Modern Vespa

Good day, MV! First-post greetings from the DC metro area! I've been a lurker on these forums for a few months. Longer than I wanted to, in fact, because of that "reCAPTCHA v1 IS SHUTDOWN" error message on the Registration page. That took a bit o' Googling to get around but here I am no worse for wear!

I've been slowly trying to talk the Missus into two-wheeling since I initially got into it 20 years ago. She's always been quite happy on the back of the Goldwing, but I very much wanted her to learn to ride too. Around the DC metro area, being able to freely (emphasis on the FREE!) ride two-wheelers in HOV and HOT (Toll) lanes makes navigating this nightmare of concrete and humanity a bit more palatable!

Anyway, I guess I've finally convinced her (more likely that after putting up with me for 20 years, I've simply eroded her will to live enough!) and she is finally expressing interest in the concept.

After much research, Vespa seems to be the best fit for her from a number of perspectives. We kitted out a 2018 GTS 300 Touring for her and will be taking delivery in a couple weeks. Her MSF BRC (I'm sending three of my teenage kids to take it at the same time!) is scheduled for mid-June so the Vespa sitting in the garage for a couple weeks should hopefully be ample tease/encouragement to do well on the BRC and get the motorcycle endorsement on her license.

Anyway, on to my questions.

1)I ordered through La Moto Washington (Arlington) and did NOT get a very good vibe from the place. Does anyone have recent-ish experience with this dealer and can confirm/rebuke my tingling Spidey-sense? My next-closest dealer is Fredericksburg Motor Sports and I'll probably take it there for all service since La Moto is making me feel unsettled to say the least.

2)The Parts guy at the dealer swears up and down the 2018 GTS 300 Touring does NOT have a 42 liter topcase available in the same color (rosso vignola) as the scoot even though page 34 of the official 2018 Vespa Accessories catalog (on Vespa's site) specifically lists it. Is there anyone with a 2018 Touring and 42 liter topcase that can confirm the paint matches between the bike and the topcase?

3)Does the 2018 Touring come with LED bulbs all-around? Two-wheeler visibility is always topmost in my mind, doubly-so with the wife's life on the line. I will be replacing everything I can with LED bulbs and adding another brake/signal LED strip under the topcase. Just need to know what to order third-party since I can't find out what exactly on the Touring is already LED.

I'd like to close this novel out with a thank you to the MV community here. It was/is definitely a factor that made us choose Vespa over the glut of less-expensive Japanese scoots available out there.

Welcome to the forum.

I can't help with questions 1 or 3 but a possible solution to #3 is to get one a different color and have it repainted. The official color mixing codes are not readily available but any auto paint store can get a pretty good match with a color mixing camera. You may be able to mitigate some of the cost if you can find one that is scratched.

Good luck.

Aloha and welcome to the forum from Hawaii. I've learned to trust my instincts because their usually right. Hopefully some people from your area will chime in. VRM brings up a good point on having the top case painted if you can't find one to match. Any good body shop should be able to do it.Scooterpartsco.com has a most any part and add on that you'd want. Give them a call. Pics when you get it

Oooh, I hadn't considered a third-party paint-match. It's been decades since I've set foot inside a paint/body shop. I imagine tech is such that they can match things pretty closely these days.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Fantastic site, I'd not heard of it until you posted...am adding that to the ol' bookmark bar!

Thanks for the tip!

Welcome to MV!!!

Monguire, when are you getting one for yourself? Trust me when I say scooters offer more smiles per mile than most motorcycles.

I don't know if the 2018 GTS's are coming in with LED lighting or not. Please let us know when yours arrives. Somehow I doubt it, being the U.S. market appears to be the redheaded stepchild for Piaggio.

But it is easy enough to change them over to LED's. I bought mine from ScooterWest.com. They have engineered a replacement set that are almost "plug and play". And they look really good!

I'm here at Vespa Sherman Oaks. The top case you are looking for is here, it exists
VESPASO is getting my GT200 ready for scooter cannonball run. The team here is great.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to post! I'll try to answer everything in order: Well, I do know the love of scooters as my daily commuter is an ancient bulletproof Suzuki Burgman that I picked up on the cheap (best $1k I ever spent!). As for ever getting a Vespa for myself...the engine would have to grow a bit for me to consider it. I'm not exactly svelte and my girth/weight needs at least 600cc to perform tactical-maneuvers and/or achieve escape-velocity at the 70+ MPH that the Beltway around the capital sees. I dunno, maybe someday when I leave the rat-race and can slow life down a few notches....

