Modern Vespa

We all have to admit, riding a VESPA is a bit different. It gets looks, turns heads, and is not really the norm.......well I am sure in some places it is, but not where I am. I can definitely say that I am the only vespa owner in my town - when my kids talk about me to their friends parents - if they do not know who I am they say "the guy with the VESPA" and then they know me. I live in a town full of Harleys. LOL

I am 48. When I was 21 I travelled around Europe and couldn't believe all the VESPAS. I also could not believe when I was on Florence they just rented me one for 48 hours. I took off into the countryside........it was 50cc and that was the moment. I was hooked. Ever since then it's been one of the things that makes me happy.

If anyone cares to share their story about what happened......

I was stationed in Naples Italy in the mid 70's and have been addicted ever since. I've owned Harleys and Indians over the years but my Vespas have always garnered the most attention. I'm 68 now and have given up the big bikes but the Vespa remains!

Audrey always made sorta maybe want one.

As my mental health degraded in my late 30s I walking out of a very well paying job and went straight to the vespa shop to explore and then straight after booked my learners training + test. that was 13 years ago

I'd never had a car licence or bike licence before.

A couple of months before covid I had just bought my supertech. then during covid between lockdowns I obsessively rode in the country. During lockdowns I would loop up and down a lovely bit of local road getting a few speeding tickets as I practiced hairpin corners.

As I said to a friend last night, my scoot should be tax deductible like many health costs are as it is essential to my mental heath. seriously. need both that and my pills

What a fantastic thread!!!

I've loved the Italian Vespa design since I was a kid, loved the vintage advertising and all it takes is one ride and you're just hooked. My very first Vespa was a P200E and since then, I've had Primaveras, ET4's from the 2000's and then went on to the GTS 250 collection. On my second collection with the 2023 GTS's. It's been a super fun adventure and it's awesome to have a large following with our Desert Vespa Club. It's also very refreshing to have really connected with a great dealer that takes care of us very well (Vespa Motorsport).

Thinking about getting a Vespa tattoo! (Does anyone have one?)

Viva La Vespa!!!!

...sorry for the photobomb

I became entranced by Vespas in the late 1960s when I was still at secondary school. The cool guys had them, and I couldn't afford one. Fast forward to 2004 and our son was about to turn 21 and we were wondering what to buy our child of the 70s who was born in the 80s. Long story short we bought one off Trade Me, New Zealand's version of eBay. It needed work, we enjoyed that, bought one for ourselves to rebuild - and the rest is history.

I have owned over 50 motorcycles and scooters in my life - many just to fix, ride and sell. But I did not get into Vespas until about 10 years ago. I have had the moderns as well and the older shifties - both fun in their own ways and having them around has taught me to slow down and smell the roses. Motorcycles are great for carving the curves and going fast, but there's nothing like riding a scoot. Happy days.

In high school ('82-'86), I was a military trench coat-wearing Mod who was lucky to have access to my aunt's early 60s Lambretta and my boyfriend's motorcycle. I learned to ride them, much to my mom's joy and my father's chagrin.

Once I spied a Vespa's voluptuous rump, I was all in! It took me 35 years to get one, but as the song says, "I'm all about that bass, 'Bout that bass, no treble."

Surprisingly, stumbled on the brand. Was looking for a scooter, and due to my long legs couldn't get my knees under the Zuma handlebars, the only available brand in town. Next town over had a motorsport shop with a used LX, I sat on it, it fit and it followed me home. Riding was an absolute blast, and I haven't strayed since (at least from Piaggio ).

I bought my first Vespa, well, because it was a Vespa. Bought an ET4.

I have always had motorcycles. Now my last motorcycle is gone.

"What happened?"

