GTS 250

[thetop]

I had a PX 125 which i upgraded to a PX 200 after passing my test. Iv'e just ordered an new GTS 250 (silver) which is hopefully coming this week?

I was just wandering if anyone has one yet and if so what do you think of it?

[thetop]

Well my new GTS 250 arrived at the weekend. First impressions are as follows:

- It goes like the wind (compared to my old PX 125 and 200), it's great fun leaving cars standing at the lights, you can see them thinking "what was that, I thought it was a Vespa".
- It Looks great, I chose Excalibur silver.
- Economical compared to my old scoots.
- Solid build
- Easy to ride, no crunching of the gears and a smooth ride
- Bigger scooter
- Loads of extras, 2 disc breaks, immobiliser, clock, rack, rev counter, etc.
I could go on but it's early days.

On the down side, it doesn't sound like a "scooter" and then there is the automatic gears, to some this could be a plus but others a minus, also to some its a bit clean cut.

In summary I love it but is it really the same?

I take it no one else has one yet?

[Spence]

Have you seen the write-up on the GTS250 on the AFSC website? There's a debate raging on the guestbook about it over there, find it via our links page.

[thetop]

Spence,

I took a look but couldn't see the review, have you got any directions?

Cheers Mate

[Spence]

Sadly Simon's got rid of it mate. Pity, it was a good write-up with some action pictures.

For an old school scooter boy, he's absolutely convinced the GTS250 is the way of the future. He's bought a dragon red one which I believe he's customising in Coca-Cola livery.

[thetop]

Spence,

The jury's out with me, i flirted with a scooter in the eighties but never had my own then got a car and another one etc. I've wanted a scooter ever since and bit the bullet about eighteen months ago. I first got a PX125, decided to go for my test then got a PX 200.

Both were fine but to be fair the GTS250 is in a different league. What is does sadly miss is the "ring ting ting", and whilst the automatic gears make for an easy ride you certainly lose something.

As for the future, I think that there is room for both old and new, ideally one of each would solve the problem.

Ill stick with the GTS250 but can understand anyone wanting to stick with their old model.

Whats your view?

Cheers

[thetop]

Spence,

I found it, this pretty much sums it up. Here's a cut and paste.

On entering the show room you easily recognise the GTS 250, no it doesn't look like a GP200 Lambretta and no it doesn't look like a Vespa GS, it does however look like a Vespa.

The one in the show room was silver but they are available in three colours - Dragon Red and Shiny Black and a metallic-finish Excalibur Grey.

The Scooter sits a little taller than the "P" Range, and the seat looks a little too big for it! Under the seat is enough room for two, yes two helmets! Rob da Mod recons he will get all of his "Run" gear into this space, I think that's a little over ambitious, but it is a big space! i will ditch the seat as soon as all the after market accessories are available.

Now it was time for a test run, it was absolutely teaming it down and had been for the last few hours so I was a little reluctant to take any hair pin bends. The Autobahn was a few minutes away so my plan was to head for that.

The experience of taking off on an automatic is a little strange, I did feel a little uncomfortable, a bit like when my gym teacher put his hand down me shorts :-)

The lack of a clutch and the absence of a rear foot brake are a little unsettling but this soon passes as you experience the balance and instant power produced by the 250 engine. I was a bit concerned that the back tyre would spin out from under me so I took it easy, well until I left the sight of the garage owner.

The acceleration is TS1, if you are a Vespa rider this means kin fast! The revs don't seam to pick up and you have to keep looking at the clock to remind yourself just how fast you are going! The GTS 250 has a "instant grin factor" It is brilliant, you join moving traffic instantly and the power pick up is both fun and reassuring to know you can get out of trouble when you have to!

I spent the next hour ragging and scagging it as much as I dared in the heavy rain, the handling was faultless and the speed was unimaginable for a Vespa!

Did I like it? Well I have placed my order for a Dragon Red Vespa GTS 250!!!!! and I have booked it into my local spray shop for a little customization! I will remove the Micky Mouse mirrors and fit a "pops" mirror. I have ordered a top (buttie) box, yes this will make me look like a granddad (I will be soon) but Carol insisted on a back rest/box.

[Spence]

Well mate it's following my head that keeps me on a PX200, rather than following my heart and swapping it for an old Vespa or Lambretta, so I can understand those that are going for the GTS250. But I too am a relatively recent addition to the full-time scooter scene (April 2002), so I feel I've got some catching up to do before I do something as radical as go automatic 4-stroke.

[vespavirgin]

There's a really good writeup on the GTS250 in this months Scootering magazine. I have to say, I was tempted to ask my bank for a £3K loan...!!

[thetop]

I love mine.

I have a silver one which is smart, I've also seen a red one in a showroom which again is nice (not for me though), and whilst in Barcelona last weekend I saw a black one.

The black one with a brown seat is possibly the one I prefer the most, it looked brilliant. I did think about getting a black one but opted for a silver one as the black one would be hard to see at night, therefore too dangerous in my opinion.

Major plus, leaving most cars standing at the lights. Major minus the lack of a "ring ting ting".

Bite the bullet and get one.

PS Thanks for letting me know about the article, just ordered it online.

[Spence]

I find the best way to be seen at night on a black scooter is to switch your lights on.

[thetop]

Spence,

You have no choice on the 250 they don't switch off anyway.

Do you not think it's more difficult to see a black scooter from the side at night, have a look, from a certain angle you become invisable.

[Spence]

Not especially.

[holidaydad]

I have ridden black scoots for too long! Have yet to become invisible but it would be handy at times.

The GTS is a different kettle of fish to all previous Vespas. It handles superbly and goes like a rocket. Things we have all wanted for years.

