Modern Vespa

I have a 2009 Vespa 150LX with tall windshield the scooter has 150 miles on the clock my question is about top speed.

With my riding gear my weight is 105lbs and the best top speed as indicates on the Speedo is 56 mph is this about right?

Thanks Charles

Sorry 205 LBS!
I have a 2009 Vespa 150LX with tall windshield the scooter has 150 miles on the clock my question is about top speed.

With my riding gear my weight is 205lbs and the best top speed as indicates on the Speedo is 56 mph is this about right?

Thanks Charles

180 lbs, stock LX150 - GPS verified 73.8

Also, I love your muscles.

Ditto on weight and stock - GPS 74.5 (tucked and going down hill)!

215 + -, no mods, no wind screen, flat road, wind at back, upright
72 mph indicated, probably more like 65 mph actual.

Cheers
Rob

how many miles do you have so far,

Speed picks up more after the "break-in"

i have 151 miles on it

At 151 miles you should still be running it in and not trying for max speed

after break in ( 600 miles)and oil change , you can open it up a bit more and it will loosen up , but may take 2000 miles to really feel bedded in

Oh yeah, at 150 miles your top speed should be 45.

It really does get quite a bit faster as your ride the shit out of it after break in.

245 no windscreen straight road no wind a true 55. With a tail wind and tucked down 65. Into a 40 mph headwind 40. I added a windscreen last night, so I hope to ride some this week and see if there is a difference.

My scoot just broke 2000 miles last week. It'll do about 62 on the flat (speedo-indicated) with a Faco mid-height windshield; I weigh just a skosh under 200#. Our altitude affects power (reduction of 3% per 1000' density altitude) and consequently probably top speed.

But at 150 miles, you shouldn't be pushing it that hard, yet. No point in breaking it!

Cary

For a second I thought you said you got your 150 up to 245 mph!

My LX50 with mod has gone maybe like 65, speedo was way pegged and my face started to warp backwards. I'm over 300lbs. also. Flat ground I'm 45

Hi, Charles, I would say that's probably about right. What I can tell you is this. I've got a large windscreen on mine too. I weigh 150lbs butt naked, but I'd actually call my actual load to be at 235lbs (me, my bags, clothes, a chain, a heavy aftermarket seat, and whatever gas is in the tank @ 30lb/gallon). I'm nearly at sea level. I run a stock scooter with proper tire inflation. My GPS-verified steady-state wide-open-throttle speed is approximately 57mph. There are caveats to that thought though.

I'll start by saying that you can't really relate to comments about how fast it goes down hill. Really...how the heck does anyone know what that means, right? Yeah. There's already too many variables ton consider without having to speculate on the degree of decline.

That being said, I've found it pretty friggin difficult to find a decent strip of land to do a scientific measurement. What I'd like to see is at least 20 datapoints from my GPS where the altitude change stays within 2~3ft of flat, and see what the steady-state speed turns out to be. That ought to be long enough for any carrying momentum to be scrubbed off, and enough to be fairly certain that there's not much of an advantage/disadvantage from going down/up a slight decline, and gives the GPS some time to have the reading interpolations settle down.

Apparently I don't usually travel roads that flat though! The best I tend to get without making a science project out of this is maybe 5~6 datapoints at a stretch out of my normal commute that I might consider "flat." I haven't made a total project out of this, so I haven't gone seeking a flatter course. Studying the datapoints on Garmin's Mapsource tool, 57mph is what I'm coming up with as the approximate max speed with my current setup.

Now, here's another caveat though. 57mph is definitely *not* what my speedo is telling me. When I'm *actually* doing 57mph, my speedo is telling me I'm doing 65mph. I suspect that yours would overstate your speed as well. Since I suspect that your true load is probably about 40 lbs heavier than mine, I would be willing to bet that you're actually going about 50mph or perhaps slightly less.

On a great day, with the wind at my back, I have topped out at a little over 70 indicated...so maybe 68 or so mph realisticly. Stock bike.

I see 65 on my speedo all the time when I venture onto the highway. Sometimes 70 if wind and slope are right. I've got 1800 miles and I'm 190+ in load. My LXV has the standard short fly wind screen. I kind of doubt that makes any impact on top speed.

GPS indicated 74.2mph w/ 150 lb rider.

Speedo indicated 47 mph with 165 lbs rider...LX50 8)

If I kept my Fly 150 at 45 MPH I'd probably be dead by now. It has about 275 miles on the speedo, and I will take it over 50 MPH so as to keep someone from running up my arse.

Thank you for the advice.
Please note that I only run it WOT for less than a mile at a time.

charles

Good Info
Thank You!
charles

My top speed on flat ground is around 65 indicated. Last week I was going down a big hill, tucked and saw an indicated speed of 77. This is on an S150 with 1200 miles.

