Modern Vespa

The GP800 is very heavy! Putting it on the centre stand on my driveway it fell away from me when my foot slipped off the polished stand-lever. The RH mirror contacted one of the trailers which was at the side and snapped in half.

But otherwise not a scratch. It just gently rested at a 30 degree angle to the horizontal, all forlorn.

I tried to lift it by the 'tiny girl lifts a Goldwing' method, but my back was saying Noooo! However by facing it I was able to get into a much better lifting position, and up it came without too much effort. It would have been easier if I hadn't just filled it with 18 litres of petrol as the tank is at the top rear!

A new mirror is being ordered tomorrow, still got the left one so that's all right. Thinks, better order some tyres as well - the Pirellis have done brilliantly, 9,700 miles so far, but felt a bit ragged in yesterday's rain when 'pushed' a bit.

Jim, how much does the 800 weigh? That's the biggest scooter I've ever seen. We don't get anything that big over here.

You were lucky! Hope your back is OK!!! I had my first MRI scan on Friday which was terrifying!

I did exactly the same when I got a new GT125 a few years ago. It was wet and miserable and it fell over away from me when my foot slipped off the stand. I had a couple of small scratches on the plastic panel below the cowl, but nothing major. Gave me a bit of a shock though.

248kg +/-10kg (fuel) - so what with the tools inside the seat and a full load of fuel it was 260kg ~ 570lb. Slightly heavier than the Fuoco. Back's fine - it's been rather creaky for a few weeks, but a very progressive 200 mile run yesterday loosened it up nicely! About twice a year I do something daft like lift a feather or sneeze and so slightly injure a muscle. I just 'know' when I'm about to deliberately attempt something it won't like, so haven't crocked it from hard labour. Hope your scan results show what's required.

Oh its embarrassing when it happens. Hope the mirror fits and the back remains tidy!

Christ, that'd sound heavy even if it was motorcycle. What makes it such a porker?

Having a big strong scooter-type (ish!) steel frame. There's a lot more metal than a M/C of the same displacement would need with a conventional frame. I can't see the engine being heavier than any normal V-twin - but it is basically a lump capable of having a different top-end and being a 1200.

570 lbs is still 'lighter' than a fully-gassed 650 Burgman by 30 to 55 lbs depending on whether it's the 'standard' or the heavier 'executive' model.

They don't call it the 'Lardy' for nothing.

Saw one parked outside my local dealer at the weekend and was sorely tempted on taking a test ride. Decided not to in the end as i'd probably want to buy one which thanks to gool ol' Gordy and the credit crunch, is an impossibility at the moment. Still interested in hearing your feedback Jim, have you posted a review on this forum?

No, I'm going to do a few more miles yet, but I will. As my bike was the Piaggio UK Press Demo bike there are enough reviews already.

Suffice to say it takes on sports-bikes and more than keeps up.

Does that ever sound familiar! I lifted my head off my pillow one morning, and wound up in a neck brace.

I suspect it might keep up with a sportbike on a tight road where the sportbike can't bring it's horsepower to play, but certainly, a 75 hp machine like the 800 is no match for an equal displacement sport machine (750cc) that Typically produces well over 120 hp at the rear wheel and tops out at 160 mph.

Not to be a wet blanket here, but I've owned a few sportbikes (FZR1000, ZX10, Hayabusa) and they had nothing to fear from 75 hp machines unless on a very tight road with a better rider at the bars.....then they had a chance, at least until things became a bit straighter.

Having said that....I wish I owned a GP800, just to hammer the local Harleys with...the 650 Burgman can 'bag' about half of them, but the 800 would deliver a trouncing to 98% of them that would qualify for the coveted 'humiliation' category.

Um....650 Burgman and Honda 600 Silver Wing? The big Burgman has been here for five years.

Glad to hear it was just a mirror, with no collateral damage to your back.

9700miles???

You've only had that thing for a couple months now, right? That's quite a long ways!

How many Brit Cannonball runs/laps does it take to get up that high?

Jim, pound for pound that weights as much as my FJR. Your right about putting it on the center stand, you really need to stay focused. I have not dropped mine yet but I could feel it fighting me when I am putting it up. Can you add sliders to the GP800? Also, have you had any cars try to race you yet thinking it was a smaller bike?

Just read a review of the new Honda Goldwing 2009.
They have added more bling - six speakers and SATNAV etc.
Tips the scales at 425 kg....
Faaaaarrrrrk

FYI, in case people don't know what this scooter looks like (I didn't):

I bought it at the end of August with 4,500 miles already on it, so I've only done 5,200 since then. Trips to Wales and France have helped the total.

Very few roads around here allow any bike to get to top speed and there'll always be a speed camera on any of those, so the crotch-rockets rarely get a chance to get away.

I've had very few cars who've tried to race me on it - and I tend to let those go, I don't trust boy-racers. Bikes are another matter, they get a shock.

There's no sensible place to add crash-bungs, hopefully this'll be the first and last time it goes on its side anyway.

Nice to know it is pickuppable, because one is bound to drop it at least once! I very nearly did the same with the Nexus outside IKEA one slippery rainy day.

That explains it.

You should ride it out here in western South Dakota next time you're in the area, there's no cameras and a great mix of open interstates and great hilly, foresty, curvy two lanes...just watch out for suicidal deer and the occasional police radar.

I suspect a GP800 would be very happy running in our geography

Did a bit of surgery to the mirror - stitches in place:

kind of fitting around Halloween, a Frankensteinian mirror......hmmm