Modern Vespa

In the most absurd way my love, my Vespa GTS300 turned down while I had it parked, I had only gotten off to buy something in a store, and suddenly boom!

My mistake? use the side stand instead of the safe and recommended easel. Now I have to repair it, but here in my country, I don't think there is enough technology in straightening and painting for the result to be satisfactory. What I can do? do you think it will stay the same? thanks for your comments.

Welcome to MV! I hope you decide to hang around once your question is answered.

The suicide stand strikes again! My sincere condolences. I have a dent in my scoot because someone's stand collapsed and toppled their Vespa into mine. I'd go decal shopping and check it off as a learning experience.

Thanks Guzzy but I can't see it like this ... I must repair it immediately. I had never dropped it, it was my first time in my 5 years as a Vespa user. You don't know how I'm feeling

Ouch! That's a big dent! Hard lesson learned.

Should be repairable, but I guess depends a lot on location. Too big for a sticker...

Trust me, I do know how your feeling. The repair can be done to your satisfaction, it just a matter of money and time. Ask local dealers for shop recommendations. Maybe a Vespa club will have some connections to a good shop. I'd bet a shop that specializes in vintage auto restoration would know who to go to.

Thanks Guzzi... I will try to repair it here.

Greetings from the middle of the world.

Exactly... too big for a simple decal... also my scooter deserves something better... is not a chinese cheap scooter.

The first time my scooter fell over, I was parked in a dirt parking lot, and it began to rain, and one leg of the centerstand sank more than the other, so over it went. It's easy to feel upset.

I hope you can find a good body shop. I don't know if scooters are any trickier than cars to work on. My desire to fix a dent has never exceeded my desire to save money.

In the meantime, I would put some touchup paint or clear nail polish on those scratches to keep the rust from starting.

And just tell yourself that it is now that much less likely to be stolen.

I've seen some photographs of some really battered old Vespas that are clearly still loved and used.

Welcome to MV from Latina, central Italy.
Unfortunately that is a job for a body shop to do ...
The band underneath must be disassembled and the beaten part must be hit with body shop tools until the correct curve is recovered, then the grouting work is done.
If you want to do something nice you can paint the part to be repaired green, paint the central part white and leave the healthy side part in red ... It will be very Made in Italy style.

That is heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing your experience. We can all learn from it. I hope you can find a good body shop. It is amazing what a good one can do.

Isn't the side stand on the other side?

Scooter shops seldom do body work anyway, so this is really a job for one of the more skilled auto body and paint shops. Obviously I know nothing about services available in Ecuador, but surely there are some auto body shops around.

The right fix for this is a hammer and dolly. It takes some skill, but this is an excellent learning opportunity.

This Amazon link won't help you in Ecuador, but it will give you an idea of the kind of tool you need. They're not expensive.

Hammer and Dolly Set

You will find many body work videos on YouTube. Here is one example:

How did it fall off the side stand onto the right side? Was there someone nearby who said it fell over and hit his car who wanted money?

Ugh - so sorry this happened to you. Life is short, so first and foremost, don't feel bad about it. Things happen and no one was hurt. With respect to next steps:

Option 1 - Pay a body shop to fix it. Make sure it's a good one that knows Vespa.
Option 2 - Leave it dented. It's nice when things patina, and you will never worry about dropping it again.

Is the right side, the opposite side of the side stand.

If I put my scooter on the side stand (which I never do) and it fell over the other way, I would assume that someone knocked it over. It can't defy gravity. Was it parked on dirt or unlevel pavement?

What did that fall into, a curb? Parking block? The base of a light post? That's a monster of a whack to get creased up like that.

And thus is your friendly reminder that side stands are bullshit.

Use the centerstand. Always.

Could anyone explain please? I've never owned any Vespas, but I have two Scarabeos from the opposite ends of the displacement spectrum: one 2-stroke 50cc and one 500GT a.k.a. Big Beo.

My tiny 50cc Scarabeo has only centerstand. And it easily tipped over after a strong impulse of wind.

