Modern Vespa

Just saying hi. I'm Steve. I've only recently discovered the joys of scootering.

I live in Northern Ireland and Spain. I've ridden bicycles all my life but last year took a notion to get a Liberty 125 (you can ride a 125 on a regular car licence there). I loved it, and my wife enjoyed being on the back. So I took my motorbike A test and upgraded the Liberty to a Beverly/BV 400.

I've been in Spain most of this year so far, returned to NI a few weeks ago and decided to get a Beverly/BV for here too so picked up a 2017 Beverly 350. It's been heavily modded by a previous owner with a lot of Malossi stuff, so I'm busy putting it back to stock. So far only changed back to the original exhaust. I need to do more research on the other mods before I dive in and change them.

Fortunately I got all the old stock parts in that deal, so I shouldn't have to buy much.

Anyway, that's me and my short history with Piaggio. Adios!

Congrats and welcome.

Welcome to Modern Vespa (and Piaggio ) from the Northwest United States.

Remember, we like pictures!

I can do pictures!

The attached image is my Beverly 400. It lives in Spain. It's a fantastic bike. I went into the dealers to order a new one (about €7k on the road) and they had just taken it in part-ex. It was exactly what I was looking for, had the genuine Piaggio 52l colour coded top box and only had 4000kms on it. Price was €4.5k so I ripped their arm off.

At the time (Feb this year) I still hadn't passed my A licence, so they looked after it til end of March, by which time I had my licence.

In April alone I put 2.5kms on her. Over there I live 45kms from Malaga city and I was shooting up and down the A7 motorway regularly. Even with a pillion rider she cruises easily at 120kmph. I did get her up to 147 then chickened out! The motorways have some fairly steep bits and she doesn't even slow down on them. Loads of power.

I'm back in NI for two months now so she's away in storage.

I'll post again for pics if the BV350 ive just bought.

This is the 2017 BV350 I've just got. It was a good price and it's… ok.

It has/had a Malossi exhaust, air filter, belt variator and rollers fitted by a previous owner.

All this makes it really quick, but very thirsty and LOUD!

I've now changed it back to the stock exhaust and fitted a new Givi top box.

I need to understand more about the variator and rollers before I tackle that job.

It also needs new rear shocks and tyres. The shocks are totally knackered. The tyre ok but a bit cracked here and there.

The clock says it's only got 4000 miles on it, but I'm not convinced it's genuine. My instinct is that whilst it looks tidy enough it's been ragged.

I've never worked on scooters/motorbikes before but know my way around bicycles, so I'm tooling up and plan to sort out the BV359 myself. Exhaust done, next is changing all the fluids. Then I'll tackle the variator.

The BV350 is purely to test if I get the use out of it over Winter. I'm not convinced I will, but if I do, I'll sell it on next Spring then get a new or nearly new BV400.

I've looked at them in the UK and they are pretty pricey. So if I do go for one I'll most likely buy it in Spain, ride it back to NI and re-reg it. It's really cheap to take a bike of the Bilboa to Ireland ferry, and the dealer I use in Spain will deliver any bike to the Bilboa ferry terminal for €100. So bad not to

Final picture is my now sold Liberty 125, bought new in July 2024. I sold it in March this year when I got the BV400. Lost about €700 on it. In retrospect I should have bought used, but I really never thought I'd enjoy it as much as I did. Live and learn!

Welcome to MV from nothing central US.

The BV is a solid bike!

Hola amigo welcome from Pennsylvania!

Hello from Texas, USA. I too had bought a new BV 400. Owned about a 2 yrs now. I'm old but love the scooter and after many MCs and a few other scooters, this is my final pick. I think you will like your more and more as you ride. It gets smoother, quicker, and such a pleasure to ride. Enjoy yours.

Welcome!

Welcome & congrats, love that you got yourself to enjoy riding PTW's.
Why replace the Malossi mods with the OEM stuff, I assumed generally that mods are supposed to make the vehicle generally better than the stock.

Somehow I don't see myself on a scooter that isn't a Vespa. If I am on a PTW and it isn't a Vespa then I'd want it to be a motorcycle preferably not a crotch rocket or a Harley like fat bike, prefer the upright classic British bikes of the 60s/70s and the modern renditions of them like the Triumph Bonneville etc..
With the bigger wheels on the BV do you find it easy to maneuver in congested city roads or maybe they aren't that congested in NI or in Spain where you are..

Welcome to MV and congrat on the new to you scoots. We love to see pics of scoots and their travels, so share often.

On the older BV350s, the halogen bulb tends to get very hot and damage the inside of the headlight. I've seen many have this issue.

Should be able to get a LED H7 replacement pretty easily now - they are much better than 5 years ago. I've had good luck with Auxito brand found on Amazon.

Hi. For a start the Malossi exhaust was stupidly loud. It even gave me a headache and ringing in the ears, even with ear plugs! So that was always going to go. As for the rest, I may keep some bits, maybe not. I'm not sure they make something better, only different. And "better" is different things to different people. There is no doubt that Zespa's are beautiful bikes. I'd love to get one, but for me, at six foot three, they are not practical. I just find them too small, and the small wheels too twitchy.

The roads in Ni are not particularly busy, but in Summer the roads can be madness in Spain (tourists). The BV is almost as agile at cutting thru traffic as the Liberty was. So no, i don't find the bigger wheels an issue. I have ridden a Vespa in traffic, and it doesn't feel much different, perhaps the Vespa is easily to tip over into corners and has better turning slow-speed cornering. But on the motorways the BV's are excellent. Fortunutely, that is a mod the previous owner has already done. It's not a match for the headlight on the BV400: That thing is insanely bright.