[arunabh2424]

N.B : This is my first post at Team BHP. I will try to post my thread in as simple way as possible. I need support of all the esteemed members of this community to kindly guide me not only in posting buying experiences but also through long term reviews of the two/four wheelers owned by me. PROUD TO BE A BHPian.

Brief History of me with Automobiles :

As a newbie member in this forum I would certainly confess that reading and writing about automobiles is a very tough job which can’t be done by every person. It’s like listening and understanding the language not known to you. My passion about automobiles started from my childhood when my Dad ( who is no more) used to own the legendary Rajdoot 175. The sound of its two stroke Engine and the sweet smell of its 2T & Petrol mixed smoke is still fresh in the tip of my nose. Passion in automobiles in me wasn’t limited to two wheels but also in four wheels too. I can never forget the long and comfortable journey in the mighty Hindustan Ambassador 1500 DSZ. As a 10 year old kid I secretly admired & embraced the beauty of instrument cluster placed right in the middle of the ambassador where I used to sit. Apart from it bikes were always in my dream since I completed my 10th standard. Didn’t really remember when I actually learnt to ride bikes correctly but yes, I tried it first when I was just 14. My study room was full of wall posters of superbikes which I bought from market with the savings from my pocket money. Talking about scooters, well I wasn’t too much interested in them. I hated them simply because I feared riding one. The complex starting procedure by tilting the scooter to one side, cranking the engine along with balancing the whole scooter, pressing the super hard clutch with your left palm and simultaneously engaging the gear was not my cup of tea. But there were many people in our village who loved scooter more than bikes. I still wonder why ?

Fast Forward ..2008 :


I bought my first bike of my life in April 2008. A black Apache RTR 160. As it was the first product of its kind by TVS who was then mainly dealing with non-gear scooter segment.The Apache had too many glitches and trouble during initial 10k run. The self starter itself was replaced 3 times in a short span of 15 K kilometres. Tired of the same issues again and again I finally sold it in the year 2011 and bought a Bajaj Pulsar 180 UG 4. I loved the overall performance of the Pulsar which served me selflessly till 2019. I seriously needed an upgrade immediately. I finally sold the pulsar to one of my staff with 88K kilometres in the odo. Then it was time for me to choose another bike with a higher CC and power and when I closed my eyes I saw the Dominar D 400. Already impressed by the reliability of the Pulsar 180 I never gave a second thought about buying the newly launched D 400. Presently it has already clocked more than 9K kilometres and I found the cost of its maintenance very cheap as compared to the OTR price of the bike.
Coming to the topic, in the year 2011 I had also purchased a TVS wego 110 . It was basically used for grocery shopping and short rides across the town. My wife used it for commuting to her office situated 13 kilometres away from home. With more than 44 K kilometres in Odo the Wego had happily served us nine long years. But what I didn’t like was the quality of the plastic, cold starting problems and braking issues. Also it had met with an accident few years ago after which the chassis demanded some work which I thought was not worthy considering its age and kilometres run. Finally I sold it to another company staff of mine a month ago.

In the search of a new city companion:

Finding a accurate replacement for TVS Wego wasn’t a easy task for me. What I was looking onto was finding a good scooter which would be stylish ,powerful, reliable and tough. After a brief search in the internet I had shortlisted a few scooters which would meet some of my choices. Price didn’t matter too much as I wanted to buy something that would be trustworthy for a longer duration. Also I didn’t want to compromise in ride quality. As my wife would use it sometimes I needed it to be sleek and a bit less heavier. I widened my search for faster results and decided to visit a few dealers situated in Bhubaneswar City.

