Modern Vespa

Just a few words of warning about the Piaggio front rack, specifically on a 2023 GTS. The shoulder bolts used for installation are known to be made of ricottium alloy, that is, baked ricotta cheese.

I crashed on Day 3 of the 2025 Scooter Cannonball. I was on a dirt road with hard pan washboard. The ride was rough but manageable at 20 - 25 mph until the scooter suddenly started to shake violently, and the front pitched down to the right. At first I thought that I had just hit some kind of resonance that amplified the peaks of the washboard. I'm now thinking that the front rack contributed to the problem.

I had added a light bar to the rack, and was also carrying a full 1.25 gallon gas can on it. After the crash, I noticed that the lower shoulder bolt that the rack bolt attaches to had sheared off. This could have happened when I crashed. It could also have happened during the bouncy ride, and if so, then the rack would have become a 10 pound pendulum that swung the front end off course. I had broken one of these shoulder bolts during installation, so I know how soft the metal is. I did get replacements from Motovista. I know to blame the rider before the machine, but I'm putting this out there as a warning to watch that front rack under load.

Max. Load on Front Rack is 4KG (=8,818 lb)!!!

1.25 US gal are 4.73kg (= 10,428 lb)!

+ canister, + lamps, + lock, etc.


Sorry, but that can't work in the long term and certainly not on bad roads with potholes…

Nevertheless, you have my
pity and thank you for reminding everyone else!

Stimmt, Sie haben recht!

I don't have to be right... I wanted to remind everyone of the maximum capacity. Glad nothing really bad happened, even if the sight of the Vespa being taken down makes my heart bleed. You have my respect for completing the canonball. And I can imagine that it is a challenge to transport the equipment.

Sorry if I was too direct...

No, you are entirely correct. I was hoping that the 4 kg was an intentional underestimate for safety, but rough roads definitely add to whatever static load you're carrying. Live and learn. I also could have used a Rotopax-style can that could have been strapped closer to the leg shield.

Isn't that a German characteristic?

You weren't wrong, though. Seems the Cannonball is about pushing the envelope on everything as a matter of course. Just on shorter road trips I'm likely to overload my topcase routinely.

Good warning from the OP. I guess not overloading is the best, but beefing up the rack may be a possibility as well....

Shit... Shh... we're trying to hide the fact that we're actually an asshole nation....

One of my favourite YouTube channels… PS I do speak German

No it is a dutch characteristic 😁

You are both as bad as each other. It is, however, an endearing characteristic.

Germans generally find the Dutch way too direct 🙃

As long as Dutch sounds like a funny German dialect, we'll be to the original...
🤣🤣🤣

Momentary shock overload might have caused your issue as well.

It's likely the 4kg warning is a bit conservative, but you were likely 2x that limit and on a rough road. A singular impact shock might have sheared the bolt and which resulted in front end instability.

Happens a lot with overloaded rear racks as well.

Glad you were able to get it fixed and finish the event.

Thanks for the term "momentary shock overload". I can blame that instead of rider incompetence . The rack itself seems pretty sturdy, but the attachment hardware is sketchy. I sheared a bolt during installation even when torquing to the spec in the instructions.

Not to be picky, but a US gallon of gasoline is 6 pounds/2.7Kg. At 1.25 gallons, the weight would have been 7.5 pounds/3.4Kg.

I also had a pair of Denali DR1 lights mounted to an aluminum angle bar u-bolted to the rack. Not sure of that exact weight.

I feel your pain. Not because of the rack (I didn't have a front rack, and the rear rack I built myself).

This was, for me, Cannonball 2008, on a gravel switchback in remote Utah.

(The wet spot on the ground is gasoline from the aux tank hidden in the gym bag on the back rack).

So are we.

You might have better results with the Faco front rack rather than OEM.

This style has hooks over the legshield which bear the main load; these might be stronger than a couple of screws.

I've had my Faco Front Rack for many years and overloaded numerous times while traveling hundreds of miles.