Modern Vespa

So it's obvious that most here have a Vespa/Piaggio/LML/Genuine or some other variant of Italian scoot and many of you have more than you know what to do with haha. But what else do you ride that has two wheels? Motorcycles, dirt bikes, road and mountain bikes, etc. Show us what else is in your garage besides scoots and maybe let us know which is your favorite.

I'll start things off. I have a 2021 KMT 890 Adventure R, it's my BDR bike and sees a lot of gravel roads lately.






I restored this 1974 Yamaha DT250A Enduro last year, it was an absolute basket case mostly in boxes when I got it but it was a fun project. I love the original Virginia Gold paint. It might be up for sale soon, time for another project.






There are a few small frame dirt bikes in the garage currently as the nephews have outgrown them and I need to sell them. I sent my 2019 Honda CRF450L and 2016 KTM 200 XC-W down the road last year after losing interest in the Honda and our local trails which killed my immediate access to riding the smoker. I'll have another 450/500 soon and should we ever move closer to some of the trail systems in the state I'll add another 300 two-stroke.

Beautiful job on the DT and nice fleet, Tex.

These are some of my girls:



My V-Rod is my bike of choice for anywhere I need to look presentable. Work, social functions, and general shenanigans where 100+ horsepower makes life more pleasant.



If the V-Rod is the hot Saturday night arm candy and a romp, the 650GS is the stable, vanilla, reliable, dependable, faithful good girl waiting for me to call her at home.

She'll be doing a 2,000 km trip in Canada in June, as prep work for a 3,500 km route in Mexico over next winter, and then hopefully shipped to Italy in May/June 2023. Trying to live that mayorofnow life!



In white and black is my Vespa... She's excellent at most of the things my V-Rod is awful at, and awful at at most of the things the V-Rod is excellent at. She's far from stock, though she doesn't look it

I have a few other odds and ends laying around but those are the main trio.

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This Bonneville is my next project. I've been staring at it for 3 months, trying to figure out my exact plan for it. I want to get creative with it, because....

My previous "winter-ish project left in time to be someone's daughter's Christmas present. It was a Sportster parked for 7 years before I got it back to better than new. Basic color-between-the-lines get-it-running-again kind of job. Nothing exciting.



My KYMCO I don't have any pics of at the moment, but it's around there somewhere

What a great diversity in your stable, I love it. I am excited to see what you do with the Bonneville, I've had a few over the years, I was a huge Triumph fan at one point in time and while I no longer own or ride cruisers/standards/sport bikes I still very much love them. I might be able to convince myself to buy another Thruxton/Bonnie in the future.

I've got a 2018 CBR650F along with my 2016 GTV300. They are such different rides and each is fun in its own way.

In addition to two Vespa GTS 300 Supers and my 2005 GT 200, I also cruise around the neighborhood and backroads on my 1976 Bianchi Snark and 2022 Honda Navi.

Fun topic!

What are your thoughts on the Navi, Mopedlar? Thanks man.

Sounds like you'll have some room for a Bonnie when the Enduro goes! haha.
I'm struggling to find what role it fills other than looking pretty and being so easy to ride it feels like cheating, especially the SE trim with the standard smaller mag rims. Good simple machines. Easy to work on. Between 2010-2015 is a nice sweet spot between not having to mess with carbs and not paying too much for the new fancy liquid cooled ones. Could be a good fit between your big KTM and your scoot.

I'm a bad influence, but a good time

I really like it. It's basically a solid 45 mph bike that's great for city riding or backroads. I've touched 50 mph, but the engine is most comfortable at 45. No complaints thus far. Only have 121 miles on her at this writing.

I only recently acquired my beloved GTS. Next to the GTS, I have an LX50 4t.

Those are the scooters.

But my other two wheeled rides are first and foremost a 2020 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE. It's an absolute blast to ride, very comfortable for long distance touring and I love the sound of four hungry Japanese guys coming to life when I start her up.

And then, for local but very enjoyable rides there's the Piaggio Ciao 😊.

Both are completely different to the GTS and they complement each other perfectly.

I'm a one-bike-at-a-time person, at least so far. This is what I traded my GTS for a couple years ago. I needed the option to be able to use the interstate in big cities during rush hour. At the time, 500cc scooters weren't really available here...dammit. I'm still sad that the Scarabeo 500 got discontinued. That was on my dream bike list.

