Scooterotica

After years of taking the p155 out of them I've gone and bought a GTS300.

I was planning on riding my Rally to Croatia for Vespa World Days and my mate was taking his PX but he has just bought a brand new GTS and offered me his old one at the price the dealer offered in part-ex. After several long international trips on classics during which I've carried out major engine surgery in a variety of picturesque locations from the Alps to the Republic of Ireland and all points in between, the temptation of a journey where every moment wasn't spent worrying what was about to fall off or go bang was too much for me and I succumbed to the DarkSide.

So what's it like after a few weeks of ownership? Well it hasn't got any prettier that's for sure, but I get why people like them. Its nice and comfortable, deceptively fast up to about 65mph (nearly 80 on the ludicrously optimistic speedo) and runs out of puff completely at about 75mph. So realistically, not quite fast enough for regular motorway use. It'll keep up with traffic but you've nothing left in reserve. Around town its a joy, not having gears is great and the brakes are awesome. The suspension and handling is good and the space under the seat is brilliant too. So as an urban runabout with potential for long distance use as well I can't fault it.

But!

Anyone who thinks that owning a GTS has even the remotest thing to do with classic scooter ownership is deluding themselves. It has as much in common with a traditional scooter as a new Fiat 500, a new Beetle, a new Mini or a new Triumph Boneville has with their respective 1960s equivalents and if you don't get that, then quite frankly you'll never understand why anyone would own any classic vehicle. You may as well say that you like pub crawls but only drink lemonade because you don't get a hangover. I'm sure the experience can be pleasant enough but it really isn't the same thing.

So I'm looking forward to a (hopefully) hassle free trip to Croatia, enjoying the scenery and riding for its own sake but the GTS is simply a mode of transport, nothing more.



(Braces self for abuse!)

I couldn’t have put it better myself...I’ve had a GTS for 2 years only put 3k on it...sometimes it’s good just to go for a hassle free ride and stay under the radar and be un noticed, unlike when out on the Lambretta/T5 which always draw attention, especially when being titivated on the side of the road.

Never had the spanners on it and never washed it, still think it’s as ugly as sin and haven’t really warmed to it, but it is fun to ride and handles well... Does catch a good side wind and get blown all over the motorway at full chat, so not as boring as many people who haven’t tried one think.

Couldn’t give a monkeys what people think...I Own and ride Lambretta’s Indian, Spanish and Italian and Geared and Auto Vespa’s...I like them all for different reasons

Ride safe.

Of course to most of us, including yourself I'll wager, Lambrettas were a mode of transport at one time too!

Richard

Ken Tucky wrote:Of course to most of us, including yourself I'll wager, Lambrettas were a mode of transport at one time too!

Richard

Yes but I was young and stupid and the Series 2 that I rode to work every day in the 80s no matter what the weather was practically new being a mere 6 years older than me. Although to be honest, even then I realised that there were easier (if less interesting) ways of getting around.

You'll need ones of these motor homes to go with said GayTS

Also a parka with a Union Jack on the back

A pork pie hat

You'll need to bring the wife, kids & dog!

Play shite music from said motor home pish like madness of course

If you hurry if heard there's an 1980s fancy dress party at Kelso this weekend, motor homes welcome

I almost forgot you'll need the barbie & chairs

psychedelicropcircle wrote:

You'll need ones of these motor homes to go with said GayTS

Also a parka with a Union Jack on the back

A pork pie hat

You'll need to bring the wife, kids & dog!

Play shite music from said motor home pish like madness of course

If you hurry if heard there's an 1980s fancy dress party at Kelso this weekend, motor homes welcome

I think all those things are more commonly associated with a PX125 or LML with lights and mirrors. The GTS owners do at least ride to the fancy dress party and then wander about compensating for their nagging sense of having missed the point by endlessly banging on about how much better their modern bike is than something designed over half a century ago.

Nice to hear a GTS owner actually admit that they max out at 75, ive said it for years and been abused and accused of telling lies.

How old is the one you have bought? and how many miles on it?

when they have done a few miles they aint any more reliable than a p200e, in fact I would say a p200e is a lot more reliable.

I hope it doesn't happen to you but im sure you will agree it will be ironic if you end up broke down at the side of the road on the way to Croatia

eden wrote:Nice to hear a GTS owner actually admit that they max out at 75, ive said it for years and been abused and accused of telling lies.

How old is the one you have bought? and how many miles on it?

when they have done a few miles they aint any more reliable than a p200e, in fact I would say a p200e is a lot more reliable.

I hope it doesn't happen to you but im sure you will agree it will be ironic if you end up broke down at the side of the road on the way to Croatia

I'd be more confident of getting the P200E going again if it spat its guts out on the way to a rally - the GTS might prove to be a bit more of a trickier repair job

It's five years old. Done a good few miles but has been serviced regularly.

The gamble with a GTS is that while it's not likely to break down, if it does, it's probably beyond fixing by the roadside. On the plus side, the Quasar engine is used in lots of things and so finding a dealer that can fix one shouldn't be too tricky.