The special edition Vespa will be imported as a completely built unit (CBU) and will be available in limited numbers.

Piaggio has launched a special edition of its iconic Vespa in India. It is called the 'Justin Bieber X Edition' and comes at an eye-watering price of Rs 6.45 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Vespa Justin Bieber X Edition will be limited to single digits. It will be imported as a completely built unit (CBU).

The Justin Bieber X Edition was conceived and designed by the Canadian pop singer and features an all-white design. The scooter is equipped with a white seat and footboard and rides on white 12-inch alloy wheels wrapped in white wall tyres. Even the mirrors and handle grip are finished in white.

Powering this special edition Vespa is Piaggio's classic 150cc engine. The engine has been upgraded to comply with the latest environmental regulations.

I had no idea Vespa had this colour scheme and one look at the gold rims, we both knew we this was it!

BHPian deepfreak15 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

With nothing new to report on the Multistrada, thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce you to an addition of its Italian Cousin in the family stable.

Background

My Dad belongs to that group of people who grew up thinking Royal Enfield was the ONLY REAL bike manufacturer. So while he did start his motorcycling days with a Lambretta he ended up buying an RE 350 Bullet way back in 1986. He used that for many years and around 5 years ago somehow he thought buying an Activa would make his life easier. He sold his bike for a premium and ended up with an Activa. 6 months later and a couple of falls from the scooter he promptly sold it and bought a Classic 500.

Now 5 years later he has come to the realization the Classic 500 while easy to ride is a pig to manoeuvre around and for a man in his 70s thats a hassle he would like to do without. I firmly believe that at this age he shouldnt be riding around on a two wheeler but instead a small city run-around hatch is the need of the hour. However in his eyes cars (no matter how small) are a luxury and inconvenience.

Since he had a bad experience with the Activa (I attribute it to the tiny wheels and almost no rake) I decided to take him scooter shopping and a larger wheel size was my biggest criteria. With that in mind took him to the local TVS dealer to check out the Jupiter. Surprisingly he hated the Jupiter (looks) and headed straight for the Ntorq. This was a promising turn of events, if he liked the Ntorq then there was hope me might be ok with the Aprilia SR160, with proper suspension and 14" rims it might be the best thing to transition into from a motorcycle. Sadly he felt it was too sporty but agreed to test ride the SXR160. I guess he felt it was too bulky and the fact that the handle bar moves independent of the front head unit must have put him off. We were stepping out of the showroom when we both saw this standing.

I had no idea Vespa had this colour scheme and one look at the gold rims, we both knew we this was it! So without much ado promptly bought the scooter

Buying Experience

Initially it was a bit strange, while they were obliging and happy to give him a test ride when it came to asking for the price they seemed clueless and said the new price list for the month of August hadn't come and they would let me know. I waited for a day but no news, so I called the Vespa India helpline and told them I really wanted to buy the scooter but the dealer wasn't billing it. They promptly conferenced the call with the dealer and I had the quotation in 5 minutes. Things ran smoothly from there on. Promptly paid up (~ 1.48 Lakhs) and the vehicle was delivered the next day. I had no idea scooters are so expensive these days, I almost choked when I was told the Ntorq was 1.10 Lakhs on road.

Young chap with a great attitude. He followed up on all the paper work and even though it only took a day kept in touch with progress updates and overall made the experience very premium.

Vespa Racing Sixties (125)

Powered by a 125cc 9.92PS engine this variant should do the job. The only reason we didn't consider the 150cc was because it came with a 30 day waiting period

Truth be told the rims was what triggered the purchase. There is something exotic about an Italian with Golden rims.

The Italians know how to pull of beauty in symmetry.

This scooter is based on the SXL variant (rectangle headlight)

What started with a hunt for a scooter with large dia rims we ended up with a weird combination (10'' rear and 11" front). Luckily we know someone who deals in tyres.

The suspension looks beefy but these are early days so no real feedback. By law vehicles below 150cc need to have combi braking system and I hate that system but if we needed ABS had to wait for 30days.

The Centre hump won't allow you to carry much there, but I'm happy. At least that will ensure the vehicle is not treated like a goods vehicle.

For reference a size 9 shoe, looks like there is decent room.

