Modern Vespa

Hello everyone. Just found and joined the group. Looking to do research and learn more about Vespas. Would like to buy one once I know a little more. I'm leaning toward the GTS300.
Can someone point me in the direction where I can find specs or write ups or info in general and pricing?
I live in Northwestern NJ and am into aviation. Would like one to race around my local airport when not flying.
Thanks. I hate being a newbie…

Welcome newbie.

If I wanted to find out similar info on aircraft, I would look on the internet.

Happy browsing...!

Hi (from just south of you on the Jersey Shore), and welcome. As far as learning more about Vespas, coming here is a good start: check out the FAQ and Wiki here for openers.

so I have a vespa GTS super 300 and love it. But realize it was my first and only two wheeled vehicle. I have had it about 10 years. After having taken my motorcycle class and passed, which you should do if you have not I used the internet to review what I should get. I had actually wanted a motorcycle but my wife had read something about Vespas and after researching them I decided that was what I wanted. I went to a few dealers, test drive the 50, the 150, and the 300 and decided on the 300 and have never looked back. It is a gas to ride, powerful enough for the highway(which I am not fond of when on the Vespa) and just love it. You will find this forum a wealth of info as there is a lot of knowledge and experience here. Best of luck.

Thanks Larry - I appreciate the reply. I have been riding motorcycles all my life, but I have no experience with scooters. I started my research on the internet like everyone does, which led me here.
I checked out the FAQs and WIKI, but didn't see anything around specs or attributes of one version versus another. I will keep looking though.
One would hope that when someone new wants to learn more about a subject or item, the experts would chime in with specific ideas just like you did.
Thanks again

The wife and I ride 2021 Vespa GTS 300 Supers and love them. I also ride a 2005 GT 200. We moved out of northwestern NJ last year. We lived in Lebanon Township for over 25 years. We used to ride our scooters to the Sky Cafe in Pittstown. If you do decide to get a Vespa, you have to ride to Hot Dog Johnnys in Buttsville. There's nothing more fun than cruising scenic Hunterdon and Warren counties on a big Vespa. Good luck!

Small world. I fly out of Sky Manor where the Sky Cafe is located. Been to Hot Dog Johnnys as well. Love the area!!
Where did you get your scooters?

We actually bought our GTS 300 Supers new at a Vespa dealership in Richmond, VA, close to where we live now. When we lived in NJ, my wife had a Genuine Buddy 170i and I rode a Vespa 2005 GT 200. Both of those scooters were bought used on CL. My best advice to you is to look for a low mileage, late model GTS on FB marketplace. They pop up all the time in NJ and sell for significantly less than a new one. I found a very low mileage GTS 250 last year in south Jersey for my sister-in-law. I ended up getting it for her for $3k. The bike was immaculate and serviced regularly. This time of year is a great time to find lower priced scooters in NJ. If you wait until spring, the prices will go up substantially. Good luck!

Since you're an experienced motorcycle rider, the "unknown" to you is how a Vespa compares to a typical motorcycle. I first looked at scooters when a deteriorating hip made it too painful to throw a leg over a motorcycle. Scooters were my wife's suggestion, and I have to admit I was not immediately onboard. Like many motorcycle riders, I thought the scooter experience would be, somehow, less than riding a motorcycle. I was really wrong.

After decades of riding mostly big road bikes, I found out how easy and fun it is to ride a scooter. I was hooked after that first ride. I thought shifting was an integral part of what I enjoyed about riding, but it turned out to be insignificant... the rest of the riding experience is still there: leaning, accelerating out of corners, the agility, the sights, the smells, the wind. It just so happens that moving the scooter around in the driveway or when parking is a breeze. I thought a couple of the BMWs I had were "flickable"... riding the GTS brings that to a whole new level, while still having surprisingly good road manners.

No, it isn't going to feel as stable on the highway as an 800 pound bike made for touring, but it is even more fun in the twisties... and that is the riding I enjoy the most. We are done with cross-country riding (we haul our scoots behind our motorhome to get to the best riding), but are having even more fun with day tripping.

