10 Things We Like About The Vespa GTS

Dec 02, 2023

The Vespa GTS really is the ultimate Italian scooter, here's why

Vespa have been selling scooters for decades dating back to 1946. Its longevity has made it a living legend in the world of motorcycles. That kind of long term fame has helped the list of Vespa club members grow to around 120,000 members worldwide. Interestingly, the first version of the signature design came from someone who believed motorcycles to be dirty and unreliable. An aeronautical engineer, Corradino D'Ascanio, was the one responsible for the original Vespa design. His design made the wheel to be driven directly by the transmission, getting rid of oil splatter associated with a chain drive, and today, D'Ascanio's influence is still visible, including the bigger models.

The GTS 300 in particular has a larger engine and caters to those who desire more power from a scooter. This scooter lineup has been around for about twenty years, with many revisions on looks and technological features. Its traditional design may deceive many into thinking that this is just another classic scooter, but, it is so much more than that.

Related: The History of Motorcycling, Part 3: Scooters

The GTS 300 is Vespa's larger scooter variant. The GTS 300 is capable of delivering smooth and responsive power once you twist the throttle. For a 300 cc scooter, the power is enough to satisfy experienced riders for their commuting needs without being too much for first timers. With its power, weight, and how its engine behaves, Vespa GTS 300’s direct competitions are Yamaha XMAX, Suzuki Burgman 400, and Kymco X-Town 300i.

The iconic Italian design is largely unchanged since its inception. There are, of course, improvements throughout the years, but anyone will recognize this manufacturer when they see one of their scooters just based on the looks. The name itself originates from the impression its appearance gave to the then head of Piaggio company, Enrico Piaggio. Enrico thought the initial design looked like a wasp, hence the name “Vespa” meaning wasp in Italian. Since its creation, the design took on a sense of fashion and practicality wrapped into one scooter. The overall shape of the GTS is roundish like the other scooters Vespa has in its lineup, with more modern feels around the bodywork, the GTS is definitely eye-catching.

Vintage is the word that will pop in your head when you look at the GTS. As one of the most famous classic two-wheelers out there, Vespa keeps the GTS 300 as close as possible to the original design, but this scooter also offers 21st century performance. The current model features keyless ignition system, and is Euro5 compliant (this is the current standard for emissions today). The scooter features an automatic centrifugal dry clutch equipped with vibration dampers to smoothen your ride. The brakes and suspension also got an upgrade.

Related: 10 Most Underrated Retro Bikes

Some motorcycle manufacturers often choose to keep their “classic” lineup as traditional as possible. This means outfitting the bike with a carburetor, non-LED lights, and a fully analogue instrument cluster. However, the GTS 300 manages to bring technological features within a vintage looking scooter. Aside from the mentioned keyless ignition, now the scooter has connectivity features that can be accessed via an app. Vespa also added a vehicle tracking feature to help owners locate their scooter in a crowded parking lot. This comes in handy if you are a commuter in a busy city. The instrument cluster is a digi-analog unit, but if you want something more modern, the GTS lineup got you covered with the GTS Super Tech variant that offers fully digital 4.3 inch display.

The front brake features a Brembo master cylinder that leads to the Nissin dual piston caliper. Meanwhile, the rear brake also has a Brembo master cylinder but with ByBre single piston caliper to squeeze the disc. To execute the braking, the GTS 300 features a 220 mm disc brake on both the rear and front brakes. The unique thing about Vespa’s scooter is how they configure their suspension, the single-sided, trailing-link design still retains its place after all these years. However, the current GTS 300 has four pivot points that reduce friction and the rear suspension also has four preload settings.

The Vespa GTS 300 comes standard with a pair of 12-inch wheels. Normally, scooters have 15 to 16-inch wheels on both the front and the rear, and sometimes they come with different sizes. However, the Vespa GTS takes it a bit further with their 12-inch wheels. Having smaller wheels is one of the definitive features of scooters and if you think smaller wheels are inferior to normal-sized motorcycle wheels, that is actually not always the case. The 12-inch wheels give more advantages when it comes to responsiveness and the placement of the center of gravity. Riders will find it easier to control the vehicle when navigating congested streets. The small wheels also mean steering is not as heavy as regular motorcycle.

Although you can consider the GTS 300 a larger city commuter, the vehicle itself is far from bulky. Unlike its competition in the 300 cc class, this scooter boasts a compact body that is easy to handle and light on its wheels. One major advantage of scooters compared to regular motorcycles is how small they are dimensionally. For city dwellers, the Vespa GTS is a great choice. Its compact size lets you zip around vehicles in low speed traffic. Thanks to Vespa’s engineering and design, the combination of the GTS 300’s frame, suspension, brakes, and its powerful engine makes it a great commuter.

Related: The 10 Best Scooters On The Market

Vespa redesigned the seat for the GTS 300 to make two-up riding even more comfortable. A scooter is not always meant to be ridden out of necessity. There are times when you yearn for a relaxed ride toward the sunset, and the best vehicle to accompany a relaxed ride is a scooter, especially a Vespa. Comfort is an essential aspect in a vehicle, no matter who the rider is. The GTS 300 offers a relaxed riding position with a lot of legroom and the plush seat is also suitable for riding with a passenger.

The Vespa GTS 300 offers sensible practicality for riding. It comes with a storage compartment under the seat, like most scooters. You can fit a raincoat, a helmet, and other items or tools for emergencies. The scooter checks every aspect that a city ride needs to have, additionally, Vespa offers a buffet of accessories that you can add to your ride. These trinkets include extra storage bags, racks on the back and front, a windshield, and an optional leather seat.

Although it is true that the GTS 300 is not a touring scooter, that does not mean it cannot cover a long distances. People typically pick adventure or touring bikes for long trips on the road. Some bigger maxi-scooters can also be alternatives for weekend touring, but the GTS’s 300 cc engine has enough power and durability to carry you all day. Vespa pays a lot of attention to the build quality of their scooters so you do not have to worry about reliability. Granted, a proper touring motorcycle like the Gold Wing will outperform it on a long tour, but the GTS 300 can happily take you most places.

The pursuit for the perfect motorcycle brought Bimo to the world of motorcylce enthusiast. Bimo has had experiences with motorcycles since he was a child. His father took him to school on one, he rode to college on one, he got hit by one, you name it.