Modern Vespa

It looks pretty good.
Robot has an excellent vid on the topic, touching HPE oil consumption in general too.

This looks like a well designed product: at the end of the vid, ~26 min, Robot shows how to use the sight glass.

As it often is with these, a quick glance is enough. If there is even a bit of oil visible through the glass, you're low, but still at a safe level.

With bikes that have a side stand, I usually just stand next to the bike at the side where the sight glass is. Then I lift the bike just a bit from the stand. If my eyes catch movement through the sight glass, I'm good to go: no need to check the exact oil level... unless I'm planning to ride hundreds of miles without having a break, that is.

If you think the oil cap is in an awkward place you haven't seen other scooters ... and it's not uncomfortable anyway, that's where it should be.

So you haven't yet figured out that forums give a slightly distorted view of reality yet? Lol... You make some interesting points, but not actually representative of the facts, albeit it may seem so to you. Your view is however as valid as anyone else's but would ask you to remember some other interesting arguments against the main thrust of what you are saying.

The GT200's, GTS250/300's are the all time most popular midrange scooters of all time in terms of world wide sales. It was the number one in europe and in the Uk for over a decade and still comes close to that now. The bikes have continually evolved and pretty much have improved and improved. Are they perfect, absolutely not, but they come close these days as Piaggio has learned a lot in the near 20 years they have been in production. The HPE for example is a superb bike and so far after near 3 years in the market place there have been very very few issues. Any issues so far have not been down to bad design but either production issues on some components or just plain faulty parts from outside suppliers. It is after all a considerably different engine to the earlier version and if issues are going to occur it's usually at the beginning of a production run with new tooling etc. As for checking the oil frequently, my Burgman requires the oil to be checked every 500 miles. I check my bikes and cars weekly, it's normal for me and most of my friends do the same. The HPE is not really any different to the earlier bikes in that respect. Personally, I don't think any bike should go 1000 miles without an oil check. As a tech myself I can tell you that oil use is something all engines suffer, just some more than others even if they are the same model or engine type.

I've serviced several GT and GTS bikes over the last 5 years or so, many with very high mileages indeed, and like my GTS of 5 years of age, have been completely bullet proof and totally reliable.

If you take a look at how many folks come onto MV for any reason, it's a really tiny number of owners compared to the number of Vespa GT/GTS's out there. Many come to ask a question or solve an issue. But 95% owners don't come on here because they don't have any issues at all and the bikes, like mine just go and go without a single problem.

Regarding water pump failures. I'm not aware of any intrinsic issues around that component. Pumps last roughly between 40-60k on average if the coolant is changed on time but like timing belts and their tensioners and water pumps on cars, it's a consumable and will need changing out at some point. But there is the rub, some owners don't change out the coolant on time and the pumps suffer leading to earlier failure. Head gaskets can suffer too if the coolant is not changed out regularly too.

Overall the GT/GTS (including the HPE) motors are superb engines, tough and very reliable. If you know the facts it's the only conclusion you can reach. Thanks for posting you view, it's an interesting one.

Too bad the guy who bought a GTS in each color's not around. Youe sales would go through the roof!

Funny, I was thinking the exact opposite just the other day….

Imagine trying to remember if you had checked the oil or not in each one!

A Vespa of course.

You should PM Jet Peddler for advice, he is very knowledgeable in such matters, and lives in your neck of the woods.

I'll bet he named his Vespas with days of the week....

Questa qui non la fermi mai. ( You never stop this Vespa. )

In my area there is a saying: "do not go preach different things in the house of others ...".
As I have already said many times the Vespa is an object in itself, it is different, it has a soul, you buy it first because it is loved as you can love a woman who is not a goddess but who takes you inside ... and you give everything yourself for her.
If she has some problem you don't kill her, you take care of her and you heal her ...
This I say to those who want to buy one, then ... I tell them that if they want an "anonymous but functional scooter" we have them.
I have an anonymous and functional scooter, I can't say that bad about on it ... okay but I never compare it with a Vespa ..!Forgive me, I try to be honest.
And this is all.

cause so many people come on the forum to say "hey everyone! my gts is running great with no problems! ok bye!"

(IRL tho my gts is actually running great with no problems, 12k km in lol)

That user was actually posting from Ukraine.

Or 8 and especially do not under any circumstances mention Windows ME!

I gotta go with the classics and it's Win 2K Pro and Snow Leopard FTW. I also have a soft spot for Fedora but getting parts can be such a pain.

Am I the only one with Win 7?

I had XP Pro (SP3) until a couple of months ago, running in an old version of Parallels on my 2017 iMac. It was the last version of Windows that was supported by the home license of the high end CAD software I was using.

So, no, you're on that newfangled W7 by comparison.

For the CAD (I have an old AutoCAD 2000 license) I use a WinXP Pro virtual machine. I was a CAD / CAM designer in a past life ... I was also programming in CAM Dos ... Pfff ... Hundreds of command lines!

Among the past skills I also have the title of radio technician with glass electron tubes. Something that has fallen into disuse ...

