Modern Vespa

Hi,

does anyone have any specific experience with a complete set of Malosi and Bitubo shocks/suspension? Considering both to upgrade my new GTS 300 and the Malosi are around $300 bucks cheaper in total for front and back at $650 versus the Bitubo coming in at around $900. So I was wondering if the Bitubos are worth the extra money or not. Thanks in advance for any feedback much appreciated

Also, is it necessary to upgrade both the front and rear? Can I just do the front until I have the extra cash for the rear? Can I mix and match shocks? Or should I not even consider that?

I'm running the Malossis on my 250GTS and BGMs on the Supertech. I'm running BiTubos on my older 2 smoke Vespas. They're all good, but am liking the BGMs on the newer Vespa. Don't forget to replace your stock shock bushings with urethane. Replacing the rear bushings takes the wiggle out of hard corning in the rear and they give a more direct feel when riding hard. BTW, all of the manufacturers have differing levels of their wares. I tend to purchase the ones which enable rebound and compression adjustments. Good luck

You might want to add the model and year of your new GTS to your profile, so your answers have more context. 😃

Replace your front now, adjust your rear's one click stiffer and replace the rear bushings with Claus bushings. You might not have to buy the rear upgrades.

are you only interested in those brands? there's others that suit a GTS such as SIP, Öhlins, Zelioni, BGM, YSS ...

Edit: and RacingBros Bazooka air shocks

personally I use SIP front and rear.

haven't yet replaced the bushings as Willie B said as I'm personally a bit concerned that'll cause more vibrations through the frame but good suspension shouldn't take care of this. but as they're cheap I probably will try them before too long.

adjusting the PRELOAD on the rear (there is no "stiffness" adjustment or any other adjustment) won't help the mushiness that would frequently bottom out for me with speed humps even though I am a skinny guy. that's why I replaced the rear and not just the front (as many will say is adequate).

I don't know about those brands. Are they higher/lower quality as Malosi/Bitubo? Thank you

Öhlins is generally considered one of the best and is very expensive.

YSS is towards the lower end of those brands.

The others are inbetween ... Depends who you ask. There's some strong brand allegiance on this forum but essentially no unbiased side by side tests so ...

Also they don't all have the same features. Eg the bitubo don't have rebound adjustment but the SIP and i think BGM do.

I just want to get the most comfortable and smooth ride I can. I'd like to not feel a bump if it's possible (:

All the above are really designed for sporty handling (although still good for normal riding).

You might be better with standard OEM ...

I'm sorry if I sound stupid but is OEM an aftermarket brand? Or the stock that comes with the bike?

OEM means stock standard original

Thanks.

Wow the standard stock suspension must have come a long way since 2010 then I take it.

No. I said them because they are soft and soft means less feeling the bumps apart from very big bumps. And what you said you want sounds more like you want soft rather than sporty

Ohlins doesn't offer components for Vespas. There were some photos floating around on the internet with a GTS with these and was told by a friend who works at Ohlins NA that someone had a several sets built by Ohlins years ago but not available. YSS probably worse than OE.

Good to know thanks

Yes, definitely looking for a smooth, pimp like ride. The more luxurious the better. I usually don't go faster than 40 usually and 60 is fast to me.

First thing I do with a new scooter is replace the front shock. Makes a big difference in handling. I have stuck with Bitubos for my last three scooters, and have no experience with all the other makes available.

I tried Malossi rear shocks on one of my scooters, but didn't notice much difference. I guess the OEM rear shocks are good enough.

Also tried polyurethane bushes but found too much vibration came through with them. I had polyurethane bushes on both shocks and the swing arm of my last PX200, and that scooter ran on rails, handled beautifully - better than any of my later GT200, GTS250, GTS300 scooters.

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/shock-absorber-ohlins-stx-36-pi902-front_OELSHFGT1

https://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/product/shock-absorber-ohlins-stx-36-pi901-rear_OELSHRGT1

sure they're listed as 'coming soon' but if SIP is taking orders then ...

interesting to hear ... hmm. 🤔

Don't know if all polyurethane bushes are equal. Some might be softer. I think mine were from Clauss Studios.

Far out. Wish I hadn't seen this. I had a SR50 w/80 Kit and up gear. Very little torque but a real screamer. It was lite and would haul ass. I had an Ohlins rear shock and front forks sprung and valved by Ohlins. It was a momentum bike, but fun to ride on group rides.

one other comment (after my many above):

if you don't do a decent job of setting up the shocks then you can be worse off than oem.

personally I found the following two very helpful

OEM=original equipment manufacture

Good point. Adjustment is key. Spring preload (the only adjustment available on the OEM shocks) does affect the ride quality.

As others have said, fitting Bitubos, or other any other aftermarket shocks, is commonly done to make the ride less soft. Which means better cornering etc but a somewhat less cushioned ride which makes you feel the bumps in the road more.

The second reason for fitting aftermarket shocks is the better adjustability. That means you can use the aftermarket shocks to dial in the suspension behavior exactly to your liking. This is not that much about speed, but how you ride, the load on the scooter and the road conditions.

There's certainly much more to be gained in replacing the front set up.

I had really good luck with Malossi RS24 front and rear. These are actually made by Paoli, a top tier suspension manufacturer.

Clauses Studios makes a great set of polyurethane bushings that are only about $20 and help improve body control in the corners.

☺️ No bumps? Buy a Goldwing or hoverboard.

I have Bitubos front and rear on my 2020 Sei Giorni. The black ones.

Well worth the expense in my opinion. I live in San Francisco where we have some rugged streets surely.

I could never go back to stock at this moment, I hope that doesn't come across as snooty, but the handling and traction the Bitubos provide is much, much improved over stock.