Modern Vespa

So now that I am firmly ensconced in middle age, I'm about 245lbs on the scale. I'm looking at a T5 this weekend (maybe) and I am finding differing opinions on the torque. I used to have a PX150 with sip touring muffler (v1) but I've never had a P200e. I was maybe a little bit lighter when I had the PX150. I live in a very hilly city (Athens, GA) and it will be for city riding. Am I going to regret it or I just have to adjust to low gears and super high revs.

I thought the T5 was a 125cc engine?

It is. I'm deciding between a P200e and the T5.

no contest: The T5 may have the same hp in the specs but look at the revs and the torque. The P200E will suit your weight and hills incomparably better.

The T5 will be much more fun for buzzing around, but if you intend carrying a pillion or covering longer distances, a P2 will be a more 'relaxed' ride. The T5 is more like a motorcycle and loves to be higher in the RPM range, but that gets tiring after a while (for some people). A P2 produces it's max HP at ~5700 RPM and has wonderful torque for hills and head winds. Totally different beasts.

I have both a T5 and a P200. I'd recommend a P200 all day everyday for you. I'd definitely also install a short 36 tooth 4th gear ASAP to help you both tackle the hilly areas that you ride in. Now if you said you weighed closer to 145lbs, then my recommendation might be a bit different.

Thanks for that

don´t know if those are available in Greece but the MotoVespa TX200 may be ideal for you. It has the PX200 engine in the T5 frame resulting in a spacious Vespa with grunt.

Over here there are lóads about and being unloved for some reason, quite affordable.

I think he's in Athens, Georgia and not in Greece. As for here, we had a lot of GS 200s (same as TX) imported from Germany and Belgium...

Ah, my appologies.

Well, you then get what I mean with PX200 grunt in T5 spaceframe. Basically the receipe for a big guy in a hilly city.

After a few years of testing cylinder kits on P series 150cc Vespas and cylinder kits on the P200 I found my priority to be the gearing. Yes, initially everyone is inclined to get the bigger power plant(P200) and throw a cylinder kit and be content. The gearing on the P200 is awful and that is my sincere opinion. For me the 150cc kitted with ther short gears wins. Not that my P200 with a cylinder kit is slow but the shorter gearing favors the 150 cc unless you do shorter gear on the P200. I never owned a T5 though. I picked my son from school the entired year in 2022 on vespas. We were combined 400lbs and when I took the Px150 or the Sprint Veloce both kitted it was absolutely no hesitation picking up speed and accelerating, the shorter gearing helped tremendously. I can't say the sasme on the P200E, I hated it.

I put a short 4th in my mostly stock 200 and it helped a lot. But my kitted 187 small block engine with a 22/68 primary is hands down more fun. It accelerates faster and just feels like it has more punch even though the top cruising speeds are probably about the same.

For a long distance highway ride, I would pick the 200. Hills and twisty back roads, the 187.

The moral of the story is that you need more scooters. That is the answer to every question.

You all are straying away from my original question, which was 125 T5 stock! But I appreciate the comments.

I think your question is answered...go with the P200.

As a similarly large guy (235 lbs) who rode a bone stock P200 at Rides of March this year, it pulled me up and down hills all weekend, including long WOT stretches at 62 MPH on the 101.

As a T5 owner, a stock one is not suited for hills. It will need to rev its nuts out. They're unique, fun and quick to run around flat roads though. A Malossi 172 kit helps but it still won't reach a 200's down low torque…