Though the pillion foot position always fouls with the rider's legs when manoeuvring with legs down. There has to be some logic behind this but beats me.

The rear-view mirror design isn't great and has very limited adjustability.

The left hand side controls include High/low beam switch (engagement is via some quirky Italian design you have to pull it with your thumb, not press), Indicators and horn.

And the right hand side includes a Mode button (for the tripmeter, no engine modes), DRL/Headlight toggle and the start button. There is no brake lever lock. I think this is a miss from Vespa.

The console is basic but legible and just the way I like it (Prominently Analogue).

There is a neat cut out to view the brake fluid level but not very easy to view.

Storage Options

Hook up front to hang stuff off but no load rating mentioned.

Not sure what you can keep in these two slots on the front apron but I personally wouldn't risk keeping a mobile phone here.

Under seat storage with boot light.

Fits a helmet (havent tried a full face yet).

USB charging socket included.

Lighting

All LED setup

DRL only

High beam

Low beam

Continue reading deepfreak15's purchase & ownership experience for more insights, information and BHPian comments.

The Vespa 75th Edition is available with 125cc and 150cc engines.

Piaggio is celebrating 75 years of the Vespa with the launch of a special version called the Vespa 75th Edition. 125cc version is priced at Rs. 1.26 lakh, while the 150cc version costs Rs. 1.39 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Vespa 75th Edition is finished in glossy metallic Giallo colour along with soft Nobuk leather feel dark smoke grey seats. A chrome 75th logo can be found on the glove box.

The scooter comes with dust grey alloy wheels, a windshield visor and a dual purpose Nobuk leather round bag that can be mounted on the retractable chrome rear rack.

The Vespa 75th Edition is available with 125cc and 150cc engines. The 125cc engine makes 9.8 BHP and 9.6 Nm, while the 150cc motor puts out 10.2 BHP and 10.6 Nm. Both engines are mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The scooter is equipped with a 200 mm front disc brake and 140 mm drum brake at the rear. The 150cc version gets ABS.

The Honda Dio I was using as a beater bike clocked 1000kms during this restoration.

BHPian funkykar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

How I learnt about Vespa 150

In the last few years, several Scooters, mostly Bajaj, have made up an integral part of my life. A lot of my friends (especially Arun1100 & GreenDay) kept asking me why I don't have any Vespa. I mostly assumed they were referring to LML Scooters which are also generally referred to as Vespa. In these years, I learned the lineage of Bajaj scooters to be of Vespa, of course mostly on Team-bhp. Then I realized the old Vespa 150, the Bajaj 150, and the Priya were more or less the same shapes except for very subtle differences. As they were 3 geared, it did not interest me. But slowly, the curves on the Vespa 150 kept attracting me and slowly created enormous interest.

I then started to look for a Vespa 150. They were priced quite high. Very well restored ones cost anywhere between 60-100k with clean ownership and updated papers. I also started thinking of getting an unrestored one and restore it to originality. I couldn't find any reasonable ones. I then asked my Scooter mechanic Sunil, who is also a good friend now. He said he has one but in a dismantled state. He wasn't willing to sell it. He said he dismantled it so he will be able to keep it in his attic. He did this in the late 90s. His idea was to restore it some time and use it for himself. It was of his customer who gave it for a rebuild and never returned until a few years later. The work also never started. He held the Scooter and waited for him to come back. After a few years, the owner comes back and says he had a bad accident and wouldn't want to ride any geared Scooter and was riding a Kinetic Honda. He apologized for the inconvenience and handed the papers and told that the mechanic Sunil can keep/sell and recover for the trouble caused. The scooter was in an Ok condition. But it would likely fetch a pittance he thought and retained it. He was using an old Bajaj 150 at that time and for him, the 3 geared 150cc was already nostalgia. Also, the Vespa and Bajaj 150 were the first of the Scooters he learned to repair. His elder brother was a mechanic at an Authorised service center and often would bring home engine assembly kind of work and teach his brothers. So these guys learnt engine work first, then the rest of the mechanicals at a later time. This nostalgia made him keep the Vespa in a dismantled state. Over the years, he once started to restore and postponed it due to monetary concerns. He never found time later to restore it nor have the heart to scrap it.