My Big Beo has both, but mostly I use side stand. It laid several times from both, simply because that thing is very top-heavy and falls willingly if it is not leaned enough to left while side stand is used, or if it IS leaned a bit while central stand is used. My main problem is this kind of road in my garden, which prevents me from using side stand. Beo can't be leaned enough because the central green part of the road is higher than the dust part, and it falls to the right. If I try to use centerstand, it falls to the side where it is leaned.

So I see no one single advantage of centerstand.

Know exactly how you feel, my Sprint did the same. Went inside and as I came back out I see the bike falling in slow motion onto its right side. No one in sight and no idea how it happened. I was lucky as it missed hitting my bmw car by an inch. Damage was scrapes that got repaired by a mobile repairs guy and there is a small crack in the plastic floor board I have left. Unfortunately took a while finding someone who would work on Vespa bikes but hopefully you will find someone.

I only use the side stand to help getting off bike now....

Likewise I ...
The lateral is used to get off the vehicle and especially when the ground is rough or unstable but ... it can be used on regular and hard ground only if you have the parking brake (on my scooter there is) and with side stand that does not snap off by itself with the spring.

As former resident of Quito and the coast I know there are lots of repair shops that can fix this. I have been gone to long, 5 years, to be able to recommend one, but ask around they are there. Of course, as you know you have to be very, very clear with them how you wanted repaired. Repaired, not "fixed".

unlevel pavement ... exactly what I shouldn't have done. I was stupid ... I know.

sidewalk, the floor would have been good ... but against the sidewalk it was worse.

Exactly... never in my life I will use again the side stand, never!

wow wonderful place... I think that your problem is the ground, is not hard.

On solid pavement, the centerstand of a Vespa is far superior to the bolt-on side stand. Your garden road example is both implausible and an edge case.

A reputable PDR-Paintless dent removal can knock out that dent.

I am doubtful. I mean, aside from the fact that the paint is actually damaged (putting an end to the "paintless" part of Paintless Dent Removal) there's a frickin' crease right up to the edge of the corner of the cowl. That's not going to pop right out.

You would be surprised how many PDR companies I contacted who said they either dont do Vespa bikes or stopped doing them.....

Sorry for your accident. I've always used the center stand on my bikes. My ZNEN has both. I made the mistake one time of using the side stand just to get something out of the driver's side of my car. Because it's a TNG there's no neutral. Out of the corner of my eye I saw it slowly slipping, so I reached out to stop it and grabbed ... the throttle. Spun it right around in a circle and onto its side. I left the scuff mark as a reminder.

Another cautionary tale, I parked the P200E outside the dentist office. It had only the center stand. A short while later someone came in and said "someone's scooter fell over in the parking lot." Guess what. New blacktop. The sun made it soft enough that it sank to the right and fell over.

The Stella has ONLY the side stand on it. I hate it. Soon to be replaced with a proper center stand.

Hope you can get that damaged fixed.

Thanks Friend... the Vespa right now in on the repair store, I hope that will be fixed this afternoon or tomorrow. I will post photos about it.

Greetings from Ecuador, South America

That is a tough break, sorry to see that happen. Hopefully you are satisfied with the repair.

I use my side stand judiciously. Typically on unlevel surfaces, the side stand is effective if leaned properly into the incline (uphill). I keep a steel junction box cover as a "puck" for soft surfaces where the foot might sink into the ground.

I've also modified my side stand to no longer auto-retract. There are great tutorials inline on how to do this and it can be done in about 30 minutes.

The side stands have a well deserved bad reputation, but taking steps to mitigate some of the risks and used carefully as a 2nd option it can be used safely.

... paying attention to very hot asphalt ...
Ciao Crazy C. !

Check these guys cowl covers out/

www.scootermercato.com Scooter-Parts Cowls

+1 always in the glovebox

They used to give those out during bike nights at QS&L.

It seems that I said something obvious but "we" are now experts, observation is useful for "newbies" ...