Vespa GTV LXV 250 Motorcycle:
Riding a Vespa, or other small scooter, is not like riding one of the mega-scooters (such as a Suzuki Bergman 650). Your upper body is much more exposed to the wind, and the machine, as a whole, has a simpler, more toy-like attitude.
With the smaller 12-inch wheels found on the Vespa, braking and cornering needs to be a bit more measured than it need be on a scooter with 14 inch or 15 inch wheels. Nevertheless, the disc brakes on the GTV 250 proved adequate, if not confidence inspiring. In the handling department, it tends to “dart” more than “flow”, and this just might be appropriate for its primary purpose of city traffic negotiation.
When I returned the machine to the press representatives on the other side of Los Angeles, I rode it nearly flat-out on the freeway for approximately 100 miles. Top speed, as indicated, varied from 75 to 85 mph depending on wind direction and incline. Stability was adequate if not quite at the level offered by a full-size motorcycle or larger-wheeled scooter. This is not a freeway touring machine, but it offers adequate power and stability to use the freeway for relatively short hops — making it more versatile than many other small scooters.
Styling is always subjective, but we thought the bike looked very cool. You don’t see genuine leather saddles very often, particularly in dark brown, and the rest of the bike has a certain retro-yet-modern attractiveness and simplicity.
