Modern Vespa

I am very close to buying a 2021 GTS 300 Touring model. I see lots of mechanical postings such as a 2015 engine needing replacing (already??) and things about an engine blowing up. How are these things happening?? Same thing happened when I bought a Triumph America. Lots of mechanical issues/repairs, etc, metioned on the Triumph forum. Well, I bought it anyway! Had an igniter box go out and 2 out of 3 years I had a warped front brake rotor. I wish I hadn't gotten ticked off and traded it in! It was a great bike. I got a HD Dyna Low Rider instead. Maybe there is a lesson there! Buy the Vespa anyway and keep it. I am a conservative driver and I do what I know to maintain a vehicle. The new baby will stay in the house for the winter because I have a mud room. I've cleaned the cow dirt and mud out of that room enough so I deserve to use it now for whatever I want! Cows will be gone soon. I don't live where I have access to many dealers so I figure I better go ahead and buy it. That dealer is 180 miles. Other dealer doesn't have a Tourer model but they are only 75 miles. I don't know if any 2021s will show up by Spring so I could miss my chance on getting anything since I prefer this model. Do it??!

Welcome to MV.

You know what we're gonna tell you, right? Go for it.

I think you'll always hear about the problems, but there hasn't been any consistent issues, and IMO the GTS has been quite reliable, with few exceptions.

So, do it, and show us pictures! As for distance from a mechanic, if you have reasonable abilities, there are great YouTube videos on basic (and more!) maintenance which make the work relatively easy. And you have a workspace!

Thanks. They are offering an extended warranty of 2 more years for $540., so 4 years of warranty coverage. Kansas City MO dealership is 'only' 70 miles. Guess I can look up what the warranty covers.

The problem with websites generally is that virtually everyone with a problem posts and few without problems have much to say. I have a '15 GTS. It has performed without fault. No repairs, or other difficulties. Just routine maintenance for 6 years. And there are a heck of a lot of GTS owners on this site so you are getting a good cross section of experiences. The large majority say good things about the GTS.

The GTS300 outsells all midrange scooters here in the UK. It does so because it's very reliable, tough, and good to ride. They literally sell by the truck load each month. Look after it and it will look after you. My 2016 bike has had just one tiny issue and that was a small coolant leak from a hose under the floor. One of the factory one time use hose clips became loose. Fixed easily.

I'm ex-tech and have serviced several of these Vespa GTS bikes. In particular I looked after a 250 and two of the 300's until very recently. All of them had very high mileages on them (the 250 82,000 miles, the 300's 78,000 & 88,000 miles respectively) and none of them had experienced any issues with only normal service and consumable items being replaced. This does include variators, clutches on two of them and water pumps on all of them. These are normal items to expect to replace and cheap to do so.

If you use proper motorcycle oil as opposed to cheap car or diesel engine oil the motors are perfectly capable of getting to 100,000 miles. I had a couple in the workshop that managed to go beyond that.

Well yes ... Even i who do not own it but use it occasionally as a "promotional vehicle" (here some dealers lend selected customers a scooter to those who go to rallies to advertise) and I have never found myself in difficulty.
Why do i have a Yamaha scooter? Because for every day it has qualities that i can't find in a Vespa, i say this because for each of us there are different factors that influence the purchase, even aesthetic ones (then i like the fixed headlight in the bodywork and not that turns with the handlebar).
Endless accessories and infinite customization favor the Vespa, many prefer it for this.
But the essential thing is that a Vespa is The Scooter and the others came later.
Welcome to MV from Latina, central Italy.

Welcome aboard Priscillaj. I came to appreciate the design and reliability with a 2009 GTS 250. In October, at the urging of my wife, I committed to getting a new bike. I looked at the BV350, the Yamaha Xmax, and a couple motorcycles... it was another Vespa GTS that grabbed me by the eyeballs. Mine is a 2020 GTS 300 HPE. I don't think there is much different with the 2021 models.

