Modern Vespa

Spied this guy parked on the waterfront. The curves on the rear caught my eye, as did the svelte legshield. I don't see a foot brake, so I surmise it's a replica.

It looks Electric.

Nope nope nope

https://www.ebikebicycle.com/electric-scooter-motocycle-cheap-price-adults-vespa-lx-px-gts-300-uf8-1500w-skuter-motor-listrik-europe-italian-roman-holiday-for-sale/

this Tupperware body style has been around for ages, it's hot Chinese garbage.

the only good thing about them being electric is the rear tires isn't a gargantuan pain in the ass to change and there's no exhaust to break in three different places.

KILL it with FIRE!!!!

mayorofnow wakes up in an unfamiliar room with a sore head. He glances across at the gorgeous old bird he fell for by the waterfront last night. He winces, rubs his eyes, and looks again. Then he quietly gathers up his clothes, sneaks out, and heads for home.

WELL SORRY I THOUGHT THE BODYWORK LOOKED COOL

Only because it was stolen by someone with no integrity.

There's a distinct dividing line between genuine vintage Vespa body styles and replicas / bodges / hot garbage. To the experienced eye, it is really, really obvious.

I'm certainly no vintage anorak, but I can generally spot something that isn't actually a genuine vintage Vespa, or that has been modified seven ways to Sunday until it is, as greasy says, hot garbage.

If I may, I would like to recommend this book as a good visual introduction to vintage Vespas. It is literally the book that made me fall in love with Vespas in the first place.

No worries, the batteries will handle that shortly. I'm of the mindset, they aren't fake if I can touch'em. Some people disagree but thats ok.

Can't you (or anyone) touch all fakes? They wouldn't be fakes if someone hadn't gone to the trouble of building them - i.e. a fake is something someone made to closely resemble something it is not, such as a Vespa.

Did Piaggio not make the scooter to resemble a wasp? Stealing from the style cues, and shape of this insect to create something its not? So, in truth would a Piaggio Vespa be a fake itself? And then, this Chinese Tupperware could be considered a fake of a fake? But then, are we encountering a double negative here? Therefore making this a authentic item???

I feel like we are unpacking something here Douglas

I don't think the subject here has anything to do with Vespas.

That is not my understanding. The first Vespa was designed by the aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio to be an inexpensive post-WW2 transportation option. The design and prototype were completed. When Enrico Piaggio first saw it, he commented that "it looked like a wasp". That lead to the name. The scooter was not designed to resemble a wasp or extract a shape from nature. It was simply one of those pleasing and effective combinations of form and function at which the Italiians often excel. Naming it a "Vespa" was more of a marketing tool.

^ Exactly this.

I'm going to give the Mayor a little bit of credit here: this knockoff looks better from the back than from the front, and better in silver than a color, and better in the dark than in the light. The shape and curves themselves aren't horrible but they're obviously just ripped off.

Aside from the massive amounts of plastic, which are less obvious in the dark, like a lot of the Asian knockoffs it's trying too hard, with the larger front emblem being too big and mounted too close to the top of the legshield; it clashes with the seashell-shaped horn cover; the seam over the front fender looks cheap; the chrome on the front turn signals is chintzy; the covers for the turn signal leads are too obvious and unrefined on the driver's side of the legshield; the multiple filigrees on the cover at the rider's ankles are overdone; and the screws on top of the rubber foot strips look industrial.

Our local Vespa shop took a bodega in on a trade. It isn't for sale but used as a display piece where they labeled it a "sort of Vespa" as it is made up of various Vespas.

Huh?

My original comment of "If they are real I can touch'em" is a common reference to women with implants, and was a joke used to lead into my ultimate point of who cares, like what you like. Mr. Dooglas commented with the description of a fake and I merely played along. Im well aware of Piaggio and the history of his design, I've watched the youtube documentary myself also.

Catch my comment about Chinese Tupperware? Id think thats a pretty good indication Im not in favor of this 2nd grade sketch of a Vespa.

One of these bikes sits in a front yard near me. It's standard of finish is like a kids toy. All the bling of a bodge Vespa but missing the yellow stand feet.

Here is a video review of the UK version of this bike. Go to about 9 minutes and 30 seconds in the video for the main part of the poster's opinion of the bike.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ajs+modena&view=detail&mid=5E400463176EBE4130DD5E400463176EBE4130DD&FORM=VIRE

I know it's blasphemy but if only Vespa would copy their old classic models and offer them in brand new twist and goes.

Same with Ford and Chevy, closer copies of their own cult classic designs, seems a lot of meat left on the table.

Dodge comes closest with their Challenger IMO

I wanted to delete my account in embarrassment last time, so hopefully I've redeemed myself.

Where are the side reflectors on the scoot?! Must be a fake I'm OK when it comes to spotting a legit non-bodge but don't even come remotely close to the skill the pros here have. Honestly, I thought it was a reference to a Buzzcocks song..

Honestly, I didn't know with this one. As Juan pointed out, the curves on the back of the other one were what drew my eye, even thought it wasn't badged "Vespa." I just liked the shape.

This one is. I know Piaggio has a factory here, and that old models were made in poorer countries for longer than in the US/Europe, but I also know true counterfeits can be encountered in other countries, and I didn't investigate.

Mr.Moose wrote:
Did Piaggio not make the scooter to resemble a wasp? Stealing from the style cues, and shape of this insect to create something its not? So, in truth would a Piaggio Vespa be a fake itself?

Don't hate me but there is no logic in this.😨

That's a lovely Sprint with the Trap headset. This may have be built in the Danmotor/Vespa factory.

So you don't hate me? 😨

Sarcasm doesn't generally have a basis in logic. And as in this case doesn't always make sense

The thing is when using sarcasm online emojis are your friend. Saying something tongue can easily be inferred in an actual conversation with visual clues.

Great point, I tend to be a pretty sarcastic, yet friendly guy in person. But online I often have used to many "!!!!" or "lol" in the past and felt it takes away from the conversation. There is a happy median in there somewhere, I have yet to find it though!! (<-- trying!)

The happy medium is emoticons. Trust me on this.

Don't make it such a huge thing out of this. I was just trying to find a sentence to use logical in it.

it's not a huge deal, just making an observation as was Jess.

How about breaking out into song instead?

There are probably as many versions of this story as there are people telling it. I was under the impression the reason the Vespa even exists is because someone else did a hard pass first. D'Ascanio went to Piaggio after Inoccenti showed him the door. My understanding is that the name came from the way the engine sounded, like a wasp. There are a whole lot of stories about products that got shot down somewhere and became a success somewhere else. Nissan turned down Yamaha's sports car. So they took it to Toyota. The 2000GT probably did more to boost Toyota's reputation than anything they've done since. Here's a pretty decent video about this that makes me wonder what would have happened if Piaggio went to Yamaha instead of Honda when they wanted to learn how to modernize.