Modern Vespa

Hi I'm new here thank you for inviting me to your Forum
I rode my first scooter in 1973 ,a 1963 Lambretta 150 Li and moved on over the years to motocycles then Motobecane mobylettes 50V until a couple years ago. But Italian scooters always caught my eyes. Yesterday I picked up a brand new 2019 Vespa Primavera 150 Touring and that scooter is a real looker. I have not had much chance to ride it far , on account of the weather.
I spent some time checking it out in my garage. No kick start, and that's good, I remember snapping the one on my Lambretta off the shaft. No electric start back then just clutch and push. Anyway I installed a battery trickle charger on the Primavera. The wiring for the charger only comes with a short length extension with the battery loops, so I have it coming on the side near what must be the air filter intake, I don't really like it, the quick hook up plug would be to the weather and road debris. I 'm planning on buying a 5 ft extension to route it to a better location where I can use it more conveniently.
Maybe some one could direct me or show me the way they route it.
The immobilizing light on the dashboard had me wondering at first, when the engine is off. I don't see exactly the reason for it other than for anti theft. I have only studied the guide once, I wish it was printed bigger.
So Hi again and look forward to meet members to share tips etc
PS:I will post a pic later.

Welcome

The immobilizing light on my BV's flash for 48 hrs. then shut off. Don't know if it's the same for a Vespa.

No bruised shins either when you got a nasty recoil!

Welcome to MV Mabecane. You will find lots of help for all your scootering needs on here. Regarding your question, try entering Tender Routing in the search feature and you should get plenty of options.

Don't forget to post a picture of your scoot!

Same here, the guide says so. Thanks.

Thanks , I just posted a pic, not the best my fingers were frozen.

I have the very same bike, but I added a matching top case last week. Great bike and fun to ride!

We also are froze out of riding until next season. Great looking machine.
More fun than a long Disney Ride.

Keep the photos coming.

Bob Copeland
Minnesota

All these red machines! Need my sunglasses. 8)

Congratulations and welcome to MV.

My tender connector is in the same spot...has a plastic cover, no problems after years of use.... YMMV.

Welcome to MV from San Antonio, Texas!

Welcome to the Forum - what a lovely scoot. I think the Primavera is the prettiest scooter Vespa has produced since the Sportique back in the 1960s. We only get the 125 version in the UK, not the 150 - licence requirement for learners has a 125 limit here. I tried one on the morning I bought my GTS but it's physically too small for me and not very good on our Cornish hills. Still like the looks though! Good luck with yours.

Thank you all, I nearly took it for a ride a few minutes ago, but the road is still wet and covered with calcium from last night snow. I agree red is nice on Vespas but any colors will look nice. I have not ridden a scooter since my Lambretta in 73 in Warwick England. I had a big L in the back of the scooter. I remember registering from a place in Swansea. I was hoping to get a spare wheel for the Primavera, but I guess nobody does that anymore also the rims are different front from rear. My Lambretta had a spare above the license plate, it was cool. So it looks like I will be carrying plugs with me and cartridges and a small hand pump for back up.
It's gonna be a long winter.
Thank again to everyone

Welcome from Vermont! Winter is going to seem a whole lot longer now that you have a scooter begging to be ridden!
But you can research rides!

I assume you have a motorcycle endorsement on your license but if it has been awhile you should consider doing a MSF class for a refresher.

But don't forget - RED is the fastest color!

Welcome from just up the road in Ma.

I visit Westport often and the roads just north of there would be so much fun to ride on.

I haven't ridden my Vespa up there yet from NJ as it's all Rt 287 and Rt 95 and neither of those would be fun or safe on a bike.

Here it is. It's the same color as yours though in this photo, it looks redder.

And, for what it's worth regarding your charging cable, I described it thus a few years back-
With the "no pets" carrier removed and the rubber floor mat off you can stick a couple fingers from the battery compartment toward the rear of the scooter and see them in the engine well. Now, rotate those fingers left or right and start sliding them out. You'll feel a small opening that is very close to the front of the foot peg when it is in its closed position.

