Modern Vespa

While I was in getting my first service yesterday at VespaCleveland, I also picked up my top case. I had seen very little information on the LX top cases, so I thought I'd add what I found for anyone else looking for one.

The Vespa LX Top Case lists for $322. Scooter West has them available for $299 http://www.scooterwest.com/lx/lx.html I got mine for $257, because I got a 20% discount on accessories when I bought the scooter, but they were not available at that time.

The top case comes with the case in scooter matching color, a rack also in matching color, two keys, a carpet liner, and all mounting hardware. There is no included back rest, and we are unsure if one is available as an accessory. Larry is checking and I'll know Tuesday. (I was surprised that the rack was blue. I expected chrome. The Scooter West photo is a plum one, and looked chrome until I got mine, then looking closer it is indeed plum.)

The rack is mounted by removing the two plugs in the back of the grab rail and popping the shield off the rail mount. Remove the two bolts underneath the shield, and then simply bold the rack in place using the two original lower bolts, and two supplied upper bolts into the grab rail.

The top case slides over two tabs on the rack, and then is held in place by a supplied thumbscrew. So it is a simple matter of removing the thumbscrew to remove the top case. The receptacles on the bottom of the case for the rack are molded as part of the case, but look secure from theft. Obviously, if someone really wants in, they can break it off.

The finish is superb, and color match is perfect. There is a Vespa logo on top matching the one on the leg shield. The case is light and thin, so the lid is somewhat flexible. It probably is like the other Vespa cases, and is similar to the Givi case for Deb's Metropolitan. The lid closes easily without having to fiddle with the lock, and there is no play in the locking mechanism. The case holds my open face with shield or my daughter's full face, but not both (nor did I expect it to.) It is not as large as the GT case, for which I am glad. I thought that would look too large on the LX.

In a word: perfect! The visual balance is what I wanted, and ease of removal will be nice, although I will probably leave it on all the time. My eight year old daughter rides with me a lot (I pick her up after school) and doesn't think holding on tight is all that important. The case will add a bit of security, as well as convenience.
















All photos at http://smorris.smugmug.com/gallery/962834/1/44300156

Looks good - I yjink finishes the scoot of well, and suits it better than the official GT case does the GT..

I like the fact that the rack matches the body color. It goes away visually and doesn't creat more visual noise. Very nice.

Just an idea that I don't know if anyone's fooled with yet on either the GT / LX / ET... has anyone thought about wiring a set of LED's into the box under the lenses?

The GT has the left and right vertical lenses - wire in turn and brake LED's? The LX has the main top one - possibly just a brake LED or 2 LED's - L & R (would be even neater if you could make them sequential for the turn indicators).

Underneath the GT lens there's not adequate clearance (~1mm), so the top box would have to be cut to place the LED's in place.

It'd probably make things safer, being that with the top box there's not as "clear" of a view of the tail light than without... plus sometimes the more lights, the better.

Now I just need the motivation... feedback, anyone? Is it do-able?

Rich

I just took the lens off of the LX top case. It is recessed in a pocket, and the rear of the lens has a recess about 1/16 deep, so there is no room to put anything in there. There is also a white polyfilm reflector behind the lens, so anything put behind it would have to have a hole cut in the film to show through.

I don't know anything about LEDS, so I don't know how they are wired, or how small they are.

I does look good and it's more secure than the leather or canvas bags that Piaggio offers...............although I like the retro look of my canvas bag. I sprayed my canvas bag with water repellant and had to replace the holding straps underneath with nylon/velcro straps but I do love it.

That looks nice, Steve. Thanks for the photo set!

The pic of the blue Vespa with the LEDs in the brake is sweet. You can not leave us hanging like that. How did you do it? I would really like to do that, Beale.

not my scoot mate..

have a look here:

http://fifenet.com/ts/viewtopic.php?t=820

That's absolutely sweet! Just what I was thinking about - I'm not crazy coming up with these ideas!



The GT top box has the L & R markers / lenses, I think I may start looking into this... would ldeally like to be able to add both brake light & turn indicator LEDs... add another project on the list.

Worst case if I drill under the lens for the LED, and it didn't work out like envisioned, it can be filled in and would not be noticeable.

Will do some investigating and let everyone know what I find...

Rich

I thought seriously about doing something with LEDs behind the lenses on the GT top case, but ended up doing this instead:



It seemed easier at the time. I may yet go back and drill some holes behind the lenses for LEDs, but it didn't seem like the light would diffuse very well with no space between the LED and the lens.

now i want to get a top case! please keep us posted.

Steve, are you planning on adding the optional back rest? I find it interesting that they are selling them separately now.

I'm not even sure there *is* one available. That's what the shop is going to find out for me. It'll depend on the price, I guess. I think the backrest is standard on the GT case, and optional on the ET case. Is that correct?

I know the Givi case for Deb's Met has a $47 backrest avaialble, and a similarly priced brake light kit.

First post. Yay!

Great pics of LX. I'm picking up my new LX150 next week (my ET4 got nicked earlier this year) and I'm getting the top box with it. Same color too!

I have to get a new helmet as my old one was in the ET4. It was a full faced Shoei and fitted fine under the seat. The issue I have is that I require a X-Large helmet and I prefer a full faced helmet and I'm unsure if it will fit in the top box. I was at a dealership on the weekend and I picked a helmet and tried to put it under the seat of an LX150 they had there and it didn't fit. They didn't have a LX top box and only had an ET top box so I tried that and the helmet didn't fit into it either.

Anyone else had issues with trying to fit a (X-Large) full faced helmet into either the under seat compartment or the top box on their LX?

Sorry for the long post.

That's odd that it doesn't fit in an LX. The under seat bin is the same as an ET.

There are backrest pads now available in all seat colors, and red and brown Leather (to match the $360 accessory leather seats) for $38. I guess they require drilling, and come with a drill template. I saw Andy at Vespa Detroit mounting a red leather one on a white box.

I can fit my XL full face helmet in the under set bin of my LX but just barely. When I was at my dealer, we tried to get a full face helmet in the new LX top box and it fit in there too. Maybe you need to go with a different helmet.

BTW, I have a Fulmer Modus Full Face Helmet.

Thanks for the info. I'll check with the shop tomorrow.

I have on order sets of LEDs to make the lenses on the GT light up.
Doing it to my Fiance's bike. I'm also going to mount an ET rear rack and top case to an LX to see what it looks like. I'll post photos if i can.

Also, I'm gonna put a quick Disconnect on the topcase lights so you can easily remove the topcase.

I'll let you know the out come.

-larry