Cards on the table, I've toyed with the idea of having a GTS (250 then 300) for about 15 years and never bitten the bullet.

Buying one now would mean parting with at least one bike that is a settled, well maintained and useful part of the Capitano vehicular stable, probably for less than it's worth to me.

I am also in a state of limbo at present, essentially housebound following eye surgery until I recover and pass assessments.

Ironically, this is when helpful folks start telling me about GTS's that they know of coming up for sale.

The main 3 are all GTS300s, between 9 and 11 years in age, and with mileages that range from circa 2000km to 34k km.

ScooterLab did a decent GTS buyers guide a few years back. https://scooterlab.uk/vespa-gts-buyers-guide-feature/

However, I'd also like the MaxiMuppets-Vespa-hivemind opinions to ponder and mull over, especially as it'll be at least a few more weeks before I could even clap eyes on one in person.

I'm on Modern Vespa forum, so have found a lot to consider, but I know that on MM there are some hardcore GTS enthusiasts on here (Data for one) and possibly some Vespa-sceptics too.

Hence, I'd like to hear from you ... even though it may amount to nothing as I decide not to bother ... again!

GTS photo for reference. Other photo to scare off kids playing games on your computer.

Ged I have ridden the latest 300HPE model and very pleased I did, the owner usually sells his bikes on after a few months having put useful extras on it, so it might come my way. it does approx. 85mpg, is totally smooth, mirrors stay clear, I will be servicing it at 6000miles, looks simple to do.
Have you still got the white Burgman 200?
Get better soon, you can't rush eye problems. enjoy the tour.

Dave Weller wrote: ↑Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:41 pm Ged I have ridden the latest 300HPE model and very pleased I did, the owner usually sells his bikes on after a few months having put useful extras on it, so it might come my way. it does approx. 85mpg, is totally smooth, mirrors stay clear, I will be servicing it at 6000miles, looks simple to do.

That's good to hear, Dave. I value your opinion. I haven't ridden a 300HPE but have ridden plenty of older GTS 250s and 300s, enough to know I'll generally like the ride. Just not 100% certain I can live with one ... yet.

Dave Weller wrote: ↑Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:41 pm Have you still got the white Burgman 200?

No, I sold "The Fridge," back in July 2020. I'd bought it a year previously, rode it extensively over Winter and enjoyed it immensely. It was a 125 by the way. I tried both a 125 and 200 and frankly the performance advantage of the 200 wasn't enough to usurp the resale potential of a 125. Most folks assumed it was a 200 as that was what I'd said I was looking for. A ridiculously low mileage 125 turned up in white, also the colour I wanted, and it was a short train ride away. A no brainer, really.

It kept up on rides and quite a few times I was asked if it was a 400 or 650.

However, the pandemic put paid to my Spring / Summer touring plans for it. The pandemic did provide an incentive to sell it, though. With furloughed office workers taking on temporary delivery work the demand for low mileage 125 auto scooters took a temporary hike, and I sold it on for a modest profit.

What it did teach me was that I could manage quite happily with a decent auto 125.

Dave Weller wrote: ↑Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:41 pm Get better soon, you can't rush eye problems. enjoy the tour.

Thanks. Second surgery was done last week.

All good so far.

It's been noticed that my first eye recovery coincided with the Giro d'Italia, this one coincides with the Tour De France, and I have a Eurosport subscription.

had 3 , loved all of them.

Capitano, good luck with the eye recovery. It's a bugger when you can't see proper! Went through the mill myself over the years with various eye surgeries, including going completely blind so know where you are coming from.

Anyhoo, you won't be sorry if you buy a good GTS. Yes I am a fan, but with good reason. All of them are good, whatever year but if you want the most trouble free experience get one of the 2014 onwards bikes. They are very different to the previous 2013 and earlier bikes. In fact there are far too many upgrades & mods that Vespa made to the 2014's that there's almost not enough room to mention them here.

