Vespa LX150 scooter – A fair-weather friend

About a month ago we promised to get our hands on some scooters for evaluation. We’ve just added a couple of Vespas to our test fleet, a 50cc LX50 and a 150cc LX150. The LX50 model cost us $3,299, the LX150 $4,399. After some buzzing around (“Vespa” means wasp in Italian) in the immediate vicinity, it became clear that most of us prefer the 150. Though the 50cc model doesn’t require a motorcycle license, it’s limited to only 30 mph and feels sluggish. In order to ride legally and confidently on highways, you’d need a 250cc scooter.

The other day I ferried the LX150 home on a trailer so I could ride it in more urban and suburban settings than the rural roads around our test track. I immediately felt very trendy. Spurred on by record high gas prices, the Vespa has become a fashion statement in my neck of the woods in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Mind you, I’m not a two-wheeler novice: I used to own a Triumph motorcycle. It took a bit of a mindset adjustment to ride the Vespa, but I’m happy to announce that my ego remained intact. Luckily, everything else also remained intact despite a few nerve-racking moments in rush-hour traffic and a sudden booming thunderstorm. Riding in the rain is very stressful and fatiguing due to the reduced grip, impaired visibility, and the already  oblivious motorists around you.

The 150, with just 12 hp on tap, had no problem keeping up with traffic in the range of 15 and 45 mph. There’s enough oomph for clearing an intersection without feeling overly vulnerable, and for quick spurts to escape from a potentially hazardous situation. Climbing mild grades is also quite effortless, at least when riding solo. The CVT automatic works well and the muted engine noise is unobjectionable. The manufacturer claims 72 mpg “under lab conditions.” We haven’t been able to confirm that yet, but stay tuned.

We’ve reached a top speed of about 65 mph on a long straight, but the scooter’s natural habitat is the neighborhood, not the interstate. The brakes, activated by two levers on the handlebar, work well and are easy to modulate.

From a motorcyclist’s perspective, you’d think that with the Vespa’s small wheels and the floor board, it might scrape the pavement in corners. Actually, there’s ample clearance, and the Vespa feels quite agile and responsive. With just a gentle lean, you round any corner. Low-speed maneuvering in tight quarters is very easy. The ride is firm yet compliant, and very well controlled when traversing dips, swells, and undulations. Notably, there is very little vibration felt through the seat, handlebar, and floor.

The beige suede seat on our LX150 looks sharp and got several compliments from bystanders. Plus, it dispels rain drops easily. Unfortunately, birds like it, too. I loved the ability to store my full-face helmet under the seat. However, I missed not having a side-kick for quick stops, even though the center stand was easy enough to use. I could see that it might be awkward for the uninitiated.

Overall, the Vespa LX150 is a fun little urban runabout that’s very easy to drive. It can serve as a wind-in-your-face ride to the beach or as a frugal commuter to the train station. There is a certain freedom element to driving the Vespa, as long as you keep in mind that it is a limited-use vehicle and a fair-weather friend.

Read our full report and tests of scooters and motorcycles. 

—Gabe Shenhar

For more motorcycles and scooters coverage, read our blog entries:
Tips on buying and driving a motorcycle or scooter
Downsizing to two wheels - Motorcycle interest revs up
Motorists move to scooters and motorcycles to save
Motorcycle death rates doubled; supersport bikes the most dangerous

Also, join in the Motorcycles & scooters forum discussion. 

Comments

[David Traver Adolphus]

Scooter, moped & motorcycle licensing laws vary wildly from state to state. While in Connecticut you have a displacement formula, here in Vermont anything with an engine but without pedals requires a motorcycle license and must be registered as such.

[Ed]

What exactly is this term you came up with, "limited use vehicle" and why bother labeling the Vespa as such? Are there any vehicles of unlimited use? Every vehicle has a "limited use" and the vespa is for minimalists. No point in droning on the subject. What you should be focusing on are its uses like for people who have commutes that can be done on city streets rather than the highway. Also, like any motorcycle, riding in the rain is not a big deal at all if you have the proper equipment. By the way, Vespas are a fashion statement. You can buy any japanese made scooter for half the price and equal performance. It may seem silly but Vespa is the Mercedes Benz of the scooter world. Do they actually do anything practical better than any other vehicle? Nope, they just look prettier doing it. Get someone who rides scooters on a regular basis and who does not have to try and convince themselves that they like them to do your scooter reviews next time.