I have a tall windscreen that when installed cuts 5 to 10 off the top speed depending on the wind.

30 a gal? is that the new super high test I have heard about?
I thought gasoline was/is lighter than water and water weighs 8lb a gallon or so..
( just looked it up- gas 6.25 lb per gal, water 8.32 lb per gal)
No flames please, I don't feel like looking the figures up...

As for top speed, behind my truck it was over 80 once, under its' own power it was 84 indicated.

After I put on new tires and belt I can't even break 74 indicated, 7300 miles on odo..

No, I think you're right. I had 30lbs on my head because my motorcycle tank is about 5.5 gallons, which means I have about 30lbs of gas in there. It should be about 9~ish lbs for the lx

You math makes sense though...
Have you ever noticed how heavy a full gas can when you run out of gas 5 miles from the service station?

I had a '78 Subaru wagon in the late '80s. I bought it (for $350) knowing the clutch was slipping. But it had so little torque that I kept driving it for another couple of years before it finally got to the point that I couldn't go any faster than 55 mph on level ground. I love the thought that my 150 Vespa would easily beat that.

about 1750 miles on odo, stock '07 LX150 (no windscreen/flyscreen), i weigh 190... last time i checked i got 69mph indicated- flat ground, little breeze

Leaded gas .... hahahaha!!

I would agree that these measures include too many variables (weight being probably paramount). For my personal driving, I don't consider freeway/interstate driving as an option either.

What I'd be interested in is: how do you feel driving on busy main thoroughfares in your city? Do you feel like people are going around you (as if you are a granny driver?) Do you feel safe merging into such streets? Do you feel like you are coming to a gunfight with a water pistol?

I'd be interested in those opinions, as they relate to a LX150/ET4.

I hope that is modified...

I drive the Fly 150 that uses the same engine. I do not nor will I ever drive my scooter on the interstate. I avoid the main thoroughfares in town as much as I can, but not because I have an issue with the bike's power or speed capabilities. People in my city drive like idiots, pure and simple; and when I say that, I'd guess that I've never run across worse drivers in any other city in the country - and I've driven in hundreds of them. Couple that with our high incidence of hit-and-run accidents, and the safety issue is paramount for me.

Although I drive the speed limit on all of our streets and highways, I'm usually passed as if I'm a 'granny driver'. That's usually coupled with lots of people giving me the finger or shaking their fists at me. Typically drivers around here average 15 MPH OVER the posted speed limits.

I exercise extreme caution on busy streets, and will even go out of my way to avoid turning left in front of traffic. I will not merge onto these streets either. I make full use of traffic signals to avoid this problem.

Gonna step out on a limb here and say that tire diamter and inflation will make a noticeable difference on these little rims.

When I had the Pirelli ten incher on the back (and fully inflated) I hit 72 mph blasting around. On some hills Kythera actually hit an indicated 74 mph. I also noticed I had to lift the bike sideways just a little so that the back tire would spin freely on warm up.

Now I have the Sport Pilot and its just a slight bit smaller in diameter. It never touches pavement when warming up so spins freely. Guess what. Not as high a top end speed.

Harv

You're probably right about the tire diameter, but I am now wondering if there's a point where the diameter can get too big. The Fly uses a 12" rear tire, but I cannot get the scoot over 60, much less 70 MPH.

Your scoot will be faster after you break in the motor...mine was the same way, kinda sluggish when new. Now with a little over 2400 miles on it, it easily cruises right up to about 60 mph (indicated) without trying. Don't worry, there is nothing unusual with your LX!

Actually at 150 miles your top speed should be WHATEVER THE F*CK IT TAKES to get out of the way of the cagers !!!

Ride it like you stole it, don't govern yourself to 45.

Cheers,
SDG

And a real damn pretty one too.

Lynda said she chatted with ya today, loves ya.

Muh,
David

Is that right junior?
I might be in line to buy a ~2,000 mile, ET4. And one of the things I wonder about is the aforementioned (see above). Louisiana_Geezer, thanks for the response BTW--seems we share the same concerns.

To me, I want to be able to drive in the city (speed-wise) as if I had my car... meaning, if it takes 20 minutes to get somewhere in the city, I don't wanna have to make concessions because of the capabilities of the vehicle (of course, safety is a prime factor as well).

I am a 230 lb. rider on a 2006 LX150 w/Sito+, Re-Jet, Faco Midsize Screen.

On a downhill section of the Long Island Expressway, with a backpack bungied to a rear rack, I have been able to hit 78mph indicated.

A definite improvement from stock sans/shield.

Tons of noise though. Hope to get a LaminarLip installed soon.