Considering 09 Vespa GTS 250si

I am considering a 09 Vespa GTS 250si for short rides to complement my Gold Wing. The GTS has a top box, less than 2000 miles, price $3,000. Opinions, please.

The last Vespa I owned was a new 1958 Allstate Crusaire, which was bullet proof reliable!!!

Get a nice low mileage Helix.

I've had a couple and currently have a 300.

Wonderful scoots! The all metal body makes for a nice feel when riding. The Italian motor is smooth and peppy. I love Vespas but am just a bit short to flat foot at stops so, they can be uncomfortable for me if there is a lot of stop and go.

I did a 1500 mile weekend ride on my 09 and had a great time. At $3000, it is a great deal.

Buy it and report back!

May want to verify the model year.

Research resources:
Modern Vespa
Motor Scooter Guide


Are you going to start a thread for every scooter you become interested in?

askhole

"A person who repeatedly asks for advice from multiple individuals, only to ignore aforementioned advice completely."

You'll ride your Gold Wing a lot less and you'll like the Vespa more.

Thats a pretty good buy on the 250 if its in nice shape. I love the ride of the steel body and it feels so light like a toy when you wheel it around the garage. Good quality scoots, Im sold on Vespas...................o&o.............

There seems to be a few on here that have nothing better to do than complain about others posts. I'm 55, and already had to give up Goldwings due to medical issues. Unless you strictly want to stay off the highway, I would avoid the Zuma 125. I have one, it is great around town, but that's about it. Even the SYM HD200 would give you some highway capability (and legality) while still being not much bigger than the Zuma. But for not much more you can get a 250-300 that would be much more highway capable, yet still small enough for around town. I can't really afford a Vespa 300, though I would have one if I could. I'm thinking along the lines of a Kymco 300GTi, SYM Citycom 300, even a Honda Forza NON ABS, as my local dealer has them on sale for $1000 off MSRP, with no destination charge. The Forza is considerably larger than the Kymco or SYM though. I am still considering a super low mileage 2006 Helix, mostly because I like it's looks, and it is a Honda designed back in the mid '80s.

It will be difficult to sell the Wing when the time comes, but I developed my love of motorcycles on a Vespa (Allstate Crusaire), so that will ease the pain. Plus, I'll add a maxi scooter to my stable for long rides.

My biggest issue with Vespa's is how close to Honda reliability they are?? With the small scooter, Vespa or Honda, I will be sticking to county roads, many unpaved.

Modern Vespa's are very reliable, right up there with the top brands. Lots of nice folks riding them and good info and support here >> http://modernvespa.com/

Seems like a very attractive price for a low mileage large frame Vespa.
This is exactly what I was looking for 2 years ago but the used market here in NE was very limited at the time so I finally settled for a new PCX.
Kmart says go for it!

Good price on a low mileage GTS though it is probably an IE or an S not an SI. As long as you do the scheduled maintenance it should be very reliable. FWIW the GTS model is the most common one found in the last several scooter cannonballs and has proven reliability. There are many on Modern Vespa with 20-80,000 miles on them. Mine isn't there yet with I think around 12,000 but since I have 3 other bikes I ride and the Vespa is mostly used in Houston it isn't surprising. Other than scheduled maintenance I've done nothing except cosmetic stuff (top case, windshield, crash bars, repair from an accident) and it still goes strong. I expect to get many more files out of it. I'd say go for it.

warts and all (and all bikes...er, all machines have them). The GTS is a modern, classic Vespa. Capable, a hoot to ride and generally reliable. Despite what Jerryh can or cant afford, if you can and want it....do it! And if you don't like it, its the easiest re-sell in scooterdom.

You're right the Vespa is an I.E., not an S.I. Also, it has a Vespa top box, and is blue, which I'm not fond of. I plan on looking at it tomorrow. The original price was $3600, but lowered to $3,000. Original private owner.

I hope he lets me test ride it. One negative is the closest Vespa dealer is almost a 100 miles from my home.

100 miles on a GTS is just far enough for an enjoyable ride. You can always paint it later if the blue really bothers you.

Parts are available on-line, and its easy enough to DIY for most things anyway, if youre so inclined. But yeah, like CD Wise points out 100 miles is a cake-walk on that. My nearest dealer is 65 mi out, and second one 98 miles away. They rarely see me!

I test rode the Vespa 250ie a few days ago. In my opinion, the scooter didn't run right, very rough, plus the transmission seemed not smooth, grabby, etc. Plus, the scooter had several scratches, etc. I've pretty well lost interest.

The owner, age 61, had owned it for two years, and only put 1000 miles on it, knew little about it, etc. That was his first scooter/motorcycle. Said it scared him to ride it, since people were running him off the road, etc.:eek1

Well if it has mostly sat around sounds like some seafoam and riding would resolve the rough running. It just isn't good for bikes to sit in a garage. Hope it finds a home where it is properly appreciated.