Right, I ride 5 miles to work from Hyde Park to Fleet Street. Through the Hyde park, B Palace, down to Parliament Sq and and along the embankment, done. never really 50mph (maybe up the mall). More weaving between all the cars and busses. So light and agile, low knickable, high practical.
I use a 57 plate 125 Vespa for this journey. Apart from being it being “my wife’s bike” or various other comments from drivers I have run ins with, it is pretty much perfect for me this task and this task is all it is being used for. Have a Street Triple R for kicks so big bike is sorted.
I was thinking of upgrading to a Vespa 300 GTS Super or Supersport as they are still not as nickable as many bikes, can leave them anywhere within reason and good for getting around the congested streets. Also good if I need to park the bike on a raised curb at work in the car park area.
My problem is that for 3-4K (the price of these Vespas) I could get a nice Ducati 696 or something another twist and go scooter like the Aprillia 300 cube.
What should I get for knocking around the gridlocked Parklane-Hyde park corner congested run.
Should I just stick with the 125 and be happy with it.
The 300 is a fantastic city bike, but you should be able to get a decent secondhand 250 (not much difference in performance) for a lot less as they have been around for a while. The 200s have been around for even longer and give a decent performance boost over the 125s. Parts for all are very plentiful and cheap.
My bike is absolutely perfect for filtering and getting through traffic. It’s a Yamaha WR125X, specific benefits of this bike:
Supermoto so you have a high riding position to see over all the cars
Handlebars are usually higher than car mirrors
Very narrow bike, I can get through gaps that loads of bigger bikes can’t
Very light and agile, easy to do those sharp 90 degree turns to change lanes between stationary traffic
£16 per year tax
Very economical to run
Also you have the advantage of larger wheels on a motorbike than a scooter for the London potholes. Or as superoli suggested get a pushbike, even chepaer to run and keeps you fit!
Yeah this is the same with my little 125, the turning circling is amazing and as its such a small wheel base I can get through gaps push bikes can get through. It would be nice to have a tiny bit more power though, to pull away from the lights or when I have a pillion. When I do have a pillion the pull away is more like a 50cc and I don’t like it.
For the price of a new vespa 300 you could get a KTM 125, I think that would be alot of fun but sadly probably alot more nickable.
Yeah lack of power is an issue for me too but only cos I do a bit of dual carriage way (I don’t carry pillions). I’m going to keep it sumo but probably get a 600cc.
If you were barking mad and don’t mind having a bike that needs TLC to keep it sweet, I would recommend the Peugeot Jetforce Compressor. This is the scooter that Tiff Needel famously raced against in a Suzuki Swift on Fifth Gear.
It’s a moped size 125cc (there was a moped Jetforce too) but with a factory-fit supercharger bolted on. Normally they put out a learner-legal 15hp, but a quick bit of re-programming by an authorised dealer (takes about 2min) gives it 20hp instead. Either way, the torque output is similar to a 200/250 - so acceleration is remarkable for the size. Tops out at about 85mph when on full-fat setting and it sounds very different to a normal scooter.
You can get them for around the £2k mark and Ricky, of Rickys Pitstop in Romford (formerly a Peugeot dealer but got cut in the recent cull), has his own up for sale if you want to take a look at one.
Thanks for all the suggestions but I don’t think that I need another 125 as I have one already. A turbo powered one though! Haa that would be hilarious!
I think I’ll stick with the diddy 125 vespa fpr the time being. Maybe stick a new zorst on it, install a powercommander and put a vespa K&N air filter on it! lol