So for starters, & you may know this so please excuse me going on a bit, they get abs & traction control. Big bonuses & they work well. You have digitally controlled Speedo & Odo's plus other digital functionality. Speedo is very accurate too! But there are lots of other mods for the engine. Better fuelling & ignition maps giving much more low & midrange power courtesy of a 32bit ECU instead of the old less reliable 16bit unit. This removes the earlier bikes tendency to sometimes stall when hot, also making the newer bikes more economical. The fuel injector also gets a new stronger support bracket, a weakness on earlier bikes that left some owners stranded if the owner hit a big bump causing the bracket & injector to break. Plus a completely new wiring loom for better functionality & reliability.

Front suspension is also improved with ESS (enhanced sliding suspension) fitted between early 2014 & late 2016 which keeps the front wheel totally perpendicular to the road over rough sections. It reduces front end dive too under heavy braking. There are some other advantages but these are small. Unfortunately, Vespa stopped fitting ESS after just two years. We now know this was likely due to the advantages of ESS overall, although real, being not considered enough to justify the extra cost. Having ridden both ESS (mine has it) & non ESS bikes I can say I definitely prefer ESS equipped bikes. No front end wobble either that some non ESS bike can sometimes suffer. Although even then it's not a problem as they only ever do it when you let go of the handlebars!

So...if you can splash the cash on a 2014+ bike would be my advice. They have just about all the earlier bikes querks & weaknesses ironed out. They are well sorted. Not had any issues with mine, except for a slight weep from an under floor coolant hose. Easy fix. And, the whole bike is easy to service, even valves which are screw & locknut. Totally cheap to run too! Sorry, going on a bit now, but you all know I do!! Suffice to say that there are some videos showing all the amazing upgrades. I'll find one or two & post later.

PS. Don't worry about rust. I've serviced many old & new GTS bikes with massive mileages on them. No rust! Even on those that didn't get loved much.

PPS. On MV I'm stromrider. I have many friends on there but I no longer post. I've written many thousands of posts over many many years about the GTS. Hopefully helped a few folks to. Be careful though. MV can be a slightly unwelcoming place if you disagree with the many myths that circulate. Folks post completely incorrect information on just about everything over there. It's not like on here where facts matter. Many posters are fine but some are not. I, like many, suffered considerable abuse on some occasions.

PPPS. It's a myth that the GTS 250 is as powerful as the 300. Yet some folks deny what the Dyno tells them. Go for a 300 if you can.

Thanks Data, that information is a great help to me as well.

An interesting video comparing the new 2014 GTS bikes with the previous 2013 GTS. In the states they got them a year later than we did so they compare the 2014 to the 2015 bikes but it's the same thing. Their 2014 bike is our 2013 bike if you get my drift. Well worth a watch but they don't list all the mods in the video, there are too many!




Here below in this link ScooterWest lists some of the mods to the 2014 bikes over the previous 2013 bikes. Remember in the states they got them a year later than us, that's why they compare the new 2015 to the old 2014 bike.
https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic134266

I’ve got a HPE one, superb it is. Smooth, quick enough, comfy and cheap to run. Looking at posts on the Vespa Facebook forum rust isn’t something you should ignore. Check underneath as they can pick up stone chips and the seams can rust. Having said that both of mine are/were fine, no rust but I’ve got a decent front flap which helps stop the chips. Mine have been very reliable, no issues at all. I love it, I keep lusting after another Guzzi but the GTS is so good I can’t justify it.

Yes, I agree you cannot totally ignore the fact it's a metal bodied scooter. But the rusty ones are in fact very few and far between. I personally haven't seen one and I've been involved heavily in the modern Vespa scene for years now. Trust me, rusty ones are the neglected bikes owned by folks who don't care or are naive about such matters. Touch up any stone chips and you'll be fine.

horobags wrote: ↑Sat Jul 16, 2022 1:57 pm had 3 , loved all of them.

That's quite an endorsement in itself that the GTS has made it into the Horobags stable 3 times and is still loved.