Modern Vespa

I bought the original crashbars for my GTV Sei giorni, chrome color. I installed them but I was unsure on how they looked. Sold them and decided to buy the cuppini ones but I never did. Last week left the vespa parked on the centerstand on the street and when I came back it seems that someone dropped it causing a lot of scratches. Dealer will charge $580 to re-paint and my insurance deductible is $450. I tried to have the color replicated so I could do the paint job elsewhere however the could not match the exact color apparently with matte colors is more difficult.
So dont be like me!!!

Now undecided if I should leave it like that, or have it repainted, but for sure I will install crashbars.

Should I buy the piaggio crashbars or cuppini ones, so if you have suggestions on either, they are welcome. What do you reccomend?

These are the options, what do you think?
1. On top, cuppini ones chromed
2. Black Piaggio ones
3. Chromed Piaggio ones

Probably the Cuppini would have not prevented the scratches...not sure. If anyone has cuppini, what do you think?

The Piaggio chrome is particularly thick and well-applied. Their crash bars often need some 'coaxing' to be fitted, but no real problem.

I'd just use some touch-up paint on those scratches, no need to repaint the whole cowl - and that is very unlikely to be an exact match anyway, especially with a matte finish.

Tried with SIP and scooterwest but they dont have the touch up pain for the Green Matte. But will keep trying. Thank you!

Scooter West, among others, sells a scratch/dent decal kit for covering cosmetic damage.

I used self-adhesive black car body rub strips on the plastic skirts of my GTS and clear paint protection film on the frontside leg shields. Mostly, I just want to prevent car door and shopping cart dings. They're not structural, though.

Some of the two-tone paint jobs are an interesting and a different solution to the scratched/dented cowl problem.

I hadn't thought about it. Will buy one of the "6" original stickers, matching the front and right cowl. Thank you!! I love this forum! Thank you

That is a good solution! I still say invest in crash bars. I have put them on all my bikes over the years including the ones I have now. They have saved me and paid for themselves a few times. Most of the damage I have had does to my bikes over the years is from when they are parked... I also don't think the crash bars are fugly at all.

That is a nice bike you have!!! Indeed they dont look so bad.

As to brand/style, IMO it's more important to have something. Yes, there are variations in quality, style, etc, but for a basic tip over, they all offer more protection than nothing at all. My rather minimalistic FACOs have saved my paint several times. Sustained some scratches which don't bother me, and new bars are far cheaper than paint anyway.

Regarding the black-I think they're pretty aesthetic with that paint color, but I'd want to be consistent, which means new rear carrier, front rack, etc, etc.

I do like the sticker though!! 8) If you don't get crash bars, maybe get a few while you're at it.

Thanks It's been just a little (lot) modified from the original. The sticker will look good, do the job and save you money. I really just wanted to show you the bars can look good.

The sticker is a great idea, looks the part in your model!

Cuppini crash bars look cool, but it's a good question that are they made just for the looks or protection too? Hard to to say from the pic, I have no first hand experience.

Black/chrome OEM... tough call, as Sei Giorni has matt paint (black...) but also shiny parts (chrome...)... neither would look totally wrong to my eyes, which is a good thing, I guess

The OEM bars are worth every penny and saved my Gigi on two occasions.

The one advantage of black especially matt black is that touch up paint is pretty easy to source-I use nail varnish for mine at the moment but have used loads of blacks including some BBQ paint I had left over from painting my exhaust.

You'd be very hard pushed to chip or damage the Piaggio chrome - it's miles thicker than most automotive chrome.

Glad to be helpful! Good luck.

My LX has been on its side three or four times with nary a scratch thanks to
Vespa OEM crashbars, so that's what I recommend (except for the front wheel chrome which I don't get the point of).

I wouldn't repaint to cover the scratch marks. I'd just find the closest match I could and dab it on the metal. I don't think it'll be noticeable at all. The eye tends to average things out.

I did a mild lowside on snow/ice January before last; the Cuppini bars saved Melody's haunches just fine...just suffered a few scrapes along the bike's bottom, which is a much easier deal for retouching. (If you looked at the bike from a normal angle, you'd never notice - but it bugs me just the same, and then there's always the threat of rust...)

Thank you everyone! Will buy the Piaggio Crashbars definitely. I will call insurance since I noticed that the front headlight is also scratched and also the fron "bumper". I am sooooo mad.

Rocket fell over on a gravel parking lot when it was young.

Now 13 years old and I never got it repaired.

Scratches are not what I wanted but they never dampened the pleasure I got out of riding.

Bill

I agree with Bill.
My scratches all tell a story.

Installed the Cuppini Rear Single Crash Bars today, quick simple installation. May not offer the best protection but I like the minimalist look and should help with shopping carts and car doors ect

That happened to my first GTS under different circumstances. Sorry that happened to you.

The answer to your question is OEM. The cuppini protects your scooter more from carts at the grocery store.

My bike was actually kicked and dragged and it was on video. Nothing came out of that. I took the video to the Police and on follow up two weeks later I did not even have an investigator assigned to my 'case'.