That small hole is where you want to feed the wire. With the foot peg in the open position you should be able to see the wire and direct it below to the access hole. This hole leads to the small black plug that is right below the foot peg.

Hope this helps!

The Primavera does not have retractable foot pegs, they're fixed.
Anyway, I ordered a 5ft extension for the wire and will reroute it somewhere more convenient for me. I would love to make a fixed plug-in on the bike, but the scooter is too new for me to drill holes . I have not got the heart to do it yet. Right next to the key switch or near would be perfect. It would be nice if the factory installed one. I mean they installed a USB port in the glove compartment, a plugin would be a good add-on.
Thanks

Warm(ish) welcome from the Jersey Shore! Congrats on that rather nice ride. I predict your biggest "problem" will be finding enough time to hit the road. That's a nice ride, too, and someone else here in the Garden State? Coolness.

Welcome, thats a nice looking scoot.
You can enjoy riding the vespa in the cold weather depending your propensity to deal with the cold, some of us have heated grips, muffs and a blanket to cover the legs and a windshield and then we ride in the cold as well.
The forum has tons of knowledge and the member have anecdotes, wisdom, stories and many other things to share.
So enjoy and share as well.
Lots of riding awaits you.

Welcome to MV from Arizona. 70F here today.

My bad. I was thinking you had the 300. You could still route it through one of the frame ports to the underside and secured it with zip ties.

Welcome!

GTSLove shows in the picture above as having same spot as where I have my Battery Tender pigtail. No long wires needed.
I have USB charger port and Powerlet outlets on my GTS left shoulder panel, both have weather caps. The Wires on BT brand are easily long enough for that location and the rubber lip on the battery cover seals OK even with the lead coming out the rear.

An ebay seller has the Powerlets and I bought my USB with a spring hinged cover from another ebay seller. The plastic hinge type the plastic breaks and so not useful.

Welcome aboard!

My husband keeps his HD plugged in all winter and he keeps it in a heated garage. It is an HD afterall!

I installed the battery tender just in case. I keep my bike outside in an unheated shed and I've plugged in the tender twice so far this winter and each time, the light turned green within a few minutes so I leave it unplugged. I start it and let it run for a bit every two weeks or so. That seems to be all it needs.

I treated my Kymco the same way and the battery lasted 5 years.

Really bad for it too.
All you are doing is building up moisture and acids in our engine oil. Better to just leave it plugged in and let it sit.
Unless you can go for a 20 - 30 minute ride, it's better to let it sit.

Thank you, I didn't know that.

This was the second time I rode it, and it was great! The temp was around 45F no wind. I did installed a 5 ft extension to the tender wire. I got it sticking out where the helmet bin meets the seat. It is longer than I need so I plug it wrapped on the carrier rack so I don't forget to unplug it when taking the scooter out. There is a small round cavity in the seat bottom where I roll the wire when not in use. I have a truck camper AGM Deep cycle battery that I keep on the bench hooked to a tender year round. That battery cost over $250 and I make sure I get my 6 to 8 years out of it. This week end I even kept my 5 year old truck battery on the 2 amp charger, my garage is very cold and cold starts are hard on batteries. Back in 1979 I blew up the battery out of my Renault LE Car while trying to jump start it Dead battery will freeze in extreme cold, it was 10 below zero. Frozen batteries emit gas that are very explosive. I made the mistake of connecting both jump cables on the battery and made a spark and baboom. Luckily the hood of the Renault open forward and it protected me some. My coat got acid burned. So that's why when jump starting a vehicle, ground the black clamp on the engine or frame away from the battery and of course the red clamp on the positive terminal of the battery.
If you're not gonna ride your bike for a few months take the battery out and keep it on a tender somewhere dry and cool. Heat is batteries biggest enemy.