1] TVS N Torq

a) Visited Jyote TVS situated in Lewis Road. There were three colours available for the N Torq i.e Red, Yellow & black from which the later two were already been booked. I was only left with yellow colour option which I didn’t admire much.
b) On road price was near about 97 K. The sales person wanted me to book it the same day and promised me of a few accessories free of cost!
c) Asked about placing order for other colours but I was informed that it would take more than 15 days to arrive. Not convinced of their words I simply left the showroom.( I wasn’t even asked once to sit in a chair)

2] Suzuki Access 125

a) Visited Super Sales dealer Situated in Bapuji Nagar. The Sales person was extremely cooperative in explaining all the variants and features of the scooter.
b) Didn’t find the front part especially the headlight very appealing, otherwise the scooter felt very much spacious in seating, foot board and underseat storage.
c) Told the sales person that I will decide in a few days and left.

3] Yamaha Cygnus Ray

a) I was always a fan of its sharp looks of both front and back.
b) Sporty ergonomics and riding posture.
c) Visited Utkal Yamaha located at Unit 3. Sales person was too busy at phone hence I expected least help of any kind from him.
d) Looked at the scooter once or twice and found too many plastic parts used everywhere. Left the showroom without anybody noticing. Such a pathetic service.

4) Aprillia Storm 150

a) There are only two dealers of Aprillia in Bhubaneswar located in opposite side of town. Firstly I went to 3S motors near Laxmisagar Area. The sales girls explained all the details of the Aprillia and told the OTR to be 1 lakh for the 125 cc.
b) In the corner of my eye I was looking at the Vespa 150 painted in bright yellow. It was placed in the front of the showroom in a high stand. I felt as if the Vespa too was looking at me with curious eyes. Till then I had lost interest in listening to the features of Aprillia. My legs moved towards the beauties wrapped in enchanting colors . Ever in my lifetime I had never felt so satisfied by looking at a scooter. I then started enquiring about the Vespa.
c) Found that the Urban club 125 cc bs6 model priced at Rs. 1,07,534 OTR. But the absence of disc brake made me unwilling to consider it.
d) A little upgraded version i.e the VXL 125 had been priced at Rs. 1,26,827 OTR lakh OTR.
e) But the only problem with this showroom was that the dealer had very limited stock of each variant. Colour option was definitely a concern hence left the showroom with a confused mind.


Came home early. Eagerly waited for wife to return from office. As soon as she returned I told her about my day in one breath. After giving it a short thought she finally agreed to Vespa…Hurray…!! But as a middle class woman she too was a bit concerned about the price. It took me another half an hour to convince her why the price is too much than other scooters. ( I personally wasn’t convinced about the price though..)

Now, as Vespa was shortlisted I went back to 3S motors and inquired about ordering my choice of variant. After a short talk with her seniors she informed me that it will take more than 20 days. I couldn’t resist about insisting her to try delivering me the Vespa within a week at least. But she expressed her helplessness about the same. I wasn’t worried too much because I had another dealership yet to be visited.

The Final Destination:

On 21st December, I finished my work early in the morning and went to Raj Motors. The decision was already made and I was quite positive about getting my choice of variant there. I was welcomed by the showroom personnel and soon they made me comfortable with their friendly approach. I told them about my requirements and Voila… I got it.
There she was…ZX 125 . Standing in pride with a pretty smile. She looked extremely adorable in Pearl White. I would have finalised her immediately and took her home right away. But as a humble husband I needed to ask my wife’s opinion at least about the colour. Anyways, I kept the colour option in booking receipt blank and paid Rs.2000/- as the confirmation amount. Told the showroom guys that I will visit the showroom with my wife by evening.

The Evening Show :

Picked up wife early from office. She too was a bit amused about my anxiety about the purchase. But I was aware that in the corner of her heart she too was equally anxious about owning a Vespa. We went to the showroom around 6 pm. But it took us around 45 minutes of dilemma to finally arrive at the final decision. I impulsively smiled when wife chose the White. Promised the showroom guys for a visit the very next day and pay the rest of the amount for Down payment i.e 50% of the total price of the vehicle. As I am a old customer of TATA Capital the finance got approved within half an hour.
The Price break up is as follows :

Down Payment : Rs. 45,023
Accessories ( Ladies Side Stand, Foot board Mat & rear grab rail logo) : Rs.5865/-
Hypothecation Fee : Rs.445/-
Combo offer: Free Road side assistance, Free polish etc : Rs. 1299/-
Total : 52,632/-
Rest Financed.