In either case even the OEM does not protection from a fall.

Thank you!!

I personally have the Feiling crash bars sold by SIP. They were a bit of a challenge to put on but they have the advantage of having both front and rear crash bars. You can buy just one or the other, but I opted for both, and they connect to make one unified crash bar. I personally don't like how they are fitted to the front of the scooter, but I do feel they would provide enough paint protection.

So it is just another option to have, and the other reason I like them is that they completely cover the whole back part of the scooter, from the sides to the back. And they are more form fitting than the Piaggio ones, which seem to stick out about 2" off the frame. There is also another style of crash bars which allow for side saddle bags as well.

These rear crash bars also do not interfere with the modified Akrapovic exhaust, which my other crash bars did. The other rear crash bars were made by Logo Scooter, also made in Germany. Sold by Scooterwest as the Deluxe rear crash bars on their website. They were really well made and secured to the scooter easily, but they did not clear the exhaust that I had installed. Just in case you are looking for yet another option for a rear crash bar.

Don't like 'em. They really detract from the original beauty. I'd rather have scratches.
My method is good insurance. Full coverage from Rider is cheap, and when she got hit-and-runned, they took care of it fast and it cost me $50. Looks like new.
One of the main advantages is that it is also covered if stolen, I'd like to see crash bars do that.

Well I for one think they look great. But to each their own but I do think the extra protection is a benefit.

I think they look great too. And they have paid for themselves several
times over already

Very nice!!!!! Thank you!

Being honest, I loove the regular GTV, much better than the sei giorni, but in Guatemala the 2018 GTV was not available. You have an amaing one!

Will add stickers ! 😂😂

Thanks. 2017 is probably the last run of the GTV we will ever see. I also have heard from a good source that the word in Pontedera is the fender light models will be completely discontinued.

I like both the Sei Giorni and GTV however the GTV has the advantage of coming with ASR and ABS whereas the Sei Giorni only has ABS. That to me makes a difference.

I like my GTV much better with the black trim and real black leather saddle and the black Remus exhaust. The black floorboard rack also looks great. I still like the chrome that it has and I even find it plays off the black better than the brown saddle and chrome leg shield trim the GTV shipped with.

I like stickers but try to be selective. The top case has the installed upgrade stickers (Malossi, J. Costa, Bitubo, etc) and a few MV stickers (front and top case) giving this place some free advertising. I was fortunate enough to have a long time MVer give me a few a couple of years ago. Too bad you can't get them now AFAIK.

I'm not sure if it will but the 2017 GTV may hold some good resale value down the road. Last run of Portofino Green and highly likely the last of its kind. So 20 years or so from now it may be considered a great find in the NSM section of MV if it is still around.

*EDIT* Sticker pic added.

I don't see the OEM bars being an issue with a custom exhaust. You can see from my right profile pic the Remus fits fine. The front crash bars do I'm sure offer more paint protection however with the OEM rear and larger bar end weights that come with the OEM top case do a pretty good job. On a slow "oh shit!" tip over the scoot will most likely land on the crash bars and bar end. Face it the crash bars only protect against very slow impact like a tip over or car door in a parking lot etc. The one time I dropped a scoot years and years ago it had rear crash bars and believe me they are useless if you go down hard. However for the falling off the stand and slow speed stuff they do a great job.

I love this scooter. You dressed it up really nicely. The front crash bars are brilliant.

I hope the GTV model has not been discountined, the model is truly beautiful and unique. I always get people asking questions and looking at the bike when I go out for a ride.

Yeah it's a bit sad. Considering what I heard is very reliable 1st hand information coming right out of Piaggio HO though it does not look good. However the Sei Giorni is still available so maybe there was a little change of heart at HO. No upgrades to it though, still the same scoot and no word at all regarding the GTV.

This is a gorgeous GTV!!!! Love the seat, can you send more pictures? I decided that I will repaint the whole bike... Spoke to the dealer and will make a special price for me.

Thank you I really do enjoy the bike. The seat cover was made for me by Suzy at Cheekyseats. She is great to work with and can make a seat cover in any color combination you desire. https://scooterseatcovers.net

I have made several changes to the bike but mostly stock. The best improvements are listed below
GTV LED H4 Headlight Kit
GTV Headlight Pilot Light 12V LED Bulb
4TH Generation LED Front Running Lights
Tail Light LED Kit Vespa GTV
Universal Rear Running Light Kit
GT/GTS Rear Bitubo Performance Shocks
Bitubo Front Shock GT/GTS
Piaggo OEM CHROME Performance Exhaust system
Cheeky Seat Cover & matching grip covers which have not installed yet

I started the mural tread and have quite a few pictures of the bike. Here are few from today's ride and mural finds Vespa Mural Photos

Every time I saw the scratches I was angry, so Finally decided to have the Vespa repainted. since the shield and the headlamp were also scratched, I made the insurance claim. Now will buy the chromed piaggio crash-bars.

Great looking scooter, they did a good job on the repaint