I have yet to find an unhappy owner. The future of Vespas is sadly all down to money. What can be produced and sold is all based around profit - not looks, style and quality.

The GTS is the future. Vader Black is the colour! So much so that I rejected the brown/beige seat and got a black one (stealth bomber).

[thetop]

There is a new black one in stock at Norman and Birch in Stoke should any want one, they are hard to come by at the moment, i saw it this morning it looks mighty fine

[amarion]

Over a week ago I bought a black GTS250 vespa to commute to work. And all I can say its a blooDY GOOD BIKE. Even though I have never ridden a scooter before, so a bit difficult to judge from that point of view my GTS, but all I can say is that I can not have enough of it. When you need power you have it, when you need cruising you have it, when you need comfort you have it, when you need to manouvre easy you have it...so all in all you have everything you need in the GTS...

Amarion

[Spence]

Except the flexibility of a manual gearbox. And an engine that makes a noise like a scooter.

[thetop]

Spence,

I certainly agree with you on the lack of a "scooter noise" but i can't see what a manual gearbox can add over an automatic. I could never get either my PX125 or PX200 in third for starters.

[Spence]

Not a problem I've experienced. Flexibility is being able to drop a gear coming into a bend, so you know you can accelerate out of it under your own control - that's what I'm talking about.

I'm not knocking the GTS, I'm sure it's the future, I just wanted to make a point because I think to say "you have everything you need in a GTS" is to make a sweeping generalisation. There's an awful lot of people out there who like a manual gearbox and a noisy, smelly engine.

[thetop]

Spence,

Don't disagree with anything you say.

But, i have miles more confidence in the GTS going through the gears as it is quick from wherever you ask it (trust me), and there is no problem "clunking into a gear". Plus there is no way you can bang it in neutral by mistake.

The GTS is the future but i would money permitting like an old Vespa as well, just for old times sake.

[amarion]

Spence,

You are right maybe saying ''you have everything you need in the GTS'' is a bit over the top, but for me its a quite rounded scooter. And as I have never owned a scooter before, I appreciate the fact that there are a lot of people who prefer a manual to automatic.

Amarion

[thetop]

Amarion,

Did you have a bike before the GTS, you mention it's your first scooter?

If it is your first of either why did you go for the GTS 250 as opposed to a bigger non Vespa scooter?

[amarion]

the top,

I have never owned a bike before, of any shape, form or size:). The GTS is my first bike , and there are few reasons as to why I purchased such a scooter. As you are aware petrol prices started to rise over the past few years, and at the same time trying to commute to work from where I live started to become a bit of nightmare in terms of traffic jams early in the morning and late afternoon, and due to my monthly pertrol bill rising to about £100-. It was at this point that I deiced to get a small scooter that will take me from A to B, with good agility, speed and power and be fuel efficient. I started reading about various scooters that are on the market and narrowed my choice to two scooters GT125 and 200. But after speaking to my local dealer he suggestd I get the GT250 which I was not aware of. So I went for a test ride on the GT250 and I loved it, then reading further abou it and all the extras you get compared to GT125 or 200, I opted for the 250. And to tell you the truth now I am spending only about £15-20/ month on petrol to commute to work, saving me some good money. So there you go...

Amarion

[Spence]

Now you've got the bug do you think you might ever have a go with any other scooters? I know there's stigma attached to going auto when you've started on manuals, but I was wondering how people who've started on autos feel about coming the other way.

[amarion]

Spence,

For the time being I will stick to my GTS automatic. The reason being is that every morning I have to drive through a heavily congested town (Oxford), where I have to continuosly start and stop, thus the reason going for the automatic option. Having said this, I will definetly try at some point a manual one and see what difference I would experience. If I was going to commute everyday a long distance then I might have opted for a manual one.

Spence a question for you, have you tried the GTS?

Amarion

[thetop]

Nice one Amarion, mine is just a plaything really, i use the car to get from Stoke to Lichfield to work every day using the Scooter on the occasional Friday. My run is not that bad it sounds compared to yours. I know Oxford can be bad as I used to spend some time down at my old head office in Eynsham and getting there was a git.

Is this the longest thread ever on the message board?

[Spence]

I haven't tried the GTS. The only time I've ridden autos is on holiday in Greece, and that's only because it's very difficult (if not impossible) to find a hire place that has Vespas. An AFSC compatriot of mine has just got a GTS and he's over the moon with it, despite being an old school scooter boy.

I know what a hassle it can be going through stop/start traffic at rush hour on a geared scooter, but at the end of the day it's what you can be arsed to put up with I suppose. I have to say I've only experienced the A34 Oxford ring road on the way to and from the IOW, and that was bad enough.

In answer to the last question: no, not yet. I think Why Vespa? is a longer thread than this one, but the longest so far is What Happens to Scooterists in Winter Months?

[Spence]

As you can see from the Reader's Scooters page and my new avatar (left) I dipped into my savings for classic 1967 Sprint that a mate of mine had restored for himself originally. I'm keeping the PX200 for the foreseeable future though, for the rallies that are further way.

Has anyone got any views on Si Cuerden's finished custom paint job on his GTS250 then? He's affectionately (and somewhat sarcastically) referring to it as the "Polished Turd". It'll be on the homepage for a while then it'll probably get moved to the Reader's Scooters page.

[thetop]

I like it and it is the first GTS that i have seen customised, in my opinion it works.

I have just added some chrome to my silver GTS, a small screen and hopefully soon a Scorpion exhaust. I will probably stop there, mine looks different but still smart.

I will post a photo when i get one done.

the top