Menus
- La Dolce Vita Grand Touring version
- Rather Super or Supersport ?
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- Contact
- In the city
- Highway
- Departmental
- Braking
- Convenient
- Comfort / Duo
- Consumption
- Conclusion
La Dolce Vita Grand Touring version
Rather Super or Supersport ?
When we speak of Vespa, we no longer speak of a scooter but of a lifestyle and that is undoubtedly the real success of this model which has become a real brand of the Piaggio group, vintage fashion obliges. If everyone knows the historical PX, Vespa is also the Primavera, the 946 but also the GTS, close to the Primavera (more recent) and a little less to the PX. And yet now equipped with injection in its ie version and cooled by ECS, the Vespa does not neglect new technologies to offer a successful, efficient and more economical two-wheeler, reducing revisions from 6,000 to 10,000 kilometers.
Discovery
It almost looks like a PX, the vintage scooter par excellence, with its self-supporting steel structure and the front shock absorber in the form of a single-arm pendulum of the most beautiful effect, further underlined by the red of our test version, characterizing the supersport model. But this model benefits from the GTS designation for Grand Tourisme Sport. There is therefore a pretty almost identical line at the rear between false spare wheel cover and taillight, with even more curves than the PX, especially at the front, between fender, apron and oblong headlight. We find attention to detail, from the metal part on the front mudguard to the rubber grips incorporating the Vespa logo in the mass. Note the retractable passenger footrests, aluminum style. The Supersport version of our test also gains a topstitched saddle and an orange band on the sides. If the super headband is discussed in terms of taste, the matte black paint is in turn the most beautiful effect..
Everything is based on a 124 cm3 4-valve 4-stroke single cylinder equipped with a CVT variator developing 14.9 horsepower (11 kW) at 9,750 rpm for a torque of 12 Nm at 7,500 rpm.
In the saddle
Despite a reasonable saddle height of 790mm, the feet barely touch the ground for the 1.70m rider. It must be said that the saddle is wide. Fortunately, with only 144 kilos (dry), the handling is done instinctively. In contrast to an excellent overall finish and attention to detail, the dashboard, sorry, the speedometer is reduced to its simplest expression. Admittedly, elegant and particularly readable, it offers however only a simple speedometer, with a mini digital clock alternating automatically and regularly between date and time, as well as a single totalizer (no partial trip therefore) and a gauge. gasoline on the right side as well as an engine temperature indicator. Below, the glove box is very spacious in the category and the button to open the trunk from the front is particularly practical, not requiring to remove the key to open the rear (like other Piaggio models) . It’s these little details that change everyday life.
Sitting high enough, with a fairly wide handlebars, the hands rest naturally on the handlebars to provide a very natural position. On the feet, there is plenty of room, both on the sides and in front, with an apron that goes up. In fact, you appreciate the space left for the driver and you immediately feel right at home. The space on board as they say is spacious and ideal.
The round mirrors, perched on long rods, seem really simple, even antique, at first glance, but are particularly effective by their position, easily adjustable and offering good rear vision, both to the right and to the left..
Contact
The GTS snorts softly, barely distilling the muffled vibrations of the single-cylinder with a rather low sound. Throttle and the Vespa reacts instantly to the input of the right grip and launches dynamically, with a light handlebar, aided by the small 12-inch wheels.
In the city
Small wheels, 125 cm3, almost featherweight, we find the driving pleasure of a light and particularly manoeuvrable 125 cm3. In fact, the GTS slips everywhere and effortlessly, including at low speed, largely helped by its small wheels. As a result, the interfiles between the tightest cars, including when stationary, are done without difficulty, further aided by very thin mirrors, positioned above those of the cars. With this, the scooter offers excellent pick-up and dynamics at all speeds, from starting up to unspeakable speeds in town, including in duos. Moreover, it is this daily fishing for urban use that makes it difficult to return it after two weeks of use. It is pleasant to take in hand from the first to the last day.
Highway
The GTS soars up to 90 km / h with ease and then generally tops out at 100 km / h. However, it can still nibble a few kilometers hours up to 115 km / h (103 km / h real), once well started and on a slight slope. So you definitely won’t choose it for its top speed. However, it keeps up well at this speed, with good stability despite its small wheels..
Departmental
The 125 therefore finds the back roads with happiness, accepting to take an angle and with a safe behavior, including on bumpy pavement.
Braking
No ABS or combined braking here. However, the simple front and rear 220 mm discs do an excellent job, offering a very good feeling and progressiveness, with even a slight improvement for the rear brake, helped by the weight of its driver and even more in duo . However, we manage to block the rear solo, without destabilizing the scooter which remains in line. The front brake taken alone does not make the two-wheeler dive too far. The two used together, even taken violently, make it possible to stop the machine precisely and quickly.
Convenient
If the glove box is an example of its kind in terms of its capacity, the space under the saddle is an almost minimum of the genre, accepting at most to store a small jet helmet or two rain suits. So if you go to town as a duo, you will keep your helmet in hand.
On the other hand, even if the GTS does not have a real flat bottom, it is easy to fit a huge shopping bag inside, helped by the central ring on the apron. So, it can really be used for shopping for the week.
Almost rare on many scooters, the GTS benefits from a side stand in addition to the center stand. On the other hand, with an automatic return, we will prefer the setting on a central stand, not to mention the fact that the scooter is almost as easy and quick to put on the central as the side (not very reassuring in the end).
Comfort / Duo
The GTS is comfortable, including for the passenger, thanks to the wide and long seat, but also thanks to the rather comfortable suspensions. These are not the ones that erase the road defects the most in the Piaggio range, but they are not dry, offering a very healthy overall behavior. The GTS, however, loses a little comfort in duet compared to the solo, with more compact suspensions which make the defects of the roadway better for the passenger..
Consumption
The fuel gauge is particularly precise, falling to half after 100 kilometers and on the red zone and the reserve 60 kilometers further, with an additional yellow light. With the 9.5-liter tank and an average fuel consumption of 4.1 liters / cent in the city, the GTS offers an overall range of 200 km, or even 220 km..
Since the fuel cap is located under the saddle, it must naturally be lifted to fill it up. It is especially important to be careful not to spill the gasoline, which may then spill on the things contained in the trunk. Of course, there is a rammer that allows you to refuel without thinking about it, but if you really want to fill the tank to 100% to gain the few kilometers of autonomy which then make the difference, you are forced to color the pump above the neck of the tank and there, we take a risk.
Conclusion
The Vespa GTS offers all the "Dolce Vita" and makes pay for this sweetness of life with the price that goes with 4.499 euros. But the daily driving pleasure associated with real dynamics and availability at all speeds make it a "must-have" for the category. You will then have in addition a vintage line scooter, timeless, whether in its Super livery (available in red, black and white) or Supersport, both versions being at the same price..
Strong points
- engine available
- living space on board
- aesthetic
Weak points
- storage / trunk
The technical sheet of the Vespa GTS 125
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