I have been riding for over 50 years. The GTS does everything I want. These scoots are sold all over the world, and most people who own them would tell you that they are in a class by themselves.

The dealer where I bought mine is 350 miles away... that should tell you something about the confidence I have in the reliability.

Good luck with the decisions.

Very true ... apt expression.

I just bought a 2020 300 supertech and I couldn't be happier. It is definitely an upgrade from my 2007 GTS ie. I'll admit it's nice having a dealership about 30 miles from where I live. If I lived in Marshall I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

Renos in KC is a good place.

Don in KC.

Get the yellow, it's the fastest color.

Well, I don't know if the negotiations went well or not, but I bit the bullet and got a 2020 GTS 300. I was mistaken thinking it was a 2021. And it's December. Good grief! I managed to get a fly screen for 1/2 price from the dealer though. I read about the Faco parts and
went with a Vespa fly screen. I'll try Faco on the back rack. Since my trips will be mostly around town and won't be taking long trips, it should work out ok. I was thinking about my trip on my Sportster years ago when I rode through Yellowstone, and the 'Watch for bear' signs. I was nervous. Don't think I'd do it on a Vespa! I thought the putt-putt of a Harley Davidson would surely draw some critter out of the woods! So, it's all over but the crying thinking I should have worked harder on getting a better deal...oh well. Scooter will stay in the house this winter. I am trying to get out of the 'Lurker' category! And trying to figure out how to post, reply, etc.

Greetings:

Congratulations on the new scooter. I wouldn't sweat the success or failure of negotiations. Maybe you could get a c-note or 2 knocked off with persistent nagging, but the bad feeling you might create among the dealership personnel might haunt you later. Are you really gonna miss $2-300 5 years from now?

Negotiate hard when you're buying a home or a yacht. Scooters not so much...

Thanks for the wisdom! It is genuinely appreciated and so true. So far, my husband says he is just not a scooter guy. HA! He wants a used Shadow for about 1500 bucks! I'll see how long THAT lasts. Usually he has a way of 'appropriating' my purchases....the awesome zero turn mower, drills, ladders... and anything else decent that I buy to make life easier! Or fun.

Greetings:

The acclaimed Robot of ScooterWest has a video highlighting the 2021 features. Different wheels, basically. Vespa sure gets its money's worth of each new generation's tooling. The HPE engine features a modest power gain over the previous generation 300, or uh 278, but neither is a powerhouse. Re: Husband; Hide the key.

I had a Tourer picked out at a dealership 190 miles from my house. I got a bill of sale to get the loan started. Shortly after, a dealer 75 miles away got back to me and offered a sort of better deal but we were comparing a 300 GTS to a GTS Tourer model. BUT it was about $500 less. NO windshield or rack mind you! Where is that $500 going?? duh. That's why some of the agony. My brain doesn't process very fast and it's hard for me to figure out what is/was a good deal. And the 1st dealer asked what it would take to make me 'happy'....I am sure they had their limits, though! So it's what it is.


RE: the husband. I always changed the oil in my Sportster. When I got married and got a Dyna Low Rider, my husband decided he will help. He is used to just 1 plug under a bike (Valkyrie) so he pulled the 1st plug he found. Grey liquid came out. I knew it wasn't oil. He pulled another plug...he felt sure it was the right one. Some other kind of liquid came out, but it WAS NOT oil. There were 3 plugs total if I remember right. SO, after a whole long day, 2-3 trips to a hardware store and 2-3 trips to a HD dealer--for transmission, oil and what else I forget---it finally got done. God bless the mechanic who shared his wisdom. (the manual wasn't great) I knew better than to even start this! When I had my Triumph America something very similar happened putting on the front foot controls. Same husband. After a few miles down the highway, one of them was practically dangling loose. Went home. I have never liked the men in my life working on my motorcycles. One boyfriend I nicknamed 'Ed Quarter Turn More' because I think he always over tightened! I hope I can change the oil/fluids on a Vespa. Sportster was no trouble. Gel batteries , right?? A little less maintenance there. This little bike can stay in the mudroom all winter nice and warm.

