Scooter Review Vespa GTS 300 i.e. Super Vespa’s bored-out 300 Super is bigger, beefier and better all round, whatever the weather.
Words by DAVE DI RADO, photography by LOU MARTIN I have been looking forward to the
Australian launch of the new Vespa GTS
300 Super since we first broke the news
in scooter #18. And now that I have been on it,
I can confirm that it was ... absolutely terrible, a
real shocker. But don’t panic ’cause I’m talking
about the weather, not the Vespa.
Good thing I was dressed for the occasion as
it enabled me to concentrate on the Vespa and
not what could have been soggy nether regions.
But as always with wet weather, it wasn’t
as simple as that. Unpredictable car drivers,
potholes filled with water and the slimy texture
of the road brought on by the constant rain all
added to the fun in their own unique way.
The day started at the Ibis Hotel in Sydney’s
Darling Harbour, and as with all scooter events,
I started my day with the first of many strong
coffees. After that it was time to meet the new
Vespa and hit the road. Initially I was struggling
to notice any differences between the new 300
Super and the previous GTS 250, and then my
coffee kicked in.
From the front the styling of the horncast
on the 300’s legshield has changed, while the
small pilot light of the 250 is gone, and the
round horn cover has been replaced with a
rectangular chrome grille. It also has a raised
ridge running vertically that ties it nicely into
the base of the rectangular Piaggio badge.
These differences are rather subtle, but
seeing the 300 Super parked next to a GTS 250
i.e. they’re a hint that this Vespa is going to be
a little tuff nut. And Piaggio didn’t stop there.
The chrome trim on the front guard is a little
chunkier and the right-hand-side engine cover
now has fluted vents cut into it. It looks fresh
and new while paying homage to Vespas from
the 1960s.
The seat on the 300 Super has had the white
piping treatment, giving it a real trendy and
sporty look. It’s the same cut and shape as the
one on the 250 and it is just another subtle
variance that makes all the difference. If you
feel it still isn’t sporty enough, you will be
happy to know that a single seat is available as
an option too.
Outta sight!
 Around the back the fold-down carry rack that
was a standard fitment on the 250 is now gone.
The rear grab-rail is still there but it too, like
many features on the 300 Super, has had a
slight revamp. The middle mount at the back
of the rail is now a lot smoother and has the
word Vespa engraved into it. It’s very classy and
lets car drivers know exactly who makes that
scooter in front of them with the cool Super
badge – before you vanish.
Despite not having the rear rack, storage is
not a problem as the under-seat area is quite
large and will take an open-face helmet and
some other items easily. This can be accessed
via a button on the left-hand side of the inner
legshield, although it only works when the
ignition is on. A great safety feature that is very
handy, too.
Push the key inwards and a door pops open
in front of your knees. In here you will find the
toolkit and enough space for your personal
items, like mobile phones, wallets, purses and
sunnies. Still not enough? Then tick the option
box and get a box. A topbox, of course, and
these not only come colour-matched, which
means either black or white at the moment,
they have a cushioned backrest built into them
so your pillion won’t blow off when you hit it.
Passengers get fold-out steel footpegs as well.
Other options available with the new
Vespa 300 Super include a tall screen, a fly or
short screen, front, rear and side chrome
embellishment kit, footwell mat, an alarm,
a soft bag for the topbox and a fitted cover.
Which reminds me, when you park your Vespa
300 Super, look up and chat with Mother
Nature. If she plans on raining on your parade,
there’s a fitted cover attached to the underside
of the seat. No more sitting on a wet one when
you return!
Where the 250 had an LCD panel next to the
speedo, the dash on the 300 Super has been
revamped with analogue instruments, including
fuel and temperature gauges and a nice, large,
easy to read, how-fast-am-I-going speedo. The
latter is something you’ll check often on the 300
Super, as it flies. It also has a big digital clock,
and that’s a thing I think every scooter should
have. Scooter builders, pay attention.
The 300 Super’s clock ups the ante even
further by showing the date as well, not that
you will ever be that late on it. Apart from
that, as I was checking the scooter out, in the
elements, on Sydney’s coldest October day
since 1971, I discovered a few other features
the 250 doesn’t have: there’s a tasty little
chrome sleeve over the exhaust tip, the wheel
centres are painted black and the rims are
highly polished. Sexy.
Small torque
Vespa has been making scooters for 62 years,
and its plan is to make them better with each
model revision. Naturally, when a new model
like the 300 Super is released, you can’t help
but compare it to its little brother, the 250. But
how much of a little brother is it really? If you
compare the spec sheets, the two scooters
seem similar.
And I mean really similar.
For example, like the GTS 250 i.e., the 300
Super has a fuel-injected engine, a twist and go
constantly variable transmission, 220mm front
and rear disc brakes and preload-adjustable
twin rear spring-damper units. Wheels are still
12-inchers, the fuel capacity is still nine litres
and the seat height is still 790mm. Heck, even
the power output remains the same at 15.8kW!
Hang on a minute ... the same power output,
I hear you ask? Sounds dodgy ... let me explain.
The engine in the 300 Super is a variant of the
GTS 250 i.e. powerplant that’s been bored and
stroked for an actual displacement of 278cc.
This means that while the 300 Super has the
same peak power figure as the 250, it has
more torque.
And torque is what you want to get off
the mark quickly. It is also what you really want
when you’re climbing a hill on your scooter.
Throw a friend on the back and torque is God.
Put simply, it’s the grunt factor in your engine.
The GTS 250 i.e. had 20Nm of it, plenty really,
but if you want or feel you need more, the 300
Super has 22.3Nm. And in scooter talk, that’s
no small torque at all.
While the top speeds of the two Vespas
are similar – about 120km/h – the 300 Super
will get you there faster. It will take off
from a standing start quicker and it will outaccelerate
the 250 at any speed. And that is on
the flat. Throw in a hill, or throw Bill or Jill on
the back, and the 300 Super won’t really care.
All this grunt is generated at lower revs, so any
extra effort required from the 300 will be given
much earlier.
One thing I always notice is the way a big
load will affect a scooter’s ability to take off.
They’ll still do it, but they feel the weight and
let you know about it. The GTS 300 Super
doesn’t seem to care.
Another surprise for me was the way the
300 Super feels compared to the GTS 250.
For a scooter that’s had some subtle cosmetic
changes and a tad more oomph squeezed out of
it, it is definitely an individual. The suspension
felt a little more beefy in the way it soaked
up the bumps on Sydney’s rough roads, while
the handling was a little tighter. It’s as though
the 300’s body is more rigid than the GTS 250,
which gives a really stable and confident ride.
On the way to lunch this stability was really
tested, too. Fierce cross-winds, blinding rain
and generally shitty conditions didn’t faze the
300. I did hear one whining noise, but that was
only me. And after the day was done and I was
heading home across the Anzac Bridge on a
motorcycle, the constantly gusting wind blew
me sideways across a lane. The Vespa had
made the same crossing 20 minutes earlier and
didn’t budge. I want one.
The GTS 300 Super is on sale across
Australia in two colours, Shiny Black and
Montebianco White as pictured. Find your
nearest dealer by logging on to <www.vespa.
com.au>. And now no more small talk, ‘cause
the time for big torque is upon us.
As published in TW SCOOTER MAGAZINE - 5/02/2009
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