Modern Vespa

I had a gts 300 from 2011 to 2015. Put 23k on it. Sold it. Bought and sold some motorcycles. Now I want a scooter again.

I'd get a new GTS in a second but the maintenance schedule is ridiculous. So I've been looking at the BV 400….

I can't find any decent internet chatter. Most of the boards I follow have a handful of posts. Are Piaggio scooters rare? I'm trying to feel out this purchase with respect to reliability and maintenance and I'd like to read some more opinions. Where should I look?

I ride a Bv250. Not a help with 400 questions. But, I've seen very little BV activity here.

Welcome.
There's a lot of info here about the BV350. Seems like all the BV riders are so few that BV posts don't get attention like the Vespa posts. Compared to my Honda's, BV350's are maintenance queens.
Don't get me wrong. I liked the ride enough to buy 2 of them. If my health didn't go south, I'd still have one of them for retirement.
If you DIY, you'll have to brush up on keyless fobs in case the 400 fails.

I ride a BV350. It's a 2013, so I can't say a lot about a new BV400. I have over 36,000 miles on it so far, with no major issues.

I rode a BV350 for several years. It was far and away the best performing scooter I have ever owned. My understanding is that the BV400 is basically a BV 350 with a bit of an engine upgrade.

I've owned my '13 BV350 since new. Currently at 32,000 miles. Some of the early years had some issues, and mine was one of them. But it's been great since I got it sorted. I like the 400, but there is lots of life left in my 350.

'13 BV350 here. Got it at a great price and have put several thousand miles on it since this time last year. I have no regrets. Performance wise, it is the best scooter that I have ever ridden.

If I were buying a scooter new today, the BV400 would be top of the list (the Kymco AK550 would be right up there with it).

I have a 2014 BV 350 with several thousand miles on it, and not one issue. It is a great ride, very comfortable, very highway capable, handles beautifully. I can't think of any downsides...





Last edited by Nautiker on Mon May 09, 2022 2:42 pm; edited 2 times in total

I agree with what has been posted. I have a 2018 BV350. I ride it year round. It has practically replaced having a car. Not a single issue with it. I do worry that parts may be challenging as it ages, but so far have only needed the consumables for routine maintenance.
JEB

I typically ride a GTS HPE, but I spent 3 weeks on a Beverly HPE last fall.

Some high level differences:

• The seat on the Beverly has a very strong shape. You can't really adjust your position on it, and it was a bit short for me at 5'11"/180cm.
• The underseat bucket is much roomier, but there are no helmet hooks. You can fit a single full-face helmet, but there's nowhere to attach a second helmet.
• Everything is plastic. Just using the luggage rack scratched it up enough that the dealership I rented from demanded I replace it. In particular, the metal cable that secured my bag chewed a notch into the grab rail from just road vibration. The Beverly is cheaper and higher-tech, but the aesthetics and materials are certainly behind the Vespa.

I haven't looked at the maintenance schedule on the new Beverly, but it's also an HPE. I'd suspect it has similar maintenance intervals to the Vespa GTS HPE.

Owned a 2013 350 for a couple of years. Would be keeping it if hadn't found a 2017 at a great price.

Still love my GTS, still can't decide which I love more.

Here is Robot's review of the new BV 400

enjoy y two BV's. 2010 BV300 and 2014 BV350. Both have 3k miles and preform without failure.

You won't find any BV owners on this thread --> I don't own BV 350 thread
Don't bother looking.

I have a bv250 2006 carb
Is the bv 350 a lot faster?
Is the seat as nice as mine?

I rode a '13 BV350 for a couple years. Went to the showroom looking for a GTS, rode out on the BV. Now I have two GTS' and no BV. If your legs are long you may not like the ride. Then again, maybe you will, good luck!

Yes, a lot faster.

Seats are a matter of opinion. I didn't mind the stock seat, but I recently had Sargent do a little custom work to it and recover it for me.

Only 50 miles in but loving it.

I have a 2020 Beverly and enjoy it. It's not without its quirks though. I'll never again try to bleed it's breaks myself. Impossible to get the air out due to the engineering of the ABS.
Also has a tic tic tic noise at speed that comes from the rear wheel or clutch area.

2013 BV350 owner here. I've had a GT200 and a MP3 250 prior. I love this machine!

Mr. F

Looks like a fair number of responses by BV riders in this instance.

I have a 2007 BV250, rescued and rebuilt a 2006 BV250 that my neighbor bought from me, I had and sold a 2008 BV500 (to big and clumsy for me), and a 2009 MP3 500 also bought renovated and sold (even bigger and clumsier than the BV500 - yuch!). In my experience the BV250 has been the perfect machine for my uses which are all urban streets and freeway travel, short distances with lots of traffic, speeds from slow to 75, lane splitting and grocery getting. A BV with a Givi top case and the evap stuff out of the under-seat box can carry home a lot of groceries!

I went looking for a GTS and got one....but test rode their BV as well....and snatched one up a couple of years ago. For my long legs, I think the two are pretty much a wash, though I think the BV has the edge for roominess.

Very nice photo!
More please - like your style!
O.S.

I have a 2012 BV 300. I bought it in 2019 with 9000km on the odo, now it is at 23.000km (14k miles).
I like it a lot.
Drives and handles very well and so far never had any issue with it.

PeterCC,

I really like your BV's color combination. That Blue with almost chocolate seat/back
rest and silver wheels and accents. Dashing.

Bob Copeland

It is not blue, it is black. The name of the color is Cosmo Black. On the front it is a sort of metallic black paint.
I do really like the color combination and the lines that come with it. It was one of the reasons for me to buy this one.

Put close to 10kmiles on my 2016. Loved it. One scooter household, Vespa bug bit. 2016 GTV now.

BV great scooter. ALOT of plastic to remove if ya want to farkle it, bleed the brakes etc. AND as big as it is the GTV has better legroom. (I doubted this cause of the visual appearance of the BV being larger.)
Aftermarket support, Vespa hands down.

I've got 19K miles on my BV350 with no issues (that I didn't cause myself). A little more power for the Freeway would be better for me here in Southern California. Right now, the BV400's are sold before they arrive so you'll have to wait to get one. A lot has changed from the BV350 to the BV400. It's worth the wait to get a new BV400 over a used BV350. Not much in the way of accessories yet for the BV400 though. The Piaggio brand usually has an 8 year run of specific scooter models. If you get a used BV350 get one that is a 2016 or newer since it will have anti lock brakes and traction control.