Some history of Vespa

Vespa, as most know, has its origins in Italy. It was a brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name meant a wasp in Italian. In the 1960s and '70s, it was the most sought-after Scooter in India. It was best known for its agility and excellent quality. Most people referred to them as 'Italian Vespa'. Once Bajaj started making Scooters, over the decades, the brand name Vespa faded away. A compilation of some of their old TV commercials.

2020 - The Pandemic

Then came 2020, the Covid-19 Pandemic. After the National lockdown, when cases started increasing crazily in Wave 1, my mechanic Sunil was very very worried. His family was in Kerala and the lockdown had separated them (as interstate travel was not easy and trains weren't fully operating) for few months. He was quite depressed. So much that he was considering closing down his shop and go settle in Kerala. He hails from Kerala but lived entirely in Bangalore. That has been his idea anyway for a later time in life. He looked certain he has preponed it. I was very distraught. How will my 10s of Scooters survive without him.

Sunil agreed, but I dictate the terms

One fine day around July 2020, I asked him again what he will do with the dismantled Scooter. He said he doesn't know. A couple of days later, he called me and said I could have it. Deep within I was elated, but with great control over emotion, I told him 'Ok, will think about it. Will speak to you tomorrow'. I visited him the next day. He did confirm that he was willing to sell it. He needs a couple of days to remove it. I told him I will be ready to buy only if he is ready to restore it. Without restoring, he can't leave for Kerala. I will pay a sizeable chunk of money only in the end. He wasn't too sure as he was already a bit depressed and said he will think about it. After a lot of reluctance, he agreed. After 3 days, he had managed to get the chassis and panels from the attic.

Here is how it looked like

The very first look:

The chassis:

Panel and mud guard:

The panels:

The side panel:

Chassis where the tank sits, looked good:

After seeing the chassis in the above condition, all the interest I had fizzled. I told Sunil that this wasn't good and I am not interested. He laughed at me and said it's not like how it appears. Why don't you check with the tinker once? After he persuaded me, I did visit the tinker and made him check. I told him beforehand I want an honest opinion on how the chassis is. I would want him to tinker it back if I chose to purchase.

The tinker checks to certify

The tinker inspecting:

Good news from the tinker

Tinker, after checking thoroughly, said it's in very good condition. 2-3 days of tinkering at max needed. This re-ignited the interest and it was game-on! IT'S NOW TIME TO CONVERT THE PILE OF RUST INTO A SCOOTER! The tinker asked the chassis and all panels to be coated with red oxide which makes it easy to work on. I took it to the painter nearby and he said he has to scrape off the surface rust then apply red oxide. All set for the process.

Ready for scraping and red oxide:

All ready:

After the chassis was supposedly scraped:

The scraped chassis.

Continue reading the restoration process and BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Piaggio now has more than 725 dealerships and 1,100 touchpoints across India.

Piaggio has achieved a new milestone of setting up 100 dealerships across India in just 100 days. Now, the company has more than 725 dealerships and 1,100 touchpoints across India.

Piaggio has increased its reach in the 3-wheeler and 2-wheeler segment and has expanded further in the CV segment by opening up electric experience centres. The company has the largest network in the 3-wheeler space in India and aims to increase its reach further in various parts of the country.

Piaggio recorded over 90% growth in the 2-wheeler segment in Q1 of 2021. Last month, the bike maker opened bookings for the Aprilia SXR 125 maxi-scooter.

Yesterday, while cruising through town at 50-55 km/h, all of a sudden, a strange sound started coming out of the engine.

BHPian arunabh2424 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Update 1: Damaged Clutch Assembly: It's been four and a half months since I got addicted to the Vespa. Yesterday, while cruising through town at 50-55 km/h, all of a sudden, a strange sound started coming out of the engine. I noticed it only while decelerating from higher speeds. By the time I reached home, the sound was just unbearable. I immediately turned around to the service center and made them aware of the problem. They too were scratching their heads after listening to the abnormal sound. I am now at the service center and the technicians are trying to find out the issue. Frustrating.

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 too is concerned about the hidden problem in the unusual sound from the 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.

Update 3: 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 the 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 3,500 kms. To my luck, I met another Vespa owner of the same model and make who had bought the vehicle in January 2021. He 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 BHPians have come across Vespa owners facing similar problems?