[Soozn]

Most 50cc scooters (including Vespa) can easily be de-restricted to go 38-45 mph. depending on the scooter.
A 50 cc scooter riding in that range can be very practical for many people for grocery runs and other errands.

[Susan Levitt]

As more people dare the pavement on two wheels, the four-wheel drivers will become more accustomed to seeing us, instead of overlooking us. Scooters are very well suited to small trips to the store, which also happen to be some of the worst to do in a car froma fuel efficiency point of view. You may not be able to bring home a 40 pound bag of dog chow, at least not easily, but you can bring home three or four bags worth of groceries if you add a basket to the rear rack, or bring a backpack. I need to add a rack to mine so I can carry hot pizza home, too!

I need very much to hear about other people's experiences with the Vespa products, especially the 250 GSie. I have been having mechanical problems with mine (still under warranty thank goodness) and would like to know if this is a one-off situation or a bad habit in Vespas.

[MotorMouth]

I have a derestricted 50cc Aprilia Mojito and a 50cc Tomos Sprint. My friend has a Vespa 150LX. My Mojito is the largest is size, and not far behind the Vespa in speed. For testing, I rode a Vespa, but for my bikes, I do not need an endorsement.

Just as I had to learn to ride a bicycle, I had to learn to ride and handle a motorbike. A big part of the learning was in riding and dealing with those of you in cages.

I have had friend complain that mopeds are slow, hold up traffic, and weaves. I explain that not only do I pay road taxes thought the purchase of gasoline, but like their vehicles, I also pay for registrations, license, and tags. I therefore have the right to be on the road. There is a posted 30 speed limit on most roads where I ride. The fast is that I am at the right speed; you on the other hand are driving too fast. Although I tend to stay to the right, every motorcyclist has the right to the whole lane. The center of the lane would make me most visible, but it is also, where your cars drop oil. What you call weaving is my using the full lane to avoid potholes, rocks, glass, and/or the moron in the next lane.

Do those who shout: “Get off the road! Or “Get on the sidewalk!” it is not legal for be to drive on the sidewalk. Furthermore, it’s not even legal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. I also cannot drive in the bike lane or on bike trails. In addition, please stop throwing things at our wheels to see what will happen. You know what will happen. My having broken body parts is not fun, nor should be part of your amusement.

[Doug Canter]

After riding a Yamaha Vino 50 CC scooter for several years, I decided to get either a small motorcycle or bigger scooter. I used to ride a Yamaha 350 CC about 30 years ago and was partial to buying a motorcycle, but decided on the Vespa 150 cc because I intended to use it mainly for commuting to the Metro or downtown. I've been commuting on the Vespa 150 CC for about a year now. The 150 has plenty of power and is fun to ride in good weather. I actually like the cornering on a motorcycle better and the smaller scooter wheels make potholes a menace, but on balance I highly recommend the Vespa 150 cc for urban commuting.

[david (the one that always signs with lower case)]

Speaking of hp in the scooters remanded me of the hp in go-karts. The Tough-and-Go (TAG) 125 cc karts have about 25hp and can reach 0-60 mph in under 6 secs. I would have love to drive them on the streets if they were street legal. Anyone know what their mileage would be?

[david]

Interesting concept... enclosed hybrid "motorcycle" due out in CA in 2010.

http://www.flytheroad.com/

[Tracy]

I just bought a Vespa LX150. I bought it to commute about 13 miles down the main road. I'm a new rider, so I haven't attempted the commute yet (just riding around town for now).

As a small woman (105 lbs, 5'1") I was really afraid to ride at first! That bike seemed SO big to me when we unloaded it from the truck. I wasn't sure that I would even be able to hold the bike up when stopped. I'm happy to say that it's been no problem at all. I quite comfortable on it now.

This Vespa is so easy to operate and handle that I'm a total convert! I wish I had done this sooner!

After my motorcycle saftey class and my Corazzo jacket arrives, I'll be riding all over the place! Cars are just going to have to learn to deal.