Got assurance from dealership that will get the vehicle delivered by Saturday i.e 26th December. Got home with new dreams.

D-Day :

Woke up early. Finished gym, went to hanuman temple for a brief darshan and moved towards showroom with my mother to get delivery of my Pearl beauty. As soon as I entered the showroom the sales person gave me a strange look. I asked if there was any problem they told me about an unexpected situation. The ladies foot stand set had suddenly became out of stock in their spares. I was a little shocked to hear about it and suddenly my mood changed from happy to sad. I further asked them about any solutions to the issue to which they advised/requested me to take the delivery and come back for the accessory after 15 days. Now this was quite irritating for me at that moment. How on earth I was supposed to make my Mom sit in the scooter without a lady foot rest? My mother wondered what was going on and also asked me about it. I told her not to worry. Frankly I didn’t want to spoil my day but I had got no other way out. Hence I now went to the sales people with a stricter approach and gave them no time for making any further excuses. Hurriedly they arranged for the accessory within 20 minutes( perhaps they removed it from any other vehicle, who cares). Within a hour I was standing besides my pearl beauty. The sales guy now handed me over the keys of my new companion for the next decade or so.





I will be posting some more pictures of the beauty as well as expressing my views on the pros & cons of my new ride…

To be continued..

[arunabh2424]

Hello dear BHPians.

Wishing you all a very wonderful New Year Ahead.
In continuance to my previous post I will be sharing photos and my initial days of ownership of the Vespa ZX 125 BS6.

Its an undeniable fact that the Vespa in white definitely attracts a lot of attention in its daily life. In my little experience of just a couple of days I find a lot of curious eyes peeping at the white Angel. Nothing more is a thing of pride when you own something precious and people come to you asking things about it. I certainly feel special when a few senior citizens of my city stare the Vespa with open eyes. I didn't really imagine it has too many fans in a tier II city like Bhubaneswar. Imagining what will be the response of people staying in small towns of Odisha. IMHO the Vespa is one of the best remake of a old memory of early 90's. Deserves a round of applause.

Coming to the topic, when I first rode the Vespa out of the showroom I was shocked. Refinement, power, sturdiness, throttle response, seating posture, braking and everything else was a perfection in itself. I just didn't want to go home early. So I took a long route to home to feel the machine for some more time. My mother was also happy about the pillion ride quality except the shorter seat(which will be solved by fitting the longer grabrail in the opinion of the showroom guys).

In a leisure day I took the Angel to a short ride to a less crowdy place. Clicked some photographs in the warm Sunshine of a wintery morning.

Before going through a detailed review and pictures I would like to add few likes and dislikes about the Vespa :

Likes :-

1) Elegant looks, body and paint quality. No unnecessary plastics or graphics.

2) Refined fuel injected engine, sporty exhaust sound, smooth power delivery and vibration free ride in all road conditions.

3) Shorter turning radius and easy traffic maneuverability makes it the best city companion. Brakes are one of the best in the segment.

4) Powerful DC headlamp.

5) Smooth suspension doesn't hurt your back.

6) Smart ergonomics & excellent body balance even in tougher riding conditions.

Dislikes : -

1) The smallest under seat storage I have ever seen. How frustrating it is for a rider who is unable to keep even a helmet securely in a lakh rupee vehicle.

2) No kick starting without engaging the center stand.

3) Pillion accommodation is subject to T & C. Any one of the two people must compromise in space.

4) Excessive heating in under seat compartment. Piaggio should certainly do something about it.

5) A big hump in the center of leg space restricts goods carrying capacity. On the contrary, if you do a lot of shopping everyday and want to carry things from one place to other then folks, Vespa isn't made for that purpose.

6) Poor visibility in Rear View Mirrors. Be more cautious for blind spots.

Coming to the ride quality, the Vespa is IMHO one of the best city companion. Despite of your height, built, age or gender, the machine just suits everyone. You won't find the vehicle troubling you anytime with regards to its weight, ride quality, ergonomics or stopping power.

