Modern Vespa

Hey Guys,

Tried searching this but to no real avail, but I am currently still in super paranoid new owner mode with my Sprint, and wanted to ask what everyone is doing when water builds up in the grooves in the foot area?

We got a lot of rain this week, and when it stops raining, I am hysterically going outside to get the water out with a sponge

Does anyone else worry about this? This behavior obviously isn't sustainable, but is there any long term risks of damage / wear to the floor by just leaving the water there and letting it evaporate on its own?

Yes I could get a floor mat but they are ugly lol.

When I first got my scooter I had paranoia about various things. I had to keep reminding myself that this is technically an 'outside toy' that has been built to withstand the elements (to some extent).

I see no fault in wiping water off of your bike after a rain. If you are really concerned perhaps you can invest in a cover?

The floorboard on my GTS is plastic, which I believe is the same for your Sprint. Pooling water should not be an issue. Worst case from letting it evaporate is perhaps some residual dirt or water marks that you can wipe up.

It's plastic. Worry not!

check the coolant.. mightve overflowed and shot some out..

????

Huh?

When I wash my GTS, I hold the brake lever and tip the Vespa left and right to let the water run off the floorboard. Gotta be careful, of course, but it seems silly to go through the effort of washing it only to leave puddles to splash about on your first clean ride.

I bought a floor mat. Don't care now.

Except for the grit that gets trapped under the rubber mat and abrades the paint between the rubber strips? Worse than anything the mat protects from.

You knew someone was going to say that.

I bought the mat to protect the bike from my shoes/boots. It's done a great job. I don'r have much in the way of damage from grit under the mat, but, then again, I do clean under there once in a while.

Umm, first time I'd heard of a water-cooled Sprint.


As for the floor mat....pretty controversial, general consensus is you're better off without one, as they're mostly cosmetic. Save your money for towels to wipe down the floorboards. No, seriously, water's not going to hurt them.

Hahah ok cool, thanks guys!

Rainwater on the floorboards is probably not nearly as much of a concern as rainwater in switches and electric connections. My suggestion would be to get a cover if you routinely park the scooter outside in the rain.

I was just looking at water between the rails on Becky yesterday...

While I don't share the OCD approach of the OP, I do wonder why there are no drainage channels to let the water out.

When I was doing a lot of motorcycle touring on my BMW R80/7 and R100S, I deployed a repurposed strip of ripstop tenting material from a cheap tent that got a hole burned in it by a campfire. I made a stip a little wider than the seat and as long as the bike from the handlebars to the top box. The front end was shaped for having the wheel in the locked position. I incorporated nylon tape in the long side seams to fix it to the bike.

When I settled the bike after a ride, would roll out the protector and suspend it over the length of the bike, tying the tapes to the mirror stalks and the rear luggage rack. It clearly was not good enough for a decent Highveld thunderstorm, but it was most effective against the heavy overnight dew we get on colder evenings and mornings. In the morning, my camp mates would be out drying off the seats to their bikes, while mine was dry to start with.

The dew strip rolled upto about 40cm (18") wide and 7cm (3") thick. If I were to make one again, I would compact it by putting ties in the short end seams only, as the long side seams took up the bulk of the volume when packed.

Sorry, no pics of my little dew protector...

If I were to make one for the Vespa, I would probably use a diamond shape with two opposite points cut off. With ties in the two ends over the bars and rear rack or topbox, the pointed ends could have ties to secure it under the belly to prevent wind taking it away.

That should have been your first clue..

I found that most of these issues in my life, simply disappear when real problems do arise...

Happy riding..

Water doesn't bother me but lets talk about sand!

OP, Have you considered a cover?