Avatar found here, which was kinda interesting

https://generated.photos/face/neutral-white-young-adult-female-with-medium-brown-hair-and-brown-eyes--5e6889266d3b380006f22adb

I still think they would make a great couple though.

I fully support the OP griping about the GTS. As most have done here on the thread, I think it’s important to address others’ perceptions (real or not), and not banish them unless their thoughts are so distorted that they are universally recognized as incorrect (e.g. “flat earthers”). The OP isn’t maintaining that enchanted dwarves magically build Vespas while adding pieces of metal shavings to some of the engines as an offering to their god, Burgman. So, in terms of his complaints:


1. Did the owner of the HPE do the 600 mile service on the HPE? If so, the engine failure is a warranty issue… If not, it’s neglect. Or if the warranty is expired (unlikely), then did the owner change the oil at the one and two year oil change marks? The GTS requires yearly oil changes regardless of mileage, as do most vehicles. Also, is it possible the shop/dealer accidentally used the wrong oil?

2. My 2015 GTS (15,000 miles) uses oil. I agree that it’s a pain to check/add oil all the time. In contrast, I have had three Toyota cars: a 2005 Corolla (195,000 miles when sold), 2006 Sienna (165,000 miles), and a 2014 Camry (65,000 miles) - I never check the oil between oil changes (required at either 5,000 or 10,000 miles). Then again, I don’t drive the Toyotas WOT on the freeway. I suspect that if I drove the GTS nice and easy, it would burn little oil.

Dude, I was at the Piaggio store when we read your post, we pissed on each other laugh for this a funny simile.

I've owned easier to service vehicles and I've owned some that were outright pigs to service. I rarely change the look of a vehicle, I buy it because I like it and it feeds my vehicle visual soul. I may get a GTS one day. I really like them. If I do I'll treat it like everything else. I loom over all my vehicles. Check oil and tire pressure on a regular basis (old Subaru and new Honda) and give them a general look over. My Liberty has been an outright little tank but I still check the oil and tire pressure on a regular basis. So if I get a GTS one day it'll be because I love the look and I'll live with its so called short comings because I've made it a habit to stay on top of things.

Before I read the second statement, I immediately thought of my Subaru. The easiest (nearly only) way to change spark plugs on my 2002 WRX Wagon, with the coils on the plugs, was to put a floor jack under the engine and lift it just a bit. The boxer engine left the center of the plugs at the exact same level as the weld on the side of the subframe. Lifting it and using two swivels on the socket worked. Barely. And I did it frequently for a while, chasing bad coil packs.

You brought back memories of skinned knuckles and lots of swearing.

I wonder if Vespa will go back to the original engine design like they did with the front suspension?

Jst ntng t th P tht y'r bnd t ngr ppl wh lv thr scts whn y frm pst bt yr jy wth yr sct rnd hvng nt chsn thr sct nstd :P


Hw vry ptty. Thnks fr fnlly pntng ths t. W bck n jnr hgh nw? h h! My &qt;krm&qt; rtng jst dppd gn whtvr wll d :cry:

You can take whatever social commentary you want away from it - but assuming you have read the above thread you'll surely make the observation: I was right about the reactions

Cheers

Ahhh… there’s that old marbles Maloney from the bbs.

You’ve always came off like a stale fart in a confined room.

Welcome back.

you talkeen to me mang?

what is "bbs"? c'mon ole Marbles Maloney wants to know. Big Black Sock? you are projecting again cheekymonkey

Settles back for some entertainment...

Why is it whenever someone points out the issues of Vespa scooters that so many take it as a personal attack? The fact of the matter is Piaggio charges a premium for their Vespa line and for that premium people expect a bulletproof scooter. The OP research did not match up with his expectation, so he posted about it. OP, next time you might want to consider sprinkling your post with sunshine and rainbows.

OP, may I suggest a Japanese or Taiwanese brand? They are generally less expensive and are known for high quality and reliability. Sure, their styling may not be as chic as the Italian brand, but since quality and reliability is what you are looking for you might find something there to your liking.

I am on board with this statement. Lots of thinskins around here.

Tu quoque, Brute, fili mi!

If you don’t know, then it would be a waste explaining it to you.

And no I’m not talking to you. Please try to keep up at the back. I know that reading comprehension can be difficult.

booger has been ejected from this topic

While I’m amused that booger doesn’t know the reference to “bbs” (while simultaneously accusing us of having thin skins) I am in general not in any mood to see where this thread is going. I’ve ejected booger, and I would like to admonish everyone else to behave.

Thanks.

I think people who expect a bulletproof scooter are probably better served by buying a Honda. The thing is, though, that people aren’t buying a Vespa because it’s bulletproof. They’re buying it because it doesn’t look like a Honda.

I am sat in my garden on a warm night having had a few beers and I have read this thread and I can say I have no idea what it is about but I think that must be a good thing. :?

Just for the record, some of us love our Vespas because we actually fit on them.

I know it sucks to not reach the ground, but it's just as bad smashing your knees with the handlebars....

Ah, man... I was just settling in with an adult beverage hoping for a fun read. Bummer.
At least the margarita is ice cold and tasty.