Modern Vespa

Hi Folks,

OK, lately I have really fallen in love with the look of the GTV ...esp. in Portfino green...it could be in fact my favorite Vespa ever.

I'm giving some serious thought to trying to sell my used ET-4 (break even) and getting this baby even this late in the season...so close to the cold cold winter. I store my scooter outside all winter too.


If I buy it cash, Vespa dealer near NYC have a promotion of extended warranty...but not much else in the way of a "late in the season" perk...

As my money starts to burn a hole in my pocket, someone tell me, am I crazy to pay the extra premium on the GTV? Someone smack me if there is some serious good reasons to wait until the Spring outside the obvious punishing weather. Perhaps I should pony up the cash for a garage or winter storage this year?

I love my little ET-4, but I must admit I want something a little faster and my line on a used GTS seems to be evaporating (the guy just stopped answering my emails and might have reconsidered.)

I don't own a car, so the money is not an outrage...yet I can't help to feel incredible guilt buying myself such a toy and pay such a premium and I need someone to say 'just do it dude!' or 'damn, are you insane?'


Oh to be a compulsive buyer and in love with a Vespa...it is a disease I have not known the like of in a long long time!


bests,
Rich

GO FOR IT!!! I own a GTV (Portfino green). My first scoot was a 2007 vespa 150 and and one week later after seeing the GTV in a magazine I traded my 150 for the GTV. The look of the GTV just stands out. My husband has a gts so I'm able to always compair the look. It has the vintage look with newer techology that always makes me
So an answer to you question should you get the GTV. YES!!! JUST DO IT DUDE!!

JUST DO IT! I have a GTV for a month now and today was the first day I drove my car. I'm a first-time scooter owner and I must say I love it. The looks alone sold me on the GTV. The Portofino Green was love at first site.

In fact, I walked into the showroom back in May with a friend. (While I always admired Vespa's my interest has always been in cars). The Grey GTV was actually on the show stand and the Green was just sitting on the side (sold). So, I decided that I would get one as birthday present to myself which is October 9th. HOwever, I remember the dealer said they were going to be in limited production.

On a Saturday morning after the gym and I just drove by walked in just to make sure they had them. Again, there were two one of them sold. The dealer had one left in the back. I slept on it because I thought that is an outrageous price for a scooter.

The next day I bought probably the second to last Portofino Green. Everyone stares and comments. It has a real classic look.

Long story short...JUST DO IT. Like Nike.

i am totally in a similar spot. i have never had a Vespa before so I was thinking really hard about going for a used GT200 or GTS. Then I went to the dealer and saw the GTV. And I love it. Absolutely love it. Am I stupid for going new and expensive right from the start? Should I just go for a used one?

Back in February I saw the avio gray GTV and knew that was my bike. I debated like hell whether to sell my '06 GT and get the GTV, sell my GT and get a GTS, or just wait patiently a few more years for the next big model. I went back and forth by the hour, but eventually decided to sell my GT and buy the GTV. Yes, it is a crazy excess to pay, but I'd be lying to say that I regretted the decision. My wife and I love the GTV, and everyone else around here thinks it's a gorgeous scoot. You can't go wrong with that bike.

Before plunking over the cash, I highly suggest you spend some time in the seat. (It's been said before, and it will be said every time the topic is brought up.) I'm a relatively short 5'6", so the seat fits me like a glove. But for taller riders, it's a pain in the ass. If the seat seems like it's going to be a problem, you might want to go for the GTS. That monetary difference between GTS and GTV is mostly all seat cost...it would suck for you to buy the scoot only to hate the way the seat rides...then you're stuck shelling out even more $$$ to replace it with a GTS seat.

Anyway, just my $.02. Not stupid to me. I started out with a GT (when that was the most expensive model available) and don't regret it one bit.

I got a ET4 and GTS and live at the beach (hard on scooters). The ET4 sits outside, covered, and the GTS (month old) lives in a storage units a few miles away. If I want to ride the GTS I ride the ET4 to the storage. I dont like the ET not in a garage but what the heck. I couldn't have the new GTS sitting outside getting all thrashed. I would say keep the ET4. You wont feel "as bad" when its snowing and raining. Also I thought I would not like my ET after getting the GTS. But I think I like it more now. The GTS is not better then the ET, its just different.

Follow your heart - you'll never regret it.

True story - I was in at Vespa SF buying a replacement GTS (my son having destroyed the first one - another long story) and my wife came in with me. She already had a silver GT, but the minute she clapped eyes on the Portofino green GTV, she was smitten. Had to have it.