I have ridden the Vespa for 300+ kms and never felt the engine stressed at any point of time. There is a noticeable amount of vibration in handlebar while idling in traffic. But it comes to zero as soon as you twist the throttle. The engine delivers smooth power and torque till 40-45 kmph. Give the throttle a little more push and zooooom....it just reaches 60-65 kmph in no time. I haven't tested its top speed due to the initial running in period but the power delivery of the 125 cc engine is praiseworthy. Hit the brakes hard anytime and the Vespa will come to halt withing fraction of seconds without scaring the rider or the pillion. I am sure the 150 cc ABS version will be more adventurous.
Let me share with you all few clicks of the beauty and my observations about her.

1) The stance is absolutely appealing. Looks are super premium.





2) Super fine fit and finish.




3) Switchgear Quailty acceptable. Have a closer look to the protruding dots where your fingers will touch.


4) Basic but premium looking instrument cluster. I love the extreme care taken by Piaggio while designing the console.


5) Engine Control warning light comes on when you turn on the ignition. Goes of while thee engine starts.


6) Clear Lens Headlamp with halogen bulb provides sufficient light in night. Its also bright in broad daylight. "PIAGGIO' Logo beneath the headlamp looks classy.


7) Chrome finish mirror are vibration free. Visibility is strictly average.


8) No, this steel made logo isn't a free goodie ! You have to purchase it.


9) Clear lens indicators.


10) Vespa logo on the grip. Amazed by the sturdy metal brake levers.


11) Kickstarter with glossy finish. You have to put the vehicle in centre stand everytime to use it.


12) 3 V tech Logo in the left looks amazing.


13) Right Side only has the Vespa Logo.


14) Night light Reflectors placed just below the pillion footrest.


15) You will find 'Vespa' and' Piaggio' logo almost everywhere in the scooter,in different sizes.


16) 200 mm disc brake with Combi brake technology makes stopping effortless. Tyres are Tubeless MRF 90/100-10. Grip is good even in slippery conditions.


17) Front storage space can hold a half litre water bottle and cleaning cloth, sanitizer bottle (most essential thing nowadays.


18) Underseat storage is too less for a vehicle costing 1.2 lakhs. A small ladies helmet hardly fits into it.


19) Just a little effort needed to pull out the underseat storage cover to access the engine bay.


20) Chrome finish on silencer cover looks classy.


21) Finally, the stance that makes every one crave for owning this seamless beauty. With 250+ kilometers on clock she is eagerly waiting for 500 more.


22) Night shot of the instrument cluster.


Some other important things that I observed in my 10 days and 300+ kms of ownership :

a) Usage: My daily ride in the Vespa is about 10-15 kms/day. My wife took it to her Office located 13 kms away from home once or twice . She loves the smooth ride ,no noise mill and the superb suspension.

b) Styling : In one word- FLAWLESS. No unnecessary curves,holes & plastics. Keep it in a place and in no time there will be admirers surrounding it.

c) Built and Paint quality : Rock solid metal parts and finest paint quality makes it a adorable machine.

d) Wheels and Tyres : Ok for a vehicle this small. Buying a tubeless tyre and disc variant makes a smart choice though.

e) Plastics quality : Switchgear , clear lenses of headlamp and look qualitative. I still miss LED indicators and back lamp.

f) Seat Comfort and space : This is a thing most of the owners complain about. Rider may not have any issues in seat space but the pillion , no matter how cozy he/she gets ,the space isn't enough for both.

g) Riding position : Ok ! You can ride it comfortably leaning forward or sitting upright. You wont feel tired soon. Foot position is commendable.

h) Ergonomics : The handlebar position makes you feel riding a vehicle bigger than what it really is. The meter console is tilted towards the rider in a position that doesn't make you struggle hard for reading the dials.Even the tiny digital clock is visible straight to the eye. However setting up the clock needs some trick.

i) Mirrors : I would rate it 4/10 due to the limited visibility. After a rough road it tends to move in random direction.