I had concerns about "those 12" wheels"... that disappeared after the first ride. The Vespa designers have done a remarkable job in creating a bike that does so much more than the uninitiated would think.

We first bought a pair of Honda PCX 150 scooters: 14" wheels, Honda reliability, modern style. After 5 years of that, the Vespa curiosity got the better of me, and I bought a used GTS 250... thinking that if I didn't like it, I could easily resell it and not lose any money. The GTS gave me that highway speed I wanted, with no loss of the ease of the smaller scooter. My wife opted for a Yamaha Xmax - a very capable scoot that is more "motorcycle like" than the Vespa. In the meantime, a total hip replacement and rehab meant I could toss a leg over a motorcycle again. Instead of another motorcycle, I swapped my 250 GTS for a 2020 GTS 300 HPE. We are riding more with these scoots than with our previous motorcycles.

I am in no way saying that the scooter experience is right for everyone. You'll have to try it for yourself to see if you get the same thrill and satisfaction from riding a scooter. You can read plenty of stuff here and on the ADV Battle Scooters... but for an experienced rider, nothing beats getting your butt on the seat and the wheels on the road. I will admit that since the new hip, once in a while I think about another motorcycle (I've ridden a few in the past couple years); then I get back on my Vespa and appreciate what a good fit it is for me. At first, it may feel odd to not have a gas tank between your knees and that "rip your arms out of their sockets" acceleration. Just kick back and enjoy all the things a scooter does so well.

If you are thinking of a GTS 300, the various models are mostly accessory and cosmetic differences: the motor, frame, handling, and performance are the same. If you are thinking of any of the smaller models, the size/specs will be different. The 300s are highway capable, the smaller models will top out just over 60mph. On the highway, I prefer to run at 65 +/-, so I have a bit more speed if I need it. While there are plenty of people who are riding these scooters impressive distances at whatever the speed limit is, I enjoy a different pace these days. That's what makes this Vespa a good match for me.

Enjoy the search.

If you're just zipping around the local airport I don't know if you need a 300cc to be honest.
Have you looked into the differences between the small frame and large frame Vespas? I think a 150cc would be more than enough if you don't need to exceed 50-60 mph.

I made an article and video a year ago on the differences between the big and small Vespas. You mentioned you were looking for more information on Vespas, this might be helpful to you: https://youmotorcycle.com/vespa-small-frame-vs-large-frame.html

If after checking that out you're still into the Vespa GTS 300, you can check out my review and FAQ on the bike here: https://youmotorcycle.com/vespa-gts-300-first-impressions-common-questions.html

That second link should give a lot of beginner-friendly information, the first link could help you if you aren't sure what size scoot you'd like.

Hope this helps. If you have specific questions feel free to ask. A lot of people in here who know a lot more than me and are always willing to help.

Did you find this page in the Wiki? Model Directory

This is all great information. Thank you all for providing it. I will look into the links
I am still planning on riding motorcycles, but as Adri mentioned, It will mostly be kept at the airport.
One of my buds there has a Honda Gyro and is constantly raving about it and how fast it is yah de yah de yah. He needs to be brought down to Earth a little...

I'm a Vespa newbie after decades of fast motorcycles and was seeking a simple, handy scooter to play with. I enjoy the minimalistic approach of my 150 but may someday move to a throbbing 300.
Try them out at your friendly Vespa dealer near you!

Maybe this site could be helpfull: https://storeusa.vespa.com/gts.aspx
I would expect you find what you are looking for there.

Thanks Adrian - This was great and very helpful. I am in agreement with you about the small frame being the better choice for what I want. Is there a listing out there that shows the current model numbers for small frames? I saw the list from StickyFrog and Peter CC, but I am not clear on which models are small and are more recent like within the past 10 years or so. I don't want my first one to be a project. I'll save that for later.
I thought I saw a list of them show up,but I can't find it now.

I'm not familiar with the list you're talking about, but there is a list for both small frame and large frame models in my article.