So they sold two scooters that day! It is a great looking machine. (BTW, she named hers Elpheba, after the wicked witch.)

You're a godsend! I've been trying to convince my wife into getting her own Vespa...every time we go to the dealer, she half-eyes the light blue LX 150's but always says "nah, not now." With her being a huge fan of the musical "Wicked," all I have to do now is dangle a portofino green LXV in front of her and say "don't you want an Elpheba of your own?" It's bound to work.

Go for it (GTV) AND get an indoor space for it...I just can't bear the thought of it getting scooped up by a snow plow in 57" of snow!

You only live once. Live without any regrets.

Don't spend wasted time second guessing yourself - shoulda coulda woulda.

Do it.

I would say go for it, but definitely check the seats. I like the GT/GTS seats a heckuva lot better. If the seat is the deal breaker on the GTV, ask the dealer if they have a stock GT/GTS seat anywhere, or if they would swap one. I am sure they woudl love to put a GTV seat on a GTS/GT for someone else

Anything I can do to help, my friend...

OK folks...

Earlier today...


R

You did it GREAT!!! And you look happy on it.

...all that and the women on the street can't keep their eyes off you!

Congratulations! And you got my color..... You will have no regrets. I must say I'm a little jealous. As a native New Yorker (transplanted to San Francisco), I would love to ride my GTV in Manhantan. Maybe we can do a trading spaces. When you come to SF, you can have mine for a day and visa versa.

It looks like your in the Village. Have a great time and park it at Washington Square Park and take pictures.

Whoa...less than 12 hours later! Very impressive decision making style. I left a business card for a dealer in RI that has one on the floor and have not heard from him in 4 days! I guess business is good, because I'm ready to buy.

You made a great decision, enjoy.

Well, a minor glitch...engine light got stuck on today as well as the fan and brought it back to Vespa Soho...they fixed it while I waited, (lose cable they said)

...but then it broke down on the way home! Yow!

I pushed it back to them 12 blocks away, arrived there in perhaps slightly less then my normally cheery demeanor ...and they decided to send it in overnight this time. They seamed pretty immune to my grumbles, but I guess like most mechanical things there are sometimes a few bugs to get out.


I will say that I did sit and admire it's green glow for about an hour while I waited for them to muck around with it. She is a beautiful bike.

So...I await it's return tomorrow I hope...at this point wishing it is just a few 'growning pains' and I'm zipping around like a WASP again tomorrow!


zzzzzzzooom,
Rich (put put puttttt)

Got my GTS back at 6pm today and rode for four hours, here there and everywhere!

All I can say is that I'm still smiling now.

Thanks everyone for the last tiny 'push' I needed to make a decision I have no regrets about at all. What's more, virtually each time I park it, some asks me if it is a 'vintage' Vespa...which is the best question I could be asked...I'm lovin' my green goblin!

So...perhaps this weekend I will pop the freeway cherry and take it out of the city for a 'tour' of the burbs.

ride on,
R

Beauty of a scoot!

Congratulations on the purchase!

Will we get to see it tonight at the Monkey?

Personally I think the limited production GT60 was the best-looking of the lot, much nicer than the grey GTV. In any case, I'm 6'1" and the seat was a complete dealbreaker.



Congrats on your purchase. Now just need to mount a nice Givi box and you're all set. Just kidding

Glad to hear you got it back so quickly. I know that was a huge bummer for you to have to put it in overnight after just picking it up, but at least you got another full lookover from the mechanics. A little more piece of mind eh?

What was wrong with it when it broke down and you had to walk it?

The GT60 gray just doesn't have much flair to me...especially for it being a limited edition. It's a great looking scoot, don't get me wrong, but I think the avio gray and portofino green really come to life in the sunlight...the colors pop...whereas the GT60 gray just kind of looks like a hunk of metal. Just my opinion, though!

I think Rich made the right choice with the portofino green. Can't wait to see more pics.

The first problem was the temp. sensor wasn't getting a signal. That was a 'lose wire' they felt.

The second problem was the engine wasn't getting spark. They replaced some wires and the spark plug cap. They didn't really give me the run down on all that was replaced, but they also did not seem to be surprised by the problem.

Anyway, looking forward to a nice scoot soon...!

ciao,
R

Great choice on a scooter and on the colour! Nice and efficient you are with your decision making, I like that! Sorry to hear about your glitches early on, but it sounds like all is well now with your beloved new Vespa.

There seem to be an awful lot of bad/loose spark plug wires/caps with the new bikes. Mine died the same day I got it. It had a loose connection between the spark plug wire and the cap. (I'd checked the cap to the plug connection.)