j) Headlamps : Didn't get many chances till now to drive it in highway but the DC headlamp is enough for city rides. The throw is sufficiently long but IMHO it would have been a little wider too.

k) Storage : Again a 4/10 in this. The front storage is useless except holding a small half litre water bottle and a cleaning cloth. Under seat storage is no good too. It barely gulps a ladies helmet. Another thing I noticed is the excessive heat from engine bay that makes everything too warm inside. May be some insulation along with a thicker plastic will do some good.

l) Engine : The 125 cc engine is a boon in city driving. I didn't test its top speed till now as the vehicle is still due for its 1st service. More or less the engine doesn't feel strained in any kind of driving conditions and the number of people sitting in it. Puny tires still tolerates any road conditions.

m) Exhaust : I was always a fan of the vespa's exhaust note. In a tight helmet you wont even hear the noise of engine. It just zooms past its competitors.

n) Heating issues : Umm..! no. Not felt it (outside the under seat storage).

o) Fuel efficiency : With the first service due I can happily declare that the vespa gives me 40-45 km/ltr. Also the 7 litre fuel tank capacity avoids frequent pit stops.

p) Turning Radius : Too easy to maneuver in heavy traffic. Turning radius won't irritate you anywhere.

q) Braking : With two people on board the brakes won't make you shiver in emergency situations. Disc on front and combi braking technology makes panic braking an easy and confident task.

r) Ground clearance : I haven't felt the underside scratching any bumps till now. I weigh 85 kgs & with my wife and 4 year old son on board I didn't find the ground clearance inadequate.

s) Kick Starter : In a chilly winter morning, I avoid using the self starter. But its often a boring job for me to put her in center stand everytime in order to use the kick starter. Ladies may find it a tiresome job. However the weight of Vespa isn't too much , so don't take it too seriously.

t) What my family thinks about the White Angel : Hmmm...Expensive ! But yes, undeniably beautiful. She has became my families center of attraction in a very few days. She hates dust and mud as I do. Every body gives it a second look when it rests on the parking of our apartment. Its obvious because she is definitely a attention grabber.

That's all folks . I will come back again on my White Angels first service which is coming very soon. Will post more about the service experience. Feel free to post comments and suggestion on my post.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[AutoDowntowner]

Congratulations for this beautiful Italian scooter. I just love it.
The same I was about to buy a couple of months ago but I had to cancel it because of 2 concerns which you already have mentioned: Big hump on floor & small underseat storage.
Hence I went for Activa 125 which costed me Rs. 95k on road (Pune).

[NiInJa]

Congratulations on getting this beauty ! You review is nice and detailed and covers just about everything.

I am thinking of getting a premium scooter by Diwali this year and the Vespa fits perfectly for me and my wife. Please do keep updating this thread with your ownership experiences.

[aarnav_b]

Congratulations for your new ride and wish you many happy miles with it.
I had one question, I was thinking all this time that all the vespa models, excluding the base cub had been updated with the new speedo with digital odometer, so how come your model comes with the old one?

[arunabh2424]

Originally Posted by aarnav_b

Congratulations for your new ride and wish you many happy miles with it.
I had one question, I was thinking all this time that all the vespa models, excluding the base cub had been updated with the new speedo with digital odometer, so how come your model comes with the old one?

Thanks for your wishes. Well, I too was confused seeing the old speedo on the middle version of Vespa. Later , I was informed that it was a minor cost cutting by the manufacturer keeping in mind the increased cost of upgrading the engine to BS6 norms. Also the scooter is equipped with a electronic fuel pump and injector which compelled the company to delete some features like digital console and led headlights. Otherwise the scooter will cost you more for obvious reasons. FYI, the Vxl 125 cc model has digital console whose ex showroom price is 10 k more than the Zx variant. Hope this helps with your query.

[yesyeswe]

That's one beautiful scooter, didn't you consider any electric scooter? They have a decent range and speed nowadays, moreover the cost of running is very cheap. If i was in your place I would have considered bajaj chetak too.

