Vespa LX 125
For many years, the classic Vespa, thought of in Italy since it’s birth in 1946, as simple rugged but cheap commuter transport continued largely unchanged. Piaggio, who manufacture the VESPA range, had continued with the steel chassis traditional range, but this all changed in 1995 with the Rome launch of the new Vespa ET range.
VESPA has become a truly iconic legend, with that evocative brand-name up there with Coca-Cola and Intel as the top twenty brand names in the world. There are some regions where “VESPA” means “scooter”, just as “Hoover” means “vacuum cleaner”. On the back of all this fame, and at last with a considerable update, the ET was launched, and this has now evolved into the new VESPA LX range! So, here is a proper steel bodied Vespa scooter that LOOKS just as a Vespa should, but now has the added sophistication of an automatic “twist & go” transmission. With rather more GO than should be expected. It has a degree of sophistication previously unheard of, having traded the legendary simple two-stroke engine for a learner legal 125cc version that still provides a fair degree of performance, around 60mph, together with fantastic fuel economy and low emissions to comply with the very latest Euro legislation. It has an air-cooled overhead camshaft two-valve engine for deep breathing throughout the rev-range for maximum torque…. And maximum power! Yet, all this modern technology combines to make the LX125 remarkably frugal, with 100+ mpg achievable on long runs without resorting to the 30mph antics required with some other scooters.
This air-cooled single-cylinder engine is perfectly mated to a CVT (Continuously Variable) Transmission. This isn’t really a “gearbox” in the car sense of the word, but the drive ration is infinitely adjusted, just like a sliding scale, so that the “gear” is 100% always perfectly matched to the power available. Listen carefully as you ride the scooter, and you notice that no matter what the speed, the engine revs stays much the same, held on the “maximum torque” point to always give you maximum acceleration or maximum hill-climb ability whenever you need it. Just like magic! This is all accomplished by a Variator (this changes the “gear”) a belt (this provides the drive), and a centrifugal clutch (this disconnects the drive from the engine when you stop). All of this work effortlessly and seamlessly to provide smooth power transmission from zero to top speed. One customer said of the system….. “The bike just looks after itself, all I have to do is tell it where to go!”
Vespa have not missed any tricks with the handling and road-holding either! No longer is the engine slung on one side as an afterthought almost; the cylinder is now central, and the rear suspension is taken care of by twin adjustable rear damper units. At the front is the single sided fork… that residue from the very early days when Piaggio made fighter planes for WWII. Picture a Spitfire just taking off, with the undercarriage being retracted? Yet a customer once asked me…. “Is the wheel safe like that…. Only being attached on one side???” Piaggio have been involved with the design and manufacturer of so many different types of vehicles, over so many decades, and of course VESPA for sixty years, to know what works and what doesn’t, and what it takes to make a Vespa into the supple suave handling scooter it has now become. The road-holding is complemented by a change to 11” front and 10” rear alloy wheels, with wide grippy low profile tyres, and a very simple but very clever anti-dive front suspension. Braking is taken care of by powerful hydraulic disc brakes front and rear. So powerful, yet so controllable that if you wish, you can squeal the front tyre to a standstill. How do I know all of this? Well….. as eight-times British scooter Road Race Champion… (ok so it WAS on Lambrettas!) I do know a thing about handling and how to throw a scooter around! And I have a Bright Ferrari Red Vespa GTS250ie of my own!
The ergonomic qualities of the LX125 have not been missed either! A big wide comfy seat helps you gobble up the miles just as easily as does the scooter, with room for two! There is storage under the seat that swallows a full-face helmet. There is a roomy Legshield glovebox too. Also included is a chromed rear grab-rail, that can accept a special carrier to mount a colour-coded top-box.
£2500 may seem a lot for a Vespa…. But with the LX125 you do get a lot of scooter for your money….. and a very very good scooter it is too!
Don’t forget that there is also the limited edition retro model; the Vespa LXV125. This is available in Avio Grey to emulate the early days of Vespa from the 1950’s, enhancing the retro feel of this version. Twin separate leather seats. (… and we ALL know just how good the Italians are at leathercraft!), chromed rear carrier, open styled handlebars and headlamp are evocative reminders of the Vespa history.
Vespa LX is the market leader in the traditional style metal-bodied market, with a restricted power output of 15bhp to comply with learner legislation, and acceleration to blitz most of the competition!
As a Vespa LX125 owner… you will not be disappointed!
LX125; £2800
Four Colours; Black; Silver; Red; & Midnight Blue
LXV 125 Navy; Special Edition; Midnight Blue; with special seat; £3000
LXV125; £3200
Two Colours; Portofino Green & Siena Cream
There is also a NEW LX Derivative...... the Vespa S, styled on the Vespa 50 Special from the late 1970's
Vespa 125 S; £2850:00.
Three Bold Colours; White; Red; Black
All plus £70:00 on the road costs; Road tax and Registration Fee.
©dave webster @ midlandscootercentre dave@scooters.co.uk 2009 june