Update 4: Yesterday evening, I got another follow-up call from the service center. They informed me that in spite of several attempts, they are unable to solve the engine noise issue till now. Even after opening each and every component of the clutch and engine, the problem still persists.

Now, I am losing my mind. A three-month-old scooter with 3,500 kms on odo and that too having an Italian badge is now one of the biggest concerns of my life. I am preparing myself for a big war ahead & I know it will happen soon.

Thanks to arunabh2424 again. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Vespa is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Alongside the 75-year anniversary, the company has also announced a new production milestone of 19 million units.

Vespa is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The iconic Italian two-wheeler brand which was started in 1946, has also announced the achievement of a new production milestone of 19 million units.

To celebrate the occasion, the company has released a new limited-edition version for two of its scooters, the Primavera and GTS. The special 75th-anniversary edition will be available across the 50cc, 125cc and 150cc models of the Primavera, along with the 150cc and 300cc models of the GTS.

All variants of the special edition Vespa Primavera and GTS scooters will come with an exclusive metallised Giallo paint scheme with '75' graphics on the side panels and the front fender.

As mentioned before, over the past 75 years Vespa has manufactured 19 million scooters with the milestone model being the GTS 300, which rolled out of the brand's factory in Pontedera, Italy.

Vespa entered the Indian market in 2012 and currently have a range of 125cc and 150cc premium scooter offerings. These include the Urban Club, Notte, VX, SXL and the VXL range.

Piaggio has launched a special edition of the Vespa called the Racing Sixties. It is based on the SXL 125 and SXL 150, priced at Rs. 1.20 lakh and Rs. 1.32 lakh (ex-showroom) respectively.

The Racing Sixties special edition was unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo. The scooter gets a red and white livery inspired by racing liveries from the 1960s. The seat gets white piping and the headlight bezel, mirrors and exhaust shield are finished in matte black. The scooter comes equipped with gold coloured alloy wheels as well. It also gets an LED headlamp, USB mobile charging port and illuminated storage compartment.

The SXL 125 is powered by a 125cc engine that produces 9.8 BHP @ 7,500 rpm and 9.6 Nm @ 5,500 rpm, while the SXL 150 uses a 150cc motor that makes 10.3 BHP @ 7,600 rpm and 10.6 Nm @ 5,500 rpm. Both these engines comply with BS6 emission norms. The scooter gets an optional disc brake at the front and is available with ABS or combined braking system.

Piaggio has launched the updated Vespa VXL and SXL in India. Customers can book the scooters on this website. The company has also launched the new Aprilia Storm which can be also booked online on this website. The booking amount has been set at Rs. 1,000.

The Vespa VXL and SXL feature a monocoque steel body and are equipped with an LED headlight with an integrated daytime running light, USB mobile charging port and boot light. Both scooters come with a front disc brake with a twin-pot caliper and get ABS or a combined braking system depending on the brake setup. The scooters also have adjustable rear suspension.

The Vespa VXL and SXL are available with a BS6-compliant 125cc engine that produces 9.8 BHP @ 7,500 rpm and 9.6 Nm @ 5,500 rpm and a 150cc motor that makes 10.3 BHP @ 7,600 rpm and 10.6 Nm @ 5,500 rpm.

The Aprilia Storm 125 comes with a digital instrument cluster and has a 220 mm disc brake at the front with a twin-pot caliper. It is powered by a 125cc, single-cylinder engine that produces 9.8 BHP @ 7,500 rpm and 9.6 Nm @ 5,500 rpm. It rides on 12-inch black alloy wheels.

Piaggio is now accepting online pre-bookings for the updated Vespa VXL and SXL scooters. Customers can place their orders on this website by paying a booking amount of Rs. 1,000.

The Vespa VXL and SXL scooters are based on a monocoque steel body. The scooters come equipped with LED headlights with integrated daytime running light, 5-spoke alloy wheels, USB charging port and boot light.

The Vespa VXL and SXL are available with BS6-compliant 125cc and 150cc engines that have fuel-injection. Both scooters come with a front disc brake with a twin-pot caliper and get ABS or a combined braking system depending on the brake setup. The scooters also have adjustable rear suspension.