 6 miles on it the dealer there took to shows so had a couple of small nicks in the front cowl. I rode it home on I-10 since the FM roads I prefer to ride were damaged from Harvey and I kept getting sent back to the freeway every time I tried to use them. Anyway the biggest issue I had was that I kept finding myself going an indicated 95 and passing too many cars. The engine is very smooth and accelerates well. Oh, and I wasn't WOT at that speed. Friends have told me that they were able to ride 2 up at 90mph GPS verified and still had throttle left of the BV 350.

Having said that when I replaced my GTS 250 I did so with the GTS 300 because for me my primary PTW has to be a Vespa even though sitting in my garage right now there is also a BV500 and Honda CTX 700. The BV350 and Buddy 125 live with my son's in Texas.

Any news zwniana? What did you decide?

Not a bad scooter in the bunch. I suggest you snag a test ride on all three then buy the one that brings the biggest smile to your face.

The Vespa, with the shorter wheel base, smaller wheels, and lighter weight by about 50 lbs., would be my choice for the quickest handling and maximum fun.

Paul

Seeing many matte finishes in Europe for the Xmas and they look awesome.