Modern Vespa

Hello all,

I'm about to take the plunge and buy my first vespa...I was lookin to get the s50 for work commuting..I've been looking around and it seems that everyones saying the top speed is around 38 mph but the guy at my local dealership says it'll go 50 mph once it's broken in,is this true?

Sorry if this has been asked already but I'm at work and had to make things quick

Thanks for any info

Maybe downhill, with a strong wind at your back... and if you are a tiny person.

Not likely to get much over 40 otherwise.

A small windscreen will help slightly with the top speed.

Don't believe everything (anything?) a salesman tells you.

Get a 125 (may be a 150 where you are) - the 50 is dangerously slow except for short suburban rides to school.

I get 40 - 45 mph on the vespa speedometer.
It won't go to 50 mph.

It's made for city riding and is excellent at it.
It's not dangerously slow if you use it the way it's meant to be used.

Officially, it's 39 mph. (from Vespa USA website)


Regards
Harvey

Thank you everyone for you're quick replys, I think 40-45 should be fine...there's only one strech where the speed limit goes to 50 and it's a very short strech..I just don't wanna be that guy holding up traffic going 30 lol...but jumping to the 150 is still something to ponder...but then Id need to get a motorcycle license hmmmmm

Spend the extra for the 150 now. If you don't, you'll wish you did a very short time later.

I know I did.

If you will be riding in traffic, you'll appreciate the extra pep you may need to get out out of unpleasant situations.

Getting your licence hopefully includes getting some training. Riding a PTW is not something I'd advise anyone to do without training. I believe your best course of action is to do an MSF course, regardless of what you buy. But having done one (and apparently getting an 'easy' route to a licence) then a larger capacity bike than a 50 is IMHO essential. You can't get out of trouble on a 50, you can only try to avoid it, and that's tricky if you have to spend your riding life keeping out of the way rather than dominating your lane.

I can tell you I had a 50cc (Honda Spree '87) for a year, logged about 1.5k miles and realized I needed AND wanted more. Mopeds can drive on bike lanes here and I constantly had to use them because on almost ANY road cars would get antsy to pass me.

If you still think you want to try such a small engine, maybe you shouldn't make it such an expensive choice as a Vespa? At least then the switch will be painless if you later choose to upgrade.

Honda Ruckus, Metropolitan, Yamaha Vino, Zuma, Geniune Buddy 50, People, Older models like Honda Spree, Tomos etc., there are cheaper alternatives for the 50cc without sacrificing much IMO. I think the biggest factor is 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke (with 2 stroke having bad emissions, eating oil and running slightly faster compared to a 4 stroke that is cleaner, doesn't mix oil and is a bit slower...I think), but I don't know anything about the mechanics so maybe others will tell you any other major differences.

Edit: And I don't know FL rules but I had to get a license recently in WI for the GT and applying for a permit was scarily easy--one short computer test for dummies. One more short course and you have yourself a license. It's a minimal investment

My first scoot was a 50cc Schwinn Newport. No sooner than about a week after I bought it I realized it was too small. Mine would go 35mph with a small person riding it, but with me (rather big) 32 was max, and if was a semi-steep hill, forget it.. I'd slow to 20 or worse. Before long I was bored riding on residential streets, and even on heavily traveled roads with the speed limit at 35, I was getting tailgated and passed unmercifully. I put 1800 miles on her then bought the Vespa 250GTS. Way better choice for me! And the motorcycle endorsement was an easy thing to get. The written test was simple and the riding test was a cinch after putting those miles on the little bike!

I would recommend at least a 150cc scooter.

Oh, and I'd just like to remind you that if Vespa indicates a top speed of 39mph then that probably won't do even for a 35mph road...My Spree road up to 35mph but up any decent size hill it would top out around 20.

If the roads you plan on using are anything except perfectly flat I don't think a 50cc could manage. Especially during a 50mph limit stretch

I need to disagree here. 50cc scoots are great. LX50s can be kind of a dog, but the new S engine is supposed to be pretty peppy, more like a 2-stroke. I use my 50cc all the time in Boston. It easily keeps up with the traffic. I'm not an "ancient" rider, but I've been riding it long enough to know that it is a very sufficient ride. For what I use it for.

And therein lies the key - WHERE will you be riding? I find nothing "terrifyingly dangerous" about my ET2 in Boston, and anyone who has driven here can attest we have some GODAWFUL drivers. But that is WITHIN Boston. In the inner city, the 50cc is great because I can actually, *gasp*, keep up with and even pass traffic. PLUS, you can park on the sidewalk when you get there. But don't go on any 50mph roads outside the inner city, because 40 might be within the legal range but it isn't safe at that point.

It gets tiring seeing how "terribly inadequate" a 50cc scoot must be. I pulled 40 on it today two-up, topcase and trunk loaded with shopping goods. That's dandy when the posted limits are 30-35. Nothing inadequate or dangerous about it, if you use the vehicle within its limits. You need to now be honest with yourself about how it will be used. If you are riding solely downtown in a metropolitan area, like me, I think you'll find a peppy 50 to be a dream-scoot... more so than the larger bikes due to the ease of parking in an otherwise parking nightmare. If I had to sell a scoot, it would be the 200, not the 50. But that's because of where I live! If I'm driving outside the city a ways and will need to take faster roads... yeah, I'm taking the 200. Be honest with yourself in how and where you are going to want to use the scooter, then make your decision.

HOWEVER, I must agree with everyone else that you should get some training. Idiots treat 50cc like toys... you can rodger yourself good going 40 if you don't know what you are doing. It's a motorcycle, 50cc or not, regardless of what the state calls it, and you should drive it with a safe set of skills!

I would look on craiglist to find a good 50cc scooter (honda,vino,yamaha) and see if it works for you before spending the bucks to get a vespa. Living in FLA you don't have hills so a 50cc might be all you need but if you want more power at least you won't be out a bunch of money. A warm welcome and good luck. If you get a 50cc scooter take some lessons and practice since it can save your life.

mikeypeeps... Don't know where you live in FL, but I live in FL and recently took a BRC course on their ezy to ride 150cc scooter in Eustis. I payed the bucks and took a private course (one on one with instructor) and it was the very best thing I ever did and a whole-lotta-fun! I did it in two days in 99 degree heat.....worth every penny. If you want more info...just ask mikey

I come from a 50cc background as well... started with a 2T Vino which I eventually kitted to 72 cc. I agree that 50s are unfairly maligned. They are perfectly safe and adequate vehicles for in-town, campus, and short-commute-on-back-road use. You just need to be careful and patient. Saying that a 50cc scooter is inherently unsafe is akin to saying that riding a bicycle on public roads is inherently unsafe.

I forgot that the S50 now has a 4-valve engine. That should give it a bit more pep than the average 50cc 4-stroke, but I still doubt you'd ever see 50 mph on level ground. BTW, it wouldn't surprise me if that 39 mph spec is with some sort of restriction (in the exhaust or variator, or both) to meet some state laws for 50cc bikes. If so, it would be a bit faster if you derestricted it.

The 39mph is the maximum when unrestricted. It is sold in the EU with a maximum of 50kph (31mph) - restricted to comply with laws for use by those under a certain age (various between various countries).

We have both 50cc Metro and 200cc GT200.

If you do local neighborhood / flat ground riding and don't need to exceed a 35 mph...the 50 cc is fine. You can even take hills (35 degree incline) and get it up to 25 - 28 mph, but it is a strain.

Otherwise I would recommend the 150cc...this is fine for both neighborhood riding and occasional highway / freeway (short runs).

If I had to do it over again I would have bought a 150cc vs. the 200cc...easier handling and manuerable.