Modern Vespa

If I venture past my comfort zone (out of the area) I bring a small MSR can of fuel, metric wrench roll, cash and a small tire plug kit. But I know my scoot is in top shape, fully serviced and modern so I don't think about breakdowns very often.

I have a mid-height windscreen and wear ear plugs. And I have decent safety gear. It's been awhile since I've been on a actual far ride though, so my advice seems dated.

It's a clever idea someone came up with to sell gas for $25-40 a gallon.

It's cheaper than a gas can & easier to mount than a plastic bottle
It's sold for small engines as shelf stable fuel, $6-7 per liter, comes in a metal can with a small neck so I don't need a funnel
https://www.homedepot.com/p/TruFuel-4-Cycle-Ethanol-Free-Fuel-6527238/203571144

Idea: can you reuse these cans and fill them up with new gas? Or will it swell up?

The big advantage is the shelf life. it is more of an insurance policy so you don't stress in case you hit the reserve than an extra fuel container.
If you think you are going to be riding in a dry area or late at night for long distances better to take a jerry can with 3-5L or even an MSR with 1 or 1.5L (IMHO)
When I was travelling on the ET Highway I brought a 5l jerry can, used it once but was really happy to have it.
Then again I am one of those people that likes to have the tank full before every ride, fills before it hit 1/4 etc etc.

Found this setup...photo for reference from the blog

http://bumblebeehack.blogspot.com/2014/09/sept-10-upgrading-vespas-ortlieb.html

time to start mocking up! wish me luck

another one :

https://advrider.com/f/threads/homemade-scooter-pannier-rack-for-vespa-gts.901834/

ok - last one for today (lol)

From my days of touring on motorcycles, we had a mantra:
"Fill up whenever fuel is available."

Nothing irks me more than riders in a group who think they can set off on a trip with a half tank, only to find that the gauge is overreading and 50miles (80kms) into the trip they run dry...!

We always start our rides at or near a fuel station.
The ride briefing asks "Who has NOT refuelled now?"
Then we talk about the route, stops and breaks and the final destination.
The last question we ask is: "Who needs to re-fuel?"
Despite two reminders, we still get dumbass riders who run out, despite us planning a first fuel stop under 100miles (150km) away.

The worst I found are BMW Adventure bike riders with those massive fuel tanks.
They don't refuel at a stop when the smaller tank bikes do.
"I've got plenty of fuel!" they say, forgetting that they didn't fill up last stop either...

So to the usual suspect riders we say :
"You may think you know better... you don't. Fill up now!"

If we have a backup vehicle, we carry a jerrycan with fuel.
If not, I tend to carry 5 litres with me, tied down to the battery footwell.

This drives me nuts!

I'll pay $6 not to do that
The cans don't deform from being in a black topbox or direct sun in the summer, I'm sure you can refill
These cans fit in the fork of some fire extinguisher wall mount, offering another possible mounting method

I considered using 1 quart rectangle cans, like paint thinner comes in which aren't as tall & would fit in the pet carrier straight up & down

Plain empty metal cans or gas cans cost more than a can with fuel
If I felt like I needed more range, I would buy the gallon size TF

I have my doubts on this Trufuel. It seems to me very expensive fuel.

In a well closed bottle, maybe such an MSR can as scooter is suggesting I am convinced regular fuel is also having a shelf life of years and you can reuse the can as many times as you like. This is based on my experience with our lawnmower.

Since 10 years we have a robotmower but I still have my gasoline fueled lawnmower and I use it maybe once or twice a year. The fuel for the mower is stored in a 10 liter jerrycan and is at least 10 years old. So far no problem.

But even if you accept you only have a shelf life of maybe 6 months for regular fuel then empty the bottle in the tank and when travelling far fill it up with fresh fuel.

Bill, apparently you've never ridden in eastern Colorado.

On my trip from Maryland to Colorado and back on my kitted LX some time ago, I ran into a stretch of about 130 miles between gas stations, and the only thing that saved me was the two 1-liter MSR bottles I was carrying. When I finally did locate gas in the little crossroads hamlet of Kit Carson, CO, the only fuel available was a single, unmanned pump. Scary!

I will also endorse kitting your scoot to 190cc. Doing so to mine allowed me to cruise comfortably at 65 mph, with a bit of oomph to spare.

Touring on a small scooter is fun... just avoid the interstates.

So what did you wind up buying ?

trim/plastics, screws, tires, general maintenance items...I want to bring it to 100% stock'ish position and start with a blank slate. Only upgrades are mirrors and foot pegs for now. Started looking at racks and storage solutions. Got couple ideas to get more into the scoot without giving it aerodynamics of a brick lol

400s not that bad of a trip, if you're spending the time there and stuff. You'll find that the roads you take to get there that are comfortable with a bike that goes 65mph tops are going to go by much faster than you think and people drive on them faster than the posted speed limit, but in general they're pretty stable. The non expressway highways go by pretty fast, especially on a bike.

The big two you'll have to worry about is staying warm if you're driving in the winter and staying alert in general in what probably will be a lot of city/town driving in areas you're not too familiar with., in the case of the cold don't do the trip in one day unless you have something on that is physically generating the heat you'll be losing, even with a faster bike that's the case.

As for being alert go as long as you're comfortable with your reaction speed and alertness.

Since it's Illinois and Wisconsin you'll probably be fine in the case of a breakdown if you have good roadside coverage, and roadside coverage is super cheap on a bike anyways, and the bike won't break down, give it a good rest at the halfway point though

If you add the overbore piston/cylinder, consider an upgear kit as well to keep the RPMs down for engine longevity.

Good point! I have the upgear kit on my kitted tourer.

Thanks for the inspiration for my next ride briefing..."Don't be a dumbass!"

Covers a lot of territory.

Many years go I rode 620 miles in a day on my Vespa GS150, My tips are to wear loose clothing, and if you don't have a full face helmet apply plenty of sun-tan lotion and lip ice. I arrived in Cape Town with white upper face, brown cheeks and chin and bright red nose!

Saw the s150 looks pretty sweet.
I would think the rear luggage rack is a must for long trips. If Greasy has some good advice and something available I would surely take him up on it.

With no highways, and a max speed of 60mph you are looking at a minimum of 7 hours in the saddle. Going through small towns with lower speed limits traffic, stop lights and 45 on lake Winnebago. Probably looking at 10 hours maybe more including rest stops, gas, lunch, map checks, etc.
Do you have a usb plug on the scooter ? or portable charger power bank ? cellphone with earbud headphones ? (block the noise and listen to Waze if necessary)
Full face or modular helmet?
May go through some rain. (it is Wisconsin)
Rain gear including boot covers keep you dry and warm in case it gets cold. Windstop neck gaiter and neoprene kayak gloves.
Just some thoughts

I would suggest you carry only the essential spanners and tools you need to fix a flat in a tubeless tyre. Choose your favourite system and learn to use it.

(A motorcycle courier guy delivering at our house last week got a flat and had NOTHING needed to repair it. I managed to trailer his bike to the Honda dealer for repair a tubes tyre.)

I recently had my rear tyre replaced on Sunny (my GTS).
To remove the rear wheel you need:
T40 male
17mm spanner
6mm hex (Allen key)
24mm socket
Power bar / ratchet for above
Pliers (for splitpin in the castle nut)
The front wheel just uses the 6mm hex.

I buy extras to take along so I don't split up my garage set.
Touring on my BMW R1200GS, I found that tyre repair places had spanners, sockets and power bar for cars but not the Tork spanners that I needed, so I bought the sizes for the caliper and wheels from the spares outlet next door and then carried them along afterward.