Nothing happened. Nothing had to happen. Just look at them. *gestures at his Vespa in Italian*

That!!!

i have always wanted a two wheeled vehicle. My wife was always scared but eventually she was OK with me looking at them. So I took the safety course and got my motorcycle license and then started looking. She saw an article about Vespas and thought they would be safer than a motorcycle. I think the risks are the same, but as I researched and then test rode Vespas I was hooked So bought a 300 super GTS, 10 years ago and I love it. My story

I just turned 64, started riding a small dirt bike at age 8, got my license and first street bike at 16, my first new street bike at age 20, and went through a long line of motorcycles over the next few decades. Bought my first scooter, a new Yamaha Zuma 50 2 stroke in 2005. It was an impulse buy. I was at a dealer, and they had it on sale. I looked at it, sat on it, thought it might be fun, it was cheap, so I bought it. Turned out it was a LOT of fun. I put over 5,000 miles on it, and sold it to a relative. I then bought a leftover 2007 Honda Metropolitan 50. It was much slower than the Zuma 50, but still fun in the right circumstances. So I bought a 2008 Yamaha Vino 125. I loved the looks of it, and wound up putting 36,000 miles on it. I also had a Zuma 125, a SYM HD200, and a Lance Cali Classic 125. I joined a couple of scooter forums. Many of the members owned Vespas. In 2009 I bought one of the last 2 stroke manual shift Stellas, which I still have. They are basically an Indian made Vespa PX150, without the Vespa name. I wanted a real Vespa, but I couldn't afford a new one at that time, and by then they had all become computerized, which I didn't want either. Then in 2016 I found the Vespa I have now, my 2006 GT200, on Craigslist. I went to look at it, it was beautiful, in brand new condition with 1800 miles. $2200. I bought it on the spot.

Having owned and ridden several plastic Asian scooters, I found the Vespa riding ownership/riding experience to be completely different. Even Japanese scooters seem cheap and flimsy compared to a Vespa, and nothing else even comes close to the looks of a Vespa. There is no mistaking a Vespa for anything else. It's kind of like comparing a Timex to a Rolex. I currently have just over 14,000 miles on the GT200. I am hoping to keep it going for many years to come. If I find another one in decent condition, I will probably buy it. I'm also on the lookout for a vintage 2 stroke Vespa.

I absolutely love the Vespa look, the Vespa feel, and yes, the Vespa name and heritage. But I'm also a vintage vehicle guy, and that applies to all vehicles, cars, motorcycles, and scooters. While the new Vespas are still beautiful, all that computerized electronic stuff is just not what I'm into. But hopefully I will own a Vespa for the rest of my riding life.

Ladies love guys who ride Vespas...

One sunny Saturday I'm at home with my daughter (late teens), and my wife calls to tell me that she's at a neighborhood garage sale, and there is a scooter for sale, 2007 Yamaha Vino 125. I didn't have much interest, but she talked me into it, I think she may have been trying to head off a return to motorcycles in my early 50s.

I still had my endorsement so I rode and started finding it fun. My daughters both tried it, immediately loved riding, so they were signed up for the motorcycle course nearby and collected their endorsements. Now there are 3 riders and only 1 scooter, so that had to be resolved. Younger daughter is loving the cache' of riding up to the local community college, parking next to the building (motorcycle spaces, no fee$), and walking into class in her leather jacket & scarf, helmet under her arm.

The vinos were great, nice styling, enough guts to get us around our suburban/urban environment, and very reliable. I dabbled in Genuine Buddys for a few years, ending up with the 170i, which is a lot of fun to ride. Last summer, Vespa Portland had a 2006 GT200, verde vintage livery, for sale, and I could not resist. The allure of Vespa was strong, and I discovered that there is a reason for that. Riding the GT totally hooked me so later that summer, I sold the Vinos and bought a 2006 GTS250 from the dealership in Tacoma. More riding joy and now I'm smitten. A couple of weekends ago, the Tacoma shop featured a 2007 GTS in black so I rode the 170i up there and did a deal for it. My younger daughter had mourned the sale of the black Vino, which she adored, and lives close enough to be able to join me for rides now and again, so I'm hoping that she connects with the black GTS.

As Adri noted: "Just look at them." *gestures at his Vespa in Italian*

[sigh]

Bob

Vino's are good machines. A friend's wife adores hers. Last year, it needed some significant surgery, so it received an NCY Super Trans, NCY exhaust, an imported 143cc top end, a Stage 2 cam and a bit of work on the cylinder head. Now it'll give a Grom a run for it's money off a traffic light and cruise at 65 with no trouble.

