Modern Vespa

Does Vespa give any indication on the maximum weight which can be stored and carried under the seat?

I want to understand if I can store and carry a chain with me.

On many Honda scooters it's 10 kg, which lets you carry a rather decent chain.

How about on the Vespa GTS 300 or GTS 300 Super tech?
I have downloaded the manual but found no indication.
Searching forums etc online, I have found many generic comments that it's est to avoid heavy items, but nothing specific.

Thanks!

I've transported 20 kg bags of cement a few times, it's a bit tight in terms of space but I haven't seen any problems with the weight.
The helmet compartment lies completely on top, so the weight shouldn't be a problem.

I think that your judgement is probably more useful than any official guidance from Piaggio here.

- Does the weight of the chain make the rear suspension sag appreciably?
- Does the weight of the chain deform the shape of the underseat bucket?

My guess is that the answer to both of these questions is "no", in which case there's no real reason to worry about it.

Many moons ago I used to carry a 3-metre (ca 10 feet, for those of you using body parts as units of measurement! ) Pragmasis chain under the seat of a 125cc. It was almost 10 kg (22 lbs).

There's a helmet compartment?

I certainly can't fit my Skid Lid in the pet carrier, can you?

I'm sure a kid's bicycle helmet would fit in there

Since the "not a pet carrier" hangs with a lip above the engine on the body, the weight restriction is going to be a function of when that plastic lip on the bucket is going to stretch and fall through. Given that the lip runs around the whole bucket it is likely to hold a lot before it stretches out or the bottom gives out.
You could do a test and let us know what is the max you could put. I think it can hold more than what we all think, but volume is small so unless it is a dense element like lead you are not likely to ever get to max capacity.

I was thinking of carrying a Pragmasis chain. The 11mm ones are ca. 2 kg/metre and the 13mm ones are ca. 3kg/metre. So a 3-metre chain would weight ca. 6 kgs with the 11mm ones and 9 kgs with the 13mm version. In terms of volume, it would fit. I just hope that bouncing up and down on potholes won't break the plastic below it.

PS I will leave the conversions into feet / inches / nails / elbows and other body parts to google But this quote comes to mind

""In metric, one milliliter of water occupies one cubic centimeter, weighs one gram, and requires one calorie of energy to heat up by one degree centigrade—which is 1 percent of the difference between its freezing point and its boiling point. An amount of hydrogen weighing the same amount has exactly one mole of atoms in it. Whereas in the American system, the answer to 'How much energy does it take to boil a room-temperature gallon of water?' is 'Go **** yourself,' because you can't directly relate any of those quantities." "

Maximum that can be stored under the seat?
My findings on this matter: two domestic cats, OR one sturdy Dachshund.

The dog was easier to put in. The cats were not so keen.

The bucket can officially contain 18.8 litres of water (no explosion occured at this point), so it's safe to say you can carry 18.8 kilos of chain.

Regarding the handling of the bike with that much weight under the seat, i'd counter that question with what is the maximum weight of a Vespa rider?

GTS 300 MY23:

Unladen weight: 163kg (ready to ride)
Permissible total weight: 340kg
Maximum payload: 177kg

Me and my mate used to regularly go out 2-up on my 06 GTS 250, we were both over 100kg, those old 250's were proper workhorses though

The unladen weight of a 06 GTS is 151kg (+/- 5kg), Permissible total weight 340kg, so the maximum payload is 189kg (+/- 5kg).

Above the maximum payload is a safety margin (usually 10%), then it gets tight for the chassis, brakes and engine.

In Germany, you may be banned from continuing your journey if you exceed the maximum permissible weight (usually for vans, trucks, motorhomes and other vehicles with trailers). In the event of an accident, there will almost certainly be trouble with the insurance company...

Yes, and the problem with all these things is that, even if the collision had nothing to do with whatever your minor violation was and it was entirely the other party's fault, the other party's lawyers and insurer will do their best to blame it on you. Even if they fail, you can still be fined etc

I think that, in the past, the max weight allowable in the underseat storage bucket of the GTS300 was something like two average adult cats, three medium bunnies, or up to a baker's dozen guinea pigs.

Small animal transport under the scooter's seat has been aggressively discouraged by the manufacturer for some years now, as can be seen by the sticker applied beneath the bike's seat prohibiting the practice.

Many years ago, I DID transport a dinner plate sized turtle to safety in the underseat storage
of my then Burgman 650 after rescuing it from a busy 70 mph highway, but it was only for a mile or two before I could release it away from the road and near a pond.

we don't have that sticker in Australia so we're allowed

So, you can probably haul either one chubby Koala, or one Wallaby, or a pair of Joeys if they're not too big.

Sticker must have blown off this guys bike

https://x.com/Michael96860884/status/1722948912128909747?s=20

I bet only one would be pleased to see you when you open back up as well.

As a career insurance agent, I get a kick out of posts from the UK/Germany that refer to coverage being reduced or cancelled for some small technical situation.

It is almost like the insurance companies in your world are looking at ways to not pay claims. On this side of the pond, if you paid premium - they are going to pay claims. You would almost have to commit complete fraud to get denied. Like, you insured a vehicle you did not own.

How much weight you were carrying on your Vespa would mean nothing.

It is almost as if you good folks on the other side of the pond have a liking and appetite for all kind of rules and regulations.

Just one Yankees observation.

Bob Copeland

I transported to 20 lb weights for about 15 miles with no issues, however I dont recommend it on a regular basis

I'm not sure what part of America you're in but as far as I can make out, the business model of most insurance companies in America, particularly health insurance companies, is to take the premium and then fight like hell not to ever pay any claims

African, or European?

During both cannonballs I participated in I was pretty much unsupported so carried all tools and spare parts for roadside repairs. This was all in the pet carrier and weighed 30 lbs. this was in a 2006 GTS 250