Vespa 150 Sprint
Vespa 150 Sprint
CYCLE WORLD IMPRESSION
Surprise! Scooters Can Be Fun
SCOOTER is a word that doesn’t exist in the vocabulary of men who range the highways on throbbing V-Twins, or darting 650s. Why should it, when they talk only of the days their super freeway burners made 500 miles in less than 10 hours, stopping only for gas? Or how they destroy three pairs of boots a year by leaning in the corners like Cal Rayborn in a road race. Even a youth on a 90-cc trail bike regards a scooter as, well...a mini-wheeled gadabout for girls.
What a shame more motorcyclists don’t set their feet on the floorboard of a scooter like the Vespa 150 Sprint, and zoom it around the block. They would then discover that scooters are really fun! True, the Vespa is not the tool for transcontinental hauls, or even daily commuting on freeways. But the little four-speed two-stroke is just about unbeatable for use as cheap, foolproof, and reliable transport around town, to the beach, or to the hills.
Appreciation of the Vespa is possible only if existing thoughts on the way two-wheeled vehicles should look are temporarily forgotten. The 150 Sprint rivals a motorcycle in performing a routine task transport of one or two people-but accomplishes it by totally different means. The Vespa’s engine and gearbox lie horizontally beside the rear wheel; the “frame” is a pressed steel monocoque structure that also serves as a leg shield and as a base for the feet; cooling is by fan; gear changing is accomplished by a twist of the left handlebar grip.
That’s only a start. The engine/transmission unit is not bolted directly to the chassis, but instead is attached to the swinging arm, the rear hub, and to the lower end of the rear coil spring. All control cables are neatly concealed in a handlebar shroud and inside a tunnel on the chassis floor. There are no messy chains in the transmission primary drive is by gear, and the gearbox mainshaft is fixed directly to the rear hub. Wheels are removed by detaching a series of nuts around eaeh rim. This allows the rims to split into two halves, leaving the hubs intact, which considerably eases the task of tire changing.
Uses of the Vespa are many. It is ideal for students, mothers, working girls, and youngsters who may not be ready for a full-sized motorcycle. It is also worth considering as a vastly cheaper replacement for a second family car. The following example illustrates its versatility: A guest appears at a test rider’s house; test rider must visit neighborhood store, purchases (influenced by the Vespa’s Italian heritage) a bottle of Chianti, a salami, a brick of cheese, a long loaf of hard bread; everything fits neatly into the Vespa’s left side package compartment; mission accomplished quickly, cheaply, with no reversing of car from garage, U-turns, or diving in and out of car doors. The same rider has a friend who employs a Vespa to go rockhounding in the desert. The friend doesn’t travel fast, but he travels far without failure.
The Vespa is one of the easiest twowheeled vehicles to ride, partly because of its control layout. Gear shifting is achieved by twisting the left handlebar grip, and, of course, the clutch lever is also on the left. So, changes are made by the action of one hand, instead of by a hand and a foot, as on a motorcycle. Also, the handlebar grip is numbered from one to four, so the novice rider knows at a glance which gear is engaged.
The throttle twistgrip and front brake are in their usual positions on the right handlebar, and the rear brake pedal is located on the chassis floor. Headlamp and high/low beam switches, horn, and engine cutout are mounted on a little panel on the right handlebar. Choke and fuel tap are the only other controls. They are placed on the exterior of the body, below the rider’s seat. A transparent plastic oil level indicator is located in the same area.
Automatic mixing of oil and fuel is employed on the Vespa. This system should not be confused with direct oil injection to engine components. The Vespa relies on a geared pump which supplies oil through a valve and into the mouth of the carburetor, where the lubricant mixes with the fuel. Separate tanks are employed for oil and fuel, saving the rider from the time absorbing and fussy task of manual mixing, but lubrication is by oil mist.
Riding the Vespa is where the fun begins. Considering all the steel paneling it carries, the scooter is surprisingly non-heavy, at just over 200 lb. Maximum speed is an indicated 65 mph, so the maker’s claim of 58.4 mph appears to be a little pessimistic. No blip figures are available from the factory. The Vespa is quick off the line, and during two-up riding, the engine has enough power to stay with other traffic in city conditions. Incidentally, in some states the Vespa is ruled underpowered and thus illegal for freeway travel.
Despite its small wheels and exceptional rearward weight bias, the Vespa corners at surprisingly high speed...and nothing scrapes the ground, f loorboard-ground clearance is 9 in., though the exhaust pipe is only 5.7 in. from the road. This component will never hit the pavement, however, because of its location in the center of the scooter’s underbelly.
Gear changing is accompanied by a distinct “clack” from the transmission, and care must be exercised not to force the change grip through two positions at once. The only real complaint about handling, however, concerns the front brake. This is weak-so weak that the rear brake works better. The front brake also feels spongy when the bike pulls to a halt. This sensation is caused by weight transfer which forces the trailing link front suspension to dip in front of the hub, and allows the scooter body to move forward slightly while the wheel remains stationary.
No prop stand is fitted, but only a pull on the handlebar is needed to mount the scooter on its center stand. Even Twiggy could park it. The engine always fires within one or two light strokes on the starter pedal.
The 150 Sprint’s engine is a piston port unit with square bore and stroke dimensions of 57 mm. Compression ratio is 7.5:1. Ignition is by a flywheel magneto, f uel capacity is 2.03 gal. and the oil tank accepts nearly 3 pt. The wheels carry 3.50-10 tires, and are interchangeable between front and rear hubs. The Piaggio Co., maker of the Vespa, has shown great attention to detail and finish. Paint, trim strips, bodywork, speedometer and headlamp, all integrate to make a well produced unit, without gaps, holes, or “orange-peel” paint.
Suggested retail price for the 150 Sprint is $489. Many optional accessories, including spare wheel and tire, dual seat in place of separate rider and passenger seats, windscreen, luggage bags and racks, and wheel discs, are available, either from Piaggio or from specialist firms. Vespa’s range of scooters starts with a 90-cc model at $339, and progresses to the freeway-legal 181-cc Super Sport, at $529. This report does not suggest that scooters are superior to motorcycles. But they are certainly hard to beat as all-purpose, clean, short-haul workhorses.
