Vespa LX125

Good to see the beauty in RED. Actually this thread was much needed. Next to follow is Yamaha Ray.
Again the pics from the mobile is pretty clear and detailed
I think they should have provided a rubber boot for the kicker than the all metal one. Vespa should have come with a disc brake especially for the premium pricing. Retro looks with modern features (safety)

Looking forward for updates Subscribing the thread..


Sent from xBhp Connect for iOs

Mobile pics somehow turned out acceptable for that location and situation.

Yes, Rubber on the kick should've been there, for safety... This gripless metal kicker could slip easily while kicking, and hurt the rider. I'm however, not too concerned as my dad has always used self start in his XCD 125, and we hope to maintain the trend.
Also, maybe it comes as an accessory but not installed yet? Since it is not registered yet and my dad talked to the showroom guys, I'm not sure what all comes with it.

This scooter is priced at about Rs. 66000 on road in Ajmer, which is yes, at a premium to other offerings.

Thanks a ton for starting this thread Samarth!!!! Your bike looks great!!! Could you please share your riding experiences as well as it would help people like me to decide on whether to go for the Vespa or not....

Congratulations on the buy. Much needed and long awaited thread. Post price cut, Vespa is definitely more accessible now to the masses. I myself have been pondering over to buy this for my wife. It would replace the now aging Activa in my garage. Looking forward to your experience. Thread subscribed.

Re: Vespa LX125

Congrats on the new buy. Even I have a same colour vespa. Till date I haven't found any issue except for missing front disc. The more you ride the more you will fall fall in love with it.

Took a quotation yesterday and the dealer quoted accessories worth approx. Rs.3000. It included the floor mat, front and rear guards. Also enquired about switching to tubeless tyres, which is possible and the only option given was TVS tyres though I think MRF also has an option.

@Samarth - Can you please post/PM me the details on accessories?

Re: Vespa LX125

i bought my red chianti vespa in June. though many people wondered why i bought this i was perfectly happy in owning a scooter that too an iconic one.
the best comments were " itne mein toh pulsar aajata hai!!! "

yes no doubt it is costly but i am glad i bought this scooter. i still own my papa's kinetic honda. both are iconic in their own way.
almost nearing my fourth service.
no scooter is perfect. was scared to ride at good high speeds but now with having gotten used to the brakes i can now speed up. the trick is to apply both the brakes. sadly many don't do that especially those who scoot.
have also used it for longer trips like 200 km a day and planning to take it in much longer trips too. it is a pleasure to drive at 60 - 70 kmph. feels like cruising with no much stress on engine either.
being a vespa engine i am sure if taken care of it , she can perform a decade easily.

Re: Vespa LX125

I agree Murlidhar even for me same question people used to ask "koin bhi accha bike milta tha itne kimat mein". Even I have adjusted with the brakes now.

Vespa Front Brakes, Brakes and Brakes, I can see many raising concerns.

My scooter is from the first batch bought back in June 2012.

My first feedback: The vehicle is an excellent piece of ART work.

I got my front brake replaced under warranty. Both the Brake shoes and the Cam.
The original one was supplied by ASK. Vespa is replacing it with NIFO. Also the new Cam is slightly wider to press the brakes hard.

The front brake was sliding like slipping on grease.
The replacement did not come in easy for me.
I complaining about the ineffective front brake every time I went for service. They just cleaned the brake shoes.
I logged in a formal complaint with the company. Then my dealer called me for a checkup. I put a condition that if they do not fix the front brake this time, I will hand over the scooter back and they can return it to the company.
They did some fake adjustment and requested me to take a test drive. It was still slipping. They played all tricks to avoid replacing.

One good trick the mechanic tried to improve braking was :-

The mechanic used a axle blade to create grooves on the brake shoe liner. By chance I walked into the service bay and saw what they were doing.
DEAR VESPA, THAT WAS A MASTER PIECE OF ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

I had to give them my bit of rage in the local language. Then one of them went inside to the store and brought back a new set of brake shoe and cam.

I inspected it closely, it was from a different supplier. They replaced it and now the front brake is very effective.


When I was walking out, I saw another customer who had just met with an accident came to the showroom and was giving his/her bit of ^$&%*^*& to the sales and service people.
I got to know that they had complained about the brakes several times and it was ignored. They said the scooter did not stop as it should have during emergency braking and fell into a drain. the Monocoque structure got some deformations.
Note:

The company knows that most of the Indian customers do not understand basic automotive performance issues.
The consumer court and the process is so horrible and time taking, people will not take that path.

After my interaction with many people at the showroom including the mechanics I understood that Vespa knew about the front braking issues before launch. the same is reported in all reviews on television and magazines. I think the company choose to clear off the already purchased stock of brake shoes/cam.


It looks like the company has instructed the dealer to replace the brakes only if the customer insists on it. Else, the customers life it at the mercy of his fate.

Lesson learned: Unless you put your hand down their throat, they will not replace it.

This is a valid case for recall, but who cares. Vespa needs to learn form HONDA CBR 250 recall for a rare chance flaw of braking .

This was my experience, may be someone else is happy with their scooter performance.

Apart from the above issue, the scooter is the best thing that happened in this category in the last decade. I love to move around on it.

Sharing some pics of my Vespa

These Vespas are made in Vietnam.
The locals don't really like these, They (and my wife included) prefer the Italian made of the same model.

My wifes friend returned her LX125 after the engine started making terrible sounds some 3000kms old.
Sorry to say but if they are the made in VN please be careful.
Heres a old pic of the Vespa, Its now a custom Dark blue with a lot of metallic flake.

Having said all that, If you are interested in "hot rodding" these, you can get a 190cc Mallossi engine upgrade kit. It includes cylinder, piston and rings. Its plug n play made in Italy by one of the best aftermarket companies specializing in small engines.


They also make rollers, variators, clutches (though the factory clutch material is very good quality so you can just change the clutch springs if you want) kevlar (and non kevlar) belts
I changed the rollers in my wifes vespa down to 10gram, Instantly got more get up and go (light weight rollers = quicker acceleration but lower top end, Heavy rollers = slow acceleration but higher top end. Pick what you want)
Exhausts are also offered by Malossi
MalossiStore

you are correct about the part were the consumers here in india are taken for a ride most of the times. And slightly 'scuffing' the brake shoes with a hack saw blade is ok (atleast in my experience) , just make sure they are not doing this on the brake drum itself! but this is not a solution if they know that the brakes are ineffective due to other reasons (design/material/manufacturer) mentioned by you.

Not many owners here I presume, but have a doubt. Have had an excellent time with the vespa till date but I'm having issues sourcing a few things. Firstly, the buttons for time on the speedo went missing mysteriously and I'm unable to get new ones from the showroom. Have covered the empty space with matt black sticker now. The showroom people say you need to buy the whole speedo assemble (wtf?), and this having tried in a couple of showrroms here in bangalore, so trying to get it from somewhere or go ahead with some jugaad.
Also, I'm sure many owners have faced this issue with the side stand, it's really flimsy and keeps loosing up. Hope they do something about it

sorry to hear that you lost the rubber buttons of time. maybe somebody has taken it forcefully. they are tightly fit.
regarding side stand i haven't had any issues till now but then i bought my vespa last June.