Modern Vespa

So I'm a complete noob at this. Hi everyone I'm thinking about getting a scooter if I can convince my parents that they are 'safe.'

So the Vespa S can go up to 59 miles... can it go a little faster? say 65ish? What about with 2 passengers or should I start looking at 200 cc...

Oh, also Vespas in general... do they come ready to seat 2 people or will I have to upgrade the seat?

The only model currently with a stock seat that can't take two people is the Vespa S. However, a "touring" seat that accommodates two people is availible as an option. All the other Vespas are two-person-ready, with the exception of some vintage ones.

As far as convincing your folks that Vespas are safe, good luck. Don't try to pull anything silly, they'll see right through it. Just convince them that you are ready to take every precaution you possibly can to be as safe as you can, and that you know what you're talking about. Do some research. Take a rider's safety course. Get some good gear and a good helmet. Ride on the back of a friend's scoot, and ask him to tell you about it. Practice on lower-traffic roads to start out. And definately don't try to take a passenger until you know your bike very well. It handles soooo much differently if you aren't used to it.

Best of luck to you! The S is an awesome scoot. But I would probably steer towards the GT or GTS if you're going to take a passenger more often than not, and still want the speed.

so i've got a white S150 and i adore it. there was a question as to the safety for my parents, and all i did to prove my point was take the MSF safety course and practice a lot in parking lots. i've gotten some first hand experience at defensive driving, and i can tell you that on a bike you've got to be extra aware of your surroundings.

the S150 is not really a two person bike, but it is a great starter bike! it says it tops out at 59 mph, but i've gone a tad faster than that. i'm still relatively new so i don't go too fast. i'm also not a very big person and don't carry passengers. i will say that the pick up from a stop sign or a red light is amazing and you'll definitely turn heads if you choose that bike.

i love my S150 and would not have gotten a different bike for all of the money in the world, however i cannot wait until i get to upgrade to a bigger bike like a 250 or even the new 300 i keep hearing about. it's all a matter of what's best for you.

Without owning one, I disagree... it can definitely be a 2 person scoot after the seat mod. My ET2 makes a fine 2-person scoot within ITS speed capabilities. The 2-up seats are pretty large and the floor runners go back pretty far for a second pair of feet (and you can always add footrests). It's not so much a question of "is it good for 2 people" (again, barring strange seats like the S sport seat or the leather split seats which many complain seat the rider too far forward) but more a question of how fast you want to go. If you want to go 65, especially with 2 people, the S150 won't cut it. You might get it that fast going downhill in some scenarios, but if that is your target speed, you might always want more. People rag on the 50cc scoots, but my target speed was 35-40 and that is indeed within my ET2's range. If I wanted to go 45... I'd be constantly dissatisfied.

Believe me, if you've never ridden on two wheels, going 30 mph is MUCH faster feeling than it is in a car. You might find that 59mph is granny speed in your car but plenty fast for you and your needs on the scoot. But if it isn't, I'd advise you go for something bigger

I see, thanks for the quick replies I'll stick to the S150 for the time being. Also are these safe for freeways? And if I were to give someone a ride, do I need to alter the seat or can they just hop up behind me.

Thanks again

If you have the two-person seat for the S, they can just hop right on the back. If you don't, they can probably hop on, but they might slide right back off. There's really no real modifying you can do to a seat without taking the whole thing off the bike.

Technically, the S is legal for freeways, but unless you can easily hit the same speed as everyone around you, I personally wouldn't do it too often. Kinda depends on the freeway, and your riding ability. If it's a 55mph zone, and you can hit 65 just fine, and you're ok with it, go right ahead. If it's a 75 zone and it's your first week on the scoot, forget it.

Hi Kizerk,

both your answers lie in the posts above, but the top speed is really going to be around the speed limit at best... so you will want to stick to short rides in the right lane. The stock seat has a big lump in the back, and is very uncomfortable for a passenger, but you CAN get a 2-person seat with it as an option

I rode an ET2 (unrestricted) for a couple of years and quite often had my missus on the back...yes it slowed the scooter down a bit - but no problems with two up...the handling was still smooth. I now have a 125 S...and two up on that is sheer pleasure....not even really any noticable lack of pace either...the pillion seat is quite high tho and my wife is considering a shin lengthening operation.

Just to clarify, seat or not, experience or not, the engine in the LX 150/S is NOT suitable for 2-up AND freeway duty. I've done a 100 mile round trip with my wife 2-up on my LX, but we stuck to windy back roads with 35 and 45mph speed limits. It was a blast. I've also done a fairly significant amount of freeway riding on my 150, and while it's certainly doable, I do feel it worthy of mention that I select my freeways and times of day to ride them carefully.

You will not catch me on a 65 or 70mph stretch of freeway with deep-cut rain grooves during anything other than rush hour - ever. The smaller 55mph and 65mph, blacktop-paved, good condition freeways and expressways can be an absolute delight to ride under the right conditions, on the other hand.

My S150 will do 60 with me on it alone (210#). That feels pretty fast, actually very fast. Nevertheless, the scooters, probably due to a low center of gravity, are very stable, and not "twitchy" at all. I ride up a gravel hill to get home with no problem.

You will never be as safe on a scooter as in a car, as I am sure you know. It is no more dangerous than a bicycle, except for the higher speeds. Bear in mind that many millions of people all over the world ride them. You can keep your danger to a minimum by being smart and avoiding any dicey situations. Only you know if you are that kind of person. If you aren't, get a car.

With regard to the stock seat, it is fine for one, pretty awful for two. I got the two person seat, and my wife says it is plenty comfy. I have a topcase with back pad ordered- I suspect that will make her feel more secure and comfortable.

out of the 7 Vespa S scooters I work on I have GPS' 4 of them and this was after breakin 650ish miles they all did between 59-62 mph you can also up jet and get to 67mph but the best mpg out of them was around 73mpg

Note the Vespa S was going to come to america with the two passager seat but when the scooters took off so well they stoped putting the 50cc/125cc engines in the ones that were almost finished in china and switch to the 150cc for the american market some even came with sidestands that the dealers were going to take off and charge $60 xtra for but most dealer leave them on and since most dealer are caught up alot of them have been getting the scooter with the two passanger seat now and the top case which only looks right with the two pasanger seat

but if you want to ride two people at 65 i would go for a GT200 or GTS250 or the GTS250Super

or just get a better scooter from China not a Modern Vespa

clarification on my statement that the S150 isn't really a two person bike:

i am a small girl (below 5'4") and the only other person that i would take on the back of my vespa would be my boyfriend who is over 6'4" and at the 300lb mark.

needless to say, i don't think the two of us have any business sharing the seat of an S150. i'll ride on the back of his 1000cc bike with him, but he's probably not hopping on the back of my 150cc bike anytime soon.