I work on all my friend's Vinos and they've told me I need one too. I have a black '07 GTS too, so they've got a hard sell to get another Vino in their gang.

The best Christmas present ever came from my wife and kids in 2002.

That was a Malaguti Ciak 50, a large wheel, two stroke 50cc that would run up to 45 mph.

I rode it around the neighborhood until wanting to go out into the countryside, so I found routes that the 45 mph could handle comfortably.

100 mile rides into Georgia were common, but I felt a need for more speed.

My brother had a GT200 that I tried and liked, so on November 19, 2005, the day before my 50th birthday, I drove out to the Vespa dealer (Boutique in those days) and bought the 2006 Vespa GT that would become Rocket.

I rode it on the same rides that I was taking with the Malaguti for the first year, then, for some reason, didn't ride it much for the next two years.

In 2009 I joined the 7 Bridges Scooter Club and started riding more.

2009 I rode it 2500 miles. 2010 almost 10,000 miles and 2011 close to 15,000 miles.

Those rides started with a ride to see friends in Orlando, a 300 mile day that convinced me that I could ride Rocket anywhere.

Then we had a club ride to North Carolina where everyone rode over 1000 miles.

I have had Vanessa, a 2007 Vespa GT since 2014 and Razzo, a 2005 Vespa GT since 2015.

Rocket is now over 105,000 miles, Vanessa at around 30,000 miles on her third instrument panel and Razzo approaching 40,000 miles.

Rocket ran in the 2014 Scooter Cannonball Run, Vanessa in 2016 and 2018, finishing third in 2016.

I have had two other Vespa GTs as well, buying my brother's in 2012, then selling it to a friend a few years later.

And with three old scooters, I bought a parts scooter a few years ago for it's engine initially, but it has proven to be useful for more parts over the years including its speedometer cable that I pulled this weekend for Vanessa.

I think I fell in love with Vespas with the purchase of Rocket.

It changed my life significantly for the better, introducing me to new friends and places that I never would have known without the Vespa experience.

Riding always makes me happy.

Bill

not sure.. but it was around the same time that I got my hair cut neat
and wore my wartime coat in the wind and sleet

They were wonderful when Sears sold them for $325.00.

I was actually looking for a lighter (for me) motorbike to ride, due to some knee/back issues.

I saw this beautiful blue Vespa on the showroom floor and thought-I'll just go sit on that for a moment…

The rest, is history.

it is interesting how many people took a Vespa for a ride and then were hooked. I certainly was and 10 years later it still puts a smile upon my face. What else do you need?

My first "bike" was a 60 or early 70's step through Suzuki. I loved that bike. I was stationed in Germany in the late 70's and fell in love with scooters again. I had a moped then and beat my friends in their cars from our apartment in town to the base most of the time.

As a lot here, Audrey kept that someday I will have a Vespa in the back of my mind. I think I was a lurker on this site for 10 years before I joined up.

So after many bikes and even cross country trips on them. I got my first Vespa (15 years too late). And am enjoying it so much and learning what it is capable of. I am selling my car and only having the Vespa and a golf cart to get around.

And as a tribute to Audrey anyone that looks at my Vespa will see her face. And know my thanks to her.[/img]

I don't know that it was a single thing. I mean, it's a 'Vespa'. Life is too short to not experience classic' joy rides that bring such a smile when in their element.

Im 30 now, I've had bikes since 15, started with 50cc moped (Suzuki PV50) for first year, then Aprilia RS125 for 2 yrs, then I finally got to a cbr600

Then I had different 1000cc "superbikes", 3 diff Fireblades, a ducati 999 and so on, and started to get a bit bored of driving bikes, dunno why, somehow they just didnt feel interesting. Wierd how u ride a bike that goes 155 kmh with 1st gear and 299 kmh with 4th gear, have 175 hp and still bored

but last year I test drove a GTS 250 and I was completely surprised how fun it was, and very simple driving, good riding position, neck and wrists are relaxed and u can just sit there and enjoy

Didnt have money to buy it then, but planning to get either 250 or 300 GTS this spring