Modern Vespa

What's the consensus of opinion, worth spending the pennies on or a expensive
modification with little benefits?

The roads in the UK really are poor hence the question.

Some people love them some don't see the point. There are several threads on this already, have you read through them?

PS i personally do value adjustable shocks

[quote="SteelBytes"]. There are several threads on this already, have you read through them?


I dont tend to read too much into old threads when it comes to upgrades due to new products superceding their significance.

Makes sense for *some* things.

Aftermarket shocks for vespas aren't evolving.

Except foy some brands that this forum doesn't like eg Shark X2 make some exotic shocks with electronic controllers

I'm a new Vespa rider/owner and I have the same question as the OP.

It largely depends on where and how you ride as well as your personal preferences.

If your travels are on mostly smooth pavement, you are of average weight and have a mild riding style, you might not feel that much of an improvement. Or at least you might not care that much about the difference.

If you ride more spirited, have more experience or push yourself and the scooter and its suspension to its limits, the more upgraded shocks might matter to you.

It really isn't a one size fits all kind of situation.

Another thing to consider: suspensions have to be dialed in, if they are adjustable. Unadjusted or badly adjusted aftermarket shocks might actually not do anything for you, unless you calibrate them right.

Aftermarket shocks are mostly geared towards better handling, not a smoother ride. If you like a more supple feeling, the stock shocks are not that bad. An upgrade might sometimes feel harsher on bumpy roads.

Short story: no one will be able to tell you the answer without knowing what you are exactly looking for and even then this is a highly personal matter.

It's like the question "which bike is best for me?"

Great answer. Thanks

I put a set of Malossi shocks on my GTS a few years ago (front and back). My experience with installation (easy) and set up was positive. After installation, I've found that my GTS rides better, especially stops/starts and also cornering. I can't say that the ride is smoother but the bike feels a bit more spirited.

Does it actually ride better or is that all in my head? I feel like it rides better and it was a worthwhile spend, but that's really just empirical data. Your mileage may vary.

Thnx

I find that upgrading the front shock makes quite a big difference to the ride. The rear shocks are much less value or money. Just do the front and feel the difference.

I go for Bitubo, and just leave them set as they come out of the box. But nearly all my riding is on good sealed roads.

^^ this 💯

In fact unadjusted or inappropriately adjusted can be *worse* than stock oem.

One thing you might consider before installing new shocks is to replace the rubber bushings with polyurethane, similar to these:

https://www.scooter-center.com/en/silent-block-set-for-upper-rear-shock-absorber-clauss-studios-vespa-gt-gts-gtl-gtv-125-300-3332526?number=3332526

I'd recommend trying this first and see if you notice a difference in your day to day use. Worst case scenario is they are a better quality and will last longer than the stock rubber bushings.

Worse case scenario is that they find it harsher on rough roads.

I do like the different* bushing i installed but hesitate to recommend without knowing what they want from their scoot.

*Different brand

And tire pressure is also pretty significant to the smoothness / harshness of the ride

I put a Bitubo on the front of my 07 GTS 250, it was a huge improvement,
I got excited and paid a lot to 2 Bitubo rear shocks, which was better but much the huge difference that I got from changing the front shocks!

Im a scooter newbie but from following Robots videos it seems the front shock on a scoot does so much more than just dampen down road shocks. Its integral with how the whole front end performs under power/ braking and road conditions.

I had similar experience albeit with a motorcycle where a 20% cost upgrade on progressive springs in the forks, resulted in an 80% improvement in feel and handling.

I'm considering the same although I'm also doing it for an enhanced look as well.

What did you do in the end?

I agree 100%, I had many custom shocks on motorcycles and non them road as plush as the stock units, but for cornering or two-up the were much better. dont forget the spring plays an important part too. Progressive wound springs are the best of both worlds....

Nothing yet, I'm waiting to see if I can persuade someone who has a shock upgrade to let me go for a spin to see if it's worth the expenditure.

It is worth noticing that shocks are a wear part. 5 year old shock with 30000 miles (to take an example) is about due for rebuild or replacement.

I do like the Malossi RS24 Front and rear. I had a YSS rear on my SMax that was very good as well.

Regardless of whether you stay with stock or performance aftermarket, I highly recommend replacing the bushes with polyurethane. Clauss Studios makes a set for the rear that's $20; these really help handling mid corner bumps and allow the shocks to work really well.