[Ford Warrick]

I recently purchased an Aprilia Sportcity 250ie and I love it. I paid full retail price of $4599. I commute 38 miles to work and also go to the gym, grocery, etc. I bought a locked box for the back and combined with the space under the seat you can carry a lot of stuff- even more if you take a backpack. Top speed is about 80 mph and I have zero problem keeping up with traffic, even with two people riding. I'm averaging 75 mpg. It is fun to ride, easy to find a parking space, saves money on gas and wear on my car. The negatives are riding in inclimate weather and safety. No matter how careful you are you can still be hit and don't have the protection of a car.

[mpt]

How does one get the Vespa LX 150 at $4,399? I recently bought one at the local dealer and had to endure their mark up price of aproximately $800.00, not including fee and taxes. The price was not negotiable, and I had to be in the waiting list for a few weeks. I also had engine oil leaks right at the beginning and had to have the scooter back at the shop for another 2 weeks. I hope my experience on the Vespa is not common, but would like to hear from others...

[Ken]

You might want to try out some serious and practical urban transportation, the Suzuki Burgman 650. Good mileage and very practical storage as well as having no problems at Interstate speeds.

[cynner]

In California, you need a motorcycle license for *any* scooter, even a 50cc model. 150cc is the minimum engine size for freeway riding. And lane-splitting is legal.

[geo]

Don't forget about the other brands of scooters! My wife has a Yamaha Vino 125. It gets an average of 85mpg, while topping out at 55mph. We have 4 Yamaha dealerships in town, as opposed to 1 Vespa dealer (done for the same reason they don't have 2 BMW or Porsche dealers within a 50 mile radius-MONEY!MONEY!MOENY!-they can keep the prices at the level "they" want). I paid under $2,700 out the door with tax, title, etc. I really wanted a resource like Consumer Reports for the scooter purchase, but the only information you get is anecdotal at best (they think their scooter is "great"-without any objective opinion). She wants to move upto a 250cc to keep up with me on my motorcycle, but there are not a lot of options at that point. Either a "maxi" scooter, or a Chinese or European import. Some objective advice would help the decision.

[Brian Allen]

This summer I purchased a Vespa GTS 250ie, thankfully I had several dealers to choose from and got varying quotes from each one. It's a popular vehicle and if you have only one dealer in your area they can charge pretty much whatever they want. As of today I've put over 3500 miles on it without a problem. I couldn't believe how well it handled when I rode it for the first time, very well balanced with a low center of gravity. And it's FAST, you can leave almost anything on the road in the dust from a standing stop. People don't believe that this quiet little scooter will actually go that fast or quick, I've had it over 85mph by it's speedometer. It does feel a little light at that speed but it'll do 65mph all day without a hitch and when you get off at the end you don't feel tired at all. Several gripes that I have about it though, it doesn't hold enough gas and you have to fill it very, very, slowly or gas will come shooting out of the tank and get all over everything. The oil filter requires a special tool to get off but you can't use the tool til you remove the muffler, a small strap wrench works perfect. The oil drain plug is not a plug but a cap that retains a metal oil filter screen, the threads are very fine and it is possible to cross the threads and damage it or the engine case. The air filter is oil saturated foam, not pleated paper, it's a pain to get at it and it's a mess to clean and service it. During VERY hard braking ( like when some moron pulls in front of you ) the front has a tendancy to dive and pull to one side, more than likely because of the single shock design, it's controllable when dry but I wouldn't want to try it on wet pavement. That's it, it's a great motorcycle ( I don't consider it a scooter ) that just so happens to have small wheels, a glove box, and floor boards.

[Mike from Chicago]

Vespa Scooters? HaHaHa. I fired my landscapers, dusted off my Toro GTS 5 rear bagger and the cash savings realized from getting an hour of exercise on my rear and front lawns on Saturday afternoon allows me to fill the tank with premium and run around in my Porsche Boxster anywhere, anytime!

[Steve Williams]

I have owned a Vespa LX150 and found it to be serviceable in almost all weather year round here in Central Pennsylvania. It does require careful risk management in foul weather along with good riding gear. Mechanically the machine was great and only suffered when I attempted my own servicing of the drive belt.

I now have a Vespa GTS 250ie and it is an equally fine machine. No panic stop pulling or diving on it or the LX150. The single shock front suspension will have no bearing on pulling. There is more likely another cause for that. I have posted a lot about these two machines on my Scooter in the Sticks blog along with pictures if anyone wants some more long term info on them.

Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks