Modern Vespa

Right now there are four, FOUR! Threads on just this first page dealing with having lost the only key for a scooter or top box. It is very common when buying a used scooter for the original owner to provide you with only one key(not going into the whole red/blue key problem.). So you ride off all fat and happy for weeks or months and then lose the key, or lock it under the seat, or lose it in the divorce proceeding, or whatever. At that point you will have the thought, "l wish I had bought a second key."

So here is the message:

GO BUY BACKUP KEYS FOR EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW! KEEP THEM SAFE.

I really wonder about having the chip in the key thing. I mean, has this kept even one scooter from being stolen? It seems to be nothing but a hassle. It would be so easy just to get a key copied. On the other hand - I always have three or four keys for my truck as I have locked the keys inside occasionally (brain fart). I also have worn out 2 so far.

I imagine it's stopped at least one scooter from being stolen. While yes it is a hassle it's not THAT much of a hassle if you plan accordingly. I would also be VERY hesitant in buying a used Vespa without the brown key. At the very least it would be a very big bargaining chip when it came to price. Personally I would never own a vehicle where I only had one key to the ignition if not simply for the brain fart scenario.

One thing I really would love Piaggio to do is have a universal key like BMW and many other brands where the ignition and top case are the same key. That I find very handy.

Might seem like a stupid question but how are so many Vespa's stolen and ridden when they come with immobilizers and chipped keys etc. I am not up with all the modern gizmos they use but would have thought it would have made it near impossible to steal. Other than lift them in a van

That would be the main way. The other option is break the steering lock and then simply have someone push you. I've seen videos of thief's using another bike to propel someone on another scooter.

In the U.S. at least, most thefts are two or three guys in a pickup or van and the scooter's gone in 20 seconds.

When I bought my used van from a dealer I told them I would lose sleep at night if it only came with one key. She threw in the second key fob for free to get the sale. Price of the key fob and to program it to the ecu would have been $250 which you can't do with only one key and no dealer.

It's just like "The Matrix", only the red key gets you back in the Matrix. 😉

It's easy and cheap to to have the lock on a Vespa top case rekeyed to use the ignition key. I did mine the first week I had it.

I think the reason they don't do it from the factory is that the case is optional and sold separately from the bike and they don't know which box is going to end up with which bike.

I was able to use dremel and simply grind the last pin in the top case cylinder. Now it opens with the Vespa ignition key.
Remove cylinder
insert ignition key
grind the raised pin down flat
reassemble cylinder

True but other makers do it and they also don't know which accessory any owner is going to buy. How do they do it? Really it's just a value add premium brands like BMW offer. While a Vespa is a premium scooter in its class it's still pretty inexpensive when compared to other brands. I think the cheapest BMW costs more than the top Vespa.

In order to prevent theft my dealer installed the Piaggio alarm. It operates with the fob on my 2018. It chirps once when activated so people know it's armed and chirps twice when I deactivate it. Lights flash in sync. It has its own alarm and works fine except it's not sensitive enough. Dealer says there's no sensitivity adjustment. Is that true, Isn't there a motion detector that can be adjusted? I've lifted it and tilted it but no alarm.