Modern Vespa

Hi

On Sunday 12th July I passed my CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) course and purchased my vespa on Monday, hit a parked car on Tuesday morning and fell off it on Tuesday evening trying to do a U turn. A week on and I've managed to stay on the scooter and am in love with the great experience of riding it.

I'm not too happy about the scratches to the front mud guard and the scratches to the right hand side of it but hey ho - I will get them sorted next month as I hate to see my new pride and joy scarred.

Anyway I was wondering if anyone had any hints, advice and knowledge to pass on regarding my new baby including which wind shield to get and how to keep the scotter safe from thiefs and blind drivers when they park.

Also does anyone know what I'm supposed to do with that sort of black waterproof thing in a compartment under the seat?

Mo x

The GTS 125 is a lovely machine. The smaller engine compared with the 300 cc, does a lovely job at speeds up to 50 mph. You also get so much more value compared with the small and wobbly LX125. The windscreen to choose is the Vespa flyscreen, but I would only recommend it if you regularly drive long stretches on motorways in speeds exceeding 55 mph. Otherways you really don't need it. The bag under the seat is a seat cover, but it is not waterproof. It merely protects the seat from dust, UV-rays and the occasional bird dropping...

Thanks - but does the bag/cover underneath the seat actually detatch from the thing it is attached to under the seat or does it have to stay hooked to it. It's just that I briefly tryed to stretch it over the seat and it wasn't fitting with ease??

Hi Mo, welcome to MV.

I shouldn't worry about the dings and scratches for the moment, it is bound to collect a few more, especially in London. When you are confident you won't lay it down yourself, then perhaps get it tidied up.

The cover is hardly ever used by anyone. There should be a place where it tucks away and can be forgotten, or just cut it off. With regular use it disintegrates anyway.

welcome mo, congrats on the new scooter

windscreens: the mid-sized screen would be my recommendation for best all-round... it keeps loads of wind and rain off, and doesn't adversely affect the handling of the scooter at high speeds or in high winds. keep an eye on ebay, they often come up at a substantial discount.

locking up: if you can park your scooter on private property, do so - they are much, much safer there, even if it's only in the front garden. if you have to park on the street, try and find a place where you can chain it to something so it can't be carried off. don't leave any valuables under the seat, in the glovebox, or in the topbox if you have one (when i leave my topbox on overnight, i leave it unlocked and empty). a cover will also discourage tampering, although to be on the safe side you need to lock the cover to the scooter to prevent thieves from nicking the cover (ask me how i know ). tucano urbano make a good cover with grommets to put a cable lock through - don't bother with a cheap plastic one as it will shred to pieces within a very short time. covers also make the scooter more visible to drivers when they're parking up.

It takes a little fitting the first time or two you use it. I use mine regularly, since I have the leather seat. I cut the tab off mine so that I can hang it up to let it dry out. But it fit fine even when it was attached. It's really your choice on that.

Congrats on the new scoot!