Modern Vespa

Hi folks,
Just wondering if anyone has any experience of this tuning kit for a GTS 300?

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/products/racing+cylinder+polini+power_p1400224

Interested to hear about performance and especially long term reliability.
And would there be any other upgrades needed to cope with the few extra bhp?

Cheers.

I saw that on the Polini B2B site. I'm not sure it's being delivered to dealers yet, because they they are also showing it out of stock.

What made me take notice is that according to Polini, the kit also fits the HPE engine.

Here is what Polini said about it when it came out:

POLINI KIT FOR VESPA 300 GTS - PIAGGIO BEVERLY EURO 3 and 4:
POWER EXPLOSION
With the help of the technology used for the Formula 1 engines, Polini Motori has
designed a new cylinder kit that wants to be a point of reference for Piaggio 300
engines tuning.
Thanks to the special barrel made of steel with Nicasil coating and to the "HTR" ring
(High Turbulence Ring) it has been possible to increase the bore to 77mm, bringing
the displacement from 278 cm3 to 294cm3: an incredible explosion of power for your
scooter engine.
The cylinder kit can be installed without any modification to the crankcase and to the
original head.
Exclusive detail in the scooter market is the "HTR" ring that above improving the
squish effect, it allows a larger supporting surface of the head gasket, granting great
reliability of this part.
The piston has a wider skirt to resist to the side shifting generated by the coil; the
combustion chamber, machined from the piston top, has been designed to have the
best compression ratio with wide squish lines that match to the original head.
The CDI has two curves specific for the different tuning steps: the first is proper to be
installed with Polini Hi-Speed, cylinder kit and original muffler; the second one with
Polini Hi-Speed, cylinder kit and Polini muffler.
With the new kit the performance is tangible just from the first rpm and the engine is
powerful at all the rpm.
The cylinder kit comes with plug and play CDI and the wirings to be connected to the
original system without any modification.
Item 140.0224
100% Made in Italy
And here's what they say it fits:
VESPA: VESPA 300 4T GTS, GTV (M454M) - VESPA 300 4T GTS, GTV E4 dal 2017-> (MA33M) - VESPA 300 4T GTS, SUPER HPE E4 dal 2019-> (M4A36M)
PIAGGIO: BEVERLY 300 ie TOURER - MP3 300 - CARNABY 300 - BEVERLY 300 ie 2010/2014 - BEVERLY 300 ie E4 dal 2017-> - MP3 300 E4 dal 2017->
APRILIA: SCARABEO 300 SPECIAL ie - ATLANTIC 300 - SR 300 MAX 4T ie - SPORTCITY STREET 300
DERBI: RAMBLA 300 ie
PEUGEOT: GEOPOLIS 300 i (PIAGGIO)
GILERA: NEXUS 300

Bore comparison:
Polini: 77mm
Malossi: 75.5mm
Piaggio 300: 75mm
Piaggio 250: 72mm

Also, not available for the 250 motors... Looks like I may need to upgrade.

Do you really believe there is a world where they get to make that and nobody else is going to respond?
Polini also came out with the first big bore kit for the Primavera/Sprint and for the Vespa GT 200. How did those work out?

I'm going to say what Bill Dog might. Why upgrade a BV300 when there's a BV350. I'd like to try a BBK for the 350, but if there was current BV500, duh. Now if those Honda Assholes would bring the X-ADV to the U.S this would all be moot. But, NO. Honda wants to sell us a Forza that looks like an X-ADV.

If need to get to somewhere 10% faster you shoulda bought a house 10% closer?

I wouldn't buy a kit until there's real world experience. So I would encourage everyone to buy this.

Well at least it gets the 300 closer to 300. Not 275.

What if you live on the coast and the place you want to get to faster is an island? Huh? huh? What then, what then? Gotcha... Where's your smarmy comeback or snippy retort to this inscrutable logic? That's what I thought. We'll address the rest of your post in due time (cue sinister music).

Why was Dog Bill redacted? Maybe he was simply taken aback

Are there scooter pirates between me and the island?

^ Carlos Bandana?

Wasn't taken a back.

Even when I'm not here people are trying to get rid of me.

Bill x

... I perceived a presence ... ethereal yet real.

Can I quote you? Wait a minute, I just did.

You might be able to bore out the small end of the connecting rod, or cut off the small end of a 300 connecting rod and weld it onto your connecting rod.

Uploaded the installation instruction and press release information taken from Polini website

Up to 27 cv...Euro 3 has 2 less hp against Euro 4 than wider valves.

Because it goes to 11

I agree. If you want to go faster then the easiest route is to buy something faster.

The thing you have isn't meant to go any faster. The logistics of attempting to make it go faster are fun to brag about but the truth is it's a lot of effort for not very much.

