Modern Vespa

Bike details:

GTS 125 Supertech Euro 5.
Mileage: 140

So today I've gone to ride the bike and for the first time since I've owned it, for the first few hundred yards of initially moving off it's not revved freely like usual and struggled to pick up initially before clearing.

Had to stop and pull away at junctions about three times during this part of the journey and the same thing happened each time.

Was fine after this time. Didn't really feel like a misfire, just a reluctance to pick up.

Common issue on these? Will take it back to the dealer if it does it again but just wondered if anyone else has experienced this.

The only thing that's maybe different to when I've used it before is it was wet last time out but ran fine. Just wondering if water may have got in anywhere whilst it then sat afterwards.

Also, I'm familiar with plugging into OBD on cars and scanning for faults. As this is Euro 5 is there anything similar on these I could invest in (although rather hoping it'll not need that kind of attention very often given how new it is).

Hoping this isn't a sign of things to come given this more a daily local runabout for me than anything else and never experience problems like this with my big bike (which is now on 46k miles) regardless of how long it's left or how wet it's got at times.

TIA

Check tire pressure and then calibrate the asr

Ok, thank you.

Will give that a go next time I use it.

New scoot with only 140 miles ?
I have found from new and with tight engine that sometimes engines feel sluggish to start with .
Get some miles on it

Yes… well it's 9 months old and bought with 60 miles on the clock.

Use it when I can. Not sure it should be holding back like it did today. Used it yesterday and did about 20 miles on it, no problems like this.

Will try the suggestion to calibrate the ASR. However again no issues like this when I first rode it (and the tyres were well under pressure), and over the 60 odd miles since the pressures were done.

Did the problem start after your recent fuel fill up ?

Not immediately. Rode a couple of miles before parking it up (so on a warm engine) and then the problem happened when I used it the next day with that stone cold.

Have checked tyre pressures and calibrated the ASR (I think… followed the instructions in the handbook and it rapidly flashed the ASR light for far less time than that suggested would be needed).

No sign of the issue happening again yet, fuel hasn't been topped up since either.

Another possible anomaly. It's got the four button remote pad and with two buttons configured - one for the flashes of the indicators and the other for the seat release.

Often doesn't respond when you press the latter until you've done the former (or is that normal?).

Also seems a bit hit and miss on when the app will record MPG plus as covered in one of my other recent posts it's reporting the figures for kilometres per gallon as MPG when it does.

Not bothered by any of this really (bar if it starts doing the holding back again) … all part of the charm, maybe 😁

I'm not very familiar with when Piaggio made certain changes to the GTS range but do wonder with this being what appears to be an early Euro 5 Supertech but pre-RST22 spec and so still on a key etc (despite being registered in late 2024) that maybe it's a bit of a crossover model parts wise and that's led to some of the anomalies.

Whatever, it's by far the slowest bike I've had in years but love it 😎

Ok see how it goes

Btw this time of year I change to super unleaded E5 with no ethanol for limited use and storage over winter .

I use E5 in all my petrol vehicles anyway.

So the problem has persisted, seemingly more so now the weather has cooled.

Bike is currently back at the dealers having had diagnostics and the ecu flashed to the latest version yesterday and still the same.

First start of the day (so stone cold) starts fine and pulls away ok.

Get to a junction and then feels underpowered and bogs down / sounds muted when you then go to pull away again - the more throttle you give, the worse it feels but will gradually start to 'wake up'.

Is as if it needs something to get a bit of heat in it.

Yesterday (before it had been to be flashed) I rode then left it for a couple of hours and for the first time yet it did it again.

This morning it got ridden then left for 40 minutes and no problem, so is a weird one for sure not least because it otherwise seems to run spot on.

Check the valve clearances...

Having been at the dealers for three weeks… valve clearances dismissed.

Diagnostic logs done on both a cold and hot start and sent off to Piaggio, and nothing amiss.

Advice given by them to warm it up for a few minutes before pulling away and they'll investigate further if the problem worsens. 🤔

Having done a bit more googling, I'm wondering if it might be something to do with the evap system having seen people reporting problems with the older models and others saying they've removed it entirely and found the bike has run better.

So before (having picked the bike up to try the warming it up thing), I start messing around with that, is this a possibility on bikes with the I-Get 125 engine / are Euro 5?

TIA

They didn't want the hassle... The Evap stuff usually only causes problems if the bike has been over-filled when adding fuel. It can't hurt tot remove it though, just remember to close off the connection into the intake manifold.

Jim will a UK registered bike have the evap system fitted. I wrongly thought that was a US requirement?


Reading the thread this sounds like the mixture is too rich and the cold start settings are maintained, eg when the op says he opens the throttle and it bogs down further. Could the dealer or the owner remove the spark plug and check the colour?


Steve

It's now present on every E5 & E5+ Piaggio models across Europe…

for the evap system see workshop manual for the gts 125 e5 pages 88-93
https://manuals.wotmeworry.org.uk/Vespa/GTS125%20E5%202021/GTS125%202021%20E5%20Workshop.pdf

Dismissed it out of hand but will press the point again should it need to go back to them for 'further investigation'. A pump caught me out when I first bought it and filled it up, so not discounting it. Would have hoped the dealer / Piaggio would have considered and mentioned as a possibility though given all the posts I've found since detailing people having issues with it and removing it.

I even saw one post where the dealer removed it without saying a word to the owner as part of a service. 😄 Thank you - no time to do it at the mo but will report back when I have. Will just disconnect it and see if it makes a difference before gutting the whole lot though.

I'm assuming the dealer would have done that but will check it when I disconnect the evap system.

Thank you so much for this! ☺️

Hopefully I won't need to refer to it too often but whereas I usually swerve and pass on things like doing the valve clearances on my bikes to a mechanic, this will come in handy for things like that in due course given how easy it is to get to them.

Thank you again 😎

EVAP system disconnected… bike now runs as it should when cold, problem solved.

As it appears not be that uncommon a Vespa thing, surprised the dealer didn't diagnose it.

Also, Piaggio didn't suggest it either… 🤔