Congrats on the new Vespa! The different Vespa models are parts bin (windscreen, rear rack) or color/detail. A couple hundred bucks is not going to be an issue if you got the color you want; it is easy enough to add accessories.

The oil change on the 2020 is easy, as long as you have a funnel you can bend to get it to fit under the rear cowling.

I worked in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks - the speed limit in each is 45mph; your Vespa will be easy/fun if you decide to go back there.

As far as your husband wanting to appropriate your new Vespa: maybe you just need to "girly it up" so he won't want to. Zero turn mower? Let him have it - you can be out riding your new scoot instead.

Since the deal is done, forget about any further negotiations. It is rare to get anything off MSRP plus various fees like freight and set-up. You might get a few hundred off if a bike sits long enough to be last year's model (I'm talking a 2019 currently)... this is an unusual year, though.

Enjoy!

Greetings:

I had a Sportster (2002 1200S Model) as well. Sensible Harley-Davidson to have an actual HOSE protruding from the dry sump tank. The hose is clamped to a bung on the frame. Loosen the clamp and the hose is your funnel to the catch basin. Brilliant! The transmission oil - separate from the engine - was another story.

I really, really wanna know what color this bike is ! ! !

Congrats! I love my 2020 HPE 300GTS!

....it's BLU ENERGIA. I haven't even seen a Vespa in person, or the one I bought. I think it will be highly visible, though. Always good to be seen. I've had 3 motorcycles, and a money-pit Triumph chopper kick starter, and never test drove any of them. Sometimes I'll just sit on the motorcycle I am going to buy just to check the fit. Well, the chopper was in boxes so not much I could do there! That bike was a hoot. Shifting was reversed. I am looking forward to something 'easier' to get around on and to keep the mileage down on my truck. Did I say that my dad used to ride me on his little scooter on the Air Force base when I was maybe in 1st grade? I'd stand on the floor and hold on to the handlebar. Funny how things work out. And my mom wanted to ferry bombers to England during WW!! but ran out of money and couldn't finish paying for lessons, or that's the story anyway. ADVENTURE!

Blu Energia! That's MY color! You will read that others with red or white say theirs is the "fastest" color. Maybe. But, without question, the Blu Energia is the classiest color...







It is a deep blue with silver metal-flake - rich and classy! Congrats, and my compliments to your good taste!

My stock seat was black; I replaced that with a Corbin seat with "brown bomber jacket leather" seating area. Comfortable. (as is the stock seat)

Well, I waited awhile to see if the windscreen would come in, but decided that we have a good stretch of weather and I should go get the bike. It's about 85 miles. It's nice to live in a smaller town. We needed some way to get the scooter out of the back of my pickup so I went to the place where I have bought 2 zero turn mowers. They will unload for us. The owner said 'At least you bought the best!' I've watched some youtube vids so I will know how to drive it at least! Like, hold the brake in and push start , right?? (won't start w/o the brake applied?) Those little things. haha. I don't want to embarrass myself! I've had 5 motorcycles (and lots of miles on bicycle vacations) but still it's not quite the same. yeah!!!!

Make a video of your first ride ...

Welcome and best wishes for a great experience! Most of us here love scooting in any form or fashion, and are willing to advise and share all we know!

It was different! Kind of scary. Doesn't work like a motorcycle at all. I'm starting to look for a lower seat height, or try to get the stock seat reupholstered. There is an award winning car place in town and they do custom mods on cars and maybe they do upholstery. Checking online, too. I don't want to always have to wear a particular shoe for riding. Just be nicer to have the feet a little flatter on the ground. thanks for the cheering on. Everything will be fine!

If new scooter + winter = lots of internet surfing about scooters you might check out https://advrider.com/f/forums/battle-scooters.36/