Vespa Granturismo
Vespa Granturismo
CW RIDING IMPRESSION
JASON SCHNEIDER
Rethinking the classic scooter
VESPA IS TO SCOOTERS WHAT Harley-Davidson is to motorcycles and the VW Bug is to cars–an enduring icon that inspires impassioned owner loyalty, makes people smile and never seems to go out of style. In designing the new Vespa Granturismo, the engineers and stylists at Piaggio faced a challenge common to all makers upgrading a legendary vehicle: How to push the design and performance envelopes while preserving the essential elements that have made it a classic. Vespa’s answer? A total groundup redesign that took six years from drawing board to production line. What’s come of this is the largest, most powerful, best-handling Vespa ever built, but still visually and functionally a classic scooter, not some hyperthyroid hybrid.
Like Vespas of old, the GT200 is a step-through design built on a steel monocoque chassis with its engine mounted on the swingarm. It has integral floorboards and leg shields, and distinctively curvaceous wasp-waisted rear section (hence the name Vespa, “wasp” in Italian). Just about everything else is new. The Granturismo is the first Vespa powered by a liquid-cooled 200cc fourstroke, four-valve, single-cylinder engine (there are twin radiators under side vents in the fairing); the first with 12-inch wheels (up from 10); the first with an H-form swingarm and twin-shock rear suspension; the first with disc brakes front and rear; and the first with a long, 54.9-inch wheelbase. Old-time “Vesparados” might miss the floorboard-mounted rear brake pedal (both brakes are handlever operated), but probably not the clunky three-speed, twistgrip-activated gearbox (as on all modem mo’scoots, power is transmitted via constant variable belt drive). Despite these momentous changes, and a boost from 12 to 20 horsepower compared to the last 200cc model, the two-stroke P200E of 1977-83, the machine’s essential character remains intact-charmingly refined and unintimidating.
The first thing you notice when ogling the Granturismo is the subtly altered styling. One glance and you know it’s a Vespa. (Indeed, the distincti ve Vespa logo appears on the bike in six places, including the instrument panel, front suspension link, trunk and transmission cover!) But the rear section is a tad sleeker and less bulbous than before, and the back end, with its giant taillight and stylish tumsignals, is more elegantly sensuous. Much of the bodywork, including the basic fairing/floorboard unit and sidepanels, is metal, but the removable lower sections of the sidepanels, the lockable front storage compartment, the classically styled front fender and the cool-looking, full-info (but tachless) instrument cluster are polycarbonate. The attention to detail and fin-
ish is impressive, the overall look less retro and more upscale contemporary.
The GT also has several ergonomic improvements. Press a button and swing the seat up from the rear to reveal a cavernous, gasket-sealed storage compartment big enough for two shorty helmets, one full-coverage type or a motorcycle jacket. Lift the compartment out and the engine, including the Keihin carburetor (relax, the rest of the motor is all-Italian) and sparkplug, are accessible for routine servicing. Press the key in to open the front storage compartment, which accommodates gloves and smaller items.
Toward the rear of the floorboard, on either side, are what look like two nice chrome ornaments. They’re not-swing them out and they become gorgeously contoured footrests, answering a longtime Vespa sore point-lack of passenger foot space. Finally, our $4899 test machine was fitted with the very well made and functional trunk ($350), a top box that mounts on the standard luggage rack. It looks great, is very well sealed, will hold a full-coverage helmet along with lots of other stuff, and has a padded passenger backrest and big reflectors on the back.
So, can the name Granturismo possibly be justified for a scooter? I’m probably the wrong guy to ask, having gone cross-country and from New York to Florida on a Vespa P200E, Yamaha Riva 200, Honda Helix and Honda Elite. But I can tell you what the Granturismo is like to ride and how it compares. First off, the GT-with electric start, automatic choke, no shifting and no fuel tap to worry aboutis certainly simple to get underway and ride. I found myself reaching for the foot brake a few times in the first hour, but once I got used to them, the two hand brakes (left for rear, right for front) are actually easier to modulate than the old-time setup.
Once warmed up, the 200 accelerates briskly-hardly neck-snapping by motorcycle standards, but quick enough to beat most cars off the line. Midrange power up to about 60 mph is satisfying, and more than adequate for battling urban traffic. On the highway, the GT can certainly hold its own. One-up (I’m 6-1, 215 pounds), I could peg the speedo needle at 80 mph indicated on flat, level ground with no wind, though it took a while to get there. Even uphill into a 20-mph headwind, the GT maintained 65-70 mph. Two-up (a load of 400 pounds) on level ground with no wind, indicated cruising speed was about 65 mph, top speed 74. Our test GT had only a few hundred miles on the odometer, and we expect these figure will improve a bit when the machine is fully run-in. Under all riding conditions, the seat was very comfortable and supportive for rider and passenger, and engine vibration was very low. The suspension is taut but compliant and delivers a controlled, comfortable ride, taking bumps and small potholes in stride.
While the GT’s power, speed and comfort compare favorably with any other 200-250cc scooter I’ve ever ridden (including the posh 250cc Heinkel Tourist of the ’60s), what impressed me most was its handling and braking, both of which are exceptional. Even in a ferocious 35-mph crosswind, the GT tracked flawlessly, without any of the notorious scooter wiggle that can afflict short-wheelbase vehicles with small wheels. The 12-inch Pirellis grip very well and let you heel over at impressive angles without scraping anything (which is more than you can say for some old Vespas) and it handles the twisties with aplomb. I had two occasions to jam on the brakes (once when a guy ran a red light in town, once on the highway at 70 mph), and was amazed at the GT’s stopping ability and its predictable response under hard braking. Achieving such stability and agility at the same time is not easy, and it’s evident the engineers have done their homework.
Nits? Adjusting the rear suspension units with the provided tool is tedious (though the toolkit is of good quality), the owner’s manual is a bit sketchy in places, and unlike Vespas of yore, the GT does not carry a spare wheel and tire (it does come with a one-year towing contract). Verdict: By far the best Vespa, and maybe the best classic-style scooter ever made. In fact, I can’t think of another scooter I’d rather ride cross-country.□
As yet unswayed by the swoopy big-bore neo-scooters, Jason Schneider has owned an awesome assortment of twowheelers-everythingfrom a humble Velo-Solex moped to a rip-snortin ' Velocette Thruxton, and a dozen different scooters besides. An equal-opportunity enthusiast, he 's logged nearly a million miles on bikes of all sizes. Schneider is presently Editor-at-Large for Popular Photography & Imaging magazine.
