Modern Vespa

Good morning Everyone

I was wondering if anyone can point me to a thread or site on the interweb that can give me a better idea on the changes made on the Vespa GS160 Series 1

I know that the series 1 had 2 iterations of the round and square tail, and also the coffee can and the GS/SS carb air box. can someone give estimate vine and engine numbers for these changes and perhaps any other changes on this specific model

I recall some years back seeing a site with a lemon yellow and white GS160 that had a full breakdown of this stuff but for the life of me I can not find it

from the Scooter Centre page they suggest that all engine numbers up to 29901 use the coffee can box is that correct?

Air filter box -OEM QUALITY- Vespa GS160, series 1 (VSB1T, -0029901)

As you may know, the Mark 1 had a tiny glove box with a flat lock in the rear above the tail light and a gray seat with black piping. The Mark 2 had a legshield glove box with a much taller octagonal lock and a black seat with gray piping. However, I don't know when these changes happened.

Any color other than grigio blanco (gray white) isn't original. It only came in that color.

Thank you for these differences,

The differences between the MK1 and MK2 are cool and I sort of know most of them I am more looking at the differences on the MK1 what frame numbers had the round tail and what mk1 had the square tail, and secondly the Carb air box on the MK1 was the can of beans / coffee can but was it changed at any point still in the MK1 series to the more flat SS180 style air box.

I am currently looking at a GS160 MK1 to add to my collection she seems to be an early type with a round tail but has the flat air box want to see if this would need to be upgraded.

Have you seen this?? Can't say if they're 100% accurate on the GS but all P/PXs and a few smallframes I checked were correct…

https://www.vespa.name/vespa-model/vespa-160-gs

Very cool details on this site but sadly not the necessary changes I am looking for specifically on the MK1

And don't forget, within the GS160 range we have also the M.I.S.A. (or misa) models assembled in Jette/Brussels in Belgium. They assembled with minor changes compared to the Italian models. The misa models had a black seat cover with a "Donza" mark. The Italian models have the grey cover with a "Aquila" mark.
Also the Vespa GS logo on the legshield differs from the Italian model. The material is different but also the font is different.
Also the misa models have an extra serial number on the inside of the frame (opposite side of original frame number).
The misa 5% fuel mixture sticker is blue instead of red and written in French.

There is also a possible difference in wire loom since we have the battery and non-battery models. The battery models are equipped with a 6V battery for parking light (local regulations) but also for ignition. So when the battery is flat there is no ignition. The non-battery models doesn't have a parking light so Piaggio removed the ignition switch from the steering column and made some changes to the wireloom/ignition/stator and added a kill switch to the light switch.

And finally at the end of production of the GS160 and introduction of the SS180, some GS160's are equipped with the crankshaft (16mm pin) used on the SS.

So within the GS160 range there are a lot of minor details to see and you can find them throughout the whole serie MK1 and MK2. Matching frame and engine numbers are rare so it is possible that your GS160 is an round tail type MK1 (end of production) with an "optimized" MK2 engine.

Because of all these different options it is hard to make a specific MK1 and MK2 serial number list for the GS160.

Looking forward to see some picture of your future GS160.

Thank you for the addition of the MISA version of the GS160, so I still can not find the article / blog on the chances on the Italian MK1's so i just assumed WTH and pulled the trigger this creates for a great collection of bikes now.

Upset it was painted red give me an original paint bike any day of the week even if there is rust but this is not the worst job so will leave it as is for now... clean bike with original keys there are a few things that I think are wrong like the speedo, the airbox, tail light (plastic repop) but nothing major

It looks like the white is still under the red. With some careful removal of the red, the white might be worth salvaging. There are a couple threads on here of people doing that.

I hope you take it back to original.

Love the trunk glove box on those.

The speedometer in it looks like it's from an SS180.

The kickstart lever is incorrect , and cowl rubber should be gray. It doesn't have the original brown HT coil, but that's a good thing as it probably starts and runs with the coil it has.

This would be ultimate and looking at the condition of the panels I think the bike was in a good way before it was painted

Search for "unpainting a Vespa."

personally, I'd leave the red paint, but then the first GS I ever saw was painted red.

Yeah.. if the paint job is quality you may be better served riding with it as is...at least for a time.

If the red paint was pro work I think I'd tread lightly. There is a good chance you probably have some bondo and filler in spots that "unpainting" will leave pretty battered and bruised. YMMV.

Oh ... also.. I have a clean 160 speedo if youre interested. PM me if you are in the market

Unpainting a scooter


That was me, the yellow paint was atrocious but it turned out the white underneath was beyond help in some places. I'm glad I did it, but in the end I had to rattlecan those places to avoid showing too much nasty ugly.

I agree w/ last couple of posts, I think you're on the right track here: " this is not the worst job so will leave it as is for now..." until you might feel like getting it redone in the original color someday.

All true, but red? It's just not right on a GS160. Every knowledgeable Vespa enthusiast who sees it will say,"Why the fock did you paint it red?"

The SS180 is one of several shades of red.

When the GS160 came out there were dealers that repainted them silver before they were ever sold because "everyone knows and expects a GS to be silver just like the VS1-5".

That's harsh bro.

I guess a lot of folks think the Grimstead Hurricane SS180 bikes were super cool as well. I'm just not a fan.

My MK1 has the black seatcover with the Aquila mark. The previous and 1st owner who bought it new from the dealer confirmed that the seat and seatcover is original since new.
I have heard that early MK1 had black seatcovers and later MK1 models had grey ones.

That's interesting.

I have looked at this paint in depth it's a good paint job and looks neat I am for now not touching it.

She starts and runs also so happy to ride her as is.

If you're still looking for an original air-box. Definitely pricey but all rare items are…

https://goscoot.co.uk/products/vespa-gs160-mark-1-original-rare-air-filter

And other parts…
https://goscoot.co.uk/collections/gs160-ss180