A standard BV350 will out perform a tuned BV300 and a similar GTS and a T Max will leave all 3 of them for dead because it's designed that way.

The problem with a BV is that is isn't anywhere as cool as a tuned GTS so owners are more likely to tune the bollocks out of a Vespa because it has more kudos.

Trying to make my pony into a race horse is ambitious but ultimately misguided.

Expensive and misguided.

It's kind of cute though.

Bill x

You can doping the pony and he will run like a horse but then he will fall, you mean that with a scooter the same thing can happen but it is a little different ... doing this thing to a living being is bad, doing it to a mechanical vehicle is less displeasure because only the owner loses it and also because you can resurrect it while the pony does not alive ...
Yes ... it is a point of view but it is who does it that takes responsibility and therefore I say, is it so important? Everyone makes the use of their stuff that they like most and in the end ... if it is the purpose and enjoy which importance does it such as it is achieved?

What is that saying again... 'nothing beats cubic inches'?

The moment Polini supplies are released, one is going into my Sunny.

BD it's so nice to see your posting again. Your point of view is like a breath of fresh air. I feel better already!

Bill, try a ride on a full Malossi rigged GTS300. You will change your mind! When I say fully rigged, I mean with the upgear kit, the variator and the full cylinder, piston and head kit and the Forcemaster 2. Riding it is totally amazing with a hell of a punch in the back. No BV350 will keep with it up to around 70, and I suspect, only then will a BV stay paced with the GTS. I doubt it would over take it. Top speed not too different either. Yet it can cost less to modify your GTS than change out to the BV. Just depends how someone wants to do it. If a dealer does it, it can still work out cheaper to modify your GTS depending on circumstances at the time.

The Malossi doesn't seem to affect the long term reliability of the GTS engine either and it's a very easy mod to do for a tech and not hard for a competent diy'er. I've done one for an ex-customer and the result was stunning. It was my first Malossi rebuild and it only took a day with the dyno run included. It takes a lot to impress me, but I was impressed!

IT GOES TO 11!!!

My Vespa guru told me yesterday that the Polini upgrade kit is now available.
He is putting in an order on Friday if I want one...

Edit: Ordered

A 2019 Vespa HPE will cost me 14-15 times the price of the upgrade kit...

and I don't like the colours.

Post deleted.

Sorry. I sound like a broken record.

Bill x

Exactly Fudmucker. It can make good sense to upgrade your older bike and it WILL outpace the newer one with ease.

Ordered.
Chipping confirmation received.
Now the wait...

I have a paint repair to be done and a service as well.
Do the whole lot together, I think.

Very curious on how your modified 300 turns out.
I have many miles on my Super 300, still runs well but the miles add up things are getting worn. For me it would make more sense to Kit it because I don't want to buy another new scooter, will not be painting my scratched and dinged scooter but will do a complete go-over the other mechanicals.
Please keep us all updated on what you all do to your scooter and how it turns out.
How many miles do you have on your 300 now?

I currently have 42000 kms on the clock.
She still goes well, but I would like some more grunt.

Then you have to put a sticker with the text "Modified by Polini" otherwise the other will think that his has a mechanical problem.

Yeah...lol.

Modificato da Polini ?

Yes ... as a warning.
Cioè...se sorpassi un 300 con una 250 e lui non riesce a riprenderti può pensare che la sua Vespa abbia dei problemi.

So I only need a sticker on the back then, Attila...

Yes and... maybe Italians think they are good mechanics and great lovers but they are more likely to give only good advice but these days it is already something.

My fully kitted Malossi 250GTS runs very well. Drop in behind someone that's rolling on the freeway and triple digit indicated speed comes easy, and it will run 80+ all day long. I rode it a lot immediately after modding, but haven't had the time the past few years. The increase in displacement helps, and it seems to breathe much easier. If I found myself only having one bike, the GTS would be my keeper. It's easy to ride and park, handles brilliantly, very stable at speed and has been completely reliable. Blowing by folks on the motorway always gets the WTF look, and hanging behind someone cutting a hole in the wind is a hoot. I've also upgraded the suspension (Malossi) and bushings (Clauss Studio), tires, exhaust to Akrapovic with a SIP exhaust stub, lighting to ScooterWest's LED kit and Brembos fore and aft. I'm also running a Vespa short screen. It's a sleeper, sporting the stock rear rack, front bumper and crash bars. I've contemplated purchasing a 2020, but waiting for compatible brake, variator and engine tuning options. As I understand, they're limited in speed by the variator and speed limiter?

Only for reasons related to anti pollution standards.

Easily overridden by fitting a Kubler rear wheel sensor ring. Increases top speed by about 10 kph, I believe. That's the very first mod I would make if I had one. Not that I travel at those speeds much, but it is the principle of the thing!