[arunabh2424]

Originally Posted by yesyeswe

That's one beautiful scooter, didn't you consider any electric scooter? They have a decent range and speed nowadays, moreover the cost of running is very cheap. If i was in your place I would have considered bajaj chetak too.

Thanks for the compliment. I had given a thought about purchasing a Electric scooter for a while. But as I am staying in an apartment complex it was quite hard for me to find a suitable solution for charging the battery. Hence I decided not to go for EV's.

[arunabh2424]

Update for Today : DAMAGED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY !! : It's been four and a half month since I am addicted to the Vespa. Now yesterday while cruising through town at 50-55 kmph all of a sudden a strange sound started coming out of the Engine. I noticed it only while de- accelerating from higher speed. Till I reached home the sound was just unbearable. I immediately turned around to the service center and made them aware about the problem. They too were scratching their heads after listening to the abnormal sound. I am now at the service center and the technician are trying to find out the issue. Frustrating.


Attachment 2146716

[arunabh2424]

Originally Posted by arunabh2424

Update for Today : DAMAGED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY !! : It's been four and a half month since I am addicted to the Vespa. Now yesterday while cruising through town at 50-55 kmph all of a sudden a strange sound started coming out of the Engine. I noticed it only while de- accelerating from higher speed. Till I reached home the sound was just unbearable. I immediately turned around to the service center and made them aware about the problem. They too were scratching their heads after listening to the abnormal sound. I am now at the service center and the technician are trying to find out the issue. Frustrating.


Attachment 2146716

Update 2 : This is very disheartening for me that according to the showroom guys my Vespa's Engine head and Clutch assembly has been completely dismantled now. I received a call from the showroom techie and he is too concerned about the hidden problem in the unusual sound from engine. Hearing that I am not at all convinced about the longevity of the Scooter after all this. Tomorrow I will visit the showroom and discuss in detail about the issue.

[arunabh2424]

Update 2 : Manufacturing defect in all the Vespa ZX 125 BS6 model ! The technician called me yesterday evening. In a confused manner he admitted that they are unable to find the reason behind the abnormal sound from engine. Now the pity is that they have disassembled the head and Clutch assembly. Imagine the horror I am facing with a new vehicle which has just run 3500 kms. To my luck, I met another Vespa owner of the same model and make who had bought the vehicle in January 2021 is facing the same engine noise issue and has come to the service center too. I need to know if any other of my fellow bhpian's have come across Vespa owners facing similar problems ?

[arunabh2424]

Update 3 Yesterday Evening I got another follow up call from the service center. They informed me that inspite of several attempts they are unable to solve the engine noise issue till now. Even after opening each and every components of Clutch and Engine the problem still persists.

Now I am loosing my mind. A three month old scooter with 3500 kms on Odo and that too having an Italian badge is now one of the biggest concern of my life. I am preparing myself for a big war ahead & I know it will happen soon.

[no_fear]

your Vespa should be under the 2 yr or 24km warranty I believe. If the problem cannot be fixed, and in this case it appears to be engine related and not any of the wear / tear items then the dealer should acknowledge it as a manufacturing defect and ask Piaggio to call back your original bike and replace you with a similar model.

You should not stress much on this. Ask the dealer to replace the bike. It is Piaggio's headache and let the dealer sort it out with the company.

[Thebat]

Hey ,
It's sad that the vehicle has started giving you problems so early on. Let me give you my issue which happened a month back.

I bought a BS6 vespa 125vxl for my wife around 8 months back. The scooter has run around 2 thousand kilometers until now.

We had taken it out to run a few errands when tragedy stuck. The vehicle failed to start when we wanted to return home and I had to push it for a good 8 kms and got it towed another 8 kms from a good samaritan.

Got it checked by Vespa the following day , they too scratched their head and after a couple of days of "observation" they narrowed it down to a faulty fuel pump. They got it changed without fuss under warranty and now the scooter runs like a dream.

Stay firm with them, they should be fixing any issue you have with your vehicle.