Modern Vespa

Hi all, I am new to this forum as am just just entering the wonderful world of Vespas - pleased to meet you all!

Wondered if I could draw on the fantastic knowledge here please - having carried out my research, and put a bit of money aside, I have settled on getting one of the Vespa GTS 300 HPE bikes, likely in August/September this year. I have always coveted Vespa owners, but have never decided to take the plunge until now.

My dilemma is really about whether the Supertech is worth the extra money over, say, the GTS 300 Super alone? I am a bit of a gadget geek so love the idea of buying the Supertech and it being 'future proofed' with the connectivity to helmets, gps on board etc, but all this is still via the Vespa app - I have this morning seen that you can buy a very fairly valued TomTom Vio GPS that clips on your wing mirrors, has a far better GPS interface imo and still offers the phone caller info etc. and option to answer calls/receive directions into your BT helmet? As such, would I be right in thinking you could effectively just upgrade a normal GTS 300 Super to have the same features?

I'm not too worried about the cost difference but would obviously like the best value - will be buying on a HP deal with a large deposit, just for cash flow reasons!

Thanks all in advance, and look forward to using this forum much more over the coming years of enjoyment in the Vespa community.

Welcome (I am an intruder without a Vespa), if you want to keep your vehicle for a long time, buy the best version immediately, the value over time will be kept longer. The HPE is even more powerful but more than in speed you will profit in a greater torque that will also allow you lower consumption. Try one on the road before buying it, even renting it.
About the VIA system i don't know what to say, what i know is to have read it on the web.

Thanks very much for your reply Attila.

I think that is the way I am leaning - I do indeed plan on having the Vespa for a long time, and I believe they are also the single best vehicle on the planet in terms of reducing depreciation so I don't see it as a bad investment. Hence the reason I am going for a 0% HP deal in order to ease immediate cash flow and still own the vehicle!

I do like the fully digital dash on the Supertech, and to be honest for the sake of max. £1000 over the other models, for a colour I like better and for a more future proofed machine, I think it is probably worth the extra £20 per month or so cost over my finance period.

Either way, both the old and new GTS 300 machines look absolutely fantastic and are so well regarded by most, I just cannot wait to be an owner and will of course be taking one of the 24bhp hpe engine versions on a test drive as soon as I can get to a dealer!

Yes I'd say spend the extra to get the better scoot. My only issue with it is the engine is gen 1 of the product.

The other option is to kit a standard 300 and it will be arguably faster. That adds more cost and is probably not something you want to do out the gate.

Thanks for your reply also mate - if I am honest, I am not buying a Vespa to be a speed demon, or go on motorways very often at all, so I think the 24bhp is going to be more than enough given what I read about its increased torque and hence acceleration, and also the top speed. No need on this bike to make it any faster I don't think!

It's probably also worth saying though at this point that all new GTS 300 HPE bikes are the same, other than for trim and other spec, so I would be getting no difference in engine or bike per se, just mainly a digital only cluster and other styling parts.

I bought a new GTS last week, the dealer had a supertech but I got the standard model instead. Here in USA supertech is about $600 more expensive.

I have a 2019 Kymco Like 150 with their noodoe dash, somewhat similar to supertech with Bluetooth connection to phone, nav, weather, etc. It was I recall about +$400.

I thought it would be cool and great to have a GPS built in instead of hanging on a clunky ram mount on the mirror stem.

In retrospect it was a waste of money. The GPS is so awkward as to be worthless. The other features are just stupid gimmicks. I tried it a few times then put a Garmin GPS on a clunky ram mount.

The supertech dash is nice in that it shows more data than the standard dash but I doubt it would be nearly as good for navigation as a $100 real GPS. A lot of people use their phone as a GPS. Your phone will also connect to Bluetooth helmet speakers for nav directions and phone calls. You don't need the supertech for that.