Chesire, I've got 3 of the Scarabeo 500ie's if you need one.

fried okra

YOU EVIL HOARDER!!
If I wasn't chasing something for the Cannonball, I'd be very, very tempted. Finances limit how many vehicles I can have at one time.

I hear 'ya......but I will be around when you need one or want one

I had no idea that those made 40HP, crazy. What do they bring in real world value these days? Book is showing around $2K for a 2009, is that accurate?

It's been a bit more than a hot minute since I got hold of Thelonica, but there are a few other two-wheeled rides in my roster, albeit without an engine.

I split my time between two motorcycles and two scooters. The scooters are like faithful Labradors while the motorcycles are bad influences. Having reached this age I have them under control.

We have six.

You're putting the winning in twinning.

Mine is the green one.



https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-motorcycling/threads/gt-rider-up-country-dinner-28-mae-chaem.15614/

fried okra wrote:
Chesire, I've got 3 of the Scarabeo 500ie's if you need one.

fried okra
I had no idea that those made 40HP, crazy. What do they bring in real world value these days? Book is showing around $2K for a 2009, is that accurate?

TexW68....seems that is book value, which usually is just a sliding scale as time goes on. Most I see advertised are around $2500+/-.

Mine are all low mileage with no scratches or body damage. Look pretty much new. Was thinking $1750 each just to move on. Two are in Charleston, SC and one in Knoxville, TN.

I don't have a Vespa these days. But everyone has been kind enough to let me stick around here. My only ride these days is my 1949 Harley-Davidson chopper. I've been around this bike since I was 14 years old. It's been mine since 2003. I used it as my only source of transporation from 2004 until 2015. I still ride it every weekend.

Just realized, that I have zero bikes at the moment

Sold the previous one.
I've yet to pick up the new one...still ~23 inches too much snow on the ground.

And that yet-to-be-picked-up new ride is…?

My Daily

All my life I have had something with two wheels, I'm more of a road guy, so not much into dirt bikes or mt. biking. I usually put road tires on my mt.bikes anyway. Here's a couple of pictures of some of my "Glory Days" bikes.

I ride a 2008 Vespa GTS250ie and a 1978 Yamaha SR500

Quite the match! Haven't seen an example of the bigger SR anywhere in years, let alone one so well-kept.

amateriat"]And that yet-to-be-picked-up new ride is…?[/quote]

I seem to lack imagination - another variation of Triumph's 'modern classics', a standard Bonneville.

Thanks. The SR500 is all original but does have a few experience marks. I had to sew a tear in the original seat cover and replaced the clubman bars with a more standard style, and I even have the original tool kit in the lockable compartment. She has self-cancelling turn signals which is kinda nice. I get lots of thumbs-up when out riding.

Looks just llke the SR500 I used to have.....but I swapped it for a Triumph 500 twin in North Carolina.

When I removed the stock carb and put on a 36mm Mikuni and a Super Trapp exhaust it really made the bike more livable.

My buddy has a SR500 with the Super Trapp exhaust, fun little bike.

I've sold the BMW F800ST to help fund my GTS300 but the Vespa PX200 and Triumph Tiger 800 are still in the garage.

Thank you, all of you with more than 1 ride.. cuz I now no longer feel greedy or guilty with my little 'flock' here, and that vintage '78 is Not my fault, I only put a couple tickets in that raffle…. But ya, the other 3 are all my doing, the '16 LXV150IE was my celebration of turning 60, that Liberty was trading in a GTS that was a good buy on a bike that had few miles and a lot of garage time but was too heavy for me to be comfortable with, and that '21 Vespa Primavera is named Trinket and a great excuse for why I have not retired….

Curtain Call.

Besides my Liberty, I throw my leg over this, a 2013 Honda NC700X DCT, a "boring", but reliable commuter and adventurer.

Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom

Some good ones in here indeed.

Is it me or does it look like your chain needs a bit of adjustment?

I'll have to say that those Hondas, CTX and NC are well designed - they still look fresh in 2022...mayby that's the upside of looking a tad bland when new

If I was looking a tourer right now, I could predict the sequence of events: the new NT1100 DCT would be high on my list. I would go and see the bike, still high on my list. Then I'd take a test ride and...find the bike to be nice, OK, if a bit nondescript, missing the sound and strong low end torq of Triumph twins, or dull sound, but locomotive like power delivery of Bimmer boxers, or....etc.

And the rationality in me would loose, again. I've been so many times an almost Honda guy, yet had only two Hondas in my life.

Strange brand.