I do agree wholeheartedly about more smiles per mile on a scoot though! I'm very happy to read that you are happy with your aftermarkets! I'd ordered the whole front/rear LED kit 'n caboodle from ScooterWest after watching a bunch of Robot's how-to vids on Youtube. Thanks for affirming my decision to purchase! Woo-hoo! Thanks for sharing, gopam! The mythical beast truly does exist! Yay! I'm going to lean on my dealer about getting one even harder now...aren't these folks supposed to be the experts in their field?!

Best of luck on the Cannonball Run! That sounds like a hell of an awesome experience!

Give SDG (Sherman Oaks) a call and i'm sure he'd be willing to send you one. GOPAM good find. How have you been?

congrats on your new scooter!!

I admit, I am jealous...we went to a dealership yesterday specifically to look at this scoot. my problem-even though I am about 5'5....I have a very short inseam. sitting on the scooter, my feet dangle. not even toe touch. so, this means I cannot buy one. its ok, I still have Luigi....

but, I am jelly! enjoy your ride!

Vespa case doesn't come with LED lights or any lights for that matter. Check and see if Admore makes a light kit for the OEM top case. I use their light kit in my Givi cases which I prefer to the OEM Vespa case. Shape just works better for me.

Monguire... Welcome from The Salt Lake Valley.
I am skeptical that the volume of that top case is 42 liters. You should verify that. I have a Givi MonoKey V47 topcase with an Admore LED kit and really like it. It doesn't match scoot but it is higher in quality than the OEM case.
There are not LEDs on the GTS Touring but you can get them from ScooterWest and install yourself. I did just that.
Enjoy your new acquisition.

Thanks again for the great info everyone!

Lebo...are you happy with your 2018 Touring so far?

Yes Monguire, I am very happy with it. I traded a 2016 GTS with 4 thousand miles on it. It really just started to break in to that sweet spot of perfection when I saw the new Touring advertised. I JUST had to have it! What you don't see in the photo yet is the top case I have mounted on the rear rack. It definitely takes away from the bikes astetics but most definitely is practical. It is a Givi V47 Monokey with Admores LED kit installed. I recommend that combo. Also put LEDs everywhere all around including the ScooterWest running lights that are also signals. The AdMore kit modulates when you brake as well as a modulator on brake light. I want to be seen! Also switched out the OEM headlight for the ScooterWest LED. Hope this helps. Give me a shout if you need more info. Ira

Note not all Admore light kits modulate. I hate modulated lights since I find them too distracting when I've ridden or driven behind them. What I like is the Admire kit in the top case puts your brake and signal lights at driver eye level.

I don't have to look at it. I want cagers behind me to stop. Every possible attention attracting device for safety is a good thing IMO.

I opted for the matching 42L Vepsa case for our 2018 Touring. This scoot is for the wife and she's tiny so a smaller (more importantly, *matching*) case will suit her aesthetic well.

Me on the other hand with my Burgman 650... I need all the space underseat, a 56L Givi trunk and 2 x 22L side cases just to fit all the gear for my big ol' fat arse.

Yes, I went hog-wild at ScooterWest on GTS lights & sundry. Pretty sure I spent so much money there that I single-handedly put California's budget in the black for this year! When the boxes upon boxes of kit were delivered, wanna know the *one* thing that literally made the wife squeal like a schoolgirl? It wasn't the HUNDREDS of dollars in upgraded lights/safety equipment for her and her scoot spent by a loving, concerned husband...it was the $6 Vespa keychain I included as a *joke*! My takeaway here is that modulating brake lights most definitely get the attention of drivers rolling up behind me or mine in a 4000 pound cage. That is EXACTLY what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the continued hints, tips and shared-experiences! I *heart* MV!

You may consider the heavy bar weights. Vespa top cases used to come with them.

Been good although currently on antibiotics for a tick bite. I head to the Cannonball starting line tomorrow whoo hoo.
Much love to you Judy and everyone in Hawaii. Stay safe.

Thanks GoPam! I'm new to the forum and just purchased a 2018 GTS 300 Touring a few days ago. I couldn't find a topcase until I stumbled across this post and your comment. Snagged the last one from Vespa of Sherman Oaks this evening! So thanks!

Reminds me something...

This may be too far away for you however you may want to check out Scoot Richmond in VA. I have only tenuous experience in that I met Chelsea Lahmers (the owner) in the UK several years ago and she subsequently provided several pieces of very solid Vespa advice to me via email. She was passionate about her business and Vespas in general. The website looks professional so I guess they are doing something right.....

I have no personal interest in the business.

https://www.motorichmond.com/about-us-motorcycles-dealership--who-and-why

Thanks for the tip. Yes, it is a touch far and I generally go to great lengths to avoid Richmond but I've lost *ALL* confidence in La Moto in Arlington and will never go back there. There aren't exactly a ton of Vespa options around here surprisingly so I guess I can't drop a good Richmond recommendation from the radar.