Unless you are in love with that gloss grey paint color, I'd pass on the supertech. I really got the Kymco noodoe system because I wanted the white color it is bundled with.

I would go with the simpler model. HPE is nice, but its new. You can probably save some money and get the 2019. But if you get the HPE I would opt for the regular dash and use your mobile phone on a RAM mount or the like. It always feels to me that the gadgety stuff gets old quick and feels outdated soon. The classics endure.

Is it really? My impression is that this is the most recent modification to the Quasar engine which has been with us since 2006, and has been modified many times before.

OK, it's gen one of a modified Quaser engine that hasn't been tweaked in a long time. Why the wait if it is a simple upgrade?

Indeed, if you don't have to look at a screen, you put a phone with GPS under your seat and buy a bluetooth headset to listen to directions. It is less "scenic" but also less expensive (I do this way), easier to update the maps and the device. If you buy the Vespa or the Kymko or any other scooter just to have an accessory technology to show you make a mistake or worse you waste money.
Another story for the scooter, more complex ...
Sometimes even the only "aesthetic taste" comes into play, basically for those who buy Vespa it is more important to own a Vespa.
Important: someone will wonder why i praise a Vespa a lot and i don't have one ... simple, for leg problems i need a scooter with a very flat and low platform.

We used the TomTomVio when we spent 2.5 weeks on rented Vespas in England and Wales a couple years ago. My only regret is than TomTom won't release US maps for it. I'm not sure the tech upgrades in the Vespa dash are worth the cost. If it is like cars GPS the map updates are infrequent and expensive Besides I don't like the color so that would decide it for me.

I would go for the SuperTech just for that grey it comes in.

Every Piaggio bike I've had with an LCD screen has had problems with the display at some stage - and they don't like direct sunlight or excess heat! Worth bearing in mind when considering models...

We could have a long conversation about the grommet on my GTV clock I currently have the 4th (5th?) one super glued on. My scoot vibrates a lot when idle after being kitted out and I also find I need to tighten up the top case abut 2-3 a week as well as tighten any screws on it once in a while.

I got my 2020 HPE about a week ago without the screen. I use the QuadLock to mount my phone on the mirror and Bluetooth on my helmet. I had the RAM mount on one of my other bikes and have switched to the QuadLock as it is so much smaller. Very easy to mount and remove... easier than the RAM mount. I don't regret going with a regular Super vs the Supertech, as my phone will always give me multiple GPS app options and already has Bluetooth. However I did consider it and the BMW C400X which had a similar digital screen.

All the techno speedo wizardry will be obsolete long before the scooter gets old, as far as navigation and communication is concerned.

There are some quite hi-end German cars that don't have integrated Nav systems as they expect buyers to already have sophisticated mobiles and will change their mobile at least twice during the ownership period

That being said you can still put the TomTom on a Supertech if there is another reason for choosing that one. Two trip meters can be useful. One for fuel usage the other for actual distance between points.

But a screen (and therefore greater electronics) integrated in the scooter carry a greater complication; my grandfather used to tell me that what is not there (in excess) cannot be broken ...
Unfortunately today there is a tendency to complicate the simplest things only to sell more forgetting that the scooter is born and is successful for its intrinsic simplicity. So let's let the accessories be added objects and let's focus on the scooter as such.
Perhaps it would be time to go back to the origins especially in the mentality, sorry if i look like a philosopher but that's how i think about it.

Not a lot of user feedback on these since they are new. A free opinion here - we have a motorhome that has an "infotainment center" in it, with a GPS (software designed for larger vehicles), satellite radio/AM/FM, bluetooth, compass, outside air temp, etc. It is more complicated than it needs to be, as designers seem to cram in all the bells and whistles. After a couple years, it already feels outdated, especially compared to current phones. I would not spend the money for a built-in system in any future vehicle purchases.

My 2009 GTS is relatively stone simple by comparison. I geek it up with a phone mount, USB outlets, and a camera mount. Easy.