Short simplified* answer for Vespas of the last 10 years: Sprint and Primavera 50/125/150 are small frame and GTS/GTV 125/300 are large frame. The Sprint and Primavera are the same except styling and similarly GTS and GTV and Sei Giorno are the same except styling. LX are small frame but are i think just over 10 years

* Simplified: ie ignoring 946

Welcome to the forum. As for finding specs and pricing, if you were to search for " Vespa GTS 300 specs pricing and where I can purchase a new one near Northwestern NJ" I sure the internets will give you tons of info, sifting through it you will find what ya seek.
Ill say this if you have a motorcycle riding license then thats great, if not get one, take the MSF course. The Vespa GTS 300 is around 350 pounds, if thats light for you then thats great if it isn't then you would like getting used to it as you ride it.
It is a solid scooter, requires routine maintenance and generally trouble free.
So do your research and I doubt you could go wrong buying it. Only things stopping you doing so would be price, availability and how serious you are to pull the trigger on it.
Enjoy.

Welcome to MV, the home of friendly, helpful, and entertaining scooter lovers!

My husband and I have both motorcycles and scooters. I can say, without a doubt, the Vespas get the most love. I've put over 7K on my Vespa and only over 2K on my Moto Guzzi. Don't get me wrong, I love my Guzzi, but she isn't as fun as my scoot.

Several of us have YouTube channels. Our scooter club channel is https://www.youtube.com/user/QueenDevilDog/videos.

In no particular order, here are a sampling of other MV member channels:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqIuAJSZVMfRQ_Y3k9UPCOA/videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOfbZqqEpbxzF9LGlR3Bp7A/videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkLEg7bIuUPYxrtXq3ehjiQ
https://www.youtube.com/c/YouMotorcycle
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn2PP_cFscTrdBpFfv9ta0Q

Yeah, scooters are cool!

Even shorter and simpler answer - Sprint and Primavera 50/150 are small frames, GTS/GTV 300 are large frames. The OP is in the US and there are no recent Vespa 125s here.

Forgive me if I prejudged the OP as a pesty tyre-kicker. I have grown intolerant of people who use their first post to ask for everyone's accumulated research and experience on a platter.

I apologise.

If you are truly interested in joining the Vespa Famiglia, I would think that your first Vespa of first choice is a 150 Primavera. I would look for a trade-in at a dealer near you.
At 480 ft AMSL, the altitude at Alexandria Field will not greatly affect performance (unless you are of rotund build like me living at a similar altitude to Denver...) If performance is your thing ("more power") then go straight for the 300 GTS. You won't regret it - unless your legs are really short. Depending on how far you ride from home to the field, you may find that your car becomes superfluous in Summer!

If you just want a runaround at the airport where range is not a pre-requisite, how about an electric scooter that you can simply fold up and carry in the aircraft with you?
Then you could race around the airfields that you fly into as well...

Thank you for that reply. Nice job on the research at Alexandria. I fly out of Sky Manor which is a little further away but similar in altitude (560). Your assessment of the situation is correct in that I want something to keep in the hangar at the field and use it to buzz around and be faster than my buddy on his Honda Gyro. As I said he needs to be brought down to Earth a bit. It sounds like the Primavera 150 may be the right one. I am going to test ride that and a 300 hopefully this weekend.
At 6' and 185lbs, I don't need to worry about leg room.

As for an Electric scooter, I think at some point, that may be an option, but our electrical system in the hangars are a bit outdated. I don't want to keep something plugged in all the time. They are also very heavy. Weight is the enemy in small airplanes.

Thanks again for your and everyone else's input

They were still making LXs in 2014
Also you forgot the S. No one ever thinks of the S

OP: Both small frames.

That particular folding e-bike weighs 25kg...

Thank you so much for these recommendations! Friends, I am currently studying at the university and I have difficulty writing a dissertation. I have one last chapter left to finish. I turned to https://edubirdie.com/dissertation-writers for professional writers to help me structure my work. According to this study, I do not have enough time to ride a bike.